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Chapter 457: Chapter 454: Red Mud (Seeking Monthly Votes)

“Mud?” Leonardo repeated uncertainly.

What was this operation with mud? Was it about starting a fire and then turning soil into pottery?

And in the end, use sharp fragments as weapons?

Leonardo thought about the broken porcelain at home, indeed it was very sharp…

[Who said that the next step was to make weapons? Yuyanjia has cut a figure.]

[Was it Stone Spear?]

[Didn’t you hear Master Fang talk about making iron tools before he came? Just start smelting!]

Bi Fang did not respond but flared his nostrils and sniffed gently in midair, smiling, “You’ve applied so much insect repellent, it even stings the nose.”

Leonardo was somewhat embarrassed, “I can’t help it, the mosquitoes here are too numerous.”

He suspected that if he were to go completely like Bi Fang, wearing no clothes and using no insect repellent, once he stopped, he would likely be sucked dry by mosquitoes.

Even just now, when Bi Fang was sitting on the ground weaving shoes, he was also weaving while fending off mosquitoes.

Without this, the speed at which the shoes were made could have been faster.

[I remember that Master Fang said a long time ago to look for water sources by observing animals and insects, that heading towards where there are many mosquitoes often leads to rivers.]

[That’s right, I remember that too, I think it was mentioned back in Qinling.]

[All the veterans showing up in front here.]

“Yes, mosquito larvae are entirely aquatic, so even a small puddle, like a flowerpot on a balcony, allows them to breed prolifically.”

An adult female mosquito lays eggs in stagnant water, at times laying over 300 eggs in one go. If left unchecked and the container remains filled with water, they can breed.

Eggs hatch into larvae within 24 to 48 hours in water, then after about 10 days they mature, and about 2 days after reaching maturity, the mosquitoes are adults and soon begin feeding.

It could be termed rampant growth.

Not to mention in the rainforest, with its abundant moisture, puddles aren’t even needed—moist soil will do.

[For mosquitoes, I’ve always had a deep loathing!]

[Why would God create such a devilish creature?]

[To fill the gap of no mosquitoes in my country’s winter, some scientist finally developed a cold-resistant mosquito.]

[I’ve seen that news, they should be dragged away and cooked!]

[Count me in on that feast!]

[Actually, filling the gap allows for more food to be available, which helps animals survive the winter; this is really beneficial for ecological protection… I can’t keep making this up.]

“It’s because the mosquitoes are so numerous that we need to make weapons to defend against them.” Bi Fang, now with shoes on, waved his hand to signal Leonardo to follow.

He looked around and indeed found a broken branch.

After stripping away all the unnecessary twigs, a decent tree stick appeared.

“Because there are so many mimicry animals in the rainforest, and the gloomy environment can easily trick you, a good tree stick becomes especially important at this moment. It helps us ‘startle the snake in the grass.'”

“You should prepare one too, as our paths won’t be entirely the same,” Bi Fang advised Leonardo seriously, looking back at him.

Leonardo smiled and glanced around, picking up a stick as well, although it was not as straight as Bi Fang’s, and it lacked a bit in appearance.

[Lalalala, better late than never.]

[I just knew it, I just knew it!]

[You can always trust a good, straight tree stick!]

[If you’re ever lost in the rainforest, don’t panic, calm down and find a straight stick to use as a weapon first!]

[You’ve obtained the sacred weapon, now go find a fierce beast and give it a try!]

“What was I talking about just now?” picking up the tree stick and being sidetracked by the netizens, Bi Fang had forgotten where he was in his narrative.

“Mosquitoes, you were talking about making weapons out of mud to fend off mosquitoes,” Leonardo added.

Connecting it to what Bi Fang had mentioned about mud, Leonardo had an inkling of what was coming.

Leonardo was not without experience; he had roamed around and seen many different people, Africa included, “Are you planning to cover yourself in mud?”

Bi Fang raised an eyebrow but didn’t deny it, “You’ve been to Africa?”

Leonardo nodded, “Filmed a movie there before, saw locals do it. Honestly, I think it’s quite primitive. They even bathed with mud.”

Bi Fang remained noncommittal while the netizens scratched their heads, feeling lost in this extraterrestrial exchange.

Mosquitoes, mud, Africa?

What’s that got to do with anything?

“Do you know which animal kills the most people in the world?” Bi Fang didn’t directly answer but instead asked the audience.

