Lingzhi Growing on a Great Tree

In the deep forest, a man and a snake moved forward.

Because few people ventured into this great mountain, there were many dry fallen leaves on the ground.

With every step, the branches and twigs underfoot snapped with a crisp sound.

In this forest, Lin Xuan was like a passerby, casually observing his surroundings.

After walking for half the day, he suddenly stopped.

Xiao Qing, who had been crawling alongside, was slightly startled when Lin Xuan stopped his steps mid-stride. It quickly ceased its movement.

Not far in front of Lin Xuan stood a thick tree, so large it would require two adults to encircle it.

Growing on its trunk was a fungus, dark brown with a slightly indented tip.

If Lin Xuan wasn't mistaken, this should be Lingzhi.

"Xiao Qing, come with me to take a look."

Lin Xuan spoke, then walked towards the large tree.

When he reached the tree and observed it closely, his face lit up with joy. He hadn't been mistaken; it was indeed Lingzhi!

(What has the streamer found? Is he interested in this tree?)

(But I have to say, this tree is really huge!)

(Indeed, looking at its thickness, it probably takes two adults to hug it.)

(It's quite nice to see such a large tree in this deep forest.)

"Everyone, I'm not looking at the tree itself, but the fungus growing on it. If I'm not mistaken, this is Lingzhi."

(Lingzhi?)

(So this is what Lingzhi looks like.)

(Streamer, how old is this Lingzhi? Could it be a thousand-year Lingzhi?)

(Heh, upstairs, you've been watching too many fantasy novels. Thousand-year Lingzhi.)

(Lingzhi doesn't live for a thousand years.)

(In TV shows or novels, thousand-year Lingzhi often appears, but that's nonsense. Most Lingzhi are annual. The so-called thousand-year Lingzhi refers to Lingzhi growing on thousand-year-old trees. The Lingzhi itself doesn't have such a long growth cycle.)

(Besides, even if there were thousand-year Lingzhi, as long as there was a clue, many merchants would surely try to buy it.)

(Lingzhi is hailed as the King of All Herbs, an Immortal Herb, also known as the Spirit of the Forest. For thousands of years, it has been regarded as a miraculous tonic by physicians of all dynasties.)

(The Compendium of Materia Medica, the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing, and others all list Lingzhi as a superior herb.)

"The netizen who just spoke was correct. If it were a true thousand-year Lingzhi, that would be amazing, but unfortunately, it's not."

"However, finding Lingzhi in the wild means my luck is truly good."

"After all, I believe everyone is quite familiar with the effects of Lingzhi."

(So, streamer, are you planning to pick this Lingzhi?)

(Streamer, if you pick it, can I buy it?)

(Haha, upstairs, how old are you? Don't tell me you've reached the age where you need to supplement your body.)

(Haha, you need to be more restrained. It's not good to start supplementing your body at such a young age.)

"There isn't much Lingzhi here. If I pick it, I plan to keep it for myself. If I find more in the future, I will select a few viewers to give it to."

On these three sides, there were only three large pieces of Lingzhi, so Lin Xuan had no intention of selling them.

(If you find more Lingzhi in the future, you plan to give it away directly? That's too good to be true!)

(Yeah, then we won't have to spend money to buy it. I really like getting things for free.)

(Upstairs, you're a seasoned freebie seeker.)

"Judging by its growth cycle, this Lingzhi should be almost two years old. Even if I don't pick it, it will rot away before long."

"Wild Lingzhi, exposed to sun and rain, naturally bears the marks of time with its mottled color. Due to its natural environment, wild Lingzhi is susceptible to insect damage, so there are sometimes irregular wormholes beneath the fruiting body."

"To determine the age of wild Lingzhi, we need to look at the weight of an individual piece. If a single piece weighs around two to three liang, its growth age is about two to three years."

"If a single piece weighs about half a jin, its growth age is at least five years. For pieces weighing seven liang to one jin, the growth age is at least seven to eight years."

"However, typical wild Lingzhi doesn't usually grow for seven or eight years."

(I see. Thank you for the explanation, streamer.)

(How long can the picked Lingzhi be preserved?)

(Yeah, if it can't be preserved for long after being picked, then the streamer needs to be careful.)

"Wild Lingzhi generally has a shelf life of about 2 years after being picked. If preserved scientifically and the ambient temperature is suitable, it can last up to 5 years."

"However, even then, because the Lingzhi becomes heavily lignified, it loses most of its nutritional value."

"So, it's best to consume Lingzhi as soon as possible after picking it."

(Oh, I've learned something new. Although I can't afford it.)

(Haha, me too.)

(It's not that I can't afford it, it's that I don't need supplements at all.

(Haha, the guy upstairs, are you hinting at the brother from just now? Smirk.)

(I remember when I was little, I was often sick. Back then, my parents bought me a lot of tonics to strengthen my body, and I ended up overdoing it.)

(Now, whenever I eat tonics, I tend to get nosebleeds. I went to the hospital for a check-up, and the doctor said I didn't need tonics to strengthen my body at all, and told me to eat as little as possible.)

(Wow, upstairs, that's some serious humblebragging. You just opened your mouth and everyone knows your family is rich.)

Lin Xuan took out his tools and skillfully picked three pieces of Lingzhi growing on the tree trunk. He then wrapped the three pieces of Lingzhi in plastic wrap and put them into his backpack.

He was also in a joyful mood. He had only just entered the mountains and had already discovered precious Lingzhi.

If he continued deeper into the mountains, who knew what else he might find.

After putting away his tools, Lin Xuan, with Xiao Qing, continued forward.

After an unknown amount of time, a bird's call suddenly reached his ears.

"Gehe, gehe, gehe."

Hearing the bird's call, Xiao Qing raised its head and then crawled directly towards the direction of the sound.

Where there's a bird call, there's food.

Lin Xuan watched Xiao Qing crawl into the nearby jungle and quickly followed.

Pushing aside the grass, Lin Xuan saw not far away a bird with a dark brown upper body, white underparts, and thick dark brown longitudinal stripes; the underwing coverts were brown with coarse circular white spots, and the tail was dark brown, with broken ochre spots on the sides of the tail feathers except for the central ones, calling out.

"Is this… a Saker Falcon?"

Lin Xuan was clearly stunned when he saw the bird's characteristics.

(What kind of bird is this? It looks a bit fierce.)

(Indeed, could it be a falcon?)

(Xiao Qing, what is Xiao Qing doing? Is it going to hunt this bird?)