Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!-Chapter 1500 - 1047: An Encounter at the End of the Snowfield, Reunion Across Ten Thousand Miles!

Chapter 1500: Chapter 1047: An Encounter at the End of the Snowfield, Reunion Across Ten Thousand Miles!

The sunrise ascended from the mountains in the East, illuminating the sparkling Great Deer Moss River and the expansive riverside camp. The harsh and fierce battle from two days ago, with its dark red frozen blood, was all covered by the newly fallen white snow.

Wisps of cooking smoke rose from the camp that had changed owners, where busy hunters, tribespeople, and captives could be seen everywhere. The large herd of deer surrounded the outskirts of the camp, gently bending their heads to uncover the thick snow and quietly eating the cold, moist moss as if nothing had happened.

"Ancestor! My son-in-law, the weather is growing colder, and there is more snow. Considering the current dates, the real heavy snowstorm is not far away! We don’t plan to winter here and intend to take all our spoils back to a warmer mountain camp further south... at the moment, hunters are organizing supplies, dismantling tents, and preparing to lead the dog sleds, deer, tents, and captives southward..."

The Hunting Team Leader Mukun furrowed his brows slightly, looking at the solemn-faced Zuwaro and asked in a deep voice.

"Ancestor’s witness! Are you really planning to head north with your men at this time? Before the big snowstorm arrives, are you going to search for those large ships on the snowfields and coasts occupied by the Deer Clan? There are so many captives and deer; the Tribal Huntsmen in the camp are quite tense..."

"Chief Divine bless us! Mukun, you know. Mulu led the hunters who were on capture alert and returned from the North. They defeated a squad of Deer Clan Hunters that came for reinforcements and captured a couple dozen of escaping able-bodied men and captives. I meticulously questioned them, and among the captured Deer Clan Hunters, someone was from the tribes around the Little Deer Moss River... He had personally seen a large ship by that river and had also traded that kind of rice wine with a seal paper with a group of ’great ship tribes’ by the riverbank!..."

Saying this, Exploration Captain Zuwaro’s eyes flickered, harboring a strong premonition that kept swirling in his heart.

Ever since more than two years ago, when he led the exploration fleet away from the Kingdom’s Trout Town port, he hadn’t seen real paper. The various coastal tribes, be it those on the Western Sea Coast east of the sea or the Far North Coast, or the Kamchatka tribes on the western side of the sea, did not have papermaking technology, nor did they have the habit of using paper for writing or drawing... The fishing boats of the various coastal tribes were always small boats, canoes, leather rafts, never had he seen any large ships. As for the taste of that pot of rice wine, its clarity, and the clay pot it was stored in, they also didn’t seem to be from the Northern Tribes...

When paper, large ships, and wine, these three peculiar clues presented themselves, it unmistakably signaled: That so-called "great ship tribe" originated from a Great Tribe even more distant and powerful than the snowfield tribes! This was a rare opportunity for contact!... However, what compelled him to go was also...

"The Chief Divine’s sun guides us! Moreover, the captive also said he saw, in the ’great ship tribe,’ four-legged Muri, four-legged horses that could be ridden!... Therefore, Mukun, I must go north to the Little Deer Moss River to see what’s going on with those tribes, see if I can barter for some horses..."

"Ancestor and the Divine Mountain protect us! You want to barter for some horses that can be ridden?..."

Upon hearing this, the Hunting Team Leader Mukun tugged at his hair and deeply exhaled. He knew the Sea Tribe Chieftain’s obsession with "four-legged riding beasts," the inquiry had been incessant from the very first encounter between them. Now that there was a clue... Mukun helplessly nodded, speaking solemnly.

"Zuwaro, the Divine Mountain guides us! If you insist on going, then go! However, I can’t spare too many people for you... I can only give you a team of sled hunters..."

"A team of sled hunters? Twenty?"

Exploration Captain Zuwaro blinked. The Kingdom’s Warriors and sailors cannot drive reindeer sleds; they struggle on the snowfield. In this season when the snow covers the calves, Mountain Part hunters with sleds are essential for quick movement. Twenty sled hunters could probably carry twenty Warriors of the Kingdom. The Little Deer Moss River to the North was about two hundred li away from the Great Deer Moss River camp, and they might encounter some small Deer Clan tribes... Zuwaro pondered for a while and spoke softly.

"Mukun, give me one more team of hunters, forty sled hunters! I’ll bring forty Sea Tribe warriors... That way, no matter which small tribes we encounter, we can put up a fight... And if we find the ’great ship tribe,’ aside from exchanging for horses, I will give you half of any other wine brought back!..."

"Gulp!... Ancestor’s witness! Half of the wine brought back, give me half?..."

Upon hearing such a promise, the Hunting Team Leader Mukun swallowed hard. He thought for a while and spoke in a low voice.

"Zuwaro, my son-in-law, I can only give you another half team of sled hunters, let the fastest Mulu lead, totaling thirty men! As for the daoshu exchanged for... I want it all!"

"... Fine! Chief Divine witness! The wine is all yours!..."

Exploration Captain Zuwaro gritted his teeth and nodded in agreement.

"Mukun, when will your main force start moving south?"

"Zuwaro, tomorrow Mulu will start driving the deer herd southward. As for the main force, especially the captured women, children, and able-bodied men, they will head south within three days... You better return within five days and join the last two camps of hunters remaining in the camp to cover for the main force of our people... Of course, if you can be faster, be as fast as possible, for the real icy wind and snowstorm of winter are coming!..." 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"Alright! Chief Divine bless us! I will return within five days!..."

