Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!-Chapter 1645 - 1173: Ancient Saint’s Skull, Maya Strategy

"The immortal gods have long departed, leaving only the ancient saints to remain…"

The melancholy and resonant ballad echoed within the temple of the Chief Divine, bringing murmurs from millennia ago. Priest Tomate listened intently, sensing the mysterious fragrance of an ancient essence hidden within this secretly transmitted Maya epic. It was the mystery of deities buried in the Golden Age of Maya, that after more than two thousand years of vicissitudes, only fragments and faint excerpts remained for later generations to futilely speculate and sigh over.

"The ancient saints who stayed on earth… the skull of the ancient saints after death… the most sacred head… the origin of the Maya Tribes…"

Priest Tomate stroked his chin in silence. After a long while, he forcefully shook his head, dragging his thoughts back from the ethereal ancient myths and legends, and plunged into the more realistic political, religious, and military struggles.

"Yan Hu, according to your statement, the ancient saints are the origin of the Tribes and the source of divinity, which indeed holds an extraordinary position in Maya legend! Therefore, Ti'aj Kin presented a so-called heritage divine object… hmm… 'Ancient Saint's Skull,' and under the guise of ancient saints' guidance, proclaimed the Highland War God as the Great Divine Spirit at the epoch apocalypse of the Maya Era, as the Chief Divine worshiped by the Maya Royal Family… Saying this, elevating the Highland War God above all Maya gods, can the clan leaders from various Tribes believe it? Can they accept it?…"

Priest Tomate slightly furrowed his brow, raising the question. Ti'aj Kin's conversion was hosted by him personally. This set of divine object guidance and royal conversion rhetoric clearly lacked persuasion. As it concerned the divine authority of the Maya Tribes, the clan leaders of various clans weren't fools; why would they accept easily?

In his view, this set of theological rhetoric was to give the Mayapan Royalty a local Maya folklore to cling onto in their conversion to the Highland War God—a barely acceptable, not entirely rejected stairway by the Maya Tribes. The effectiveness of these words would depend partly on the intimidating might of the kingdom forces backing Ti'aj Kin, making it difficult for the Tribes to resist; and partly on how exceptionally sacred and venerable this so-called divine object 'Ancient Saint's Skull' was.

"Respected High Priest Tomate, you might not fully understand the uniqueness of the 'Ancient Saint's Skull' and its significance to the divine descendants of the Tribes!"

Mayan Noble Yan Hu looked toward the courtyard skylight, where the tropical Milky Way was so vividly radiant, resembling a genuine Heavenly River.

"The ancient saints are the sacred source, akin to the stars within the Heavenly River, while the divine descendants are the stars within the river… If this divine object truly is the 'Ancient Saint's Skull', Ti'aj Kin, as the Clan Leader, proclaiming 'Sacred Lord Kuhu Ahau' is indeed justified! No clan can deny the sacredness of the 'Ancient Saint's Skull,' or they would be denying themselves, the divine authority of the divine descendant nobility of all Tribes!"

"Hmm? Is this divine object really that special? Could it be that the skull is made of gemstones or crystal, and shines bright?"

"Uh? Gemstone or crystal skull? Shining bright?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Hu was momentarily stunned, hesitatingly shaking his head.

"I've never heard of that, nor is it depicted on the Heritage Tablet… In the eyes of us Mayans, the sacredness of a skull is not about its color, nor its luster… but comes from its long arc, narrow eyes and nose, and perfect elongated skull!… And the skull of the ancient saint is the most divine and most beautiful exemplar!"

"In ancient legends, the skull of the ancient saints is longer than an arm, rounder than a bean, like the most perfect cocoa bean! His eyes and nose are narrow and compact, like the most perfect serpent face, with sharp teeth akin to serpent fangs…"

"In reality, the divine descendant nobility of various Maya Tribes prolong their skulls from infant hood, train cross-eyed glances, and sharpen their teeth… precisely to follow the appearance of the ancient saints, to inherit the primary divinity… With such notable divine features, the divine descendants have ruled over numerous Samurais and countless commoners for generations! Therefore, if the 'Ancient Saint's Skull' genuinely possesses this legendary form, it will surely be acknowledged by the divine descendants across the Tribes…"

