Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!
Chapter 836 - 463: On Plague

Chapter 836: Chapter 463: On Plague

The mist swirled around, steam rising, transforming like floating clouds and the breath of the earth. The crowd gathered around Xiulote, listening to His Highness’s Divine Revelation.

"Between heaven and earth, the cyclical existence of all things is governed by various types of qi. These are formless and intangible, colorless and tasteless, but they truly exist. There is yang qi filled with vitality, constant qi that changes with the seasons, and plague qi that harms life, all impacting human health!..."

Xiulote pondered for a long time, until the sun set in the west, then he spoke in a deep voice. Beside him, Nashu took out paper and pen, carefully recording every sacred word of the Divine Revelation.

"...As a baby is born, yang qi enters our body and transforms into various life forces. It divides into three: heaven, earth, and abyss, as passed down by the priests. The qi of heaven falls on the head, forming the Tonali of the head, housing the divinity bestowed by the Chief Divine, determining a person’s fate. The qi of earth falls on the heart, forming the Teyolia within the heart, containing the human spirit. The qi of the abyss falls on the liver, forming the Ihoter within the liver, governing the body’s health!"

Hearing this, Nashu paused slightly, her expression becoming devout.

In the Aztec priestly tradition, the concept of the "Three Realms" also exists, representing the celestial, terrestrial, and abyssal, as manifestations of the world’s divinity. Human bodies correspond to the world, possessing a mysterious connection, and also contain the three forms of life force, akin to the Celestial Empire’s traditional philosophy of the "Unity of Heaven and Man."

In fact, such concepts are widespread across the world of Central America. The Prepetcha people’s Three Gods of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, and the Chichimeca Canine Descendants’ sacred realms of heaven and earth, are similar understandings.

"...Yang qi resides in the human body, echoing the heavens and earth, sustaining the body’s functioning. The origin of diseases is the struggle between the yang qi within the body and the constant qi and plague qi that invade. The result of this struggle may be the yang qi prevailing and expelling the two evil qis, restoring the body’s health; or the evil qi prevailing, suppressing the yang qi, worsening the disease; or both coexist, with the disease hidden within the body, temporarily achieving balance."

Xiulote’s voice was loud, pausing with each phrase, resonating like a brass bell.

The tradition of the Alliance’s witch doctors corresponds to the heavens and nature, aligning with traditional Chinese medicine theories. The mysticism within witch doctor practices is also best explained by the "qi" concept in traditional Chinese medicine. The reason for this is likely that the Celestial Empire’s medical knowledge has been passed down in an unbroken line, with many concepts originating from ancient pre-Qin times. Whether it’s the "Inner Canon of Huangdi" or the "Shennong’s Materia Medica," they encompass many ancient legends, naturally accommodating the primal witch doctor knowledge of the Americas.

"Xiulote, then, when we fall ill, age, or die, it’s because our yang qi weakens, unable to resist the evil qi? And when evil qi enters the body, it destroys the nine systems you mentioned?"

Alisa blinked, lost in thought. Such an explanation was easier for priests to understand, and more convincing for the common people than tiny cells.

"Exactly! When evil qi invades the body and yang qi weakens, vital organs are damaged. There are two types of harmful evil qi: one is the constant qi from environmental changes, and the other is plague qi from infectious spread!"

A movie buried in Xiulote’s mind suddenly came to his mind, and the words "Plague Theory" surfaced. The biggest threat to American civilizations was the plague... he sighed and continued speaking deeply.

"Human diseases can be divided into two types. Ordinary injuries and colds are caused by external qi from the heavens and earth, making one sick; severe epidemics, on the other hand, are caused by plague qi from the heavens and earth! The constant qi and evil qi should not be confused; they have entirely different origins and require different responses!"

In the traditional medicine of the Celestial Empire, a cold is a general term for external diseases, not the severe infectious diseases known as typhoid fever in later Western medicine.

"For example, a cold snap two years ago caused thousands to fall ill in the northern city-states. They had fevers, coughs, weakness, and headaches, affected by the cold qi of the heavens and earth. Cold qi invading the body suppresses yang qi, damaging the Ihoter, thus weakening the body. One must expel the cold qi to gradually recover! In the summer, farmers suffer heatstroke and faint, affected by hot qi. Damp sea winds cause fishermen to have knee pain, affected by damp qi... these are all constant qis of heaven and earth, affecting the body’s operation!"

