Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

”Footsteps, heartbeat, breath, body odor, fluctuations in Blood Qi, even killing intent... Master Ye said it himself—he couldn’t detect a single trace! He thought he was seeing a ghost!”

Zhu Mingyuan took a deep breath and continued.

”What’s even stranger is that the person’s face was as if hidden by an invisible fog. Master Ye focused his gaze on it several times, but he still couldn’t see it clearly...”

”How strange.”

A perfectly measured look of shock and gravity appeared on Chen Cheng’s face, but inwardly, he had already figured it out.

’That strange person who ambushed Ye Yang is most likely a remnant of the Red Moon Nunnery who cultivates the Endless Moon Breath.’

’But why would this person attack Ye Yang?’

’Do they suspect Ye Yang has the Red Moon Original Vow Scripture? Or does Ye Yang have some other connection to the Red Moon Nunnery?’

’Or was it just a random killing, intended to create panic and throw the already turbulent South Outer City into even greater chaos?’

”Junior Brother...”

Zhu Mingyuan composed himself and gave a serious reminder.

”This whole business feels sinister. It might be related to the Red Moon Nunnery... Those Imperial Guards might come around to investigate for clues and question the disciples... If they come looking for you, remember to cooperate fully.”

”Of course.”

Chen Cheng nodded, then changed the subject.

”Regarding Xiao Yi, has the Patrol Office found anything?”

”...No.”

Zhu Mingyuan sighed.

”The killer was too careful. No clues were left at the scene, and the bodies were mutilated beyond recognition, making it impossible to examine the wounds. In the end... it’ll probably just become another cold case and be dropped.”

”What did the Wu Family say?” Chen Cheng asked.

”The Wu Family announced they would investigate it to the end... But anyone with eyes can see that in the Outer City, cases like this are impossible to solve...”

Zhu Mingyuan sighed again, speaking helplessly.

”At the end of the day, the Outer City is just too chaotic and dangerous. It’s a cesspool of saints and sinners, with little regard for the rules... If this were the Inner City, a murder like this would be almost impossible.”

Chen Cheng nodded, his gaze silently drifting over the courtyard wall toward the Inner City. He could faintly make out the massive, dark wall that separated the two worlds, inner and outer.

...

「Two days passed in a flash.」

It had been a terribly busy two days for the Li Family over in Anle Village.

First, a Constable from the Southern Five Guards Patrol Office paid a personal visit. He was dressed in official robes, a Horizontal Saber at his hip, and upon meeting her, he politely addressed her as ”Old Madam.”

The matriarch was so stunned she couldn’t even speak. But the Constable just smiled and took a red paper packet from his robes. Inside was a full three taels of silver, which he said was to congratulate Lord Cheng on his achievement of Three A+s.

Before the matriarch could recover, people from the Fire and Water Gang arrived. For a Major Gang whose territory spanned more than ten *li* across Zuojin, the person who came was surprisingly the Gang Leader himself.

This fearsome figure, usually like a living King of Hell, was all smiles that day. He politely presented a Golden Blade Coin, also saying it was to congratulate Lord Cheng on his great success.

At first, the matriarch didn’t dare accept either sum of money. She only felt at ease after asking Fatty Fang about it.

In the end, Chen Cheng’s achievement of placing in the Inner Hall Top Three was enough to astound and intimidate the vast majority of factions in the South Outer City. There was no shortage of people eager to curry favor.

Fatty Fang saw this clearly, so of course he told the matriarch to accept everything without worry.

As for the matter of the matchmaking, Fatty Fang didn’t bring it up, so the matriarch understood what had happened.

’The young lady must not have taken a liking to Chen Cheng.’

The matriarch didn’t press the issue. Since she had never held out much hope to begin with, she wasn’t particularly disappointed.

Life went on as usual.

After that, the neighbors also started to stir.

Some had heard the news about Chen Cheng, while others didn’t even know what was going on; they just knew that both a Constable and a Gang Leader had come to offer congratulations and gifts, so they followed suit.

Aunt Wang from next door brought half a bag of white rice. Butcher Zhao from the west end of the street stuffed two strips of cured meat into her hands. Sister-in-law Ma from the alley entrance presented a basket of eggs. Others brought copper coins, rough cloth, dry rations, or even home-pickled vegetables...

The gifts were too numerous to list, nearly filling the small hut where the matriarch lived.

The landlord even ran over this morning. Not only did he refund the rent Chen Cheng had already paid, but he also pressed a red envelope containing two taels of silver into the matriarch’s hands.

As of today, just from the silver and copper coins alone, she had received a little over twenty taels.

She had never seen so much cash in her entire life and didn’t dare keep it with her. Only after entrusting it all to Fatty Fang to deliver to Chen Cheng did her anxious heart finally settle.

