Cultivators are human, and humans can fall ill,
Similarly, Demon Beasts can fall sick as well.
However, Cultivators and Demon Beasts generally do not fall ill easily, and when they do, it is not with mundane illnesses such as the common cold or flu.
Generally, their illnesses are caused by improper cultivation practices or the invasion of external poisons, leading to diseases unique to Cultivators.
The Mu Family's eight Ink Scale Steeds suddenly all fell to the ground, spitting blood, which was clearly a typical symptom of poisoning or illness.
Zhou Chun entered the stables and after examining the Ink Scale Steeds' eyes, tongue, and even their feces, he recalled the various Beast Taming Classics he had read, and immediately thought of several corresponding symptoms.
However, he did not rush to conclusions but turned to the anxious Mu Family members watching him and said, "Zhou has some speculations, but whether they are correct or not, I need to inquire about some details before I can conclude."
"Before that, you may give them the Elixirs in this bottle first, it can temporarily alleviate their symptoms and prevent casualties."
After speaking, he reached into his Storage Pouch, took out a bottle of medicine, and handed it to Mu Ziying.
But Mu Ziying, holding the medicine bottle, did not act immediately, instead, she looked towards Mu Yunshan.
"Do as Taoist Friend Zhou said,"
With a brief hesitation, Mu Yunshan nodded, gesturing for Mu Ziying to feed the Ink Scale Steeds the medicine.
After swallowing the Elixirs that Zhou Chun had provided, the convulsions of the Ink Scale Steeds indeed diminished greatly, and the blood at the corners of their mouths also slowed down significantly.
Seeing this, several Mu Family Cultivators showed expressions of surprise, and their gazes toward the medicine bottle in Mu Ziying's hands changed.
But they were clearly aware that this kind of secret Elixir must be the Zhou Family's proprietary medicine, and they did not expect Zhou Chun to share the recipe with them, so they did not bring it up.
Then, Mu Yunshan gestured and took Zhou Chun to a slightly more distant place, then looked at him seriously and said, "Taoist Friend Zhou, feel free to ask any questions you may have."
"Zhou would like to know what these Ink Scale Steeds have been fed over the past two days? Which places outside have these Ink Scale Steeds visited in the last three days?"
Zhou Chun didn't mince words and immediately posed two questions.
Upon hearing this, Mu Yunshan immediately responded, "Please wait a moment, Daoist Friend; I will go and inquire right away."
He then went to communicate with several of the Mu Family Cultivators responsible for taking care of the Ink Scale Steeds.
Shortly after, he brought Mu Ziying and a middle-aged Mu Family Cultivator back with him.
"I dare not deceive Taoist Friend Zhou. A few days ago, our Family Cultivators discovered a hidden Serpent Nest in a forest south of Biyun Lake, where they killed a number of first-order Demon Snakes and countless Mortal Snakes. For these past two days, the Ink Scale Steeds have been feeding on snake meat and some Sweet Leaf Grass that they like."
"For the past three days, the Ink Scale Steeds have not left the gates of the mountain; they've just been running their usual laps around the mountain gate."
Mu Ziying and the middle-aged Mu Family Cultivator answered Zhou Chun's questions in turn.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Chun immediately looked at Mu Ziying and asked, "Has snake meat been fed to the Ink Scale Steeds before?"
"Yes, the Ink Scale Steeds aren't picky eaters and have no dietary restrictions; we have fed them a variety of meats from birds, beasts, insects, and fish before, without ever encountering any issues!"
The middle-aged Mu Family Cultivator answered this time, looking skeptically at Zhou Chun as he asked, "Does Taoist Friend Zhou suspect there's something wrong with that snake meat?"
After saying this, he couldn't help but shake his head and add, "But that snake meat is extremely delicious; many of our Mu Family Cultivators and Mortals have eaten it without anyone experiencing poisoning or falling sick!"
"Yes, even you ate it, Taoist Friend Zhou,"
Mu Ziying also chimed in.
Without expecting it, after hearing their words, Zhou Chun nodded and said, "It's very likely the problem lies with that snake meat!"
Before the two could object, he explained, "The snake meat we humans eat is cleaned and cooked properly, essentially eliminating the possibility of poisoning from eating the meat."
"But the Ink Scale Steeds enjoy eating bloody, raw meat; when you fed them, you probably just threw the snake carcasses to them."
"Although with the physical constitution of the Ink Scale Steeds, even bites from ordinary poisonous snakes wouldn't have much effect on them, if it were some highly venomous Demon Snakes and their offspring, it could still cause serious poisoning!"
"Therefore, the reason these Ink Scale Steeds are experiencing such severe poisoning symptoms is likely due to having consumed the carcasses of Demon Snakes and their offspring, allowing the snake venom to enter through their mouths and cause such a serious toxic reaction."
His explanation was logical and clear, leaving the Mu Family Cultivators without a word to say in rebuttal.
In the end, it was Mu Yunshan who spoke up and asked, "If it is indeed snake venom, does Taoist Friend Zhou have a way to detoxify them?"
