TRWSB – Chapter 36 The Beast Heir

A small tiger lay weakly on the ground, looking extremely frail.

When it saw Zhuang Hao, the little tiger perked up a bit and rubbed against him.

Qi Shaorong tilted his head. While the mother tiger was as large as a house, the little tiger was only about the size of a mature Tibetan Mastiff, thin and pitiable.

“So thin! Has it always been this skinny?” Qi Shaorong asked Tang Tianying.

Tang Tianying shook his head. “No, it used to be chubby. But for some reason, it’s been losing weight, and its appetite has gotten worse and worse. It used to eat quite well.”

Qi Shaorong rubbed his forehead. Treating spirit beasts was quite a hassle—they couldn’t talk. In his previous life, he could have simply run tests, but here, with a giant tiger staring at him menacingly with eyes as big as lanterns, he could hardly move.

The little tiger yawned, and Qi Shaorong caught sight of something, frowning.

Tugging on Zhuang Hao’s sleeve, he said, “Zhuang Hao, could you have the little tiger open its mouth for me to see?”

Zhuang Hao immediately agreed. “Alright.”

After some silent communication between Zhuang Hao and the little tiger, it opened its mouth wide. Qi Shaorong took a deep breath when he saw its blackened teeth—so many cavities! It must be in quite a bit of pain.

Tang Tianying looked at Qi Shaorong. “Evil Doctor, what’s the verdict?”

“What does the little tiger usually eat? With so many cavities, aren’t you worried it’ll become a toothless tiger?” Qi Shaorong asked.

Tang Tianying dismissed the concern. “That’s nothing to worry about—it’ll grow new teeth in the future. If it doesn’t get that chance, we wouldn’t let it eat like this.”

Qi Shaorong: “…”

Taking a deep breath, Qi Shaorong looked at Tang Tianying. “Could I see the little tiger’s diet?”

“Of course.” Tang Tianying summoned a nearby attendant, who brought over the diet list.

As he looked at the list, Qi Shaorong couldn’t help but gasp. It included all kinds of lavish treats—golden blossom cakes, rose rice rolls, rice wine dumplings, golden sugar cakes, and so on. The variety of sweets made Qi Shaorong’s mouth water, but when he saw the quantities, he was astonished once again. It ate quite a bit! For a creature as indulgent as this spirit beast, ordinary people would probably go broke trying to feed it. And with all that food, it wasn’t gaining any weight—what a waste.

Tang Tianying observed him and asked, “Evil Doctor, is something wrong?”

Raising his head, Qi Shaorong replied, “Nothing, just…this little tiger has quite a luxurious diet, Your Highness.”

“Yes, indeed! Luxurious doesn’t even begin to describe it. It eats better than the concubines in the palace. Luckily, the Tiger King only has this one cub; if it had ten or so, the royal family would go bankrupt,” Tang Tianying replied.

“And you just spoil it like that?” Qi Shaorong asked with a frown.

Tang Tianying glanced at the large, restless tiger nearby and shrugged. “We don’t have much of a choice!”

Qi Shaorong nodded in understanding. “I get it.”

In this world, it wasn’t only humans who valued noble lineage; spirit beasts did too. This little tiger was undoubtedly a beast heir with such a powerful father guarding it. Anyone who dared neglect it would be courting disaster.

Tang Tianying looked at Qi Shaorong. “Evil Doctor, have you figured anything out?”

“It could be an ‘affluence disease’—like diabetes. Tigers should be eating meat, not sweets. With so many sugary foods and no exercise, of course there’d be problems.”

“Affluence disease?” Tang Tianying asked in confusion. “Can it be treated?”

“It’s just a guess. Spirit beasts aren’t like humans, so it’s hard to be certain,” Qi Shaorong replied.

Tang Tianying asked, “Is there anything you need?”

Frowning, Qi Shaorong replied, “I’ll need to go back and prepare some medicine. Whether it works will depend on the situation.”

Tang Tianying nodded in understanding. “I see.”

As Qi Shaorong left with Zhuang Hao, Zhuang Hao asked, “What exactly is this ‘affluence disease’ you mentioned?”

“It’s a diet-related condition. In the early stages, there may be no symptoms other than weight gain, increased appetite, and excessive thirst. Eventually, it leads to weight loss and dehydration. As it worsens, the skin thins, and the patient may fall into a coma. A lavish environment, lots of rich foods, and no exercise are all factors that contribute,” Qi Shaorong explained.

“Exactly! I’ve been saying the royal family is too indulgent with that little cub. It’s practically spoiled beyond control,” Zhuang Hao added.

Qi Shaorong remarked, “Isn’t the Azure-Winged Tiger King supposed to train its son from a young age?”

“The Tiger King only had this precious son after a hundred years of trying. It dotes on him and gives him whatever he wants,” Zhuang Hao replied.

Qi Shaorong: “…” It wasn’t just parents on Earth who spoiled their kids—same thing in this world!

“It’s all just a guess,” Qi Shaorong added. “If we could get some blood for testing, it’d help confirm things.”

“You need the little tiger’s blood?” Zhuang Hao asked.

Qi Shaorong nodded. “A blood sample would make it easier, but as you’ve probably noticed, it won’t be easy to get.”

It would have been simple enough with the naive little tiger alone, but with its imposing father nearby, the task was much harder.

After some thought, Zhuang Hao said, “I’ll escort you out of the palace first, and then I’ll go back to get the blood.”

Qi Shaorong: “…”