Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

”Senior Brother Cao, could we stop for a moment? I want to buy a few packs of Five Dragon Soup,” Chen Cheng said.

Over the past two days, Chen Cheng had tried the Blood Nourishing and Essence Building Soup that Ye Yang had awarded him. Its effects were indeed good, but it still fell far short of the Five Dragon Soup.

”Alright, go ahead.”

Cao Zhao thought for a moment, then added.

”Since we’ve made the trip, you might as well buy more. If you don’t have enough money, I can cover you for now.”

”That won’t be necessary. I’ll just go take a look first.”

Chen Cheng smiled.

He lifted the curtain and stepped out of the carriage.

He walked straight into the Shen’s Pharmacy on the side of the road and stated his purpose.

The assistant in the main hall had a sharp eye. With a single glance, he recognized that Chen Cheng’s Training Attire was from the Dragon Mountain Middle Courtyard Inner Hall and didn’t dare to be negligent. He immediately trotted over with a medicinal packet.

”Sir, this is the Five Dragon Soup you asked for. It’s eighty taels of silver per pack, and the price is non-negotiable.”

’Eighty?’

Chen Cheng’s heart sank slightly, but his face betrayed no hesitation. He picked up the packet and took a careful sniff.

The medicinal aroma was clearly a notch weaker than the one Shen Mi had prepared, yet the price was still so high. It was truly exorbitant.

”I am a Tributor Martial Artist for the third branch of your Shen Family. Regarding the price, could you perhaps...”

”The third branch?”

The assistant froze for a moment, his expression turning a bit strange.

”My apologies... This price was fixed by the Master...”

Chen Cheng nodded and said no more.

’It was the answer I expected.’

The third branch had long lost its influence in the Shen Family. The South Outer City Branch, managed by Shen Xingguo, didn’t even sell Five Dragon Soup, let alone offer any other special treatment.

Chen Cheng was just testing the waters. When it failed, he readily paid up.

From his Money Bag, he took out Silver Notes, Golden Blade Coins, and broken silver, laying them out one by one on the counter.

It came out to exactly four hundred and eighty taels of silver, enough to buy six packs of Five Dragon Soup.

He would alternate using it with the Blood Nourishing and Essence Building Soup from Ye Yang and supplement them with the Blood-Nourishing Pills provided by both the Inner Hall and Shen Xingguo. With this, his cultivation resources for the next month or so were secured.

Adding to that the improvements from the True Strength Crossing Thought Map...

’Before the end of the year, I should be able to reach the threshold of Five Pillars of Blood Qi. It’s not impossible that I could even break through in one go.’

The only slight disappointment was that his once-bulging Money Bag was now completely flat, with only a dozen or so taels of silver left.

When he returned to the carriage, Cao Zhao glanced at the stack of medicinal packets Chen Cheng was carrying, his eyebrows arching slightly.

”Well now, you’ve got such deep pockets, huh? Looks like I underestimated you.”

”You flatter me, Senior Brother. This was everything I had.”

Chen Cheng paused for a moment before changing the subject.

”Senior Brother, do you know much about the Jiuan Hunting Manor and the Changfeng Escort Agency?”

”Why? Are they trying to win you over?”

Cao Zhao’s lazy, casual smile vanished, and his expression turned serious.

”I’m familiar with the Jiuan Hunting Manor. The Manor Master, Wang Peng, is a straightforward and magnanimous type. He doesn’t have any messy Jianghu grudges trailing behind him. If he occasionally needs you to take action, the payment he offers will not disappoint you.”

Chen Cheng silently took note, not interrupting.

Cao Zhao continued.

”The Changfeng Escort Agency is also decent. The Chief Leader, Zheng Nankun, is a well-respected senior in the Jianghu. The problem is, the escort business inevitably creates enemies...”

”Especially with those animals from the Green Forest Dao. Once you’ve made an enemy of them, you never know when one will jump out from some dark corner to bite you. It’s impossible to guard against.”

Cao Zhao paused, then added.

”If you just take their funding and don’t go on escorts, you won’t have to worry about that... However, if you’re just taking money without doing any work, it’s hard to say how long that sponsorship will last.”

”I understand. Thank you for the guidance, Senior Brother.”

Chen Cheng nodded and began to calculate his options silently.

The carriage rounded a street corner, and the sounds from outside suddenly grew lively.

They had arrived at the Immortal Tower.

The moment Chen Cheng stepped out of the carriage, his vision was filled with a dazzling sight.

A five-story building rose before him, adorned with ornate eaves, carved beams, and painted rafters. A warm, yellow light shone from every window, and every corridor pillar was lacquered a brilliant vermilion. Strings of large red lanterns hung from the eaves.

The entire structure was like a glazed pagoda that had descended from the heavens, bathing the street in a dazzling, dreamlike display of light and shadow.

