The vegetation in this jungle was all very special, they were all things that could not be seen normally. Some of them grew very oddly shaped, some of them were very beautiful, but even their beauty would be very strange. Just looking at them, people wouldn't dare to casually go and touch them.
Jing Yang's team could be considered to have set off relatively late, but while they were traveling they came across quite a few people who had set off very early on but actually did not make it very far. Because as soon as they entered the jungle they would lose their sense of direction, and they didn't dare to walk around randomly, they could only slowly determine the direction of travel.
Jing Yang's team each carried a stalk of bamboo, pulling aside the plants and grasses that were blocking their path.
"There are so many fruits here, could it be that there really is not a single type that can be eaten?" Jake looked at the pretty fruits, but had no desire to eat them at all. He was afraid that they would be poisonous, they had walked this far but he had actually not seen a single fruit that looked normal.
Jing Yang reached out to pick a bunch of green fruit: "This kind of skin sleeve fruit, when it's green you can eat it. But when it starts turning yellow or red, you can no longer eat it, or you'll get rashes all over your body."
Jake tried one. It was both sweet and sour, the flavor was quite good: "Delicious."
Jing Yang gave them each a few and threw out the rest. "Eating a few of these fruits is not bad, but once you eat more your mouth might become painful."
Danny saw a fruit that looked like some bared teeth but didn't dare to use his hand to touch it. He walked closer curiously to take a better look. "What's this?"
"Open-mouthed smile, don't get too close, it will spray things." Jing Yang said.
"Really?" Danny retreated a few steps, touching it with a bamboo pole from far away. The things shaped like teeth immediately opened, spraying some black juices out. Danny quickly covered his nose, saying, "So smelly!"
"It really smells, let's go, let's go." Jake also covered up his nose and quickly walked forward. "Luckily you didn't use your hands to touch it, otherwise it would have sprayed you in the face."
Jing Yang suddenly stopped and raised his head to look up at the sky. He turned to the right. "Let's go this way."
"There's no path over there, how is it possible for us to go that way?" Jake looked at the area filled with vines.
Jing Yang crouched down underneath the vines and pushed around for a while, using the bamboo pole to dig some soil and pouring some water out from his bamboo pipe. After a while, there came a wave of rustling sounds, and all of a sudden, the vines completely scattered, neatly dancing in the air.
Jake and Danny both froze. The netizens saw this scene and also felt that it was totally interesting and magical.
"Let's go, or else they'll go back to normal in a bit." Jing Yang quickly threaded through the gap in the vines.
Jake and Danny also immediately followed him. Jake walked while turning around to look at those vines still dancing in the air. "How is this possible? It's really too amazing, what is this place?"
"These things are also in other planets, but they're relatively rare. This place probably brings together all of the strange plants in the universe, and they're also naturally grown here." Jing Yang said.
"How do you know so much?" Danny asked.
"Everything's in the botanical encyclopedia." Jing Yang said.
"The botanical encyclopedia has a good several billion plants in there, just reading through the whole thing is already very laborious. I can remember a maximum of a few dozen, but I don't even know a single one of the plants here." Jake said.
"I've spent more time out in the wild, so I'm more interested in this sort of thing."
Jing Yang walked along while giving them an introduction to some of the characteristics of the plants, attracting the interest of quite a few netizens. Occasionally, he would casually pick out some grasses that looked strange or ordinary and save them in his own bamboo tube.
When the three people had become tired from walking, they sat down under a tree with strange wide and thick leaves to rest, drinking small sips of water. During this trip they had not seen any water sources, and the few fruits that could be eaten also wouldn't provide enough water, so they could only ration their water a bit.
Kedi's team of three walked over from a different direction. When they saw Jing Yang's team, their eyes revealed some surprise. Presumably, they didn't think that they would be able to catch up.
Kedi's team also stopped to rest, and they saw that Jing Yang's team was carrying some bamboo tubes and drinking water. They were originally very thirsty, and seeing this their thirst only intensified.
"Can you give us a sip?" Rhett asked, looking at Jake.
Jake held his bamboo tube and hesitated a bit. The amount of water he had left was not much, if he gave them some to drink, he himself would not have much left.
Rhett could tell that Jake was hesitating, and he smiled, "My fans and I will all appreciate your generosity. I know that you are not the same as those two, you are a kind person."
The implication was that if Jake did not give them water to drink, that meant he was being stingy and unkind, and his fans would attack him because Jake was not being generous.
Jake felt like he was being coerced, he felt very uncomfortable in his heart, but still gave them his water.
"Thank you, you really are different from those two." Rhett drank a large mouthful of water, and then it was forcefully taken away by Goodyear next to him.
"This is the water that us three people share, I am not different from them. The bamboo pipe and water were all prepared by Milton, you all should thank him." Jake said very seriously.
But the three people drinking water all acted like they couldn't hear him. Jake felt even more irritated.
