Chen Huafeng replied, "That is easily managed. My humble abode is nearby, and I have fine wine stored away. Follow me." They arrived at Chen Huafeng’s place, and he retrieved the wine from a stone cache; it was so cold it made the teeth ache. The guest was delighted and downed perhaps ten cups without pause. In the blink of an eye, dusk settled, and a sudden downpour erupted outside. Chen Huafeng lit a lamp and candles, and the two drank heartily, chatting as they imbibed.

Now and then, Chen Huafeng noticed a faint glow emanating from behind the guest’s head, sparking suspicion in his mind. Soon after, the visitor, heavily intoxicated, retired to bed. Chen Huafeng gently untied the man’s kerchief and discovered, behind his ear, a hole the size of a teacup. Within this opening, layers upon layers of intricate, crisscrossing membranes formed a truly bizarre structure. Chen Huafeng procured a hair ornament and lightly probed one of the membranes. A low buzzing sound erupted, and an object, shaped like a small ox, darted out and flew straight through the window.

The guest awoke with a start at the noise, chastising him sternly, "You rashly released the Ox Jaundice agent; you have brought about a great disaster! What are we to do now?" Chen Huafeng, bewildered, could only stare. The guest sighed, "Since it has come to this, I shall hide nothing. I am, in truth, the Pestilence God of the Six Domestic Animals. The agent you released—the Niuhuang—will surely cause the death of every working ox within a hundred li."

Chen Huafeng himself raised oxen, and upon hearing this, he was filled with dread, asking, "Is there any way to save them?" The guest responded, "To combat the Niuhuang sickness, only Kushen San is truly effective. I will impart the prescription to you now, entrusting you to spread the word everywhere. Remember, do not hoard this knowledge for yourself." He then scooped up a handful of dust from the ground, saying, "Treasure this well; it will prove useful when the time comes." With that, he bid farewell and departed.

Before long, the working oxen within a hundred li indeed fell ill, and the plague raged. Chen Huafeng, feeling a perverse schadenfreude, refused to make the prescription public, sharing it only secretly with his younger brother. His brother followed the prescription to prepare the medicine, and it proved astonishingly effective. Chen Huafeng kept over fifty working oxen, all of whom contracted the Niuhuang sickness. Giving them the Kushen San had absolutely no effect. Soon, the majority of his oxen perished, leaving only four or five cows, who were also near death.

Chen Huafeng was beside himself with anxiety. Suddenly, he recalled, "The Pestilence God gave me a handful of dust upon leaving. I might as well try it; I wonder if it will work." He immediately mixed the dust with water and gave it to the remaining cows to drink. The effect was instantaneous; the ailment vanished upon application of the medicine.

It was only then that Chen Huafeng fully grasped the truth: "The Kushen San was indeed a potent medicine, but because I harbored selfish intent, I incurred the punishment of the spirits, which is why it failed to take effect."

Several years later, his cows bred, and the herd gradually returned to its former size. (Note: Niuhuang refers to Anthrax.)