Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

”I have a cousin at home. She’s seventeen, with good looks and a fine temperament, and she isn’t betrothed yet...”

Fatty Fang said bluntly.

”I think she and Junior Brother Cheng would be a good match, and I’d like to play matchmaker... What do you think?”

”...This... This is wonderful news.”

Mrs. Li’s eyes lit up at first, but she quickly lowered her head, a sense of inferiority creeping in.

”I’m just afraid the girl’s parents will look down on our family... I understand the importance of matching social status... And given our family’s situation...”

”Not a problem.”

Fatty Fang said with a smile.

”My cousin is a girl with a mind of her own, and her parents dote on her. As long as she takes a liking to Junior Brother Cheng, this matter is practically a sure thing!”

”That’s all well and good...”

Mrs. Li looked up, but her brow was still furrowed, her voice lacking any confidence.

”But the girl... could she... could she possibly take a liking to our Cheng?”

In Mrs. Li’s eyes, her son had become much more robust and had shot up in height since he started practicing martial arts, but if you put him in a crowd, there was still nothing particularly outstanding about him.

More importantly, her son didn’t earn money easily. He could barely cover the expenses of his martial arts training, so how could he have any spare cash for romantic dates to deepen a relationship with a girl? And once they married and started a life together, the expenses would be even greater...

’Thinking it through... it’s just not feasible in the end.’

Mrs. Li sighed, unable to hide the worry on her face.

”Aunt Li.”

Fatty Fang seemed to have noticed Mrs. Li’s concerns and offered a comforting smile.

”You can rest assured. Junior Brother Cheng is now a Martial Artist who has succeeded in Condensing Two Pillars of Blood Qi. That’s a genuinely promising future right there!”

”It’s only because you don’t interact with many people that the news hasn’t spread. Otherwise, the matchmakers would be beating a path to your door!”

Fatty Fang paused, then added,

”And look, the Dragon Mountain Middle Courtyard’s annual assessment is about to begin. If Junior Brother Cheng performs well and catches the eye of a noble from the Inner City, his future will be completely secure. The marriage will naturally fall into place!”

”Is... Is that so?”

Mrs. Li was a little surprised. She knew very little about Martial Arts and didn’t understand what Two Pillars of Blood Qi truly meant.

But hearing Fatty Fang speak with such conviction, she could vaguely sense... that her son had apparently become quite formidable.

The inferiority and worry in her heart began to give way, like a crack opening up.

She said cautiously,

”Well... since you’ve put it that way, Tutor Fang... I’ll have to trouble you to ask on our behalf...”

”When the time comes, please explain our family’s situation clearly. Don’t hide anything from the girl, good or bad.”

”If... if she doesn’t mind, then we can arrange for them to meet. What do you think, would that be alright?”

”Alright? It’s more than alright.”

Fatty Fang grinned, patting his chest.

”Leave this matter to me. Just wait for my good news!”

...

「Dragon Mountain Hall Middle Courtyard, Inner Hall.」

Chen Cheng followed Zhuang Zhen down a long, deep, and quiet corridor, arriving at the door of the meditation chamber at the very end.

By now, the sun had set.

Through the paper window, he could see a single, dimly lit oil lamp inside the meditation chamber.

”Master Ye, Junior Brother Chen has arrived.”

Zhuang Zhen bowed outside the chamber and spoke softly.

After a moment’s wait, Ye Yang’s deep, heavy voice came from within.

”Enter.”

”Junior Brother Chen, you may go in by yourself.”

Zhuang Zhen’s beautiful eyes lingered on Chen Cheng for a moment before she retreated alone into the shadows of a distant pillar to wait quietly.

”Thank you, Senior Sister Xie.”

Chen Cheng nodded and pushed the door to the meditation chamber open as gently as he could.

The door hinges let out a faint SQUEAK. The dim, yellow light from within, along with a faint but pleasant medicinal aroma, flowed out toward Chen Cheng through the open doorway.

He subconsciously glanced at the oil lamp on the table.

The oil burning in it seemed to be no ordinary kind. The flame was steady, producing no black smoke, and it was the source of that special medicinal scent.

Breathing it in, he felt his Heart Spirit calm and his entire body relax.

”Chen Cheng.”

