Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

Wu Ziyu said,

”They were incredibly impressed. They said that if you have some free time one day, Brother Chen, you should come visit. The Wu Family would be honored to host you for a family banquet.”

”Please thank Elder Wu and Lord Wu on my behalf.”

Chen Cheng politely declined.

”The Martial Selection is approaching, so I’ll need to go into seclusion for a while. I’m afraid I’ll have to postpone the banquet for now.”

Wu Ziyu nodded in understanding.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yonglu’s lips twitched. He had originally planned to invite Chen Cheng to the Immortal Tower to make up for the celebratory banquet they’d missed.

’But if Chen Cheng turned down a private banquet with the Wu Family, why would he even consider a dinner at the humble Immortal Tower?’

Zhou Yonglu silently swallowed his invitation. He started planning in his head to prepare his own family banquet to host Chen Cheng after the Martial Selection was over.

”By the way, Brother Chen, are you really not planning to move?”

Wu Ziyu changed the subject.

”These past few days, the Red Moon Remnants in the Inner City have grown more violent. They’re killing and starting fires, completely unrestrained... I heard a disciple from the Dragon Mountain Upper Courtyard was ambushed outside.”

At these words, all eyes turned to Zhou An, who had been quiet until now.

”It was... Senior Brother Gu Kaishen...”

Zhou An said with a sigh,

”About two days ago, he went out at night, saying he was going for a drink. He was ambushed by Red Moon Remnants on the way, and his entire left arm was... was severed at the shoulder.”

”He managed to escape back to the Upper Courtyard right away, so his life was saved... but there’s no way he can compete in the Martial Selection at the start of the year...”

”Gu Kaishen?”

Chen Cheng’s heart tightened.

”Didn’t he already achieve Transforming Force? To sever his left arm, the Red Moon Remnant who attacked him must have been at the Transforming Force level, at least?”

”Exactly.”

Zhou An nodded grimly.

”The Red Moon Nunnery was just a small offshoot of the Red Moon Sect. To be precise, the ones causing chaos in the Inner City recently aren’t remnants from the nunnery. They’re High Tier Red Moon Cultists who have been in hiding for God knows how many years!”

”Word is, these High Tier cultists either hold powerful positions or possess immense strength, far beyond the Blood Robes in the Outer City. It wouldn’t be surprising at all if there were Transformation Realm masters among them.”

”I see...”

Chen Cheng said,

”I won’t move for now. I’ll wait a few days and see.”

After returning from Black Cloud Lake that day, Chen Cheng had carefully considered moving and had even mentioned it to Zhuang Zhen.

Zhuang Zhen had revealed at the time that she’d heard from Yu Feng that the higher-ups seemed to have a way to communicate with the Red Moon Sect, and that it might be possible to quell the current chaos.

Chen Cheng had been skeptical, but after hearing what Zhou An said, he realized that if there really were Red Moon Cultists in high-ranking positions, then there was indeed room for negotiation.

Besides, Chen Cheng had another reason for not wanting to move.

His neighborhood, the South Third District, had never experienced any chaos. The other districts in the Inner City adjacent to the academy or the Patrol Office had also remained peaceful during this period.

There might be a pattern behind all this.

He planned to observe for a while longer.

Worst-case scenario, if a real problem did arise, Yu Feng and Zhuang Zhen would notify him immediately, and Lady Sun next door would surely inform the Li Family.

Seeing that Chen Cheng had made up his mind, the others didn’t press the issue and started making small talk.

...

「Next door, at the Sun Mansion.」

The fragrance of tea filled the parlor, where several officials’ wives sat around a round table. Celadon teacups rested at hand, and plates held several kinds of delicate pastries, all arranged neatly.

Sunlight filtered through the carved window lattice, falling on their jeweled hair and exquisitely embroidered cuffs, gleaming brightly and filling the room with a sense of peace.

Today’s topic of conversation, however, was not the usual romantic fluff.

The unrest.

The fact that Red Moon Cultists were causing chaos was now common knowledge.

And their husbands were mostly Civil Servants. Two of them held fairly high ranks, so they were extremely well-informed.

They knew every detail of where the latest murder had taken place or where a fire had been set, as if listing their own family treasures.

And yet, they could still gather here to sip tea and laugh.

This alone was enough to prove that the chaos outside wouldn’t affect them anytime soon.

Another round of tea was served and the pastries were replaced with a fresh plate. The conversation drifted from the unrest to the new fabrics at the clothier’s, then from fabrics to which family had bought a new carriage. Meandering about, it somehow circled back to Chen Cheng from next door.

”Lady Sun, have you confirmed it? Is that Young Master Chen really at Six Pillars of Blood Qi?”

”I have. It’s the absolute truth.”

”Six Pillars of Blood Qi at sixteen... That’s quite rare.”

The lady in the pale lotus-pink jacket lifted her teacup and blew gently at the floating leaves.

”It’s just a pity the Martial Selection was moved up this year. With only a month or so left before it’s held, there’s no way he’ll be ready.”

”Isn’t that the truth?”

The woman across the table added,

”In any Martial Selection, Six Pillars of Blood Qi is never enough to even make the list, unless one has reached the Secret Inheritance Entry Level... But the Secret Martial Arts are all tightly controlled by the higher-ups. What chance does a boy from the slums have?”

”Ah, what a pity.”

A woman sighed softly, twisting the corner of her handkerchief.

”In the end, this Young Master Chen’s background is simply too low. If he’d been born into even a wealthy family in the Outer City, his achievements would be far beyond what they are today.”

”That’s not necessarily true.”

A slow, deliberate voice cut in. All eyes turned to the speaker—the wife whose husband held the highest official rank.

She was holding a jujube pastry, a faint smirk playing on her lips.

”Every Martial Artist has their limits. Who’s to say Six Pillars of Blood Qi isn’t his? For a peasant from the slums to have come this far, his ancestors must have already blessed his family tomb.”

”Exactly.”

Someone beside her immediately chimed in, her voice shrill and laced with disdain.

”He’s just a commoner. If he can’t overcome the hurdle of Seven Pillars of Blood Qi and earn Military Merit, then that’s the highest he’ll ever climb in his life!”

”You can’t be so sure.”

Lady Sun smiled, trying to smooth things over.

”Young Master Chen’s Six Pillars of Blood Qi and the Zhou Family’s goodwill toward him are both very real...”

Before she could finish, the senior official’s wife cut her off with a wave of her hand.

”Some things are decided at birth.”

The senior official’s wife set down her pastry and dabbed the corners of her mouth with a handkerchief. Her voice wasn’t heavy, but every word carried a condescending air.

”Six Pillars of Blood Qi, the Zhou Family’s favor—it’s all just fleeting glory. If he can’t advance further, the best future he can hope for is to become a retainer for a great family, a nominal functionary at their beck and call.”

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