Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!
Chapter 700 - 369 The Death of Axolotl

Chapter 700: Chapter 369 The Death of Axolotl

Upon hearing these words, Xiulote’s heart shuddered. His expression was icy as he glanced indifferently at the elderly Priest, Teya.

Sensing the King’s murderous intent, Priest Teya’s knees went weak, and he collapsed directly to the ground, pleading in a low voice.

"Your Majesty, I, I was wholeheartedly serving the Kingdom; I knew nothing about Arno’s matter!"

Xiulote paid no attention to the elderly Priest. He remained expressionless, suppressing the fear in his heart, and scoffed.

"Heh, Axolotl, to think that among the Canine Descendants someone like you would emerge! To avenge Chichika, you managed to deceive everyone, getting this close to me?"

Hearing this, Bertade’s face showed shame. Silently gripping his Bronze Sword, he fixed his gaze on Axolotl’s neck, like a Jaguar poised to hunt.

"Your Majesty, I, I really am not..."

Axolotl trembled all over. He felt the breath of death closing in.

Watching his old rival’s performance, Ozoma scoffed with disdain.

"Ha! Axolotl! Your deeds have been exposed, what’s there to argue! On the night that the Tribe perished, you should have died! To think you were once a Chieftain of a Great Tribe on the Wilderness, yet you lack the courage to face death squarely!"

"..."

Axolotl was at a loss for words. He paused, then sighed.

"Yes! I should have died long ago! So many warriors died, the Tribes were gone, Chichika, the leader, also died, why am I still clinging to life? Now that it has come to this, it’s just a death, that’s all!"

Having said that, Axolotl looked towards Priest Teya and nodded calmly.

"Priest Teya, I am sorry for concealing my identity from you. I’m not Arno, I am Axolotl!"

Xiulote, observing this scene, nodded slowly. A warrior facing death with equanimity, blossoming like a flower only to wither away, resonated well with the Mexica aesthetic. He intoned solemnly.

"Axolotl, for the hatred of your Tribe, you bore humiliation, took the risk of an assassination attempt on me, disregarding your personal safety, you are a warrior worthy of respect! Being a warrior, I will accord you with the warrior’s rites in bidding you farewell. Have you any verses to leave behind?"

"Poetry..."

Axolotl paused for a moment, then recited in a low voice.

"I am a salamander trapped in a pool, enduring the pain of never growing up... then, I climb out from the pool, shedding gills and tail, yet without feet to walk... I die at the banks of the pool, from life to death, achieving eternal transcendence!"

"Good!"

Upon listening, Black Wolf Torc could not help but exclaim in admiration. Bertade had a serene smile on his face. Xiulote, on the other hand, lowered his gaze. In the ancient myths of Central America, the salamander’s life-to-death journey represented an imprisoned spirit’s liberation, achieving ascendance to a higher realm. And what followed was the salamander’s rebirth, experiencing the cycle of new life and death.

"Bertade, give him the warrior’s farewell!"

The Head Warrior nodded, sheathing his Bronze Sword, and grasping the sacrificial Obsidian Dagger. With a solemn face, he stepped in front of Axolotl, placing the sharp blade against the other’s neck, drawing a faint line of blood.

"Don’t worry, it will be quick."

Bertade whispered softly.

Axolotl closed his eyes, bracing for death. A chilling sting spread from the skin of his neck, his senses momentarily becoming sharp. Then, he heard a deep inhalation, the prelude to the Head Warrior’s exertion of force.

"In the next second, I will be dead!"

In this moment before death, a surge of immense terror suddenly overtook him. Axolotl’s mind was greatly shaken, as if plunging into an endless abyss. He abruptly opened his eyes, and in the surprised look from Bertade, he yelled with all his might.

"Your Majesty! I surrender! I am willing to serve you!"

The air went suddenly silent. It felt like one second, you were quietly savoring the scent of a beautiful flower, and the next, a buzzing fly suddenly flew out from the flower’s center.

"Your Majesty, I really am not an assassin! I was captured and taken south, only wishing to live out the rest of my life honestly. I hid in the crowd today, never intending to get close to you! And I was completely unaware of Priest Teya’s recommendation!..."

Axolotl strained his neck away from the Head Warrior’s Dagger as he pleaded fervently, whimpering like a pitiful dove.

"...Your Majesty, I am well-acquainted with the Wilderness Tribes, I am willing to serve you! I, I can offer you advice on managing the Tribal villages!"

Xiulote lowered his gaze, remaining silent. It wasn’t until Axolotl finished his last sentence that he opened his eyes indifferently.

"Oh? What advice do you have for managing Tribal villages?"

"Uh..."

Axolotl took a cautious glance at Bertade, who had calmly sheathed the Dagger. Following that, the Red Salamander Chieftain rapidly pondered while stuttering out an answer.

"Praise Your Majesty! Praise the Chief Divine! I’ve spent several months in the Tribal villages, and there’s chaos in many places... Ever since Your Majesty forcefully disrupted the Tribes, organizing the banner squads, traditional order on the Wilderness has been completely undone, and the Tribe’s people are in a state of panic, still without established new norms..."

As he spoke, Axolotl’s thoughts became much clearer. After all, he had traversed the Wilderness for many years and deeply interacted with the village situation, giving him a thorough understanding of the Tribal people’s hearts.

"Your Majesty, strength is still the supreme authority in a Tribe. On the Wilderness, the Tribes were divided into red-haired hunters, warriors, and able-bodied men. The red-haired Hunters are not only the most elite warriors but also the captains of the hunting teams. They effectively manage the Tribe’s manpower. Only under their command could the entire Tribe move as one, migrating for thousands of miles..."

"...Now, by forcibly disrupting the Tribes and drafting all the warriors, leaving only able-bodied men from different Tribes, you have dissolved the hierarchy within the Tribal villages. Our Guajili Tribe has always only feared the strong; relying on assigned Priests and village chiefs alone will not suffice to control them."