Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

Chen Cheng came from the slums, so he’d always had a high tolerance for pungent odors.

But now, faced with this overwhelmingly strong, rusty, metallic stench, he almost lost his composure.

The smell was so overpowering it went straight to his head and made his eyes water.

No wonder even the Li Family, who were used to the foul stenches of the slums, cried out that they couldn’t stand it. Aside from when they were cooking, they stayed far away from the kitchen.

”...This smell?”

Chen Cheng steadied himself and suddenly felt a warm current spread through his sinuses. It slowly seeped into his chest and lungs, then transformed into wisps of heat as fine as silk, drilling into every corner of his body.

He paused, startled, and looked back at the thick soup gently simmering in the pot.

As expected of the Cyan Silver Dragon Soup, which had been simmering all night. Even the steam that had just wafted into his face had a restorative effect!

’Good medicine is bitter to the taste!’

’The old adages are true!’

Forcing down his discomfort, Chen Cheng walked back to the side of the pot.

He first focused his Heart Spirit and performed some breathing exercises. Only after the restorative effects from the steam had completely faded did he pick up a large bowl.

Following Wu Ziyu’s advice, he was to finish the pot of fish soup in nine servings over three days.

Chen Cheng estimated the portion and served himself a bowl of the soup along with some of the fish.

Perhaps because of the breathing exercises he had just performed, he had already grown somewhat accustomed to the metallic stench. This time, as the thick soup entered his mouth, he had no adverse reaction.

It was simply awful-tasting.

He held his breath and downed it in one go. It wasn’t so bad then.

Then, he tried a piece of the fish, which had a faint cyan hue.

After simmering all night, the flesh was still exceptionally tough.

He even had to circulate his Blood Qi and channel Dark Force into the meat, breaking down its structure from the inside just so he could chew it properly.

Even so, it took him the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea to chew through a few thumb-sized pieces of fish.

After he finished the entire bowl of soup and fish.

He felt as if his entire body was engulfed in flames. An intense, scorching heat seared him from the surface of his skin inward, while another wave of heat erupted from his boiling marrow and blood.

Within a few breaths, fine beads of sweat had already formed on his brow.

He opened his mouth, and his breath billowed out like a scalding tongue of fire.

At that moment, he felt as if his body had become a terrifying furnace, or a volcano on the verge of eruption, threatening to burn him alive from the inside out at any second.

He immediately turned and walked into the courtyard.

He drew a bucket of bone-chilling well water and splashed some on his face.

Then he simply lifted the bucket and GULP, GULP, GULP, drank nearly half of it. Only then did he start to feel some relief.

’...This restorative effect is far better than I imagined. Is it because my body is more compatible with this Cyan Silver Dragon?’

Chen Cheng carefully assessed the feeling for a moment.

The feeling of his body being depleted and overdrawn was swept away, replaced by an unprecedented sense of abundant power.

It felt as if his muscles and bones, even his skin and hair, had been injected—no, not injected, but flooded with energy, so full they felt like they were about to explode.

Without hesitation, he immediately returned to the inner courtyard to practice the Four Gods Profound Body, the technique most taxing on his physique.

...

By mid-morning, Chen Cheng had arrived at the Yongsheng Trading Company.

He pushed open the main gate and walked inside.

The courtyard was desolate and silent.

The snow came up past his calves, its surface so smooth it was nearly wrinkle-free—the result of having been left undisturbed and unswept for days.

Only the stretch of ground leading to the inner courtyard had a small path trodden through it.

The doors and windows of the main hall were shut tight. There was no sound, nor any sign of a single person.

Chen Cheng frowned slightly and quickened his pace toward the inner courtyard.

The inner courtyard, by contrast, had been tidied. The snow was swept into piles against the corners of the walls, and the doors and windows were wiped clean.

”Chen Honored Elder.”

A busy figure under a distant covered walkway paused, then turned and walked toward Chen Cheng.

”Aunt Ding, is the Master in?” Chen Cheng asked.

”She’s in the study, talking with someone.”

Granny Ding frowned. After a brief hesitation, she said in a somber voice.

”You’re here for your monthly allowance, aren’t you? I’m afraid you might be disappointed this time...”

”The trading company can’t stay open. The Master spent all her savings to pay everyone their wages... Right now, she’s...”

”She’s negotiating a price to sell the entire trading company compound, warehouses and all. But the other party is lowballing her too much... They still haven’t reached an agreement.”

Granny Ding paused.

”Chen Honored Elder, you should come back another day. Knowing the Master, once she’s raised enough money, you’ll get every penny of your monthly allowance.”

”Aunt Ding, what’s going on?”

Chen Cheng’s brow furrowed even deeper.

Granny Ding sighed and spoke slowly.

”The Fuchang Trading Company was caught using the North Road Trade Document to transport munitions for the rebel army. The evidence was irrefutable. Its master, Fu Yunchen, is dead, and his second-in-command, Sun Dingjiang, is to be publicly executed in the coming days...”

”I heard the people from the Captain’s Mansion also found a list of names. Everyone connected to the affair has been rounded up—no exceptions. They’ve all been sentenced to execution, with their assets seized...”

”The Northern Lands are getting more and more chaotic, so the Master doesn’t dare get involved with the northern trade routes anymore. After she and the old master came to an agreement, she returned the Trade Document.”

At this, Granny Ding let out another long sigh. She slowly raised a hand to wipe the corner of her eye.

”Everyone at the trading company has left. Old Wen left last night to go north and find his son. I’ll stay with the Master until the very end. Once this compound is sold, I’m going back to my hometown to look after my grandson...”

Chen Cheng listened in silence, unable to describe the feeling in his heart.

It felt like something was caught in his throat—he couldn’t swallow it down, nor could he spit it out.

”Is there no way to turn things around?” he asked grimly.

Granny Ding shook her head. She silently turned, walked away, picked up her broom, and resumed sweeping the already-clean ground, occasionally lifting a hand to wipe the corner of her eye with her sleeve.