Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!-Chapter 1513 - 1058: The Conversion of the Mexica

The journey southward through the endless snow swiftly brought December to its end. Zuwaro rode a sled, southward for two days covering two to three hundred li, meeting up with the last group of returning Mountain Part hunters. Then, everyone, carrying a large amount of supplies, deer herds, and captives, trekked through the snow for ten days, traveling twelve hundred li, before finally returning to the Winter Camp of the Hot Spring Mountain Tribe, where they were greeted by the kind and smiling old grandmother.

"Muluke Alashanwa! Chieftain of the Sea Tribe, my child, you did well, exceptionally well! The Divine Mountain is pleased, the Ancestor Spirits are pleased, I am also pleased... Come! Good child, let me take a good look at you, you truly are a valiant child at battle!..."

"Yes! Blessings of the Supreme Main God! Grandmother, it was all thanks to your wise guidance! We advanced to the North, striking the unprepared Deer Moss River Tribe, and that's why victory was so easy!... Hmm... regarding the captives, deer herds, and the southern territory that were mentioned before..."

"Muluke Alashanwa! My child, do not rush. After reclaiming the northern pastures, each tribe's territories will have to be adjusted, a matter for all to discuss together, it cannot be rushed. But the captives and deer herds can be given to you first... Come, the celebration of victory is underway, have some reindeer milk wine!..."

"Roar! Blessings of the Ancestor Spirits! Praise the wise old grandmother!... We have finally reclaimed the northern pastures of the Peninsula, able to rear more deer herds, to feed more tribes!..."

The joy and cheers of celebration filled the entire Mountain Part camp. The reindeer brought back from the Deer Moss River Tribe numbered in the thousands, too many to sustain through the winter. The tribespeople of the Mountain Part were endlessly busy, slaughtering over a thousand old and male deer, roasting large chunks of venison and brewing various meat soups. Reindeer milk wine and reindeer blood drink were served in barrels, satiating everyone.

The rich scent of blood wafted through the mountains, as deer hides were tanned and stretched on frames. On the large racks for drying meat, hung frozen chunks of venison jerky, congealed with blood. The warriors of the Mountain Part drank blood and milk wine, their faces showing a simple, sincere smile with a hint of wolfish ferocity. As night fell, the entire camp resonated with strange, high-pitched cries, as if in a wolves' den.

After all, the idle, long winter is the most suitable season for conceiving. Newborns are best delivered in summer and autumn, allowing women to quickly return to the tribal labor...

"Buddha! Is this really the tribe of the Mountain Barbarians? Truly... truly like a pack of evil spirits and wolves! But how can I possibly escape from these fierce barbarians and return to Victory Mountain Manor to report to the Family Head?..."

Watching the savage tribes in the camp, consuming raw flesh and blood, the ship official Murakami Kitamichi was deeply worried yet helpless. Just within his view, there were over three hundred fierce Mountain Barbarian Hunters, and eighty to ninety Heavy Armor Hokkai Warriors. With their archery skills and the combat power of the Heavy Armor, even if the entire Kaozaki Family were to muster three to four hundred Samurai and Ashigaru, they would stand no chance. Moreover, from such a remote northern land, the family's small boats simply couldn't navigate; larger Ocean Shielding Ships from Sakai Port would be necessary...

"Hachiman Mahasattva protect us! These Gummy People tribes possess much greater strength here than I imagined!... But across the distant Eastern Sea, could they truly have such a powerful nation, with so many warriors and ships, and most importantly, so much gold?!"

Upon witnessing the large camp of the Mountain Part, Monk Soldier Watanabe Masumi fell into deep thought, as his mindset started to change. He understood much about Buddhist Law and was quite adaptable and pragmatic. If these so-called 'Eastern Sea Gummy People' truly have formidable military force and even greater wealth... then perhaps siding with the Gummy People might prove more promising than serving the Temples and Shrines! And if he could gain the Gummy People's support, returning with ample gold to the Ryuzoji Clan, perhaps...

"Stop! Stop! Let's proceed and observe, restrain from vain thoughts and desires!"

