Chapter 20

The abrupt appearance of the snake had taken everyone by shock.

That snake was simply too fast!

Ning Fei wanted to feature the lingzhi closely, so he was using the phone for the livestream. The viewers felt as though they were there as well.

When everyone got over the initial fright and shock, they realized that the snake had landed somewhere else. Ning Fei looked perfectly fine and composed, without a tinge of fear.

The drone then took over the filming.

It turned out that when the green snake had slithered out, Ning Fei had used the fragrance-wood stick to fling it away.

It was a daunting experience, but without any mishaps.

“Hello, everyone. It’s natural to see insects and snakes around here, so I was already prepared just now,” Ning Fei spoke calmly to the drone.

The viewers felt relieved and calmed down after his explanation.

‘Webcaster, you’re the best!’

‘Exciting! Too damn exciting! Gave me such a shock!’

‘Host, you have to compensate me for my phone!’

‘I almost peed in my pants!’

‘Host, and you claim that you don’t know martial arts?!’

His screen was littered with comments, and everyone expressed how shocked and terrified they were about what had just happened.

Many also sent him rewards.

‘Host, is that snake trying to protect the white jade lingzhi?’ someone asked.

Ning Fei cracked a smile at the screen.

“No, it wasn’t. To humans, lingzhi is useful. But to snakes, it’s just another oddly shaped mushroom. Snakes naturally seek places that are cool. This area is shaded and dark all year round, and that was why the snake had been hiding here.”

Ning Fei was already prying the weeds around the white jade lingzhi with the fragrance-wood stick as he explained.

He had to be patient during this process. Impatience and haste were taboos during such expeditions. If an ordinary person were to spot a priceless white jade lingzhi, he or she would have jumped in to pluck it, but they would have also been exposed to the danger of being bitten by poisonous snakes in the grass.

“Snakes are commonly seen in the mountains. I’ve fended myself against snakes since I was a boy. Besides, most snakes wouldn’t attack someone without a reason. But this situation is an exception,” Ning Fei added.

Jiang Feng sent Ning Fei another super rocket along with a message.

‘Webcaster, are you selling this white jade lingzhi? I want to buy it.’

Ning Fei hadn’t had the time to notice the messages and comments. He was focused on tidying up the surroundings around the white jade lingzhi. He rummaged for a shovel in his backpack before he carefully dug out the lingzhi.

He took out a small brush and poured some water from a bottle to clean the surface of the lingzhi.

“Everyone, if you find lingzhi, the first thing you have to do is to clean off the mud and dirt on it. Once the dirt has dried up, it won’t be easy to remove.”

Ning Fei’s concentration was fully on the lingzhi as he spoke, “This is indeed a white jade lingzhi. Snakes slither around it frequently, and that’s why it remains protected from pests.”

Ning Fei zoomed in on the white jade lingzhi again so as to allow the viewers to have a clear view of the lingzhi.

This white jade lingzhi was indeed beautiful. It was light white in color, and from a first glance, it wasn’t anything ordinary.

‘Is that really white jade lingzhi?’ someone questioned again.

‘In that case, this webcaster is going to have a windfall. I heard that the price for a white jade lingzhi can go beyond 100,000 yuan[1]**!’

‘What? 100,000 yuan?’

‘That is just the minimum value! Other than strengthening the body and cleansing the lungs, it also offers protection to the whole heart! Besides that, it increases and improves blood circulation and strengthens the myocardium!’

‘Are you for real?’

‘In a nutshell, this is for the wealthy. They are willing to fork out a fortune for a tiger’s p*nis, so it is understandable that they are willing to part with the same amount of money for a white jade lingzhi.’

Many had privately messaged Ning Fei to offer to buy his lingzhi.

‘I want this! Name your price!’

“50,000 yuan! I want it!’

‘Webcaster, please sell it to me. The price is negotiable.’

After Ning Fei had finished cleaning the white jade lingzhi, he checked the webcast system for messages.

Many were offering to buy the lingzhi.

Ning Fei was exhilarated. The purpose of his trip today was to sell the lingzhi he would find.

The one with the highest bid was indeed Master Jiang.

Master Jiang typed, ‘Webcaster, sell me this white jade lingzhi. Judging from its color, it’s around ten years old. My offer of 100,000 yuan is reasonable.’

