Once upon a time there was a greedy snake.

Chapter 10 Lord of Abundance
"What happened? When did you get so old?"

Looking at the Radiant Ones who had come to him once again, Du Yi was quite moved.

In his memory, the other person was a rather young and strong man not long ago, but not long after, he became this frail and old man.

Just looking at that light and airy body, you could probably blow the Radiant One away with a gust of wind.

"Soon, this kind of thing will only happen to you."

The elderly Radiant One smiled and shook his head.

Perhaps for the serpent god before him, not much time has passed, but for the Radiant One, he has been on the throne for over fifty years.

Even if you search through all eighteen generations of ancestors, no clan leader has ever held the position for so long.

Moreover, his health wasn't that good to begin with.

His supposedly clever poisoning had ultimately caused irreversible damage to his body. If it weren't for the fact that he received some treatment every time he met the Snake God, he probably would have already passed away.

“I told you long ago, take advantage of your youth and retire early to live in the mountains. Your health will be better... Your job is really too mentally taxing. It would be better to move to the mountains. You won’t have to think about anything except hunting and eating every day.”

Upon hearing what the Radiant One said, Du Yi couldn't help but sigh.

Although he had been in this world for quite some time and had long since grown accustomed to the joy of solitude, it was still a good thing to have someone to talk to occasionally—and this savage named Radiant One, aside from occasionally being prone to wild thoughts, was indeed a very suitable person to communicate with.

"So it's not too late to come to the mountains now. The fact that you can still go into the mountains by yourself means you still have some strength. Just stay here and you can live a little longer."

"This……"

Faced with the serpent god's invitation, the Radiant One subconsciously swallowed.

Although he had received such invitations several times, he couldn't help but yearn for them each time he heard them—after all, the serpent god's concept of time was completely different from that of mortals, and the serpent god's talk of living a little longer, when converted into mortal time...

Longevity and immortality are things that people never dare to dream of.

What could a long life bring? The Radiant One didn't know, but the survival instinct stemming from life itself urged him to agree quickly—his intuition told him that if he really agreed now, he could truly extend his life and continue living even when he was almost out of breath.

But after taking a deep breath, the Radiant One shook his head.

"Forget it."

The Radiant One smiled.

“If I continue to live, I will have to continue to be the clan chief. Even if I live in the mountains, they will still come to me and ask me all sorts of questions... Just like you said, this kind of thing is really too tiring.”

At this point, the Radiant One sighed.

"As the clan chief, I have worked for the people for over fifty years. Now I am old and nearing death, and it's time for me to live for my own selfish desires one last time..."

"I should go and reunite with my father."

As he uttered those words, a hint of nostalgia appeared in the Radiant One's eyes.

This made Du Yi sigh.

"Let's have a good meal before we leave."

Since the Radiant One was determined to leave, Du Yi respected his decision. However, as this was their last meeting, Du Yi still prepared a sumptuous feast for him.

But the weakened Radiant One merely drank some honey.

Just like when they first met. During the meal, the Radiant One also made arrangements for his affairs after his death. His child would inherit his position after his passing. The young man was as strong as he had been, and even more intelligent.

“I also taught him your language, and he will do it better than I did.”

"That's what the Radiant One said."

"The next time, he will come to talk to you... He will also make that thing we agreed on before, the pot."

“You could actually have brought him here.”

Du Yi couldn't help but shake his head.

"At least let me get to know you first... You're being too formal."

"That won't do. This is my own rest time. How can I bring that kid along?"

The Radiant One chuckled and even took another big bite of honey.

Thus, this brief reunion finally came to an end, and it was time for the Radiant One to leave. Considering that the Radiant One was already so old, Du Yi found a piece of his own snake skin and gave it to him.

These old snakeskins that shed from his body were imbued with his scent, and any wild beast that smelled them would instinctively retreat.

It allows the Radiant Ones to leave this deep mountain without engaging in any combat.

Even with the protection of the snake's shed skin, the arduous journey still caused the Radiant One to collapse as soon as he returned to the city.

"Don't be sad, I'm just going to reunite with my father."

The weakened Radiant One opened his eyes as his son and a group of mages surrounded him at his bedside.

“Actually, I should have died long ago, but the snake god forcibly prolonged my life... Everything we have now is because of that snake god. He brought us everything, and he ensures that we have a bountiful harvest every year.”

"So you must remember that even after I die, you must continue to offer sacrifices and tell the serpent god and the Lord of Abundance about what is happening outside."

At this point, the Radiant One paused.

Immediately afterwards, he grabbed his son's hand.

“Remember, child, don’t overthink it or let your imagination run wild. This is the foundation for communicating with the snake god and the best way for you to govern this city… As long as you do what you’re supposed to do, our city will naturally prosper.”

Seeing the young man in front of him, who was even stronger than he had been in his youth, nodding earnestly, the Radiant One closed his eyes in relief.

Even though his eyes were closed, he seemed to see his father again.

Just like when he was a child, he grasped that large hand.

At this moment, the nineteenth leader of Ignivas, the holy king praised by all, departed from this world.

At this moment, the twentieth leader also announced his succession, calling himself the Successor of the Flame.

"Ji Huo" means to inherit the flame and the light. This title itself is a declaration to everyone in the city that he will inherit the will of the Radiant Ones and make this city named after fire continue to shine.

As it turned out, the Radiant One was right. This twentieth Firebringer was indeed more vigorous and intelligent than the Radiant One. The handover of leadership was completed smoothly, and the city continued to maintain stable development, just as it had when the Radiant One was still alive.

But sometimes, being too smart isn't necessarily a good thing.

(End of this chapter)