Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

”I... I was so scared I lost my head. I wasn’t thinking when I spoke... I’ll willingly accept my punishment. I only ask that you be the bigger man, Senior Brother Chen. Please, don’t... don’t stoop to my level...”

Chen Cheng remained noncommittal and simply turned his gaze to the grim-faced Ye Yang.

”Chen Cheng, I need to go there myself.”

Ye Yang met his gaze and said gravely,

”While I’m gone, you’ll be in charge of the Inner Hall. If anything unexpected happens, you have full authority to handle it!”

”Also, don’t use the True Strength Crossing Thought Map again tonight. Otherwise, you’ll over-exert your Heart Power and end up harming yourself!”

”Yes, I understand.”

Chen Cheng nodded and retreated to his room.

The moment the door closed, he picked up the square of beast hide again and channeled his Bright Force into it.

Just now, when he had achieved Powerful Penetration with his Bright Force, he had indeed felt a drain on both his physical and Heart Power. His arms felt heavy and sore, and his Heart Spirit seemed to be sinking into a void, leaving him faintly exhausted.

However, he was bolstered by his Harmonious Attribute, which reduced the cost by thirty percent.

Furthermore, his Heart Power was already stronger than an ordinary person’s. He conservatively estimated he could practice Powerful Penetration two more times, for a total of at least three times a day, without it affecting his daily activities.

’Just now, achieving Powerful Penetration increased my Hidden Dragon Fist training progress by five points on the panel. At fifteen points a day, I can reach Great Success with Hidden Dragon Fist in twenty-two days...’

’If I supplement this with medicine to increase my efficiency, along with practicing Hidden Dragon Fist itself, I should be able to form the fourth pillar of Blood Qi and generate Dark Force in about half a month...’

’And in the process, my control over my Power will also improve. The Power itself will be tempered until it is exceptionally pure and formidable, far surpassing others of the Same Tier.’

As Chen Cheng silently made his calculations, he became increasingly convinced that the True Strength Crossing Thought Map was a priceless treasure.

However, creating such an item must be incredibly complex and difficult, which would explain why they were so rare. That was why only the most highly-regarded geniuses were qualified to use one.

Then again, as the saying goes, a fine sword belongs to a worthy hero. If someone wasn’t cut out for it, there was no point in them keeping it. That was the reason for the three-month time limit: if one failed to make progress, it had to be returned.

About half an hour later, Chen Cheng put away the True Strength Crossing Thought Map. He then practiced Health Tai Chi for a while to restore his physical and Heart Power. Just as he was getting ready for bed, he heard a commotion outside.

Chen Cheng listened intently.

It was Zhu Mingyuan and Ye Qiluo, returning from a banquet.

Although their performance in the annual assessment had been subpar, they still had backers willing to sponsor them.

From their conversation, he could tell the celebration banquet had been held at the Immortal Tower in the Inner City, where a single dish or a pot of wine cost a fortune that the poor of the Outer City could never even imagine.

Ye Qiluo had clearly drunk a lot. Her voice was slurred, and Chen Cheng could hear her unsteady footsteps and heavy, ragged breathing.

By contrast, Zhu Mingyuan’s footsteps and breathing were far more steady and composed. It was hard to tell whether he had a high tolerance for alcohol or simply hadn’t drunk at all.

Soon, Zhu Mingyuan escorted Ye Qiluo to her room, then came back out and returned to his own.

Chen Cheng listened in silence to the very end before his ever-vigilant Heart Spirit finally relaxed.

He had once heard Qian Baolu mention that Zhu Mingyuan was interested in Ye Qiluo, but she had never agreed nor explicitly rejected him, simply stringing him along.

Judging by Zhu Mingyuan’s behavior, he really did have the integrity of a true gentleman. He hadn’t even tried to take the slightest advantage of the situation, let alone do anything untoward while she was drunk.

’So I wasted all that time listening for nothing.’

All was well here, but another matter left Chen Cheng a little concerned.

After Ye Yang left, he still hadn’t returned.

’Did something happen?’

Chen Cheng didn’t know the full extent of Ye Yang’s strength, but in the South Outer City, he was undoubtedly among the very strongest. Factoring in the backing of the Dragon Mountain Hall, logically, no one should dare to make a move against him.

...

The next day, the sky was still ink-black when the faint sound of a watchman’s clapper echoed from the distance.

Chen Cheng was already awake. After briskly washing his face with cold water, he practiced Bright Force Du Xiang three times in his room, then alternated between practicing Health Tai Chi and Endless Moon Breath.

By the time the inky sky outside had lightened to a fish-belly white, the meal in the Inner Hall’s small kitchen was ready.