Ye Yang was seated in the center of the meditation chamber. His posture, aura, and presence were all perfectly steady, like a stone statue, complementing the solitary lamp.

He merely spoke Chen Cheng’s name, his tone flat and devoid of emotion, yet the owner of that name felt a distinct, formless pressure.

It was as if the very air had frozen, and the rising, swirling medicinal aroma had become slow and solemn.

”Yes. This disciple pays his respects to Master Ye.”

Chen Cheng cupped his fist and bowed, showing proper etiquette, but he was neither servile nor overbearing.

”Come forward. I will personally inspect your bones.”

Ye Yang’s tone was flat, revealing no emotion, but deep down, he harbored immense doubt and curiosity about Chen Cheng’s condensing of a Third Pillar of Blood Qi.

Just this afternoon, he had personally declared that Chen Cheng’s success in Condensing Two Pillars of Blood Qi was a stroke of incredible luck, that his potential was exhausted, and that he was fated to advance no further.

Who would have thought that during dinner, he would hear Zhuang Zhen report that Chen Cheng had condensed a Third Pillar of Blood Qi. Although Zhuang Zhen added that Chen Cheng’s success this time was due to the power of a Treasure Medicine.

But Ye Yang remained doubtful. He had to verify it himself before reaching a conclusion.

”Yes.”

Chen Cheng nodded and walked over.

Ye Yang said no more. His broad hand, with its sharp, defined knuckles, rested steadily on the juncture of Chen Cheng’s neck and shoulder. It felt slightly cool to the touch, carrying a unique Power that seemed capable of pressing right into the marrow.

A moment later.

Ye Yang withdrew his hand and fell silent for a moment before speaking slowly.

”Your Root Bone isn’t as poor as they said; it should be lower-mid grade... But your Blood Qi isn’t as robust and solid as they described, just average... Your physique doesn’t seem to have anything special about it either...”

’Lower-mid grade Root Bone?’

Chen Cheng’s heart stirred.

’It seems the Hidden Mechanism Attribute is at work.’

’The drawback of my bottom-tier Root Bone has been concealed by the Trait, but the advantages of my Blood Qi and physique have been hidden as well.’

’This Trait really fits the Doctrine of the Mean. Interesting.’

Meanwhile, an almost imperceptible hint of disappointment showed in Ye Yang’s eyes.

He had thought that Chen Cheng must be hiding some kind of extraordinary secret or innate gift.

But the result of his deep and careful examination was that the boy was as ordinary as could be.

This meant that Chen Cheng’s ability to quickly condense a Third Pillar of Blood Qi was solely reliant on what Zhuang Zhen had mentioned—some kind of Treasure Medicine to force it, coupled with day and night of nearly self-torturous, grueling training.

Once the Treasure Medicine was gone, once the resources supporting his grueling training were exhausted, his seemingly astonishing rate of progress would come to a complete halt.

’What a pity...’

Ye Yang sighed silently.

’The tenacity of this boy’s Heart Nature and the diligence of his training are truly rare... However, on the path of Martial Arts, one’s Root Bone is a heaven-sent limit.’

’Heart Nature and willpower can only help a person reach the threshold; to truly cross it, one must ultimately rely on innate, God-given talent.’

’This boy... is ultimately not malleable talent.’

’Alas...’

”Regardless, the fact that you were able to condense a Third Pillar of Blood Qi already makes you more outstanding than the vast majority of people... Effective immediately, you are an official disciple of the Inner Hall.”

Ye Yang gave his verdict, paused, and then suddenly lowered his voice.

”In three days, it will be the Dragon Mountain Middle Courtyard’s annual assessment. What are your... thoughts on it?”

”Thoughts?”

Chen Cheng was startled for a moment, but he immediately understood the unspoken meaning. ’Would Master Ye truly care about the thoughts of a minor character like me? The answer is obviously no.’

”This disciple has never participated in the courtyard’s assessment before. I ask Master Ye to please point me in the right direction.”

”...Hmph.”

Ye Yang nodded but was clearly hesitant. After a long moment, he lowered his voice even further and spoke slowly.

”The only disciples in the Inner Hall who have condensed Three Pillars of Blood Qi are you and Xiao Yi. When the time comes, I hope you... won’t compete with him.”