Chapter 84: The Top of the Nine ‘Immortal Herbs’

The location where Lin Heng was standing was not very far from the waterfall cascading down the mountain stream. The medicinal herb he spotted grew on the cliff beneath his feet, standing tall and graceful, as if carved from jade.

Because of its small stature, Lin Heng didn’t notice it immediately, only spotting it after the badger ran off, when he sat down to sulk.

This herb was none other than the prized Dendrobium officinale, also known as iron-skin dendrobium, which holds the title of the most prestigious among the nine ‘immortal herbs’. It grows on sheer cliff faces.

Although the Qinling Mountains are known to have it, it’s quite difficult to find, and Lin Heng didn’t expect to come across it here.

This herb is highly revered, known for its tonic properties that nourish Yin, a famed traditional Chinese medicine dating back to ancient times, once considered as valuable as gold.

In more recent years, due to the depletion of wild resources, the price of a pound has skyrocketed, sometimes reaching thousands of yuan, or even tens of thousands.

However, with the large-scale development of artificial cultivation, the price has decreased significantly. Purely wild ones are also protected and cannot be harvested, which has normalized the price.

In this era, however, the resources are still quite abundant, and everything is wild, as artificial cultivation techniques haven’t emerged yet. The buying price for dried Dendrobium is around fifty yuan per pound, similar to that of red lingzhi.

One pound of Dendrobium can be worth two months’ wages for an average person, though harvesting it often involves risking one’s life.

“Seems like I really have a knack for finding medicinal herbs? Maybe I should gather more in the future,” Lin Heng thought to himself, surprised at his luck. To come across such a valuable herb was truly astonishing.

“Uncle, come here quickly!” Lin Heng called out as he ran over to his uncle.

Dendrobium officinale grows on steep cliff faces, so it was impossible to reach it alone. It would be like playing with one’s life.

“What’s all the shouting for? My badger ran off,” Li Baiquan said with some frustration.

“I didn’t know where you were, I was just too excited. Guess what I found?” Lin Heng grinned.

“What did you find? Some kind of herb? I doubt you’d be shouting like that over a prey,” Li Baiquan replied skeptically.

“I first saw a badger down in the canyon, but after searching for a while, I couldn’t find a way down. I watched it run off. But, as they say, when one path is blocked, another opens. While sulking, I spotted Dendrobium on the cliff,” Lin Heng explained with a laugh.

“Dendrobium officinale!!” Li Baiquan’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“You’re in luck! What good fortune!” He couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy.

“I don’t know how much there is. Do you have any rope with you? If not, we can use vine branches. You stay here and watch, I’ll go down to harvest it. Let’s do a 70-30 split,” Lin Heng proposed, eager to harvest as much as possible.

“What’s mine is yours. No need to split anything, you’re being too formal,” Li Baiquan shook his head.

“No, it’s got to be fair. If we’re doing it, we do it by the rules,” Lin Heng insisted firmly.

“Fine, then I’ll take 20%. Just 20%, that’s all,” Li Baiquan relented.

“Don’t disagree! If you do, I’ll go alone, and you’ll stay behind. If you don’t help me, I’ll take 30%, and you know your wife will give me an earful when we get back,” Lin Heng added teasingly.

“Alright, alright,” Li Baiquan agreed reluctantly.

“I have a 20-meter rope with me. How much rope do you have?” Li Baiquan asked.

“20 meters as well. Together, that should be enough,” Lin Heng nodded. He had brought all the rope himself.

The rope they carried was made of hemp and very sturdy, to ensure they wouldn’t face difficulties if they found the herbs but couldn’t reach them.

“Then let’s go,” Li Baiquan said. They both headed toward the cliff.

“See, right below here. I wasn’t mistaken, was I?” Lin Heng pointed to the rock face below them.

“You’re right, it really is Dendrobium—you’re so lucky, finding both Dendrobium and the Lynx,” Li Baiquan marveled.

