Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

As he spoke, Chen Cheng took a spare key and about ten taels of broken silver from his clothes, placing them directly on the table.

"For dinner tonight, just make do with the food you brought. Tomorrow morning, go take a walk. Eat whatever you like, and buy anything the house needs. Don’t worry about being frugal with the money. Just tell me when you run out."

"It’s too much, far too much... I couldn’t possibly use all this..."

His mother waved her hands in refusal.

But Chen Cheng was already on his way out. He picked up the bundle tied with a clothesline and called out his final instructions as he left.

"I might not be back tonight, so don’t wait up for me. Lock the door and get some rest."

His mother nodded vigorously, but before she could say anything more, Chen Cheng had already left the room.

Chen Cheng left the wing but didn’t rush off.

He passed through a moon gate in the side corridor, rounded the corner into the rear courtyard, and pushed open the door to the study.

The study wasn’t large. Chen Cheng had given it a cursory glance during the day and had taken in the entire room at once: a desk, a chair, bookshelves lining three walls, and nothing else.

’Places that are plain to see are the easiest to overlook, making them perfect for hiding things.’

He walked over to one of the bookshelves. Planting his hands against the side flush with the wall, he put some muscle into it, shifting the heavy, hardwood unit aside.

There was a gap between the back of the bookshelf and the corner of the wall. He flattened the bundle as much as he could, stuffed it into the space, and then pushed the bookshelf back into place.

’Knowing his mother’s personality, she probably wouldn’t even dare to venture into the rear courtyard, let alone enter the study without permission.’

’As for Zhuang Zhen, she’d already had the house cleaned from top to bottom this afternoon. She would have no reason to come checking behind the bookshelves.’

’Besides, Zhuang Zhen’s uncle was an Imperial Guard Official in the Inner City Patrol Office, so a common burglary was almost out of the question.’

With these thoughts in mind, Chen Cheng took two steps back.

He examined his handiwork carefully from every angle. Once he was sure nothing looked out of place, he turned and left.

...

It was already dark by the time he returned to the Inner Hall.

The food in the small kitchen was still warm. Chen Cheng went to fill his stomach first, then returned to his wing to pack the things he would be taking with him.

The most important item, without a doubt, was the Exotic Tiger Dried Meat.

Ever since he began cultivating the Four Gods Profound Body, the unlimited supply of deer meat from the small kitchen and the daily ration of ordinary tiger meat medicinal stew were no longer enough to replenish his energy. The benefits they provided couldn’t keep up with his expenditure.

If Chen Cheng wanted to maintain his incredibly high-intensity daily training without burning out his body, he had to rely on the nourishing support of the Exotic Tiger Dried Meat.

The next most important item was the jar of Golden Ring Treasure Snake Medicinal Wine.

Over the past while, Chen Cheng had been taking a few small sips after each of his three daily meals. He could clearly feel that the wine’s effect on improving his Root Bone was even better than that of the Treasure Medicine Frost Bone White.

With consistent use over a long period, the benefits would naturally become more and more pronounced.

Once he finished the entire jar, Chen Cheng planned to have someone assess his bones to see just how much his Root Bone had improved.

The thought of Root Bone reminded Chen Cheng of a conversation he’d once had on the subject with Cao Zhao and Wang Chuang.

Root Bone was an Innate talent, something determined at birth.

Some people were suited for practicing Martial Arts, while others were not.

And among those suited for it, some were better at external conditioning, some at internal cultivation, some at fist techniques, and some at leg techniques...

In short, there was no such thing as an absolutely good or bad Root Bone. The key was whether one could find and cultivate a style of Martial Arts compatible with it.

If one’s Root Bone was compatible with Hidden Dragon Fist, then according to Dragon Mountain Hall’s criteria, it was naturally considered a Top-Grade Root Bone.

But someone in Chen Cheng’s initial state—with sluggish meridians, stiff joints, and poor muscle coordination—would undoubtedly be judged as having the absolute lowest-grade Root Bone, incompatible with any form of Martial Arts.

In other words, as the old masters would say, he just wasn’t cut out to be a martial artist.

If it hadn’t been for the power of the Vertical Eye Mark, Chen Cheng feared he wouldn’t have even been able to reach the Entry Level of Hidden Dragon Fist back then.

Of course, that was all in the past now.

Ever since Chen Cheng had used the stalk of Frost Bone White, he had clearly felt a change: the energy consumed by a single round of practicing Hidden Dragon Fist had decreased by ten percent, while the benefits had increased by ten percent.

This meant that under the effects of Frost Bone White, his Root Bone had improved to a certain extent, tangibly increasing his compatibility with the Hidden Dragon Fist style of Martial Arts.

Back then, Wang Chuang had also mentioned that the Sects had another way of testing Root Bone—not just a simple upper, middle, or lower-grade assessment, but a more complete and precise system of evaluation.

Wang Chuang couldn’t explain the specifics, though, and it was just treated as idle chatter over drinks.

Afterwards, Chen Cheng took out all his remaining Elixirs.

Seven Red Jade Blood-Nourishing Pills, plus six Three Treasures Nourishing Essence Pills.

The medicinal effects of the two pills were similar, but the latter was more expensive, rarer, and ultimately yielded better results.

Chen Cheng’s plan was to use up the Red Jade Blood-Nourishing Pills over the next twenty days, and then move on to the Three Treasures Nourishing Essence Pills.

Normally, this supply would last him until the middle or late twelfth lunar month, ensuring he could max out his training efficiency during that time.

The last things to pack were the various herbs he used to build his poison resistance.

Most of these herbs were quite valuable, but they paled in comparison to a true Treasure Medicine. Besides, they could all be purchased at Shen Xingguo’s pharmacy.

Shen Mi had already made it clear that Chen Cheng could use whatever he needed and that there was always an ample supply for him to draw from whenever he ran out.

But despite her offer, Chen Cheng had no intention of being wasteful. He packed everything carefully to take with him to the Inner City, planning to use them on schedule and in the proper amounts.

After wrapping everything in a cloth, Chen Cheng didn’t leave. Instead, he began practicing Foundation Establishment Tai Chi right there in his wing.

The sky was now pitch black, and he had no desire to rush back to the Inner City alone.

He had clearly heard the strange man in the bamboo hat and black wrappings declare that his Blood Robe Believers were to kill on sight.

The situation was still unclear; the risk of traveling back overnight was simply too high.

’It’s better to just stay put in the Inner Hall and head back at dawn.’

「Meanwhile.」

Chen Cheng couldn’t help but recall something else that strange man had mentioned...

Moon Marrow!

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