The fierce fire roasts the camphor wood, and the fine oils slowly seep out from the fibers, filling the air with a rich and pleasant fragrance.
After the camphor leaves are picked and placed on a stone slab, they're ground into a green paste with a smooth stone. Bi Fang applies it to his exposed skin, and the mosquitos around seem to vanish into thin air.
Engulfed by flames, the stick gradually turns black.
Bi Fang picks up the tree stick and, using a dagger, carves a cross notch at one end. Pressing against it, he takes a round stone and strikes the back of the dagger to split it into a cross slot.
He removes the wooden handle of the steel dagger and inserts the slender iron blade into the middle of the cross opening. Aside from accommodating the slender iron handle, Bi Fang also carefully carves a few grooves inside the cross notch to fit about two centimeters of the dagger's blade length, forming a simple inlay structure.
