noveldrama
Chapter 459: 456
Chapter 459: 456
Chapter 459: 456
When the yellow dead leaves, green needle grass, and black soil were peeled back, the exposure of the rich red soil to the air was a delight to behold.
Red clay!
Bi Fang scooped up a handful of red clay, his face brimming with joy, “Blood-Sealing Throat Trees are often found in tropical monsoon rainforest regions, rooting in acidic bedrocks such as granite, shale, and sandstone, or atop red soil. I guessed there might be red clay underfoot here since I didn’t see any large rocks!”
Leonardo was somewhat stunned, murmuring, “It’s actually here.”
At the moment the red clay was revealed before his eyes, Leonardo didn’t feel joy but an indescribable sense of relief.
Yes, relief.
If one were to say that upon first entering the rainforest, the deep and shadowy environment induced a sense of fear, with the highly repetitive sight of trees enough to make one feel lost and panicky.
But watching Bi Fang, who knew everything and worried about nothing, who was neither sad nor anxious, just methodically following a set plan and using any available resources—
From parachuting into the rainforest, to descending from the trees, to the systematic search for water sources and red clay to repel mosquitoes—
All the apprehensions about the unknown environment were swept away.
Bi Fang was like an experienced and savvy native, for whom the rainforest wasn’t a place of peril that ordinary people dreaded, but his home.
If a friend invited you to his home, would you feel afraid?
If seeing the Arrow Poison Wood told you there was red clay, how was that different from asking for a glass of water at a friend’s house and the host effortlessly fetching a disposable cup from the cabinet?
He knew exactly what was where, as clear as if he were back at home.
[Amazing!]
[Incredible plus!]
[This, he knows way too much]
[I’m utterly impressed!]
The audience in the live broadcast room seeing that patch of red soil on their screens were utterly impressed.
“It’s truly awesome!” In Pavilion One, the audience felt a sense of excitement returning, that familiar feeling coming back.
Watching survival is undeniably tense and thrilling, but watching Bi Fang survive is a time to broaden one’s horizons.
“Hurry, come and help. I’ll go find something to put this in, be careful not to dig up its roots,” Bi Fang instructed carefully, “The Blood-Sealing Throat Tree is poisonous due to its sap, so we must not scratch its surface. Additionally, it is a Third-Level Protected Plant, so for whatever reason, try not to damage its root system.”
“If you hadn’t told me it was poisonous, it would have been fine, but now I’m a bit scared,” Leonardo said with a wry smile, squatting down to dig out the red clay himself.
“Third-Level Protected Plant? Is that a thing?” Someone in Pavilion One raised a question.
They’d heard of national first and second class protected animals, but never of a third class.
This term felt unfamiliar and strange suddenly coming from Bi Fang’s mouth, yet nobody challenged it.
If Bi Fang said something existed, it almost certainly did. If they didn’t know or were unclear about it, it was likely their own fault. Why embarrass oneself by questioning someone’s expertise with one’s own layman’s knowledge?
“Yes, there is!” Someone confirmed after pulling out their phone and checking.
But even faster was someone sending a barrage of questions to Bi Fang through the live comments.
At this moment, Bi Fang had come to a tree with large fan-shaped leaves, and was removing its leaves to prepare for transporting soil back. Seeing the barrage of comments, he nodded, “Yes, there are first, second, and third levels of protection for plants, but animals indeed only have first and second levels. Below that, we have ‘San You,’ which isn’t third level, and common animals like frogs and sparrows are among ‘San You.'”
“Compared to first and second levels, the protection for ‘San You’ is much weaker. There’s no problem unless their numbers reach a certain point, so few ordinary people care about it. It’s not like they are specifically targeted for hunting. Moreover, people care less about plants, which is why you’ve probably never heard about it.”
[So that’s how it is.]
[What about third-level plants, though? Didn’t Master Fang just say they could be used for defense? Can we still do that now?]
[Should be possible, Old Fang isn’t unaware that it’s a third-level protection plant. He had said earlier that it was doable, so it must be.]
Bi Fang chuckled, “Ordinary people might not believe it, but for me, it’s possible. Third-level protected plants can be utilized as long as permission is applied for, and unfortunately for you, I happen to be one of those authorized.”
Not to mention, a long time ago, Lin Chang’s dad had acquired the relevant certification for him.
After some development over time, Bi Fang’s status had become even more extraordinary, and naturally, there were fewer taboos for him.
[We’re being shown up. Is this what a true boss looks like?]
[After the Hainan Warlord, do we now have a Wilderness Warlord?]
[I called the cops, but his phone rang.]
[Classic.]
Meanwhile, Leonardo was already poking out quite a bit of red clay with tree branches.
In the rainforest, the cycle of matter is rapid, so the red soil isn’t on the surface but rather covered under a layer of black soil.
Anyone who has ever dug up soil knows that just a bit deeper it becomes tough and hard to dig, forming into solid lumps that are difficult to remove by hand. That’s why Leonardo had to poke at it for a good while with branches to procure a substantial amount of red clay.
Bi Fang rolled up the large leaves, forming them into a funnel shape, then found a thick vine and started binding it around from where the break was, wrapping it round and round.
After wrapping it, he found another two thin and short morning glory vines and used them to connect and secure the ends to the wrapped vine, completing the funnel-like container.
“We could even make a lid for the top that’s connected,” Bi Fang said as he wrapped a thin vine around the petiole of the large leaf, with the other end attached to the thick vine. With a pull, the upper half of the leaf covered the funnel.
Having made two of these, Bi Fang carried them over to the red clay and put all the red clay that Leonardo had dug up into them.
“Aren’t we applying it now?” Leonardo asked curiously.
“No, we can’t apply it yet. Red clay that has just been dug up cannot be used directly; it requires secondary processing,” Bi Fang explained. “Because the soil of red clay contains tons of bacteria, microorganisms, and even small bugs. Look.”
As Bi Fang stirred the red clay, ants, aphids, and woodlice were scurrying around in an escape frenzy.
“If you were to apply such soil directly, it would be okay if you had no tiny wounds, but if you had any cuts, it could be serious trouble. And in the jungle, with sharp branches everywhere, you could have small cuts that you might not even be aware of.”
“The locals in Africa wouldn’t do this either. They would dry it, then mix in animal fats to increase the stickiness. This way, when applied on the body, it wouldn’t fall off due to drying and cracking.”
Leonardo looked up at the rainforest, where not a bit of sunlight penetrated, and scratched his head, “So what do we do? We don’t have animal fat, nor do we have sunlight to dry it.”
“No worries, if we don’t have fats, we just add more water. If we don’t have sunlight, we can bake the soil directly to sterilize it. It’s the same thing,” Bi Fang reassured.
With the large funnel on his back, Bi Fang took a deep breath and said, “Now it’s time to make fire. Today, I will teach you a third hands-on method of making fire, besides the ‘Fire-Making by Wood-Drilling’ and pump method.”
“The Fire Saw Method!”