Ning Fei accepted and replied with a confirmation to Master Jiang’s message. He then announced to the webcast room, “Bosses, so sorry. I’ve sold the white jade lingzhi, and I won’t be accepting any more offers.”

Ning Fei didn’t reveal the identity of the buyer to ensure his privacy.

Lingzhi would need at least six months to fully mature. Only in the wild, would one come across a lingzhi that was ten years old or even a century old.

This white jade lingzhi had thrived in a special place and gone unnoticed for a decade. It could be considered a miracle.

Ning Fei sounded firm and decisive, and it stopped the businessmen and buyers who wanted to get their hands on the lingzhi from trying their luck again.

Jiang Feng was impressed by Ning Fei’s ability and found his character admirable. Thus, he sent him 50 more rockets.

Ning Fei was in a jubilant mood with 100,000 yuan in his pocket. He would have money to pay for his living expenses now. The temple was also in ruins, and if he wanted to reconstruct it, he would need a huge sum of money.

It was afternoon by this time.

As the paths in the jungle weren’t easy to navigate, with Ning Fei searching for lingzhi, he had spent quite some time in there.

“Viewers and friends, wild lingzhi is rare, and most of the time, we would go home empty-handed. Today, lady luck was on my side.”

Ning Fei found a flat rock and took out his lunch. He had a bottle of water, two buns, a braised egg, and a sausage.

‘Webcaster, this is your lunch?’

‘Nooo… it’s so pitiful!’

‘You have just pocketed 100,000 yuan. Shouldn’t you be eating something else?’

‘Hahaha, what is this situation?’

The viewers joked and bantered.

Ning Fei grinned at the comments with a chuckle.

“Friends, my sole purpose is to find lingzhi today. This place is far from the temple, and I have to get back before nighttime, so time is of the essence. Next time, I will do a livestream of how I cook in the wilderness.”

Everyone finally understood after Ning Fei clarified.

He just wanted to have a quick and convenient lunch.

After all, he was inside a dangerous jungle, and time was precious. All he needed was something to satisfy his hunger.

After a few minutes, he finished his lunch and gulped down his water. He continued to trudge deep into the forest.

“Few come here, so the probability of both danger and treasure are equally higher,” Ning Fei talked as he strode briskly.

At this time, something near the trees suddenly made a rustling sound. The twigs on the ground were also shifting slightly.

‘What is happening?’

Everyone was jittery.

They had never ventured to a place like this before and had no idea what was inside.

Ning Fei looked rather wary and solemn as well.

He studied the movements amongst the trees and deduced that it was something big.

As expected, the leaves parted, and a fully-grown wild boar barged its way through the trees.

A wild boar!

At the sight of the boar, comments surged in.

‘Webcaster, run!!!’

‘Oh my god! It’s a wild boar!’

‘It’s so horrifying!’

At this time, Ning Fei hadn’t moved as he eyed the boar intently. He stealthily took out a sharp shovel.

The boar had noticed Ning Fei, and it was evidently terrified. It turned on its heel and sprinted away in a heartbeat.

Ning Fei let out a sigh of relief after it was gone.

“Viewers, wild boars are commonly sighted in the mountains. But they don’t attack for no reason unless the boars are the giant and exceptionally strong ones, with a violent nature,” Ning Fei clarified.

He didn’t add on that, in the past, there weren’t regulations or laws to stop the poaching of wild boars. Many poachers or hunters would venture up the mountains to hunt for these boars. The flesh of a boar was chewy and delicious although it was slightly sour.

But there were fewer hunters now.

Ning Fei consciously remembered that he had gone deeper in today. The jungle was huge, and he could only cover a tiny area during his search.

He raised his head to peer at the sky before he glanced at the map on his phone. He muttered to himself, “I should be nearing the ‘Yin'[2] side of the mountain, where I’m most likely to find lingzhi.”

Ning Fei had studied the ancient beliefs and traditions, and read about the rules and order in nature. A mountain’s “yin” side referred to the side of the mountain that had been facing dark and negative energy. A mountain’s “yang” side faced bright and positive energy.

On this mountain, there was only one side of the mountain that had been facing the “yin” side.

Lingzhi was most likely found in such places.

Ning Fei had to locate the “yin” area before he could search for the lingzhi.

It should be that jagged cliff! Ning Fei gazed ahead as he thought.

[1] [Annotation text missing]

[2] [Annotation text missing]