“We don’t know how much there is. Let’s go down and take a look.”

Lin Heng said as he took out the rope, tying one end to a large oak tree that was too thick for a person to wrap their arms around.

After securely connecting the ropes, Lin Heng tied a safety knot and hooked it onto his body. He then checked everything and said, “I’m going down now, Uncle.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll watch the rope for you,” Li Baiquan nodded.

Descending was something Lin Heng could do on his own. He first released all the rope and let it hang down, ensuring it was tight. He wrapped the rope around his waist, placed his feet on the rock face, and descended slowly, letting the rope out as he went.

It was a bit difficult; though he had done something similar when he was younger, his body was now heavier.

Moreover, the stone face was covered in moss, making it slippery. Luckily, he had been eating well and working hard lately, so his stamina was in good condition.

Few people are not afraid of heights, and Lin Heng was no exception, though he had conquered this fear in his previous life.

At first, looking down did make him dizzy, but it soon passed.

After descending 15 meters, Lin Heng finally spotted the Dendrobium he had seen earlier on the cliff.

“It’s so big! This one weighs about half a pound,” he murmured, gently pulling it out by the roots and placing it in his snake-skin bag.

He looked around and left the smaller one to the left, moving to the right to harvest a larger one.

There were plenty of Dendrobium on this rock face. Lin Heng saw over a dozen plants, each one branching like an orchid.

He estimated that if he harvested all of them, he could gather 7 or 8 pounds of Dendrobium. But since this place was quite damp, he might need to gather 5 or 6 pounds to yield one pound of dried Dendrobium. The exact value was still uncertain.

And this was just one side of the cliff—there were other rock faces nearby as well.

Dendrobium is a fascinating plant. Its roots are almost entirely exposed, absorbing moisture directly from the air.

The roots also host fungi that fix nitrogen from the air, and it mainly relies on the fungi and nutrients from moss decomposing the rocks.

Because of this unique growing condition, Dendrobium requires a very specific environment—half-shade, misty, and not too hot or cold.

It’s easy to tell when the plant is mature: mature Dendrobium only has stems with no leaves, and the iron-skin variety often has rust-colored spots.

Lin Heng was a conscientious herbalist. Even if he found just a couple of young plants, he left them behind. He only harvested the mature ones.

Unfortunately, not everyone respected this, or else wild resources wouldn’t be depleting.

“This one’s so beautiful.”

Lin Heng pulled the last plant from the cliff, sniffing it before placing it into his snake-skin bag. This was his final harvest from this area.

“Looks like there’s more!” Lin Heng looked to his left toward the waterfall and saw several more Dendrobium plants, growing even better than the ones on his side, around 30 or 40 of them.

“Is there more?” Li Baiquan called from above.

“Yes, plenty!” Lin Heng was excited.

Just as he was about to celebrate, his foot slipped. The rope loosened, and he fell about 7 or 8 meters, hitting his head on the stone wall, his face covered in dust.

“What happened?”

Li Baiquan shouted from above.

“Phew! I’m fine. The rope slipped, and I didn’t step right,” Lin Heng replied, his heart still racing.

It seemed like a fleeting moment, but for Lin Heng, it was more than just a scare—it was a close call with death.

Luckily, the rope was sturdy.

“Are you alright? Any injuries?” Li Baiquan asked with concern, noticing the scrape on Lin Heng’s forehead.

“I’m fine,” Lin Heng reassured him.

Lin Heng shook his head, tossed the Dendrobium over, and smiled, “Uncle, how many pounds do you think this is?”

Li Baiquan weighed it in his hand and estimated with a grin, “Not bad at all, at least nineteen or twenty pounds. Once dried, it might come out to two or three pounds.”

Because the Dendrobium was harvested with roots, and the roots have no medicinal value, removing them would leave only eleven or twelve pounds. After drying, there would only be two to three pounds.

