From Evil Sect Leader to Doctor-Chapter 361 - 336: Zifang Tomb

Tang Jinglun and Luan Yuchuan simultaneously set their sights on this place, proving that the health and wellness industry is indeed a lucrative market that will attract more and more capital seeking a share.

The concept was initially proposed by Changxing, but it is Da Heng that has taken the lead. However, everyone knows that Da Heng’s Yiyang Hot Spring Town is merely a facade. They neither have hot springs nor the supportive services for wellness, but they excel at creating concepts. Simply put, they are skilled at painting a pretty picture.

According to Tang Jinglun, Da Heng is merely engaging in the activity of driving out good currency with bad. If they fail to respond in time, Da Heng’s objectives will be achieved, and many citizens will suffer. By capturing Da Heng’s customer base, they are essentially saving these people, equivalent to performing a good deed.

Xu Chunliang believes that there is essentially no difference between Tang Jingwei and Da Heng. Both are targeting the elderly’s retirement funds. The difference lies in that the former plans to deliver on promises after taking the money, while the latter is ready to take the money and run.

Mo Han shares Tang Jinglun’s perspective on this matter. The best way to make the public recognize Da Heng’s scheme is through comparison. As the saying goes, "Not afraid of not knowing the goods, but afraid of comparing them," the best way to show that others are inadequate is to set a benchmark yourself.

Xu Chunliang finds this quite interesting. Although Mo Han seems superficially interested in Changxing, there is a hidden agenda against Da Heng. Xu Chunliang, despite lacking formal business education, has a knack for seeing through appearances to the essence. He highly suspects that Mo Han aims to use this cooperation as a cover to strike at Da Heng, given that he has seen news of Luan Yuchuan previously targeting Da Heng. It seems Luan Yuchuan hasn’t given up and intends to use this opportunity to deliver a severe blow to Da Heng.

Unexpectedly, the tiny Weishan Island has become an arena where financial giants compete. Being part of it, Xu Chunliang feels the thrill of the impending battle.

In the afternoon, Mo Han wanted to explore around Weishan Island. Xu Chunliang made an excuse about being unable to spare the time and asked Zhang Haitao to accompany her, primarily to monitor her movements.

Zhang Haitao followed Mo Han for a whole day around Weishan Island, nearly covering every corner, including a climb up Shiliang Mountain.

After Mo Han returned to Xianhong Farm, Zhang Haitao reported her detailed itinerary to Xu Chunliang. Hearing that Mo Han had gone up Shiliang Mountain again, Xu Chunliang realized she had a particular fondness for it, having previously encountered her there. He suspected Mo Han might have secretly taken photos again. Her actions resembled those of a business espionage agent, further confirming his suspicions.

"Did you notice anything strange?"

Zhang Haitao thought carefully, having simply trailed Mo Han all day, and found nothing particularly unusual until he remembered something, "Oh right, I also took her for a tour around Zifang Tomb."

"Zifang Tomb?"

"It’s Zhang Liang’s Tomb!" Zhang Haitao explained that Zhang Liang was a founding hero of the Western Han, known along with Xiao He and Han Xin as the "Three Heroes of the Han." Zhang Liang assisted Liu Bang in establishing the Han Dynasty, earning great merit. Once the Western Han was established, Zhang Liang was granted the title of Marquis Liu, with his fiefdom being Liu City, now submerged by Weishan Lake.

Nonetheless, a site claiming to be Zhang Liang’s Tomb remains on Weishan Island. Nationwide, over a hundred places declare themselves as Zhang Liang’s Tomb, such as his fiefdom Liu City, his retreat in Lankao, and his place of practice in Zhangjiajie. The academic world has yet to reach a consensus on which is genuine.

Xu Chunliang had never visited Zhang Liang’s Tomb, despite working on Weishan Island for a while, mainly because locals didn’t consider it a tourist attraction.

Because of Mo Han, Xu Chunliang developed an interest, and the next day he made time to have Zhang Haitao take him there.

Zifang Tomb is located at the foot of Shiliang Mountain and is currently under maintenance and construction. Originally, it was just a small earth mound accompanied by a stone stele, inscribed with "Tomb of Han Marquis Liu Zhang Liang." The stele is quite aged, with the date inscribed being the second year of Qianlong’s reign.

With Weishan Island’s development into a national-level tourist resort, the area is now being transformed into the Liuhou Temple Cultural Park, with a large number of imitation ancient buildings under construction. Domestic tourism faces severe homogenization, with everyone recently rushing to create these imitation ancient sites. Reportedly, Weishan Island plans to build an imitation ancient Water Street near the pier to attract tourists.

While standing beside Zifang Tomb and observing the stone stele, Xu Chunliang heard someone greeting him. It was the village doctor, Liu Shanmin, who happened to be passing by with a basket on his back, about to head up the mountain collecting herbs.

Xu Chunliang greeted, "Mr. Liu." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Liu Shanmin smiled and said, "Dean Zhang here for a visit?"

Xu Chunliang said, "I heard there’s a Zhang Liang’s Tomb here, so I came to take a look."

Liu Shanmin replied, "It’s just a mound of earth, not really Zhang Liang’s Tomb. It’s all for fooling outsiders; we locals never considered it a tourist spot."

He was born and raised in Shiliang Village and frequently played here as a child. Concerning Zhang Liang’s Tomb, he couldn’t count how many times he had stepped on it. During the Cultural Revolution, it was even leveled, and the mound was later reconstructed.

