"What happened? What's your name?" Ye Tian asked.
The man cried, "My name is Niu Xiaojian."
Hearing the name Niu Xiaojian, Ye Tian remembered he was the protagonist of the story of the fox repaying a kindness, the youngest son of the sick woman.
He asked, "Why did you come up the mountain so late at night, and what injured you?"
Niu Xiaojian's emotions gradually calmed down. He said, "Benefactor, thank you for saving me. Can we leave here first?"
Ye Tian then helped Niu Xiaojian up, and they walked out of the bamboo forest, sitting on a bare rock on the mountaintop. A cool breeze blew, and Niu Xiaojian shivered. He then exhaled a breath and said, "What should I call you, Benefactor?"
"My name is Ye Tian."
Niu Xiaojian: "If it weren't for your help, Brother Ye, I would have died there just now."
He lit a cigarette, took two deep puffs, and then said to Ye Tian, "The ones who injured me were two mountain apes, one black and one white. They are both subordinates of the red fox."
Ye Tian: "The red fox you saved?"
"Yes, that's it," Niu Xiaojian said. "The rumors outside are not true. It's true that I saved the red fox, but I also injured it. I was in a bad mood at the time, so I set traps on the mountain, intending to catch a wild boar or a roe deer, but I caught a red fox. The fox was huge, standing as tall as me. Its eyes seemed to speak. When I saw it injured, I don't know why, but I couldn't bear to kill it, so I helped it out of the trap and took it home to treat."
"During the days I was treating the red fox, the black and white apes often brought chickens and rabbits to my doorstep. Gradually, I became familiar with them."
He sighed and said, "When the red fox's injuries healed, the red fox and I had become friends. Later, it led me to a kind of fruit that cured my mother's cancer. When this news spread, many people came to me, hoping I could find that fruit."
Ye Tian: "Did you agree?"
Niu Xiaojian lowered his head: "I was too greedy. The prices they offered were very high, some three million, some five million, and some even offered fifteen million. I had never seen so much money in my life, so I asked the red fox to get me some more fruit. The red fox looked very troubled, but it didn't want to disappoint me."
Ye Tian found it very interesting that a fox could be so loyal, which was truly rare.
He asked, "What happened next?"
"Later, the red fox disappeared for several days and didn't come to see me anymore. So I went up the mountain to check, and I found it seriously injured and on the verge of death. The white and black apes were very angry when they saw me and beat me up, which is why I was injured."
Ye Tian mused, "So, the red fox was injured trying to get the fruit you wanted?"
Niu Xiaojian: "It must be so, otherwise the black and white apes wouldn't be so angry with me."
Ye Tian: "They were merciful. They didn't really intend to kill you. Otherwise, you wouldn't be alive to see me."
As they walked, Niu Xiaojian felt Ye Tian's extraordinary nature. He suddenly knelt on the ground: "Brother Ye, you look like a master. Can you find a way to help the red fox? I don't want it to die, woo woo..."
This Niu Xiaojian, not yet twenty years old, now realized his mistake and was extremely regretful.
Ye Tian thought for a moment and said, "Alright, you rest for a while, and then take me to see the red fox."
Niu Xiaojian was overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly.
About ten minutes later, Niu Xiaojian struggled to stand up and led Ye Tian to see the red fox.
Returning to the bamboo forest, Niu Xiaojian was a little nervous because there were many poisonous snakes in the bamboo forest. But he soon discovered that the poisonous insects and snakes under his feet were scattering in all directions, as if sensing some terrifying creature.
Niu Xiaojian was very clever and exclaimed, "Brother Ye, these poisonous snakes are afraid of you!"
Ye Tian said, "Snakes can sense红包 waves, seeing spectra that humans cannot perceive, which is why they are afraid of me."
Soon, Niu Xiaojian arrived in front of a large withered tree. Inside the tree was a tree hollow, where a large fiery red fox lay, dying, its eyes half-open.
At this moment, two ape-like creatures, nearly 1.9 meters tall, appeared and bared their teeth at Niu Xiaojian. They were black and white, and very imposing.
Niu Xiaojian knelt on the ground, making gestures with his hands.
The two apes watched for a while, then looked at Ye Tian with doubtful eyes.
Ye Tian said, "I'm here to save it."
The two apes exchanged glances, as if discussing. After a few seconds, they moved aside to the left and right, allowing Ye Tian to approach the red fox.