Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

Chapter 356: Chapter 173: Sword Pavilion

“It’s not that there’s a problem, exactly…” Li Wenrou said. “It’s just that there have been some unfavorable rumors about the war in the north lately. There’s been no word from Junior Martial Uncle Yun since she went north.”

“Hearing you mention her just now reminded me of my father and brother, who went north with her to fight our enemies…”

“I see.”

Chen Cheng nodded and asked, “Are your father and brother also members of the Mountain and Sea Sect? How did they end up going north with Miss Yun to fight our enemies?”

Li Wenrou shook her head and gave a bitter smile.

“My father is a veteran who retired from the army many years ago. Although my brother is a Martial Artist, his Root Bone wasn’t good enough, so he was unable to join the Mountain and Sea Sect.”

“The war in the north is dire. The rebel army and the Evil Cult have joined forces to wreak havoc, and Whale Hook Pass, the throat of the Northern Territory, is in grave danger.”

“If that pass falls, the Bei Yin Iron Cavalry can charge straight through. The Sixteen Northern States will be impossible to defend, and the hundred-plus cities of our Great Shang North will become a living hell…”

“When my father and brother left, I was in secluded cultivation… All they left me were four words: ‘Answer the nation’s call’.”

Li Wenrou paused, her tone laced with self-reproach and a hint of mockery.

“Truthfully, I’m the one who should have gone to the front lines… But my mother is elderly, and my sister-in-law and niece need someone to look after them… Never mind. Let’s not talk about it. I don’t want to bring you down…”

“My dad went to the battlefield, too,”

Chen Cheng said.

“It’s been almost a year. Not a single word from him.”

“Haven’t you asked anyone to look into it?” Li Wenrou asked.

“I did…”

Chen Cheng sighed softly.

“My dad’s unit is involved with classified matters. The person I asked just shook their head as soon as they heard.”

Hearing this, Li Wenrou knew better than to say anything more.

She had some connections in Yunlei Mansion and could have helped him ask around, but not if it involved classified information.

Even her contacts wouldn’t dare get involved.

With wartime controls, everything was handled with the utmost severity. Prying into state secrets could get you branded as an enemy spy.

「Some time later.」

Chen Cheng moved all of his belongings from the carriage into Guan Lan Pavilion.

The courtyard was huge, more than enough to accommodate Chen Cheng’s training needs. There were plenty of rooms, all fully furnished and spotlessly clean.

On the side bordering the Sea Marsh stood a three-story building.

The ground floor was a main hall, the second floor was a study, and the third was a meditation chamber.

In the courtyard, there was also a freshwater well and, set within a side room, a hot spring pool.

Strangely enough, while the well water was ice-cold and sweet, the spring water was scorching hot, emitting a strong smell of sulfur.

It was as if two opposing underground springs, one of fire and one of ice, ran parallel to each other.

Not long after Chen Cheng settled in, someone from the General Affairs Room delivered brand-new bedding, meditation cushions, a tea set, pots and bowls, and other household items.

Of course.

But most importantly, they brought him two sets of pale blue-green Training Attire made from an extremely supple fabric, along with two pairs of black, high-speed boots.

At first, Chen Cheng didn’t think much of it.

That is, until Steward Zhang from the General Affairs Room, who had delivered the items, casually mentioned,

“This Training Attire and these boots are made from a special fabric. They’re resistant to common fire and water, and difficult for an ordinary blade to pierce. A single set normally costs one thousand taels of silver.”

“These two sets are gifts from Elder Zhou and Steward Li. They asked me to tell you that they insist Young Master Chen accept them.”

“Thank you for your trouble, Steward Zhang. Please thank them for me.”

Chen Cheng cupped his fist in salute, not bothering with polite refusals.

The two benefactors hadn’t come in person, clearly so he would have no opportunity to refuse. They wanted to cement this favorable connection.

Given Chen Cheng’s character, he would naturally repay them in the future.

There was no need to get hung up on pleasantries now.

…

As the sun began to set, Ning Chong came looking for Chen Cheng, inviting him to eat at the dining hall together.

Normally, Outer Disciples weren’t allowed to visit Guan Lan Pavilion on their own.

However, since Ning Chong knew Chen Cheng and was about to enter the Inner Sect, Li Wenrou turned a blind eye and permitted him to come looking for Chen Cheng.

Over at the dining hall.

Su Bing and Ding Lu had already saved them a table by the window. From there, a turn of the head revealed the sunset over the Sea Marsh—a vast expanse of golden mist, a truly magnificent sight.

“Brother Chen! Ning Chong! Over here!”

Su Bing called out, waving.

With a smile on her face, Ding Lu quickly stood up to introduce herself as the two approached.

‘In her eyes, both Chen Cheng and Ning Chong are about to become Inner Sect Disciples. The Inner Sect and Outer Sect are two completely different worlds, and the gap between the disciples is immense. This is a chance to befriend them early on, and I, Ding Lu, have no intention of letting it slip by.’

“Senior Brothers, this meal is my treat! Wait here, I’ll go order the food!”

Ding Lu said after introducing herself, then immediately got up and left.

“Order food?”

Ning Chong looked puzzled.

Su Bing began to explain,

“This dining hall is actually more like a restaurant. The menu changes daily depending on the available ingredients, and Outer Disciples order based on what they can afford.”

“Treasure Beast Meat, Secret Medicinal Cuisine, Treasure Medicine Braised Rice… as long as you’re willing to pay, the food here is an excellent supplement for a Martial Artist’s cultivation.”

