I wasn"t sure where it had come from, but a huge python, with a body as thick as a bucket, was lying asleep in the water channel. Lying on the back of the snake were a woman and a child, both unconscious.
If the python was startled awake, it would definitely eat us alive!
I told Li Mazi to turn off the engine of the tractor.
At the same time, I hinted to the duo not to make a sound and stay where they were, keeping their eyes open. As for me, I went to look for Fourth Uncle. I didn"t want him to bring a large number of people and wake up the python.
It was lucky that I intercepted him midway. He had brought with him a lot of young members of the Dai Clan, and they were causing a huge ruckus.
When I told him about the big python, Fourth Uncle gnashed his teeth with anger. "It"s that annoying creature again!"
From his words, it seemed that Fourth Uncle knew about that beast. As such, I asked, "Fourth Uncle, can you tell me about that snake"s origin?"
Fourth Uncle told the youngsters to return to the village and proceeded toward the accident scene along with me. Along the way, he told me what the deal with the python was.
It turned out that the snake was the pet that the road-blocking ghost had been raising. Every time the ghost made its appearance, the python would also show up. After the road-blocking ghost had killed someone, it would quietly swallow the corpse.
Moreover, the strangest thing about the snake was that it would eat only dead people. If it met someone on the verge of death, it would still leave them alone.
I asked Fourth Uncle, "Didn"t you say that no one ever died on this road? How can you tell that it was the python that ate the person?"
Fourth Uncle sneered. "The python made its appearance at such a time... what could the reason be if not to eat the corpse?"
When we hurried back, the huge python was still sleeping in the ditch, while the woman and the child were still unconscious.
Fourth Uncle took out an axe and prepared to jump in the ditch. However, I quickly stopped him. "I feel that it"s too dangerous. That python looks very strong, and it won"t be easy to deal with it."
Fourth Uncle waved his hand at me, gesturing at me to calm down. The python was scared of living people, and the more one showed off, the more the creature would be afraid of them.
I nodded in surprise, having no choice but to let Fourth Uncle go down.
Fourth Uncle slowly approached the snake. Although he made a lot of noise on his way, the python didn"t move. It looked as though it wasn"t aware of anything.
The python also seemed to be shedding its skin since there was a whitish, disgusting-looking snakeskin nearby.
It was said that snakes were the hungriest while shedding their skin. As such, I was afraid that it would suddenly wake up, open its mouth, and gobble up Fourth Uncle.
The brave Fourth Uncle quickly reached the woman and the child and handed them over to us.
As for him, he didn"t climb out of the ditch but angrily stared at the python. He raised his axe high, ready to cut off the head of the snake.
My heart was about to jump out of my chest. We had been lucky that the snake didn"t create any trouble for us, but now, Fourth Uncle was taking the initiative to pick a fight with it!
I instinctively tried to stop Fourth Uncle. However, he ignored me and chopped with his axe.
The sharp axe left a deep cut on the body of the snake, and a lot of white liquid flowed out of the wound.
The strike immediately woke up the snake, which hissed loudly. It twisted its body and raised its huge head.
Fourth Uncle laughed like a madman and aimed at the head of the python again.
The strike was strong. Were it to hit the snake, it would definitely cleave its head into two.
However, the snake wasn"t to be underestimated. Its head quickly moved, hitting Fourth Uncle"s body.
The speed at which it moved was unbelievable!
Fourth Uncle was sent flying with his body upside down, falling hard in the ditch.
The snake swept us with its gaze and was seemingly scared of our numbers. As such, it turned around and prepared to run.
However, Fourth Uncle wasn"t willing to let this opportunity go. He endured the pain, got up and grabbed the tail of the python, roaring, "What are you waiting for?!" Quickly come down and help me kill it!"
I finally came to my senses.
Although I had no plan to hurt the snake earlier, the other party was now our enemy. Therefore, I didn"t show any mercy and jumped into the ditch. I grabbed the axe and shot toward Fourth Uncle, aiming at the snake"s tail with the sharp axe.
The tail was instantly cut off.
The snake"s body twisted due to the pain, and without waiting for us to attack again, it fled and disappeared into the night.
Fourth Uncle patted my shoulder, pleased. "Young man, you were very brave, definitely worthy of being an honored guest of our Dai Clan!"
I looked worriedly at Fourth Uncle. "Fourth Uncle, what if the snake returns to take revenge on us? I feel like we should be careful over the next few days."
Fourth Uncle said with a smile, "Be at ease! I"m sure it won"t dare to come out for a while. We just cut off its tail and it will take several months to regrow.
I nodded, deep in thought.
Afterward, we put Elder Brother Yan Liang"s family on the tractor. Fourth Uncle drove it, and we headed back to the village in search of a doctor.
Since there wasn"t enough s.p.a.ce on the tractor, Yin Xinyue and I had no choice but to head back on foot.
I looked at the gloomy forest with a serious expression and asked Yin Xinyue, "When you were a kid, did you often b.u.mp into snakes and the like?"
Yin Xinyue nodded.
I continued asking, "And did you ever come across any snakes that only ate dead people?"
Yin Xinyue shook her head. "No. Snakes are cruel animals, and they are especially fond of swallowing living creatures. As such, that python is definitely strange..."
I furrowed my brows. "In hindsight, if the python hadn"t been there, the mother and the child would have likely died."
Yin Xinyue asked in surprise, "How so?"
"Do you see the water in the ditch?" I explained, "If the mother and the child had fallen in the ditch while still unconscious, they would have drowned to death."
"The python acted as a cus.h.i.+on and their lives."
Yin Xinyue stared at the ditch and looked at me in puzzlement. "Brother Zhang, are you telling me that the python didn"t want to eat them, but to save them instead?"
I nodded.
Yin Xinyue couldn"t restrain her laughter. "Please stop joking, hahaha! Have you ever heard of a python saving people? It"s very likely that the python snuck into the village more than once to eat the poultry or injure the villagers, so how can it suddenly become kind enough to save people?"
I said, "Whatever, it"s not like we know how a python thinks. Let"s head back."
On our way back, Yin Xinyue repeatedly urged me to be extra careful over the next few days and let Fourth Uncle accompany me if I were to go out. According to her, snakes were cruel animals that bore grudges. Since I had cut off its tail, there was no way it would let me off.
Yin Xinyue kept talking, but I didn"t really pay attention to her words. At that time, my mind was occupied with the matter related to the python and the road-blocking ghost.
The road-blocking ghost harms people, while the python saves them... are the two of them enemies?
I really hoped to help the Dai Clan get to the bottom of this matter.
When we got back, Elder Brother Yan Liang and his family were already awake, so I seized the opportunity to ask them what had happened.