“Then we’ve hit the jackpot!” Lin Heng laughed.

“I feel like this environment is just right. Maybe there are more in other places. Let’s keep searching,” Li Baiquan said with a smile.

Lin Heng glanced at the sky and estimated it was around ten o’clock.

His stomach growled, but he could still endure it. Nodding, he said, “Let’s go, I think there’s hope too.”

The two split up and continued searching nearby.

“The yangnai fruit is ripe.” Lin Heng reached the stream above the waterfall and spotted small bushes with red yangnai fruits hanging on them.

Also called “pants fruit,” yangnai fruit was about the size of a fingertip. Lin Heng picked a few and ate them. They tasted slightly bitter when unripe but sweet when fully ripe.

After eating a couple of handfuls, Lin Heng felt slightly satiated and returned to searching for Dendrobium.

The sun was now blazing, and it was nearly impossible to encounter any game. In the forest, he picked up a couple of qingtou mushrooms and a handful of chicken oil mushrooms, planning to cook them later.

On his way back, he also found some birch tree yellows, picking them casually. He didn’t spot any Lingzhi mushrooms this time.

“Lin Heng, don’t go! I’ve found some more Dendrobium,” came his uncle’s shout from afar.

Lin Heng was startled but excited at the discovery. He quickly responded, “I’m coming!”

“Where?” Lin Heng asked as he approached his uncle.

“Further away, on the other side,” Li Baiquan said, leading the way.

The two of them climbed over the ridge and stopped about a kilometer away from the stream and waterfall.

“Look, isn’t that Dendrobium on the cliff below?” Li Baiquan pointed to the steep cliff below, where a few plants were visible from this angle.

“This place looks even more dangerous than mine earlier,” Lin Heng said, looking down. The cliff earlier was about two hundred meters high, while this one looked to be three or four hundred meters.

Of course, it didn’t matter; if the rope broke, the result would be the same.

“No worries, you watch the rope, and I’ll go down,” Li Baiquan said with a grin.

After carefully checking the rope and securing it to a large pine tree, Li Baiquan set up his harness and began his descent.

Lin Heng stayed above, his heart in his throat. Having someone remain at the top was crucial; if anything happened below, someone could pull the person up.

If no one was there and an injury occurred, it could mean certain death. Splitting two or three portions of the reward was well worth it.

Once Li Baiquan was roughly in position, Lin Heng called out, “How’s it looking?”

“Not great, not as much as your side. It’s pretty sparse,” came the reply from below.

“Be careful!” Lin Heng reminded him and said no more, as too much chatter could distract him.

Lin Heng sat under a tree, anxiously waiting for an hour before his uncle called out, “I’m done, pull me up!”

“Got it.”

Lin Heng nodded, grabbed the rope, and braced his feet against the tree to pull.

“Man, it’s exhausting! The wind on the cliff was too strong, and dust kept getting into my eyes.”

Back on solid ground, Li Baiquan plopped onto the ground and sighed in relief.

“How much did you get, Uncle?” Lin Heng asked curiously.

“Seven or eight pounds at best.” Li Baiquan handed the bag over, his face full of satisfaction.

Lin Heng took a look. His uncle’s haul was drier than his, meaning it might yield around a pound once dried. The cliff here was noticeably less humid.

“Lucky you, it’s drier and weighs more,” Lin Heng joked.

“It’s still not as much as yours, though. But I have to thank you. Without you, I wouldn’t have found any of this. Let’s not split it; let’s just call it even since we’re helping each other,” Li Baiquan said with a grin.

Lin Heng didn’t argue, “Fine by me. I’m getting the better end of the deal anyway.”

“If you hadn’t pointed out the Dendrobium, I wouldn’t have even thought to look for it,” Li Baiquan replied.

“Let’s head back and eat. We’ll see what the others decide for the afternoon—whether to head to the foot of Mount Taibai or keep exploring around here,” Li Baiquan added.

