As time passed, the townspeople began to appear on the streets in twos and threes.

Ye Fan took out a wooden board from the house, covered it on the charcoal basin, and let it go out naturally. This way, when you come back in the evening, you will also have an ember fire to bake your clothes.

The young man picked up the cloth bag that Zhao Yongchang gave him yesterday and took out the contents inside. In addition to cotton clothes and some food, there is also a brand new book with the title "Chinese Language". Ye Fan has heard that according to legend, it is a strange work written by a sage who traveled all over the four states in ancient times and spent more than ten years of painstaking efforts. Ye Fan was a little puzzled, how could Zhao Yongchang's goods still know the quality of the books?

Ye Fan put away the things he gave him and prepared to go out.

"Fanzi, Fanzi, look what good things I bring!"

Ye Fan stretched out his hand to support his forehead, a little speechless, Zhao Yongchang heard his voice every time he didn't see it, and he began to shout across half the street, and he didn't know that he thought that this product had won the champion.

"Fanzi, look what good treasure I found from my father's shop. Zhao Yongchang rushed in from outside the small courtyard gate and took out two brand-new firewood knives from behind his back.

Ye Fan's eyes lit up a little when he saw it, and after chopping firewood for all these years, his eyes were still a little bit. This chai knife looks like it is made of stainless steel, and the blade has been sharpened for at least a day to have such a sharpness, and it is estimated that it will not be able to get down without thirty copper coins. Ye Fan was a little discouraged when he thought of this.

"You stole something from your father's shop again, let Uncle Zhao know that he won't beat you? Send it back quickly, even if it's your own things, you can't take them without asking, petty theft is still stealing. Ye Fan was a little angry, Zhao Yongchang had a good heart, but he always didn't care about these little things, and he could only be in a hurry.

Zhao Yongchang saw that Ye Fan was really a little angry, and hurriedly explained, "Fanzi, I told my father yesterday that I was going to go up the mountain with you to chop wood today, and it was he who said that I would take two knives from the shop and borrow them for us, I really didn't take it without permission, if you don't believe it, go to my house and ask my father!"

Ye Fan saw this thing and couldn't wait to swear to the sky, and knew that he was to blame, "Yongchang, it's my fault for not asking this matter clearly." But in the future, try not to do this kind of mistake that seems to be a trivial matter, which is not a good thing for others or yourself. ”

Zhao Yongchang is also a heartless goods, he put his arm around Ye Fan's shoulders, and walked outside when he carried Ye Fan with two knives, "I know, I know, let's go, let's go to Old Man Yang's house to eat a bowl of noodles, and we will go up the mountain." ”

"Slow down, you haven't picked up the plow yet. ”

"Go up to my house and take it, your climbing plow is all broken like that, and you still can't bear to let it do such heavy work? ”

———————————————

About two miles away from Yanming Town, there is a mountain, which the locals call Grandma Mountain.

The mountain is flat, the terrain is vast, and the products are abundant, which is the sideline business for many people in Yanming Town to fill their wallets and stomachs, and it is the biggest guarantee that Ye Fan can survive these years, so the young man is full of gratitude and awe for Grandma Mountain.

In recent years, Yanming Town has attached great importance to the repair of roads, so the county has specially allocated funds to pave bridges and repair roads as soon as possible. The muddy path to Grandma Mountain has been opened into a flat avenue, which has saved a lot of time.

Ye Fan and Zhao Yongchang walked for about three quarters of an hour and came to the foot of Grandma Mountain.

"Fanzi, have you read that book called Zhong, do you like it?" Zhao Yongchang said silly at Ye Fan as if he was invited.

Ye Fan smiled and nodded, "It's a good book, I like it very much." ”

Zhao Yongchang said with a smile, "Then I don't see who picked it, I took a fancy to this book at a glance in the bookstore, and I knew that you could like it." ”

"Mr. Wen told you. ”

"Damn, how do you know, Fanzi, I don't know what New Year's gift to give you, so Mr. Wen told me that I can give you a copy of something called Zhongzhong. ”

Ye Fan rubbed Zhao Yongchang's head with a smile, "I don't know you yet?" Then he took out a pair of jade pendants from his chest, handed one of them to Zhao Yongchang, and said softly: "This is a pair of jade pendants that my mother gave me before leaving, saying that in the future, if you meet a girl you like or a friend you think can be with you for a lifetime, you will give him a piece, this is what my mother asked the master to do before she got married, and I can bless them with peace and security, and give it to you as a New Year's gift." ”

Zhao Yongchang took the jade pendant and solemnly put it in the inner pocket of the cotton coat, "Fanzi, it is hypocritical to say superfluous words, anyway, I Zhao Yongchang can have you as a friend in this life, and I have no regrets in this life!"