"Ancestor and Kind Deer protect you!..."

Thus, the two reached a pleasant agreement. Early the next morning, thirty Mountain Hunters and thirty Kingdom’s Warriors, driving sleds with reindeer and Huskies, headed along the coast extending to the Northeast, moving into the scattered wind and snow.

The snow was thick, the wind and snow not too heavy; along the way was a shimmering Ice Sea and a vast white snowfield. Zuwaro stabbed the ice with his Long Spears, piercing up to an elbow’s depth but did not hit water. Seeing such freezing conditions, he was certain no matter what kind of large ship couldn’t travel at this time...

"Howl howl! Howl howl! Howl!..."

Three teams of hunters and warriors, carrying ample bows, axes, spears, and arrows, wrapped in thick leather armor and pelts, silently drove sleds northward. The group skied for two days, covering over two hundred li, searching everywhere for the trail of a large ship. Zuwaro stared at the bright white Ice Sea, from morning till night, until he felt dizzy and saw only silver and white when he closed his eyes.

On the morning of the third day, several dog-drawn sleds with Mountain Hunters led the way. Captain Mulu suddenly stopped, widened his eyes, and looked towards the distant horizon.

"Wuhai, is that a ship?..."

"Huh? Let me see... Oh! It is a ship! A pointed ship... We can see it from this far; it must be a large ship!..."

"Quick! Get Zu over here!..."

The two excitedly called for Zuwaro, and Zuwaro excitedly moved forward. Then, he stood on tiptoe and strained to look for a while, but he only saw a vast stretch of silver and white, unable to see any ship at all!

"Chief Divine witness! Where is the ship? Where is it?"

"It’s by the sea! Next to a small river... that tiny black dot!..."

"Correct! Right by the river and the edge of the Ice Sea, that inconspicuous little dot! Look further east, it seems like a small camp..."

Three teams of hunters and warriors gathered together, peering towards the horizon. Soon, the hunters from the Kamchatka Tribes and seasoned Wunang sailors from the Far North began to murmur excitedly. In contrast, the majority of the warriors from the Kingdom wore expressions of confusion. Apart from one cheering Canine Descendant hunter, no one else saw a thing.

"Chief Divine witness! Stonefirm, did you see it?"

"Chief Divine witness! Captain, I didn’t see it..."

"Big Bear! Did you spot the ship?"

"Huh? Chief, I saw it! There is a ship, seems to have a pointed bow!"

"Uh..."

Zuwaro pursed his lips silently, only then realizing: the vision of these Far North tribes truly surpassed that of the warriors from the Kingdom; it wasn’t just one or two, it was generally better.

Indeed, this was the case. Due to different survival environments, there’s a natural difference among people from different regions. The vision of polar tribes and highland tribes are generally better than those of tribes from tropical and flatland areas. If they also have a tradition of hunting and migratory living, it’s easy for them to produce elite divine archers.

The Guajili Canine Descendants, who hunt on the highland wilderness, are nearly the best archers in Central America. While on the polar snowfields, the Kamchatka Tribes who hunt and herd are almost the best archers in all of North Asia and Northeast Asia. Whether it’s the Mountain Part, Deer Clan, or Nomadic Tribe, they generally shoot better than the Mongolian Tribes and are especially skilled at foot archery!

The Nomadic Tribe Chukchi people, with their incredible archery skills, made even the Cossack cavalry with firearms tremendously afraid. Those who could match them were only the equally legendary Solun soldiers from the Far North Coast like the Evens and Soruns...

"Chief Divine guides us! Move a bit further, go a bit more ahead!..."

The sleds moved forward again, and the distant tiny dot gradually became a not-so-distant larger spot. Wunang Warrior Big Bear could already clearly count five masts on the large ship. Near the ship at a low-lying area, a small campsite, with vague flickering bonfire lights, also revealed itself to everyone’s eyes!

"Chief Divine! Big Bear, what did you say? There are five masts?! A large ship with five masts?... Hurry on ahead, move quickly forward!..."

"Oh! Oh! Oh!..."

Zuwaro’s excited cheers, interspersed with the barking of dogs, dissipated into the thick snow. Meanwhile, in the distant camp, Monk Soldier Watanabe Masumi suddenly perked up his ears and widened his eyes, stood up from beside the bonfire cooking deer meat and millet porridge, and looked towards the southwest end of the snowfield.

"Hachiman Mahasattva! What is that? Is that?!... Murakami! Murakami! Look at the southwest!..."

"Huh? Lord Watanabe? Southwest?... Ah! Buddha!..."

Ship Officer Murakami Kitamichi widened his eyes and saw the sleds drawn by reindeer and huskies appearing on the vast snowfield. The sleds were so far away, so small, like ants crawling on the snowfield. But when he slightly counted, the number of those sleds was so many, reaching thirty! He only watched for a short while before the terrifying memories of being ambushed by the Nomadic Tribe two months ago enveloped his heart again...

"Quick! Quick! Quickly wear the Doumaru, carry the spears, and raise the bamboo bow! Ichiro, take two samurai and mount up, carry an extra Tachi!... Merciful Buddha, please don’t let it be the cannibalistic Nomadic Tribe, nor the hostile Deer Clan! Beg the divine Buddha of the heavens, please protect us!..."