From Evil Sect Leader to Doctor

Chapter 603 - 574: No Root Left Uncut

Zhou Renhe said, "After doing all that, I quietly fled. I knew well that justice would eventually catch up with me, and I wouldn’t be able to escape the law’s sanction. I went to Yingzi’s grave and told her that I had avenged her, took the prepared poison, ready to join her."His cloudy eyes were misted with tears. After a while, he continued, "But I didn’t die. When I woke up, I found out it was my master who saved me. He told me to preserve Huichun Hall at all costs, to keep the Xu Family’s inherited books, and to assist Changshan, so that one day Huichun Hall could be revived. At that time, I didn’t expect him to go turn himself in for me, admitting that the deaths in the Huang Family were his doing. On the day he confessed, he took the hidden poison in prison."

Xu Chunliang gasped, the Xu Family’s past was far more shocking than he had known before.

Xu Chunliang asked, "If that’s the case, why didn’t you later tell my grandfather the truth?"

Zhou Renhe said, filled with pain, "I promised my master that if I reveal the truth, his sacrifice would be in vain, and Huichun Hall’s reputation would be ruined. No one would seek treatment at a physician’s clinic known for murder."

"Then why are you telling me about this?"

Zhou Renhe replied, "I don’t have much time left, and I can’t take this secret to my grave. I can’t just stand by and watch someone seek revenge on Huichun Hall. The previous frame-up against your grandfather wasn’t my doing, but the tiger bone paste did originate from a Xu recipe."

"Was it your son who did it?"

Zhou Renhe didn’t answer his question but said softly, "That bastard who caused Yingzi’s death had descendants too."

Xu Chunliang’s heart sank. Could it be that a descendant of that person has come for revenge against Huichun Hall?

Zhou Renhe continued, "My original intention was to kill his entire family, but his son Huang Youlong evaded disaster due to visiting relatives. After it happened, I was deeply regretful, thinking it might’ve been too excessive to involve his family. If I hadn’t done so, perhaps my master wouldn’t have died, and Huichun Hall wouldn’t have suffered that calamity."

"What happened afterwards?" Xu Chunliang understood that Zhou Renhe hadn’t completely eradicated the problem back then, leaving future troubles.

Zhou Renhe said, "I was imprisoned later, and by the time I got out, the times had completely changed. Your grandfather reopened Huichun Hall, but because my master left early, not much medical knowledge was passed to him, and most of his medical skills came from self-study."

Xu Chunliang nodded. This is why the medical knowledge of Huichun Hall was somewhat diminished in his grandfather’s generation. Many secret formulas were developed by his grandfather through independent research from inherited medical books.

Zhou Renhe continued, "The Xu Family regarded me as an enemy, and even if I was willing to guide him, he wouldn’t pay any attention to me. Before I went to prison, I hid some of the Xu Family’s things, and later tried various ways to slowly return them."

Xu Chunliang asked, "Did you return everything?"

Zhou Renhe said, "The items here were all left to my mother by your great-grandfather. My mother’s surname was Zhou, and her family was also involved in traditional medicine. However, in her generation, there were only five daughters, but the Zhou Family was more flexible in taking apprentices and passing on knowledge, and many secret formulas were given to your great-grandfather, including the formula for this plaster."

Xu Chunliang said, "Was the old name of the Zhou Family’s hall Renhe Hall?"

Zhou Renhe shook his head and said, "Renhe Hall was my creation. After getting out of prison, no establishment wanted to accept me, and I had no other means of making a living, so I went to Jizhou and opened Renhe Hall. I never intended to compete for business with Huichun Hall, so since I founded Renhe Hall, I haven’t used the Xu Family’s secret formulas, even though I was entitled to use them."

Xu Chunliang thought to himself, Zhou Renhe is actually the eldest son of his great-grandfather, a half-brother to his grandfather. Not only is he entitled to use the old Xu Family’s secret formulas, but he also has the right to run Huichun Hall.

Zhou Renhe said, "Throughout the years, I’ve lived constantly in guilt. I couldn’t protect Yingzi, and although I avenged her, I harmed the innocent, causing my master’s death in the process. The motivation that kept me going was to protect the Xu Family’s books and preserve the name of Huichun Hall."

Xu Chunliang said softly, "You’ve done it."

Zhou Renhe continued, "Changshan has a kind heart, but he lacks talent in medical skills and ambition. Even my Renhe Hall later surpassed him. I once intentionally used Renhe Hall to provoke him, hoping he would catch up, but he is naturally indifferent to fame and fortune. The master’s wish to expand Huichun Hall couldn’t be fulfilled. Later, I realized that everyone has their own aspirations, and no one can be forced. As long as the name of Huichun Hall is preserved and the Xu Family’s books are protected, a hundred years later I can face the master. But some recent events have left me restless."

"Are you referring to the setup against Huichun Hall?"

