Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

Chen Cheng looked up.

A magnificent, reddish-brown horse was galloping down the long street, its hooves clattering on the flagstones.

The rider was Wang Chuang. He held the reins of his mount in one hand while leading a large brown horse with the other. The two animals galloped side by side, their manes flying.

Wang Chuang yanked hard on the reins right in front of Chen Cheng. His reddish-brown horse reared with a long neigh before landing and stopping perfectly still. The large brown horse also halted obediently. It was clearly a bit of a show.

[Riding Skill]: Entry Level (0/300)

"Good morning, Brother Wang."

Chen Cheng smiled.

"I know a little about riding myself. I won’t slow you down."

"Here. Mount up, we’re leaving."

Wang Chuang crisply tossed the reins of the large brown horse to Chen Cheng.

"Brother Cao and the others have gone on ahead. I came out of my way to pick you up. We need to hurry."

Chen Cheng flicked his right hand up, catching the reins at the perfect spot.

With a firm tug on the reins, he used the force of the horse turning its head to launch himself, pushing off the ground and swinging his body. In the blink of an eye, he had vaulted onto the horse’s back and was seated securely.

The series of movements was so clean and fluid it was a pleasure to watch.

Even someone like Wang Chuang, who had grown up on horseback, couldn’t help but click his tongue in admiration.

"You’ve really got some skills!"

Then, the two of them spurred their horses and galloped down the main street, heading straight for the gate of the South Outer City.

Pedestrians scrambled to get out of their way, their gazes following the riders with expressions of envy and, even more so, of awe.

At the edge of An Nan District, from a corner needlework workshop, several gazes fell upon them through a half-open wooden window.

Hu Niu stood by the window, a nervous expression on her face.

Beside her stood a well-dressed, middle-aged woman, who now retracted her gaze, a gentle smile on her face.

"Qiao, I’ve suddenly realized that having you as a Steward in this little workshop is a waste of your talents. Come to my silk shop tomorrow. You’ll be a Steward there, too, and I’ll double your monthly wages."

"Ma... Master!?"

Hu Niu was utterly dumbfounded. The day after she last saw Chen Cheng, she had been made the Steward of this very workshop.

But who would have thought that now, only a short while later, her status was being elevated so drastically again?

She knew, of course, that all of this was thanks to her connection with Chen Cheng.

But she simply couldn’t fathom it. ’How could Chen Cheng be progressing so incredibly fast?’

’She remembered how her brother, Xiaolong, had trained bitterly for two whole years just to form his first Pillar of Blood Qi. His progress after that had been so slow it was practically at a standstill.’

’Could it be... that Chen Cheng was truly the one-in-a-million martial arts prodigy her brother had mentioned?’

"By the way."

The middle-aged woman changed the subject.

"How are your brother’s injuries?"

"Much better. The physician you helped us find, Master, is much more skilled than the one we hired ourselves... My brother can already get out of bed and move around normally."

Hu Niu pressed her lips together, her eyes growing slightly red at the rims.

"On behalf of my brother, and our entire family, I thank you, Master."

"There’s no need for thanks."

The middle-aged woman said gently, waving her hand dismissively.

"I’ll have that physician visit your brother again later and see if some better medicinal herbs can be used... As for the money, don’t you worry. I’ll cover the costs for your family for now."

"Thank you, Master! Thank you so much, Master!"

Hu Niu bowed repeatedly, each bow deeper than the last. The woman reached out in a gesture to help her up, but said nothing more.

When Hu Niu straightened up, her gaze involuntarily drifted back out the window.

The two riders had long since disappeared at the end of the long street, leaving only the morning light shimmering on the flagstones.

She knew perfectly well that the person her entire family should really be thanking was Chen Cheng.

Without him, everything she and her family had just gained would cease to exist!

...

[Health Tai Chi]: Great Success (851/3000), Traits (Nourishing Life, Harmony), Limit-Breaking (No)

[Endless Moon Breath]: Minor Achievement (303/1000), Trait (Hidden Mechanism), Limit-Breaking (No)

[Inconstant Moon Step]: Entry Level (293/300), Trait (None), Limit-Breaking (No)

[Hidden Dragon Fist]: Minor Achievement (998/1000), Trait (Penetrating Armor)

The two galloped on, the wind roaring in their ears, not exchanging a single word.

Chen Cheng silently reviewed his four most important skills.

’Over the past half-month, with ample training resources, my progress in all four skills has jumped significantly, especially Health Tai Chi and Hidden Dragon Fist.’

’Health Tai Chi is my core foundation.’

’After training the other three skills, I have to rely on it to nourish my physique, heal injuries, and nurture my Divine Marrow.’

’Hidden Dragon Fist is the source of my Blood Qi.’

’Its training priority is second only to Health Tai Chi. Aided by various resources, plus the tempering of my Bright Force by the Celestial God Hidden Dragon Painting, I was just one step away from reaching Great Success and forming my fourth Pillar of Blood Qi before breakfast today.’

’If not for my appointment with Wang Chuang, I absolutely wouldn’t have stopped at such a critical moment.’

’Aside from that, the progress of my Endless Moon Breath and Inconstant Moon Step could only be considered as meeting expectations.’

Lastly, Chen Cheng mentally reviewed Broken Character Recognition, Bookkeeping and Calculation, and Riding Skill, as if he were counting the chips in his hand.

The horse jolted beneath him, and the cold wind scraped his face like a blade.

Chen Cheng narrowed his eyes, bringing his thoughts back to the present and focusing on Wang Chuang’s broad back ahead.

After the banquet at Immortal Tower that night, Chen Cheng had accepted patronage from both the Jiuan Hunting Manor and the Changfeng Escort Agency the very next day.

Only, when negotiating terms with the Escort Agency, Chen Cheng had taken the initiative to give up residency rights to the courtyard house in An Nan District in exchange for an extra five taels of silver per month.

His main reason for doing so was that recently, remnants of the Red Moon Nunnery had frequently appeared throughout the South Outer City’s Seventy-Two Districts.

Anle Village, where the Li Family lived, was paradoxically safer.

He also preferred living in the Inner Hall, where at least Fatty Fang and Cao Zhao, two masters with Six Pillars of Blood Qi, were holding down the fort.

If the sky were to fall, at least they would be there to prop it up first.

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