Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

However, Chen Cheng wasn’t the least bit flustered. He retreated to a patch of reeds that blocked the wind.

He squatted down.

Through the fishing net, his fingers pinched the neck of the Cyan Ink Treasure Snake.

He channeled a subtle stream of Dark Force into it, shattering its spinal nerves.

In an instant, just like the Cyan Silver Dragon also wrapped in Chen Cheng’s net, the Cyan Ink Treasure Snake passed away peacefully.

Afterward, Chen Cheng untied the net and took out the Cyan Ink Treasure Snake’s carcass.

With a casual flick of his fingernail, he sliced open its belly and removed a small, half-cyan, half-black Snake Gallbladder covered in a layer of foul-smelling slime.

He gave it a quick glance. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he promptly tossed it into his mouth and swallowed it whole.

Although the Snake Gallbladder was only in his mouth for a fleeting moment, the intensely rank and bitter taste still sent a shiver through his entire body.

The taste was like rust mixed with bitter herbs, with the added rankness unique to fish.

Most people probably couldn’t even stand the smell.

But as the saying goes, good medicine is bitter to the taste.

The moment the Snake Gallbladder entered his mouth, Chen Cheng could clearly feel a searing heat pour from the root of his tongue down his throat, burning all the way down.

Immediately after, the Snake Gallbladder seemed to explode in his stomach.

A scorching hot mass erupted like a volcano, spreading rapidly to every corner of his body.

The chill that had permeated his body was instantly dispelled.

His body temperature began to rise sharply. His skin, once gray-white from the cold, gradually flushed with a healthy red, eventually turning a fiery crimson as if it had been burned.

His forehead, back, palms... beads of sweat began to form all over his body.

And that wasn’t all.

He could also clearly feel his stamina rapidly recovering, approaching its absolute peak.

His temperature continued to rise, to the point where it was becoming uncomfortable.

His nasal passages felt dry and tingled slightly, as if he were about to have a nosebleed at any moment.

’This stuff really is a potent tonic... Even with my current physical strength, I can barely handle it. An ordinary person would probably die from its sheer potency... no, be burned to death.’

Chen Cheng steadied himself and got right back into the icy water. The contrast between hot and cold was the only thing that made him feel less uncomfortable.

「Some time later.」

By the time he swam back to the Wu Family Wharf, his body temperature had returned to normal, and the discomfort was gone.

However, a ’flame’ still burned in his Dantian below his navel, making him feel as if he had an inexhaustible supply of strength.

He felt he could swim back and forth to the Bai Family’s territory several more times without any problem.

’If I could get my hands on more of these Snake Gallbladders and refine them into medicine, they would be incredibly useful in a crisis, maybe even life-saving.’

Mulling this over, Chen Cheng quickly returned to the cabin of the head boat.

He found a cloth, dried himself off, and put his own clothes back on.

He definitely couldn’t bring the Bai Family’s special fishing net back to the city.

Fortunately, there were dedicated fish cages on the boat.

He placed the carcasses of the Cyan Ink Treasure Snake and the Cyan Silver Dragon into the same fish cage.

After leaving the Wu Family Wharf, he found an inconspicuous corner by the roadside and stuffed the crumpled-up fishing net inside.

「Back in the city.」

The enormous fish cage Chen Cheng carried attracted countless gazes.

Pedestrians on the street turned to stare. Children stood on their tiptoes to get a better look, women tugged on their companions’ sleeves and pointed, and a few loafers followed behind him, clucking their tongues in amazement.

Once he entered the Inner City, there were more people who knew what they were looking at, and the nature of the amazed gasps changed.

The loud cries of simple onlookers lessened, replaced by the hushed discussions and appraisals of connoisseurs.

”My word! I’ve never seen a Cyan Silver Dragon this big!”

”One of this size is a rare sight indeed... But the Cyan Ink Treasure Snake next to it is even rarer. It’s a pity its gallbladder has already been taken, otherwise it would be worth at least this much!”

As he said this, a young master in a fur cloak held up a single finger.

”One thousand taels?”

Beside him, an old man in a brocade robe stared wide-eyed, his gaze filled with disbelief.

”Good heavens! Where did this young man come from? To be so extravagant! With the Treasure Fish and Treasure Snake together, one thousand taels is nowhere near enough!”

Someone else nearby chimed in:

”Logically, someone who can throw around silver like that wouldn’t be caught carrying his own fish cage through the streets... Could it be that he caught that Treasure Snake and Treasure Fish himself?”

”What nonsense are you talking about?”

The young master scoffed and said:

”Cyan Silver Dragons are only found in the depths of Black Cloud Lake. They’re terrifyingly ferocious and stronger than a calf. You couldn’t even dream of getting one ashore without seven or eight expert Fishermen!”

”This kid looks sixteen or seventeen at most, all soft-skinned and pampered. If he went into the water in the middle of winter, it’d be a miracle if he wasn’t frozen stupid!”

”Hmm... that’s true.”

The old man in the brocade robe nodded.

”If this young man really could drag such a large Cyan Silver Dragon up from the depths of the lake by himself, the great boat-faring clans like the Wu Family and the Zhou Family would probably invite him back and worship him.”

”I heard the Wu Family’s fleet came back empty-handed today. They took a huge loss.”

The other person added:

”Also, the young master from the Zhou Family who manages the Fishing Village has put out the word that he’s willing to pay a hefty price to hire experts with exceptional swimming skills, especially Martial Artists who can fight underwater. The price is staggeringly high!”

As the crowd was discussing, a horse-drawn carriage that had just passed by came to a steady stop a short distance in front of Chen Cheng.

The carriage was lacquered black with gold trim, the curtains were made of the finest cyan brocade, and the two white horses pulling it were exceptionally spirited.

A corner of the curtain was lifted, revealing an exquisitely made-up face.

The woman was not old, but she had a poised aura. Her dress was exceedingly luxurious, and the many hairpins and ornaments in her hair were also quite exquisite.

She first carefully examined the fish cage in Chen Cheng’s hands, then nodded slightly, making no attempt to hide the look of satisfaction in her eyes.

Only then did she raise her head to look at Chen Cheng.

With a single glance, her expression changed completely, a subtle glimmer flashing in the depths of her eyes.

Her red lips parted slightly.

She asked with a beaming smile:

”Young Master Chen, you’re Young Master Chen Cheng from the Dragon Mountain Upper Courtyard, aren’t you?”

Chen Cheng stopped in his tracks, his gaze falling upon the woman’s delicately made-up face.

”And who might you be?”

Chen Cheng didn’t recognize her, and from the sound of her voice, this was likely the first time she had seen him as well.