Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

”If I’m not mistaken, this should be the weapon of He the Eighth from the Black Cloud Water Stronghold.”

As Lin Fengxiao spoke, he walked over, squatted down, and pulled off the black cloth masking the turbid-eyed man’s face.

He studied it for a moment and said in a low voice:

”This man is a Transforming Force expert. Years ago, he was on the Captain’s Mansion’s wanted list, but the higher-ups later planned to grant amnesty to the Black Cloud Water Stronghold, so all related warrants were withdrawn.”

Then he stood up again, pulled the black cloths off the other three men’s faces one by one, and examined them carefully by the moonlight:

”They’re all fierce bandit leaders from the Black Cloud Water Stronghold... Since the higher-ups started considering amnesty, it hasn’t been difficult for them to slip into the Inner City. But for four big fish like them to show up together...”

Lin Fengxiao paused, his gaze shifting to the unconscious Ruan Bigui on the other side. His voice dropped even lower:

”The secret residence that man mentioned must contain something of critical importance to the Black Cloud Water Stronghold.”

”Not interested.”

Chen Cheng’s tone was flat as his eyes swept both sides of the alley. His ears twitched slightly.

”I just want to clean this up as soon as possible and leave no loose ends. The commotion just now was considerable. The Patrol Office’s men should be on their way.”

”I’ll handle it.”

Lin Fengxiao agreed readily. He bent down, picked up the Fish Fin Cleaver, tested its weight, and then began to stage the scene.

He first left several cuts of varying depths on the surrounding walls, then added a few more blade wounds to the first three corpses.

During this time, his strength had clearly increased by a large margin. It seemed he had also been practicing his Sword Skill.

Every slash he made now was perfectly executed. Every mark he left, every wound he inflicted, was indistinguishable from one made in a real fight.

The key was that he used the Fish Fin Cleaver to completely destroy the head wounds on the three men that had been caused by Hidden Weapons.

Next, he picked up the three bandits’ weapons and left corresponding marks of a fight around the alley that would tell a plausible story.

He handled this part exceptionally well, too. It didn’t look staged, and it completely concealed the real marks left by Chen Cheng and Zhuang Zhen.

He hadn’t just joined the Captain’s Mansion yesterday. He was used to scenes of brawls and slaughter, and he knew the entire investigative process inside and out. He handled the cleanup with practiced ease, leaving nothing to chance.

Chen Cheng followed behind him, examining every detail. Indeed, he couldn’t find a single flaw.

”Senior Brother, the rest was easy to handle, but He the Eighth is a problem...”

Lin Fengxiao crouched beside He the Eighth, weighing the three men’s weapons in his hand. His tone was grave.

”I want to stage this as infighting, but the problem is, even if the other three ganged up on him, there’s no way they could have beaten He the Eighth... This point alone will probably raise suspicion...”

”Wait a moment.”

Chen Cheng leaped back into the inner courtyard and quickly returned with a cup of water.

He crouched down, pinched He the Eighth’s cheeks, and poured the cup of water into his mouth.

”I drugged this water.”

Chen Cheng said:

”He’s not dead yet, so the poison will circulate quickly.”

”Defeated because he was poisoned—that makes perfect sense!”

Lin Fengxiao’s eyes lit up, and he immediately went to work on He the Eighth’s body with the other three men’s weapons.

Finally, Lin Fengxiao’s gaze fell upon Ruan Bigui.

He snatched up the Fish Fin Cleaver and, with a single strike, split Ruan Bigui diagonally in two, from his left shoulder to his right ribs.

He then rearranged the other bodies to make it look like two groups had been fighting over Ruan Bigui and had accidentally cut him down in the chaos.

「Some time later.」

By the time the Patrol Office’s squad arrived, Chen Cheng was already back in the courtyard, listening silently to the commotion outside from behind the wall.

Several Imperial Guards inspected the scene one after another and, after speaking with Lin Fengxiao, all concluded that it was a case of infighting.

Because the incident involved Water Bandits, the case didn’t fall under the Patrol Office’s jurisdiction.

These Imperial Guards were really just going through the motions. After confirming Lin Fengxiao needed no assistance, they led their teams away and returned to patrol their respective areas.

Chen Cheng listened to the entire exchange, and his heart finally settled.

However, a peculiar glint quietly flashed in the depths of his eyes.

He had just lifted a total of five Money Bags and three vials of pills from the corpses.

Inside Ruan Bigui’s Money Bag was a long, hard object. Feeling it through the pouch, it seemed to be an oddly shaped key.

’This is probably the key to Ruan Jinzhong’s secret residence.’

’Unfortunately, I don’t know the secret residence’s exact location, nor do I want to.’

’The Martial Selection is in another month.’

’I have plenty of resources on hand; there’s absolutely no need to stir up extra trouble. If I get tangled up with the Black Cloud Water Stronghold, it’ll bring endless problems, maybe even get me killed.’

’I should find a hidden place unrelated to me and stash this key for now.’

’If an opportunity to use it arises in the future, I can just go back and get it.’

’Even if I never end up using it, letting it be lost forever is better than inviting disaster.’

As Chen Cheng thought this, the slight ripple in his eyes completely subsided, returning to calm.

…

…

Twenty-seven days passed in a flash.

The locust tree in the Chen Mansion’s inner courtyard had sprouted new buds at some point, tender and green, poking their heads out from between the withered branches.

The winter jasmine next door, which had climbed over the wall, was also in bloom. Its tiny, gold-flecked flowers adorned the gray brick wall, swaying gently in the breeze.

The winter chill that had collected under the eaves was long gone. When the sunlight fell, you could see tiny motes of dust slowly drifting in its beams.

The last patch of snow on the corner of the eaves melted, and water drops went DRIP, DRIP, DRIP, tapping against the bluestone slabs.

Chen Cheng hadn’t slept all night.

Even now, with the sky bright, and after both the Li Family matriarch and Zhuang Zhen had come to call for him, saying breakfast was getting cold, he still hadn’t emerged from his room, not even to respond.