Once upon a time there was a greedy snake

"Everything edible has been eaten up. The giants have even started preying on our people... This is probably what this land is like now. Even a little food will lead to bloodshed."

The old men couldn't help but sigh in front of the young guard.

This newly acquired intelligence caused the young guard to frown deeply.

"You mean there's absolutely no food left?"

"There are still some."

The elderly people exchanged glances, and in the end, they still took out some food.

Some unidentified roots and stems, shriveled berries, and obviously not-so-fresh vegetables—these certainly wouldn't fill you up, but at least they would keep you from starving.

Just as the young guard was about to accept the food to prolong his life as he was about to starve, the old men waved their hands.

Then, they actually dragged a large pot out from deep within the shelter.

“Use this. This is the wisdom left behind by the great serpent god… Just throw in all these scraps of ingredients, add water, and when the water boils, everyone will be full.”

"The Great Serpent God..."

Looking at that large cauldron, the young guard also thought of those legends.

That was a long time ago, even earlier than the first Akakage. Although many of those stories have not been passed down, he had heard the story of the serpent god passing on wisdom to the Ignivas.

"So...didn't you just mention that those commoners who knew how to work fled into the holy mountain back then? Why didn't you go there? After all, it sounds like a way to survive..."

"can not go."

The old people shook their heads.

“We are royalty, descendants of sinners. The serpent god has already shown us mercy by not killing us. How could we dare to go to the holy mountain to seek death? Being able to steal some food on the edge of the holy mountain to keep us alive is already a blessing from the serpent god. How could we dare to ask for more?”

"Moreover, those mountain people, who were formerly the Ignis people, also have a history of hatred with us. When food was scarce, we did seek their help, but the people we sent were driven away by them."

……

The young guard fell silent.

These few words contained a wealth of information. You must know that no matter how down on their luck the Ignivas people were, they were all magicians, while the Ignis people, who were the commoners of the past, were not qualified to come into contact with magic.

Someone who wasn't a mage was able to drive out a mage who possessed formidable combat power.

This is not something that can be accomplished simply by reasoning with people.

"A person from the mountains...?"

The young guard silently memorized the name.

He decided to go and see the people in the mountains.

However, he definitely needs to eat first, but in this state of near starvation, it's hard to say whether he can even make it to the holy mountain alive.

But just as he was anxiously waiting for the soup in the pot to be cooked, the old people all looked at him at the same time.

"What are you looking at me doing?"

The young guard was somewhat puzzled.

"I won't drink too much, just a little will be enough..."

"A little isn't enough; all of us can't get enough."

The old men shook their heads repeatedly, and then their gazes toward the young guards became increasingly fervent.

"If you want to be full, you still need meat..."

"Meat? Where did you get the meat?"

The young guard was increasingly puzzled.

"You didn't take out any meat either. I've been starving for days, and there's no way I could have any on me..."

He had only spoken halfway when the young guard seemed to remember something, and his expression immediately changed.

In front of him, the old men of Ignivas also raised their hands in greeting.

"Young people, so that everyone can have enough to eat..."

"You can cook it yourself."

Chapter 61 Going up the mountain

As it turns out, this young Ignivas man was quite capable to become the personal bodyguard of the second Akakage.

Despite being outnumbered and starving, he survived, while his elderly kin were all blown to pieces by the bone daggers.

The young guard felt no guilt about executing these fellow clansmen; in fact, he thought that letting them die peacefully might not be such a bad thing.

After all, he had experienced hunger firsthand, living in endless hunger, and every day could be described as torture.

The hot soup left by the old people replenished his strength, and with this last bit of strength, he finally arrived at the foot of the sacred mountain.

“The Ignis…or rather, the mountain people.”

Recalling the intelligence he had gathered, the young guard nodded slowly.

If nothing unexpected happens, then the way to maintain eternal youth must lie with these mountain people—after all, he had already seen the other two groups of people living on this land. Whether it was the giant whose eyes were glowing green with hunger or the old people who wanted to cook him, they were clearly not related to eternal youth.

"Hopefully they'll be willing to share the secret technique; if not..."

The young guard touched the bone dagger at his waist.

He came with a mission this time; he absolutely had to bring back the secret method that could restore youth.

Even according to the elders, these mountain people are quite powerful in combat.

"When it comes to fighting, I've never lost."

With this in mind, the young guard stepped into the mountains.

Then he couldn't walk anymore.

Although the sacred mountain appears as desolate as the surrounding area, once you venture a little deeper, you'll see that the inside and outside of the mountain are practically two different worlds. This stark contrast made the young guard think he had taken the wrong path, since he hadn't seen the sacred mountain like this on his way here.

A faint sweet fragrance filled the air, and fruits and vegetables were everywhere. He didn't even need to look for them; he could simply reach out and grab berries to eat.

But that's not the most attractive thing right now.

Instead, it was those plump cattle and sheep.

Yes, plump. He couldn't think of any other adjectives. Whether it was bison or antelope, they all looked so plump and delicious. Even the Second Akakage couldn't eat this level of delicacy.

"As the bodyguard of the second-generation Akakage, it is my duty to test the poison for him."

With this in mind, the young guard clasped his hands together and turned a passing antelope into roast meat.

This was probably the most delicious roast meat he had ever eaten in his life.