The freshly steamed, high-quality rice was perfectly distinct, and the portion was ample. This morning’s main dish was a large bowl of venison braised in a master stock. The meat was a glossy, soy-red color; the lean portions were firm and satisfyingly chewy, while the tendons were springy and slick. The blend of medicinal herbs in the braise was exquisite, both maximizing the flavor and fully drawing out its nourishing effects.

On top of that was a tureen of clear, medicinal tiger meat soup. The bittersweet notes of the herbs intertwined with the rich flavor of the meat. After just a few spoonfuls, a potent warmth surged from his stomach, spreading rapidly through his limbs.

After finishing everything, a thin sheen of sweat had formed on Chen Cheng’s body. He felt warm all over. Even when he pushed open the door and stood in the biting morning wind of winter, he didn’t feel the slightest chill. Instead, his Blood Qi was abundant, and he was brimming with energy.

”Senior Sister! Senior Sister, slow down! I’m coming with you!”

Zhu Mingyuan’s voice, a mixture of urgency and worry, came from the direction of the other rooms.

After leaving the small kitchen, Chen Cheng walked down the long corridor. Just as he rounded a corner, he saw Ye Qiluo rushing outside.

She had always been meticulous about her appearance, her clothes and coiffure always immaculate. But now, as the senior-most sister of the Inner Hall, she hadn’t even bothered to comb her long hair, which hung loose and disheveled as she rushed on without a care.

Zhu Mingyuan was chasing closely behind. Spotting Chen Cheng, he shouted instructions as he ran.

”Junior Brother Chen! We have to go out on some urgent business! We’ll have to rely on you to keep an eye on the entire Middle Courtyard today! Please, I’m counting on you!”

”...What happened?” Chen Cheng asked, his brow furrowed.

”We don’t know yet! We’ll talk when we get back!” Zhu Mingyuan didn’t break his stride, just threw the words over his shoulder as he ran out after Ye Qiluo.

’Did something happen to Ye Yang?’

’Or is it something else?’

A few thoughts flashed through Chen Cheng’s mind, but he didn’t bother to dwell on them.

He was well aware of his own capabilities. Matters on Ye Yang’s level were not for him to worry about.

Focusing on increasing his own strength was the top priority.

He composed himself, went directly to a quiet corner, and silently began practicing Hidden Dragon Fist.

He went through the fist forms time and again, and the sun moved from the eastern sky to its zenith.

After lunch, Ye Qiluo and Zhu Mingyuan still hadn’t returned. There was no sign of Zhuang Zhen either, not even a message by this point.

Chen Cheng became more and more certain that something had really happened—and it likely wasn’t a small matter.

But he was more worried about whether he would still get the reward Ye Yang had promised him yesterday.

A reward wasn’t truly yours until it was safely in your pocket.

At this thought, he went directly to the General Affairs Room to have a word with the Steward, asking him to help watch over the Outer Hall. Once that was taken care of, he headed straight for the Yongsheng Store.

...

”Chen Honored Elder, you’re here. I was just thinking about whether I should go find you at the Martial Arts Hall.”

With a gentle, beautiful smile, Shen Mi personally rose to welcome Chen Cheng into her study.

Her dress today was quite form-fitting, making her already impressive figure seem even more astonishingly voluptuous.

”Here are seven Golden Blade Coins. This is your first Monthly Allowance from the third branch of our Shen Family. As for the medicinal aid, you can go to Shen’s Medicine Shop and select what you need anytime.”

”Also, here are ten Blood-Nourishing Pills. They’re a personal gift from me, to congratulate you.”

As she spoke, Shen Mi placed a small Money Bag and a white porcelain bottle, which she had prepared in advance, in front of Chen Cheng.

”Master, the Monthly Allowance was part of our agreement, so I’ll accept it. But this bottle of Blood-Nourishing Pills is worth a hundred taels, I can’t...”

Chen Cheng was about to politely refuse, but Shen Mi cut him off with a mock pout.

”I’ve already bought them. If you don’t take them, who else could I possibly give them to?”

She paused, and her tone became serious.

”I’ve said it before: the stronger you are, the more weight I carry in the family. When I went back yesterday, my eldest uncle gave me the position of Vice Steward for the third branch. Now, even my cousins Xingguo and Xingwen have to do as I say! This is all thanks to you!”

After speaking so earnestly, she didn’t take no for an answer and stuffed both the Money Bag and the porcelain bottle into Chen Cheng’s hands.

”...In that case, thank you, Master.”

Chen Cheng no longer refused. He accepted them and tucked them away.

Immediately, he focused his hearing, and after confirming no one was outside, he took out the wooden box he had obtained the previous night. He lowered his voice and said,

”Master, I was hoping you could help me take a look at what’s inside this box...”

—