Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

「Four days later.」

The midday sun was perfect, casting a brilliant light across the ground.

Several carriages rumbled to a stop in front of the Sun Mansion. Their curtains were lifted, and a group of lavishly dressed officials’ wives stepped out. Each was adorned with pearls and jade from head to toe, their long skirts trailing on the ground, and they chattered and laughed amongst themselves as they gathered at the mansion’s entrance.

But before they had taken more than a few steps, their eyes were drawn to the mansion next door.

Parked in front of the Chen Mansion were two exceptionally luxurious carriages. In terms of size, appearance, and even the fine steeds pulling them, they were countless times better than their own.

And behind those two carriages followed several large carts laden with goods.

Seven or eight burly men, who looked like servants, were gathered around an enormous wooden chest. Some lifted the corners while others supported the bottom, veins bulging on their arms. It took them a great deal of effort just to move the chest off the cart.

Then, they gathered a full ten men who, lining up on either side and shouting in unison, barely managed to lift the chest and carry it into the Chen Mansion, one halting step at a time.

The group of officials’ wives had sharp eyes. With just one glance, one of them let out a soft, ”Oh my.”

”Is that zitan wood?”

”It has to be. The finest zitan. Look at that grain, that luster...”

Someone lowered their voice, their tone filled with unconcealable shock:

”A zitan chest this large... the wood alone must be worth a fortune. What in the world could be inside to justify it?”

Before her voice had faded, the astonished gazes of the officials’ wives drifted involuntarily further back.

There were four more of these enormous wooden chests lined up neatly behind the first.

On the carts further back, about eight massive jars were stacked. They were jet-black, their mouths sealed with a thick layer of wax that let not a single wisp of scent escape. Though the carriages had jolted along the road, not a single sound could be heard from within the jars. They were clearly heavy, and perhaps not filled with wine.

In fact, they were definitely not filled with wine.

Otherwise, there wouldn’t be a dozen servants surrounding that cart, guarding it as if facing a great enemy, following its every move.

”Just look at this spectacle...”

One of the officials’ wives lifted her chin slightly and said in a hushed voice:

”Whatever is in those jars must be incredibly valuable!”

”Isn’t that the truth?”

Another chimed in, her gaze sweeping back and forth across the front of the Chen Mansion, her voice laced with an undeniable sense of awe.

”A display of this magnitude... It’s truly a rare sight.”

”Ladies, why aren’t you coming in?”

Lady Sun came out to greet them. She smiled brightly, glanced at them, and then followed their gaze to the Chen Mansion next door, unable to suppress a laugh.

”You’re all a bit late. They’ve already moved over a dozen Treasure Fish in. I even went over to watch the excitement for a bit.”

”Those fish... tsk. I hadn’t just never seen them, I’d never even heard of some of them. So many colors, with golden scales and jade-like fins. Every single one was gorgeous. The moment they started swimming in the water, the whole tank filled with shimmering light.”

”Treasure Fish?”

Hearing this, the group of officials’ wives turned their heads in unison, letting out another round of hushed gasps.

”What’s all this about? Lady Sun, did you get a Noble Lineage from the Seven Great Races as a new neighbor?” a wife wearing a lotus-root-pink *beizi* asked, her eyes wide, half-joking and half-serious.

”Moving more than a dozen Treasure Fish into one’s home... a feat of such extravagance! Who else besides a Noble Lineage from the Seven Great Races could manage that?” another agreed, her tone now tinged with certainty.

”Lady Sun, you must introduce us!” yet another urged, pushing Lady Sun’s arm, her eyes filled with undisguised eagerness.

”Hah, you’re all just teasing.”

Lady Sun waved her hand dismissively, covering her mouth with a chuckle before saying unhurriedly:

”My neighbors haven’t changed. It’s still Aunt Li and her son. It’s just that... Young Master Chen is a man of great ability. He did a huge favor for the Zhou Family of the Seven Great Races, and now their nobles are tripping over themselves to thank him.”

The officials’ wives listened in silence, their expressions shifting again and again.

One glanced sideways, another looked down to fiddle with the bracelet on her wrist, and a third stole another peek at the Chen Mansion’s entrance, their eyes filled with a complex, indescribable emotion.

Inside the Chen Mansion.

Aunt Li was bustling about, directing the sturdy servants to stack the items neatly in a corner of the front courtyard.

She gestured to show them where to put things, all the while reminding them to handle everything with care. Tiny beads of sweat dotted her forehead, but she couldn’t hide the joy and pride on her face.

Leaving these items temporarily in the front courtyard was Chen Cheng’s idea. Outsiders were not allowed to set foot in the inner courtyard; he would move everything inside himself later.

In the main hall.

Chen Cheng was seated in the host’s chair.

Wu Ziyu sat to his left, while Zhou Yonglu and Zhou An sat to his right.

”Brother Chen.”

Zhou Yonglu glanced at the two large vats in the courtyard and said with a cheerful smile:

”These sixteen Treasure Fish were all hand-picked by me over the past few days. Half of them will help strengthen your physique, and the other half will help improve your Root Bone. In addition...”

As he spoke, he stood up, took a stack of silver notes from his sleeve, and placed them neatly on the table beside Chen Cheng. He continued,

”Here are two thousand taels in silver notes. Please consider this the reward for you, Brother Chen, slaying the Iron-Bone Crocodile Eel.”

”I will accept the Treasure Fish, but you can take the silver notes back.”

Chen Cheng said in a calm tone.

”I didn’t kill the Iron-Bone Crocodile Eel because I was hired by you. Besides, I kept the entire creature. There’s no need for you to give me an additional reward.”

”No, no, no! I absolutely will not take these silver notes back!”

Zhou Yonglu’s expression was grave, and his voice unconsciously rose a few notches.

”Regardless of whether you were hired by me or not, Brother Chen, by slaying the Iron-Bone Crocodile Eel, you well and truly saved my Zhou’s Fishing Village.”

”Although the Fishing Village is not much compared to the many other businesses under my Zhou Family, it holds a completely different significance for me.”

”I returned from the Prefecture City not long ago. The Fishing Village was the first business I took charge of, and it was a test for me from the family. If I had messed it up, my future would have been completely ruined.”