Once upon a time there was a greedy snake

The raising and breeding of mammoths sounds simple, but in reality, it's an endless task. After all, mammoths will continue to be raised generation after generation, and there's always room for improvement in the quality of their meat. In addition, taking care of elephants on a daily basis is quite troublesome, which is enough to keep the wild people busy until they wake up.

Of course, for safety's sake, Du Yi didn't just fall asleep right away. Before entering a deep sleep, he kept an eye on these wild people for over thirty years until he was sure that they were indeed raising mammoths steadily, and that the mammoths had even reproduced for two or three generations before he finally felt at ease and went to sleep.

"There shouldn't be any problems now."

Du Yi thought this before falling asleep, after all, he had checked it again and again.

And this long sleep seems to prove this point.

Undisturbed and undisturbed, Du Yi slept soundly for a long time. Although he hadn't eaten much before bed, the ample sleep allowed him to fully recover his strength and energy.

However, just as Du Yi woke up and wanted to see just how far the mammoth had been iterated, a problem arose.

The mammoths are gone.

Even the savages are gone.

Du Yi was certain that he hadn't moved; the place he slept in was the sacred mountain of those savages back then—even though he was actually a little reluctant to sleep in this place that had turned into a mud pit, who would have thought that he would actually start to be a bit picky about his bed, and that he couldn't sleep if he really left this place.

Moreover, mud, which may seem like a symbol of filth and disorder to humans, felt warm and cozy to snakes once they crawled inside, like being covered with a blanket. So, after confirming that it was a place where he could sleep comfortably, Du Yi didn't move to another spot.

However, it was obvious that those savages had moved to a different place, and heaven knows where they went.

He even brought his mammoth with him.

"Are you really not even leaving me breakfast?"

Du Yi immediately became anxious. He hadn't eaten much before falling asleep, and now that he was awake, the mammoth had been taken away by someone.

"I have to get my mammoth back!"

This was the first thing Du Yi had to do after waking up. Those were his mammoths, and who knew how many generations they had gone through? He had to taste them.

However, before setting off, Du Yi definitely needed to eat something to fill his stomach.

Then came the most troublesome part.

"What's available to eat?"

Unlike his previous awakening after a deep sleep, perhaps due to the great flood, everything around him had undergone tremendous changes—the terrain, the vegetation, and the animals were no longer the same as they had been back then.

"There are no giant oxen, no antelopes, no dire wolves, and no cave bears..."

After smelling the air, Du Yi was astonished to find that none of the animals he had listed in his menu were there.

And most importantly, without the saber-toothed tiger, the mammoth was also taken away.

"hiss……"

Du Yi started having a toothache.

Du Yi was somewhat dismayed to find that none of the familiar recipes remained. In the past, the first thing he did upon waking up was to prepare a barbecue. However, after a brief moment of dismay, Du Yi became more interested in the new animal smells.

"There should be something new, right?"

Du Yi was full of anticipation for the new ingredients.

Then he realized that there seemed to be nothing to look forward to.

Cows, sheep, pigs, wolves, lions, leopards... and maybe chickens, ducks, geese, etc., but those are too small, not even enough to fill a tooth gap.

These kinds of dishes are nothing new. For Du Yi, who has tasted many kinds of meat, this is just too ordinary. When he smells these dishes, he doesn't even have an appetite. Even if these dishes were placed in front of him, he might not take a bite.

If there's anything new to eat, it's probably crocodiles. Although they're still a species that Du Yi remembers, he hasn't eaten them much, so eating them now is at least something new.

So Du Yi began his fishing work.

Of course, in Du Yi's view, he was catching crocodiles in the ditch, but the overflowing river water directly flooded the riverbed all the way over him. If it were before, he might not have realized this and would have just let the floodwaters flow along. However, after having experience dealing with a major flood, Du Yi also knew how much damage something that he considered just a splash could cause.

Just like now, that wave, which he could only call a splash, roared past, destroying house after house.

"Wait a minute, isn't there someone here?"

When Du Yi saw the houses in the distance, he realized that these savages hadn't migrated very far—although he didn't know if these savages were the same ones from back then, but that didn't stop him from going over to take a look.

After taking a look, Du Yi was even quite pleased.

They must be descendants of those savages from back then, since they still retain the tradition of worshipping snakes.

Although the snakes they worshipped looked somewhat distorted—the faces and necks on those snake patterns were noticeably larger, clearly resembling cobras.

