Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!

Chapter 2065 - 1508: Red and White, an Irresistible Proposal

The morning sun shines through the peaks of the Southern Madre Mountains, illuminating the divine platform in front of the valley camp. The war priests of the alliance are bustling about, lighting the sacred fire pits and arranging numerous formal funeral ritual artifacts.The golden disc is the first thing needed. Its soft and easily carved surface bears the emblem of the Hummingbird Chief Divine and the symbols of the four eras. Naturally, to avoid being too heavy, the golden disc is not very large. This two-hundred-pound golden disc is merely a flat rubber ball a foot in diameter. As for the meaning of the golden color, it naturally represents light.

Silver bowls are certainly needed. The shiny luster has always been a favored ritual vessel, revered like clouds and the sky by all tribes. Usually, four silver bowls are placed in the northeast, south, west of the disc, but now eight are placed. These silver bowls will contain various herbs and seeds, symbolizing healing and salvation. In fact, this once was the divine duty of the Feathered Serpent Divine, and the ritual artifacts used were for sacrifices to the Feathered Serpent Divine. Yet today, the traces of the Feathered Serpent Divine have dissolved into the Chief Divine, becoming the first divine spirit to completely fade from people’s hearts during the Alliance’s process of monotheism.

Obsidian mirrors are also necessary. Those deep and bright round mirrors, like divine eyes, gaze at the deep blue sky. The reflection brought by the mirrors is often seen as a window to a mysterious world, connecting souls with the heavens and the earth. Well, placing two will suffice. After all, as the embodiment of the Chief Divine, the Hummingbird only has one pair of eyes. If one wishes to sacrifice to other subordinate gods or saints, some paired small stone mirrors can be added.

Lastly, turquoise is needed. As a symbol of wisdom and spirit, the tomb and the funeral are indeed its rightful places to appear. At this moment, Xiulote picked up the clear, impressively sized, and full-shaped pieces of "turquoise," examined them for a moment, and even his originally solemn expression seldom paused.

"Moka, where did these sacrificial turquoise come from?"

"Ah? Elder Priest, these sacrificial turquoise were found among the spoils of the Zapotecs, belonging to their accompanying priests’ items, claimed to be the best Maya turquoise. I see the color and shape are very good, so I took them as ritual artifacts... um, do you want to switch to a new batch of gemstones?..."

"Zapotec spoils? Maya turquoise?... Hmm, indeed very good gemstones, no need to change them."

Xiulote was silent for a moment, placing the "Maya turquoise" back to the periphery surrounding the disc. These serene stones formed a circle and were adorned with red and white flowers, adding luster to the gold, silver, and obsidian ritual artifacts. Xiulote examined them for a few breaths, then smiled and instructed the war priests.

"May the Chief Divine protect us! Everything is set. Inform all priests and then inform the samurai of the camp, let the sacrificial rite of the funeral begin!"

"Yes! Elder Priest!..."

"Swipe!..."

Soon, the dim blue sacred fire sprang up with a "swipe," the flame of the Stone of the Dead, wafted with the aura of the realm of death. Twenty war priests danced the ceremonial dance, shook the "jingling" copper bells, and shouted curious cries. And in the center surrounded by all the priests, Elder Priest Xiulote in intricate garments, reached and donned the divine spirit mask made of wood and cloth.

At this moment, it was as if another layer of veil was placed over his face, covered with a countenance of the divine spirit, making him inaudible and invisible. His chanting also instantly blurred, elevated, was distant, floating faintly with the divine smoke to the lofty skies!

"Praise the Chief Divine Huitzilopo! The battlefield is this way, a sacred offering with our holy blood to the divine! This is the most revered moment, nothing in the world is as sacred as dying in war!..."

"I pray for the descent of the Chief Divine! May He open His red blood-like eyes, watching the warriors in the divine war, also watching the deaths in the divine war. He listens to our prayers, guides the souls raised in the divine war, heading to the red realm..."

"Life seeps into the earth, bringing the harvest for the coming year. Souls ascend into the Divine Kingdom, enjoying eternal tranquility. This is the power of the Chief Divine, the only supreme sacredness! And the light envelops us, from life to death, and will resurrect after death..."

"Look! In the red realm, there is a red sky, red dawn and noon, there are also red crowned pheasants and swifts... I saw the smile of the soul in the sky, looking again at their bodies merging into the earth, happily telling you!..."

"May the Chief Divine protect us! The butterfly of the soul has already flown away~~"

The ethereal chanting echoed among the mountains, then dispersed into the prepared graves, like the dead’s last words. Grand funerals are always silent, it is the repose of the dead, and also calmness to the living.

Two thousand Alliance Warriors stood beneath the divine platform, listening to the reassurance of the chanting until Xiulote announced the complete departure of the soul, and only then did the warriors suddenly clamor, shouting the last words to the deceased.

"...You useless guy, followed an inept Mountain Clan Chief, and actually got killed by the routed Zapotecs!..."

"...If the Divine King rewards merits! You entered the Tonsured Guard, died gloriously in the divine war, you will surely be richly rewarded!"

"...Go with peace! Lord Turquoise said so! He will give out all the rewards, taking nothing for himself..."

"...Brother, you died in battle. I will raise your son to adulthood!..."

"...Friend, take my blessing to heaven to my father!..."