Xu Chunliang pointed at the stele and remarked, "Surely this stele isn’t fake?"

Liu Shanmin said, "The stone tablet is real, but look at the year inscribed, it’s Qianlong’s second year; how could they know about events from the early Western Han? Why do they assert that Zhang Liang is buried there? There are over a hundred Zhang Liang Tombs in our country. Who is Zhang Liang? He’s a figure comparable to Zhuge Liang, exceedingly wise, skilled in Huang-Lao Dao from a young age. How could his tomb be casually discovered by later generations?"

Zhang Haitao felt a bit lost and couldn’t help but interject, "What is Huang-Lao Dao?"

Liu Shanmin smiled and said, "It’s also called the Huang-Lao School, which combines the philosophies of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi. It’s the fountainhead of Chinese Taoism. You should be familiar with the ’Inner Canon of Huangdi’ and the ’Tao Te Ching’."

Xu Chunliang’s heart stirred upon hearing the ’Inner Canon of Huangdi’. Past emperors and generals used to bury precious treasures and books with them. Could Zhang Liang’s tomb contain such items? He was about to ask when Zhang Haitao spoke up first.

Mainly, Zhang Haitao had been reading tomb raiding novels recently, so he naturally thought in that direction: "Doctor Liu, has this tomb been plundered?"

Liu Shanmin laughed heartily, "I already told you it’s not a tomb, just a mound of earth. No one was buried there, so how could there be grave goods? Without grave goods, who would be interested in raiding it?"

Zhang Haitao said, "Isn’t Zhang Liang buried on Weishan Island?"

Liu Shanmin shook his head, "I don’t think so anyway, but there are many legends about him on the island. They say there’s a place on Shiliang Mountain where he once followed Chi Songzi to practice cultivation."

Zhang Haitao, even as a local, had never heard of this.

Xu Chunliang knew who Chi Songzi was, called Zuo Sheng. He studied five thousand texts and was a legendary ancient immortal, bridging the era from Yan and Huang to Yao and Shun, laying the eternal foundation of the Chinese civilization. He was said to be a rain master during the time of the Shennong Clan, capable of entering fire to self-immolate, ascending and descending with the wind and rain. Quite amazing, even in his peak cultivation days Xu Chunliang couldn’t reach Chi Songzi’s level.

Chi Songzi taught the Shennong Clan how to ward off illness and prolong life. He often visited Kunlun Mountain where the immortals lived, residing in the stone palace of the Queen Mother of the West. Emperor Yan’s youngest daughter followed him to learn Taoist arts, also becoming an immortal being, and lived in seclusion with him.

It’s rumored that in his later years, Zhang Liang met Chi Songzi by chance, and followed Chi Songzi to cultivate. He also attained immortality, but some say this was just an excuse for Zhang Liang to retire and disappear. Zhang Liang was a person of great wisdom, seeing through Liu Bang’s pattern of discarding merit after use, so he found the pretext of cultivation to retire gracefully.

Liu Shanmin told them that the place where Chi Songzi cultivated is on Shiliang Mountain, and if they wanted to see it, he could show them.

Upon hearing about climbing again, Zhang Haitao dreaded the idea. He had already climbed Shiliang Mountain with Mo Han yesterday, and his legs were still sore. Fortunately, Xu Chunliang allowed him to wait at the foot of the mountain, much to his relief.

Xu Chunliang followed Liu Shanmin up the mountain. Liu Shanmin, needing to gather herbs, chose a different path than the usual route. Although Shiliang Mountain is not large, it has a rich variety of medicinal herbs.

Xu Chunliang helped Liu Shanmin dig some up and deliberately asked about uncommon herbs. Liu Shanmin explained their properties and side effects in great detail.

Xu Chunliang greatly admired Liu Shanmin, who, despite not being formally trained, had profound knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine, even surpassing Zheng Peian.

Liu Shanmin once witnessed Xu Chunliang treating Xiaosinan’s spring silk worm infestation, observing the entire process and being astonished by Xu Chunliang’s medical skills. Since then, his desire to apprentice under Xu Changshan grew increasingly urgent. Recently, after attending Zheng Peian’s apprenticeship ceremony, Liu Shanmin expressed this wish to Elder Xu.

Elder Xu neither agreed nor refused, so Liu Shanmin hoped to have Xu Chunliang speak to the elder on his behalf.

Xu Chunliang told Liu Shanmin that his grandfather had a good impression of him, but the elder didn’t know him well yet, advising him to spend more time at Huichun Hall, maybe sitting in on consultations, depending on Liu Shanmin’s own intentions.

Liu Shanmin immediately expressed it would be no problem. He could take time each week to visit Huichun Hall, not seeking any payment; meeting Elder Xu would naturally bring him guidance.

Xu Chunliang realized that even if his grandfather fully retired, Huichun Hall could continue with Zheng Peian, Liu Shanmin, and Li Jia Kuan each helping out one day a week, ensuring the hall’s operation for at least three days.

The two chatted as they walked, arriving without realizing it at the place Liu Shanmin mentioned where Chi Songzi practiced.

Upon arrival, Xu Chunliang realized he had been here before; this was Erdaoya, where Tong Guangsheng had fallen, and he and Shu Yuanhang had rescued him together.

Liu Shanmin said, "This place is called Erdaoya. There’s a platform below, and further in there’s an Immortal Cave, said to be where Zhang Liang cultivated with Chi Songzi."

Xu Chunliang asked, "Have you been there?"