Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!
Chapter 732 - 396: Burn the Grain!

Chapter 732: Chapter 396: Burn the Grain!

The setting sun sank to the horizon, casting a blanket of red across the sky. The sea of blood drifted above, guiding the departed souls. Hand Snake City fell into a crimson shadow, embracing its inevitable doom.

Black Wolf sat cross-legged atop the city walls, watching the enemy city engulfed in blood and fire, feeling no ripples in his heart.

He was born into a family of commoner samurai of the Alliance, his grandfather had died in the North, and his father had perished in the South. During his five years at the community military academy, the seasoned samurai told them that to survive in battle, advance in battle, and then die in battle, was the life of a Mexica samurai.

The purpose of a samurai’s existence was to fight for the gods, the King, the priests, the family, and honor. Therefore, he was indifferent to killing and unafraid of death; it was all but destiny.

The tribal warriors of the wilderness cared even less about killing. To them, death was as common as a meal, as a bowl of water. It would be hard for later generations to understand how people viewed death in an era when the average lifespan was only a bit over twenty, or even less. To put it simply, it was more Spring and Autumn than the Spring and Autumn period, more Warring States than the Warring States period.

"Legion Commander Black Wolf, the two thousand Tekos captives have all been executed."

Dull Deer Masate came walking over, sporting a simple smile and a bloodied copper spear.

"These bronze weapons are indeed useful, very sharp. They are not as blunt as ordinary stone, nor do they wear down as easily as obsidian."

"Haha, bronze weapons are indeed superior, much better than obsidian!"

Black Wolf nodded in satisfaction, gripping the bloodstained bronze sword at his waist, though his words carried an inexplicable hint of dullness.

"Today’s battle was like bronze against obsidian, no difficulty at all."

"Tsk tsk, they were just some savage Tekos tribes, their elite forces had been drained away, what challenge would there be? Our warriors only suffered a few dozen casualties and wiped out a ten-thousand-strong Great Tribe. The barbarians of the South are truly feeble!"

Dull Deer clicked his tongue twice, a gleam in his eyes.

"But the women of the southern barbarians are plump and submissive, enough to make one’s heart itch! ...Ahem, respected Commander..."

"Fine! You have all worked hard on the long raid, tonight you are allowed some indulgence."

Black Wolf glanced at Dull Deer and curled his lip. Making the obstinate Kulamo tribal soldiers maintain strict discipline and fight honestly was an impossibility in this lifetime. Black Wolf couldn’t be bothered to care. He shouted commandingly.

"Make sure that enough men are left on guard!"

"At your command, Legion Commander!"

Dull Deer hurriedly took the order and was about to leave.

"Wait, Dull Deer. How many women and children were captured?"

Black Wolf pondered for a moment before asking.

"There must be at least six thousand, I reckon!"

"A full seven thousand! A thousand of them are from the Palm Family."

Red Monkey Ozoma arrived quickly, confirming the number. He was utterly exhausted, having interrogated the Tekos elder who managed the granary and then counting the food stores.

"Witnessed by the Chief Divine, the southern barbarians are truly prosperous! The food in the granary is enough to feed fifty thousand people for a year! Unlike the impoverished tribes of the wilderness..."

"So many people, so much food?!"

Hearing this, Black Wolf’s expression changed. After thinking for a while, he asked.

"What about the villages outside the city?"

"The Tekos elder said that the winding Tarsas River is like the Mother Goddess’s umbilical cord, nourishing the Tekos people along its banks. Sixty to seventy percent of the tribes in the southwest dwell along the Tarsas River, with half of them settled in the fertile Hand Snake Valley... Aside from the tribal warriors taken away by Great Chief Kimari, there were originally ten thousand people left in Hand Snake City and over twenty thousand villagers outside. But most of the food from the villages has been confiscated to supply the Great Chief’s army that emerged from the mountains."

"Seven thousand women and children in the city, more than twenty thousand tribespeople outside, food for fifty thousand people for a year, and we have only three thousand warriors! What comes next..."

Black Wolf fell into a silent musing. The teachings of his superior surfaced in his mind, various thoughts colliding in his head... After a moment, a rough plan began to take shape; although it was a bit risky, he believed it should satisfy his superior.

"Legion Commander Black Wolf, this location is too remote! We are two hundred fifty miles from Apachigan City, and even five or six hundred miles from Patzcuaro Storage City; it would take me more than a dozen days to run back. And with Great Chief Kimari’s tribal army blocking the mountain pass, we can’t take all these captives with us..."

