"Oh!" Song Hao took it, put it in his pocket, and watched Zhang Ping and the others drive away.
"What is this?" Only after Zhang Ping and the others had driven far away did Song Hao take out the envelope and open it. Inside was a UnionPay card and a note that read: "Song Hao, there is one million yuan in cash in your name in this card. The PIN is ******. Please use it for your daily expenses. Qi Yannian."
"What exactly are you trying to do?" Song Hao asked in astonishment, holding the UnionPay card containing a large sum of cash. Seeing that Zhang Ping's car had already disappeared from sight and wasn't going back, he had no choice but to put it back in his pocket.
Confused, Song Hao shook his head before turning to knock on the door of the old house.
"Who is it?" came an old yet familiar voice from inside.
"Grandpa, it's me, Song Hao is back!" Song Hao shouted excitedly. He had just been worried that no one was home, but it turned out that his grandfather was already there.
A series of hurried footsteps approached, and then the courtyard gate opened, revealing a delighted Song Zihe standing before Song Hao.
"grandfather!"
"Song Hao!"
The grandfather and grandson embraced each other excitedly, both weeping with joy.
"Grandpa! I'm back!" Song Hao said, choking back tears.
"It's good that you're back! It's good that you're back!" Song Zihe said lovingly, stroking Song Hao's face.
"Let's talk inside." Song Zihe felt it was inconvenient to talk standing at the door, so he quickly closed the courtyard gate and pulled Song Hao into the house.
"Grandpa! Are you alright?" Song Hao helped his grandfather sit down and asked with concern.
"Don't worry, Grandpa's in good health! You child, where have you been all year? Even if something terrible happened, you should have called to let us know!" Song Zihe said somewhat reproachfully.
"I'm sorry, Grandpa, I made you worry. I left so suddenly and I couldn't remember Uncle's phone number while I was away, so I haven't been able to contact my family," Song Hao said apologetically.
“Oh! I knew it! Anyway, it’s good that you’re back. I was seeing patients at the hospital in Qingdao when I received a call from your uncle’s family saying you were missing, probably because you weren’t familiar with the area and got lost. I remembered the thing hidden in the secret room at home, and I knew something had happened to you. I rushed back from Qingdao, and when I checked that night, the thing was still there, so I knew you were safe. That’s why I went back to Qingdao to avoid arousing suspicion and having people come looking for you at home. I didn’t hear from you after that, but I secretly checked several times and the thing was still there, so I knew you were still safe and just waited for things to change. Until a few days ago, I received an anonymous call saying that your matter was settled and you would be back soon, so I quit my job in Qingdao and came home to wait for you,” Song Zihe said.
"An anonymous call!" Song Hao was taken aback upon hearing this, then realized that it must have been someone from the Life and Death Gate who notified his grandfather. It turned out that after the incident, all of his and his grandfather's movements were under the control of the Life and Death Gate and the Heavenly Medicine Gate.
"Song Hao, what exactly happened? It must have been caused by that thing," Song Zihe asked.
Song Hao said, "Yes! Everything started with that thing Aunt Dou entrusted to me for safekeeping. It attracted several groups of people from the martial arts world looking for me. I don't know how they found out about me and even came to my house. First, the Tang family of the Medical Clan kidnapped me. Later, I managed to escape, but then I encountered the Luo family of the Demon Needle Clan. After several twists and turns, I dared not go home for fear of exposing the hiding place of that thing, so I was forced to leave the martial arts world. Later, I met a Taoist priest who had become a monk. He was a reclusive master, whose secular name was Xiao Boran, and he was known in the martial arts world as Old Taoist Xiao. He was very learned and had profound cultivation, especially in medicine. By chance, I became his disciple and learned the true essence of medicine. And under my master's guidance, he helped me resolve all the troubles and dangers that thing had brought me."
Upon hearing this, Song Zihe exclaimed with delight, "So a master helped you through this calamity! It's also thanks to your good deeds in protecting that thing. Truly, a loss may turn out to be a blessing in disguise!"