Ye Fan nodded lightly, "Me too." ”

————————

This year's snow is not much heavier than in previous years, and the snow on the mountain road is just below the ankle, so the walk is not too slow.

"Fanzi, I can't walk, how far is it to get there?" Zhao Yongchang asked breathlessly behind Ye Fan.

There are strict rules in the county that trees cannot be cut down at will to hunt wild beasts, and they can only be hunted with firewood in the places specified by the imperial court.

Ye Fan squinted his eyes and looked at the mountain, "It's almost a quarter of an hour away." ”

Zhao Yongchang gasped and said to Ye Fan: "Fanzi, how can you walk so much with your small body, looking at the few taels of meat, your endurance is quite strong." ”

Ye Fan didn't answer, since he was a child, he followed his father up the mountain to chop wood and pick herbs to supplement the family, not to mention after his father and mother died. Although it is not strong, its strength cannot be underestimated, and it is the foundation laid by the last resort.

Ye Fan looked at the dark clouds gathering in the north, a little worried, turned back to Zhao Yongchang and said, "Hold on a little longer, hurry up, if you can't go back to the town while the snow is falling, it will be troublesome." ”

Zhao Yongchang got up from the ground and kept up with Ye Fan's pace.

Suddenly, Ye Fan suddenly knocked Zhao Yongchang down, and whispered in his ear: "Don't make a sound!"

Zhao Yongchang just wanted to exclaim, but after hearing Ye Fan's words, he instantly suffocated back into his stomach.

In a cave less than five zhang away from Ye Fan and Zhao Yongchang. There was a giant python with a dark body and three thick leaves entrenched here, snoring slightly, spitting snake hyacinths, obviously hibernating.

Ye Fan said in Zhao Yongchang's ear in a very small voice: "According to the older generation, the aura of Grandma Mountain is strong, and some grass and beasts will cultivate into spirits, this python is terrifying, it seems that it is not an ordinary giant python." But don't be afraid, these spirits don't hurt people easily, and it's hard to wake up during hibernation, so let's go around the cave and follow me, remember to be careful not to make too much noise, remember?"

Zhao Yongchang, who was pressed under Ye Fan, nodded vigorously.

Ye Fan got up cautiously and retreated to the opposite path of the cave where the giant python was, holding the firewood knife in his right hand, Zhao Yongchang followed behind Ye Fan, stepping on Ye Fan's footprints and walking step by step.

Although the older generation said so, Ye Fan also saw it for the first time. Saying this is just to ease Zhao Yongchang's heart, whether this giant python will suddenly wake up and hurt people, Ye Fan has no bottom in his heart.

"Oops. ”

Zhao Yongchang, who was behind Ye Fan, suddenly screamed in pain.

Ye Fan turned around and looked, Zhao Yongchang's left foot was bitten hard by the clamp of the beast, and Zhao Yongchang, who had never suffered much, broke out in a cold sweat in pain, and his face turned pale.

The python looked up, as if it was about to wake up from the movement.

Ye Fan hurriedly ran to Zhao Yongchang's feet and picked up the snow. Luckily, the clip isn't big, so it's supposed to be just for catching small beasts.

Ye Fan put his hands against the middle of the spikes and broke them hard, and Zhao Yongchang sat on the ground and howled the moment the clip was opened.

The giant python raised its head and looked towards Ye Fan, its two eyes were different from ordinary snakes, shining bloody red, staring at the two of them, so frightened that Zhao Yongchang even forgot to call. Ye Fan squatted down gently, making himself appear not threatening. Peeled off the cotton pants and looked at Zhao Yongchang's injury, fortunately, the clip was not big, and Zhao Yongchang's cotton pants were thick enough, and there was no injury to the bones, only skin trauma. But I don't know how to solve the trouble in front of me.

Ye Fan whispered to Zhao Yongchang: "Can you persevere?"

"Well, I can persevere, but it's a bit choking if I want to run. ”

Ye Fan looked around and said, "I'll go to the left to attract his attention first, look at my gestures, you slowly retreat, don't be in a hurry, don't get too far away, wait for this python to disappear from sight and then go faster, remember?"

Zhao Yongchang nodded lightly.

Ye Fan picked up the firewood knife and slowly retreated to the left rear.

When the giant python saw Ye Fan moving, its attention was attracted, and it stared at Ye Fan tightly, and when Ye Fan was some distance away from Zhao Yongchang, the young man made a gesture, and Zhao Yongchang began to walk back slowly.