“Let’s go. I’m starving,” Lin Heng agreed. It was already noon, and he felt like he could eat a whole cow.

Since they weren’t carrying food, they had to head back to the shelter.

Walking in daylight was much quicker. The two of them reached the camp in half an hour.

On the way back, they picked up the weasel they had caught earlier. As soon as they reached the White Stone Beach, the smell of roasting meat filled the air.

“Come quickly and eat the beggar’s chicken!” Tian Baishun shouted from afar.

“On our way!” Lin Heng jogged over.

On the stone slabs were grilled stream trout that had already cooled. Old man Tian held a roasted squirrel in his hand and was eating it.

Lin Heng didn’t hesitate. He grabbed a stream trout and devoured it. When he was starving, all he could think about was eating.

“This is so good!” Lin Heng exclaimed after downing a dozen fish.

“The beggar’s chicken was waiting for you two. If you’re still hungry, there are roasted taro roots over there,” Tian Baishun said, pointing to the blackened taro.

After eating enough to take the edge off his hunger, Lin Heng grabbed a taro root and slowly peeled it.

“Tian, didn’t you go out this morning?” Li Baiquan asked while eating his taro.

The old man nodded, “No, I stayed here to rest. I nearly lost my life yesterday and needed to recover.”

Glancing at the two burlap sacks nearby, he asked, “What about you two? It looks like you gathered a lot of herbs. Did you find something good?”

“Heh, not just any herb. It’s Dendrobium,” Li Baiquan said with a grin.

The old man’s eyes widened in shock. “No way! You’re rich now—what did you get, dozens or hundreds of dollars’ worth? I’ve been here so many times and never realized there was Dendrobium here.”

“Really? Is it actually Dendrobium?” Lin Heng’s eldest uncle, Lu Honghai, was skeptical. He walked over, opened a sack, and confirmed, “It really is! Who found this?”

“Lin Heng. I just followed his lead and found some too. Without him, all of this would’ve been his,” Li Baiquan said.

“I thought I did well today finding a bunch of Buddha’s hand root and astragalus. I figured I’d make ten bucks, but compared to you guys, that’s nothing!” Lu Honghai said enviously, his eyes glowing.

Determined, he added, “I’m going to search around this area in the afternoon.”

After breaking open the clay crust on the beggar’s chicken, Lin Heng grabbed a drumstick and asked, “Are we staying here to explore this afternoon or moving elsewhere?”

“Let’s stay here. There are plenty of signs of game. We’ll search thoroughly over the next couple of days,” Tian Baishun said.

“I agree. Once we’ve made enough, we can head back. Next time, we can venture farther out,” Lu Honghai added.

“Fine by me,” Lin Heng agreed. It didn’t matter much; sometimes going farther didn’t guarantee a better haul. Luck played a huge role, just like fishing.

After finishing some chicken and two taro roots, Lin Heng finally felt full.

He checked on the Buddha’s hand root and astragalus his eldest uncle had laid out to dry, then turned to deal with his Dendrobium.

It had to be spread out to dry, or it would rot before they got home.

Without time to carefully process it, he simply laid it flat to dry. Once dried, the leaves would fall off naturally.

Dendrobium’s medicinal value lies in its stems; the roots and leaves are useless.

Looking at the Dendrobium on the ground, Lin Heng considered trying to cultivate it himself. While he hadn’t done it in his past life, he thought it was worth a shot.

He didn’t have the technology for fully indoor greenhouse cultivation, which took years of experiments to develop. Without specific data on humidity, temperature, and other conditions, success would be impossible.

However, finding suitable environments and transplanting Dendrobium for semi-wild cultivation seemed feasible. In this era, with no existing cultivation techniques, his “semi-wild” plants could still be sold as wild Dendrobium.

Although slightly unethical, making money rarely involved morality. As long as it was genuine Dendrobium officinale, he considered that a high moral standard already.

(End of Chapter)