Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

The two brown leather pouches, one from Yu An and one from Zhu Biao, each contained twenty pieces.

Meanwhile, Bai Fangshuo’s white leather pouch held a full thirty pieces.

The crucial part was that the Exotic Tiger Essence Meat was also graded as ’superior’ and ’good.’

The quality of the meat in the pouches from Yu An and Zhu Biao was closer to what Lin Fengxiao had given him before.

In contrast, the jerky in Bai Fangshuo’s pouch was noticeably harder and tougher. A piece of the same size was also heavier than the other two.

Its surface had a metallic sheen, and the rusty smell it emitted was stronger and more pungent. A single whiff was enough for the scent to drill straight into his nostrils.

The more he looked at it, the less it resembled jerky. It was more like a pile of quenched iron billets.

Chen Cheng had yet to test its specific effects.

It’s hard to go from lavish to simple.

Chen Cheng planned to eat the two ’good’ quality bags first and save the ’superior’ one for last.

At this moment, he stuffed all three leather pouches directly into a wine jar, arranging them neatly for easy access.

Then, he replaced the lid and sealed it with a red cloth.

He returned the jar to its original spot on the shelf.

’A pretty good disguise.’

”Cheng...”

The voice of the Li Family matriarch came from the entrance to the inner courtyard:

”Some friends are here to see you. They brought so many things, I couldn’t stop them... You—you should come out, quickly...”

”Mother, have them take a seat in the main hall. I’ll be right there.”

Chen Cheng called back, his gaze quickly sweeping across the pharmacy.

After confirming nothing was out of place, he gave another glance to an Iron Lump resting amidst a pile of Hidden Weapons.

He had found it inside Yu An’s Money Bag.

At the time, Chen Cheng hadn’t opened the Money Bag. He had assumed it was just a large Silver Ingot and brought it back without letting Wang Peng inspect it.

Only after returning did he take it out. He tinkered with it for ages but couldn’t figure out what it was, so he’d simply tossed it there.

He retracted his gaze and stepped out of the pharmacy.

The heavy brass lock snapped shut with a CLICK. He gave the shackle a tug to make sure it was secure, then tucked the key into his sleeve and turned toward the front courtyard.

In the front courtyard, several men from the Jiuan Hunting Manor were carrying in massive wine jars. It took two men to lift each jar, and they walked with slow, steady steps, terrified of bumping or knocking them.

The Li Family matriarch stood to the side, clutching the edge of her apron. She looked flustered and completely at a loss.

As Chen Cheng had instructed, she had tried to invite the two guests to have a seat in the main hall.

But the two of them, despite politely acknowledging her, seemed to have grown roots to the spot. They stood motionless beside the large vat in the courtyard.

They stared, unblinking, at the four fish in the vat as if gazing upon some priceless treasure.

The Li Family matriarch didn’t understand any of this.

She only knew that her son had recently brought home this large vat and was raising a few bizarre-looking fish inside.

’Her son had said they were for making soups and medicinal stews. What were they called? Treasure Fish?’

’How rare could they possibly be?’

’Were they really worthy of such intense focus from these two distinguished guests, who were obviously no ordinary people?’

’They’d been standing here for ages, completely captivated.’

One of them was a towering man, built like a fortress, with skin the color of reddish-bronze on his face and hands. A great black fur cloak was draped over his shoulders. Standing there, motionless, he looked like a newly sculpted Vajra deity from a temple, inspiring a sense of fearful awe in the Li Family matriarch.

The young woman beside him, however, was so beautiful she took the Li Family matriarch’s breath away, like seeing a heavenly being.

In the Li Family matriarch’s opinion, the young Zhuang Zhen was already the most beautiful girl she had ever seen. With her intelligent eyes and gentle aura, she was like a fairy who had stepped right out of a painting.

Who would have thought that this person before her was not just her equal, but even surpassed her.

The young woman was about seventeen or eighteen, with a tall, slender figure and long legs.

She wore a frost-white Cloak, its hood partially thrown back to reveal a shock of jet-black hair. A few strands, caught by the wind, clung to her cheek.

It made her complexion seem all the more startlingly pale—so white it was almost translucent. She was like porcelain covered in the first thin layer of winter frost; in the sun, you could faintly discern the pale blue veins beneath her skin.

Her features were so exquisite they seemed to have been rendered by an artist’s finest brush, stroke by delicate stroke.

Her eyebrows were not the slender, curved willow leaves of an ordinary woman. Instead, they possessed a crisp, clean arc that swept out from the center, like the ridgeline of a distant mountain appearing after the first snow.

Her eyelashes were long, thick, and curled slightly upward, making her exquisite, bright eyes seem all the more radiant and luminous.

The bridge of her nose was straight and sharply defined.

Her lips were so pale they were nearly transparent, like peach petals that had been rinsed three times in clear water.

And yet, against that canvas of cold white, a faint touch of red bloomed. Just a hint, neither deep nor vibrant, but it was breathtaking.

The Li Family matriarch stood to the side, still clutching her apron, at a complete loss for words.

’This girl... she’s too beautiful to be real.’

’When did my son meet someone like this, a Heavenly Immortal in the flesh?’

If they hadn’t said themselves that they were here to visit Chen Cheng, the Li Family matriarch would have suspected they had the wrong house.

”Brother Chuanzi... Yun? Miss Yun?”

Chen Cheng walked out, his voice faltering for a moment as his gaze fell upon the young woman.

It wasn’t the first time they had met. But on previous occasions, Yun Shuanglin had always kept her face hidden beneath the large hood of her Cloak. Chen Cheng had only caught fleeting glimpses and hadn’t paid much mind.

Now, seeing her face clearly for the first time, Chen Cheng hesitated, almost unable to recognize her.

”Brother Chen!”

The moment Yun Shuanglin heard his voice, she tore her gaze away from the Treasure Fish in the vat. Turning, she walked toward Chen Cheng with a radiant smile.

That smile made her even more breathtakingly beautiful.

Seeing this, the Li Family matriarch’s heart skipped a beat.

’In all her years, this was the first time she realized a person could be so beautiful.’

Chen Cheng’s expression, however, remained impassive. A term from his past life surfaced in his mind: ’Top-tier character model.’