"Husband, Yan'er hasn't sent any news for a month. I'm really worried."
Mother Xu said with a worried face.
Xu Junhe, the richest man in Donghe County, was nearly forty but still retained the handsomeness of his youth. He, too, had a distressed look on his face.
"My lady, Yan'er must be strictly disciplined. We can no longer indulge him. You, you can't spoil him like this!"
"Husband, what are you talking about? I have only this one son. If I don't spoil him, who will I spoil?"
Mother Xu said with dissatisfaction.
"I..."
Xu Junhe sighed.
Just then, a maid hurriedly ran in, "Master, madam, the young master has returned!"
"Yan'er is back?"
Mother Xu hurried outside with a delighted face, muttering, "Has he lost weight or become tan? Is he uninjured?"
Xu Junhe sighed and followed behind with a stern face.
"Pharmacist Pan? Be careful, you all, and move it inside for me. I want to handle it personally."
Xu Yan was directing house servants to move a red-eyed tiger into the butchery, preparing to personally skin it.
Meanwhile, he instructed the servants to find Pharmacist Pan, who served the family.
"What kind of tiger is this? Why is it so large?"
"Even though it's dead, I still feel weak in the knees standing in front of it!"
Several Xu Family protectors and house servants were incredibly shocked as they looked at the body of the red-eyed tiger.
Even though it was dead, standing in front of the red-eyed tiger still induced a feeling of fear and weakness in the legs.
Even the few protectors who practiced martial arts and had hunted fierce tigers before felt a deep unease in their hearts standing before this giant tiger.
The protectors lifted the stretcher and carried the red-eyed tiger towards the butchery.
"Yan'er, come let mother see, have you lost weight?"
Mother Xu's indulgent voice carried over.
"Mother!"
Seeing his mother, Xu Yan immediately became obedient.
"Father!"
Xu Junhe, with a stern face, said, "You still know how to come home?"
He had just opened his mouth, ready to scold him, when Mother Xu immediately showed her discontent, "Husband, Yan'er has just returned. You should control your temper."
"I..."
Xu Junhe was speechless with frustration; the words were stuck in his throat.
He could only stare fiercely at Xu Yan, using his harsh gaze to admonish him.
Mother Xu, examining Xu Yan from left to right, noticed he was not thinner nor darker but instead more robust. Seeing that her son hadn't suffered outside, her heart instantly relaxed.
"Yan'er, you..."
Suddenly, seeing the red-eyed tiger on the stretcher, she exclaimed, "Yan'er, did you hunt this giant tiger?"
Mother Xu looked tense at the moment.
"Mother, I bought it!"
To avoid worrying his mother, Xu Yan had no choice but to lie.
He dared not say that he had killed the red-eyed tiger himself.
"Bought it, oh that's good, that's good!"
Mother Xu immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as it was a matter solved with money, there was no danger involved; spending any amount was worth it as long as her precious son didn't take risks.
Xu Junhe looked at the red-eyed tiger with trepidation; the giant tiger was terrifying. Even in death, it imposed a sense of oppression.
He had seen fierce tigers before!
And had hunted them.
Yet, this one was extraordinary; even in death, it possessed a menacing presence.
"What kind of tiger is this? I've never seen it before!"
Xu Junhe uttered in puzzlement.
"Master, we haven't seen it either!"
Several Protectors also shook their heads.
"Father, this is the King of Tigers, the Red-eyed Tiger!"
Xu Yan spoke.
"Red-eyed Tiger?"
Xu Junhe looked puzzled, having never heard of it.
Looking at the Protectors, they shook their heads as well.
A house servant spoke: "Master, the Red-eyed Tiger is something from the tales, said to be a legendary king of tigers!"
Xu Junhe's expression darkened instantly, and he glared fiercely at Xu Yan, saying, "How can one believe in things from tales!"
Although the giant tiger was terrifying, he didn't believe it was the creature mentioned in the tales; he merely thought it was a rare and powerful tiger.
Xu Yan didn't argue, knowing his father wouldn't believe it.
Neither would the others believe it was something from the tales.
The Protectors carried the Red-eyed Tiger into the slaughterhouse, and after Xu Yan had spoken with his mother for a while, he went to the slaughterhouse and started skinning the tiger himself.
"Red-eyed Tiger, truly worthy of being the king among tigers. Ordinary people probably couldn't pierce its hide even with a sharp knife!"
Xu Yan exclaimed in admiration.
Pharmacist Pan arrived, and seeing such a huge tiger, he too was amazed.
At Xu Yan's request, he picked dozens of precious nourishing medicinal herbs from the Xu Family's medicine store, most of them great tonics for strengthening the body, to be used together with the blood, flesh, and bones of the Red-eyed Tiger to concoct nourishing medicine.
Xu Junhe ambled over seemingly casually, glanced at the almost processed tiger carcass, and said lightly, "Pharmacist Pan, remember to handle the tiger's penis properly."
Pharmacist Pan hurriedly put on a smiling face, nodded, and said, "Master, rest assured. With this penis of the Tiger King, I'll cook half a jar of Tiger King Wine and the other half, together with precious medicines, to make a potent yang-enhancing pill, which can preserve the vitality even in old age!"
Xu Junhe nodded in satisfaction, saying, "Mm, Pharmacist Pan, whatever precious medicines you need, just say the word."
Standing aside, Xu Yan couldn't help but say, "Father, I also have uses for this Tiger King's penis..."
He had planned to give it to his own master.
Xu Junhe glared at him and angrily said, "Do you think I need it for myself? Your grandfather is not young anymore, and with his hectic duties, he really needs these tonic medicines.
"Don't you know to show some filial piety since your grandfather is so fond of you?"
Xu Yan opened his mouth but eventually had to accept his father's decision concerning the Tiger King's penis.
"Considering my master's Cultivation Realm, he wouldn't value the Tiger King's penis, and besides, such items are ultimately inelegant. What if the master dislikes it, wouldn't that be a problem?"
Thinking this, Xu Yan felt it was more reasonable to give the tiger skin to his master.
"Hmph!"
Seeing that he had reprimanded his son, Xu Junhe then paced away.
Pharmacist Pan followed up: "Master, do you really not need it? I was originally planning to make a medicine with the Tiger King's penis that would be weaker in effect, more suitable for someone of your age."
Xu Junhe patted Pharmacist Pan on the shoulder and said, "Old Pan, though I may not need it, it can be given as a gift. Some businessmen of my age might need it, so go ahead with your plans."
Pharmacist Pan looked at him suspiciously but did not clarify further, nodding and saying, "Understood, I know what to do!"
That night, the Xu Mansion was abuzz with joy. The lady of the house was happy and distributed a sum of money, even arranging a feast which left the servants elated and well-fed.
The family's own foolish young master, after being away for a month, had finally returned.
And he had brought back a huge tiger, said to be the Tiger King!
Inside the Xu Mansion, they cooked a pot of Tiger King meat. Xu Junhe and his wife had a small bowl each and couldn't eat more.
Xu Yan, alone, ate most of the pot.
The remaining meat was bestowed on several skilled Protectors in the house.
These Protectors, top martial artists from various sects, had been recruited by Xu Junhe.
Now, these martial artists no longer seemed impressive to Xu Yan.
He found them too weak.
He could kill one with a single punch.
Of course, when he was younger, he had learned martial arts from these men, and he still maintained good relations with them.
After finishing the tiger meat, Xu Yan returned to his own dwelling, where no one else was allowed without his permission.
This was his training ground.
After his last visit, he had renovated it to include a secret room.
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