Chapter 96

Cui Lan, after all, was no longer young. Although she had not slept all night and had some bloodshot eyes, she still looked spirited. Seeing that it was already dawn, Lin Bei was performing his routine bath. Cui Lan walked around the pond and asked curiously, "Sir, why did you block this place? Cui Lan didn’t see anything."

Lin Bei thought to himself, "It’s no wonder you can’t see anything now. Those small turtles have already found their burrows and settled down. Because they are very small, they are afraid of being killed by other fish, so they won’t come out easily. However, once they grow bigger and have the ability to protect themselves, the small turtles will come out to compete for food."

Bian Ji came out of the house, stretched lazily, and asked suspiciously, "Cui Lan, what were you doing last night? You kept me from getting a good night’s sleep."

Cui Lan pointed at Lin Bei, "Master, you should ask Sir. Cui Lan didn’t sleep all night either."

"Oh?" Bian Ji didn’t ask any more questions.

Seeing that they had finished washing up, Lin Bei stood up from the pond. His snake scales were extremely smooth, and with a slight shake, the water droplets fell off, not even needing to be wiped.

"Is Sir going to catch the long-nosed beasts today?"

Lin Bei nodded and swam to the rock, "Yes, there are still about ten long-nosed beasts over there. Once we catch them, we can wrap things up. However, the long-nosed beasts are not the main concern; the biogas pond is the most important."

"Since Sir values this biogas pond so much, could you tell us what it’s used for?"

Lin Bei only mentioned turning waste into treasure, but didn’t elaborate further. No matter how much Bian Ji and the others racked their brains, they couldn’t figure out how the waste from the long-nosed beasts could turn into treasure. Could it be some kind of alchemy? But it’s not even stone. Bian Ji had been thinking about this all day and wanted to ask.

Lin Bei then asked, "What do you use to make fire?"

"Of course, flint and fire striker," Cui Lan said matter-of-factly.

"Is this method convenient?" Lin Bei asked again.

Cui Lan hesitated this time, "I don’t really find it inconvenient."

"That’s because you are used to it, and there is no better way to make fire. I find it extremely inconvenient. Every time I make fire, I have to gather some flax grass and prepare a pile of firewood. If the firewood runs out, I have to start all over again."

"Isn’t that how everyone does it?" Zhen Ding said from the side.

Bian Ji, however, seemed to be thinking, "Could it be that this ‘biogas pond’ doesn’t need flint, fire striker, or flax grass?"

"Even firewood is not needed," Lin Bei said. "Once biogas is produced, it can be a continuous supply. One biogas pond can last for several months. Additionally, the biogas can be extracted and stored in containers, carried around, and used at any time, which is extremely convenient."

Bian Ji and the others were immediately surprised. A biogas pond could last for several months? Considering the size of the biogas pond, it was quite impressive.

"Can the biogas be used to cook food?"

"Of course, otherwise what would it be used for? The fire is concentrated, so the food cooks very quickly, saving about two-thirds of the time."

The initial use of biogas is definitely for cooking and boiling water, but as time goes on, its uses become more extensive, such as heating, iron smelting, and steelmaking. These can all use biogas instead of charcoal and coal. If technology advances further, steam engines can also be developed, with the raw material being just waste. Compared to coal, an non-renewable resource, and wood, a slow-growing resource, biogas is truly cost-effective and efficient.

Bian Ji and the others were visibly moved. They couldn’t imagine so much, but the idea that waste could turn into fire and be used for cooking was already beyond their imagination. Perhaps this was truly ‘sorcery.’

Lin Bei added, "The biogas pond is crucial to my upcoming plans, so I hope you take it seriously and build it as quickly as possible."

"Sir, rest assured. I will inform Zhongzhi today," Bian Ji nodded firmly.

Seeing that it was almost time, everyone headed to the school to meet up with the hunters.

Just as they arrived at the school, the laborers hadn’t arrived yet, but An Zhongzhi was there. Lin Bei also saw that Zhen Ding’s two guards had returned, and two people were standing nearby, one of whom was likely Zhen Ping.

Sure enough, as soon as this person saw Zhen Ding, he came forward to greet him, calling him "clan brother." Zhen Ding smiled and helped him up, then introduced him to Lin Bei, "Sir, this is Zhen Ping. Zhen Ping, come and meet Sir."

Zhen Ping’s surprise flashed across his face. He had clearly known about Lin Bei’s existence and was not afraid. He bowed to Lin Bei, "Zhen Ping greets Sir."

Lin Bei looked at Zhen Ping. He had a fair complexion and no beard, and his clothes were very neat, giving an extremely clean impression. His eyes were sharp, indicating that he was a very astute person. Lin Bei thought to himself that the Zhen family indeed had a good eye for talent. Just by looking at a shopkeeper in Nanyue, one could see the Zhen family’s talent in selecting people. Zhen Ding looked like a Buddha, and Zhen Ping was astute. Both impressions were important in business. If a shopkeeper looked untrustworthy, customers would be hesitant to return.

Without further ado, Lin Bei wrote, "Tell me again about the situation with the merchant surnamed Guan."

Zhen Ding had already learned the situation from the guards on the way and knew that the demon lord was very powerful, understanding human language and affairs. However, seeing the large snake write on the ground, his face couldn’t help but twitch. This supernatural ability made Zhen Ping a bit fearful. He then respectfully said, "Sir, the person came two years ago, three days before the Double Ninth Festival..."

Bian Ji looked at him and asked, "How do you remember it so clearly?"

Zhen Ding smiled and explained, "Sir, Master, my clan brother has been smart since childhood. Although he doesn’t have a photographic memory, he can recall about 80-90% of the merchants he has seen over the years, even after several years."

Bian Ji was somewhat surprised. Lin Bei thought to himself that this was indeed a remarkable person. It was like a modern hotel manager, whose basic skill is to remember important customers. Some old-established restaurants have even more impressive staff who can remember what a customer ordered years ago, and such staff are even more popular with customers than the owners.

"Continue."

"Yes, Sir. The merchant surnamed Guan brought a large chest. At first, he was received by the staff, but he insisted on seeing me, so I personally received him. He brought specialties from the coastal areas, one of which was pig’s food."

"The merchant surnamed Guan mentioned that pig’s food grows in the deep mountains and is something that wild boars dig up. It is very rare, usually about the size of a fist, with a red skin, and is sweet and delicious. One piece is enough to satisfy an adult man. The locals consider it a treasure and only eat it on special occasions. Unfortunately, when the merchant surnamed Guan brought it, it might have been improperly stored and had already rotted, so I refused it, Sir. That’s the whole process."

Lin Bei thought for a moment. It indeed sounded very much like sweet potatoes, with a red skin and a sweet taste, similar to the characteristics of sweet potatoes. The merchant surnamed Guan probably brought it because the locals considered it a treasure and it was sweet and delicious. In this era, sugar was a very precious commodity, and sweets were considered a luxury.

After confirming this, Lin Bei felt that no matter what, he had to go to Zhu Lu as soon as possible to find the real pig’s food and verify it with his own eyes.

PS: That’s it for today. I’m a bit tired.

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