A Man in the Snow: Starting with a Sword Challenge to the Northern Liang Prince's Palace

Deep in the mountains and forests of the small town.

Ye Yun has been staying in the small town these days, either sitting at the entrance of Mud Bottle Alley or wandering around the town, and hasn't really seen the surrounding mountains and rivers.

The weather was fine today, so he decided to go for a walk in the mountains to see if there were any special medicinal herbs or wild fruits that could be used to make wine.

The mountain isn't high, but the forest is lush. Ye Yun walked along a small path deeper into the mountains, with birdsong and insect chirps in the ears and the fragrance of grass and trees in the nose, which was quite pleasant.

After walking for about half an hour, suddenly a howling sound like ghosts wailing and wolves wailing came from the sky:

"Help! Grandpa Dog, have mercy! I'll never do it again!"

Ye Yun was taken aback and looked in the direction of the sound.

On the hillside, a boy was being chased all over the mountain by three wild dogs.

The boy was about ten years old, as thin as a stick, and he stumbled and fell several times while running.

He ran and shouted until his voice was hoarse, but the three stray dogs chased him even more fiercely, baring their teeth and about to bite his buttocks.

Ye Yun watched, feeling both amused and exasperated.

He raised his hand and waved, and three sword energies flew from his fingertips, lightly touching the ground in front of the three wild dogs. The sword energies were not large, but they carried a sharp sword intent, which startled the three wild dogs, who howled and ran away with their tails between their legs.

The boy collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, his face as white as paper. It took him a while to recover. He looked up at Ye Yun, grinned, revealing two gap-toothed teeth, and said, "Thank you for saving my life!"

Ye Yun walked over and looked down at him.

The boy was plain-looking, thin, with mud and grass on his face, but his eyes were bright and quick-witted.

He was wearing an old, patched-up jacket with worn-out cuffs, clearly a child from a poor family, yet he possessed a faint but special aura of good fortune.

"Whose are you?" Ye Yun asked curiously.

In this small town, most children are born with extraordinary fortune.

The boy patted his bottom, stood up, and puffed out his chest: "My name is Li Huai! I live in the north of town! My dad is... it doesn't matter! My mom is... oh dear, my mom is my mom!"

Ye Yun suppressed a laugh and said, "Li Huai, how did you manage to provoke those dogs?"

So this is the so-called "Emperor Li".

Li Huai scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed: "I...I stole the bones they were hiding."

Ye Yun was speechless. Fighting a dog for a bone, what a guy!

Li Huai quickly explained, "I didn't do it on purpose! I thought someone had thrown a bone there, and I was thinking of picking it up for my dog. Who knew those three stray dogs had hidden it? As soon as I picked it up, they rushed out!"

Ye Yun looked at him, unsure of what to say.

Li Huai didn't mind, leaned closer, her eyes sparkling as she asked, gesturing to demonstrate Ye Yun's actions from just now:

"My benefactor, those moves you made were amazing! Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, you scared those three dogs away! Are you a deity from out of town? Could you take me as your apprentice?"

Ye Yun shook his head and said, "I don't accept disciples."

Li Huai wasn't disappointed. He grinned and said, "Then forget it. Anyway, I'm not cut out for martial arts. My dad says I was born to study."

As he spoke, he pulled a small paper packet from his pocket and handed it to Ye Yun, saying, "My benefactor, I'll treat you to candied hawthorns! I just bought them in town. Although two were knocked off by the dog, I still have three!"

Ye Yun looked down and saw three hawthorns covered in sugar frosting lying in the paper package. Two of them were indeed missing, probably because they had fallen out.

He took the paper packet, picked up one, and put it in his mouth.

This can be considered as accepting Li Huai's kindness.

"good."

Li Huai smiled so hard his eyes narrowed into slits. He took one and popped it into his mouth, mumbling, "Of course, the candied hawthorns from Grandpa Wang's house in town are the best."

The two sat on the hillside, eating candied hawthorns and chatting.

Li Huai was talkative, rambling on and on, saying that although his father was not a good man, he was a decent person.

Little did he know that his father, Li Er, was a martial artist at the peak of the ninth realm.

"My sister's name is Li Liu, and she's very beautiful," Li Huai said casually, munching on a candied hawthorn.

Ye Yun's heart skipped a beat.

Li Liu.

The reincarnation of the water god.

Looking at the carefree young man in front of him, he suddenly felt a pang of emotion.

This man, who would one day be known as "Emperor Li" and whose words would become law, was at this moment just a silly boy being chased all over the mountains by wild dogs. He had no idea how far he would go in the future.

"My benefactor, are you married?" Li Huai suddenly asked.

Ye Yun was taken aback, then nodded: "It's done."

"Where's your wife? Why didn't she come with you?"

Ye Yun was silent for a moment, then said softly, "She is very far away."

Li Huai said "Oh," without asking any further questions, and continued eating the last candied hawthorn. He stuck the bamboo skewer into the ground and suddenly said, "My benefactor, you have a very fragrant smell."

Ye Yun lowered his head and sniffed himself, but couldn't smell anything.

Li Huai said earnestly, "It tastes like wine, but it doesn't taste like wine. My mother said that this kind of taste is the taste of good people."

Ye Yun was stunned. This guy was really something else!

"Your mother is right, be careful of dogs from now on."

Li Huai stood up, dusted himself off, and grinned, "My benefactor, I'll remember you! If we meet in town again, I'll treat you to candied hawthorns!"

After saying that, he skipped and hopped down the mountain, waving back as he ran, almost tripping and falling again.

Ye Yun watched his retreating figure, a smile appearing on her lips.

A pure heart is protected by heaven and earth.

That's why he was able to turn misfortune into good fortune, and that's why his words could become law.

Ye Yun sat on the hillside, gazing in the direction Li Huai had run off into, and remained motionless for a long time.

As the sun gradually set in the west, it dyed the entire mountain forest golden red. A few birdsongs drifted from afar, clear and melodious.

A mountain breeze blew by, carrying with it the fresh scent of grass and trees.

Ye Yun stood up, dusted himself off, and walked down the mountain.

When he reached the halfway point of the mountain, he suddenly stopped and looked back.

On the hillside, beside the rock where he had sat, the bamboo stick stuck in the ground was still there, casting a thin shadow in the setting sun.

Ye Yun withdrew his gaze and continued walking down.

By the time we got back to town, it was already dark.

The town lights came on one by one, twinkling like stars scattered across the earth.

He walked past the entrance of Mud Bottle Alley and habitually glanced inside. A dim yellow light shone from the dilapidated little house, spilling through the crack in the door and forming a thin strip of light on the bluestone slab.

Chen Ping'an was probably practicing his martial arts.

Ye Yun did not stop and continued walking forward.

Back in that dilapidated house, he lit the lamp and sat down by the window.

The moonlight outside the window was beautiful, shining on the wild grass in the yard, making it shimmer with a silvery light. He gazed at that patch of wild grass, at the people he knew in the small town.

He met all the future protagonists, whether they were old or young.

Although I didn't try to curry favor with them outright, I did manage to build good relationships with most of them.

It's the time to look forward to the opening of the town and seize the opportunity.