Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

”Lord Cheng, congratulations on achieving Three A+ in the Inner Hall assessment! We’re both in the An Nan District, so I hope you’ll look out for me... This is just a small token, please accept it!”

”A humble gift to add to the celebration, Lord Cheng. Please accept it!”

”Lord Cheng, when you’re free someday, you must come visit my place... This little welcoming gift is just a trifle!”

Chen Cheng was surrounded, wearing a smile as he made polite replies. His hands were stuffed full, and even the inside of his robes was packed with red envelopes, broken silver, whole ingots, and Golden Blade Coins...

All in all, it was probably no less than two hundred taels of silver.

Chen Cheng understood the situation perfectly.

The nobles of the Inner City were picky about talent and Root Bone because they placed more importance on a Martial Artist’s future potential.

But the influential figures of the Outer City weren’t concerned with such things.

To them, a Bright Force expert with Three Pillars of Blood Qi was already capable of handling most troubles in the Outer City.

And with Dragon Mountain Hall being one of Zhao City’s top Great Martial Arts Halls, Chen Cheng’s entry into the Central Courtyard Inner Hall already placed him a cut above ordinary Three Pillar Blood Qi Martial Artists.

Adding his record of Three A+ from the Central Courtyard Inner Hall, it further meant that Chen Cheng was already the cream of the crop among Three Pillar Blood Qi Martial Artists.

It was only a matter of time before he became the top fighter below the Dark Force realm.

In the Outer City, a man like this was undoubtedly a high-priority target for every faction. Even if their own organizations were too small to recruit him, they had to at least get acquainted with him and spend a bit of money from time to time to maintain a good relationship.

Just as Ye Yang had said before, no matter what, Chen Cheng’s strength in completely crushing Xiao Yi and his record of Three A+ were facts that no one could erase!

On the strength of this alone, Chen Cheng could do extremely well for himself in the Outer City. There would be no shortage of people scrambling to curry favor with him.

After everyone had given him their gifts of money, the crowd started competing to invite him to banquets.

”Lord Cheng, I’ve booked a table at the Red Jade Building tomorrow. I hope you’ll grace me with your presence...”

”What’s so great about the Red Jade Building? Lord Cheng, please come to my estate for a gathering. I’ll have my chef prepare a special Live Flesh Banquet!”

”Lord Cheng... Lord Cheng...”

Chen Cheng raised a hand to quiet them.

”I appreciate the sentiment from all of you.”

His voice wasn’t loud, yet the surrounding crowd fell silent, hanging on his every word.

”As for the invitations to banquets, I must decline... I need to focus on my training. If I accept one invitation and not another, it creates awkwardness. It’s better to treat everyone equally; that way, no one gets offended.”

With that, he cupped his fist in a salute.

”I thank you all once again!”

The crowd exchanged glances. Some wanted to press the issue but were tugged back by those beside them.

Chen Cheng’s reasoning was flawless. To press him further would be rude.

”We all know how dedicated you are, Lord Cheng!”

”Since you’re busy, Lord Cheng, I’ll take my leave now!”

”Lord Cheng, if you ever have a free moment, just say the word. I’ll be there whenever you call!”

The crowd gradually dispersed. In the distance, two figures who had been waiting for a long time walked quickly toward Chen Cheng.

”Cheng! My good brother! You’re a real big shot now! We’ve been standing here waiting nearly half an hour just to see you!”

Liang Guang’s face was plastered with a smile, and he raised his voice, afraid that others wouldn’t overhear his connection to Chen Cheng.

”You’ve been waiting long.”

Chen Cheng nodded slightly, but his gaze went past Liang Guang to the imposing figure behind him: the Lord Chief of the Southern Three Guards Patrol Office, Tang Yunlong.

”May I ask why Lord Tang was looking for me?”

”Lord Cheng, you achieved Three A+s in the Inner Hall exam. Naturally, I came to congratulate you... Of course, there is another small matter...”

Tang Yunlong paused. His eyes swept the area, and only after confirming no one was nearby did he lower his voice.

”A few days ago, the constables sent to collect the winter tax arrested a man. Liang Guang recognized him right away... but it wasn’t until just after the assessment that he remembered to tell me that the man was none other than your uncle, Lord Cheng... What a mess this has created...”

Tang Yunlong trailed off, saying no more.

But his meaning couldn’t be clearer. As long as Chen Cheng spoke up for him and paid the back taxes, Tang Yunlong would bend the rules and release the man. This would be tantamount to making Chen Cheng owe him a substantial favor.

Seeing Chen Cheng’s silence, Liang Guang worried he hadn’t understood. Winking as if to claim credit, he said.

”Cheng, we’re the best of friends, so let’s not beat around the bush. Just say the word, and my godfather... I mean, our Lord Chief, will definitely release our uncle...”