"Ah, I understand now. Xiulote, with your explanation, I get it!"

Alisa nodded vigorously, suddenly enlightened. Then, she curiously asked.

"What about plague qi? Is it more severe than constant qi?"

"Alisa, in warfare, the dead and injured are numerous. If the corpses are not buried, plague qi is generated and spreads, causing epidemics. Such plagues can spread widely, making many people sick with the same symptoms. This is not due to the invasion of constant qi like wind, cold, heat, or damp, but due to infection with plague qi from the heavens and earth!"

Xiulote’s expression grew solemn as he explained the critical mechanics of plagues.

"Plague qi is invisible, intangible, and undetectable by smell. It can suppress yang qi within the body and proliferate; it can also diffuse through the heavens and earth, spreading with the wind and water... The transmission of plague qi to humans can occur in two ways. One is through contagion, by contact with sick individuals, thereby contracting the plague qi from their bodies; the other is through natural means, by inhaling plague qi from the wind, or consuming water containing plague qi, thus falling ill..."

"Plague qi typically enters the human body through the mouth and nose, then invades the chest and abdomen, spreading throughout the body. In the chest and abdomen, it can simultaneously damage the heart’s Teyolia and the liver’s Ihoter. Essentially, what I previously mentioned, the bacteria and viruses smaller than dust, are the plague qi that we currently cannot see. These tiny forms of plague qi differ from one another, each affecting various parts of the body in unique ways. Hence, only specific kinds of plague qi cause corresponding infectious diseases, which is the theory of heterogeneous qi!..."

Xiulote paused momentarily, sighed deeply, and his voice turned somber.

"Since plague qi can proliferate and spread among people, it is particularly dangerous. Once severe plague qi spreads within a city-state, the number of deaths can reach into the hundreds of thousands, or even millions!"

"Ah?! A hundred thousand deaths!"

Upon hearing this alarming number, Alisa exclaimed. Though she trusted her lover’s words, she couldn’t fathom such a cruel scenario.

"Yes! Even a hundred thousand deaths can only be the beginning."

Xiulote’s expression turned grave, reflecting on the history of another era. The oppressive darkness seemed to envelope him, making it hard to breathe.

In 1519-1520, smallpox was spread by the Spanish colonists led by Hernan Cortes. According to later estimates, in just two years, smallpox caused the death of 5-8 million people across Central America, leading to the total extinction of many tribes!

The Mexica Alliance suffered massive casualties, with most of the nobility and samurai dead or injured, including the heir king Quetzalcoatl who succumbed to smallpox. Millions were plunged into apocalyptic terror, desperately falling into the abyss, dying in despair from the plague. One year later, the repeatedly defeated Spanish colonists returned, exploiting the power of smallpox to conquer the now vacant lake capital city, the majestic Tenochtitlan.

In 1545, a new plague crossed the sea, spreading across Central America, ushering in the call of the God of Death, known as the "Cocoliztli epidemic." This epidemic possibly involved multiple severe infectious diseases, including typhus, typhoid, and measles. Between 1545-1548, the three-year epidemic caused 5-15 million deaths, wiping out more than 80% of Central America’s population!

Even more terrifying, this epidemic lasted for over thirty years, making it the deadliest plague in human history. From North to South America, countless indigenous people struggled in despair. The epidemic resurged between 1576-1578, wiping out half of the remaining population in Central America, causing another 2-2.5 million deaths.

By 1578, the entire Central American world, including the Yucatan region, had only 2 million survivors. But back in 1519, before the smallpox outbreak, the entire population was at least 22 million! In just sixty years, 90% of Central America’s population perished, nearly leading to complete ethnic extermination!

The merciless plague claimed too many lives, even significantly reducing the atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. Studies suggest one cause of the Little Ice Age during the late Ming Dynasty was the change in atmospheric composition, leading to a premature global cooling.

"Compared to colonizers, the plague is the true apocalyptic threat! Hence, both the kingdom and the alliance must prioritize medical development. Only with medical advancements beyond the times can we confront an unprecedentedly severe plague, striving to save the American civilization!... And this, perhaps, is the most significant reason for my presence in this era..."

Xiulote fell silent, a strong sense of mission surging within him, like a burning flame in his heart, never ceasing.

At this moment, Alisa and Nashu stopped their actions. Both stared at their lover, feeling as if his eyes were glowing.