"My master is truly an extraordinary person. Many of my previous medical questions, which I only had a vague understanding of, have become clear after his guidance. My master instructed me that after returning this time and meeting my grandfather, I should continue my studies and visit several renowned medical masters designated by him to learn their skills so that I can one day open a medical clinic and practice medicine to help the world," Song Hao said excitedly.
Upon hearing this, Song Zihe said with delight, "This Taoist priest's decision to accept you as his disciple shows he has excellent judgment. Especially considering he helped you out of your predicament and pointed out the path you should take in the future. Having such a good teacher is truly a blessing in your life!"
“There is something I don’t understand, and I would like to ask Grandpa to tell me. This happened on the way back, and it’s very strange,” Song Hao said.
"What is it? Tell me about it," Song Zihe asked hurriedly upon hearing this.
“Grandpa should know about the Heavenly Medicine Sect, which is now the Heavenly Medicine Group,” Song Hao said.
"The Heavenly Physician Sect is the head of the Nine Sects and Eighteen Medical Sects, how could I not know that? I didn't know that the Heavenly Physician Group is a business of the Heavenly Physician Sect. This is the first time I've heard of it. The Heavenly Physician Group is a pharmaceutical company that has developed rapidly in China in recent years. I heard that their main strength is overseas," Song Zihe said.
"What, Grandpa, you're not very familiar with the Tianyi Group either? Then how did you come to know Qi Yannian, the chairman of the Tianyi Group and the head of the Tianyi Sect?" Song Hao asked in surprise.
"Qi Yannian, the head of the Tianyi Sect? He's also the chairman of the Tianyi Group. I don't know him! I don't even know Qi Yanfeng, the current CEO of the Tianyi Group in China. I've only seen some of the medicines produced by the Tianyi Group. They're based on ancient formulas and the effects are quite good." Song Zihe was completely confused.
"Wait a minute, Grandpa, think about it again. This Qi Yannian is the real big boss of Tianyi Group. He said he knows you! He even asked me to come back and convey his greetings to you. He said that fifteen years ago, he and his wife received a great favor from you. To repay you, after hearing about my situation, they hired a mysterious member of the Life and Death Gate in the martial arts world to protect me and help me escape danger several times," Song Hao said in surprise.
"Fifteen years ago, a couple!" Upon hearing these words, Song Zihe was stunned and stood there dumbfounded.
"Grandpa, what's wrong?" Seeing that his grandfather looked strange, Song Hao quickly went forward to help him.
"Song Hao!" Song Zihe grabbed Song Hao tightly, excitedly asking, "You've met this Qi Yannian? What did he say to you?"
“Yes, I saw him. I stayed at his villa yesterday. Strangely enough, he was unusually kind to me, repeatedly inviting me to work at his Tianyi Group. He also said someone was rushing back from America to see me and asked me to wait a couple of days. But I wanted to see Grandpa first, so I rushed back today. He even had someone drive me back. Incredibly, when I got out of the car just now, someone gave me a bank card with one million yuan in cash, saying that Qi Yannian had asked me to give it to them. By the time I realized I needed to return it, it was too late. Last night, from what Qi Yannian said, he was repaying some favor you did for them back then. I didn't expect you to forget it either. What am I going to do? How can I take someone else's money?” Song Hao shook his head.
"As expected, they've come!" Song Zihe sat down in his chair, closed his eyes, and sighed.
After listening to Song Hao's words, Song Zihe clearly understood that this Qi Yannian was the biological father of Song Hao, who had brought his wife and children to Ping'an Hall in Baihe Town seeking his treatment years ago. What Song Zihe hadn't expected was that the man from back then possessed such a special identity—he was actually the hereditary head of the Tianyi Sect, and also the current chairman of the powerful Tianyi Group. This was utterly unexpected for Song Zihe; it was something he could never have imagined. Song Hao also had such a special background and lineage; he was a descendant of the world's largest and most illustrious medical family. The world is truly unpredictable.
"Qi Yannian! Qi Yannian! You've come at just the right time! I've raised Song Hao with great care and hardship, and now you're here to take him away." Song Zihe couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow. The pain of losing his son years ago returned once again.