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"Of course, there's a way, but the Ink Scale Steed is only a rank-one Demon Beast, and I'm afraid that you're reluctant to use the extremely costly methods."
Zhou Chun glanced at Mu Yunshan and then continued, "Therefore, it would be best if someone accompanied me to the vicinity of the snake den. Generally speaking, near the dens of venomous snakes, one can find some herbs that counteract snake venom."
"Then we'll have to trouble Taoist Friend Zhou. I will go to report to the Clan Leader immediately," Mu Yunshan said.
After speaking, Mu Yunshan gave Zhou Chun a cupped fist salute and hurriedly left the Beast Garden.
After an hour, Zhou Chun, accompanied by five Mu Family Cultivators, left Biyun Mountain and headed to the location of the snake den on the southern shore of Biyun Lake.
There is a bamboo sea that stretches over a dozen miles along the southern shore of Biyun Mountain, and the snake den was discovered deep within the bamboo forest.
When Zhou Chun arrived near the entrance of the snake den under the guidance of the Mu Family Cultivators, he could still see numerous venomous snakes.
"Taoist Friend Zhou, please look, the snake den is inside this underground cavern. There was even a rank-one superior Serpent King that emerged. We had to exert great effort to kill it!"
In a cleared space within the bamboo forest, a Mu Family Cultivator pointed at a pitch-black cavern entrance and explained the situation in a low voice.
He was one of the people who had personally taken part in the battle to clear out the snake den a few days earlier.
However, Zhou Chun knew that the people from the Mu Family hadn't told the whole truth.
Normally, after a snake becomes a demon, it does not gather other ordinary snakes to form a Serpent Nest.
If such a situation occurs, it indicates that there is something in the snake den that is extremely beneficial to the growth of snakes, attracting a large number of snakes to congregate. Even a Demon Beast cannot monopolize it and has to share it with the swarm.
However, there was no need to speak openly about such matters; after all, whatever treasures the Mu Family Cultivators obtained from the snake den were their own fortune.
Thus, after staring at the dark cavern entrance for a moment, Zhou Chun shook his head slightly and said, "There's no need to go inside the cavern. I presume that nothing grows inside, so we won't find any herbs. I'll just look around nearby!"
He then started to walk around the nearby bamboo forest.
Wherever Zhou Chun went, the snakes retreated, as if they had encountered a natural enemy.
This was because he had applied Snake Repelling Ointment, a secret concoction of the Zhou Family, to his trouser legs. The scent was irritating to most snakes, making them only want to stay away from the source of the smell.
The Mu Family Cultivators following him were quite amazed by this.
Beast and snake repellents, such as powders, are not uncommon in the Cultivation World, and almost any general store in the marketplace sells them, and they are very cheap as well.
But they had never seen any with an effect as good as the Snake Repelling Ointment used by Zhou Chun.
Instantly, they all considered whether to visit Zhou Chun later to ask for or buy some, just in case.
After Zhou Chun and his companions had walked in the bamboo forest for a while, they indeed found some herbs that could counteract the venom of ordinary snakes. But as for whether they could be effective against Demon Beast snake venom, he was not very confident and had to continue searching.
As they continued to delve through the bamboo forest filled with a mixture of weeds and vines for another hour, Zhou Chun suddenly brightened up, making a significant discovery.
"Do you see the purple flower on that vine?"
"That's called the Petite Purple Snake Flower, a herb with a particularly powerful detoxifying effect against snake venom, but in order for this herb to take effect, it must first be stimulated with snake saliva."
Zhou Chun pointed at a purple flower clinging to a bamboo leaf, delivering a teaching lesson to Mu Ziying and the others who were following him.
However, when Mu Ziying and the others wanted to move forward to pick the flower, he stopped them.
"Wait, don't act rashly. The Petite Purple Snake Flower is quite delicate—directly picking it would render it useless by the time you bring it back. It needs to be dug out with its roots and carried back with soil to work."
Hearing this, the people of the Mu Family quickly took out tools and carefully dug out the vine from its roots, then hurried back to Biyun Mountain.
Back in the Beast Garden, following Zhou Chun's instructions, they stimulated the blooming purple flowers with snake saliva, causing them to close up before picking them and feeding them one by one to the Ink Scale Steeds.
The result was exactly as Zhou Chun had said: the remedy worked as expected, and within two hours, the Ink Scale Steeds that had been lying on the ground unable to rise were now able to stand.
This event quickly spread throughout the Mu Family, and even several Mu Family Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage rejoiced after hearing the whole story.
Because according to Zhou Chun, if they hadn't identified the cause of the illness and successfully detoxified the Ink Scale Steeds within a day, even if they didn't all die, most would have perished.
Had it not been for Zhou Chun's timely presence in the Mu Family, they certainly couldn't have achieved this in just one short day.
For this reason, the Clan Leader of the Mu Family specifically instructed Mu Yunshan to bring a treasure to Zhou Chun as a token of gratitude.
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