Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

In an instant, it grazed his spine and pierced through the back of his neck.

"Who—!?"

Only then did Han Tianqi realize he'd been ambushed.

But before he could even finish the word, the short saber impaling his neck was twisted by an external force and brutally ripped out sideways.

"SQUELCH—!!"

In the next instant, blood gushed like a fountain.

The assailant reached out with their other hand, grabbed Han Tianqi by the hair, and hauled up his slumping body.

"SWISH—"

The second slash swept across.

His spine, and the remaining half of skin and flesh still connecting it, were completely severed.

His head separated from his body.

In the darkness, the attacker placed Han Tianqi's head aside and retrieved a Money Bag from his corpse.

After stowing the bag, the attacker picked up the head again and departed without a sound.

The heavy snow continued to fall, and any traces left in the darkness were soon completely buried.

The wind howled and the snow swirled, but there was not a trace of a human voice.

...

Some time later.

At the other end of Funan District.

A squad of Armored Warriors from the Captain's Mansion, led by a buxom, seconded Martial Artist, jogged toward the Fuchang Trading Company.

They had been patrolling another district and were only just now rushing over, unsure if there was still a chance to earn any merit.

But since they had heard the whistle of a signal arrow, they had to go and take a look.

It would be nice if they could at least pick up the scraps.

Just then, the Armored Warrior at the head of the group, who was carrying a lantern, suddenly stopped in his tracks.

The lantern swayed, casting trembling shadows across the snow.

"Lord Shen..."

The Armored Warrior raised a hand and pointed ahead and to the side, his hushed voice clearly trembling.

"L-look... over there..."

Shen Chun looked in the direction the Armored Warrior's finger was pointing.

Her pupils contracted. Her ample chest heaved so violently it looked as if it would burst from her armor.

At the same time, the rest of her squad all looked over as well.

In the distance, a lone figure stood on the roof ridge of a large residence's gate.

The residence was quite impressive, the only one in the area with lanterns lit by its gate.

In the light of the lanterns, everyone could clearly see the figure was draped in a large, blood-colored cloak.

The cloak's large hood was pulled down low, swallowing the figure's entire face in shadow.

Shen Chun and her men couldn't make out the face at all.

But they could all see that the figure's right hand held a short saber with a wavy blade, and their left hand held a human head.

"Follow me!"

Shen Chun waved her hand, about to lead her men charging forward.

"Lord Shen! Calm down!"

An Armored Warrior behind her hurriedly tried to talk her down.

"That's the Blood Robe! You're no match for them alone!"

Another Armored Warrior beside her also chimed in.

"Lord Shen, you received a major demerit for acting without authorization last time. If you do it again, you'll be permanently expelled from the Captain's Mansion!"

"This..."

Shen Chun faltered, her feet freezing in place.

In that moment of hesitation, the Blood Robe had completely vanished.

The wind, snow, and darkness provided the perfect cover.

Even if Shen Chun still wanted to give chase, she wouldn't know where to begin.

"ARF... ARF ARF WOOF..."

Suddenly, a series of fierce, savage barks erupted from within the residence.

Soon, the barking subsided.

But not long after, a human scream pierced the air.

"A head... a human... a human head!!!"

Steeling herself, Shen Chun charged forward without a second thought.

But the squad of Armored Warriors she led hesitated, not daring to follow.

They seemed afraid of being implicated by her and receiving demerits as well.

Or perhaps they were afraid that the Blood Robe from moments ago hadn't actually left and was lying in ambush.

Only after a moment, when Shen Chun's voice called out to confirm it was safe, did the squad of Armored Warriors finally run over.

...

...

"Brother Lin! What's the situation over here?"

Shen Chun and her squad arrived hastily at the Fuchang Trading Company.

She first gave Lin Fengxiao a cupped-fist salute, then her gaze swept over the half-dead Han Chuo and the very dead Fu Yunchen.

"Lord Shen."

Lin Fengxiao returned the greeting with a slight nod, his expression turning serious.

"The Han Family was secretly hoarding the Red Moon Original Vow Scripture, one of the Red Moon Nunnery's Seventy-Two Blood Scriptures. We caught them red-handed."

"Unfortunately, it's only half of the scripture... The other half is very likely here in the Fuchang Trading Company."

"The Han Family?"

Shen Chun's expression changed slightly, and she immediately beckoned over one of the Armored Warriors accompanying her.

The Armored Warrior was carrying something; only when he stood before the two of them did he lift it up.

The light from the surrounding lanterns fell upon it.

It was, unmistakably, a human head.

A human head, one cheek gnawed to a bloody mess by a starving dog.

The other half of the face, still relatively intact, was recognizable enough to identify the head's owner.

"Han Tianqi!?"

Astonishment flooded Lin Fengxiao's eyes.

When they'd met in the dark alley earlier, the task Chen Cheng had given him made no mention of Han Tianqi.

Thus, Lin Fengxiao's astonishment was entirely genuine.

Even racking his brains, Lin Fengxiao couldn't imagine how Han Tianqi—a man who could easily crush Zhu Mingyuan and had even defeated Cao Zhao—could possibly have died.

'Did Shen Chun kill him?'

'Impossible!'

'She's nowhere near strong enough!'

'Tonight, in the entire South Outer City, the only people who could kill Han Tianqi are those few Red Armor Guards from the Evil Extermination Bureau.'

"No need to be so surprised, Brother Lin. The Blood Robe did it."

Shen Chun paused for a moment, her gaze suddenly becoming serious.

"I was wondering why the Blood Robe would pass over ordinary people to kill someone as powerful as Han Tianqi..."

"Now I get it! The other half of the Red Moon Original Vow Scripture isn't in the Fuchang Trading Company—it was on Han Tianqi!"

"Makes sense!"

Lin Fengxiao nodded, suddenly realizing this might also be a part of Chen Cheng's plan.

'Chen Cheng didn't mention it at first, perhaps because he couldn't yet confirm Han Tianqi's whereabouts or status.'

'But now, all that has been settled.'

'The next step of the plan is something I'll have to figure out for myself.'

'Senior Brother Chen... what is he really planning?'

'Perhaps...'

After a brief moment of thought, realization suddenly dawned on Lin Fengxiao.

His eyes shot wide. An almost imperceptible glint, born from the depths of his heart, flashed through them.

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