But Song Zihe knew that the day he feared would eventually come, only it came too suddenly, too unexpectedly. Deep down, Song Zihe was also happy for Song Hao that he came from such a medical family; this was the best place for Song Hao to realize his ambitions, his paradise. Now, it was time to tell him the truth, to let him know who he was, who his parents were.
“But…” Song Zihe shook his head secretly again. Song Hao was born with a talent for medicine and had been guided by a master; his future medical achievements were limitless. Furthermore, while he continued his studies, he shouldn't be disturbed by unexpected events. Only after he had truly mastered medicine should he be told the truth. Qi Yannian said there was another person returning from America who was also eager to see Song Hao; it must be Song Hao's mother. The couple should find their way here in a few days; they would discuss it then, and Song Hao would be allowed to learn the truth and acknowledge his ancestors at the appropriate time. For now, he should continue his medical studies with a peaceful mind; otherwise, it would be impossible for a child to accept this fact calmly. After all, his biological parents had abandoned him for fifteen years; given Song Hao's resilience, it was uncertain whether he could immediately acknowledge his biological parents.
"Grandpa, what's wrong?" Song Hao asked softly, looking at his grandfather who was leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed, lost in thought.
"Oh! Song Hao!" Song Zihe opened his eyes and smiled reassuringly, "I remember now. Fifteen years ago, one night, a couple brought in a sick child, whom I treated. I never expected it to be the Qi Yannian family. So many years have passed, I had forgotten about it, but he remembered and helped you because of it. Since he even gave you some money, you should use it. The people of the Heavenly Medicine Sect are very generous; they did this because they know you are from my Song family."
"So that's how it is!" Song Hao laughed upon hearing this. "This is the Heavenly Medicine Sect repaying a debt of gratitude! But they're being too generous, a million! We should find a chance to return it to them."
“Tianyi Group is very powerful, this amount of money is nothing to them. If you return it, they might think you're ungrateful. Since they're willing to give it to you, it means Qi Yannian likes you and values you a lot. Don't refuse their kindness,” Song Zihe said. Song Zihe believed that since it was money given to him by Song Hao's parents, he had a reason to spend it, and it was also a small compensation from Qi Yannian to Song Hao for his initial gesture.
Chapter Sixty-Eight Doubts
Song Hao was quite surprised to see his grandfather, who usually rarely accepted gifts, unexpectedly asking him to accept a large sum of money today.
"It's strange, what illness did that Qi family child have back then that made him come to Grandpa for treatment? The Heavenly Medicine Sect's medical skills are unparalleled in the world, so how come they couldn't save their own child?" Song Hao remarked casually.
Song Zihe was taken aback. Song Hao's words had reminded him of a fact he hadn't noticed for years. Indeed! Qi Yannian, the head of the Tianyi Sect, possessed the experience and medical skills accumulated over generations of the sect; his medical expertise was arguably unmatched in the world. How could he not save his own child? Song Hao's illness wasn't particularly serious at the time, yet they traveled a long distance to seek help from Ping'an Hall? And taking advantage of his momentary lapse in attention, they abandoned the then four-year-old Song Hao without a word. For fifteen years, there had been no news, and now they suddenly appeared, seemingly wanting to claim Song Hao. Could it be that the couple had encountered some crisis back then, forcing them to leave Song Hao at Ping'an Hall? But why hadn't they returned afterward? With the strength and influence of the Tianyi Sect and the current Tianyi Group, how could they abandon their own flesh and blood in a stranger's home for so many years without a word? Even an ordinary family wouldn't do that. Could there be another reason? For a moment, Song Zihe was filled with doubt.
Song Hao didn't notice the change in his grandfather Song Zihe's expression. He went to find something to eat first, then observed the courtyard for a while. After confirming that it was safe, he went to the back house, closed the door, activated the secret chamber mechanism, and went in to check the bronze acupuncture figure of Song Tiansheng.
Everything remained the same; the bronze acupuncture figure of Song Tiansheng stood there quietly, its spirit unchanged. Song Hao gazed at the bronze figure, recalling the many events it had brought about, vivid as if in a dream. He sighed for a long time before quietly withdrawing.
When they arrived, they saw their grandfather standing in the courtyard, waiting for them.