Dull Deer scratched his head in bewilderment, a ferocious gleam flickering in his eyes.

"Kill them! Might as well kill them all! Once that’s done, the southern barbarians won’t recover for two generations!"

"No! Do not kill."

Black Wolf clearly shook his head. He wasn’t concerned about the lives of these people, but about the reaction of Your Highness.

"His Highness dislikes slaughter, especially the killing of women and children. Besides, the army has come south this time specifically for able-bodied people. If we kill them all at once, where would we find the agricultural slaves for the military nobility?"

Red Monkey had been silent in thought. After hearing Black Wolf’s words, he finally smiled and spoke.

"Legion Commander, brilliant! Since we can’t take the prisoners with us and yet want to have them in our hands, there is only one way!"

"Ah? Red Monkey, what’s your idea?"

Stunned Deer was curious.

"Burn the grain!"

"Burn the grain?"

"Haha, great idea!"

Black Wolf’s face beamed with pleasure, the idea coincided perfectly with his own plan!

"Red Monkey, continue!"

"Yes, brilliant Legion Commander!"

Red Monkey smiled confidently, a sparkle in his eyes.

"The grain outside the city has been almost entirely requisitioned, and almost all of Kimari’s military provisions are here. We only take the grain that doesn’t impede our movement, and then set fire to all of it! Without this batch of grain, no matter how quickly Kimari hastens back to aid, it is a dead end."

"It is the end of December now, and it’s five months until the spring plowing, ten until the autumn harvest. With so many Tekos people, they cannot hold out until then! They won’t even have enough to sow the fields. By next year’s spring famine, if they don’t want to starve, they’ll have to come out of the mountains and surrender to the Northern Kingdom!"

"Haha! Excellent! That’s what we’ll do!"

Black Wolf laughed heartily, brimming with unrestrained spirit.

"But, we’re going to do it big! Resolve the issue of the more than one hundred thousand southwestern Tribes in one go!"

"Ah? Do it big?"

Red Fox’s eyes flickered, and he asked respectfully.

"Respected Legion Commander, what should we do?"

"Haha! His Highness often says, ’When the moment comes, you must be bold; if you’re bold enough you can have your fill!’"

With that, Black Wolf took out a map of the south drawn up by the Tarasco Kingdom. He moved his hand from Hand Snake City to the southwest, all the way to the seaside.

"We’ll depart from Hand Snake City and continue sweeping two hundred li southwest, right up to the endless Great Lake!"

Then, he traced along the seaside east, all the way to the mouth of the Tarsas River.

"After sweeping the villages around the Great Lake, we’ll head east along the seaside plains, traveling four to five hundred li, all the way to the Tarsas River!"

"Along the nearly seven hundred li journey, reside close to ninety percent of the southwestern Tribes! Depleted of many warriors levied by Kimari, they are distant from each other, scattered and weak, just like the tastiest voles in the mouth of a wolf pack! As the Legion passes through, there’s no need to chase down enemies or concern ourselves with how many we’ve killed. We just have to burn all the Tekos people’s villages, burn all the grain from the autumn harvest!"

"Ah! Burn the grain for seven hundred li!"

As the sun set and night fell, the campfires blazed and flickered, igniting the hearts of the passionate warriors. Hearing this, Red Monkey and Stunned Deer exchanged a glance, a thrilling excitement surged through them, stirring their souls.

"Right! Once we’ve burned our way through, we’ll acquire some small boats near the mouth of the Tarsas River, where the villages have only recently submitted to the Kingdom. Then we’ll row those small boats, heading three hundred li up the water course of Atoyac Lake, reaching Kulamo City!"

Having said this, Black Wolf suddenly stood up, gazing into the pitch-black sky, looking towards the stars in the south. There was a star, exceptionally bright in December. According to His Highness, that was his own life star: named Sirius, ruling over martial prowess!

"Burn the grain for seven hundred li! The more than one hundred thousand Tekos people along the way will no longer be able to find lifesaving grain, leaving them with only one choice: either they starve to death in the mountains, or they come down and surrender!"

"Ah! Legion Commander, brilliant!!"

Red Monkey licked his lips, and Stunned Deer laughed loudly. The admiring praise rose again, drifting into the night sky over Hand Snake City. Only this time, it was sincere, filled with murderous intent!