Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

Chen Cheng quietly went and stood outside the study, intending to eavesdrop on the conversation inside.

But soon, the study door was pushed open from within.

A richly dressed middle-aged man walked out first, the gold threads on his robes glinting so brightly in the sunlight they made one's eyes swim.

Following behind him was a young woman, just as magnificently attired. She wore a fiery red mink cloak that made her face seem all the more fair and delicate.

"Chen Cheng? Is that really you?"

The young woman's steps faltered when she saw the person standing by the door. She stared, taken aback, almost not daring to believe her eyes.

After staring intently for a moment, she finally confirmed that the fair-skinned youth before her, dressed in a silver fox fur coat, was indeed Chen Cheng.

"Miss Gu."

Chen Cheng recognized her as well and gave a slight nod.

Gu Lan'an said no more, simply following the middle-aged man outside.

It had been a long time since they'd last met. She was merely surprised by the change in his appearance; the prejudice she held against him in her heart had not lessened one bit.

"Aunt Ding, please see Boss Gu and Miss Gu out for me."

Shen Mi emerged from the study next. Her beautiful eyes were dim—it seemed the negotiations had failed again—but she hadn't lost her sense of propriety.

"Chen Honored Elder, you're here? Please, come in and sit."

Shen Mi's gaze then fell upon Chen Cheng.

A glimmer of light finally returned to her long, limpid eyes, and her soft lips curved gently upward, at last showing a hint of a smile.

Chen Cheng nodded and followed her into the study.

A charcoal brazier was burning in the study, making it warmer than outside, yet the room was still filled with the desolation that settles in once guests have departed.

The faint glow from the brazier mingled with the cold light filtering through the paper-paned window, falling upon Shen Mi's face.

It was clear that she had lost a lot of weight recently. Even with a smile on her face, she couldn't hide her deep exhaustion and haggardness.

"Chen Honored Elder... Elder Wen asked me to give this to you before he left."

After closing the study door, Shen Mi took a booklet, carefully wrapped in a cloth, from a cabinet.

"Elder Wen originally wanted to give it to you himself, but he went to the Dragon Mountain Middle Courtyard twice and couldn't find you, so he had to ask me to pass it on."

Chen Cheng's heart trembled.

He accepted it solemnly with both hands and slowly unwrapped the cloth.

Inside was a Martial Arts manual with a cover so old and yellowed that even the script was somewhat faded.

Thunder Treading Skill.

Chen Cheng said nothing, holding it in one hand while his other slowly brushed across the cover.

Memories of his time with Elder Wen flooded his mind, impossible to suppress.

Chen Cheng knew that everyone has their own destiny.

'I just never got the chance to say goodbye...'

"Elder Wen said he obtained this Martial Arts technique when he was young but was never able to grasp even the Entry Level. He originally wanted to leave it for his son... but..."

Shen Mi paused before continuing slowly.

"Elder Wen's exact words were, 'Qingzhi isn't cut out for it... But Cheng is. Cheng can definitely do it...'"

The study fell into a dead silence.

The only sound was Chen Cheng's breathing, growing steadily louder and heavier.

After a long moment, he rewrapped the Cultivation Technique and carefully placed it inside his robes.

Another moment passed before Shen Mi finally spoke, her voice a little hoarse.

"Chen Honored Elder... this month's Monthly Allowance... I might have to delay giving it to you..."

Chen Cheng, who was standing by the brazier, tore his gaze from the flames and looked at her very seriously.

"Sister Mi."

Chen Cheng paused, then said with a grave expression.

"I'm speaking to you now as a friend. If you don't mind, you can just call me Cheng."

Hearing this, Shen Mi froze.

She looked up at Chen Cheng, the light in her eyes flickering.

Suddenly, her nose stung, and her eyes instantly reddened.

She understood what he meant. If they had an employer-employee relationship, discussing the Monthly Allowance was perfectly normal.

But as friends, it meant Chen Cheng cared not for the money, but for their bond.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but her throat felt as if it were blocked. For a long while, she couldn't make a sound, her reddened eyes just staring fixedly at Chen Cheng.

Her gaze held surprise, gratitude, and even more so, the accumulated exhaustion and grievances of the past days. All of it swirled in her eyes, threatening to overflow.

"Cheng..."

After a long silence, she finally spoke.

The moment she spoke his name, it was as if an immense burden had been lifted from her heart. Her shoulders relaxed visibly, and the smile on her gentle face deepened.

Chen Cheng didn't speak, just waited quietly.

He waited until she had composed herself a little more.

Then, Chen Cheng pulled a Money Bag from his robes and handed it to her.

"Sister Mi, here are one thousand taels of silver. Take it for now to handle the emergency. As for the trading firm's crisis, we'll figure out a solution together."

"How... how much?"

Shen Mi's beautiful eyes trembled, her red lips parted in disbelief.

She stared at the Money Bag, then looked up at Chen Cheng as if she couldn't believe her own ears.

She knew Chen Cheng was a genius, and she knew his progress in Martial Arts was astonishingly fast, far surpassing his peers.

But she could never have imagined that in just a few short months, on top of his explosive growth in Martial Arts, Chen Cheng had gone from a mere trading firm errand boy earning Two Hundred Wen a month to a benefactor who could casually produce one thousand taels of silver.

She knew better than anyone just how difficult it was to do business these days.

The third branch of the Shen Family also ran a fur trading house and an apothecary. At the beginning of the year, they were still profitable, but now, with year's end approaching, both were losing money and on the verge of collapse.

One thousand taels of silver.

At a critical time like this, when funds were so scarce, this wasn't just timely aid—it was a veritable lifeline.

Whether it went to the fur trading house or the apothecary, it could keep them afloat.

Not long ago, in a desperate attempt to raise funds, Shen Xingwen had actually called a patron "Godfather."

It was at a dinner table, true, and he was drunk.

But that alone showed just how hard it was to do business now.

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