Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

After some two hundred exchanges.

Zhuang Zhen was drenched in sweat, dark strands of hair clinging to her flushed cheeks.

The Seven Pillars of Blood Qi within her showed signs of dissipating, and her breathing had long lost its steady calm.

The heaving of her magnificent chest was clearly tinged with the exhaustion of her efforts.

Chen Cheng, however, was the same as ever.

His breathing was steady and even. Though a light sheen of sweat graced his temples, his face showed no signs of fatigue.

The fluctuations of the six pillars of Blood Qi within him were as strong as when they started; he could easily fight another three hundred rounds.

”Junior Brother...”

Zhuang Zhen retreated to a stone table and sat down. Her voice was weak and trembling, but her eyes overflowed with undisguised surprise and praise.

”It’s only been seven or eight days since our first... our first spar, right? You’re truly different each day, stronger than the last...”

She paused, the scene from that day still vivid in her memory.

”The first time, I only needed to use fifty percent of my Transforming Force to suppress you. But now... I have to use seventy percent just to ensure I’m not the one being suppressed.”

As she spoke, she raised a hand to wipe away a bead of sweat rolling down her cheek, tucking away the damp strands of hair at her temple. Her gaze, however, remained fixed on Chen Cheng.

”Sometimes, I can’t help but suspect you’ve already achieved the Secret Inheritance Entry Level. It’s the only way to explain your divine progress, this explosive speed and power...”

”But I know your character. You wouldn’t—and you don’t need to—lie to me about something like this.”

She simply looked at Chen Cheng, a different kind of light shining in her beautiful eyes.

”I’m just curious about one thing now. In the future, when you truly achieve the Secret Inheritance Entry Level, just how powerful will you be?”

Chen Cheng shook his head, offering no comment.

It was a question even he had no answer to.

”...Every time I think back on the day of the Young Qilin Association meeting these past few days, I feel so ridiculous.”

Zhuang Zhen’s lips curved into a self-deprecating smile.

”That day, I was actually worried you’d be looked down upon by the various factions, worried you’d be injured by Zhu Qian...”

”I even thought that if you just trained diligently, in two years, when you turn eighteen, you might be able to compete for the title of Young Qilin.”

”Looking back on it now... I really...”

Zhuang Zhen didn’t continue, merely revealing a smile that was incredibly complex, yet still gracefully gentle.

”It’s just an empty title. I never had any intention of competing for it.”

Chen Cheng fetched a clean cotton towel from the washroom and handed it to Zhuang Zhen, saying calmly,

”Wipe your sweat. Don’t catch a cold.”

”Thank you.”

Zhuang Zhen took the towel and thoroughly wiped herself down, from her forehead to the base of her slender neck.

Normally, she could have just manifested a Transforming Force Barrier to ward off the cold completely. But at the moment, she was too physically drained to waste any more energy, so she listened to Chen Cheng and dried her sweat to avoid catching a chill.

”You’re right. There’s really no need to fight for an empty title.”

Zhuang Zhen said,

”So what if that Qin Zhao managed to win it? He didn’t get a single benefit. Instead, he got schemed against by those with ulterior motives and even missed the Martial Selection at the start of the year.”

”You’re the smart one, Junior Brother. Pragmatic, not vain. By keeping yourself out of the public eye, you won’t be schemed against or suppressed.”

”Waiting until the Martial Selection at the start of the year and winning Military Merit in one fell swoop—now that’s a real, tangible benefit.”

Zhuang Zhen paused, her tone suddenly turning serious.

”This quality of yours is something I really need to learn from!”

”...Senior Sister.”

Chen Cheng cut in. He had a feeling that if he didn’t interrupt, Zhuang Zhen would go on praising him endlessly.

”How have things been at the hall these past few days?” he asked.

”...Terrible.”

Zhuang Zhen’s expression changed, her voice growing heavy.

”The Hall Master still hasn’t woken up, the Red Moon Cultists are still running rampant, and senior and junior brothers from the Upper Courtyard have started to leave... Zhou An moved his entire family to Zhou’s Fishing Village.”

”Cao Zhao missed his chance with the Pang Family’s secret inheritance, so it seems he won’t be able to form the Seventh Pillar of Blood Qi before the Martial Selection. I heard he’s going to the Prefecture City to try his luck... Oh, I almost forgot, you know him well, so you probably already knew that.”

Zhuang Zhen paused, then added,

”Chu Meng was ambushed by Red Moon Cultists and his foundation was damaged... I heard it’s unlikely he’ll ever be able to practice martial arts again. He’s already moved back home...”

”Senior Brother Chu?”

Chen Cheng felt a weight press down on his heart, a bitter feeling spreading through him.

Chu Meng, the former head senior brother of the Middle Courtyard... there had been no news of him for a very long time.

Who could have imagined that the next news of him would be this?

”How are things in the Middle Courtyard? Master Ye, is he okay?” Chen Cheng pressed immediately.

”Master Ye himself is fine, it’s just...”

Zhuang Zhen sighed softly.

”His daughter passed away... I heard the injuries to her heart and lungs suddenly worsened for no reason. She was gone before they could even get a doctor back to the estate...”

”Afterward, Master Ye submitted his resignation to the Upper Courtyard, saying he wanted to take his daughter back to their ancestral home for burial. This was about ten days ago.”

”That was right when the Hall Master was attacked. With the Middle Courtyard in chaos, Master Cao and Master Zhang conferred and approved Master Ye’s resignation, and they temporarily shut down the entire Middle Courtyard.”

”...Master Ye.”

Chen Cheng’s brow furrowed, the oppressive feeling in his chest multiplying several times over.

If he had received this news earlier, he would have gone to see Ye Yang off, no matter what.

He silently lowered his eyes, the tightness in his chest growing more and more oppressive, until he felt a sense of panicked suffocation.

The snow had not yet melted, but an old friend was already gone...

”Junior Brother...”

Zhuang Zhen seemed to have read his mind and offered a soft word of comfort,

”Many things in this world are just like this—a series of unfortunate coincidences, always leaving behind a touch of regret... Perhaps this is what they call fate.”

She paused, then added,

”You don’t need to worry too much. Master Ye adopted Qiao Qiao as his goddaughter. With the little girl accompanying him on his journey, he’ll at least have some comfort and won’t do anything foolish...”