...

”Senior Brother Fang, you’re just in time...”

Chen Cheng pulled open the small, vermilion-lacquered door to the Inner Hall. Seeing Fatty Fang standing outside, he stepped aside to let him in.

”Come in and talk.”

”I can’t...”

Fatty Fang waved his hand with an awkward smile.

”The Inner Hall isn’t a place just anyone can enter. I’d have to ask Master Ye for permission first...”

”You damn fatty! Who the hell do you think you’re kidding?”

A figure walked out from the Inner Hall behind Chen Cheng. His voice lashed out at Fatty Fang before his face was even clear.

”Cao Zhao!?”

Seeing who it was, Fatty Fang’s expression instantly turned cold. Without bothering to say another word, he turned to leave.

”Heh, haven’t seen you in three years. You’ve gotten this cowardly?”

Cao Zhao narrowed his eyes, his tone lazy and full of provocation.

”Fuck!”

Fatty Fang froze in his tracks and retorted, not showing any weakness.

”You, Cao Zhao, are only here because you were born lucky! You really think I’m afraid of you?”

”Not afraid? Come on! Let’s spar!”

A corner of Cao Zhao’s mouth lifted.

”If you can beat me by even half a move, I’ll take it upon myself to let you return to the Inner Hall!”

”You? You have the authority?”

Fatty Fang looked disdainful, but his eyelid twitched violently.

”Master Ye is seriously injured. I’m temporarily in charge of the Middle Courtyard—Fuck!”

Before Cao Zhao could finish, Fatty Fang’s mountain-like body—tall and stout—suddenly shot through the small doorway, charging straight at him.

The blue-brick floor thudded under his feet, each step leaving an imprint. The soles of his shoes scraped with the smell of burning.

His shoulder led the way, like a giant, primitive cannonball fired from its barrel.

Cao Zhao didn’t retreat. He rooted his feet, sank his hips, and instead of blocking or parrying, pressed his right palm directly onto Fatty Fang’s shoulder. The instant the edge of his palm touched the cloth, his wrist trembled violently—as fast as a hummingbird’s wings—and Power channeled through the base of his palm.

The flesh on Fatty Fang’s shoulder didn’t move an inch, but the muscles and tendons beneath felt as if they had been seized, and his entire right arm instantly went limp.

But he didn’t pause. As his right arm fell, his left foot stomped out diagonally. His massive body twisted with the momentum as he swung his left elbow horizontally. The sound of it cutting through the air was as sharp as a whistle, the point of his elbow aimed straight for Cao Zhao’s temple.

Cao Zhao tilted his head, the wind from the elbow strike grazing his ear. With a rapid series of small steps, he moved to Fatty Fang’s side and rear, formed a blade with his fingers, and stabbed toward the kidney acupoint on his lower back.

Without looking, Fatty Fang suddenly contracted his abdomen. His thick, fleshy back actually caved in by half an inch. The bladed fingers slid past his skin, the force of the wind pressing a dent into his robes.

He used the momentum to squat down, the mountain of a man dropping three feet, then immediately sprang back up, thrusting out with both palms...

Overturning Mountains and Seas!

Cao Zhao still didn’t dodge, meeting the attack directly with both of his palms.

The four palms met. The force was immense, yet the impact was strangely muffled, like a firecracker smothered in a thick quilt, exploding deep within the flesh.

Fine cracks simultaneously spread across the blue-brick floor from beneath their feet.

Both were knocked back two steps.

After exchanging a glance, they both tacitly channeled their Blood Qi to its fullest. They twisted and condensed the Dark Force throughout their bodies, concentrating it all in their fists. The bones and tendons in their arms sang, and their skin flushed crimson.

BANG!!!

Their fists collided.

In the next instant, both men’s feet left the ground at the same time, as if yanked backward by invisible ropes. They both flew backward, bodies arched, and crashed to the ground spread-eagled, chests heaving like fish out of water.

At the point where their fists had met, the blue bricks had shattered.

The cracks radiated outward from the central point of impact, forming two almost symmetrical, fan-shaped patterns. Even the depth of the cracks was nearly identical.

In the distance, an expression of unconcealable astonishment appeared on Chen Cheng’s face.

’I never would have imagined that Fatty Fang was hiding such strength.’

’To be able to fight Cao Zhao to a draw means he also has Six Pillars of Blood Qi and has achieved Dark Force Mastery! He’s already qualified to enter the Upper Courtyard!’

But then Chen Cheng recalled the story about the Inner Hall’s past that he and Cao Zhao had been discussing before Fatty Fang arrived, and the scene before him actually made sense.

—