After several seconds, the child coughed repeatedly, and his face visibly recovered to a normal color, with a hint of redness replacing the original bluish tint.

Inner Strength can indeed be used to expel poison, but there are hundreds of infected people here, making it extremely difficult to expel the poison for each one. The only way is to use Inner Strength first on the weak children and elderly to save their lives, then slowly treat them with medicine. However, Ye Shikai is struggling to identify the illness, thus he can only use ordinary herbs for treatment, which may not be as effective.

Ye Shikai took out a large assortment of herbs from the Storage Ring; these were all purchased in Linxiang City, and should be sufficient for all the infected.

"You’re not planning to just feed these people random medicine, are you?" The voice of the sword soul echoed in his mind. It was unusual since the sword soul rarely spoke unless it was necessary.

"Of course not, but detoxification requires trial and practice. Right now, I’m unsure what this epidemic is, but the priority is to detoxify the severely ill first."

"You know how to check the pulse and use silver needles, don’t you?"

"Of course."

"Alright, find a sick villager and pierce them with a silver needle..."

"Wait, can acupuncture skills cure an epidemic?" Ye Shikai questioned.

"I am not using acupuncture skills for treatment; I need the blood of the infected."

"I see." Ye Shikai didn’t know what the sword soul was planning but followed it. He used a syringe to draw a tube of blood from an infected male without hesitation.

"Then what?" Ye Shikai probed further.

"All clear now, I’ll provide you with the antidote formula, and you can have the villagers prepare it."

"What, just like that?" Ye Shikai was incredulous at the simplicity of the sword soul’s solution. The soul of the Netherworld Blade seemed to master traditional medicine unexpectedly.

"I can read your thoughts, which are crystal clear to me. Since you’re curious, I’ll tell you—I’m an Energy Body without a physical form, and I can comprehend things over vast distances through my spiritual power. Understanding the viruses in this blood is child’s play. As for Huaxia’s traditional medicine skills—that’s a secret for now."

"Fine, you don’t have to tell me. This time, you’ve done me a favor by providing the formula." With the antidote formula, Ye Shikai felt relieved. Having the sword soul by his side was like carrying a "mobile hospital."

"Traveling doctor, we’re ready." At this moment, villagers’ voices sounded from outside as Ye Shikai stood up and strode out of the house.

"Get me paper and a pen."

"Yes, yes, quickly bring the traveling doctor paper and pen."

Receiving the paper and pen, Ye Shikai wrote down the formula given by the sword soul. He mostly carried the required herbs, and even if not, the villagers knew how to gather herbs from the mountains surrounding the village—obtaining more was easy.

"Follow this prescription, organize villagers to collect herbs from the mountains immediately—three times a day, one large bowl each time—and within two days, ensure all the infected recover," Ye Shikai instructed calmly, handing over the written prescription.

"Is that true?"

"Certainly, I will stay in the village until the epidemic is over and not leave until then. Additionally, infected individuals’ clothes, utensils, and personal belongings must be collected and burned to cut off the epidemic source," Ye Shikai added.

"We will heed the traveling doctor’s instructions."

Not all villagers fully trusted Ye Shikai since he was a traveling doctor they barely knew; they were desperate for a quick solution. But seeing Ye Shikai’s confident demeanor, they decided not to question him further. Besides, Ye Shikai made it clear he wouldn’t leave until curing the epidemic, urging villagers to comply, especially their concern for their wives and children inside the houses.

Ye Shikai joined the villagers up the mountain to gather herbs, quickly locating necessary ingredients with the sword soul’s help, and combining them with those stored in the Storage Ring, enough to make the medicine.

..................

Late night.

"Sword soul, are you confident about this? This time I’ve completely followed your advice. If the villagers aren’t cured, I’m in trouble." Ye Shikai sat alone inside, aware some villagers guarded outside, wary he might escape at night. If the treatment failed, the frustrated villagers would surely turn on him.

"Haha, epidemics are child’s play for me, nothing significant. Even if one were at death’s door, I could still find a way."

"That’s reassuring."

"Besides, even if these villagers attack you, what can they do? You’re a cultivator, the Netherworld King. Revealing your Netherworld Blade would render the villagers helpless like fish on a chopping block," the sword soul remarked coldly.

"Sword soul, are you aware of the consequences of wielding the Netherworld Blade with my current power?" Ye Shikai sighed, knowing he was strapped for time, especially outside his solitary weeks with He Linghan, having little chance to practice the Emperor Xuan Scripture or enhance his cultivation. The blade’s murderous aura would surely trigger the Demon Addiction, reducing him to an unthinking killer...

"Let’s focus on the task at hand," Ye Shikai shifted topics. "I’m here not just to serve as a traveling doctor, but to find a shortcut for the Chu Army to retreat." Ye Shikai brought out a map from his store, marking Baimu Village’s position, noting its proximity to the Qin and Chu armies’ frontline area. Villagers were right; scouts of the Qin or Chu Army often passed nearby, but the ongoing epidemic discouraged their approach.

"Today, while collecting herbs up the mountain, I discovered a passage through the valley in the direction of the Chu Army’s camp. I’m not sure if it can be completely opened, so I want to explore further tomorrow. If it is accessible, it should allow the Chu Army a clean escape from the battlefield." Ye Shikai calculated the food supplies for the ten thousand-strong Chu Army consumed immensely daily, so his time was ticking.

"Do you genuinely wish to help these mortals?" The sword soul asked in a subdued voice.

"Aren’t I a mortal too?" Ye Shikai retorted.

"You are, yet you aren’t. Since you’re resolved to save them, I’ll aid you once more."