Chapter 52: Tiger and Leopard Pill

Two days later.

In the front hall of the Prince Fu's Estate.

Yu Xian sat in the guest seat, with a large plate placed before him piled high with braised tiger meat.

He picked up a piece and tossed it into his mouth. It felt like chewing on cowhide—tough in texture and full of chewiness.

As soon as he swallowed it down, a rumbling sound came from his stomach, resembling a pot of boiling water.

This was the sound of his body rapidly digesting the tiger meat.

Before he could find a suitable food source, Yu Xian still resorted to the most crude method to deal with his hunger: drinking medicinal wine and eating meat.

The wine he drank was a potent tonic heavily inclined towards vital energy and blood. An ordinary person taking just a single sip would suffer from surging internal heat, bleeding noses, and exhaustion from over-excitation.

The meat he ate came from wild tigers and leopards, brimming with vital energy and blood. Although inferior to beast meat, it barely managed to cope with his current condition.

At the very least, it kept him from needing to rush to the latrine immediately after eating.

Just as he was eating the meat, footsteps echoed from outside. The visitor was the portly Eunuch Li, carrying a package in his hand and speaking with affectionate familiarity.

"Lord Administrator, I have brought all the medicines that can be found on the market."

Eunuch Li opened the package, revealing a cluster of jars and bottles inside.

"This is Marrow-Replenishing Dan, the crown jewel of the Divine Hand Medical Hall. It nourishes the liver and kidneys, and replenishes essence and blood."

"Bazhen Yimu Pill, which greatly nourishes vital energy and blood, and regulates the spleen and stomach."

"Jiawei Shiquan Decoction, which replenishes qi and lifts yang, promotes the circulation of qi and relieves pain."

"Yang-Replenishing and Qi-Boosting Pill, Danggui Dihuang Pill..."

"And this Tiger-Leopard Pill, which I managed to acquire through my old connections in the imperial palace. I hear it is a secret medicine taken by the elite imperial guards, though it shouldn't be consumed in large quantities."

With every medicine Eunuch Li introduced, Yu Xian would pick it up to carefully savor and examine it.

Nowadays, in his spare time, he would also read the medical books left behind by Physician Huang. Although he was not yet skilled at diagnosing illnesses and prescribing medicines, he could be considered an old hand when it came to recognizing medicinal herbs.

After all, he had to brew his own Shiquan Great Tonic Wine, so he had to be familiar with them.

Eunuch Li was not trying to fool him; these were indeed fine medicines on the market, all capable of nourishing vital energy and blood.

However, they were all maintenance formulas in accordance with the medical path, gradually strengthening one's physique by harmonizing bodily systems.

They were things ordinary people could safely consume.

In terms of actual effect, they were still inferior to the Shiquan Great Tonic Wine he brewed himself.

Until he reached the last one: the Tiger-Leopard Pill.

Yu Xian pinched the pellet between his fingers. It was the size of a longan, dark red in color, with a rough surface. Upon touching it, he caught a earthy, gamey scent, as if it had been casually rolled out of mud, but upon closer sniffing, a faint trace of blood could also be detected.

The raw materials of this Tiger-Leopard Pill might truly contain the essence and blood of tigers and leopards.

After all, he had eaten plenty of tiger meat over the past two days.

Yu Xian gave it a lick. There was no expected bitterness; instead, it carried a pungent spiciness as he swallowed it down along with his saliva.

A wave of heat immediately emanated from his abdomen, but before he could savor the sensation, the heat was eagerly devoured by his physical body.

There was no poison.

Gurgle!

Yu Xian swallowed the entire pill whole. Immediately, he felt as though he had consumed an exploding fireball; his entire stomach felt warm and cozy, radiating heat upward.

Crack, crack, crack!

His muscles bulged, his entire body erupted with popping sounds, and sweat broke out behind his head, only to be quickly evaporated away by the heat radiating from his body.

Soon, mist began to rise from the back of his head.

About a quarter of an hour later.

Yu Xian opened his eyes in satisfaction and sighed softly, "For a whole two days, I've finally had a full meal."

He didn't know what herbs were used to refine this Tiger-Leopard Pill, but it actually had a certain effect on him. He could feel that the hunger in his body had been temporarily suppressed, and his physical fitness had faintly improved as well.

"Eunuch Li, I need these Tiger-Leopard Pills. The more, the better."

Eunuch Li was slightly stunned, and cautiously said, "Lord Administrator, this old servant heard from that friend of mine in the palace that although the Tiger-Leopard Pill has a great effect on martial artists, it cannot be consumed in excess.

