From Evil Sect Leader to Doctor

Chapter 705: Chapter 675: Resentment Soaring to the Heavens

Shi Taiping had met Huang Youlong a few times, but given his status, he was not on Huang Youlong’s radar, and he never had any deep interactions with Huang Youlong.

Shi Taiping was also very worried about the photos taken by Xu Chunliang. No matter what line of work one is in, maintaining face is essential, and since he and Zhou Yiwu usually called each other brothers, sleeping with a brother’s wife was morally indefensible and would lead to contempt if it got out.

Shi Taiping whispered, "Could you give those photos to me?"

Xu Chunliang laughed, "I could give them back to you, but you need to show some sincerity."

Shi Taiping gritted his teeth and asked, "How much do you want?"

Xu Chunliang smiled without speaking.

Shi Taiping was no fool; he knew that Xu Chunliang was not after money. He sighed and said, "I was just following Zhou Yiwen’s instructions regarding the dragon bone; I have no idea what it’s capable of. However..." he lowered his voice, "I kept some backups."

Xu Chunliang was intrigued. "Rubbings?"

"Photos!"

Although Shi Taiping didn’t know the purpose of the dragon bone, from observing the Zhou Brothers and Huang Youlong going to great lengths to acquire it from Equatorial Capital, he could deduce its importance. He had a ’plucking the goose as it flies’ mentality, taking the opportunity to photograph all the dragon bones he encountered.

Now, to get his compromising photos back, he was willing to trade the dragon bone photos with Xu Chunliang.

Xu Chunliang said, "I need to check if they’re worth it first."

Shi Taiping took out his phone and opened a cloud storage app, being extremely cautious.

Xu Chunliang looked at a few pictures and confirmed they were indeed related to the dragon bones. Two of them were the very ones Liu Haiyu had stolen from the Taibai Ghost Market.

Shi Taiping informed Xu Chunliang that there were nine photos in total. If Xu Chunliang gave back his photos, he would hand over all nine of them.

Xu Chunliang couldn’t help but find it amusing that even in such a predicament, Shi Taiping dared to set conditions. His eyes turning cold, he stared at Shi Taiping and said, "Do you believe I won’t hand you over to Zhou Yiwu right now?"

Under the immense pressure exerted by Xu Chunliang, Shi Taiping’s mental defenses collapsed instantly. He thought to himself, given the situation, he had no ground to bargain. His only hope was to get his photos back and then flee far away.

He sent all nine photos to Xu Chunliang. Xu Chunliang already possessed four of them; the remaining five he had never seen. The lost dragon bones from Huichun Hall were gradually being recovered.

Shi Taiping said, "I’ve given you the photos you wanted. What about mine?"

Xu Chunliang replied, "I just sold them to Zhou Yiwu."

Shi Taiping was stunned, wondering how someone could be so shameless. Furiously, he said, "How can you be so untrustworthy?"

Xu Chunliang didn’t think he was being untrustworthy. It was Shi Taiping who had provided the terms from the start; he had never promised to exchange photos. Smiling, Xu Chunliang said, "Are you qualified to talk about trust? Did you think of that when you secretly went to trade at the Ghost Market behind my back? Not handing you over is already benevolent and righteous."

Shi Taiping could only consider himself unlucky. There was no point in staying since he couldn’t retrieve the photos. He planned to leave.

Xu Chunliang added, "You might run away, but your home won’t. Are you planning to never return to Jizhou?"

A chill ran through Shi Taiping’s heart. Xu Chunliang had obviously identified his weakness. He had a home and business in Jizhou. Even if he managed to escape, his family could not, nor could he take his business connections with him. He decided not to think too far ahead and to first leave for a while to lie low.

Xu Chunliang said, "You can hide for a while, but not forever."

Shi Taiping asked, "What do you want, exactly?"

Xu Chunliang replied, "Even escaping requires money. Originally, your nine photos could easily fetch one or two million, but unfortunately, you handed them over to me without a second thought."

Shi Taiping felt utterly frustrated. How could he have forgotten that the Mo Han group had previously offered a large sum for the dragon bones? If he had sold the photos to them, it would have been so much better. Tonight, in a moment of mental lapse, he had willingly given the photos to Xu Chunliang, and it felt like throwing away millions for nothing. He felt like slapping himself in regret.

Xu Chunliang said, "You don’t have to regret it. I can still pretend nothing happened. I can introduce a buyer for these photos for you, but you have to tell me everything you know about the Zhou Brothers and the Mingde Group. The more you say, the more you’ll benefit."

At this point, Shi Taiping had nothing left to hide. He revealed everything he knew, including the cooperation process between the Zhou Brothers and the Mingde Group, their assistance in Huang Youlong’s acquisition of other clinics, and even Zhou Yiwu’s affairs with women outside.

Xu Chunliang patiently listened for over an hour. What Shi Taiping revealed included both information he knew and information he didn’t, ultimately proving to be of some value.

After Shi Taiping finished speaking, Xu Chunliang kept his word and contacted Mo Han, selling the nine photos to Equatorial Capital for a fixed price of two million. Mo Han promised to transfer the money into Shi Taiping’s account by tomorrow morning.

Xu Chunliang and Shi Taiping both had their gains. They parted ways at the entrance of the ancient city’s barbecue spot, each heading their own way. Watching Shi Taiping’s figure quickly vanish into the night, Xu Chunliang couldn’t help but chuckle to himself. It seemed this guy would be disappearing from Jizhou for quite some time.