”Hold on! Who you want to call uncle is your business. Leave me out of it!”

Chen Cheng cut Liang Guang off, then looked at Tang Yunlong. His tone was calm, but every word was enunciated with perfect clarity.

”Lord Tang, the Court has its laws, and the localities have their rules. You will surely act impartially, so that the honest folk who paid their winter taxes don’t curse us behind our backs. Isn’t that right?”

”Huh? Well...”

Tang Yunlong was stunned for a moment before he understood. The relationship between Chen Cheng and his uncle must be terrible; he clearly wanted nothing to do with the man. And the bond between Liang Guang and Chen Cheng was nowhere near as close as Liang Guang had made it out to be.

”What Lord Cheng says is perfectly reasonable. I will, of course, handle this matter with impartiality! There will be absolutely no favoritism!”

With that, Tang Yunlong immediately turned on Liang Guang, berating him sharply.

”You bastard! Who gave you permission to spout such nonsense in front of Lord Cheng? A criminal who fails to pay the winter tax should, by rights, be exiled to the north. How could I possibly bend the law and show favoritism? And for what? To needlessly tarnish Lord Cheng’s good name?”

”I... but...”

Liang Guang froze. Recalling the conversation, he realized Tang Yunlong had never actually said he would release the man or bend the rules. Liang Guang had taken it upon himself to make that offer, shouldering the blame. He had wanted to show off and curry favor, but instead, he’d only made a fool of himself.

”Lord Cheng, let’s get back to business. As I was saying, I came to offer my congratulations!”

Changing the subject abruptly, Tang Yunlong took out five taels of silver from within his robes and handed it over.

”Just a small token. I hope you won’t refuse it, Lord Cheng.”

”Since you insist, Lord Tang, I’ll accept it. Thank you.”

Chen Cheng took the silver without hesitation. Everyone knew he had been receiving so many gifts his arms were tired, so there was no need to be coy about accepting another.

After a bit more small talk, Tang Yunlong departed with Liang Guang in tow. Even after they were some distance away, Chen Cheng could still hear Tang Yunlong’s furious tirade against Liang Guang.

Chen Cheng stood where he was, reaching into his robes to heft the heavy pile of gift money.

Most of it was broken silver, with a few small whole ingots. There were also several Golden Blade Coins, which he figured were from the Gang Leaders. Those types were always open-handed, fond of using such things to flaunt their wealth.

The sum was too large and too fragmented. Carrying it all in his robes was cumbersome, making him jingle and sway with every step. Hiding it somewhere felt just as risky.

Chen Cheng glanced at the sky, then decisively headed for the main gate.

When he returned, all the gift money had been exchanged for Silver Notes from the Wanbao Money Shop in An Nan District.

His earlier estimate of two hundred taels had been far too conservative.

In the end, he received three hundred-tael Silver Notes, with over three taels of broken silver to spare.

He put everything into his Money Bag, securing it close to his body. Only then did he finally feel at ease.

The sun began to set.

Chen Cheng found Qian Baolu, intending to talk in the dining hall as they usually did. But they couldn’t get a moment of peace, as disciples kept swarming them in waves to offer congratulations. In the end, the two had no choice but to retreat to Qian Baolu’s room.

”Senior Brother Chen, please sit, please sit.”

The moment they were inside, Qian Baolu quickly dusted a chair with his sleeve and eagerly pushed it toward Chen Cheng. He then hurried to pour some water, fetched a carefully wrapped packet of pastries, and placed it gingerly on the table, offering it to Chen Cheng with both hands.

”That’s enough, you sit down too.”

Chen Cheng had never seen Qian Baolu so flustered and tense. He smiled reassuringly.

”All I did was take the Inner Hall assessment. It’s not like I grew a second head. I’m not going to eat you, am I? Stop all this fuss. Come on, sit down and let’s talk.”

”...Alright.”

Qian Baolu nodded quickly and perched cautiously on the edge of the opposite bed, his back held ramrod straight without him even realizing it.

Clearly, even though he was sitting down, the sense of the gulf between their statuses was not something that could be easily erased from his mind.

It wasn’t just Qian Baolu. In the eyes of nearly every Outer Hall Disciple, the senior brothers and sisters of the Inner Hall were lofty figures who could not be offended under any circumstances.

And now, Chen Cheng wasn’t just a senior brother from the Inner Hall; he was one of only two people in the last decade to achieve Three A+!

Even if Chen Cheng himself remained unchanged and was willing to treat Qian Baolu as he always had, Qian Baolu would never dare to take that friendship for granted.

He would never, and could never again, dare to treat Chen Cheng as an equal.

”Now, where were we...”

Qian Baolu composed himself.

”Oh, right... Senior Sister Zhuang...”

---