"Once, an imperial guard in the palace was eager for quick success in trying to break through to the Xiantian realm, and took several Tiger-Leopard Pills in succession.

"As a result, his blood and qi exploded, damaging his brain, causing him to lose his mind, and turning him into a bloodthirsty beast.

"He said that even for a grandmaster of martial arts, it is best to take no more than three pills a month.

"Lord Administrator, you are now the towering white jade pillar supporting our estate; we cannot afford for anything to happen to you."

Eunuch Li willingly served as a subordinate under the identity of the estate's steward and let Yu Xian hold the real power because he knew that a eunuch like himself could not hold up the framework of the estate.

Meanwhile, Yu Xian possessed formidable strength and was not old, giving him ample time to protect the estate as it successfully grew.

If an accident befell Yu Xian, it would be adding frost to snow for the estate.

Hearing Eunuch Li's concern, Yu Xian knew he was right.

Because he indeed sensed an oppressive, violent, and bloody aura contained within the Tiger-Leopard Pill.

Martial artists did not cultivate their spiritual minds and were easily influenced by this aura, naturally requiring time to grind away this violent energy.

However, his spiritual consciousness was powerful. The moment this aura was detected by him, it was immediately purged out of his body.

Therefore, the side effects of the Tiger-Leopard Pill did not exist for him at all.

"Eunuch need not worry. I have thoroughly studied the medical books left by Physician Huang, and I will pay attention to controlling the medicinal potency. If there is anything amiss, I will definitely stop taking the medicine in time.

"Just go and procure the medicine. Is there any trouble?"

Seeing Yu Xian so confident and resolute, Eunuch Li found it difficult to persuade him further.

He pondered for a moment and said, "The medicine can certainly be found. Although the Tiger-Leopard Pill has potent effects, taking too much easily affects one's mind and resolve.

"Many imperial guards, after receiving them as rewards, do not take them themselves, but instead turn around and sell them.

"However, this old servant is no longer a person of the palace, and to procure the medicine, I still have to go through intermediaries. Therefore, the price is rather steep—each pill might cost around a hundred taels of silver."

"No matter, price it at a hundred taels of silver. Eunuch, go to the accounting department and draw thirty thousand taels of silver as your operating funds. Acquire as many pills as are available.

"I will speak to the Princess Consort regarding the silver; you just go ahead and use it."

Yu Xian was currently firmly enjoying the financial support of the Princess Consort, and he spent the estate's silver without the slightest hesitation.

After all, he had moved the entire Prince Fu's Estate to the capital.

Of course, what could be moved were only movable assets; the true bulk of their immovable property was still in Changning Prefecture.

Even so, converting just those movable assets into two or three million taels of silver would be no problem at all. As long as the young prince did not dabble in gambling in the future, he could toss it around lavishly and never run out.

"This... very well."

Eunuch Li nodded awkwardly.

The Princess Consort doted on and trusted Administrator Yu far too much, handing over the financial authority just like that. In case Administrator Yu's heart was ever bewitched by wealth one day, the estate would be in grave danger.

He had to find an opportunity to offer a few words of advice to Her Grace; it would be best if the financial authority remained in his own hands.

Suddenly, a thought stirred in Eunuch Li's mind.

He looked at Yu Xian's handsome appearance, knowing he had a reputation for romance, and then recalling that Her Grace was only in her twenties and in the prime of her youth—what if Her Grace felt lonely in her boudoir and was seduced by Administrator Yu...

If the two of them struck a spark like fire meeting dry firewood, and had already done something in private...

Otherwise, why would Her Grace trust Administrator Yu to this extent?

Eunuch Li took a deep breath, feeling as though the sky was falling.

*Alas, why must Administrator Yu be a man? How wonderful it would be if he were a eunuch like me.*

Yu Xian had no inkling of Eunuch Li's inner thoughts. Seeing that he had yet to take action, he could not help asking:

"Eunuch Li, is there any other problem? If there are difficulties, you must speak up. Even if I cannot help you, doesn't Her Grace still exist?"

Eunuch Li suppressed the distracting thoughts in his heart, squeezed out a smile, and said:

"No, I was just momentarily distracted. This old servant will go buy the medicine for the Administrator right now."

"Mhm, this matter is very important to me, so I must trouble the Eunuch to put in extra effort."

Yu Xian bowed seriously with cupped hands, feeling quite emotional in his heart.

In this day and age, even having a full meal is not easy.