Each slice of mutton was covered with snowflake-like marbling, and a bite released a burst of rich, fatty flavor. For anyone, this was an unparalleled temptation—especially since he had been starving for several days. Even if he had managed to fill his stomach with water before, it could not compare to this hearty dish.

The bone dagger, originally used to kill enemies, had now become a meat slicer. With one slice after another, he swallowed piece after piece of mutton into his mouth. Before long, he had eaten the entire antelope.

Patting his swollen belly, the young guard even felt a little dizzy.

This is the aftereffect of suddenly eating too much, especially for this kind of fat-rich antelope. After suddenly consuming a large amount of meat, it was so full that it closed its eyes and even couldn't help but want to take a nap.

"This is the kind of place that truly deserves to be called a place where milk and honey are preserved..."

Smelling the faint sweet fragrance in the air, the young guard finally couldn't hold on any longer and closed his eyes.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself bound and tied to a large tree.

"I……"

The young guard tried to struggle, but the ropes binding him were incredibly tight—so tight that his hands were even separated and tied to his sides, making it impossible for him to even touch his hands together, let alone use magic.

"This method of binding...does it know I can use magic to escape?"

Feeling the unprecedented way he was bound, the young guard was speechless for a moment.

He had thought about what would happen if he lost the battle. He thought he might die in battle, or he might be captured. But he never thought he would be captured in this way. He didn't even see the enemy's face. He just ate something and when he opened his eyes again, he was already a prisoner.

"let me go!"

The young guard shouted at the top of his lungs.

But his cry for help received no response.

There was still no sound around, only the chirping of insects and birds, and a deathly silence.

This made the young guard even more panicked. After all, he couldn't even use magic now. He was tied to the tree in a daze, and he didn't even know who his enemy was.

All he could do was shout, shouting again and again.

Until a person of similar height appeared in his line of sight.

Judging by this person's height and appearance, he was no different from other Ignivas—but his physique and posture were completely different from those of the Ignivas.

As for the Ignivas people outside the mountains, they are no different from savages. If you have to point out the difference between them and monkeys, it's that they can still talk and at least know how to wear clothes.

As for the Ignivas people in the southern swamp, they still retain their old habits, believing that eating a lot brings strength, which has resulted in them being quite large, far larger than those monkeys.

But this stranger in front of me...

The young guard didn't know how to describe it.

Compared to the broad-shouldered Ignivas, the other person appeared too thin, lacking a robust waistline and showing no signs of fat accumulation—yet this body, which should have been judged as frail, appeared inexplicably muscular due to its firm muscle lines.

"If I don't use magic, can I really beat him?"

Just by comparing their figures, the young guard broke out in a cold sweat.

However, the person ignored him, merely glanced at him, then leaped to the treetop and disappeared into the depths of the mountains.

This gave the young guard a chance to escape.

"This method of binding might have worked against the Ignivas of the past, but not now..."

"Using magic doesn't necessarily require two hands."

Taking a deep breath, the young guard snapped his fingers together with one hand.

With a crackling sound, the faint flame burned through the hemp rope binding him.

Sweeping aside the short ropes binding him, the young guard lowered his body and followed the trail of the man he had just encountered.

He had a premonition that the stranger was the person he was looking for in the mountains.

Chapter 62 The Long-Awaited Harvest Festival

Following the stranger who appeared to be from the mountains, the young guard ventured deeper into the mountains.

He hadn't walked far when he smelled a mouthwatering aroma of meat—even though he was already full, his belly was bulging, but after smelling the aroma of sizzling fat, he couldn't resist taking a couple more bites.

"This is……"

Following the aroma of meat, the young guard ventured even deeper into the area.

He witnessed a solemn sacrificial ceremony.

It was a small square that had been specially leveled. A group of people, just as robust as the stranger from before, were gathered there. In the center of the crowd, a giant snake statue made of hardwood was coiled up. The snake statue was so huge that even from a distance, one could feel one's own insignificance.

Before the giant serpent stood a rammed earth altar, from which billowing smoke rose as if to attract the serpent's attention.

Beneath the smoke was a dazzling array of delicacies: roasted meat, berries, honey, and all sorts of rare and delicious foods he couldn't even name, piled up on the altar as if waiting for the giant serpent to devour them.

"This is……"

Seeing this familiar scene, the young guard couldn't help but slap his forehead.

He had been so busy with the tasks assigned to him by the Second Akakage that he lost track of time—and today was the Harvest Festival, wasn't it?

However, the harvest festival of the Ignivas no longer involves worshipping the serpent god. After all, having migrated to the southern swamps, they have no serpent god to worship. It is more like a carnival, led by the Second Akakage. Everyone brings out their stored ingredients to have a big meal, enjoy the harvest of the year, and look forward to another good harvest in the coming year.

However, adhering to the original custom, many people still choose to sew a small snake out of the alligator skin and hang it at their door or on the hunters' spears on the day of the harvest festival. They believe that the small snake will bring good luck and help them find more prey.

As for the current situation, where even rammed earth is used to build the altar, he had only heard of it in the ancient legends told by the old people.

"They still retain the tradition of the harvest festival...they must be Ignis people!"

Upon realizing this, the young guard wanted to go over and ask. If these people were indeed Ignis, or even the Ignis of yesteryear, he would give anything to obtain the secret of eternal youth if they were willing to teach him.

However, just as the young guard was about to take a step...