In the narrow, huge stone cave, flames licked at every corner, spreading a distinct smoky scent from the burning plants all around.
Inside were the dry branches that Bi Fang had specifically collected from the trees, which produced little smoke.
"The drier the material for making a fire, the better. The simplest way is to pick up dead branches. Those that fall to the ground are usually damp, especially in inherently moist areas. But the dead branches still hanging on the trees in the air are drier. Use a wooden stick to knock the lower branches, and the ones that break off naturally are the dead ones."
To prevent the flames inside from leaping out and causing a fire, Bi Fang dug a ditch around the area. There was no water in it, but all the plants that could easily ignite were removed, leaving only the moist soil at the bottom.
While using the fire to disinfect and kill insects, Bi Fang started the long process of rubbing down tree joints with Bear Grylls.
