Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!
Chapter 1066 - 651: Second Kingdom Exploration, Night Talk by the Sea, Closer Lowland Maya_2

Chapter 1066: Chapter 651: Second Kingdom Exploration, Night Talk by the Sea, Closer Lowland Maya_2

"Priest Tomate, ancestors bear witness! We can become true brothers! For our paths lie far ahead!"

Upon hearing this, Priest Tomate’s expression became solemn. He looked into the sincere eyes of Chief Moqi, and after a moment, slowly nodded his head.

"Chief Moqi, the Chief Divine bears witness! Our paths lie far ahead. As long as you devoutly believe in the Chief Divine, I will be a brother to you like a sibling!"

"Good! Praise the Chief Divine!"

"Praise the Chief Divine!"

The two of them clasped hands tightly, their eyes meeting with a burning resolve. Translation was unnecessary at this moment, they both could feel the other’s intentions and the resolve to forge ahead!

As night slowly descended, the bonfire flickered on the shore. The Kingdom’s warriors returned to the ships to rest, and most of the ordinary warriors from the tribe also went back to the prairie fort to retire.

Both parties extended invitations simultaneously, but Priest Tomate did not go to the Putun Tribe’s fort, nor did Chief Moqi board the Kingdom’s large ship. They, along with dozens of others, lit a bonfire on the shore and set up camp. Their low conversations floated in the pitch-black night and were carried away by the waves into the sea. They shared many stories that the other did not understand. The only one who could understand at once was Tikalo, the Mayan merchant struggling to stay awake.

"Lake Great Chiefdom? Mexica Great Chief Alliance? Divine Revelation’s God of Death Great Chief?... So, you are merely the largest of the dozens of tribes in the Fierce Tiger Tribe Alliance?"

Curiosity shimmered in Chief Moqi’s eyes. After a night of conversations, neither side felt the slightest hint of sleepiness. He never imagined that the Highland in the West was so vast, and that the tribes on the Highland were so powerful... and complex.

"No. The largest tribe is the king of the Alliance, and we are the second largest. However, our exalted leader is the king’s son-in-law and cousin, and also the kingdom’s primary successor. If the king were to die, the largest two tribes would merge into one. Unless the weaker tribes could unite completely, they would be insignificant!"

Priest Tomate succinctly and simply described the situation. Moqi stroked his chin, pondered for a while, then asked in confusion.

"With two Jaguars in the jungle so close, wouldn’t they fight?"

"Hmm... No. The king and the exalted both worship the Supreme Main God, incarnations of the Divine on earth! They are at war year after year, responsible for different directions, working in close cooperation to quell all tribes under heaven!"

"Oh, I see! The wolves in the jungle haven’t been finished yet; it’s not time for them to fight each other." Chief Moqi clapped his hands in realization, laughing.

"When all the other prey in the jungle is gone, then the two strong Jaguars will finally battle it out to decide the sole king!"

"No, it is not like this!"

At these words, Priest Tomate’s expression changed. He immediately refuted, even as an inexplicable anger welled up within.

"The Chief Divine bears witness! The king and exalted are the true Divine Eagles, leading the Alliance and the Kingdom! The Divine shelters them; they are intimate Dual Kings! Moreover, with the Princess among them..."

Chief Moqi chuckled and watched the somewhat irate Priest Tomate, shifting the topic.

"Alright! Tomate, my brother! I do not know the rules of succession among your Highland tribes. In our Putun Tribe, during the Great Tribe’s succession, the successors always fight each other to determine a leader..."

"As for the City-Staters in the North, they are much weaker. They compare ’divinity’, letting the elders with real power in the clans vote to choose a clan leader. Even in the Canul Lineage directly to our north, they don’t have a leader, only a group of old folks forming a Council of Elders..."

"The Canul Lineage, Council of Elders?"

Upon hearing this, Priest Tomate raised his eyebrows, glanced at the translator Tikalo, and inquired.