What is it?

Before the audience could react, Bi Fang had already started listing examples on his own, “Great White Shark? Lion? Tiger? Or venomous snake? Poisonous spider? Actually, it’s none of these; the biggest killer has always been mosquitoes.”

Mosquitoes?

The audience paused, but many people quickly caught on.

Disease!

Right, no other creature can spread diseases like mosquitoes!

“Many might not understand, but the ‘Life Science’ website once listed the 10 most deadly animals in the world that pose the greatest threat to human life.

And strangely enough, the deadliest animal in the world is not the crocodile, the great white shark, or the African lion, but the inconspicuous mosquito.

You wouldn’t have thought it, but the most dangerous animal in the world is the mosquito. Apart from Antarctica, there are different types of mosquitoes everywhere on Earth. Most times being bitten by a mosquito just makes you itch, but some mosquitoes carry malaria parasites. This is a parasitic disease caused by Plasmodium.

Once Plasmodium enters the human body, it lives in the red blood cells. People infected with malaria experience symptoms of alternating chills and fever, which in many places in Huaxia is called ‘Shivering Fever’. Every year, more than two million people die from malaria worldwide, and mosquitoes are the main culprits.”

Therefore, it is well-deserved to call mosquitoes ‘humanity’s number one killer’. It’s very necessary for us to create ‘weapons’ to defend against them.”

Two million deaths!

Shit.

Startled by this exceedingly exaggerated figure, the audience was shocked—could a disease really still cause millions of deaths in modern society?

“Now, all those who can see my live broadcast are actually very fortunate, because that means you can afford a smartphone, a computer, a television, and society can provide you with a good internet environment. These are things many people can’t afford, or even witness.”

“In a good economic environment, sanitation conditions are superior, but in many places in Africa, locals don’t have such good conditions. I know of one indigenous tribe that knows how to fend off mosquitoes.”

“In a nutshell, it’s by applying mud, smearing mud all over your body, using the smell and thickness of the mud to prevent mosquito bites.”

“In some very backward areas, if even this kind of soil is unavailable, some Africans will directly use animal dung to smear on their bodies. Although it does have some effect, this method is unbearable.”

When Bi Fang mentioned that people would rather smear themselves with feces to avoid mosquito bites, the audience fully understood the horror of mosquitoes.

This was a situation they had never encountered in all their previous adventures.

Only in the face of death can people let go of their shame and smear the dirtiest substances on themselves.

“Why not look for some mosquito-repelling herbs? With your ability, that shouldn’t be hard, right?” Leonardo was curious.

He had seen all of Bi Fang’s live broadcasts and as a Huaxia person, finding mosquito-repelling herbs wasn’t hard.

Why smear mud?

Such a good physique, it’s a pity to cover it with mud.

[Yeah, why do you have to smear mud?]

The audience was also curious, was it really necessary?

“How long does your insect repellent last?” Instead of directly answering, Bi Fang turned to ask the audience.

[Uh, a few hours?]

[I feel like it doesn’t even last a few hours….]

[It’s gone once you start sweating.]

“Isn’t that the reason?” Bi Fang laughed, “Modern industrial products can’t effectively repel mosquitoes; sweating, moving, all reduce their effectiveness; let alone the mosquito-repelling medicine found in the woods. They are not useless, but very limited, and they leave a strong scent on our bodies.”

Any substance that can be directly used in nature is ninety-nine percent not as effective as industrialized products.

There’s a reason why human society has developed for so long.

It’s not necessarily better because it’s more primitive.

Using herbal repellents is also a very troublesome process, as they have to be reapplied frequently and tools have to be made to crush and extract the juice.

It’s more practical to apply a layer of mud, which is not only easier to find but also more effective—it’s a chemical versus physical barrier.

“It’s not that there are no plants in Africa with mosquito-repelling properties; people call them ‘Mosquito-Repellent Trees’. Many indigenous Africans choose to build their homes near these trees or plants.”

“But in addition to that, Africans will still smear mud on their bodies. This proves many things. Now, what we are going to look for is this kind of mud, red clay.”

“Red clay is, literally, red mud, mainly composed of terrigenous material carried by rivers. It is rich in iron oxide, and if anyone has ever worked in a ceramic factory, they would know this is a common material for pottery.”

“So this time, we are not only looking for red clay but also looking for a water source!”