Chapter 48: Fire on Ice

He passed by a vast lake which had been frozen by the snow.

Looking down from a vast height, it looked like a white jade mirror that was inlaid amongst the mountains.

Such breathtaking scenery. Anyone who saw it would exclaim that nothing else could beat it.

Chen B-Dog walked across the lake directly. When he reached the opposite side, he suddenly found white foam bubbling underneath the ice surface. Instantly inspired, he smiled and said, “Fellow viewers, I found something interesting. Have you ever tried igniting fire on ice? Come on, take a good look and learn it. I will show you the wonders of nature.”

Igniting fire on ice?

No matter how imaginative one could get, there was still no escaping the steps of piling up firewood, lighting the fire etc., but why would he do all that on ice? Wouldn’t the flame just extinguish faster the bigger it gets?

Everyone was curious.

Chen B-Dog cut two tree trunks along the bank and lighted up a kindling with the flint. Coming over to the frozen surface by the lake, he used a knife to drill a tiny hole and carefully brought the kindling closer.

Suddenly, a miracle happened.

An orange color flame spurted out from the empty hole, whirring upwards for more than a meter high.

This fascinating moment had the six million audiences in the live broadcast room feeling exhilarated.

Chen B-Dog positioned the tree trunks on either side of the hole and proceeded to place a metal pot on top. Remarkably, he was actually starting to boil some water.

He smiled and said: “Quite amazing, isn’t it? It’s also my first time trying to ignite the gas trapped beneath the ice surface and use it to boil water. The theory is actually very simple, all those who have learned High School Chemistry should be able to understand this.”

“You saw how careful I was doing the experiment just now. I was afraid that when Methane meets with air, an explosion might happen during ignition.”

The audience reacted enthusiastically.

“Bravo, this is amazing.”

“I learned something. Last time it was Physics from High School and this time it’s High School Chemistry.”

“This is my first time seeing someone cooking with natural gas on ice. This live broadcast room is so addictive. How come I can find everything here?”

“Luckily I have sharp eyes and quick hands. I have recorded the scene of the ignition of fire on ice. I think it will become viral soon!”

“That’s learning and applying knowledge at its best. Requesting for the video clip.”

…

The fire was burning briskly, not slowing even after the water had been boiled. Chen B-Dog went on to warm the deer milk and fed the tiger cubs again. While he was at it, he figured he would start preparing dinner in advance and so he cooked the Flying Dragon meat that he had planned to have for his dinner.

After cooking the Flying Dragon meat in the hot water, the flammable gas beneath the ice surface was finally exhausted.

Chen B-Dog was already very satisfied with it, he wrapped up the Flying Dragon meat and said, “My friends, I am not far from the destination now. I expect to arrive tomorrow. Tonight will be my last night in the DXAL jungle, so I plan to reward myself with a famous Jiangnan dish. I will have to stay alert along the way to search for edible delicacies now.”

Although the blizzard had closed off the mountain, he was feeling energetic and agile now as he had just obtained a Grade S Skill. He could always find something tasty at the places that the audience overlooked.

“Chinese always use the phrase “Delicacies from Land and Sea” when referring to precious ingredients. Sea delicacies aside, I’m guessing you are all not familiar with the authentic land delicacies. Allow me to share some general knowledge over here. During ancient times, what was called the ‘Seven Pieces of Land Delicacies’ included the bear’s paw, elephant’s trunk, deer’s sinew, camel’s hump, birds-nest, bamboo fungus and Lion’s Mane Mushroom. After some time, these were further categorized into “Eight Animal Delicacies” and “Four Plant Delicacies,” the former of which are the bear’s paw, elephant’s trunk, deer’s sinew, camel’s hump, elk, deer’s tail, monkey’s brain and leopard’s embryo while the latter are bamboo fungus, birds-nest, black mushroom and white fungus.”

