A moment later, the waiter returned with seven people in tow. One of them was none other than Wang Jiasen, the man who had mistaken Zhao Yuan for a disciple of the Jinling Zhao Family.
Last time, at the entrance of Hundred Herbs Hall, Zhao Yuan had recited the Wang Family's secret text, Wushan Medical Tales, from memory. Moreover, his grasp of its phrasing was even more profound than the Wang Family's century of research, which had thoroughly terrified Wang Jiasen. He became convinced that Zhao Yuan was a member of the Jinling Zhao Family and suspected that the Zhao Family had stolen the Wushan Medical Tales. He rushed to Jinling overnight to confront the Zhao Family.
The Zhao Family vehemently denied stealing the Wang Family's Wushan Medical Tales. They claimed they had never sent any disciples to Rongcheng City and, furthermore, that there was no one named Zhao Yuan among the younger generation of disciples. To prove it, the Patriarch of the Zhao Family, Zhao Dezhu, a longtime friend of Wang Jiasen, went so far as to swear a curse and an oath, even calling in a group of famous physician friends to bear witness.
Wang Jiasen thought it over. He recalled that Zhao Yuan had never actually admitted to being from the Jinling Zhao Family; it had all been his own speculation. So, he chose to believe Zhao Dezhu for the time being and dropped the matter. He returned to Rongcheng City, hoping to ask Fang Yi about Zhao Yuan's whereabouts. But by then, Fang Yi had already been instructed by Zhao Yuan to remain tight-lipped.
Meanwhile, after conferring with a few clan elders, Zhao Dezhu sent people to Rongcheng City to investigate. They didn't know the full story and assumed someone was using their family's name to swindle people. Such an offense had to be severely punished!
However, the people they sent to Rongcheng City investigated for several days without finding a single lead. Zhao Dezhu was furious and came to Rongcheng City personally to oversee the search. Since it was the weekend, his daughter, Zhao Jingrou, came along with him.
When Wang Jiasen heard of his old friend's arrival, he arranged a banquet at Lakefront House to welcome him. But unexpectedly, before the banquet even began, something happened to Zhao Jingrou...
"What's wrong with my daughter?" Zhao Dezhu had a fiery temper. He hadn't even entered the private room when he started demanding answers in a harsh voice.
The manager hurried over and said, "Sir, your daughter might have gotten drunk and caused a scene in someone else's room. Fortunately, the guests in that room were very understanding and didn't press the issue. Your daughter is fine; she just had too much to drink and fell asleep."
Zhao Dezhu's expression darkened instantly. He snapped, "Drunk? What nonsense are you talking about? We just got here! The food hasn't even been served. What wine could she have had?"
"Huh?" The manager was taken aback. 'How was I supposed to know that?' he thought. He quickly explained, "That's what the guests from this room just said."
"Where are they?" Zhao Dezhu glanced around and saw no one else besides the waiters and security guards.
"They've already left." The manager suddenly realized he had made a mistake. 'I shouldn't have let Zhao Yuan and the other two leave. I should have kept them here.'
Zhao Dezhu snorted, pushed the manager aside, and strode over to Zhao Jingrou. He grabbed her wrist to check her pulse.
"How is she? Is Jingrou all right?" Wang Jiasen hurried over and asked with concern.
"Someone hit her Nao Hu Acupoint and knocked her unconscious." As expected of the Patriarch of the Jinling Zhao Family, Zhao Dezhu's medical skills were extraordinary. He immediately detected the abnormality in Zhao Jingrou's pulse.
"I remember Jingrou has practiced martial arts since she was a child, right? Who could have possibly hit her Nao Hu Acupoint and knocked her out?" Wang Jiasen's brow twitched. 'To be able to identify and accurately strike an acupoint during a fight... The attacker must be an expert in both medicine and Martial Skill! People like that are exceedingly rare these days.'
"We'll know once we wake Jingrou up and ask her." As he spoke, Zhao Dezhu helped Zhao Jingrou up, letting her lean against him. He placed his right hand on the Nao Hu Acupoint at the back of her head, then used his thumb to press and gently massage it with a meridian-opening technique.
A few minutes later, Zhao Jingrou's eyes shot open. Before she could even get a clear look at her surroundings, she roared, "You big liar! I'm going to cripple your hands today!" At the same time, she threw a backward elbow strike, landing it heavily on Zhao Dezhu's ribs.
Caught completely off guard, Zhao Dezhu was hit so hard it brought tears to his eyes. He quickly yelled, "Jingrou, it's me! Calm down!"
Thankfully, he shouted just in time. Zhao Jingrou's fist froze just an inch from his nose.
"Dad? Why is it you?" Only then did Zhao Jingrou see clearly who she had hit. She quickly pulled Zhao Dezhu to his feet.
"They told me you were drunk and causing a scene, so I came to check on you." Zhao Dezhu pointed at the manager and sneered before asking, "So, what really happened? Why did you come here, and who hit your acupoint and knocked you out?"
"It was Zhao Yuan!" Zhao Jingrou said through gritted teeth.
"Zhao Yuan? You mean that brat who's been impersonating our Jinling Zhao Family?" Zhao Dezhu was stunned. "He's here too? How did you run into him?"
Zhao Jingrou explained what had happened.
It turned out that when they had first arrived at Lakefront House, Wang Jiasen had seen Fang Yi's car and casually remarked, 'That's the car of the owner of Hundred Herbs Hall. Looks like he's eating here today, too.'
Most of the group didn't react to this comment. They all thought Fang Yi had no connection to Zhao Yuan, but Zhao Jingrou thought otherwise. She was certain that Fang Yi was connected to Zhao Yuan, or at least in contact with him.
While everyone was ordering food, she made an excuse about wanting to admire the scenery at Lakefront House. She left the private room, found a host, and asked for the name and location of Fang Yi's room. Then, she stormed over to find him...
After hearing the whole story, Wang Jiasen couldn't help but complain in his head: 'Zhao Jingrou? What a misnomer. There's nothing "quiet" or "gentle" about the way you act.'
Out loud, however, he said, "Old Zhao, I think this must be a misunderstanding. Just as Fang Yi said, Zhao Yuan never claimed to be from the Jinling Zhao Family. Even when I questioned him about it, he immediately denied it."
"Old Wang, you don't need to say another word." Zhao Dezhu waved his hand dismissively and said with a vicious snarl, "This might have been a misunderstanding before. But now, it's not! Anyone who dares to bully my, Zhao Dezhu's, daughter will live to regret it!"
'Bully your daughter? Your daughter was the one who attacked him without a word of warning! Zhao Yuan only made a move after trying to talk her down several times failed. He had no choice but to teach your spoiled daughter a lesson for you! It's true what they say: an unreasonable father raises an unruly daughter!'
While complaining internally, Wang Jiasen continued to persuade him, "Old Zhao, it's better to resolve animosity than to create it..."
"Bullshit!" Zhao Dezhu snorted. "Anyone who humiliates the Jinling Zhao Family must pay the price!" He turned his head and commanded several of his clansmen, "I'm giving you three days. Find out everything there is to know about Zhao Yuan!"
"Yes, sir!" the clansmen responded in unison.