"Does anyone know what this is?" On January 12, a netizen from Dazhou, Sichuan Province, posted a short video on Douyin seeking help. The video featured the loud "clang-clang" sound of an excavator at work, showing blackish-brown, oval or egg-shaped objects nearly 10 centimeters in length and typically three to five centimeters in diameter, growing in dry soil burrows.

A netizen accidentally unearthed Wu Ling Shen (a type of medicinal fungus) while repairing a road

Comments quickly flooded in: "You've dug up a treasure!" Many identified the find as wild Wulingshen (Xylaria nigripes), a rare medicinal fungus, with high-quality specimens reportedly fetching up to 4,000 yuan per jin (approximately 500 grams) on the market and known for their rich aroma when used in soups.

Is it truly Wuling Shen? On January 15, a reporter contacted the netizen, who said he had consulted multiple friends and relatives, all of whom confirmed it was indeed Wulingshen. The reporter subsequently shared the photos with practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine and growers of Chinese herbal materials for verification, receiving consistent confirmation from all sources.

Wuling Shen grows in soil cavities

It turned out that the netizen, who leases forested land in Anyun Township, Tongchuan District, Dazhou City, for logging operations, accidentally unearthed about one jin of Wulingshen while constructing a forest access road. Although numerous buyers expressed interest after the video went viral, he has not yet sold it, as the offered prices have not met his expectations.

Wulingshen, also known as Leizhenzi, is a rare medicinal fungus. "I'm hoping for a price above 1,000 yuan," the netizen said. "If I can't sell it, I'll just cook it into soup myself."

【本文部分内容由AI辅助生成，特此声明。The author(s) generated part of the content in this work with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI), which is hereby declared.】