Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

"This house was left to me by my father..."

Zhuang Zhen seemed to recall something from the past. A shadow passed through her eyes, as if a thin mist had veiled them.

"For the past few years, I’ve been living in the Central Courtyard Inner Hall, so I rarely came back. After my father passed away, this place was left completely vacant."

She lowered her eyes, looking at the mottled stone slabs on the ground.

"I’m definitely not selling it. As for renting it out..."

As her words trailed off, she froze for a moment. Then she looked up, her beautiful eyes shining.

"Junior Brother, if you want to live here, you can move in whenever you’d like!"

"I was actually looking to rent a house in this area. As for the rent..."

Chen Cheng didn’t beat around the bush. He was about to discuss the matter of rent when Zhuang Zhen cut him off.

"Junior Brother, I invited you here to teach me the Four Gods Profound Body. I should be honoring you as my teacher!"

Her expression became solemn. Those beautiful eyes, usually as calm as still water, were now wide and staring straight at Chen Cheng.

She spoke, enunciating every single word.

"If you mention the word ’rent’ again, how could I possibly hold my head high?"

A flicker of surprise crossed Chen Cheng’s eyes.

He was used to her cool, serene demeanor. This was the first time he had ever seen her look so earnest.

"In that case, I won’t stand on ceremony with you, Senior Sister. It’s just..."

Chen Cheng put the key into his sleeve, hesitated for a moment, then continued.

"I need to move my mother in as well."

"No problem."

Zhuang Zhen didn’t hesitate at all, even nodding before he had finished speaking.

"I’ll go find someone to come clean and renovate today. Oh, right, we still need to draw up a lease..."

"You’ll need to register the contract at the Patrol Office to get a Travel Permit for the Inner City."

As she spoke, she turned and walked straight out.

"Come on, I’ll take you to get it done now."

"Is there enough time to go now?"

Chen Cheng paused for a moment, but followed her nonetheless.

The South District Patrol Office was just at the eastern end of the South Third District. They arrived in a matter of moments.

The Government Office was a building of blue brick and gray tile. Two Stone Bians stood guard at the entrance, their wide eyes giving them an imposing and solemn air.

A long line of people waiting to conduct their business snaked out from the gatehouse, inching forward sluggishly.

Zhuang Zhen didn’t get in line. She led Chen Cheng directly past the front hall and through a small door on the side.

Her uncle was an Imperial Guard Official at this very South District Patrol Office.

The doorman recognized her and was quick to announce their arrival.

Before long, a young Scribe came out to greet them. He led the pair into a side hall, poured them tea, and after a few polite questions, stamped the lease agreement.

The matter was handled smoothly. In less time than it takes to drink two cups of tea, Chen Cheng had the Travel Permit in hand.

Such were the benefits of Military Merit and having a relative in a position of real power.

With an uncle who was an Imperial Guard Official, matters like these were always smooth sailing for Zhuang Zhen, completely free of obstacles.

An ordinary person would have spent the better part of the day just waiting in line outside the gatehouse. Once their documents were submitted, there was no telling how long they would sit on some Scribe’s desk. And if they were unlucky enough to deal with a greedy official, they would have to offer a "tip" before anything got done.

Chen Cheng thought for a moment, then decided to strike while the iron was hot and ask about splitting his household registration.

That, as it turned out, wasn’t difficult to arrange either.

However, according to the normal procedure, the original head of the household, Old Chen, had to be called over for both parties to sign and confirm in person before the household could be split in two.

An ordinary person would never have been able to get this done today.

But with the influence of Zhuang Zhen’s uncle, the Scribe was happy to make an exception.

Besides, the original head of household, Old Chen, was just a destitute commoner from the Outer City. In the eyes of the Inner City Patrol Office, he was nothing more than an insect to be crushed at will.

After hearing Chen Cheng explain the situation, the Scribe cheerfully agreed to handle it.

In just a few moments, the Scribe returned with two household separation forms for Chen Cheng to sign and fill in his new address.

Number 13, Qingshui Lane, South Third District, Inner City.

This was precisely Zhuang Zhen’s home address.

With the final stroke of his brush, Chen Cheng and his mother were separated from Old Chen’s household, officially establishing their own.

The Scribe would handle the rest of the household registration process. An Official Document would also be sent to the Southern Three Guards Patrol Office in the coming days.

From now on, if his father, Chen Shi, was able to send letters home, they would be delivered directly to the new address on the Official Document.

Once everything was settled, Chen Cheng, deeply grateful to the Scribe, wanted to slip him some silver as a token of his appreciation.

The Scribe, however, reacted as if he’d been scalded, waving his hands frantically and refusing to take it under any circumstances.

Chen Cheng didn’t press the issue. After a brief farewell, he left with Zhuang Zhen.

The two had just walked out of the Patrol Office gate when they heard the sound of horse hooves approaching from a distance.

They looked up.

A squad of Inner City Imperial Guards on fine steeds was riding toward them.

The man in the lead was in his forties, clad in a black cloak with a long saber at his waist. His face was stern, and his gaze swept over the pair as sharp as a razor’s edge.

Zhuang Zhen stopped and lowered her head slightly in a gesture of respect.

The man’s gaze lingered on her face for a second before shifting to Chen Cheng, a hint of scrutiny in his eyes.

Then, with a squeeze of his heels to his horse’s flanks, he led his men straight through the Patrol Office gates.

"That was your uncle?" Chen Cheng asked.

Zhuang Zhen nodded, lowered her voice, and explained.

"He’s usually very busy, so I almost never see him, and I rarely come to the Patrol Office. That look was just because he was surprised to see me."

"He’s actually a very good man. He’s very family-oriented, dotes on my aunt completely, and he helped my father a great deal... I’ve always been very grateful to him."

"There’s trouble! Big trouble in the Outer City!"

Just then, an Imperial Guard from the Outer City came galloping from another direction. He was shouting himself hoarse, whipping his steed mercilessly as if wishing it could sprout wings and fly.

Zhuang Zhen remained relatively calm at the sight; chaos was common in the Outer City, so this was hardly surprising.

Chen Cheng’s heart, however, seized. His eyes were instantly locked on the Imperial Guard from the Outer City.

At that very moment, Zhuang Zhen’s uncle, who had just entered the Patrol Office, came striding swiftly back out.

His expression was grave, his gaze like a torch, his cloak billowing in the cold wind behind him.

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