Chapter 657: Huoshan

Chapter 657: Chapter 657: Huoshan

Li Xu and Gao Yuan didn’t go directly to Yandang Mountain.

At Gao Yuan’s suggestion, the two decided to take a detour to Anhui Huoshan first.

Huoshan, an offshoot of Dabie Mountain, was also renowned for its Dendrobium.

In his younger days, Gao Yuan had traveled deep into Huoshan many times to study the medicinal properties of Dendrobium, forging strong friendships with some of the local veteran herb farmers and growers.

"As for Yandang Mountain, that was twenty years ago, after all. I’m not sure if that Dendrobium is still there, or if someone has already beaten us to it."

Gao Yuan said as he sat in the car, gazing at the rolling mountain ranges outside the window, "Let’s first buy some high-quality, cultivated Dendrobium in Huoshan. For one, it’ll be a backup. For two, we can use it for comparison. Better to be prepared."

Li Xu nodded in agreement.

’Always keep a trick up your sleeve. The wisdom of an old hand.’

As the car entered the Huoshan area, the scenery gradually grew more precipitous.

The terrain of Huoshan was unlike the majesty of Taishan or the perilous wonders of Huashan. It exuded a delicate and lively air, yet it also concealed hidden dangers.

The peaks here were mostly granite, with overlapping ranges and jagged, strange rocks.

The mountainsides were steep, almost vertical in many places, as if carved by knives and hacked by axes.

Clouds and mist swirled around the mountainsides year-round, obscuring the true appearance of the summits.

Streams rushed through the canyons, their roars echoing as they crashed against the rocks, sending up spray like a thousand piles of snow.

The mountain vegetation was dense, with ancient trees reaching for the sky and tangled vines. Sunlight struggled to penetrate the overlapping canopies, keeping the forest floor cool and damp all year long.

This was precisely the kind of home Dendrobium loved most.

Gao Yuan led Li Xu up a winding, rugged path into the mountains.

Though he was getting on in years, the old man’s steps were still steady as he climbed. He explained things to Li Xu as they walked:

"Doctor Li, look."

Gao Yuan pointed to an inconspicuous little plant in a crevice of a rock by the path. "This is an ordinary Dendrobium seedling. Don’t be fooled by the fact that it’s sprouted; its survival to this point is nothing short of a miracle."

"The seeds of the Dendrobium are as fine as dust, completely weightless. When the seed pod matures and splits open, tens of thousands of seeds scatter with the wind like smoke. From the moment they leave the parent plant, they begin a gamble of life and death."

"They don’t know if their next stop will be fertile humus, a cold rock, or a rushing stream. Once they leave their native home or land in an unsuitable place, their life comes to an abrupt end. In the wild, the natural survival rate of wild Dendrobium seeds is less than one in ten thousand."

"It is rare precisely because its survival rate is so low. And it is precious because of its marvelous medicinal effects—nourishing yin and replenishing vital fluids."

Li Xu listened, captivated.

In the natural world, Dendrobium was truly an anomaly.

It wasn’t like the plum, orchid, bamboo, or chrysanthemum, which people have endowed with all sorts of noble symbolism. Instead, it quietly hid in deep mountain valleys, tenaciously growing on barren rocks and rough tree trunks.

"Actually, the Dendrobium genus is the largest in the orchid family, with over a thousand different species."

Gao Yuan continued his lesson, "But in today’s China Materia Medica, only five species are officially listed: Dendrobium, Huoshan Dendrobium, *Dendrobium nobile*, *Dendrobium chrysotoxum*, and *Dendrobium fimbriatum*. These have been verified as superior tonics by scholars of Chinese medicine, both ancient and modern, over thousands of years."

As they spoke, the two arrived at a level area halfway up the mountain.

There, they came across a middle-aged man who was holding an instrument and taking notes on a tree trunk.

"Shao," Gao Yuan called out.

The man turned, pushed up his glasses, and upon recognizing them, exclaimed in pleasant surprise, "Elder Gao, what brings you here?"

This man’s name was Shao Shicheng. He was a researcher at the local traditional Chinese medicine institute and an old acquaintance of Gao Yuan’s, specializing in the artificial breeding of Dendrobium.

After exchanging pleasantries, Gao Yuan pointed to a cluster of Dendrobium on a tree trunk and asked, "Shao, tell Xiao Li here, how exactly does this Dendrobium sprout? Why does it have to grow in these places without soil?"

Common knowledge dictates that a seed falls into the soil, is nourished by water, and then takes root and sprouts.

However, Dendrobium was different.

When a Dendrobium seed chooses to make its home on a steep cliff face or a tree trunk, it seals its unique fate.

There is no soil, no firm foundation. A gust of wind can blow it away; a downpour can wash it off.

So, how does this drifting seed manage to begin its life and germinate?

Shao Shicheng smiled and pointed to his microscope, saying, "This comes down to a congenital genetic defect in Dendrobium. Its seeds are numerous, but they’re extremely small, and... they have no endosperm."

"Endosperm?"

Li Xu was taken aback.

"Correct. The seeds of plants like rice and corn have endosperm inside. That’s their built-in ’field ration,’ which supports the seed’s nutritional needs during early germination. But Dendrobium doesn’t have it. It’s a ’naked’ seed; it can’t sprout on its own."

"Then what provides it with nutrients?"

"Fungus."

Shao Shicheng said, "A specific type of fungus becomes its helper, or even its ’wet nurse.’"

"Interestingly, different species of Dendrobium partner with different fungi. It’s like a specific key for a specific lock."

Shao Shicheng took out a seed pouch and explained, "I’m currently conducting an experiment on Dendrobium seed germination. I take these seed pouches out into the wild and hang them on different trees and rocks. In the native environment where Dendrobium grows, you’re most likely to find the specific fungus suitable for its germination."

"Usually, it grows in places with a lot of moss and lichen, like around here. Why? Because moss retains water. Dendrobium has extremely high humidity requirements—above 80 percent, with an annual precipitation of over 1,000 millimeters. It also prefers cool temperatures, and its distribution is roughly between 500 and 1,600 meters above sea level."

For thousands of years, wild Dendrobium has grown in such remote, cloud-shrouded places, making it difficult to find and thus all the more precious.

In the simple understanding of nature held by the ancients, if a plant possessed the characteristics of being hidden, rare, and beautiful, it was highly likely to have some unique divine or medicinal property.

"Come on, I’ll show you something good."

Shao Shicheng led the two of them deeper into the woods, their steps uneven as they trudged onward.

"Ah, here we are. This is the spot."

Shao Shicheng stopped beside an old, moss-covered tree and pointed to an inconspicuous spot on the trunk. "This is the Dendrobium we’re looking for. The fact that it can grow here means this environment might contain that specific fungus."

This was a relatively rare species of wild Dendrobium known to have certain anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor properties.

He had previously tied an experimental cultivation pouch here, and now it was time to check the results.

Shao Shicheng carefully untied the pouch and took out a magnifying glass to observe it.