At this time, there was a playful look in the eyes of the giant python. Suddenly no longer attracted by Ye Fan, turned his head and quickly crawled towards Zhao Yongchang, his huge body looked like a fish in water on the snow, and he was only a few feet away from catching up with Zhao Yongchang, and the consequences were unimaginable at that time.

"Run!" Ye Fan shouted at Zhao Yongchang as he hurried to Zhao Yongchang's side.

After Zhao Yongchang was stunned for a short time, he hurriedly ran into the distance, but there was a wound on his foot, and he was not very dexterous, so he tripped over a hidden branch and fell on the snow after a few steps, and the giant python with blood-red eyes and spitting snake hyacinth crawled towards him at a very fast speed, and he was about to catch up.

"Dad! mother, I don't want to die yet, I haven't married a daughter-in-law and haven't left a queen for the Zhao family! Zhao Yongchang looked at the giant python that was close at hand and cried loudly.

Ye Fan saw that it was too late, so he hurriedly used all his strength, jumped up, and slashed the firewood knife on the giant python hard, which actually made a harsh sound of metal colliding.

The extremely sharp firewood knife slashed at the giant python, but it only cut a blood mark, but the giant python was obviously enraged, gave up Zhao Yongchang, who was already in his mouth, and turned around to bite Ye Fan.

Ye Fan used a firewood knife against the python's big mouth, the sharp fangs were only ten centimeters away from Ye Fan's face, and the smell of blood in the snake's mouth rushed straight to the door, Ye Fan suppressed the fear in his heart, and shouted to Zhao Yongchang: "Don't run yet!

Zhao Yongchang came back to his senses by Ye Fan's shouting, and said anxiously to Ye Fan: "Then what should you do, this beast is so big, how can you beat it." ”

"I can't run here, there are many trees here, the python has just woken up, hungry for half a winter, lack of strength, I have been wrestling with it for a while and it has no strength to catch me, hurry back to the town to call someone, maybe I will be able to go back to the town in a while, you have a foot injury, go downhill with a climbing plow." ”

Zhao Yongchang is not a stupid person, he knows that he is a burden now, and he can fight for Ye Fan more life by hurrying back to the town, so he endured the pain in his feet, and ran down the mountain, shouting as he ran, "Fanzi, you hold on, I will definitely find someone to save you!"

Zhao Yongchang couldn't see Zhao Yongchang's figure anymore, Ye Fan breathed a sigh of relief, although the young man's physical strength was much better than ordinary people, it was impossible to entangle too much with this giant python with a body length of nearly ten zhang, so he unloaded his strength and quickly ran behind him.

The giant python had obviously been seriously enraged by Ye Fan, and chased after it relentlessly.

Previously, Ye Fan and Zhao Yongchang had been walking on the mountain roads that were opened up by people who came up to the mountain, and the snow was not too deep, but in this wood, it was basically up to the knees, even if Ye Fan was vigorous, he began to gradually lose his physical strength.

The giant python was probably going to play with its prey, and followed behind Ye Fan unhurriedly, its huge and dark body standing out on the snow.

Ye Fan slowly couldn't run, the branches on the ground were staggered, Ye Fan accidentally tripped over a branch, lay on the ground, and had no strength to get up again.

The giant python crawled slowly, Ye Fan picked up the firewood knife on his body, panted, and aimed at the giant python in front of him.

In fact, at this life-and-death juncture, Ye Fan didn't have a great sense of fear, just thinking that Uncle Wang's firewood couldn't be delivered, and he didn't know what he should do. I haven't read enough books, and I haven't had time to ask Mr. Wen for some questions, and no one will clean my father's tomb in the future.

"I don't want to die yet, there's still a lot of work to do. ”

Ye Fan's eyes became darker and darker, "Yongchang, Mr. Wen, see you in the next life." ”

Just when Ye Fan's eyes were about to go dark, a white light suddenly lit up.

Ye Fan couldn't see clearly, so he looked hard. Only then did I see that it was the light of a sword, and it seemed that it was just a very simple and casual sword, like a storm blowing across the lake, willow leaves floating to the earth, and a beautiful woman twisting her waist.

The giant python turned into powder the moment it touched the sword light.

The young man in a white robe stood in the position of the giant python and casually tucked the flying sword into the scabbard at his waist.

Then he leaned over and shook Ye Fan's shoulder, and asked gently, "Little brother, are you okay?" ”

Ye Fan looked at the white-robed man in front of him, stunned, and suddenly remembered a poem that Mr. Wen said to his wife.

"There is a beautiful woman in the world, and she is ashamed to walk the March lamp in the sky. ”

It is used to describe the white-robed man in front of him, which is just right.