Ning Fei marched a few steps to a tree. Under this tree, there was a fallen decayed tree that lay at a spot that sunlight couldn't reach. There was moss growing around it, and it was already turning black.
"Everyone, look. There is lingzhi right there."
Ning Fei knelt down and moved his phone closer to the lingzhi.
"Everyone, you have to take note of the difference between lingzhi and some poisonous fungi. Similarly, you have to be aware of poisonous snakes and insects and act cautiously. There will be many dangerous beasts around the mountain and snakes lingering around the vicinity."
Ning Fei inched closer as he explained, and his viewers didn't even dare to breathe loudly.
"But this lingzhi can't be used any longer. Look at the bottom of the lingzhi. It has been badly eaten by bugs. What a pity." Ning Fei shook his head, looking a little sad.
Although the viewers couldn't understand the full picture, they were nonetheless a little regretful when they heard Ning Fei.
Ning Fei carefully used a long stick to check the lingzhi's surroundings.
The stick had a gentle light emitting from it and didn't look ordinary.
'Host, what is this stick?' someone asked curiously.
'It's made of fragrance wood. It's nothing valuable," Ning Fei replied casually when he glanced at the screen.
'What? Fragrance wood?'
His nonchalance caused a wave of commotion.
'What do you mean by that? Fragrance wood has a high value right now!'
'I heard that too, as this wood has a natural fragrance. Humans can't smell it, but it drives the insects away.'
'This wood can slow down pests and insects, so insects hate this wood.'
'I heard that fragrance wood is made from the heart of trees that are at least a century old. Host, your stick is such a big one. I'm afraid it won't come cheap!'
'It's about 500 yuan.'
Some of the viewers were rather knowledgeable despite being ordinary working people. They could contribute to the discussion with their opinions.
And so, everyone chimed in one after another, and the value of Ning Fei's wooden stick came to light.
His fragrance wood stick really cost about 500 yuan.
Fragrance wood was indeed a good quality material. It wouldn't rot even after a century if the workmanship was good.
According to his master, his fragrance-wood stick was passed down generations ago. It had become an "asset" of the Light Breeze Temple.
He could use this fragrance-wood stick for these journeys, and it would prevent insects and pests, some of which lurked in the darkness, from attacking him suddenly.
Jiang Feng studied the fragrance-wood stick from the screen and confirmed that it was genuine. He also noticed something that the others didn't. He could see a few faint red lines in the fragrance-wood stick that would have gone unnoticed easily.
Fragrance wood came from trees that were at least a century old, and this particular fragrance-wood stick was of even greater quality.
The fragrance-wood stick in Ning Fei's hand had been from a tree that was at least a thousand years old!
Fragrance wood was beneficial to a person's health as it helped by improving blood circulation, improving the quality of sleep, and strengthening the mind.
In fact, Ning Fei's antique bed was made from dozens of blocks of fragrance wood!
If his stick was made from fragrance wood of at least a thousand years old, its value wouldn't be merely 50,000 yuan. It would be 10 times more!
500,000 yuan!
This fellow looked poor and shabby on the surface, yet he had casually whipped out a stick that was worth 500,000 yuan!
This was interesting.
Jiang Feng soon realized that this webcaster's livestream was indeed illuminating. He would wait until Ning Fei had found the lingzhi. It wouldn't be too late to reward him then.
Ning Fei continued to use his stick to lift up the stalks of lingzhi.
A lingzhi that had been bitten by pests was barely of any value.
"Such a pity." Ning Fei sighed aloud as he stowed his stick away. He then continued to trudge deeper into the mountain.
"Guys, if we continue deeper, all sorts of animals could come out. The most common ones are the black bears and boars." Ning Fei continued marching on as he took sips of water.
Honestly speaking, outdoor webcasters like him who would go on an expedition to the wilderness were rare. This adventure was a real one, and certainly, it had sparked the viewers' interest.
It was hardly a surprise that his webcast room was growing steadily in popularity.
And in no time, he reached 300,000 viewers.
"Boars are not scary as they don't attack people easily. It's the black bears that are terrifying. Everyone, don't belittle their speed as they can run fast. Ordinary people wouldn't be a match," explained Ning Fei.
Ning Fei walked cautiously as his eyes darted everywhere.
He had gone past the edge of the jungle and ventured deeper. Few people would come here.
"Lotus Wood?" Ning Fei's eyes lit up.
A short distance away, there were four massive trees that looked as though they had been connected together. Their trunks were very close to each other.
"Brothers, look here. We have four trees growing together."
Ning Fei used his finger to point ahead as he explained, "These trees will fight to survive, and therefore, they will extend themselves upward in search of sunlight. In doing so, the area between these trunks wouldn't get any sunlight over the years. And thus, lingzhi would be able to grow easily!
"Let's go take a look if I'm in luck today," Ning Fei said.
The viewers also got curious and intrigued by him. They stared at the trees intently.
Ning Fei went nearer, and everyone couldn't help but become nervous.
These connected trees were indeed hard to come by! Ning Fei was really in luck today.
He trod carefully and slowly toward them as he examined their trunks, which resembled four walls. The trunks had formed an enclosed space.
Ning Fei peered inside and spotted a white lingzhi, looking dainty and lonely.
"Wow, it's a white lingzhi!"
Surprise and delight rushed through Ning Fei.
Lingzhi was a kind of bacteria, and the brighter the color was, the more poisonous it would be. Also, the purer the color, the better it was.
This breed of lingzhi looked exceptionally fine!
At the sight of it, comments rushed in.
'A white lingzhi? What's that?'
'Experts, please expound.'
'It looks rare.'
'White lingzhi is one of the best and rarest lingzhi one can find. It only grows in the wild and needs strict conditions to grow!'
'You're right. White lingzhi demands a specific temperature and moisture. I can't imagine that a white lingzhi would grow in this place.'
'Brothers, tell me how much it's worth.'
'I deduce it would be worth around 30,000 yuan.'
Master Jiang added a comment, 'That isn't an ordinary white lingzhi as its size would be as big as a palm. This lingzhi is as big as a clock's face, so I reckon that it's probably a white jade lingzhi!'
'What? White jade lingzhi?'
White jade lingzhi required even more specific conditions!
Due to the temperature and moisture level, white jade lingzhi would stop growing at a certain size. However, its quality wouldn't stop evolving, and therefore, its medicinal worth was invaluable!
"Dear viewers, I think I might be raking in a fortune this time." After Ning Fei examined the white lingzhi, his expression turned delightful.
This white lingzhi was most likely the white jade variety. And judging from the color, it should be of premium quality!
Ning Fei took out the fragrance-wood stick to survey the surroundings.
At this time, a green snake slithered out from underneath the weeds near the lingzhi.
Everyone was watching the lingzhi intently, and the abrupt appearance of the snake took them by shock.
'Ahhh!'
Many shrieked and screamed in horror, and some even threw their phones away.
Yingting was one of them.
She was enjoying the livestream when the snake seemingly materialized out of thin air. She then hurled her phone away in fright.
She picked up the phone a moment later and spluttered, "Oh my lord! It's a snake!
"Little brother, are you all right? Please don't be disfigured!"