Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

”Perhaps you should show your full strength. Let Senior Sister Ye see it.”

”She’s attracted to strength?”

Zhu Mingyuan paused, slowly mulling over those words.

Moonlight fell into his eyes, reflecting a mixture of confusion, contemplation, and some other indescribable, churning emotion.

But in the end, he just shook his head.

”I think things are fine as they are. Once her strength improves, we can ascend to the Upper Courtyard together. That way, we can look out for each other.”

”...”

Chen Cheng opened his mouth.

For a moment, he almost blurted out that phrase from his past life: ’Be the nice guy, and you’ll end up with nothing.’

But on second thought, his family and friends must have tried to talk him out of this before. If he were the type to listen to advice, why would he be making this choice now? Saying more would be pointless. Chen Cheng could only silently remind himself to respect others’ choices and stay out of their karmic entanglements.

...

「Early the next morning」 Cao Zhao came looking for him again.

His complexion was much better than yesterday, but he was in a hurry, as if on urgent business.

Moreover, today he wore the standard-issue Half Armor from the Captain’s Mansion. It was lined with specially treated beast hide, with Fused Iron Armor Plates inlaid on the chest and shoulders. Each plate was meticulously polished, the edges fitting together so seamlessly that not a single gap was visible, yet his movements were completely unrestricted.

At his waist hung a standard-issue Horizontal Saber. Its scabbard was pitch-black, with the mouth and tip wrapped in brass, the brass surface chiseled with the subtle insignia of the Captain’s Mansion.

On his feet was a pair of Black Leather Boots. The uppers were stiff and the soles thick, and his quick steps seemed to carry the wind.

As he walked into the courtyard, the cold, white morning light of winter struck him at an angle. The Iron Armor and scabbard glinted with a cold, dark light, making him look like a newly unsheathed blade, his presence sharp and intimidating.

”Senior Brother Cao, what’s all this?” Chen Cheng asked as he went to greet him.

”The Captain’s Mansion has a mission today, so I have to keep this brief.”

Cao Zhao took out a white porcelain bottle and a sealed envelope from his robes, handing both to Chen Cheng.

”This bottle contains five Red Jade Blood-Nourishing Pills. It’s the reward for your Top Three ranking, a supplement from my old man!”

”He also said it himself: you brought great honor to our Dragon Mountain Hall out there, and it’s worthy of merit. If your Realm can advance further, he will fulfill his promise and promote you to the Upper Courtyard, breaking convention to do so!”

Cao Zhao raised a hand, cutting off the words of thanks already on Chen Cheng’s lips, and continued.

”This envelope is a thank-you gift from Senior Sister Zhuang. Because you helped her see through her Heart Demon, her Blood Qi is slowly returning to its Peak. We’re not sure if it was an epiphany of her Heart Spirit or an awakening of her physique...”

”Right now, she can’t get away, so she asked me to pass this along... Don’t overthink it, just accept it graciously.”

”Understood. Thank you.”

Chen Cheng took the items. Before he could say anything more, Cao Zhao had already turned and strode away.

Watching his retreating figure, a complex look flickered in Chen Cheng’s eyes before he quickly suppressed it.

’That old coot Cao Miao may have gone back on his word during the annual assessment, but this supplementary reward is quite generous.’

’Of course, Cao Zhao definitely had a hand in this.’

With these five Red Jade Blood-Nourishing Pills, plus the four he already had left, he was covered for the next month.

As long as nothing went wrong, reaching Five Pillars of Blood Qi was a sure thing.

At this thought, a long-lost sense of security slowly welled up from deep within Chen Cheng’s heart.

”Not bad, Junior Brother Chen!”

Zhu Mingyuan walked over, unable to hide the envy in his eyes.

”Those Red Jade Blood-Nourishing Pills are a Supporting Treasure Medicine exclusively for Upper Courtyard Disciples. Even Master Ye only gets one per month. Senior Sister Ye begged him for a long time but couldn’t even get half a pill...”

Hearing this, Chen Cheng couldn’t help but be taken aback.

He had personally experienced the effects of these pills yesterday, and they were indeed excellent.

He just hadn’t realized they were so incredibly precious.

Yesterday, Ye Yang had given him a full five pills—that was Ye Yang’s own five-month ration.

He remembered that during the annual assessment, the rewards Ye Qiluo and Zhu Mingyuan received were just ordinary Blood-Nourishing Pills.