Jing Yang asked Jake for his empty bamboo tube, using a short knife to make a cut on the very thick leaves. Immediately a lot of transparent liquid flowed out, and Jing Yang quickly used the bamboo pipe to catch the fluid.
"Can we drink this?" Jake stood next to him and asked him with some anticipation.
"Can't drink it." Jing Yang said, "This can only be applied externally. When we add it to the tincture grass and rust leaves I just picked, we will apply it to the skin and it can prevent us from getting bitten by the poisonous flying insects."
Jake understood and nodded. Even though they couldn't drink it, it was still very useful. In the evening, this kind of jungle would definitely have many poisonous insects.
The sound of ridiculing laughter came from the side, Jake and Danny looked over at the laughing Kedi. Danny felt that these three people were really getting more and more annoying. He frowned and asked, "What are you laughing at?"
"I'm laughing at someone speaking some nonsense so seriously." Kedi said with a sarcastic smile on his lips. "The juice of the cold meat leaf only has a cooling effect, applying it to the skin without diluting it would only give you a burning sensation. Rust leaves are also highly toxic and cannot even be applied to the skin at all, otherwise you will be poisoned."
Jake and Danny had already followed Jing Yang the entire road here, what he said they could eat, they had all eaten, and they had had no problems at all. Plus he had also explained to them the properties of all kinds of plants, and proved that he was speaking the truth. They were willing to believe him.
"Kedi is known as a walking botanical encyclopedia, it would be best for you two to listen to his advice. Don't pay attention to the nonsense from some kinds of people who don't understand but still pretend they do. If you get poisoned, you can only withdraw from the game, and all of the struggles that you went through earlier would all have been in vain." Rhett advised them with an appearance of generosity.
"Let's go." Jing Yang capped up the lid and gave the tube back to Jake, walking in the direction that Kedi's team had come from.
Jake and Danny followed him out. Jake said somewhat angrily, "Their words were really too annoying, why didn't you refute them?"
"What's the use of refuting them, you would only be scolded more miserably by people who don't understand the truth." Jing Yang lowered his head, in his expression and his eyes, was the silent forbearance caused by suffering harm.
Jing Yang would not miss any opportunity to act a bit, he wanted to use this chance to portray an image of constantly suffering from grievance yet still enduring it, and in this way changing the netizens' previous views of Milton.
Jake and Danny exchanged a glance, they also turned silent. They both thought that it was because he had retorted against Kedi on Star Network that he had been besieged by Kedi's fans.
That kind of forbearance for fear of suffering harm again, stung the hearts of the netizens like an arrow. They all felt extremely guilty, it was because of their malicious and irrational behavior that they had hurt him.
Considering the herbal medicine that Jing Yang had made earlier that had fixed the swelling on Danny's mouth in a single night, the netizens all no longer blindly trusted Kedi, but were still very curious about who was actually right.
Standing on the ship, Bowie saw Jing Yang's appearance of enduring suffering and his heart stung. He really wanted to go down to hug him, comfort him, and help him block all harm.
Bowie pressed his phone and connected to Angus's office. "Angus, contact the Imperial Universal Plant Research Institute as well as the Medicine Research Institute, let them give me results within the next 20 minutes."
25 minutes later, the official spokesperson of the Universal Plant Research Institute left a message under the comments: Mixing the juice of the meat leaves with the juice of the rust leaves can eliminate the corrosive and toxic effects of the two on the human body, and can also play a role in preventing the bites of venomous insects. The tincture grasses can have the effect of protecting skin, and its aroma can drive away all sorts of flying insects.
The official spokesperson of the Medicine Research Institute later also confirmed the authenticity of this message, and wrote: What Kedi said was actually also not wrong, but was only the most superficial layer. Milton evidently understands pharmacology, and he has a deep understanding of the medicinal and toxic properties of plants. The range of his knowledge is also very broad.
Star Network live broadcast comments:
——So Kedi only knows a little bit of the superficial stuff, but where did he get the thought that he knows a lot and even lectured someone else?
——In the end how blind was I before, not only did I feel that Kedi knew a lot but was also a warm and kind gentleman. The three of them drank Jake's water, but did not remind them that they were going in the wrong direction. They themselves had been going that way and only went back because they couldn't get through.
——Why do people who don't understand but pretend they do seem so annoying. In the past I really thought that Kedi seemed pretty good, but now seeing his attitude toward Milton, my feeling has completely changed.
——I really am too guilty, I would like to apologize for the mean words that I have said before, sorry Milton.
——I am too, once I think that I had also used my words to harm him, I really blame myself. Sorry Milton!
——I also want to apologize, I'm sorry Milton.
——I'm sorry Milton.
The number of objecting votes for Milton was falling rapidly, and the number of his supporting votes also constantly started rising. At the same time, Kedi's supporting votes were falling.