It was already midnight when Xu Chunliang started walking back to the hotel. Along the way, Liu Haiyu sent him several photos. They were all high-definition pictures of Shi Taiping having an affair with Zhou Yi Wu’s wife. Clearly not from today. Comparing Liu Haiyu’s clear shots to his own ghostly images, Xu Chunliang felt a bit embarrassed. He resolved to seriously improve his photography skills in the future. From the pictures Liu Haiyu sent, it was clear there were both daytime and nighttime shots, ones inside rooms, cars, and even in desolate areas, proving Lao Liu had been tailing Shi Taiping for quite a long time.

Whether he had followed tonight made little difference, but at least there was a substantial gain—five more photos of the Dragon Bone.

When Xu Chunliang arrived in front of the hotel, he saw Zhou Yi Wu stepping out of a Mercedes, blocking his path.

Xu Chunliang smiled and said, "Shopkeeper Zhou Er, looking for me so late? Inwardly thinking, could this guy be here to ask for money?

Zhou Yi Wu nodded, "Just wanted to have a brief chat."

Xu Chunliang noticed that he was visibly calmer. It seemed he had accepted the reality of being cheated on. Xu Chunliang nodded, "Let’s talk here."

Zhou Yi Wu threatened, "Your actions tonight constitute extortion. If I report you, I’m afraid you’ll lose even your public office." He didn’t mind spending money; 130,000 was just a small amount to him. But it was infuriating to spend it being manipulated by Xu Chunliang.

Xu Chunliang wasn’t afraid of his threat and laughed, "Go ahead and report it. Let’s see who ends up in trouble."

With gritted teeth, Zhou Yi Wu said, "Kid, I can forego the money, but you better pretend that nothing happened tonight. If it gets out, I won’t let you off."

What he really feared was this. He was the second-in-command of Renhe Hall. If news of his wife’s infidelity spread, he wouldn’t know where to put his face.

Xu Chunliang said, "There were so many people catching the adulterers tonight. Even if I promise silence, that doesn’t mean others will. Shopkeeper Zhou Er, at your age, you should be more steady in your actions. It’s a pity you’re too impulsive! The best way now is to kill the witnesses. Let’s see if you have the guts."

"Who the hell are you to teach me what to do!" Zhou Yi Wu cursed inwardly at Xu Chunliang’s nerve.

Xu Chunliang said, "If you don’t want others to know, don’t do it. You’re not clean either. If everything gets exposed, personally losing face is a small matter; the reputation of Renhe Hall will surely be tarnished."

This was what Zhou Yi Wu feared most. Xu Chunliang hit his weak spot. He gritted his teeth but didn’t know how to refute.

Xu Chunliang said, "Our Xu Family has always lived by a simple rule: don’t mess with us, and we won’t mess with you. I act accordingly, so before you plan to take any action against me, you’d better think twice."

Zhou Yi Wu only then realized how formidable this guy was. He believed that tonight’s farce of catching an adulterer was entirely orchestrated by Xu Chunliang, even including the mysterious phone call warning him. Zhou Yi Wu said, "Kid, I’ll remember this tonight."

Xu Chunliang said, "You’re being completely unreasonable. Shi Taiping slept with your wife, yet you hold me responsible. With your level of intelligence, it’s no wonder your wife was cheating."

Zhou Yi Wu’s anger surged, but this time he managed to suppress his temper, nodding, "We’ll see!"

Xu Chunliang made a gesture to let pass and walked briskly towards the hotel.

Watching Xu Chunliang’s distinguished silhouette, Zhou Yi Wu wished he could rush up and punch him, but he ultimately did nothing.

Back in the Mercedes, someone in the passenger seat lit a lighter, the flame illuminating his pale face. He was none other than Zhou Yiwen, the current head of Renhe Hall.

Zhou Yiwen lit a cigarette, took a puff, and handed another to Zhou Yi Wu.

Zhou Yi Wu took it, leaned towards the lighter to light it, and said through gritted teeth, "I really want to kill him!"

Zhou Yiwen laughed, "It’s not like he killed your father or took your wife. No need to be so harsh."

The words "took your wife" stung Zhou Yi Wu’s heart. He pursed his lips, "Big brother, tonight’s events were all orchestrated by him."

Zhou Yiwen said calmly, "Even if he planned it, it wasn’t him who made your wife cheat. Flies don’t bite seamless eggs; you need to find the problems within yourself."

Zhou Yi Wu said, "Shi Taiping was brought in by you!"

Zhou Yiwen frowned. His brother had always been impulsive and bad-tempered, adept at shifting blame from a young age and now even included himself among those to blame.

Zhou Yiwen said, "I didn’t expect this to happen either. Yi Wu, what’s done is done. Try not to make it a big issue, or it might affect the reputation of Renhe Hall. There’s no benefit to you either."

Zhou Yi Wu said, "It’s not about whether I make it a big issue. He orchestrated this and will most likely continue to exploit it."

Zhou Yiwen said, "Mr. Huang had already warned that this kid is no simple character. I reminded you too, why did you provoke him?"

Second update delivered. Although I’ve returned to two updates a day, there’s a lot going on this month. I’m writing and updating on the go, and I hope for your understanding. If everything goes smoothly, normal update pace will resume soon. Old Octopus has tried his best.