"Moqi, my brother, I’ve heard that the four largest forces in the North are the Canul Lineage in the far West, the Xi Wu Clan in the middle, the Kapoor Clan, and the Ekab Chiefdom in the far East... How much do you know about their strength?"

"Hmm. Our Putun Tribe has clashed with the Canul Lineage and the Xi Wu Clan! As for the two further East, I am not clear about them."

Chief Moqi thought for a moment before replying earnestly.

"The Canul Lineage in the west seems to be allies with that Kokom Family or something. Decades ago, the Xi Wu Clan wanted to be the head, ambushed the Kokom Family, and reportedly killed a lot of people, slaughtering the entire Royal City! To restrain the Canul Lineage in the west, they gave us the Putun Tribe a batch of weapons, women, salt, and wealth, encouraging us to raid the Canul Lineage’s border..."

At this point, Tikalo’s body trembled slightly. He lowered his head and translated softly, without altering a single word.

"Oh? So did you go and raid? What was that battle like?"

"We did! Why not take what’s freely given? The south of the Canul Lineage was very empty; I heard we seized many women and much food... However, that was two generations of chiefs ago, before I was born. But my mother was taken from a northern City-State by the former Great Chief; she seemed to be a Divine Descendant."

Chief Moqi’s expression glimmered as he recounted ancient tales, as though reminiscing about something.

"I remember my mother saying that the Canul Family (Ah Canul) were ’canan’, protectors and supporters. Their ancestors also came from the Western Highland. He once held a white gourd, carrying a long obsidian spear, following an elder Nava king. Then, he was enfeoffed by the Nava king in the southwest, guarding nine hills, nine rivers, and also protecting the borders of the Royal City of Chichen Itza..."

"Then, there was a Maya named Kekum, who, with the help of his companions, climbed out of a sacrificial well. He held a coconut, proclaimed his sacred lineage and experiences, gaining support from many Maya tribes. These Maya tribes attacked the Nava king, continually growing until they invaded Chichen Itza. The Canul Family held out to the last, but still surrendered. They made a pact with a new Maya king and retreated to the far west of the Peninsula, still under the name of ’guardianship’, albeit with a different king. But, this new king wasn’t eventually defended either; he was killed by the Xi Wu Clan!... Haha! Hahaha!"

On recounting these bedtime stories told by his mother, Chief Moqi laughed heartily, narrating another version of the Maya epic. Tikalo beside him suppressed the excitement in his heart, asking softly.

"Honorable... Chief Moqi, is your mother still around?"

"Oh, she passed to the Divine Kingdom long ago. Tribespeople never live too long. Hey, why are you asking this?"

Chief Moqi pressed his lips, responding calmly. Then, he looked at the Maya commoner with some puzzlement, unsure why the other had suddenly become excited.

"Brother Moqi, in that case, is there a blood feud between the Canul Lineage and the Xi Wu Clan?"

Priest Tomate deeply looked at Tikalo, then turned to ask.

"Will these two powerful Maya Clans fight each other?"

"They will! Not only do they fight each other, but they also make sacrifices to each other. And we often raid the border while they are fighting!"

Chief Moqi nodded heavily. These two clans are the strongest forces north of the Putun Tribe. They too have been raided by the Putun Tribe.

"The Canul Lineage and the Xi Wu Clan each have over ten thousand City-State Warriors. The warriors on both sides are quite ordinary, not as strong as us. They have stone spears and short bows, many wooden and leather armor, adept at jungle warfare. Similarly, given time to the City-Staters, they will mobilize a vast militia. Very annoying! We usually grab and run, retreating into the jungle and the mountains."

"So, between these two forces, who is stronger?"

"Haha! Of course, it is the Xi Wu Clan! They occupy a very prosperous Capital City, with more warriors. Their leader is also very cunning, even ambushing our tribe. However, they are in the East and still have the opposing Kapoor Family to restrain them, besieged on both sides. No matter how many troops they have, there’s always an opening to sneak in and rob!... And without the Kapoor Clan in the East, the ’guarding’ Canul Lineage could hardly protect themselves!"