Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

The masked man fled for his life, as familiar with the web of backstreets and dark alleys as if it were his own backyard.

His figure flashed past corners piled with clutter, one moment scaling a low courtyard wall, the next squeezing through a crack barely wide enough for a man to pass sideways. He was as slippery as an eel.

An ordinary pursuer would have been disoriented after two or three turns, losing even a glimpse of his shadow.

However, the man chasing him was completely different.

He wasn’t just terrifyingly fast; he moved with a precision that could only be described as monstrous.

Relying almost entirely on his hearing, he tracked the subtlest sounds ahead—the footfalls, the rustle of clothes, even the rhythm of breathing—and used them to sketch a clear map of the fleeing man’s route in his mind.

Every sharp turn the masked man took, every noise he deliberately made as a feint, was like a pebble dropped into still water—it only served to pinpoint his location for the pursuer.

The distance between them was closing at a visible rate.

Within seven or eight breaths, a faster, darker shadow clung to him like a persistent sickness. It was silent, yet it exuded a heart-stopping pressure, as if the darkness itself were closing a net.

’I can’t escape!’

’Fight? That’s just courting death!’

The masked man knew with perfect clarity that his pursuer’s strength was far beyond his own.

To save his own skin, the masked man acted decisively. He abruptly pulled out the heavy Money Bag he had just acquired, which had not even had time to warm in his grasp.

With all his might.

He hurled it toward the direction from which the sounds of his pursuer came.

CLANG!

The Money Bag smashed against a distant pile of clutter with a dull thud. A few pieces of broken silver even spilled from its opening, catching the faint light with a dim glint.

The next instant.

The ghostly pursuer barely paused. His figure pivoted in mid-air with perfect Harmony, kicking up a gust of wind, and veered toward the spot where the Money Bag had landed.

’Thank goodness...’

The masked man heaved a long sigh of relief. Without daring to delay for even a moment, he frantically channeled his Blood Qi into his legs and bolted down a different path in the opposite direction.

Back at the pile of clutter.

Chen Cheng crouched down, gathered the Money Bag and the scattered pieces of broken silver, and stuffed them all inside his robes. He then turned and quickly disappeared into another narrow crevice.

Chen Cheng’s original plan for the night had been to go to the White Ape Hall, find Chen Hao, and settle their old debt of ten taels of silver.

But who would have thought that just as he got close, he would spot a masked man furtively tailing Chen Hao into a dark alley? Moments later, he heard Chen Hao’s pathetic cries for help.

That was when Chen Cheng had given chase.

He had expected a vicious fight, and was even prepared to reveal his identity and permanently silence his opponent.

In the end, however, his opponent didn’t even dare to face him. The man was so overwhelmed by the speed and pressure Chen Cheng projected that, like a bird startled by the twang of a bow, he had readily sacrificed his loot to escape disaster.

Feeling the heavy weight inside his robes, Chen Cheng gained a new understanding of the concept of strength.

As long as one was powerful enough, many problems could be resolved without resorting to bloody, life-or-death combat.

Strength, he realized, was far more than just brute force.

Speed, perception, strategy, preparation, even something as esoteric as luck or an indescribable aura... all were components of one’s true strength.

Honing any one of these to a fine edge could be converted into tangible benefits and advantages.

Chen Cheng didn’t break his stride, his mind quickly reviewing the events of the past few days.

His recent successes weren’t due to brute force, but to forethought, preparation, and choosing the right moment to act.

As the saying goes, fortune favors the prepared.

And another saying claims that choosing your moment is more important than effort.

Never mind his other plans; his decision to act tonight alone was wiser than any other option. He had expended the least amount of effort for the greatest possible reward.

Besides the profit, every faction in the South Outer City was on high alert tonight. On the surface, the slums were already descending into chaos, and the undercurrents beneath were churning violently.

Such a situation was perfect for fishing in troubled waters. The most likely outcome would be the various factions blaming each other, passing the buck until the whole affair became a muddled mess that was eventually forgotten.

The masked man likely had the same idea, which was clever enough. Unfortunately for him, he could never have imagined that while the mantis stalks the cicada, an oriole waits behind.

...

On the border between Kuhuai Village and Kuhe Village stood a large, adobe-walled compound. Faded and tattered Wolf Head Banners were planted atop its walls.

This place had once been the main lair for the leaders of the Black Wolf Gang.

Now, however, it had become a cauldron boiling over a raging fire.

The shouts of battle, agonized howls, the boom of collapsing earthen walls, and the crackle of burning debris in the inner courtyard all blended into a chaotic symphony that tore at the night sky.

Figures thrashed wildly at the edge of firelight and shadow, fighting and killing like a pack of savage beasts.

Chen Cheng was hidden in a distant, obscure corner, silently observing the scene.

According to his original calculations, the Black Wolf Gang’s calamity should have been the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the chaos and pick up some easy loot.

After all, the members of the Black Wolf Gang were nothing but animals who committed inhuman acts. He felt not a shred of guilt at the thought of killing them and taking their wealth.

But this current scene...

His gaze swept quickly over several figures at the edge of the battlefield. They appeared relaxed, but their auras were heavy and composed. He then glanced at the various gang members in different-colored attire, all scrambling over each other to join the fray.

At least four or five different gangs were involved, with true masters overseeing the battle.

Too many people, too many prying eyes, too much chaos, too much danger...

If he forced his way in now, not only would he fail to gain anything, but he would likely attract a hornet’s nest of trouble.

At this thought.

He decisively chose to withdraw. Advance when there was an opportunity, retreat when there was none. Never hesitate.

...

「Kuhuai Village.」

Inside a small, foul-smelling, and drafty shack.

Old Chen squatted in the shadows by the door, listening to the unending sounds of battle outside. His old face was a mask of anxiety, and his back was soaked through with cold sweat.

Chen Yong cowered in a nearby corner, his eyes glued to a drafty crack in the wall. He clenched and unclenched his fists, his nails having long since dug into his palms and drawn blood.

But the most panicked of all was the woman from the Wang family.

She was curled up on the bed, wrapped tightly in a thin, patched quilt, her entire body trembling like a leaf in the wind.

One moment, she would prick up her ears to listen to the sounds outside; the next, she would nervously clutch her pillow.

”That... that little bastard Chen Cheng was right... Just how many people have come to deal with the Black Wolf Gang...? It hasn’t stopped since nightfall...”

The woman’s voice trembled, tinged with sobs.

”Hao... just the other day he was calling those Black Wolf Gang leaders his brothers... If the Black Wolf Gang is really finished... those blood-crazed killers... will they... will they come after us too...?”

”Shut up!”

Old Chen growled, his voice trembling just as much.

”What are you wailing for? Are you afraid someone won’t hear you? Are you trying to invite trouble to our doorstep?”

”Don’t be afraid... Don’t be afraid,”

Chen Yong said, feigning composure.

”No matter what, Hao is still a proper Martial Artist from the White Ape Hall. Even if these gangs don’t respect him, they have to give face to the Hall. They won’t make trouble for us.”

—