Fine horses and luxurious carriages packed the entrance. In terms of pure opulence, Cao Zhao’s carriage instantly paled in comparison.

However, Cao Zhao was clearly a regular. The moment he appeared, a waitress in a short silk skirt that revealed her long, fair legs came forward to greet him.

Her delicate face wore a perfect smile—not overly fawning, yet pleasing to the eye. Her voice was pleasant, too, thin and soft, like silken threads weaving their way into one’s ears.

They stepped inside the tower.

The pleasant sound of string and bamboo instruments mixed with the clinking of cups. Everywhere one looked, there was fine silk and satin, shimmering under a lustrous glaze. A light sniff revealed the aromas of fine wine, delicious food, and beautiful women.

The second floor and above were all private rooms, seemingly divided by a very strict hierarchy.

Someone of Cao Zhao’s status could go up to the third floor at most.

Serenity. That was the name of the private room Cao Zhao had reserved.

The waitress led the way. The moment she pushed open the door, a wave of warm fragrance washed over them.

As soon as Chen Cheng and Cao Zhao sat down, tea and pastries that had been prepared in advance were brought in.

Inside the white Jade Cups, the tea was crystal clear, with a few tender buds resting at the bottom like a small cluster of green gems.

The pastries were of many varieties, each so exquisitely made that one felt reluctant to touch them. A few of the flaky cakes in the center were even dotted with gold leaf.

Chen Cheng watched in silence, a sense of disbelief washing over him.

Just over two months ago, he had been surviving on a gruel of bran and rotten vegetable leaves, a concoction so watery it could barely be called food.

Now, he was sitting here, freely enjoying things he not only wouldn’t have dared to dream of, but couldn’t have even imagined.

And all of this was thanks to the improvement of his own strength and status.

’It was just as he’d always thought: to live a decent life in this world, you had to keep climbing, keep struggling upward.’

A moment later, the other friends Cao Zhao had invited began to arrive one after another.

The main dishes then began to arrive. All sorts of delicacies were served, each more exquisite than the last, a feast for the eyes alone.

A waitress filled everyone’s cups with wine, and Cao Zhao proposed the first toast.

Everyone downed their cups in one go.

As the wine went down his throat, Chen Cheng’s brow furrowed slightly.

’Strong.’

The liquor was like a line of fire, burning from the tip of his tongue all the way down to his stomach.

In his past life, his alcohol tolerance was decent, but this was his first time drinking in this world. The potent kick sent a flush rising up his cheeks.

Cao Zhao glanced at him and chuckled.

”This is the Immortal Tower’s strongest liquor, ’Drunken Immortal Green.’ If you can’t handle it, Junior Brother Chen, I can have them bring you another pot of something else.”

”No need.”

Chen Cheng’s tone was even as he replied.

”This wine is good. I’d like to take a pot with me later.”

”Right? This is my favorite, too!”

Cao Zhao’s eyebrows shot up. He then set down his cup, looked around the table, and adopted a more serious expression.

”Brothers, the main reason for this gathering today is to introduce my junior brother here to all of you.”

He gestured toward Chen Cheng.

”Chen Cheng. Dragon Mountain Middle Courtyard. Inner Hall Top Three.”

As soon as he said this, the gazes of everyone at the table fell squarely on Chen Cheng.

”I am Wang Hengyu, the second son of the Wang Family.”

A round-faced young man was the first to speak, offering a cheerful fist-clasp salute.

”My family is in the silk and satin business, with a dozen or so shops in the Inner City. If you ever need fabric or finished clothes in the future, Younger Brother Chen, just say the word.”

The moment he finished, another young man—tall and powerfully built, with skin like burnished copper—spoke up.

”I am Wang Chuang, just a humble hunter. If you don’t mind, Younger Brother Chen, let’s be friends.”

”Chuang, who do you think you’re kidding?”

Cao Zhao said with a chiding laugh, then turned to Chen Cheng and explained seriously.

”This lug is the nephew of the Jiuan Hunting Manor’s Master. Junior Brother Chen, if you ever need the hide and flesh of ferocious beasts or wild herbs from deep in the mountains, just go to him!”

Chen Cheng nodded and offered a fist-clasp salute to Wang Chuang and Wang Hengyu.

On the other side of the table, a young man in black spoke, his voice low and curt: ”Ji Hongshan. Captain’s Mansion. Spear Holder.”

Cao Zhao glanced at him, then said to Chen Cheng, ”Junior Brother Chen, if you run into any trouble in the Inner City’s South Sixth District, just mention Brother Ji’s name. It’ll get you places.”

”Brother Ji.”

Chen Cheng gave Ji Hongshan a fist-clasp salute.

Ji Hongshan only gave a cool nod in return before his gaze shifted to the window. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that he had only come to give Cao Zhao face and had absolutely no interest in befriending Chen Cheng.

Finally, there was a young woman.

—