Bow to your superiority?
Huang Qishan’s words caused many of the Lin family juniors who had just come to their senses to slip back into a state of shock.
Now, they were one step closer to acknowledging that Lin Lan’s adopted son Zhou Donghuang really did formulate a blood-staunching elixir five times more effective than those available on the market!
“So, in your opinion… the formula that Fourth Elder Lin Tonghong of the Lin Family submitted to the Lin family is mine?”
“The blood-staunching elixir formulated with that formula and this one that you have just formulated yourself have similar ingredients, so naturally it is the work of the same person.” Huang Qishan nodded sagely.
At Huang Qishan’s words, Lin Tonghong’s expression changed, and he said urgently to Huang Qishan, “Medicine Master Huang! Lin Lan must have stolen my formula, and this little fellow must have used it as a template and improved on it by adding on more herbs. Even if he formulated a blood-staunching elixir five times more effective than those available on the market, it is not enough to prove that the formula is really his!”
Lin Tonghong was really in a panic now. He never imagined that the adopted son of Lin Lan would have such a move prepared.
More importantly, this intermediate-level medicine master before him could not be controlled by the Lin family and would not be concerned with protecting him.
“Are you questioning my competency in medicine?” Huang Qishan looked at Lin Tonghong distastefully and challenged him in a chilly tone, “I’ll give you one month. If you can produce an even more effective blood-staunching elixir by adding herbs to this precious formula of the Lin family, I will kowtow ten times to you! Fourth Elder, I was wondering where you obtained that formula, but I never imagined that it was stolen from someone else.”
Huang Qishan shook his head as he spoke, then turned his back and left straight away.
Huang Qishan was an intermediate-level medicine master and was the absolute authority on medicine amongst those present. In the eyes of the Lin family juniors, his words carried more weight than Fourth Elder Lin Tonghong’s, who was not even an inferior-level medicine master.
“That formula… did Fourth Elder really steal it from Lin Lan?”
It was only after Huang Qishan had left that the Lin family juniors regained their wits and looked at Lin Tonghong with completely different expressions.
The esteemed fourth elder had stooped so low as to steal a formula from a side relative? Moreover, he dared to pass it off as his own, submitted it to the family and proceeded to slander the other party and accuse them of stealing his formula?
It was only because they were frightened of Lin Tonghong’s power that the crowd of Lin family juniors didn’t curse and condemn him.
“Lin Tonghong.”
After Huang Qishan had left, Zhou Donghuang’s icy gaze settled on Lin Tonghong.
Lin Lan was overcome with relief and heaved a long sigh.
Her son, after a great deal of effort and without resorting to threats of violence, had managed to secure justice for her.
“Patriarch Lin, your Fourth Elder Lin Tonghong has committed such wrongdoings, I wonder how you are going to deal with him?” Zhou Donghuang asked meaningfully, glancing casually at Lin Zhuoyue.
Lin Zhuoyue’s eyes twitched when he heard this, and he could not come up with a reply.
“Big Brother!”
Lin Tonghong gave Lin Tianzheng a pleading look, anxiety and panic on his face.
“Big Brother?”
When he heard Lin Tonghong thus address the head elder of the Lin family, Zhou Donghuang squinted as a cold gleam flashed across his eyes.
“Head Elder and Fourth Elder are cousins, they grew up together, so they are as close as blood brothers,” Lin Lan explained, as though she could see Zhou Donguang’s suspicion. Lin Lan continued, “However, even Medicine Master Huang has determined that Lin Tonghong stole my formula in the presence of so many Lin family juniors. Head Elder could not protect him even if he wanted to.”
“I don’t necessarily think so.”
Zhou Donghuang shook his head. It was evident that he did not agree completely with Lin Lan and remained noncommittal.
“Humph!”
While Lin Lan was stunned by Zhou Donghuang’s words, the head elder of the Lin family Lin Tianzheng gave a snort and stepped forward.
As he stepped forward, he gave Zhou Donghuang a cold look and said in a low voice, “To be able to improve on Fourth Elder’s formula and produce an even better blood-staunching elixir, it has to be said that you, Zhou Donghuang, are a genius.”
“Today, if you leave the improved formula here, it will count as Lin Lan’s redemption, and regardless of the matter of stealing the formula or disregarding Patriarch’s command not to return or even slandering Fourth Elder, it will all be wiped clean! The Lin family will not punish her any further.”
Lin Tianzheng finished speaking and swept a cold gaze across Lin Lan, his murderous expression extremely threatening.
Lin Lan’s expression completely changed in an instant! She was easily able to discern what Lin Tianzheng really meant.
He meant that all the charges against Lin Lan still stood, but if her son Zhou Donghuang turned over the formula for the blood-staunching elixir he had just made, she would have made up for her “crimes.”
“Patriarch…”
Lin Lan looked at Lin Zhuoyue as though clutching to the last straw of life, biting her lip and looking expectantly at him.
