Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!
Chapter 791 - 429: Interpretative Authority of Scripture

Chapter 791: Chapter 429: Interpretative Authority of Scripture

The prayer voices of the early morning wafted through the sky over the Lake Capital City. They flew into the cloud layers of the rainy season, transforming into the thunder above the ninth heaven, singing praises to the Chief Divine’s glory. Atop the majestic Great Temple, hundreds of priests chanted in unison. The burning incense sent up pleasing spirals of blue smoke that encircled the Sacred Fire and then scattered up and down the pyramid. At this moment, the Temple Pyramid shrouded in divine smoke was like the Chief Divine’s Serpent Mountain, and the Lake Capital City was the embodiment of the Divine Kingdom descended!

Xiulote inhaled the scent of the divine smoke, feeling completely refreshed and invigorated. The incense of the Great Temple was a blend made from various spices, with a considerable amount burned every day.

He discerned each element carefully; the base was the relatively cheap pine resin, fragrant with the scent of pine forests. Next was the red sandalwood known as ’Incense Beans,’ sweet with a hint of coolness that brought genuine pleasure. Amidst the strong sweetness lingered a subtle and elegant freshness, which was the calming scent of aloeswood. And upon taking a deep breath, the last to be detected was the hidden fragrance of yellow sandalwood. When burned alone, the scent of yellow sandalwood was not particularly intense, but when combined with other spices, it could make the other fragrances even more pure and exquisitely beautiful.

The sound of the prayers gradually subsided, but the divine smoke lingered on. Watching the lower-level priests approach the Sacred Fire and continue to add bags of spices, Xiulote couldn’t help but feel moved.

"The incense used in just a single prayer would be enough to make European kings envious and covetous! Only the High Priesthood serving the Chief Divine atop the Great Temple can enjoy such luxury and solemnity, even King Aweit cannot compare..."

After a moment, the morning prayers of the Priesthood concluded, and calm returned to the Priest Grand Hall. The High Priest sat solemnly at the head, looking down at Xiulote at the lower seat and spoke in a deep voice.

"Praise the Chief Divine, He blesses His servants!... Supreme High Priest Xiulote, how is the missionary work progressing in the Lake District?"

"Praise the Chief Divine! Your Reverence, the High Priest, the spread of faith in the Lake District is rapid. In every village in the north and the center of the district, monuments to the Chief Divine have been erected, and Divine Priests are leading the faithful. In the Patzcuaro Lake region, the old faith of the Tarasco gods is nearly gone. At the annual Great Ceremony to the Chief Divine in Qinchongcan City, tens of thousands of devotees come from all directions, earnestly participating in prayer, many with tears streaming down their faces."

Xiulote replied confidently with a smile.

"To the south of the Lake District, the Chief God Priests have just begun to penetrate the countryside. The traditional nobility that hindered the spread of faith have been eradicated, and the signs of the Chief Divine are erected in every town. In Kulamo City, High Priest Yitai organized a religious inquisition squad to identify and deal with obstinate old god followers, and it has been quite effective."

"Hm, there was a report from the Lake District recently, highlighting the religious inquisition squads," the High Priest nodded. He pondered for a while and looked towards several Elders of the High Priesthood who were present.

"What do you think?"

"Lake Texcoco is where the Chief Divine has descended multiple times, and faith in the Chief Divine is extremely strong; there is no immediate need for religious inquisition there," the Elder Priest Azar pondered briefly before taking the lead to speak.

"However, in the areas around Xilotepec City to the north and the land of the Jontal people to the southwest, there remain remnants of the old faith. We could establish religious inquisition squads in these two regions to capture and judge the stubborn followers of the old gods!"

Then, Elder Azar looked towards Xiulote and nodded slightly as a gesture of respect.

"Besides, in the northern Otomi Triple Alliance, conversion to the Chief Divine hasn’t been long, and there are surely remnants of the old gods. Although the old gods of the Otomi people, gods of the Day and Night, are also one of the Subordinate Gods, the priests must stress the supremacy and uniqueness of the Chief Divine. The Otomi Triple Alliance also can undergo religious inquisition!"

"Establish a religious inquisition squad in the Otomi Triple Alliance?"

Upon hearing this, Xiulote’s eyebrows rose.

The old nobility of the Otomi Triple Alliance commanded the tribe’s military force and were mostly managed by the Kingdom with loose reins. Elder Olte, a highly respected old Priest, led the mountain city’s Otomi Priesthood in converting to the Chief Divine. Although the old god priests had converted to the new god, their traditional power would not fade so easily. The gods of Day and Night still held unparalleled influence in the hearts of the Otomi people. The integration of the northern triplets required a long stretch of time and patience, and if a religious inquisition squad were dispatched at this time, it might provoke a tribal uprising.

Elder Azar was a war god Elder Priest from the Capital City and had a reputation for being rather forceful. In Qinchongcan Capital, Supreme High Priest Mawilo had mentioned Elder Azar, saying he was always the first to express his opinion in the Council of Elders and would even occasionally counter the High Priests’ words. But the Envoy sent to the Kingdom of the Lake by his father brought word that Elder Azar’s son, Third Level High Priest Aureli, was in very close contact with his father and seemed to enjoy their conversations...

The Grand Hall fell into silence, with several High Priests quietly weighing their thoughts. After pondering for a while, the High Priest looked toward High Priest Uguel.

"High Priest Uguel, what are your thoughts?"

Having not seen him for four years, Uguel’s face had grown fuller and his smile even more kindly. His eyes flashed briefly before he answered with a smile.

"The areas around Xilotepec City to the north and the Land of Jontal to the southwest are suitable for establishing religious inquisition squads to spread the Chief Divine’s glory and guide those lost citizens. As for the Otomi Triple Alliance to the northwest, Supreme High Priest Olte has been in charge of the Otomi lands for decades, he certainly has the ability to handle everything. I hear he works tirelessly on church affairs and his spirit grows ever closer to the Chief Divine. Perhaps we should wait a little longer..."