Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!-Chapter 1588 - 1127: The Legendary Valley of Death and the Mysterious Golden Ore

The towering, continuous Redwood Forest obscured everything on the Eastern Coast, stretching for hundreds of miles. Until the Long River cut through, surrounded by rolling hills, a tranquil Lagoon appeared before everyone's eyes. The Ocean-Blocking Sea Ship deftly made a turn, entering the Lagoon from the estuary, traveling sixty to seventy miles in. What lay ahead were large sheds and fields along the lakeshore.

Hundreds of Wiyot tribespeople were busy between the lakeside camp and fields. They have always been skilled fishermen, but now they're also learning to grow corn and potatoes. Behind them, a flag of the Chief Divine was tied to a tall redwood tree, with the pattern of the Sun Hummingbird fluttering in the wind among the leaves — this was the Kingdom's Lake Bay Port.

The person in charge of Lake Bay Port was Xifeng, the grandson of Xiteli, the Crow Family's Clan Leader. Upon hearing the arrival of the Kingdom's Sea Ship, this young Priests in his early twenties hurriedly rushed out with his ten-year-older wife, Tulan, the Wiyot Chieftainess, to greet them. Three of his teenage stepchildren, along with a two-year-old son, also followed behind, bouncing and curious to see the massive Sea Ship.

As Scholar Miki walked into the camp, observing the tribespeople cheerfully welcoming him, he saw many similar tribal families. After two years of development, the present Lake Bay Port already had a population of eight hundred! Among them, about one-tenth came from the Kingdom's main base, firmly controlling the leadership of the entire camp. Nearly half of the tribespeople were intermarried with the Kingdom's Warriors and sailors.

"Chief Divine! The Kingdom's Warriors and sailors have settled here, married Wiyot women, and mostly have children. Their faith remains pious, and their loyalty to the Kingdom still exists. But their roots have deeply embedded into the Northern Continent, merging with the local Gummy People tribes…"

"And when the next generation grows up, their ties to the Kingdom will be through the faith of the Chief Divine, melded customs, and trade from the Kingdom… Only faster Sea Ships, more frequent trade exchanges, and closer faith and cultural ties can keep them always standing with the Kingdom!…"

Scholar Miki pondered, with many thoughts flashing through his mind, almost losing track of time. However, young Xifeng Priest had no such complicated thoughts. He simply showed an expression of joy, paying respects to the Kingdom's esteemed Chief Priest. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"Greetings to you! Respected Chief Priest Miki!"

After a round of enthusiastic conversation and inquiry, Xifeng Priest urgently instructed his wife Tulan in tribal language. Finally, the strong Tulan placed a heavy grass basket down by the campfire, even scattering faint yellow powder.

"Uh?… What is this? Gold?…"

Scholar Miki widened his eyes, looking at the metallic luster and pale yellow copper-colored large chunks of ore in the basket, asking somewhat uncertainly.

"Xifeng, did you find a gold mine around the camp?…"

"Haha! Chief Priest Miki, I too initially thought it was a gold mine, but the result… let me tell you slowly..."

The young Xifeng Priest beamed with pride like a child eager to show off their achievement.

"Chief Divine bless! Chief Priest Miki, it took me about half a year to learn the tribe's Wiyot language. Then, at bedtime, I chatted with Tulan, listening to her tell stories of tribal heritage…"

"Tulan is a Chieftainess, with tribal heritage, and her stories are quite intriguing… One day, she told me about a Valley of Death in the tribe's legends, where an evil snake resides. This snake had a tremendously large divine body, yet always hid in the Lake within the valley. Its venom was extremely toxic, contaminating the various lakes within the valley, turning the waters into a toxic brew with beautiful hues of pale yellow and colors…

"If any unsuspecting deer drank from the lake, they would be poisoned and die, devoured by the evil snake, leaving only skeletons by the water!… And if the deer fell into the water, even their bones would be dissolved by the lake, leaving not a single trace of fur!…"

"Uh? Priest Xifeng, what exactly are you trying to say?…"

"Ah, Chief Priest Miki, let me finish, just let me finish!…"

Xifeng Priest took a deep breath, excitement reddening his face. He rubbed his hands together eagerly, continuing.

"When I first heard this story, I thought it was a tale made up by some elder from the tribe… So I jokingly asked Tulan, 'Does the story end with a brave warrior like a giant bear venturing into the Valley of Death and slaying the evil snake?'"

"Who knew, Tulan actually told me, 'No. No one can defeat the evil snake in the Valley of Death. The snake rules the valley, is everywhere, hiding deep below the lake, unseen by anyone. Ultimately, all tribes nearby were forced to relocate. That Valley of Death turned into a desolate place, with no tribes or animals remaining.'…"

"In her youth, Tulan once wanted to venture east for hunting, but the tribe's elder warned her not to go too far east! If she encountered the Valley of Death and drank the poisonous lake water, she would suffer terrible pain and die there… The poisonous water looked similar to regular spring water but occasionally bubbled and had a stinging peculiar smell…"

"Hearing this, I suddenly realized that this "Valley of Death" might actually exist! And those poisonous waters might conceal sulfur, which brings death and a stinging smell!… So, I carefully inquired with the tribe's elders and sent two Warriors, accompanied by several tribal guides, to scout the mountain forest to the east…"

"Hmm?"

Upon hearing this, Scholar Miki's eyes glimmered. He lowered his head, sniffed the golden-colored ore on the ground, and his expression changed. This peculiar ore indeed seemed to have a hint of sulfur scent!

"Chief Divine witness! Priest Xifeng, you discovered this Valley of Death to the east and found a vein of death stone sulfur?"

"Uh… Uh… Maybe… Possibly… Not death stone…"

In response, Xifeng Priest nervously scratched his leg. He bit his lip, glanced around, whispering as if he was a thief.

"Chief Priest Miki, my scouts did not find the Poison Lake of the Valley of Death… But they did discover a grand red mountain four hundred miles east within the mountain forest… The mountain ridge was distinctly exposed in red, while from the mid-mountain down to the base, there were golden-yellow ores... Many of those yellow ores, tremendously many, covering the entire mountain!…"

"The Kingdom's Warriors thought it was a gold mine and collected two baskets of golden-yellow ores… But upon crushing them, they found no heavy gold inside; instead, they discovered hard clusters with a deep yellow-brownish color and powder having the stinging smell like death stone…"

"When I tossed these clusters and powder entirely into the campfire… the powder vanished, turning into volcanic-smelling smoke reminiscent of the Kingdom's volcanoes… while those peculiarly yellow clusters, those hard mineral fragments, remained, with little change… I then burnt them for a long time, and those hard, yellowish clusters darkened to a deep red! It feels like… Yet I dare not believe… It seems like…"

"Chief Divine! What does it seem like?!"

"Chief Divine witness! It seems like iron ore!"