Zhou Renhe nodded and said, "The boy who luckily escaped back then was named Huang Youlong. After I got out of prison, I inquired about his whereabouts, and heard that in the 1980s, he went to Taiwan Island to join an uncle. I thought I wouldn’t cross paths with him again. But half a year ago, my youngest son, Zhou Yi Wu, went to Seoul for an exchange, and met a famous Korean doctor, Huang Youlong. Huang Youlong is the CEO of South Korea’s largest Han Medical Group, Mingde Group. He’s been interested in opening the Chinese market, and they reached a cooperation agreement. Renhe Hall helps Mingde Group to open the Great China medical market, while Mingde Group is responsible for Renhe Hall’s overseas expansion."

Xu Chunliang thought inwardly, this Huang Youlong must be the boy who narrowly escaped back then. After growing up, he became a doctor, too. Somehow, he made his way from Taiwan Island to South Korea and turned into a renowned Korean doctor.

Zhou Renhe said a lot in one breath and felt a bit tired. He got up to boil water, but Xu Chunliang told him to rest and volunteered to make tea. Today’s visit was truly worthwhile, as Zhou Renhe was effectively his grandfather, and showing some filial respect was the right thing to do.

Zhou Renhe looked at Xu Chunliang with a kind and warm expression. Zhou Yiwen and Zhou Yi Wu were both adopted by him. After the tragedy of Xu Changying, Zhou Renhe decided to never marry. These two were also orphans, and Zhou Renhe raised them to adulthood, teaching them medical skills, albeit not completely. The entrenched concept of familial bloodlines in the Old Xu Family was equally deeply rooted in his mind.

He didn’t teach the Xu Family’s secret formulas to these two boys, let alone the secret he just disclosed to Xu Chunliang.

Even though Zhou Renhe handed Renhe Hall to them, he still kept an eye on things, since they were not his biological sons. It has to be said that these two boys were quite capable. Ever since they took over Renhe Hall, it had rapidly grown and expanded. Zhou Yiwen was shrewd and strategic, handling overall planning, while Zhou Yi Wu was bold and decisive, executing tasks bravely. The brothers complemented each other well and managed to expand Renhe Hall to its current scale, with fortune accumulating rapidly like a snowball.

On the surface, they seemed quite respectful to him as a father, but Zhou Renhe was acutely aware that it was just a facade. As their wealth continued to grow, they gradually began disregarding his directives. For example, Zhou Renhe had explicitly stipulated that Renhe Hall should not develop in Dongzhou.

Zhou Yisheng contracting the traditional Chinese medicine department of Changxing Hospital under the name of Renhe Hall was already a violation of his original rules. Zhou Renhe saw clearly that the two sons were not looking to profit from this project, but to test his reaction and challenge his authority.

As strong as Zhou Renhe was, he couldn’t avoid the reality of aging day by day. He began considering his affairs after his death, fearing that after he passed, his two sons might pose a threat to Huichun Hall.

What really startled him was the cooperation between Mingde Group and Renhe Hall. He believed there was only one reason Huang Youlong chose to partner with Renhe Hall: revenge. Back then, his master took full responsibility, and everyone believed that the Huang Family died at his master’s hands. Huang Youlong also thought so.

In order to protect Huichun Hall, Zhou Renhe once played a bitter trick. To outsiders, he and Huichun Hall had a profound enmity. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and this is largely the reason behind the cooperation between Huang Youlong and Zhou Yi Wu.

Zhou Renhe took out a jar of aged Shoumei tea while Xu Chunliang brewed the tea, filling the room with fragrance.

An elderly man and a young man sat facing each other, drinking tea.

Zhou Renhe said, "I originally planned to take the secret to my grave, but I can’t turn a blind eye to Huichun Hall’s situation." His gaze fell on Xu Chunliang’s face. "Fortunately, the Old Xu Family has someone to continue the legacy. The way you resolved it when your grandfather was framed really impressed me, so I took notice of you and secretly investigated some of your affairs."

Xu Chunliang smiled, "It seems your knowledge about me far exceeds my knowledge of you."

Zhou Renhe said, "Chunliang, the responsibility of guarding the Xu Family now falls on your shoulders. I’ve met Huang Youlong a few times, and not only is he skilled in medicine, but he also has a deep and cunning mind. He has profound connections in South Korea, and over the years, he has taken advantage of his position to collect many traditional Chinese medical secrets, repackaging them as Han medical texts. His actions are no different from that of a thief." At this point, Zhou Renhe couldn’t help but become agitated and coughed several times.

Xu Chunliang said, "Please don’t get excited, Traditional Chinese Medicine is vast and profound; it’s not something they can simply steal. At most, they can only take away bits and pieces."

Zhou Renhe said, "Stealing a needle when young, stealing gold when grown. The neighboring countries around China are not entirely virtuous, especially those Koreans! What crap Han medicine, it’s nothing but something they learned from us and shamelessly claimed as their own tradition. It’s not that we can’t share some things with them, but at the very least, they should acknowledge their origins and where their ancestors come from!"