Monk Soldier Watanabe mumbled to himself, trying hard to restrain his vain thoughts within. Unfortunately, his restraint of Buddhist Law did not last long, utterly shattered by the bloody conversion rituals, and the blinding golden radiance.

As January arrived amidst the snow, Zuwaro, along with his Mountain Part wife Musuona, eighty to ninety National Warriors, four to five hundred Deer Tribe able-bodied men, women, and children, and nineteen captured Korean sailors and Wa Country Warriors, returned to Divine Twins Smoke Harbor where the Kingdom Longship was anchored. He could not wait to hold a solemn Blood Oath ceremony to convert hundreds of captives, to stabilize the tribe's spirit!...

"Praise the Supreme Main God! Kindle the Sacred Fire, erect the Divine Platform! Prepare the Blood Wine, and watch the Divine Smoke rise! Shout louder, for the god has arrived!"

On the Kamchatka Peninsula in January, there was the long night veiling the sky light, the wind and snow sweeping across the sky, and the harsh cold reaching thirty degrees below zero. In the closing days of 1491, the cross-continental quests, the first encounters between different civilizations, and the first notes of world changes were all hidden within the boundless ice storms. Those unknown changes, like silent seeds, awaited the warmth of spring and bloom, the thaw of Ice Sea, and the embarkation upon a new voyage.

Meanwhile, the Blood Oath conversion ceremony to the Supreme Main God, amidst the kindling Sacred Fire and altars, amidst the Kingdom Warriors' shouts and the kneeling hundreds of captives, solemnly reached its climax!

The Kingdom's warriors struck their shields with mighty sound, singing the name of the Supreme Main God. Then, on the Divine Platform, Zuwaro personally cast handfuls of sulfur into the Sacred Fire, igniting a blaze of blue flames! Meanwhile, the four Priest Apprentices under the divine platform ignited the only two Tiger Squat Cannons, releasing thunderous blasts towards the sky.

"Boom! Boom!..."

"The Supreme Main God bestows fire and thunder! He watches over you and seeks to claim your hair and souls, granting in return the divine blood wine and marks!"

"Praise the Supreme Main God! Blood Oath Conversion!"

Witnessing such a mysterious ceremony and seeing such potent Shaman Magic Artifact, the captured able-bodied men and women from the Deer Tribe were filled with reverent awe and fear. They trembled all over, knelt before the eerie Shaman flame and golden Shaman Ritual Artifact, while mumbling random exclamations.

"Praise the Supreme Main God! Cut their hair! Offer their souls!"

Zuwaro shouted loudly, waving heroically. The Kingdom's warriors then brought the captives of the Deer Tribe forward in groups. Then the captives had their hair cut by the Priest Apprentices and thrown into the fire to burn. Subsequently, under the guidance of the apprentices, they repeated the prayers of conversion to the Supreme Main God line by line.

"Praise my god Huitzilopochtli! He is supreme and almighty! I shall dedicate my soul to the Supreme Main God, fighting for the Supreme Main God until I ascend to the Divine Kingdom after death..."

"Praise the Supreme Main God! Drink the divine blood wine and inscribe the mark upon the flesh!" 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Well-versed in the rituals of conversion, the Kingdom's priests and apprentices flawlessly executed the process. The captives were forced to drink the mysterious blood wine and were then pressed to kneel to the ground. Then, under their terrified gaze, the Kingdom's priests produced Obsidian Daggers, slowly inscribing against their foreheads.

"No! No! This is to leave the mark of evil demons! To take away the soul of our Deer Tribe! I cannot accept it!!..."

Faced with such soul-piercing conversion rituals, a few tribal Shamans and Apprentices hiding among the Deer Tribe captives could no longer endure. They screamed, leaping out from among the women and children, their eyes filled with deep-seated hatred. Seeing these female Shamans and Apprentices jump out, Zuwaro finally breathed a long breath, coldly waving his large hand, ordering indifferently.

"Blessings of the Supreme Main God! Kill them! Let their blood drip into the wine, and force these converted captives to each take a sip!..."

"Yes! Blessings of the Supreme Main God!..."