Unique Medicinal Prescription

Zhang Lin saw there was a chance and thought to himself, This old man is indeed meticulous and understands the ways of the world.

"If the deputy steward is a candidate for management within the Tiger Wolf Gate, then the steward is a genuine junior manager of the Tiger Wolf Gate. They are a key figure cultivated by the Tiger Wolf Gate. The monthly salary is twenty taels. Each month, they can also regularly receive a certain amount of medicinal auxiliaries and resources. They can freely cultivate some of the basic techniques of the Tiger Wolf Gate. Each year, there's an opportunity to visit the library at the Tiger Wolf Gate headquarters. When purchasing medicinal auxiliaries on the black market, it's all close to cost price..."

Zhang Lin listed the benefits of being a steward as if he were reciting his family's treasures.

After listening, even Xie An couldn't help but click his tongue.

The difference in treatment between a regular steward and a deputy steward... was simply worlds apart. It perfectly matched the structure of his previous life where one hand controlled the majority of power.

To be honest, Xie An was tempted...

It wasn't for any other reason than the fact that society was extremely unfriendly to people over fifty, and joining the Tiger Wolf Gate was the most suitable path for him.

However, Xie An currently didn't have full confidence in taking on the position of steward. He didn't immediately agree, instead standing up, cupping his hands in farewell, "Thank you for your kind invitation, Steward Zhang, but this old man is getting on in years and fears I may not be up to the task. Please allow me to ponder it further."

Zhang Lin was also very patient. "I understand. It's a major life decision after all. I'll escort you out, old brother."

Zhang Lin walked Xie An out of the canyon and then stopped, watching Xie An depart, lost in thought.

"Boss, this old geezer is really unappreciative. You've lowered yourself so much, and he still won't agree," Zhou Xing said, walking over with his saber, sounding quite indignant.

Slap.

Zhang Lin raised his hand and smacked Zhou Xing on the head. "What do you know? He's just being cautious. If he had agreed immediately, I would have been suspicious. This person is deeply calculating and has a shrewd approach. If he joins us, he will definitely help me eliminate Zhang Biao."

Zhou Xing looked bewildered. "Huh? You haven't even mentioned your feud with Zhang Biao, and he hasn't agreed yet."

Zhang Lin said, "Smart people understand with just a hint. Do you think everyone is as thick-skulled as you are?"

Zhou Xing drooped his head, not daring to speak. But in his heart, he still felt it was too mystical, and he didn't believe this masked old man possessed such skill and depth.

Boss... is exaggerating.

"Boss, how about I follow him and investigate his identity?"

Zhang Lin immediately refused, "No need. Since this person doesn't want his identity known, we shouldn't overstep. Show respect to others, and they will respect you."

Zhou Xing scratched his head. "Yes."

Xie An returned to his small backyard cabin late at night.

He performed a set of the Five Animal Play to warm up his body and ward off the cold, then sat down to practice the Fetal Breathing Technique, stabilizing his breathing and blood flow.

After alternating between two sets of the Health Cultivation Technique, he immediately felt refreshed and rid of all fatigue.

"Zhang Lin's intention is very clear: as long as Zhang Biao is dealt with, I can take his place and become a steward."

"Joining the Tiger Wolf Gate, I still need to secure a steward position. However, Zhang Biao is a steward after all, a martial artist who has at least passed the gate. I can't rush this..."

Over fifty, Xie An was patient and knew that many things didn't require haste.

Doing things a bit slower, observing as he went, would always be more secure.

"According to Zhang Lin, lifting four hundred jin is about the strength of a Bronze Skin Realm martial artist. This means my strength has already reached the Bronze Skin Realm level, but in terms of fighting style and actual combat power... I should still be some distance from a true Bronze Skin Realm martial artist."

"The immediate priority is still to improve my strength. As long as I have sufficient strength, let alone a steward position, even the position of Incense Master... is not impossible to consider."