However, considering that the so-called Ignis language of those savages changed every time they woke up, it seems reasonable that the snake patterns have become distorted now.

"Let's take a look first... wait, is it a sacrificial ceremony in progress?"

Seeing that an altar had been set up and a sacrificial ceremony was being held in the temple not far away, which was decorated with a large number of cobra patterns, Du Yi immediately went over out of curiosity.

He was curious about how these savages would worship him.

Chapter 121 The Serpent God Heard Your Call

Inside the temple, old Bhutto was still busy with the sacrificial rites.

Although this remote temple is not the sacred site called "Pal Vajit" dedicated to the cobra goddess, it still has everything a temple should have—an open-air altar, a serpentine statue symbolizing the cobra goddess Vajit, and reliefs carved on the walls depicting Vajit and the king of Buto jointly ruling the banks of the river.

Of course, there's also the most important thing: the living cobra hidden in the secret chamber beneath the altar.

These cobras with their broad necks are often seen as the earthly incarnation of the cobra goddess Vajit. People believe that these fierce venomous snakes can repel great evil, and some people even put cobras in their coffins when they die, believing that these incarnations of the snake goddess will protect them and ensure their safe passage across the River Styx.

Of course, old Bhutto is not yet ready to be buried. He brought the cobra out of the secret room only so that the cobra could receive his offerings in the name of the incarnation of the Holy Serpent Goddess.

"After all, the Snake God has only just woken up... so he needs to have a good meal."

With this in mind, old Bhutto offered the sacrifice he had prepared.

The first dish served was a snake-shaped bread made from the first harvest of wheat. In the mouth of the coiled snake, a small mouse decorated with berries was held—an imitation of the snake god hunting field mice, a gesture of gratitude and respect for the snake god.

After that comes honey and milk. Milk is the elixir of life, while honey symbolizes eternal protection. These two items are also common sacrificial offerings. It is said that in Pal Vajit, the priests of the holy land even use precious royal jelly as honey. However, such a remote place certainly does not have such high-standard preparations, so they can only use ordinary honey.

As for the last thing... it's fresh lamb chops.

This wasn't necessary for the ritual; it was mainly because Bhutto himself liked to eat it.

Considering that he couldn't get the highest grade royal jelly, he could only temporarily make do with the dishes he thought tasted best. If things hadn't been so serious today, he wouldn't have dared to be so extravagant. After all, this one serving of lamb chops was equivalent to half a month's worth of his normal meals.

But in Bhutto’s eyes, it was all worth it.

This is the day the Serpent God awakens, so any extravagance is worthwhile. After all, the Serpent God has awakened, and everything will be alright.

"But will everything really get better?"

Seeing the cobra peering out from the altar, old Bhutto finally broke down in tears.

That was not just his own sorrow, but the bewilderment that many serpent god believers had felt over the years—although everyone had been saying that everything would be alright once the serpent god woke up, when would the serpent god wake up?

No one knows when the serpent god will wake up, but as long as the serpent god remains asleep, his followers will be considered inferior.

And now, after countless generations of perseverance, their serpent god has finally awakened from its slumber.

Those followers of false gods, and even the false gods themselves, will naturally all be purged by the true god!

"Anyway, it's so good that you're awake..."

Facing the cobra peering out in front of him, old Bhutto muttered to himself, not caring whether the cobra could understand him or not.

"Do you know how we've survived all these years? The followers of false gods oppress us, the new generation of young people don't believe in us, food production is decreasing every year, and even eating a good meal has become a luxury..."

The more she spoke, the more grief overwhelmed her, and the more grief she felt, the more she wanted to continue... Her reverence for the serpent god, her steadfast faith—at this moment, Bhutto finally found a way to express herself.

Even as he cried out, old Bhutto's hands moved with remarkable precision. While feeding the cobra with tender lamb chops, he smeared a paste of milk and honey onto the altar, the idol, and the cobra.

It wasn't just simple smearing; it was meticulous outlining. Each stroke was to outline an anka, a symbol of life. It was said that this method could increase communication with the gods, allowing them to hear one's innermost thoughts more clearly. But only experienced old priests could achieve such skill.

"Great serpent god, have you heard my heart's cry?"

Old Bhutto thought so.

At this moment when the serpent god awakens, he wants to do his utmost to prove his piety.

