Chapter 68

"This is Danmu!" Lord Hai said with certainty and conviction.

"Danmu?" Qi Xiang was taken aback. Although he knew the wood for the statue of the God of Wealth must be extraordinary, he never expected Lord Hai to say it so straightforwardly.

His intuition was very sharp, and he could be sure that Lord Hai was not lying. However, after learning the answer, a new question immediately arose. What on earth was this Danmu?

Seemingly sensing Qi Xiang's doubts, Tian Shi spoke up with a smile, "Mr. Qi, there's no need to beat around the bush. We are all fellow practitioners, so there's no need to hide or play guessing games."

"Fellow practitioners?" Lord Hai was stunned, then widened his eyes in surprise, "He is also a..."

Tian Shi nodded, "I wasn't sure at first, but seeing the arrangement here and thinking about the Taihu Mystic Pearl, I'm at least eighty percent certain."

Lord Hai hurriedly examined the living room's decor, his eyes gradually brightening.

After buying the estate, Qi Xiang had rearranged everything according to his own preferences, favoring simplicity and cleanliness. However, within this simplicity and cleanliness, there were many details that were easy to overlook.

For example, the patterns on the carpet and the hanging decorations on the walls and in the corners. Everything looked very simple, but in reality, it was very meticulous.

At least to Lord Hai and Tian Shi, those decorations seemed like fireflies in the night sky, directly revealing Qi Xiang's true nature. Each delicate decoration, whether it was the Taiji, the Bagua, or the talismanic cloud patterns, was all related to Daoism.

Ordinary people wouldn't hang such things at home, would they?

Only those with a need or believers in this field would arrange things this way. These details confirmed Qi Xiang's preferences for Tian Shi. People with common interests were undoubtedly fellow practitioners.

"What fellow practitioners?" Qi Xiang did not rush to acknowledge it.

"Mr. Qi, at this point, why do you still pretend to be confused?" Tian Shi said unhappily, "Some things are better explained openly..."

"Exactly." Lord Hai agreed, "Sincere communication can lead to mutual benefits."

Qi Xiang pondered for a moment, then decided to go along with it, saying slyly, "Then you go first!"

Lord Hai and Tian Shi exchanged a glance, their eyes showing默契 (mutual understanding), as if they were exchanging opinions in secret. In a moment, they seemed to reach an agreement, and Lord Hai spoke up, "What do you want to know?"

At this, Qi Xiang hesitated. He had a belly full of questions but didn't know where to start.

However, he quickly made up his mind, turned around, and pointed at the statue, "You said this is Danmu?"

"Yes, it's definitely Danmu..."

Tian Shi's eyes gleamed with excitement, "The *Classic of Mountains and Seas* records that on Mount Mi, there are many Danmu trees, with round leaves and red stems, yellow flowers, and red fruits. Their taste is like honey, and eating them prevents hunger."

"It also says that on Mount Yanzi, there are many Danmu trees, with leaves like millet and fruits as large as melons, red with black veins. Eating them can cure jaundice and protect against fire."

Tian Shi nodded, his heart burning with enthusiasm, "From the records, Danmu has round leaves, red stems, yellow flowers, and red fruits. We can't see the flowers, leaves, or fruits, but the trunk matches the description of Danmu exactly. There's no mistake."

"The *Classic of Mountains and Seas*, Danmu!"

Qi Xiang frowned, a bit dazed.

Lord Hai, thinking Qi Xiang didn't believe him, hurriedly said, "Mr. Qi, we're not just guessing. We have evidence and can prove it to you right now."

"Oh?" Qi Xiang's interest was piqued, "How do you plan to prove it?"

"Simple!" Lord Hai smiled, "This tree is called Danmu not only because its trunk and fruit are red like cinnabar. More importantly, its trunk burns very well, making it the best firewood for alchemy."

"According to legend, using this Danmu as firewood for alchemy can increase the success rate several times over..."

As he spoke, Lord Hai's tone wavered a bit. Despite his confident words, he lacked sufficient confidence. After all, they had only heard of Danmu and were seeing it for the first time today.

As for whether this specimen was genuine, who could be one hundred percent sure?

But the next second, his face was filled with eagerness. The rarity of the item made it even more valuable for research.

"Eighty percent sure..." Tian Shi came over and muttered, "We can take a bet!"

"Right, let's take a bet." Lord Hai nodded vigorously. After all, even if they lost, it was just a matter of losing some face.

At the same time, Qi Xiang looked at them strangely, "So your proof is to light it up?"

"We don't need to light it all up," Lord Hai said with a smile. "You cut off a corner, right? Light that. It's said that Danmu has a lot of oil, and a small piece can burn for three days and three nights without going out."