“As the modern era wore on, our environmental awareness has grown. Presently, the so-called land delicacies no longer referred simply to the rare animals. It has come to include the mountain products that were cultivated by the citizens under the natural ecological environment in the mountains. For instance, black mushroom, bamboo fungus, oyster mushroom, St. George’s mushroom, pine nut, chestnut, torreya grandis, ginkgo, walnut, bamboo shoot and etc.”

Multitasking as he provided a vivid commentary, he had been observing the surroundings, and he soon gained something.

“Look, I have found a land delicacy.”

A fungus growing underneath the trunks of several grey chestnut trees showed up in the camera. It was grey, fleshy and its short handle was in coral shape.

“Amongst common mountain products, edible fungi play an important role. It has many species and most are fresh and delicious, which can be used to make all kinds of dishes. Due to its diverse vitamin content, essential amino acids, unsaturated fatty acids and trace elements, it is quite valuable to human’s health. It can boost our immunity, and it has anti-aging and anti-fatigue properties. That is the reason why rare fungi can often be sold at sky-high prices.”

“Take white truffles for instance, it is deserving known as the king of truffles. Its price and status are well above all truffles; high-class restaurants are constantly purchasing them, there was once when every kilogram was sold for 5000 USD.”

The audience was surprised by this statement but at the same time, they were skeptical about it.

Chen B-Dog laughed, “Don’t complain about its price. In the world of white truffles, its weight often determines its price. The heavier it is, the more it costs. In 2007, a white truffle weighing 5.1kg was auctioned for the exorbitant price of 330 thousand USD, becoming a target that chefs and gourmets around the world eagerly fight over.”

“But let’s drop that everyone, because China does not produce white truffle. What I have found now is also amongst one of the most precious fungi, which is called Hen-of-the-wood.”

Because its color is the same as tree trunks, it might be overlooked if you weren’t looking carefully. Now that Chen B-Dog pointed it out, naturally, the audience could see it clearly.

Hen-of-the-wood had a fan-shaped terminal and spoon-shaped pileus, which grew in overlapping clusters. The big cluster was 20 to 30 centimeters in width, most likely weighing several kilograms. The pileus’s diameter was about 2 to 7 centimeters long and its color ranged between grey to light brown. There were fine hairs on its surface, which would have become smooth after it matured, with reflective stripes. With a thin edge and curling in, it looked appetizing.

Chen B-Dog did not pluck the entire plant. “This one weighs 3 kilograms. I cannot finish them all so I will only take the freshest part with me.”

After some time, he managed to find hard-shell nuts, such as pine nuts, cashew nuts, hazelnuts, and also the most common plant – black fungus.

After gathering sufficient ingredients, he stopped searching and quickly picked up his pace, continuing on with his journey.

After the blizzard, the jungle became quiet, even the sounds of animal and birds were rarely heard. More than an hour later, as the sky was turning dark, he unexpectedly found a wooden hut amidst the mountain col.

“Ahhh… Everyone look, quickly. I found a trace of human habitation.”

Chen B-Dog excitedly pointed at the small hut located below the tree trunk in front. It was giving off white gas on its side and it really seemed as if somebody was living there.

“Awesome, this must be the temporary hunting station built by the Evenks. I might be able to bump into them earlier than planned. This is really great.”

The audience in the live broadcast room immediately started their discussion. After all, he had finally seen traces of human habitation after being alone in the wild for so many days. But… Why were they feeling slightly reluctant to part?

“Finally you managed to get out. But I can’t bear the thought of you leaving.”

“Is it over? It can’t be.”

“I cannot bear to leave Lord B-Dog.”

“I feel the same way.”

“I feel the same way +1.”

Chen B-Dog did not bother with the audience’s moans and groans. He ran quickly to the hut but was disappointed as he drew closer. The small hut seemed to have been vacant for a long time.

The roof was covered with snow, which had even blown through the wooden door that was left ajar. The wood inside the house was mostly decayed and some parts were even crushed by the snow. It did not look like a good place to live.

When the audience saw this bleak scene, some of them suddenly got excited. They seemed to have just finished a victorious battle, “No one is there. That’s great!”