He even felt that this method, which hadn't worked for a long time, seemed to actually be somewhat effective this time.

Just now, old Bhutto even had a faint feeling of being watched by a giant snake—not the small cobra in front of him, but a real, enormous snake that could swallow a whole cow whole.

Being stared at like that even gave Bhutto the illusion that he had become prey.

No, it's not even certain whether there was such a view at all.

But Bhutto preferred to believe that it existed; he preferred to believe that the enormous serpent god was watching him at that moment. As a follower of the serpent god, being watched by the serpent god was undoubtedly the most honorable thing.

Although he himself knew that such a thing was simply impossible.

Even though he considered himself the most devout to the snake god, the snake god was a high and mighty deity who would never pay attention to someone as insignificant as him...

"……Um?"

Looking at the huge shadow on the ground, old Bhutto suddenly felt that something was not quite right.

The shadow cast on the ground seemed a little too big.

That couldn't possibly be his own shadow, after all, the shadow looked exactly like...

"snake?"

Old Bhutto instinctively turned his head.

It was as if a mountain had blocked his way. Old Bhutto couldn't believe what he was seeing. When the huge snake head drooped down from mid-air, its tongue alone was bigger than his entire body.

And those enormous snake eyes were fixed on him, their gaze full of curiosity.

"Ah ah ah ah ah--"

The terrifying sight of the enormous creature that was coming at him startled old Bhutto so much that he fell to the ground with a thud. As he tried to get up, he accidentally knocked the altar over with his head, which caused the startled cobra to bite him on the spot.

In just a few moments, old Bhutto had lost consciousness.

Chapter 122 Which Snake God Are You?

At any other time, Bhutto would basically be dead by now.

Cobra venom is extremely potent and can kill a person in the time it takes to eat a meal. Given that Bhutto was already quite old, his resistance would only be weaker. Let alone a meal, even the time it takes to drink a cup of tea would be enough to kill him eight times over.

However, this time, fate was unusually kind to old Booth.

Simply because Du Yi was looking at him.

If it were some kind of venom he had never seen before, Du Yi wouldn't dare to guarantee that he could handle it, but when it came to snake venom, that was his area of ​​expertise.

After all, he himself is a snake, and he can truly say that no one understands snake venom better than him.

If you simply ingest snake venom, you might not even be poisoned. After all, snake venom is essentially just a relatively special kind of saliva. Of course, if you have a wound or mouth ulcer, or if you happen to have a stomach hemorrhage, the snake venom might come into contact with your bloodstream through the wound before it is digested, and in that case, you will still die.

Now that the snake venom has entered the bloodstream through the wound, things are relatively complicated. Although theoretically, the venomous blood can be released through various methods for emergency treatment, Du Yi has a better solution than that troublesome process.

That is, his own blood.

Ordinary snake blood cannot cure snake venom. Du Yi had actually tried it several times, and after sacrificing several antelopes, he came to this conclusion. But his blood was different from ordinary snake blood. It could cure not only snake venom, but also poisoning from scorpions and centipedes.

Just like it is now.

As soon as Du Yi's tail blood dripped onto the old man's wound, a large amount of fresh blood gushed out from the wound. The blood clots, which had already changed color, continued to gush out, as if they were consciously avoiding the drop of snake blood that had fallen.

The sudden massive bleeding made the already weak old man even paler, but his breathing gradually became steady, and he was pulled back from the brink of death.

"Fortunately."

Du Yi breathed a sigh of relief. He had thought the old man was going to bleed to death, but now it seemed that his blood had not been wasted after all.

Of course, Du Yi's act of helping was not out of a sudden act of kindness.

The main reason is that he needs someone to tell him exactly what time it is right now.

Just like the previous times when he woke up from his slumber, he always had to ask people a couple of questions to know what year it was, what kind of environment he was in, and most importantly, he even had to learn the language of this era—after all, he had heard the old man's prayer just now, and he really couldn't understand a word of it.

Du Yi has become quite accustomed to studying a foreign language every time he wakes up, and he has even come up with many learning methods to accelerate his learning process.

However, we should wait until the old man wakes up before discussing anything further.

Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long. The old man was quite resilient. After a brief period of unconsciousness, he regained consciousness. Before the old man could even start yelling, Du Yi's tail had already swung up.

When spoken language fails to communicate, body language is often a more effective way to communicate.

Having had several experiences with this method of communication, Du Yi was already very familiar with it.

……