Having made up his mind, Xie An took out the Unique Medicinal Prescription given by Tang Qingfeng, gathered all the collected medicinal ingredients, and then used a precision scale to start preparing the medicine.

"Honeysuckle 1 qian, Fleeceflower root 3 qian, Dry Lin Grass 4 qian, Bear Heart Meat one liang..."

He matched eight or nine types of medicinal ingredients according to specific weights, then put them into a mortar to pound and grind them into powder.

According to the medicinal prescription, after pounding, it needed to be sun-dried for three days. It could also be smoked with fire.

Since it was night and there was no sun, Xie An lit a stove. After smoking it for an hour, he felt it met the conditions specified in the prescription, so he brewed it with boiling water and drank it.

"This taste... it's bitter and fishy!"

Xie An only took a few sniffs and felt a strong pungent odor that made it difficult to swallow and even nauseous.

Thinking it was Tang Qingfeng's Unique Medicinal Prescription, Xie An pinched his nose and gulped it down.

As the medicinal soup entered his body, Xie An clearly felt a strong heat flow generated in his stomach.

Hot!

Very hot!

His body felt like it was on fire.

This was an effect he had never experienced even after taking more Qi Generating Soup previously.

Xie An was so hot that he immediately took off his outer jacket, leaving only his inner lining. Even so, he still felt unbearably hot, and in the end, he simply took off his inner lining and was bare-chested.

The heat flow within his body had nowhere to dissipate.

Xie An then began to furiously practice the Five Animal Play to vent it.

Tiger seeking food, Deer long-distance running, Bear shaking and moving, Monkey picking fruit, Crane flying...

Each move and stance was practiced skillfully by Xie An. The heat flow within his body finally found an outlet and began to infuse into his limbs and bones.

After more than half an hour, Xie An not only didn't feel tired but became even more vigorous, as if he had inexhaustible strength.

"As expected of Master Tang's Unique Medicinal Prescription, the effect is truly amazing."

Xie An tasted the sweetness of it for the first time and became addicted, unable to extricate himself.

Two hours later, Xie An was already drenched in sweat and still felt unsatisfied. He simply sat down, swept away the restlessness in his heart, and began to practice the Fetal Breathing Technique.

"This Unique Medicinal Prescription combined with the Five Animal Play naturally yields twice the result with half the effort. I wonder how it works with the Fetal Breathing Technique..."

"Dan Lü Stance..."

After a round of practice, Xie An was surprised to find that the medicinal prescription also had a miraculous effect when combined with the Fetal Breathing Technique. It could guide the heat flow within his body to the Mingmen and circulate throughout his body.

He vaguely felt the sensation of being able to breathe without his mouth or nose...

"As expected of a precious medicine. Apart from its price... it's perfect."

The days that followed returned to their uneventful routine.

He would conduct daily inspections of the pawnshop and spend the rest of his time cultivating the Health Cultivation Technique and practicing archery...

Although the days were monotonous, Xie An could feel a little progress every day and found joy in it.

Autumn turned to winter, and it was New Year's Eve.

After today, Xie An would be fifty-one years old.

However, he didn't feel any signs of aging. On the contrary, he had become even stronger, his appearance looked a bit younger, and the wrinkles on his face had reduced significantly. Of his once entirely white hair, one-third had returned to black.

This was no old man at all! If he were in his previous life, he would be the kind of mature, middle-aged man that girls adored.

After winter set in, large, goose-feather-like snowflakes began to fall from the sky.

Whoosh!

Xie An practiced the Health Cultivation Technique shirtless in his small cabin.

There was no stove in the room, and the air was biting cold. Yet, Xie An didn't feel cold at all; instead, he was sweating profusely.

As his limbs moved, they produced bursts of sonic booms in the air.

The muscles on his body became more prominent, exuding a streamlined beauty.

Crack.

As Xie An lunged forward with a movement like a tiger hunting, the air buzzed.

"My Five Animal Play has finally broken through..."