Feeling Lin Lan’s gaze on him, Lin Zhuoyue merely looked at her indifferently and declared with an apathetic expression, “Do as Head Elder says. As long as your son Zhou Donghuang turns over the formula, you will be considered to have redeemed yourself.”
Under Lin Lan’s expectant gaze, Lin Zhuoyue merely repeated everything Lin Tianzheng had said, causing her to grow even paler.
“Second Elder.”
Lin Lan sucked in a breath and looked to Lin Chonghuan, pinning her last hopes on the second elder of the Lin family whom she had always seen as fair and unbiased.
“Lin Lan, allow your son Zhou Donghuang to hand over the formula.”
A look of regret flashed across Lin Chonghuan’s face, but it vanished quickly, and his expression grew serious.
Lin Lan’s already pale face grew even paler at Lin Chonghuan’s words, and she swayed on her feet as though about to fall.
Many of the Lin family juniors present were dumbfounded.
“What is happening?”
“Didn’t Fourth Elder steal Lin Lan’s formula? Medicine Master Huang confirmed it himself, how could Head Elder, Patriarch, and Second Elder do this?”
“In matters of medicine, even they do not have the same authority as Medicine Master Huang!”
These were the thoughts of the younger Lin family juniors.
Hearing what they said, the older Lin family juniors shook their heads and whispered among themselves, saying, “This time, right and wrong no longer matters.”
“Exactly. To the family, protecting the reputation of Fourth Elder as a future level-four adept of Qi-gathering is more important, as is securing the formula for this blood-staunching elixir that is five times more effective than those available.”
“Lin Lan, as a side relative… how can she compare in value to Fourth Elder?”
“Too bad Lin Lan just did not have more luck when being born.”
…
It was only after the older Lin family juniors began to whisper among themselves that the younger ones came to a realization.
The looks they gave Lin Lan became looks of pity.
“Mother, is this the family you love so dearly?”
Zhou Donghuang stepped forward to assist Lin Lan who looked that she would fall over at any time, and he whispered to her, “In the eyes of this kind of family, their benefit outweighs any notion of justice.”
As Zhou Donghuang finished speaking, Lin Lan swept a chilly gaze across Lin Zhuoyue and the assembled leadership of the Lin family and declared in a hoarse voice, “From this day on, I, Lin Lan, renounce the Lin family and will no longer be a member of the Lin family!”
Blow after blow had shaken Lin Lan to the point where she no longer considered the Lin family to be a fundamental part of her life.
“You have my permission,” Lin Zhuoyue replied indifferently.
From his point of view, the departure of a side relative would not have any impact on the Lin family.
“Donghuang, your mother does not wish to remain here… not a moment longer.”
Lin Lan looked at Zhou Donghuang pleadingly, and her voice was full of emotion. She looked like she was on the verge of losing her composure.
“Of course!” Zhou Donghuang nodded. “Mother, we’ll leave now.”
So saying, Zhou Donghuang helped support Lin Lan as they prepared to leave. As for the debt of the Lin family, he intended to return some other time to collect it.
“You may leave if you wish, but hand over the formula!”
Just as Lin Lan, supported by Zhou Donghuang and followed by Fu and Granny Lian were about to leave, the fourth elder of the Lin family Lin Tonghong called out.
As soon as he had spoken, Lin Tonghong stepped across to bar the way of Zhou Donghuang and the others, staring at him fiercely.
“And what if I don’t want to?”
Zhou Donghuang looked calmly at Lin Tonghong, his face betraying no emotion and his tone completely even, as though he was thoroughly disinterested.
“If you don’t hand over the formula, the Lin family will pursue every last detail of Lin Lan’s offenses.” Lin Tonghong smiled coldly. “Lin Lan, disregarding the patriarch’s order and returning to the family is the foremost offense, stealing the formula that I submitted to the family is the second, and slandering me, the fourth elder of the Lin family, is the third. The punishment for multiple crimes should be death!”
A murderous look flashed across Lin Tonghong’s eyes as he said this.
“How dare you!”
Zhou Donghuang handed Lin Lan over to Granny Lian’s care and stepped forward, his white clothes lifting up in the wind.
In that moment, the fury and rage in Zhou Donghuang’s eyes that had been long suppressed burst forth in a flood!
“I planned to send my mother back to rest before returning to settle this debt with the Lin family… but since the Lin family is in a hurry, I, Zhou Donghuang, will oblige you all!”
Zhou Donghuang grinned, showing his two rows of white teeth. This youth looked like the sun had transformed into a demon from hell in that instant.
The Lin family is in deep trouble.
Seeing Zhou Donghuang in this state, the patriarch of the Lu family, Lu Qinghu, who was standing beside Lin Zhuoyue, shook his head at how extremely stupid the Lin family was!
If the Lu family had a side relative like Lin Lan, who had an adopted son like Zhou Donghuang, he would laugh till he woke himself from his dream.
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