The netizens had all thought that Jing Yang's team were going the wrong way, and Kedi's team also thought the same, that they would definitely fall behind them. At this moment only Jing Yang himself knew that this path was actually the shortest path, it was only that the front was blocked by long vines and Kedi's team had no way to pass through them.
Jing Yang's team was collecting the long vines, these kinds of long vines were very resilient and useful. They cut up several very long ones and bundled them together. After collecting enough thick and long vines, Jing Yang also picked two thinner and more elastic ones and used his knife to cut a small branch, easily making a slingshot.
He bent his waist to pick up a stone from the ground. Jing Yang aimed at the top of a huge tree trunk. Placing the stone in the slingshot, he released it to let the stone fly out.
"Creak!" With a scream, a large group of black things fell down.
"What kind of thing fell down?" Jake jumped back in shock from the screeching sound, he had thought that what Jing Yang hit was the tree trunk. He had not thought that something would fall, and it was even a living thing.
"Something delicious, quickly go pick it up." Jing Yang quickly trotted through the grass.
Once Jake heard that it was something delicious, he immediately also ran over. Danny saw that they had headed over, and also followed behind them with curiosity.
On the grass under the tree, a group of black furry things were lying there motionless, obviously they were already dizzy. Jing Yang picked up one of the things that was about the size of a pig, the animal grew two tusks that weren't too long. There was also a pig nose—just looking at the head, it really grew quite like a pig.
"What kind of thing is this? Can we eat it?" Jake asked.
"Black tree pig, when it's roasted the flavor is especially good." Jing Yang responded, "You haven't seen it before?"
"This is a black tree pig?" Jake was both surprised and curious, he looked the black tree pig up and down. "I have seen it before, but the one I saw was cut in pieces on a plate. I have never seen its original body."
"How does it taste?" Danny asked.
"Extremely delicious!" Jake gave a big thumbs up.
The trio kept on walking forward, and Jake curiously asked Jing Yang, "How do you know that walking this way would definitely be right?"
Jing Yang said, "Before the airship landed, I observed the terrain and directions from above, and then according to the progress of time and changes in the sunlight, I judged it out."
"I also observed it ah." Jake grabbed his hair. "But once I came in I couldn't tell north from south or east from west. You're still much more powerful, fortunately I teamed up with you."
Not surprisingly, Jing Yang's team was the first to arrive at the designated location. Beside the hill there was an open space where a cylindrical machine was placed. Jake walked over and pressed on the screen, and immediately a projection of the three people appeared. The machine gave them each 10 points and then the projection disappeared.
Jing Yang untied the three bundles of long vines and informed the other two of the plan. The three people worked together to weave a large net in the shape of a spiderweb.
When Kedi's team arrived and saw the three people busying themselves, they were instantly stunned. They did not expect that Jing Yang's team would arrive first, they were both surprised and angry in their hearts. These people were the weakest, how was it possible that they would still arrive first at the destination?
Kedi could no longer cover up the mood in his heart, he very obviously revealed it on his face. His fans all saw it very clearly and had no way to justify him.
As the sunlight slowly faded and the sky was about to darken, the other teams also all arrived.
Jing Yang first made a fire, he slightly roasted the four ends of the long vines in the fire and then climbed up the tree, tying the four ends of the long vines to four trees. This would be where they would sleep that night.
"Tonight we're just going to sleep on this?" Jake asked with some worry. "What if they rain or hail again tonight?"
"Impossible." Jing Yang said with certainty. "The jungle has quite a few precious plants. If they randomly rain or hail those plants might be destroyed, and they will not be able to bear that cost."
Bowie, who was watching the stream, heard Jing Yang say this and couldn't resist laughing. This planet was his own private personal planet, everything on it belonged to him. He had approved Angus's proposal to hold the competition on it, but Angus definitely did not have the guts to destroy the jungle.
Translator Notes:
[1] skin sleeve fruit – 皮袖果, okay this is definitely not the right translation for this, but very literal translation
[2] open-mouthed smile – 开口笑, I can already foresee this time's T/N completely being me destroying these fruits and vegetation names
[3] tincture grass / rust leaves – 迷酊草 / 锈叶, 酊 could mean tincture, so I just skipped adding the 迷 in front, which could mean crazy and lost…
[4] cold meat – 凉肉, apparently the name of those thick leaves
[5] small branch – 小节, so all definitions I can see of 节 are definitely not right, maybe this is a typo? a slingshot probably has a branch or something, so I'm going to go with that
Random Notes:
1.5 hours for this chapter: 2 pm – 3:30 pm, for 4.3k characters to 3k words. Not a bad chapter, except for all of this exotic plant names that I have put some egregious literal translations for. It's pretty bad, but what can you do. Part 2/8 of our journey to complete the rest of the arc.
Edit: Realized this morning that I forgot to do a final read-through and edit yesterday for this chapter. Went through and edited a bit, hopefully it was still readable for those early birds 🙂 Thanks for reading!