"A divine exemplar, a divine appearance, is the important foundation for the rule of Maya divine descendants?… I see, looks like this 'Ancient Saint's Skull' is indeed an important source of governance legitimacy in the Maya Lands, leaving the divine descendants no choice but to accept… The heritage of the Maya Tribes spanning thousands of years, solidifying social ranks, governing the lowly commoners with divine authority, even compelling commoners to suicide when no longer able to work. The so-called divinity truly has deeply rooted into hearts, like irreplaceable celestial law. To deny the 'Ancient Saint's Skull' is to shake the foundation of divine descendants' governance…"

Priest Tomate pondered for a while, roughly understanding the uniqueness of this "divine object." Using it as a focal point to introduce the Chief Divine's belief is indeed clever, a thought only the divine descendants familiar with Maya mythologies could conceive.

"Regardless of whether this divine object is real, crafty old Tikalo presented it and invited envoys from various Tribes to worship it, evidently prepared and unfearing of exposure by the Tribes… Sometimes, the reputation of the Mayapan Royalty is indeed very effective…"

Priest Tomate stroked his chin, continuing to sort through the news from the Maya Lands and pondering its veracity, analyzing the shifting situation.

"The serpent divine descendants of Mayapan intermarried with the Toltec divine descendants of the Highland… Ha! The Toltec divine descendants naturally refer to the Mexican Royal Family… As for intermarriage and the next generation's inheritance of Maya, no news from the kingdom has come, but it seems like a logical occurrence… Being the remnant royalty of Mayapan, holding the natural legal authority to rule the Maya Lands, truly makes it a treasure worthy of possession. The governing of the Maya Tribes, like the Highland, places significant importance on inherent lineage, the commoners have no governance credentials, nor can they hold that position securely…"

"As for the rebirth through borrowed forces, it tops the kingdom's Legion with a Maya facade. Transforming preaching and conquest from the Highland into the rebirth and civil war of Maya Tribes! This way, it could at least divide the Tribal chieftains' alliances, avoiding strong resistance or encountering the Tribal Allied Forces… and provides them a reason to surrender and belong…"

"Finally, inviting the Maya Tribes to rebuild alliances and crusade against the Xiu Clan… hmm, the Kokom Family certainly bears deep-seated resentment against the Xiu Clan for harm and massacre! Nevertheless, they can't be blamed, as only by vanquishing the Xiu Clan can they reclaim Mayapan's old capital from Xiu's occupation, restoring the Mayapan Royal Family's core territory… Ha! Seems like that bald fox is unwilling to let the Mayapan Royal Family be merely a powerless puppet in Mexican hands…"

"Hmm, the Putun Clan, Brocade Snake Clan, and Canul Lineage announced their support for the rebirth of Mayapan… These three clans, with the Putun Clan allied to the kingdom's Legion, the Brocade Snake Clan already crippled by Black Wolf Marshal, and the Canul Lineage probably terrified by sacrifices, thus stepping down gracefully… Additionally, the Canul Lineage sprouted centuries ago from Toltec King's eastern expedition with Maya native intermarriage, certainly holding deep ancestral connections with the Highland. Their allegiance to the 'Toltec divine descendants' and loyalty to the 'Mayapan Royalty' can provide an internal explanation to the clan…"

"Whew! This Maya political and religious handling strategy certainly hints at the plotting from that bald fox. But the possibility of this decision weaving through facets like rainwater, unlike the black-and-white approach of Black Wolf Marshal, likely indicates the handiwork of East Sea Marshal Bertade… hmm… surely him!"

After a moment of thought, Priest Tomate thoroughly digested the news from the Maya Lands. While he didn't know much about Marshal Bertade governing the entire Eastern Sea, with years of involvement in pivotal decisions beside Your Majesty, his political maneuvering was undoubtedly unmatched by Black Wolf Marshal. Whether or not, after expanding Maya coastal reach, how would he meddle in Cuban military governance remains unknown...

"May the Chief Divine bless the kingdom! May the Chief Divine bless the fertile land of Cuba!…"

Priest Tomate bowed his head, sincerely offering a prayer. Then, he squinted at Yan Hu, seriously inquiring.

"Yan Hu, regarding the rebirth of Mayapan, apart from the three clans expressing support, what reactions have been from other clan-chief states of the Tribes?… Has any single clan-chief state publicly voiced support?…"