On the high altar of Honghuang, a girl was bound, her face filled with indifference. She neither resisted nor struggled against her impending fate, as if resigned to it.
The elder, clad in black ceremonial robes, chanted a long and obscure sacrificial prayer on the altar. The tribal chief, Shanyun, led the tribe in prayer below.
Upon closer inspection, one could see Shanda's tightly clenched, trembling fists and the helplessness and grief in his eyes. He did not wish for human sacrifice, but Honghuang was plagued by an epidemic, and countless citizens had contracted a strange illness that even the shaman could not cure. They could only watch as they died.
In their desperation, they had to offer sacrifices and pray for the serpent god's protection. The sacrifice was decided by a draw, and whoever drew it was chosen, entirely by luck.
After the elder finished the long sacrificial chant, he stood at the forefront, his face filled with piety, expecting that after their revered serpent god had consumed their offering, it would save them from their plight.
At that moment, a massive black snake emerged from the depths behind the altar and slithered onto it.
The black snake rose on the altar, its gaze fixed on the bound girl. It flicked its scarlet tongue and opened its cavernous maw, about to bite down. Below, the people closed their eyes, praying earnestly for the serpent god to quickly eradicate their pestilence and restore their tribe to health.
Suddenly, a rift tore open in the sky, and a person fell from above, landing directly on the black snake's head. The girl on the altar widened her eyes in disbelief, seemingly stunned that someone would fall from the sky.
Xiao Man had no idea what was happening. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw a giant python. Terrified, she leaped up, grabbed the python's neck, drew her dagger, and with swift, fierce, and precise thrust, plunged it into the snake's vulnerable spot.
The black python roared in pain and writhed on the ground. Xiao Man seized the opportunity, jumped onto the altar, severed the ropes binding the girl with her knife, and quickly leaped down, dragging the rescued girl with her.
The people, alerted by the commotion, looked up to see a woman holding their offering in one hand and a dagger in the other, fighting the serpent god they revered!
"This… sinner!"
The elder's voice was like a broken gong, sharp and terrified, laced with a tremor.
The people, who had been praying devoutly, were stunned as they watched the woman on the high platform battling their serpent god. How dare a mere mortal fight a deity? They were bound to face divine punishment.
"Young lady, harming a god will bring punishment!"
Xiao Man glanced at her. "You're young, why is your mind so foolish? You call that beast a god."
The girl stammered, glaring at Xiao Man. "A god can keep disasters away from our tribe."
"Pah, such a huge beast, it would gobble you all up in a few bites. Without people, is it still a disaster?" Xiao Man shoved the rescued girl into a corner and lunged forward again.
Shanda, the chief of Honghuang, slowly stood up. He looked at the woman on the high platform, who was fearlessly fighting the serpent god to the death, his eyes filled with both anger and shock. How could such a frail woman, seemingly so vulnerable, dare to attack the serpent god and snatch food from its jaws!
Just as everyone expected the woman to perish in the serpent's maw, their revered, all-powerful serpent god shrieked and collapsed to the ground. Its massive body crashed down, destroying the altar. Blood dripped from the high platform, a poignant irony.
This scene struck everyone like a massive hammer. The serpent god was dead. Their revered serpent god had been killed. Immense panic engulfed their hearts, and some even wept in terror.
"Heavens, Honghuang is doomed." The women and children of the tribe began to cry. The epidemic had already made the tribe vulnerable, and now, someone had destroyed their last pillar, their final hope. They wailed uncontrollably.
Xiao Man stood on the high platform, looking at the people who were beating their heads against the ground. She frowned. "I killed this beast, why are they crying as if their parents had died?"
The rescued girl walked to Xiao Man's side. She looked at her tribesmen below, some angry, some weeping, and said softly, "Because the serpent god is their faith, their last hope. And you have destroyed their last hope."
"Hope?" Xiao Man looked at the girl. "What has happened to this tribe?"
"The epidemic has brought immense suffering to this tribe. Many tribesmen have died from illness, and the shaman is helpless. The chief watches his people die one by one, and in his desperation, he offered sacrifices to the serpent god, praying for an end to their troubles." Sudan Novel Network
"Sick?" Xiao Man looked at the people below. The women and children were sobbing, while the men held sharp weapons, their eyes glinting with ferocity, ready to charge up and tear her to pieces.
Xiao Man let out a cold laugh and stepped on the serpent's head. This action further enraged the people below!
"Sinner! Kill her and avenge the serpent god!"
"Ignorant humans!" A voice, carrying internal energy, struck the ears of the crowd, seeming to echo right beside them, filling them with a dread they didn't know how to handle.
"Who are you?" Shanda asked calmly, gripping his weapon. This woman was beyond his comprehension. Someone who could kill even their serpent god was someone none of them, even if they all charged at her, could defeat.
"I am a god sent from heaven to save you!" Xiao Man pointed at Shanda. "From this day forth, I am your god!"
"Such arrogance! A mere human dares to call himself a god!" The elder, with his gnarled, chicken-like fingers, pointed at Xiao Man. "You have offended and murdered a god, and you will pay the price!"
As soon as Xiao Man's words fell, the elder's eyes widened, and he toppled over. The Honghuang tribesmen, who had been angrily preparing to rush onto the platform, stopped in their tracks. They looked at the petite woman on the high platform, who exuded an imposing aura, and were stunned by her ability to kill with a mere gesture.
"Who exactly are you?" Shanda blocked the tribesmen behind him. The epidemic had already brought immense suffering to the tribe, and they could not afford further casualties.
"I told you, I am here to save you!" Xiao Man stared at Shanda. "Do you think a man-eating beast can save you, or can I?"
Shanda's heart was filled with doubt. But humans are such that when they grasp a straw of hope, they cling to it desperately, unwilling to let go, even if their hearts tell them that the fragile straw cannot save their lives. They will never loosen their grip.
"Can you save us?"
"I can try," Xiao Man said gently. "You have no other options anyway, why not let me try? Perhaps, I can save you."
"Chieftain…"
Shanda raised his hand, stopping his tribesmen from speaking further. "If you can save my people, we will worship you as a god!"