Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

Chapter 17: Chapter 16: Change

It was no surprise to Chen Cheng that Scar Bear had shown up.

It was time to collect the peace coins again, and these bloodsucking dogs would naturally show up right on schedule.

But seeing Zhao Shan sitting here was somewhat unexpected for Chen Cheng.

He was bound by a Death Oath Contract; strictly speaking, his entire person was the property of Dragon Mountain Hall.

Zhao Shan had just stirred up trouble in the Lower Courtyard at noon.

If something happened to him that very night, Zhao Shan would be the prime suspect, and Dragon Mountain Hall’s retaliation would be swift and merciless.

By all logic, anyone with half a brain would have swallowed their anger. They would wait a month for him to return from his trade run, let the situation blow over, and then find an opportunity to strike from the shadows. That would have been the prudent move.

Yet, Zhao Shan had come anyway. He was risking a feud with Dragon Mountain Hall just to demand an explanation from Chen Cheng tonight.

This was clearly irrational, unless... hatred had already burned through Zhao Shan’s reason.

Chen Cheng’s thoughts raced. Within a few breaths, the connections became clear.

For an old Jianghu veteran to act so recklessly, his relationship with Lai Tou had to be more than just a simple relative.

’Lai Tou... an illegitimate son, one who couldn’t be seen in the light?’

The cold thought surfaced, instantly connecting all the irrational pieces.

Only the pain of losing a son could drive a man to such madness, to act so heedless of the cost.

A nearly imperceptible glint of cold severity flashed in the depths of Chen Cheng’s eyes.

"Chen Cheng! Perfect timing! Whatever beef you have with this lord, that’s your business... I’m just here to collect! Hand over the peace coins for you and your mother, and I’ll be on my way!"

Scar Bear was a sharp one. A single glance told him that Zhao Shan was not someone he could afford to offend, and his every word was an attempt to distance himself from the situation.

"Lord Scar, I know you’re in a hurry, but don’t be."

Chen Cheng composed himself, his gaze unflinchingly meeting Zhao Shan’s dark and icy eyes.

"Guard Zhao, I know your temper. Since you’ve come, you’re obviously determined to get a result... Let’s discuss this outside. Don’t frighten my mother."

"Discuss? You think you’re worthy? Come with me right now, and your mother will be fine. Otherwise..."

Zhao Shan’s fists slowly clenched, his knuckles cracking loudly. The threat could not have been clearer.

If Chen Cheng dared to utter a single word of refusal, Zhao Shan wouldn’t hesitate to strike a killing blow right in front of Madam Li.

They were just worthless scum from the lowest rungs of society, not even considered human. Killing one to frighten another—they would have brought it on themselves!

Even if Dragon Mountain Hall came looking for trouble later, he could just spend some money to make the problem go away.

Would Dragon Mountain Hall really fight to the death with him, Zhao Shan, over some ant from the Lower Courtyard who couldn’t even condense Blood Qi?

Did they really think his decades of ups and downs in the Jianghu had left him with no backing?

Hearing this, Chen Cheng’s expression didn’t change. He just slowly and deliberately placed the package of braised beef in his hand on the battered wooden table nearby.

The soft sound of the oiled paper settling was exceptionally clear in the deathly silent cabin.

"Move!"

Zhao Shan was already impatient. Seeing Chen Cheng deliberately dawdling, his anger flared. With a low shout, his left hand shot out directly for Chen Cheng’s shoulder blade.

The grab was immensely powerful, his five fingers like steel hooks that tore through the air with a whistling sound. If it connected, it would shatter the shoulder bone instantly.

But what he didn’t know was that, under the cover of the room’s dim light, Chen Cheng’s slow movement of putting down the braised beef was actually the process of gradually building up Hidden Strength.

In the instant just before Zhao Shan’s fingertips could make contact.

Chen Cheng suddenly twisted his body, dropped his shoulder, and pivoted his waist to generate force. His right palm, brimming with Hidden Strength, shot out—not in a direct strike, but coiling up along the inside of Zhao Shan’s grasping arm, instantly locking onto his elbow joint.

The Hidden Dragon Binding Force erupted completely, unleashing a Reverse Dragon Twist powerful enough to snap an ordinary person’s arm.

"...This speed, this power... Chen Cheng, he’s succeeded!?"

Zhao Shan reacted extremely quickly. His Mental State was also remarkably stable; even in his shock, he managed to spin with the momentum.

Using his trapped left elbow as an axis, his right fist swung horizontally like a sledgehammer, smashing straight toward Chen Cheng’s temple.

The blow was incredibly fast, precise, and ruthless! It was clearly a tactic aimed at mutual destruction.

If Chen Cheng insisted on breaking his arm, he would sacrifice it to take Chen Cheng’s life in return!

Truly worthy of an old Jianghu veteran who lived on the edge; his ferocity was on full display!

In that split second, Chen Cheng knew with mirror-like clarity just how dangerous Zhao Shan’s punch was.

He immediately released his grip, twisted his body, and leaned back.

The fist, tearing through the air, scraped past the hair at Chen Cheng’s temple. It was truly a hair’s breadth from death.

A savage grin had just formed on Zhao Shan’s lips, thinking he had forced his opponent back and regained the initiative.

But unexpectedly, Chen Cheng’s backward-leaning figure came to an abrupt halt with a profound Step Technique that seemed to defy logic.

His heels planted like nails, his hips and waist generated force, and his upper body used the backward momentum to pivot with Harmony, like a Hard Bow drawn taut and suddenly released.

And the Hidden Strength he had forcibly retracted, far from dissipating, instead reversed its flow, coursing up his spine, through his shoulder, and into the tip of his arm...

His right fist clenched, knuckles bulging, and he struck with a Dragon-Splitting Drill even faster and fiercer than before, aimed straight for Zhao Shan’s throat.

"...He can twist back from that!? The Hidden Dragon Fist has such a bizarre Body Technique!?"

Zhao Shan’s eyes widened in disbelief. The counter-move before him was far beyond his comprehension, as if it weren’t humanly possible.

But he was, after all, a veteran who had condensed Blood Qi for over a decade.

Although a bottleneck in his Root Bone and some old hidden injuries had prevented him from condensing a second wisp of Blood Qi,

he had trained relentlessly for years and constantly supplemented his power. There was no way in hell he would be afraid of Chen Cheng, who had just condensed his Blood Qi.

Instantly, he retreated rapidly, his burly frame displaying an agility that belied its size.

While bending his elbow to protect his throat, his left fist, fully charged with power, had already shot out like a cannonball to clash head-on with Chen Cheng’s drilling punch.

"BAM—"

The next instant, the two fists collided. The muffled impact sounded like the beating of an alligator-skin drum!