Su Bing paused, then added,

“As for free meals, they don’t serve any here. After all, even the soldiers on the front lines are often short on food…”

“Mind if we sit here?”

Just then, Marsong and Lu Shang walked over, asking with a cheerful smile.

“Uh…”

Su Bing looked hesitant.

“Sit down, sit down! I’ll go add a few more dishes!”

Ding Lu’s voice came from behind them, brimming with generosity.

“Senior Sister Ding is so generous.”

Marsong glanced at the dishes being brought to the table one after another and couldn’t help but swallow. He asked curiously,

“What’s Senior Sister Ding’s background? Her clothes look so plain, I never would’ve thought she was so wealthy… This spread she ordered must have cost at least one thousand eight hundred taels of silver…”

“What’s this? Thinking of borrowing money from me?”

Ding Lu said, walking back to the table with a half-joking tone.

“I have plenty of money, but my interest rates are high. I’m afraid you couldn’t repay the debt even if you sold yourself!”

Marsong scratched his head and didn’t rise to the bait.

He had indeed wanted to borrow money, but he immediately dropped the idea the moment he heard about high interest.

“By the way, what happened to Huang Jiao?” Ning Chong asked.

Su Bing sighed softly.

“Her Skin attribute was graded ‘Superior,’ but the other four weren’t ideal… Steward Li chewed her out for a bit, and she left in tears…”

“Senior Brothers.”

Lu Shang turned to Chen Cheng and Ning Chong with a fawning smile and said respectfully,

“Senior Brother Ning’s Flesh attribute is ‘Superior Superior,’ so he’s certain to join the Mountain Courtyard’s Fist Pavilion. But I wonder, which Pavilion will Senior Brother Chen join?”

Chen Cheng shook his head.

“I’m not sure yet. What’s the difference between the Pavilions?”

“…It’s like this,”

Lu Shang explained.

“The Mountain Courtyard has four Pavilions: Sword, Fist, Medicine, and Hunting. The Sword Pavilion specializes in weaponry, and the Fist Pavilion specializes in strengthening the body. You must have an outstanding Root Bone to be accepted into either.”

“The Medicine Pavilion and Hunting Pavilion focus on alchemy and hunting, respectively. They’re mostly joined by disciples who lack funds, allowing them to take on tasks to earn money while continuing their martial arts training.”

Upon hearing the words “lack funds,” Marsong’s eyes visibly brightened.

“What about the Sea Courtyard?” Chen Cheng asked.

Lu Shang continued,

“The Sea Courtyard has Three Pavilions: Dragon, Python, and Fishing. The Dragon Pavilion specializes in weaponry, and the Python Pavilion specializes in strengthening the body. The difference is that, unlike the Mountain Courtyard, training in the Sea Courtyard’s Martial Arts is mostly conducted underwater!”

“Because of this, the Sea Courtyard has extremely high requirements for the Organ attribute of the five Root Bone attributes. A disciple’s lungs, in particular, must be extraordinary!”

“Promising candidates like that are already rare, and they’ve become even harder to find since the Northern Territory was plunged into war… Over time, the Sea Courtyard has begun to show signs of decline and is now overshadowed by the Mountain Courtyard in every respect.”

“As for the Fishing Pavilion, it’s essentially the same as the Hunting Pavilion, so I won’t go into detail.”

Lu Shang paused, his smile growing even wider.

“With Senior Brother Chen’s extraordinary status, you’ll surely join the Sword Pavilion! In my opinion, it’s the best place in the entire Mountain and Sea Sect!”

“It offers high status, excellent benefits, and abundant opportunities. It also produces the most powerful disciples! In recent years, nearly all of the ‘Seven Heroes of Mountains and Seas’ and the ‘Hundred Talents of Yunlei’ have come from the Mountain Courtyard’s Sword Pavilion!”

“Then there’s no doubt about it. Our Brother Chen is definitely joining the Sword Pavilion!”

Ning Chong chuckled.

“And those so-called Seven Heroes and Hundred Talents? It’s only a matter of time before those titles are in his grasp!”

At his words, Su Bing couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh.

“You’re getting pretty smooth with that ‘Senior Brother’ stuff. I thought you were all brawn and no brains.”

“I’m reckless, not stupid!”

Ning Chong pouted.

“Even if I were a fool, I could still understand the situation today. You think I don’t know my place in front of Brother Chen?”

Both Su Bing and Ding Lu laughed at Ning Chong’s words.

But joking aside, they knew perfectly well that even though Ning Chong had a ‘Superior Superior’ Flesh attribute and was a shoo-in to become an Inner Sect Disciple, he was still a step—or even several steps—below Chen Cheng.

As for why Chen Cheng was receiving so much special treatment, they had their own theories.

Even if their guesses weren’t completely accurate, one thing was beyond doubt…

That is, building a good relationship with him would be immensely beneficial for their own futures in the Mountain and Sea Sect.

And of course, Lu Shang and Marsong had come to the same conclusion.

For that very reason, Chen Cheng was, without a doubt, the center of attention at the gathering.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill.

Everyone except Marsong was clamoring to pay for their next get-together.

“…Thank you all for your kind intentions, but I won’t be joining you next time,”

Chen Cheng said calmly.

“For one, I need to focus on my cultivation. For another, the supplemental effects of the food here are a bit too weak for me…”

Before he had even finished speaking, a tall, powerfully built figure strode toward their table.

The surrounding Outer Disciples quickly rose to their feet and bowed respectfully to the newcomer.