Compared to the Red Jade Blood-Nourishing Pills, the difference in both value and efficacy was more than tenfold.

No wonder Zhu Mingyuan couldn’t hide the envy in his eyes.

And beneath that envy, a different sort of fire was faintly visible in the depths of his eyes.

And that was just from him seeing these five Red Jade Blood-Nourishing Pills.

If he knew that Cao Zhao had already delivered five pills to Chen Cheng on behalf of Ye Yang yesterday morning, who knows what kind of expression he would have made.

”Junior Brother, first you received the Celestial God Hidden Dragon Painting from Master Ye, and now you’ve received a major reward from Master Cao... The level of importance placed on you is, without a doubt, the highest in the entire Middle Courtyard!”

Zhu Mingyuan chuckled, half-joking.

”If you have a meteoric rise in the future, don’t forget to give your Senior Brother a hand!”

”You’re too kind, Senior Brother. My skills are still far from enough.”

Chen Cheng gave a humble nod and said no more.

It was crystal clear in his heart that while he had indeed received some enviable benefits, when had there ever been preferential treatment in this world for no reason at all?

Everything he had gained, every opportunity, was something he had earned entirely through his own strength.

Half a month ago, Ye Yang’s initial reason for giving him the Celestial God Hidden Dragon Painting was a huge gamble.

He was betting that Chen Cheng would encounter a fortuitous opportunity within three months and make some progress.

If, after three months, he had made no progress, Ye Yang would have undoubtedly taken back the Celestial God Hidden Dragon Painting, and all these enviable circumstances and rewards would have been nothing but a dream.

’Results are all that determine success or failure...’

That was the true reality! The cruel truth that most people had to face!

Fortunately, Chen Cheng was different.

With the blessing of the Vertical Eye Mark, he could perfectly master the Celestial God Hidden Dragon Painting from the very beginning. In just half a month, he had condensed a fourth pillar of Blood Qi and generated a Dark Force far superior to anyone at the Same Tier.

It was because of this result that Ye Yang had decisively raised the stakes yesterday, even going all-in.

If Chen Cheng truly managed a meteoric rise, it would be the single most brilliant investment of Ye Yang’s life.

A poor boy from the lowest rungs of society, molded into a talent by his, Ye Yang’s, hands.

Fame, reputation, connections, and benefits would naturally flow to Ye Yang in a steady stream.

Even if Chen Cheng’s progress stopped here, the goodwill forged from this all-out cultivation effort would, in the long run, translate into a steady, long-term return.

The bonds of human connection were often more valuable than real gold and silver.

There was no way Ye Yang hadn’t calculated this.

And beyond that.

There was an even better outcome.

That would be Chen Cheng achieving something in the future Martial Selection.

To cultivate a disciple from the very bottom of society who went on to gain Military Merit as a Military Guard and a position of real power—that was an honor any Martial Master could brag about for the rest of their life.

He would reap both fame and fortune in his lifetime, and his story would be passed down as a celebrated tale after his death.

Because of this, Zhu Mingyuan’s words weren’t wrong at all. The importance Ye Yang placed on Chen Cheng was, without a doubt, the highest in the Middle Courtyard.

In comparison, his own daughter, Ye Qiluo, was treated as if she’d been picked up off the street, unable to get any benefits at all.

’Of course, it’s also possible Ye Yang had already tried to train her, and she just didn’t have what it takes.’

Then, Zhu Mingyuan’s gaze paused on Zhuang Zhen’s envelope.

A flash of curiosity crossed his eyes, but he knew the taboos among Martial Artists. Since the item was in a sealed envelope, it was obviously not meant for outsiders’ eyes.

He naturally wouldn’t pry. After a simple farewell, he turned and left.

Chen Cheng returned to his room. After closing the door and windows, he held the envelope in his hands.

First, he examined it carefully.

The wax seal was intact. The envelope itself was nothing special, just ordinary hemp paper with no particular markings on its surface.

Next, he sniffed it carefully.

He could faintly detect a trace of the elegant fragrance that Zhuang Zhen usually wore. It was like a sachet with a core of fresh flowers, only much lighter and fainter. It would be hard to notice without a superior sense of smell.

It seemed the envelope contained something she usually carried close to her person.

Chen Cheng composed himself, slowly tore open the seal, and shook the contents out onto the table.