Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!
Chapter 1043 - 633: The Second Kingdom Exploration, The Divine Object Possesses a Spirit, Peering Into Destiny!

Chapter 1043: Chapter 633: The Second Kingdom Exploration, The Divine Object Possesses a Spirit, Peering Into Destiny!

Deep in the marketplace, the crowd thinned slightly, yet prosperity increased. The Maya divine smoke rose in front of the wooden shed of the smoke stand, drifting in all directions. Several city-state nobles, dressed in Chinese clothes, smoked expensive rolled cigarettes, chatting and laughing. Behind the nobles were several samurai, and a few steps further was a gathering of people. They stretched their heads greedily like a group of snakes, sniffing the dispersed smoke, with longing on their faces.

"Hmm... the divine smoke of the maize people..."

Dozens of steps away, Puap looked at the Mayan merchant’s booth with a struggling expression and indecision.

The kingdom strictly enforced teachings, one of which was prohibiting samurai from smoking divine smoke. According to the priests’ descriptions, this smoke, which communicated with the divine, would burn a mortal’s vitality, especially harmful to the lungs. Once consumed excessively, it would lower a samurai’s running and fighting ability!

Of course, the kingdom’s more effective measure was to prohibit the private sale of divine smoke, impose taxes, and make such consumables’ prices beyond what ordinary samurai could bear.

"The price of divine smoke here seems to be much lower than in the kingdom and alliance!..."

Puap observed clearly. Just now, that noble only needed to present a Lake Gem to acquire several bags of divine smoke. This price might be just one-fifth of what it was in the kingdom!

Maya goods, at this nearby port, were far cheaper than in the kingdom two thousand miles away. The Lake Gem, due to its stable quality and continuous influx in large quantities, had gradually become a more common "currency" in luxury trade. Now, in Puap’s hand, there was a full bag of hundreds of gems, enough to buy all the divine smoke in the smoke shop!

"Divine object... divine smoke..."

Wearing the Eagle Helmet, Puap’s thoughts were uncertain as he wandered around the smoke shop. The two tufts of short feathers on the helmet of the Huitu warrior swayed back and forth, like a plump fire chicken spreading its wings as it walked around.

A few steps away, an old man of about fifty, dressed in the feathered garment of a tribal witch doctor, sat cross-legged on the ground. In front of him was a roll of white cloth spread out. On the white cloth lay a dozen monkeys’ skulls, eight or nine obsidian amulets, four or five ancient jade pendants, and a few jars of strange herbs. In the center of the white cloth was a human-head-sized, quaint and mysterious black-purple ceramic plaque.

Occasionally, someone walked up to the old witch doctor, asked a couple of questions, but he did not respond, only waved them away. Sitting on the ground, he squinted his eyes, watching the swaying "plump fire chicken" for a while, then suddenly began to sing in the common Navajo language.

"O eagle in the sky, flying from the west! O thunder on the sea, falling from the east! The long, long road ahead, the distant, distant homeland. O stern divines, will you spare me? Let me return safely to my homeland!..."

"Hmm?"

Upon hearing the hoarse singing, Puap stopped in his tracks. After listening to a couple of lines, his expression immediately changed. He quickly turned around, examining the old man dressed as a witch doctor, with flickering eyes.

"Ahem!... This old... witch doctor, what are you singing?"

The old witch doctor ignored him, not even lifting his eyes to glance at Puap. He merely shook his head, picked up the ceramic plaque on the white cloth, held it to his chest, and sang hoarsely again.

"O divine ceramic plaque, tell me of mortals’ future! All mortal fates have already been written by the divines. In the west, there is a towering volcano; in the east, there is an endless abyss; in the north, there is a storm of thunder; in the south, there is a green sea of trees!... The edges of the world trampled by the divines, how can mortals easily reach there? The soul without guidance is destined never to return!..."

"...Uh? Never to return..."

Listening to the old witch doctor’s song, Puap’s expression changed dramatically, suddenly filled with some awe. He stepped forward, his gaze moving up and down, soon noticing the ceramic plaque in the old witch doctor’s arms.

The ceramic plaque’s appearance was extremely quaint, its edges worn, seemingly passed down for hundreds or thousands of years. The front of the ceramic plaque was carved with a divine tree running through top to bottom. The divine tree was colored green, branching out, dividing the plaque into three layers. The top of the plaque depicted various divines, painted in the blue of the sky. The middle of the plaque displayed an elliptical cross-section with twelve directions. At the center of the ellipse was a pyramid temple fused with the tree trunk, painted in gold powder. The bottom of the plaque depicted red volcanoes, yellow abyss, and a black dark sea.

"Hmm..."

Looking at such mysterious and puzzling imagery, Puap’s heart immediately filled with reverence.

As if sensing Puap’s gaze, the old witch doctor glanced at him and then tucked the ceramic plaque into his feathered garment. During the fleeting moment of movement, the keen-eyed Huitu warrior vaguely saw the back of the plaque inscribed with dense symbols and divine runes, as well as a circular emblem symbolizing a calendar.

"Eh? Inscribed with calendar and astronomy... could this be a ceramic plaque passed down by priests?"

Puap’s heart stirred, his thoughts fluctuating. A smile appeared on his face, as he cheerfully asked the old witch doctor.

"Esteemed old... priest, could you let me look at this ceramic plaque?"

"Ha! The divine object has spirit, it cannot be spied upon. The cruel fate is already destined, mortals can only accept it, there is no changing it!"

