Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

Shi Lei had been transferred from the back kitchen to the General Affairs Room. Not only was the work easier, but he could occasionally get his hands on some leftover cultivation resources. His training progress had sped up by more than just a bit.

In private, many were saying that Chen Cheng would be the next head disciple of the Middle Courtyard. They said he would one day take Master Ye’s place and assume control of the entire Middle Courtyard.

To the Outer Hall Disciples, the senior brothers and sisters of the Inner Hall were already lofty, unattainable figures. And Chen Cheng was a prodigy even among them.

Just being seen by Chen Cheng was definitely something worth bragging about.

「Back in the Inner Hall.」

Chen Cheng first went to the small kitchen with Zhu Mingyuan.

The food was the same as always, nothing special. The two chatted idly as they ate, with Zhu Mingyuan doing most of the talking and Chen Cheng listening.

After the meal, Chen Cheng returned to his quarters. He had just shut the door and was about to open the package when a sudden knock sounded on the small gate to the Inner Hall, followed by Shi Lei’s voice.

Chen Cheng casually placed the package on the table, then got up and walked out of his room.

He opened the small, vermilion-lacquered door.

The first thing to meet his eyes was Shi Lei’s increasingly tall and robust frame.

His shoulders and chest were bursting with muscle, and even his neck was a size thicker. He stood in the doorway like a brick wall.

The moment he saw Chen Cheng, the roguish grin on his face vanished. He nodded and bowed respectfully, calling out, "Senior Brother."

Chen Cheng nodded, his gaze traveling past Shi Lei’s burly frame to a slender figure standing behind him.

It was a girl.

She looked to be no more than thirteen or fourteen, dressed in a set of black Training Attire. The fabric was ordinary, yet washed spotlessly clean. Her sleeves were rolled up, revealing slender wrists.

The Training Attire was clearly meant to be form-fitting, yet on her, it created the illusion of being cavernous and empty.

It was simply because she was far too thin. Her shoulders were narrow and slight, and her waist was as slender as a new bamboo shoot.

And yet, despite her small, thin frame, her breath was steady and deep. She held her spine perfectly straight, and the faint ripples of Blood Qi circulating through the Great Dragon of her spinal column were even more solid than Shi Lei’s.

She raised her head and looked at Chen Cheng.

Her already bright, dark eyes instantly shone even brighter. They were utterly pure and clear, as translucent as a mountain stream reflecting a bright blue sky.

And within that translucence, Chen Cheng’s figure was clearly reflected.

"Qiao Qiao?"

Chen Cheng recognized the girl, but the obvious changes about her gave him a moment of pause.

He hadn’t seen her in two months, and the young girl had clearly grown taller.

Her hair, once as dry and yellow as straw, was now a glossy, raven black that shone with a soft luster in the afternoon light.

Her chin was still pointed, but her face had filled out. She no longer had that gaunt, skeletal look from before; her features had become much prettier. Her complexion was worlds better than it had been in the Lower Courtyard.

’Clearly, Fatty Fang has been feeding her well these past two months.’

"Senior Brother Chen..."

Qiao Qiao’s lips curved into a small smile, but her voice held the same timid, obedient tone as ever.

"A few days ago, I... I just formed my First Pillar of Blood Qi... Today, I’m officially transferring to the Middle Courtyard..."

She looked timid, as if speaking of something that hadn’t been fully confirmed.

"Here are fifteen taels of silver... P-Please, Senior Brother, help me dissolve the Death Oath Contract..."

As she spoke, she took a cloth pouch from within her robes and presented it to him with both hands.

"Alright, follow me."

Chen Cheng took the pouch and weighed it in his hand. It was filled entirely with Small Silver Ingots, with no copper plates or broken silver coins. ’Fatty Fang must have lent this to her,’ he thought.

Then, Chen Cheng turned and walked towards the General Affairs Room.

Shi Lei grinned from behind and followed them.

Although Shi Lei currently worked in the General Affairs Room, he only did miscellaneous chores there in his spare time outside of training.

When it came to dissolving a Death Oath Contract, it originally had to be handled personally by Ye Yang.

With Ye Yang away and Cao Zhao rarely returning, the authority to handle such matters fell to Chen Cheng and Zhu Mingyuan. Whichever of them was free could deal with it, acting with Ye Yang’s full authority.

Qiao Qiao froze for a moment, then trotted after them, her footsteps as light as a cat’s.

The procedure wasn’t complex and the amount of silver was correct. With Chen Cheng personally overseeing it, the Steward in the General Affairs Room wasted no words and had everything settled properly in a matter of moments.

Ten taels of silver dissolved the Death Oath Contract, and the remaining five taels served as her first month’s tuition.

Afterward, Qiao Qiao received a document annulling the contract, a Black Character Waist Token, a brand-new set of Outer Hall Disciple Training Attire, and a bottle of Blood Nourishing Powder...

...as well as the key to room number thirty-three, which she had specially chosen after asking Shi Lei about it beforehand.

That room was the very one Chen Cheng had lived in when he was in the Outer Hall.

Chen Cheng glanced at the key but said nothing.

Back in the Lower Courtyard, Qiao Qiao had always ’stuck’ to him.

Wherever he went, the young girl would follow. Whatever he practiced, she would practice.

It was like having a quiet yet persistent little tail, one that never bothered him but simply, silently, retraced his every footstep.

Now that she was in the Middle Courtyard, the young girl hadn’t broken the habit. She did her best to match his pace, as if by doing so she could follow closely behind him and, one step at a time, arrive wherever he was destined to go.

Chen Cheng’s gaze lingered on her face for a moment.

His little tail had grown up a bit, but she was still the same little tail.

Afterward, Chen Cheng and Shi Lei offered a hand to help Qiao Qiao settle in. She hadn’t brought much with her; it was just a matter of making the bed and sweeping the floor. Before Chen Cheng could even chip in, she was already finished.

Hearing the noise, Qian Baolu from the room next door came over to greet Chen Cheng.

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