Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!-Chapter 1418 - 973: Trials and Questions

"You are Papu? In the Totonac Nava Language, ’Moon’s Envoy’?"

"Yes, yes! Your Highness, I am Papu, the Moon’s Envoy, also a servant of the Sun, and moreover, your servant! ... Ah, revered, supreme God of Death! Praise to you! You are the Sun God of the heavens, the great Serpent God of the seashore, and the Lord God of the jungle and earth!..."

The Black Wolf’s Royal Banner fluttered atop the small hill. Xiulote, clad in golden armor, stood proudly amidst his numerous trusted aides. Two steps before him, Papu lay prostrate on the ground, hands bare with respect. Though blood stained his lips, he adeptly chanted praises. Each line of praise flowed out like poetry, even in standard Mexica Language!

"Praise the Chief Divine! Huitzilopochtli, exalted and immortal, reigning over all seas and skies! ... Praise the God of Death! Xiulotel revolves like the Night Star, moving from death to rebirth!"

"Haha! Papu, your Mexica Language is quite fluent! No wonder you are the only surviving high Feathered Serpent Priest from the Feathered Serpent Ancient City, having escaped thousands of miles! ... Hmm, as per the Feathered Serpent Ancient City’s tradition, your grandfather or father should have been a high Feathered Serpent Priest and received the consecration of the Predecessor Monarch Montezuma I?..."

"Ah? Uh! This... I..."

Papu bowed his head, his thoughts swiftly racing, sweat seeping from his forehead. After brief contemplation, he kowtowed twice loudly, responding while prostrate.

"No, no, no! Supreme Highness! Upon hearing the divine revelation and encountering you, at that moment, I, a priest of the Fake God, was already dead!... And now, I am merely a warrior of the Chief Divine, your follower, prepared to fight to the death for the Chief Divine and the kingdom!"...

"Hahaha! Papu, you are indeed shrewd! No surprise, Tikalo calls you the Old Fox..."

"Uh! Fox? That’s... Your Highness, I... I am your Spirit Fox! Sniffing out the divine grass and vine of the East for you, nourishing the great Mexica Divine Tree!"...

"Oh? Spirit Fox? Divine Tree?... Haha! Interesting, truly interesting!"...

The sun rose to the zenith, piles of Sacred Fire ignited. Chief God Priests raised daggers, chanting hymns. The stringent conversion Blood Oath took place on the tidal flats by the sea!

"Praise the Chief Divine!... The divine has arrived!"...

The army marched unyieldingly, converting countless tribes. The accompanying Chief God Priests and Temple Guards were already well-versed in the conversion rituals. Quickly, teams of captured Totonac Warriors, warriors, and sailors were transported before the Sacred Fire, pressed kneeling forcibly by the guards, their hair directly cut off. Then, amidst the high-pitched chant of the priests, the captives drowsily drank Blood Wine, vowing their souls to the Sun, and inscribed the emblem of the Chief Divine on their foreheads with a Stone Knife!

As for those unwilling to convert, the priests of the Chief Divine never forced them, merely pointing to either side. Thereafter, the Temple Guards coldly wielded sacrificial daggers, sending the devout yet stubborn souls away...

"Papu, you are fortunate to surrender directly to me!... While these Hidden Snake City’s warriors will go through four phases of life and death screening to have a chance to assimilate into the kingdom’s upper echelons."

Xiulote gently smiled, gesturing towards the distant conversion and sacrifice scenes, calmly narrating.

"The first life and death phase is battlefield slaughter and post-war sacrifice. Generally speaking, we dislike captives possessing too much influence. Hence, high-status Squad Officers, nobility, and Divine Descendants are directly chosen for execution!... Papu, now do you know why we do this?"

"Uh..."

At the sudden inquiry from His Highness, sweat again appeared on Papu’s back. He suddenly realized that the God of Death’s test for him had silently begun. His answer, satisfying or not to the esteemed highness, would clearly determine his ensuing fate!

"This... Your Highness... because you are the supreme Sun God, Serpent divine, Lord God... you are exceedingly grand, have eyes like fire, possess congenital divinity, unlike all the previous Seaside Chieftains!... You want to dominate the warriors of each tribe, control the power of all tribes, and naturally bypass these Chieftains, Chieftain leaders, and Squad Officers, directly absorbing the warriors into your fold..."

"Oh? Control power, control warriors?... Hmm, it can be understood like this too..."

Upon hearing, Xiulote pondered for a moment, nodding slightly. His expression remained serene, watching the curling smoke of the roaring Sacred Fire, observing those Hidden Snake’s warriors with faces like ashes as he continued speaking.