The old witch doctor shook his head. For the first time, he looked at Puap with his aged eyes, gently waving his hand.

"Foreign warrior, do not covet my divine object. It is your fortune to hear my song. Go! Your fate is destined in the distant East, in the abyss of the sea..."

"Hiss! My fate, in the abyss of the sea?!"

Upon hearing this, Puap’s heart tightened. He pinched his fingers, bit his lip, and forced a smile.

"Esteemed old priest, do you know where I am going? What is my fate?"

"No, I do not know."

The old witch doctor, with a leisurely expression, shook his head again.

"The divine object has spirit, it knows fate. He only speaks through my mouth. Foreign warrior, go! Fate cannot be forced."

"This..."

Puap’s eyelids twitched as he looked at the indifferent old witch doctor. After a moment’s thought, he took out a shining Lake Gem from his pocket and placed it on the white cloth.

"Esteemed old priest, I would like to offer a gem! Could you let me look at the divine object and guide me a little?"

"The divine object has spirit, fate is destined. Take it away, take it away! Take the gem away and do not bother me."

The Old Witch Doctor closed his eyes, waved his hand again, and didn’t even glance at the gemstone.

"You!..."

Puap gritted his teeth, reached into his chest again, took out five gemstones, and pleaded.

"Six is the number of divinity, representing the gods of the four directions and above and below. Respectable Old Priest, I am willing to offer six gemstones, begging the Divine Object to speak and reveal my destiny!"

"Go, go!~"

No matter how Puap pleaded, the Old Witch Doctor only shook his head, eyes closed, holding the ceramic plaque.

After a while, Puap, the Huitu Samurai, finally lost his patience and shouted harshly.

"You old fool! Don’t know what’s good for you!"

Upon hearing this, the Old Witch Doctor finally opened his eyes, looked calmly at the Huitu Samurai, and said peacefully.

"Foreign Samurai, you are destined to die, why force it?"

"Ah! Damn old man!"

Puap’s heart shook violently, his expression fierce. He strode forward, pressing one hand on the Bronze Axe, grabbing the Old Witch Doctor’s collar with the other, and threatening him, glaring viciously.

"Don’t you know! Even in this bustling city, killing you and taking that ceramic plaque would be a breeze!"

"Haha! Is the fate of mortals something that can be changed with a Bronze Axe in hand?"

The Old Witch Doctor laughed heartily, unfazed.

"What if you kill me? Your fate will not change because of it. The Divine Object has a spirit; this will only offend the Divine Object, and you will die faster!"

"Ah?!"

Puap’s eyes were fiercely glaring at the Old Witch Doctor. The Old Witch Doctor remained serene, as if indifferent to life and death. They stared at each other for a moment, until it caught the attention of the City-State Warriors, who were about to come over and check.

"You, Foreign Samurai, what are you doing? No fighting allowed in the city! No disrespect to the Witch Doctor!"

"..."

Seeing the surrounding City-State Warriors, taking out their War Clubs, shouting and about to gather around, Puap suddenly softened his expression, "thump" kneeling on the ground. Then, in the surprised gazes of everyone, he hugged the Old Witch Doctor’s waist, face pressed against the ceramic plaque on the other’s chest, and pleaded painfully.

"Ah! Venerable Old Priest, I beg you, give me guidance on my destiny! I am willing to offer a sincere tribute, twelve gemstones!..."

"Uh!..."

The Old Witch Doctor was firmly embraced by the strong Huitu Samurai, his mouth twitched. He tried to struggle, but the other held tight, not letting go. A few breaths later, he finally sighed helplessly and spoke.

"Alas! Then, fine. Let go, and I will ask the Divine Object to look at your destiny!"

"Good! Good! Venerable Old Priest, bless you!"

Puap nodded repeatedly, excitedly stretching out his hand and taking out six more gemstones from his chest, placing them on the white cloth. Seeing such a wealthy Foreign Samurai, the nearby City-State Warriors’ eyelids twitched, their expressions changing.

The Old Witch Doctor, holding the ceramic plaque, looked at the surrounding crowd. He nodded slightly, smiling as he said.

"I will ask the Divine Object to look at the cursed destiny of this ominous Foreign Samurai! The Divine’s gaze, mortal fates may interfere with each other, potentially passing on calamity. Please, all Warriors, spread out a bit to avoid being affected."

Upon hearing this, the surrounding crowd’s expressions changed. They quickly took two steps back, disdainfully glancing at the ominous Huitu Samurai, then hurriedly left.

"What?... My destiny, cursed?"

Upon hearing this, Puap’s face turned pale. Following the Old Witch Doctor’s instructions, he cautiously sat on the ground. Then, he extended both hands, pressing them on the center of the reappearing ceramic plaque, as his heart "thump, thump," beat fiercely.

The Old Witch Doctor held the sides of the ceramic plaque, silently closing his eyes, sensing for a moment. After a while, he suddenly realized, letting out a long sigh.

"So that’s it!"

"Respected Old Priest...Wh...What?"

"You bear the curse of the Divine Eagle! That is the Divine Eagle’s noble divine descendant, before death, using all divinity and life, with deep-seated hatred, imprinted on your destiny!"

"Ah!"

Puap’s hands trembled, his body shaking violently, collapsing to the ground. His deepest secrets revealed, bringing him inner fear and helplessness. A moment later, he abruptly bowed down to the ground, "bang, bang," knocking his head twice.

"Old Prophet, please save me!"