Once upon a time there was a greedy snake.

Chapter 157 Those Who Betrayed the Serpent God Are in Trouble

"Walk a little further, walk a little further, and you'll reach the sunlit earth."

Amidst the bloodstains and sword marks scattered throughout the forest, the group pressed on relentlessly. Though they were clearly exhausted from their long journey, they continued their efforts to move forward.

After all, as long as you keep moving forward, there's always a way to survive.

As long as you keep moving forward, you can escape the evil serpent demon and head towards true light.

Yes, in the eyes of these people who fled all the way here, the country that worshipped the sun god upstream on the great river was the true light.

As for why this side is the light, that naturally leads to discussing just how evil the other side truly is.

Under the evil rule of that serpent demon and the terrifying methods of those four demon lords, the lower reaches of the great river have been completely transformed into another kingdom. Indeed, the more stable environment has brought a larger influx of people, which has transformed the town of Buto, which was originally just a small border town, into the abode of the great serpent god, Tatunbuto Apophis, in a short period of time.

But this prosperity has nothing to do with these people.

Those four damned demon lords, when selecting administrators, actually appointed some peasants with no background, while the priests, chieftains, and local strongmen were completely left out. If it were only this, it wouldn't be so bad; at most, they would just ignore those four demon lords and let them see whether the city could function without the strongmen who had been entrenched in the area for so long.

Ultimately, this was just a game of bargaining. After some haggling, both sides knew how much they wanted. Those four demon lords had all served as priests before, even priests of the sun god, so they should understand this kind of thing.

However, what awaited them was the raised blades of four demon lords.

Disobeying orders? Kill.

Refusal to comply? Kill.

Even the most basic act of feigning compliance is unacceptable; if a reason is found, the punishment is death.

Such brutal behavior is utterly outrageous and cruel; it is nothing short of a simple massacre, a massacre that disregards all laws and regulations.

These four demon lords have disregarded even the most basic laws. Do they really think they can kill whomever they want?

"Otherwise what? I've been called the Serpent Demon's Fang, do you even know what a demon is?"

These powerful figures all remembered that when they mentioned laws and rules, the demon lord carrying a large sword revealed a ferocious smile.

"As for the laws you want... I will write down a list of crimes and pin them on them after all the troublemakers are dead."

It was at this moment that they realized that these four demon lords could kill without any reason.

This land has gone mad, this country has gone mad, disrespecting bloodlines, disrespecting heritage, and even their originally noble status has become worthless.

This land has been shrouded in darkness, with only omnipresent chaos and evil remaining. Only on the other side of the sun god upstream on the great river is there true light.

Because they were all people of considerable status, they were well-informed and knew about the kingdom that worshipped the sun god in the upper reaches of the river. It was said that in that land, priests were revered by thousands, powerful people were highly respected, and even seemingly ordinary village chiefs had the power to control an entire village.

Most importantly, this reverence and respect can be passed down from generation to generation.

This is the true land of glory, the true promised land. Unlike the land ravaged by the serpent demon, the upper reaches of the great river truly flow with milk and honey.

"Even if you were to become a dog in the Sun God's kingdom, your life would be better than here with the Serpent Demon."

With this belief in mind, they began their relocation plan.

However, relocation is one thing, but leaving is another. Not to mention that much of their wealth is untouchable, the mere fact that they are heading upstream on the river could easily be interpreted as a rebellion, leading to their immediate execution by the militia.

Yes, the militia guards. Those who come to kill them won't be regular soldiers, but just a bunch of peasants who have just learned to pick up spears.

How could they possibly tolerate something like this?
Fortunately, having occupied the Buto region for so many years, they had accumulated considerable wealth and influence, and after some searching, they actually found a way in. It was a strongman named Setka, who had originally defected from the kingdom of the sun god. According to this strongman, his defection was just a ruse, and his true identity was that of a contact person who came to meet them, these loyal and righteous people.

As for why they are considered loyal and righteous, it is naturally because they saw through the evil of the serpent demon. Only they knew what true light and true civilization were.

So, after they paid a considerable sum of money to prove their reverence for the sun god, the strongman named Setka showed them a clear path, instructing them to follow the trail northward along the great river, and even taught them how to cross the war zone.

The grove they were currently in was a rest stop that Setka had told them about.

As long as they wait here, warriors of the sun god will come to guide them, and at that time they will be safe.

"Is it really safe?"

These people who had trekked here were still somewhat hesitant. Although they had indeed made it here safely with the help of Setka, they had all heard about the dangers of the war zone.

If it weren't for that damned snake demon and those four damned demon lords, how could they have ended up in this state!

"Once we reach the Sun God's side, I will send my son to become a warrior!"

"Me too!"

"We must kill that evil serpent demon and restore peace to this land!"

Once one person started cursing, a group of people joined in, and in their excitement, they seemed to gain a bit more strength.

It was at this moment that a soldier came into their view.

"Look, these are the warriors of the sun god!"

Looking at the warrior in front of them, dressed in old cloth and with only a bronze sword at his waist, everyone present nodded in agreement.

Look at the warriors of the Sun God, how simple they are, carrying only a bronze sword, yet exuding a fierce aura—and look at those peasants trained by the four demon lords, who can't even hold a spear properly, yet they've already started wearing armor.

What a joke! Only powerful and brave men like them are qualified to wear armor. As for those militia peasants, they would only look like oversized monkeys if they wore armor.

However, the warrior of the sun god in front of them was clearly well-suited to wearing armor. They could even imagine his majestic appearance after he was armed.

And now, they happen to have armor in their hands as well.

Those old bronze armors were originally their family heirlooms. Now, they chose a set to offer to this warrior of the sun god, which also proved their loyalty to the sun god.

"We have long admired the glory of the sun god!"

As they said this, they carried the set of armor over.

Before them, the warrior of the sun god merely frowned as he looked at them.

"From the south? Heading north?"

"Yes! Yes! We've wanted to be believers in the Sun God for a long time!"

Everyone nodded in agreement, looking at the soldier before them as if he were a savior descending from the heavens.

These must be the warriors who came to meet them. Setka was right after all. After traveling a little further, they would reach the kingdom of the sun god. According to Setka, once they got there, they could get back a portion of the wealth they had handed over. With a large sum of money in hand, they could continue to be people of high status.

So... this sun god warrior named Habisa must have come to meet them, right?
But why does this warrior named Habisa seem to be drawing his sword?

(End of this chapter)