Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

"Good heavens, how old is Lord Cheng? Sixteen? And he’s already capable of buying a home in the Inner City?"

Aunt Wang couldn’t help but exclaim.

A hunched-over old man nearby shuffled forward two shaky steps, his cloudy eyes filled with amazement.

"I’ve lived here in Anle Village since the day I was born—more than seventy years now—and this is the first time I’ve ever heard of someone from our neck of the woods moving into the Inner City! Lord Cheng, you’re incredible!"

"Isn’t that the truth?"

Little Sister-in-law Ma hitched her child up higher on her hip, her voice bright and loud enough for the whole alley to hear.

"Around here in Anle Village, if you go back three generations, anyone who even got into the Inner City to be a servant was considered to have burned incense to the high heavens. But Lord Cheng is properly moving in to establish his own home! He’s going there to be a master!"

"Aunt Li’s luck, tsk tsk..."

An old woman with salt-and-pepper hair clucked her tongue twice, her eyes full of envy.

"She must have done good deeds for three lifetimes to receive such a great blessing in this one. Following Lord Cheng to enjoy a good life, she won’t have a single worry for the rest of her days."

"Exactly, exactly."

The news spread quickly through the alleyways, and the clamor of exclamations and discussions was as fervent as boiling water.

"I’ve always said Aunt Li had a fortunate face. Look at those earlobes, that chin—you can tell at a glance she was destined to live comfortably in her old age."

"But enjoying a comfortable life depends on having a good son! If that boy of yours had even a fraction of Lord Cheng’s ability, you’d probably wake up laughing from your dreams."

"Hah, how could I dare to dream of such a good thing? Lord Cheng is a star descended from the heavens. How can we mortals possibly compare?"

"..."

Mrs. Li stood stunned in the doorway, listening to the back-and-forth chatter of her neighbors, momentarily lost in a daze.

It wasn’t until Chen Cheng came over, took her by the wrist, and led her inside that she snapped back to her senses. Her nose tingled, her eyes reddened, and her lips trembled, but she didn’t know what to say.

「A short while later.」

The mother and son had already left the alley of the Dragon Mountain Lower Courtyard and were heading out of Anle Village.

Three bundles, two large and one small, were filled with Mrs. Li’s daily necessities. Everything else, the non-essentials, had been left behind in the house.

Chen Cheng carried the two large bundles, one in each hand, and walked in front.

Mrs. Li carried the small one on her back and held the other bundle that Chen Cheng had brought over earlier, the one tied tightly with a clothesline.

She simply assumed it was old clothes her son had brought back from the Martial Arts Hall to be washed and starched, so she didn’t ask about it.

Just as the two were about to leave the Anle Village area, someone came rushing towards them at a brisk pace.

She had a tall figure with particularly long legs, her stride stirring up a breeze as she moved.

She wore the unique Half Armor of a Martial Artist affiliated with the Captain’s Mansion, and her chest strained against the plates.

Though her hair was tied in a man’s topknot, her features and figure made it clear even to Mrs. Li that this was a young woman.

"Where are you going?"

The female Martial Artist approached, her sharp gaze sweeping over Chen Cheng and his mother.

"Moving house."

Chen Cheng casually replied with two words.

The woman didn’t stop. As she passed by them, she turned her head slightly and said in a low voice,

"There’s danger straight ahead. Go north and detour two streets over. Circle around through Shunan District."

The moment she finished speaking, she had already passed the mother and son, striding forward and vanishing around an alley corner in the blink of an eye.

"You know each other?"

Mrs. Li turned her head, looking at Chen Cheng with some confusion. The woman had been in such a hurry, and her words were so quick and direct, as if they were well-acquainted.

"I know her, but she doesn’t know me."

Flickers of old memories passed through Chen Cheng’s eyes. Seeing his mother’s curious expression, he offered a simple explanation.

"That’s Shen Chun, the daughter of my workshop’s Master. She rarely showed her face there. I worked there for three years and only saw her a few times in total. This year especially, she hasn’t been back to the workshop even once."

"Oh, I see..."

Mrs. Li nodded and didn’t press for more details.

She knew better than anyone how much her son had changed over the past few months. It was perfectly normal for someone he hadn’t known well to begin with to not recognize him now.

「Meanwhile.」

Li Shun didn’t let Shen Chun’s unauthorized departure disrupt his original deployment. Sticking to the plan, he led his team of Captain’s Mansion Fine Armor guards and continued searching for traces of the Red Moon Demon People along the predetermined route.

"Li Shun."

A slightly rushed voice called out from behind him.

Li Shun had just turned around when he saw a figure moving with incredible speed, leaping and bounding through the alleyways behind them. After just a few leaps, the person was already upon them.

"Brother Cao, what are you doing here?"

The newcomer wore Half Armor with a Horizontal Saber at his waist. It was none other than Cao Zhao, also a Martial Artist affiliated with the Captain’s Mansion.

"The situation has changed."

Cao Zhao lowered his voice and leaned in closer before speaking.

"We just found a few surviving Outer City constables. They confirmed with their own mouths that the Red Moon Demon People causing trouble this time are completely different from the small fry we’ve dealt with before. They’re ’Blood Robes,’ a type we’ve never seen!"

Cao Zhao paused, then continued.

"The Lord Captain sent me to support you and Shen Chun. Reinforcements have also been sent to the other sectors... By the way, where’s Shen Chun?"

"She..."

Li Shun’s brow furrowed so deeply that even his birthmark seemed to wrinkle.

"You know what she’s like, Brother Cao... Anything to do with the Red Moon Nunnery and she just flips out! I hadn’t even finished what I was saying before she took off and disappeared..."

"Damn it..."

Cao Zhao’s brow tightened, and his tone suddenly grew heavy.

"If this were like before, we could let her act on her whims. But this time... if things go wrong, she might not even make it out alive!"

"It can’t be that bad..."

Li Shun was taken aback and said sheepishly,

"Those Blood Robes... are they really that strong? Shen Chun may have only just condensed her Six Pillars of Blood Qi, but even if she can’t win, she should be able to escape, right?"

"Escape?"

Cao Zhao’s brow tightened as he spoke.

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