Chapter 2177 - 2174: New Insights

Chapter 2177: Chapter 2174: New Insights

Ling Xuesong’s words virtually disregarded Situ Yuanzhong’s face, but Ling Xuesong indeed had no need to consider anyone’s face, not simply because of his strength, but because that’s just his nature.

There were no more sounds from the bottom of the mountain. Situ Yuanzhong was also a man of pride, so he couldn’t bring himself to plead and had no interest in tea, so he simply left.

"Such a trivial matter and they came to bother me practicing..." Ling Xuesong turned around and muttered. If the people of the Situ family heard this, they would probably be fuming.

The old man continued practicing, while Lin Tian didn’t bother with him; instead, he approached Zhuge Cai Zhe with a smile, "Senior Zhuge, where did you collect those red fungi and unknown roots? I need some to make elixirs."

Zhuge Cai Zhe chuckled and pointed at the surrounding mountains and forests, "In the mountains. Since I’m idle, why not accompany you, young friend?"

The old man’s kind offer moved Lin Tian greatly, and he couldn’t help but express his gratitude, "I owe you my thanks, Senior Zhuge."

"No need to thank me; it’s the mountain’s gift to us. If you must thank someone, thank the mountain." Zhuge Cai Zhe shook his head slightly, showing a generous spirit.

Lin Tian and Zhuge Cai Zhe strapped on bamboo baskets, bid farewell to Ling Xuesong, and walked out of the rear mountain, but this time, they did not head to the Ling Family; instead, they ventured deep into the distant mountains.

The Eight Hundred Miles Langya Mountain had only a portion occupied by the Ling Family, leaving many uninhabited areas.

To accommodate the older Zhuge Cai Zhe, Lin Tian intended to walk slower, but to his surprise, Zhuge Cai Zhe climbed the mountain steadily and quickly. Although not as swift as the Ancient Martial Artists, he was certainly no weaker than those young people outside, possibly even better.

Zhuge Cai Zhe’s knowledge of herbs was extensive. Whenever he saw a medicinal plant, he would explain it in detail, while Lin Tian was also adept and began discussing the pharmacology and effects of various herbs with him.

The two, an elder and a youth, roamed amidst the mountains and rivers, light-heartedly conversing, making it quite a pleasant experience.

"The leaves of the unknown root are round, green with white veins. Mature plants are about half an arm high and grow in clusters, so it’s easy to recognize. If you see it, you’ll know immediately," Zhuge Cai Zhe patiently explained.

Green, round leaves, white veins, half-arm height—Lin Tian silently memorized the characteristics of the unknown root and then asked, "Senior, I’ve noticed that the unknown roots you dug up are very intact. Does damage to this herb affect it?"

Zhuge Cai Zhe was slightly surprised and replied, "Young friend, your insight is impressive. Exactly, this is what I wanted to tell you: when digging up unknown roots, you mustn’t damage the rhizome, or it will rot quickly and become useless."

"I see, I’ve learned something new," Lin Tian said, humbly.

They continued onward, crossing a slope to reach a sunny side of the mountain. A breeze blew by, mixed with fresh scents, refreshing the mind.

Lin Tian, filled with wonder, looked down to see a stretch of emerald-green plants on the mountainside, swaying in the wind, with round leaves and white veins facing the sun.

"Unknown roots!" Lin Tian immediately recognized these features and cried out in delight.

"Luck is on our side; this patch of plants is thriving, and the harvest should be significant." Zhuge Cai Zhe smiled.

The two quickly moved closer, and the nearer they got, the clearer and more pleasant the aroma became. Indeed, exceptional herbs have unique traits.

It’s said that older wild ginseng makes the plants around it unable to grow, like a king standing alone. Of course, being modern, Lin Tian knew that ginseng absorbed nutrients so vigorously that nothing could grow nearby.

Lin Tian spread the plant leaves at the bottom of the bamboo basket before starting to dig the unknown roots. He cheated slightly, using his super vision to see the underground rhizomes, making the process quick and preventing damage to the unknown roots.

Zhuge Cai Zhe saw his "reckless" method and tried to correct him, but after witnessing Lin Tian’s precision and speed several times, he no longer commented and simply sighed that youth was indeed capable.

Before long, Lin Tian filled a large basket and, if it hadn’t been for needing space for the red fungi, he would have filled the other basket too.

"Let’s go. We can return to dig more when needed. The mountain is generous. Let’s go find the red fungi," Zhuge Cai Zhe dusted off his hands and laughed lightly.

"Senior, what kind of environment do the red fungi usually grow in?" This time, Lin Tian took the initiative to ask.

"In the mountains, there’s a type of tree we call the red cedar. Those over a hundred years old have enormous canopies and many branches. Their crevices collect a small amount of mud, where the red fungi grow."

"Do you see that mountain in the distance? That forest is made up of red cedar trees. Judging by the canopy width, there should be quite a few trees older than a hundred years, which means there should be red fungi." Zhuge Cai Zhe pointed to the mountain in the distance on the right and explained.

Lin Tian, carrying the unknown roots, and Zhuge Cai Zhe, with an empty bamboo basket on his back, set off again, reaching the red cedar forest after half an hour.

At first glance, the red cedar leaves looked somewhat like pine trees, but the trunks were entirely different—the bark of red cedar was grayish-brown, and more importantly, the trunks were very tall.

Upon examining them, you couldn’t see the tops; you had to look up. Lin Tian estimated that most red cedars were more than fifty meters tall.

Some larger ones even surpassed a hundred meters. These trees lived long, with hundred-year lifespans being common, and some even two to three thousand years old. Supposedly, there’s a discovered red cedar that is five thousand years old.

What does a five-thousand-year lifespan mean? It’s much older, much older than the time of Emperor Qin Shi Huang.

Because the trees were so tall and numerous, Lin Tian simply activated his super vision, specifically searching for those towering trees. Indeed, in his perspective vision, clusters of red fungi adorned the trees.

"With such tall trees, I can’t help you. In the past, it was always Old Man Ling who climbed and picked them," Zhuge Cai Zhe shrugged and lightly laughed.

Lin Tian set down the bamboo basket, strapped on the empty one, and leaped up, grabbing branches like Tarzan, swinging between trees and picking red fungi.

This feeling of releasing himself, returning to nature, exhilarated Lin Tian, prompting him to shout out loud, startling many birds.

The speed of picking red fungi was even faster than digging unknown roots. In less than half an hour, the bamboo basket was full. Still seeing many on the trees, Lin Tian had to reluctantly retreat.

Seeing Lin Tian land back on the ground, Zhuge Cai Zhe laughed heartily, "Young friend, you’re just like Old Man Ling. On the trees, you’re like an ape, needing to call out to feel free."

"Come to think of it, I do have quite a few similarities with Senior Ling," Lin Tian pondered, realizing that he shared similarities with Old Man Ling—the same carefree and unrestrained spirit, the same persistence.

From Old Man’s face, he must have been a handsome guy when young, realizing another thing in common, Lin Tian thought self-indulgently.

"Today was quite fruitful; I have enough to make plenty of elixirs," Lin Tian was happy looking at the two baskets of herbs. The feeling of hand-picking is entirely different from using ready-made materials.

During the picking process, it was as if he had a special communication with the herbs, and Lin Tian gained new insights into making elixirs.