Xiulote slightly bowed his head, observing the crowd calling and praying, also gazing at the burial pit on the ground, and the five hundred corpses of Alliance Warriors buried within. To complete the encirclement of the Zapotec Army, half of the Alliance Warriors in the two ambush forces almost perished! This funeral is held for them!

It is precisely because of these elite casualties, to save the scarce food, and to follow certain prewar instructions, that the royal legion commanded by Kua Kehu left no prisoners. As for the five thousand corpses of the Zapotecs Warriors...

"Praise the Chief Divine! He has departed! Now, bury the brave dead. Their bodies will return to the earth, bringing back the most primal vitality..."

In Xiulote’s final chant, shovelfuls of dirt were thrown into the pit, burying the faces of the deceased, also marking the end of this funeral. The War Priests continued their ritual dance, chanting mysterious spells. The Alliance Warriors spontaneously began their war dance, right in front of the burning Sacred Fire, in front of the graves of their comrades, and in front of the piles of enemy bodies.

"Ayi ya! Ayi ya!..."

"Deng deng dong! Deng deng dong!..."

As for the High Priest Xiulote, his steps were steady as he slowly walked down the Divine Platform and came to the priest’s tent at the back. Two Priest Apprentices helped him remove the heavy Obsidian Feather Crown, took off the tight Divine Spirit Mask, and removed the feather cloak draped behind the Ritual Robe. At this moment, he was at least forty pounds lighter, transformed from a divinely solemn ’embodiment of the divine spirit’ back to a man breathing freely in the human world. And as he just wiped the sweat from his face and rubbed his pressed sore forehead, his awaited guest appeared.

"Your Highness the Prophet! Thank you for presiding over the funeral! The warriors are very pleased and hope you can stay for a few more days to thank you in person!..."

"May the Chief Divine protect! I’m very pleased to escort these brave warriors to the red Divine Kingdom! Uh... Even those City-State Warriors who were scattered by routing soldiers and unfortunately died in battle are still recognized as brave by the Chief Divine!..."

Xiulote smiled gently, looking at the commander of three thousand Alliance Warriors in the camp, personally escorted by the Royal Legion Commander Kua Kehu. Then he pointed to the hollow where the five thousand corpses of the Zapotecs Warriors lay and said calmly.

"Commander Kua Kehu, when do you plan to bury these Zapotecs Warriors?"

"Oh! Your Highness the Prophet, these bodies are kept for the sacrificial rite of this funeral. After all, we didn’t sacrifice live prisoners, fearing the Chief Divine would be displeased... Now that the funeral is complete, once the warriors have settled their emotions, we will dig another large pit to bury these Zapotec people..."

"Hmm... brave fighting is the best offering to the Chief Divine! The Chief Divine is pleased, and victory is His blessing. And He opens the gates of the Divine Kingdom, escorting not only the souls of the Alliance Warriors but also taking with Him some of the brave of the Zapotecs...

Xiulote slowly spoke, looking into Kua Kehu’s eyes, and said solemnly.

"Commander Kua Kehu! I need your warriors to help with a task, selecting the Zapotec Nobles and Warriors among these five thousand corpses. Uh... it’s quite simple: look at their attire, check their teeth, and look at their tattoos... Then, notify the Zapotecs Garrison thirty miles east, guarding the Oaxaca Pass camp..."

"Selecting the Zapotec Nobles’ bodies and then notifying the Zapotec people?"

Hearing such a request, Kua Kehu was startled and asked in confusion.

"Your Highness the Prophet! Do you want the Zapotec people to send envoys to redeem the bodies of their nobles? To demand a large ransom from them?..."

"No! I don’t need their ransom, nor will I return the bodies to the Zapotec people."

Xiulote shook his head with a smile, his eyes deepening. He seemed like a priest elder twenty years aged, sighed meaningfully.

"The Chief Divine’s radiance will be impartial, covering all Gummy People! Commander Kua Kehu, please help me bring these Nobles and Warrior’s bodies to the Zapotecs’ mountain pass camp, then invite their respective envoys out of the camp..."

"Then, in front of the Zapotec Garrison, in front of the envoys of each Zapotec faction, I will hold another sacred funeral! Yes, a Chief Divine’s funeral for the nobles and warriors who died for the Zapotec people!...

"The red and white of the battlefield are two colors of divinity. The Alliance Warriors and Zapotec Warriors also need two different funerals. I believe, for this funeral, for the destinations of so many deceased nobles, the Zapotec people cannot refuse, just as they cannot refuse the Chief Divine. And what I am doing is also to spread the seeds of the Chief Divine’s faith throughout the Zapotec factions through a funeral. I believe, once the Divine King is informed, He will also approve. This will assist us in conquering the Zapotec people..."

"May the Chief Divine protect! Commander Kua Kehu, for the sake of the Chief Divine and the Divine King, please assist me! As for my safety, I entrust it all to you!..."

"...!"

At this moment, facing the sudden proposal of the Divine Revelation Prophet, Kua Kehu was taken aback, unsure of what to do. The Divine King had never given him such instructions. However, holding a new funeral indeed fell within the duties of the Elder Priest, and the just-concluded funeral also won gratitude from the warriors. Moreover, the words of the honored Prophet indeed made much sense!...

The valiant Commander Kua Kehu pondered deeply for a long while. After some time, he obeyed his heart and nodded respectfully.

"Alright! I will do as you say! Merciful Prophet!... "