Chapter 52: Temperature Rising

In the clear sky, a tiny figure treaded through the snow-covered mountain range. Occasionally, a chilly wind blew, scattering snowflakes on the figure’s shoulders. Bi Fang brushed off the fresh layer of snow on his shoulders; the weather was so cold that the snow didn’t immediately melt, even when it landed on his clothes or face.

Feeling exhausted after walking for more than an hour in the snowy forest, Bi Fang stopped and looked at the sun, squinting his eyes slightly. Since starting his journey, he had felt an ominous premonition, as if something significant was about to happen. The sky was without a single cloud, slightly dark, and the piercing cold wind was much weaker than yesterday’s; even in the snow, he had begun to sweat. Although it was nearly noon and the temperature had risen, wasn’t it a bit excessive?

‘Let’s hope nothing goes wrong…’ Bi Fang prayed inwardly. Unzipping his coat to avoid sweating further, he once again assessed his direction. Due to a lack of reference points in the snowy forest and the desert, it was easy to lose one’s way. Thus, he often had to stop and reassess his path.

“People in the snowy wilderness consume several times more energy than on normal land. In addition to the difficulties faced on the journey, there is also the loss of heat caused by the cold. Thus, we must ensure the accuracy of our direction and avoid wasting energy,” Bi Fang reminded himself. Glancing back at the mountain range, it remained unchanged, as if it had always been there – looming between the heavens and the earth for millions of years.

Feeling somewhat desperate, Bi Fang’s gaze found solace in the increasingly dense larch forest. The trees were lush with leaves that remained green and hadn’t even turned yellow yet. This indicated that he was getting closer to a water source!

“In a forest, if a tree sprouts early or withers late, it means there’s either an underground water source or the location is near one!” Bi Fang ran down the hillside, ears perked up, paying attention to the murmur of a nearby creek or waterfall. Around two hundred meters later, he began to hear additional sounds…

“Swish!” It was the sound of flowing water, right in front of him!

Bi Fang’s eyes gleamed like stars as he strode forward, following the sound that wasn’t far away. In no time, he found an icy river!

‘There’s really a river! Phenomenal! Could this be the luck of the formidable?’ He trembled in awe.

Bi Fang couldn’t help but marvel at his confidence and determination to survive in the wild. ‘Even without any skills, one can still achieve incredible feats.’

As Bi Fang followed the river, he observed the rocks and stones at the riverbed, hoping to find fish or any signs of life. The flowing water made it challenging to search; he couldn’t help but feel anxious, raising his head to look at the sky, hoping his previous guesses were wrong…

“Fish and other mammals, amphibians, or reptiles in a state of torpor during winter are different. Fish don’t hibernate in the true sense. They only reduce or stop eating and become weak. They usually hide among aquatic plants or crevices in rocks during this time.” Bi Fang recalled his knowledge of fish behavior during winter.

“Though fish don’t hibernate, they can become very ‘sluggish.’ Even without a fishing rod, one can make a spear and easily pierce a fish’s body, despite lacking experience.”

‘In such cold temperatures, won’t the fish freeze to death?’ He wondered. But then again, if that were the case, wouldn’t the Heilongjiang and Yalu rivers be devoid of fish during their freezing winters of below-zero temperatures?

“Everyone, there’s no need to worry. The fish’s body contains a special ‘antifreeze glycoprotein.’ Even at subzero temperatures, their bodies won’t freeze. We usually divide fish into three categories – cold-water, warm-water, and temperate-water species. These three types of fish have different temperature tolerances, like the common grass carp and silver carp, which are temperate-water fish.”

Bi Fang held a knife in one hand and shaved one end of a long wooden stick he had picked up earlier into a pointed tip with his other hand, fashioning it into a makeshift spear.

It has to be said that humans indeed rely heavily on tools. No matter how sharp natural flints are, they are far less efficient than mechanically made steel knives.

“Fish that can live in high latitude areas are generally cold-water species, capable of withstanding temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius, but not higher than 20 degrees Celsius. Common cold-water fish in our country can be found in the Heilongjiang and Yalu rivers, such as the rainbow trout, sturgeon, black-backed loach, and mahi fish.”

Learning something new, huh!

Little sunflower daddy starts class!

I love watching Lord Fang’s live stream, not for anything else, but to learn stuff, so I can show off to others!

The guy upstairs is godly! I thought the same thing. Last time I went camping with my colleagues, I told them how to find the river, and they were all dumbfounded. I’ll never forget the way they looked at me!

Pite’s not naughty. He sends an airship*1 to the host, praising the host’s knowledge!

Juan disappears, and sends a yacht*1 to the host, “I learned my lesson. I’m off to show off, no, I mean, reveal my wisdom in public!”

Bi Fang, watching the lively live stream, couldn’t help but smile. One of his goals was to allow everyone to learn something while watching his live stream.

“For a flowing river like this, we can search for areas with stronger currents, such as bends. Fish will gather near the eddies, especially in winter because of the flow of the river. The oxygen content here is the highest, making it perfect for the ‘sluggish’ fish to breathe!”

Bi Fang followed the river until he finally found a place with a larger bend in the river. Standing on a rock, he carefully observed the situation at the bottom of the river.

Due to the bend, silt had accumulated at the river’s mouth, providing shelter for small fish and shrimp. The presence of the small fish and shrimp, in turn, attracted larger fish, making this an ideal hunting ground!

If everything goes as planned, they could eat fish this time!