"The second life and death phase is the test of faith, conversion through Blood Oath. After capturing the warriors from these tribes, the sacred conversion ritual is indispensable! And those refusing to swear the Blood Oath, to offer their souls to the Chief Divine, would perish in the ritual... Papu, why does the kingdom do this?"

"Uh!.. Your Highness, because the Chief Divine is supreme and mighty, the most powerful true god in the world!... The seaside tribes have been steeped in the muddy whispers of the Fake God since childhood, deluded by the priests of the Fake God... Therefore, only the Blood Oath and death can guide the redeemable followers onto the true illuminating path, letting the irrevocable wanderers perish here!"...

Papu watched Xiulote cautiously, observing his unchanged expression. He recalled carefully the "Book of Ama Colley," using his experience and knowledge as a senior priest, continuously trying to gauge His Highness’s intentions.

"Praise the Chief Divine!... Only the faith in the Chief Divine, spread across every tribe in the Seaside Lands, embedded in the heart of every tribesperson... This jungle and coastline stretching for thousands of miles, countless separated and independent tribes, for the first time, have been connected and surrounded by the sacred giant serpent!..."

"Oh? Faith and tribes, connection and surrounding..."

Hearing these words, Xiulote’s spirit was lifted. He looked deeply at Papu, refrained from any comment, and continued to speak.

"The third life and death trial is for the converted captives, incorporated into the vanguard’s camp. They must transport supplies and provisions, suppress other tribes, endure repeated battles, and even participate in the most brutal sieges... Only then can they truly become warriors again, integrated into the kingdom’s military system!..."

"And only the outstanding among them, who achieve remarkable military feats, can undergo the fourth life and death trial, joining the kingdom’s formal corps! Thereafter, they receive land and slaves for their military merits, gaining noble status in the kingdom, enjoying the same position and treatment as Mexica Warriors!..."

"Papu, do you know what these two trials are?"

"Ah! Benevolent and generous Highness! These two trials are the vines of the Divine Tree, the road to the clouds, and the test for selecting your followers!..."

Papu’s thoughts turned rapidly, igniting the wisdom and eloquence from the first half of his life. He raised his head, revealing a smile with two missing teeth, and answered passionately.

"The Chief Divine’s blessing!... Only the warriors who have bled and sacrificed for the kingdom are worthy of being granted the power of the Divine Tree! And as they tread upon heaps of corpses, climbing arduously along this path, regardless of their origin or what they have gone through, they become the new nobility in the kingdom in the eyes of others... They will cherish this hard-earned power, becoming the vines and roots of the kingdom’s Divine Tree rule!..."

"Your Highness, you are the Divine Tree that envelops the world, weaving a net with your broad leaves! And the eagles and tigers of the world will fall under your banner, to attack further afield!..."

"Haha!... The heroes of the world, all under my control? As long as they keep attacking, as long as the war continues?..."

Xiulote’s eyes flashed, then he burst into laughter. He reached out, and in Papu’s delighted gaze, he firmly grasped Papu’s hair.

"Excellent! Truly a clever fox!..."

"Ah! Your Highness! I am willing to swear eternal loyalty, to fight for you in armor..."

"Papu, don’t rush! The Hidden Serpent City won’t hold for long. Your value is not solely in fighting... The entire Seaside Land, the vast majority of the Totonac Tribe, is about to fall under the kingdom’s control! And the millions of Totonac Tribe members will, for the first time, be governed by one Great Chief..."

Xiulote’s palm turned, rubbing Papu’s head. Hmm, the hair is thick, feels very different from Tikalo’s, like a fluffy old fox. For old foxes, it’s always about the times and situations, adapting accordingly. As for vows of loyalty, naturally, they are meaningless. However, old foxes are very clever, and when used well, they’re more effective than a pack of warriors who only know how to fight!

"Facing the first unification of the Seaside, I have one unresolved question, which requires you to answer... If you answer well, you’ll have an opportunity to choose your future!... And if you don’t answer well, I won’t punish you, but will send you to the wilderness to preach, to endure thirty years of sandstorms..."

"Ah? Answer a question?... What! Sent to preach in the wilderness, enduring thirty years of sand!..."

Hearing such a dreadful punishment, Papu trembled all over, his knees suddenly weakened. His heart pounded fiercely, as if sensing a difficult and ominous challenge.

"Your Highness! I... I beg you..."

"Precisely! Papu, you answered the previous three questions well, you surely understand my intentions... What I seek is not just the army’s temporary conquest, but the long-term unification of people’s hearts!..."

Xiulote smiled serenely, gently patting the old fox’s head, issuing an indisputable royal decree.

"The Chief Divine witnesses! Papu, come! Use your Feathered Serpent Priest wisdom, think well for me!... Give me a brand-new proposal, tell me what to do to accelerate the integration of the Seaside tribes, to unify the hearts of their people!"