"And when it burns, it emits a strong fragrance, comparable to agarwood." Tian Shi added, eager to light the Danmu and verify it.

"Really that amazing?" Qi Xiang was intrigued. He immediately brought the small piece of wood he had cut with a kitchen knife and found a lighter, carefully igniting it.

"Puff!"

In an instant, the wood burst into flames, burning rapidly.

Qi Xiang felt the flames lapping at him like a snake's tongue, and he quickly let go. The burning wood fell onto the hard, smooth marble floor.

As the wood hit the ground, the flames dimmed for a moment, then suddenly surged, turning from red to golden yellow.

Qi Xiang and the others hurriedly gathered around, clearly seeing that as the small piece of wood burned, it secreted a large amount of dark red oil.

This oil acted as a fuel, making the wood burn more thoroughly and the flames more vigorous. The wood sizzled, and wisps of smoke rose, spreading a pleasant, fragrant aroma.

"Right, that's it."

Lord Hai clenched his fist, excited, "We said it, this is definitely Danmu."

"Yes, Danmu..."

Tian Shi tried to remain calm, but the joy in his eyes was impossible to hide.

Qi Xiang, however, remained relatively calm, even taking out his phone to time it. To his surprise, the small piece of wood burned for four or five minutes without showing any signs of going out.

It wasn't until about ten minutes later that the piece of wood, about the size of a pinky finger, slowly turned to ashes.

"An amazing tree..." Qi Xiang marveled, "If it could be cultivated widely, it might replace coal and become one of the world's main resources."

"Haha, Mr. Qi, you really know how to joke." Lord Hai shook his head, bitter, "Species like Danmu definitely need a lot of weather and spiritual energy to grow and thrive."

"But nowadays, the spiritual energy in the world is increasingly scattered. It's not just about cultivation; even finding a single surviving Danmu tree is a stroke of luck, a cause for celebration."

Lord Hai sighed, then suddenly said, "If I'm not mistaken, the temple keeper from over a decade ago was killed because of the treasure he possessed..."

"But the temple keeper was very clever. No one expected him to carve the Danmu into a statue, hiding it in plain sight."

Lord Hai sighed deeply, "It seems he knew that possessing such a treasure would attract envy and took precautions early on. Unfortunately, he could guard against it for a while, but not forever, and ultimately couldn't escape his fate."

Hearing this, Qi Xiang's heart stirred, and he couldn't help but glance at Lord Hai, pondering his intentions. Was he trying to remind him that the item was so valuable that it could lead to murder?

For a moment, the atmosphere in the living room became a bit awkward.

After a while, Tian Shi broke the silence, "No matter how good Danmu is, it's just an external object. It can't be eaten or worn. Its only use is for burning..."

"That's not true, it can also be used in medicine!" Lord Hai helpfully reminded.

"Breaking the mood again!"

Tian Shi glared at Lord Hai, exasperated by this incompetent teammate.

"Cough!"

Lord Hai seemed to realize his mistake and quickly tried to make up for it, "Of course, the best parts of Danmu for medicine are the roots, leaves, flowers, and fruits. The trunk has weak medicinal properties and isn't very useful."

Qi Xiang smiled but said nothing, neither confirming nor denying.

"Alright..."

Lord Hai didn't expect Qi Xiang to fully believe him and tactfully changed the subject, "Mr. Qi, we are... members of the Great Dao Association. May I ask..."

"The Great Dao Association?" Qi Xiang shook his head, "I've never heard of it."

"...That's normal." Lord Hai smiled, "It's a small circle we formed online with a few close friends, so it's not well-known."

"I see." Qi Xiang nodded, his expression calm, as if he had seen through everything.

"Arrogant guy!"

Lord Hai grumbled inwardly. After all the effort to get information, Qi Xiang didn't reveal a single thing, which was frustrating.

"You go..."

Lord Hai gave Tian Shi a meaningful look, signaling him to take over.

Tian Shi understood and leaned in closer to Qi Xiang, whispering, "Mr. Qi, since we've revealed our true colors, you should at least respond. That's only fair."

"Hmm." Qi Xiang thought for a moment, nodded, and whispered, "Actually, I am... a member of the Cultivator Alliance!"

"The Cultivator Alliance?"

Lord Hai and Tian Shi were stunned, then their mouths twitched, almost spitting out their words. What Cultivator Alliance? They might as well call it the Avengers Alliance. Were they being treated like three-year-olds?

Tian Shi suppressed his anger, finally bowing and gritting his teeth, "So you are a fellow practitioner from the Cultivator Alliance. I've heard of you, I've heard of you!"

"Thank you, thank you." Qi Xiang beamed, "Please take care of me in the future!"