Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!-Chapter 1698 - 1210: Casting a Hexagram for Myself—An Astonishingly Clear Hexagram Image!

The wind rustles through the forest sea, the tall trees of distant mountains swaying with wave-like sounds, as if coming from the clouds. Despite the noise of the great camp, Xiulote still hears this wind through the trees. He can't help but pause before the royal tent, gazing far into the distance, where the mountains look like the sea, fluttering as if in the clouds. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"On the endless ridges of mountains stand tall trees, and ancient tribes thrive between the narrow valleys. The Serpent divine descends from the clouds, mingles with the divine bird of the Divine Tree, and births the divine descendants of the clouds, passing down through four Eras until today!…"

Xiulote's expression turns contemplative as he softly recites the Mistec people's myth of inheritance in a priestly tone. At this moment, gazing at the forest sea clinging to the high mountains on the sides of the Cloud Valley, seeing the free flight of birds across the sky, he suddenly understands the origin of the cloud myth, and comprehends the reason for the Cloud Central Tribes' desperate resistance.

"The Cloud Central Tribes dwell in the mountain and river forest valleys, worship the divine bird and flying serpent, honor the Cloud Divine and Rain Divine, love ornate costumes, and excel in carving Gold and Silver. These ancient and stubborn mountain forest dwellers are just like the Chu people of the Warring States!… However, the Alliance presses south like Qin, with one hundred thousand troops advancing on three routes, and Thunder Fire Cannons storming castles and bastions. The Cloud will be destroyed, the divine descendants severed, and the sacrifices of the Chu people will surely perish!…"

At this thought, Xiulote's expression remains unchanged, as he lightly shakes his head and turns inward to the cold and solitary royal tent. First, he removes the meter-long priest's Feather Crown, then takes off the elaborate priest's Feathered Garment, takes off the heavy Obsidian Necklace, feeling himself lighten by twenty pounds. At that moment, he lowers his arms and suddenly understands his grandfather.

"Ah! When grandfather served as High Priest, clad in the same heavy divine attire, must have felt the same way!… Hmm, covered by the divine attire is not only the priest's body but also this face that sacrifices to the Divine!…"

Xiulote gently bows his head, looking at himself in the basin of water. The young face is painted with the Divine Rune of the priest, hiding his age and making him seem no longer young. But those sincere eyes gradually calm, like turning from fiery blaze into calm sea, increasingly emotionless, deep and unfathomable.

"In ten months, I've transformed from a military Commander-in-Chief as Vassal King, into the Divine Revelation Priest of the Alliance… I've become like grandfather, treaded on grandfather's path… At least, in everyone's view, it seems so!…"

Xiulote watches himself in the water, observing a face both familiar and strange. He says nothing, only silently contemplating in his heart, burying all emotions deep down, just as he's been doing these past months. Indeed, ever since returning to the Lake Capital City, ten whole months have passed.

During these ten months, he first stayed in the Lake Capital City, as one of the Cabinet Ministers, overseeing the craftsman camp of the capital city, monitoring the military supply logistics for the Southern Expedition. Wherever there is achievement, traces will remain. Soon, he strictly scrutinized, capturing many city nobles with extended hands. Then he realized the problem was not merely difficult, but particularly thorny!

With ceaseless war unrest, the profit from Mexica military supplies is immense, skyrocketing tenfold upon release. Especially cloth-covered copper armor and Powerful Crossbows, completely high demand but no supply. Those nobles who can extend their hands into the craftsman camp are not insignificant roles without roots. Should this affair be thoroughly investigated, it not only offends the principal buyers of military supplies, the influential City-State Nobles across the Alliance. It also exposes a large number of true sellers involved in military supplies, namely the various royal noble families of the capital city, including a number of Prince-level elder nobility!

These royal nobles intermarry, forming alliances based on lineage, and wield actual power. Many nobles are the backbone of royal family direct regiments. Even God King Avit is somewhat apprehensive, unwilling to act rashly. For if handled improperly, it could inadvertently destabilize his army's foundation, triggering backlash from each royal family faction…

After much contemplation, Xiulote had no choice but to seek out uncle Cacamatzin. Cacamatzin, with a helpless sigh, disclosed some insight to the elders of the royal families, and after several private discussions, managed to reach a consensus with the forces behind the scenes.

Then, Xiulote apprehended a group of minor nobles, a few typical Hereditary Nobles, and two incorrigible royal nobles, bringing them in tears to the small Pyramid Temple that entombs the elders' remains and personally offered them as sacrifice!…

This act of sacrificing nobles to establish authority effectively rectifies the enormous craftsman camp of the capital city and harshly warns the various nobles in charge of production management. Under the guise of a dream from the elders, using uncle Cacamatzin's network, leaving some room in handling, he manages to suppress the resentment of the royal nobles to a barely tolerable extent.

"Governing a large nation is like cooking small shrimp, administering politics is like treading on thin ice… these entangled Alliance royal powers, however, are far more complex than the blank sheet of the kingdom of the Lake!"

"Of course, despite internal constraints within the Mexica Alliance, it can still focus efforts in one direction, launching the grand divine war satisfying upper nobles and mid-level Samurai, shifting external contradictions! The internal political struggles of the Alliance, compared to the Ming Dynasty across the sea, Korea, and Japan, are remarkably straightforward!"

At this, Xiulote turns slightly, looking at the volumes of "Book of Ama Colley" and "Canon" on the desk. Within one volume are two letters on cloth, packed with dense small characters, vaguely including sea charts.

The slightly larger sheets within the two letters are written by Zuwaro to him, recounting the exploration experiences from the Far North land to Kamchatka, and sketching a simple map approximation. Many places described even in brief words still left Xiulote astonished, able to imagine the extreme challenges of storms and snow!