Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!
Chapter 850 - 472: Exploration of the Kingdom of the Lake, The Glistening Jin Shi

Chapter 850: Chapter 472: Exploration of the Kingdom of the Lake, The Glistening Jin Shi

The drums murmured softly, accompanied by the joyous singing of the crowd, echoing across the wilderness by the sea. The bonfire flickered, casting its light on both faces, revealing seemingly similar smiles.

Old Militia Chiwaco smiled with an aged face, carefully observing Chieftain Kalan’s expression, and spoke.

"Friend, good! Well! ...where is that island with many seabirds?"

"Ahahaha!"

Chieftain Kalan’s smile was warm, but he did not answer directly. He looked at the Copper Spears of the Prepecha Warriors with great interest and asked.

"Friend, your Long Spears seem different from ours... can I take a look?"

Chiwaco’s expression paused for a moment, then he smiled and nodded after a few seconds.

"Friend, good!"

After speaking, he shouted a couple of words to Puap. The Huitu Warrior, with a wary expression, held a Bronze Shortsword at his waist with one hand while handing over a Copper Spear with the other.

Chieftain Kalan took the Copper Spear, glanced casually at the Bronze Shortsword on the Huitu Warrior’s waist. Then he examined the edge of the Bronze Spearhead carefully and struck it with his Stone Knife at his waist, his expression changing instantly. He appeared surprised and spoke eagerly.

"Friend, what is this spearhead made of? It’s both sharp and tough!"

"... this is made of a special kind of Stone. Friend, tell me the location of the island, and I will give you this Long Spear!"

Chiwaco stepped closer, tentatively extending his arm.

Chieftain Kalan instinctively wanted to dodge but restrained himself immediately. He also extended his arm, touching Chiwaco’s shoulder as they grasped each other.

"Ahahaha! Friend, the flames of our Ancestor as witness, I will tell you everything I know! But I have a request, to trade such sharp and tough weapons with the Tribes in the Lake!"

"Ah? Trade weapons?"

Hearing this, Chiwaco was somewhat surprised. He scrutinized Chieftain Kalan’s expression again, not sensing any obvious malice.

"This is not impossible. But, friend, what do you have to trade?"

Chieftain Kalan’s eyes flickered as he thought for a moment. The tribe had corn, beans, fish, pottery, and cotton cloth and salt, but none in abundance. What could be traded with the Southern Tribes were a few types of stones abundant in the mountains. He had heard the Southern Tribes valued these useless things highly... He gave a few orders in a low voice, and several trusted aides quickly left, returning to the nearby tribe.

"Friend, please be as patient as the rock on the Eastern mountain peak. The warriors will return to the tribe and be back soon."

Seeing some people leave, Chiwaco became more vigilant. He lowered his voice and spoke in the Prepecha dialect.

"Old Pu, go and contact the Warriors, have them prepare just in case. If lots of Yaolem warriors come..."

Puap frowned slightly and nodded. He disappeared for a moment, and when he returned, he brought several of the best Warriors, subtly forming a circle around Chieftain Kalan.

Chieftain Kalan seemed oblivious. He still smiled warmly and spoke.

"Friend, actually, around here, the water and grass are abundant, there are many trees, and there have always been many seabirds. The fishermen fish nearby, and the small islands are full of beautiful birds. But if we talk about the island with the most seabirds... it must be Turtle Island in the Northwest Sea!"

"Turtle Island in the Northwest Sea? How far away?"

Chiwaco’s spirits lifted, and he asked.

"From here, set out to sea along the coast, heading northwest, passing through the Yomei Great Tribe of the Yaji People (Yaqui), then the Guaymas tribe (Guaymas), keep going until you encounter the Seris. The Great Island is on Seri land, where their fishermen also frequent."

Chieftain Kalan shook his head, making the deer’s head he wore bob up and down.

"Tribal fishermen have to row for more than ten days, stopping several times at Yaji villages to get there. But your ships are large and fast, so it might not take as long... Turtle Island is said to be transformed from a giant turtle, inhabited by countless flocks of birds. The Seri occupy the Great Island and also the adjacent waters, preventing other tribal fishing boats from passing."

"Hmm... Yaji People? Seri? Friend, can you tell me about them?"

"The Yaji People are brothers to our Mayo. We worship the flames of the Ancestors, grow the same corn, speak the same language, and share the same blood. As for the Seri..."

Speaking of the Seri, Chieftain Kalan’s expression cooled slightly.

"They speak a language completely different from the surrounding tribes, with no shared blood! Their ancestors came from the northern deserts, with unclear ties to the warlike desert people. They hunt wild animals and seabirds, fish at sea, frequently migrating their camps, and often compete with the tribes for prey and fishing grounds, even harassing the tribes’ camps... Friend, we need your sharp weapons to drive away these wandering tribes!"

"Good, good... Friend..."

Chiwaco responded warmly, his mind racing. Reaching the Great Island in the Northwest Sea, heading to the Seris’ land, might not go smoothly... He thought for a moment and then smiled, asking.

"Besides the Great Island of Turtle Island in the Northwest, is there any other island with many seabirds in the sea?"

"Hmm..."

Chieftain Kalan hesitated for a moment. This question wasn’t actually a secret; if the tribes continued to the Northwest, the Yoeme Tribe and the Guaymas along the way would know the answer.

"Friend, to our direct West, just two days by boat, there is a long, narrow Peninsula. The Peninsula stretches on and on and on... On the Peninsula, there are many, many, many bird flocks, also many, many islands... It’s quite arid there, not able to sustain many people, and there are no large tribes. The middle of the Peninsula belongs to the Kalan (Cochimí), a small tribe that is quite friendly."

"Within two hundred miles to the West, there is a long, narrow Peninsula. Arid, many seabirds, also many islands... Kalan people?"

Chiwaco slightly bowed his head, organizing Chieftain Kalan’s valuable information. He felt somewhat grateful for the other’s honesty, his old face full of smiles as he looked at the other’s eyes, nodding repeatedly.

"Friend, good! Good friend!"

"Mm. Friend, we are good friends!"

Chieftain Kalan smiled and tapped Chiwaco’s bell with his wooden one, then fell silent. The two smiled silently until a dozen tribal warriors, carrying vine baskets, rushed to the Chieftain’s side, changing the atmosphere again.

Puap quietly gripped his Shortsword, squinting, he counted the numbers of the new arrivals, then slowly relaxed his grip.

Chieftain Kalan’s expression remained unchanged. He pondered for a moment, then extended his hand, receiving the heaviest vine basket and dumping it directly on the ground. Instantly, the brilliant dark golden glow was reflected in everyone’s eyes! Puap’s expression changed suddenly, eyes flashing with greed.

A pile of coarse gold ore scattered at everyone’s feet, some still carrying the dark color of raw ore, like pieces of golden pebbles. Among the gold lumps, there were even more small gold particles, scattered like corn kernels, sinking into the grass and soil.

With the gold scattered, Chieftain Kalan seemed indifferent, only paying attention to the expressions of the Envoys from the Lake. Seeing the joy in everyone’s eyes, he felt reassured, gaining confidence.

In the nearby Mountains, there were many of these golden stones, and the small streams in the mountains had them too. The land of not only the Mayo but also the Yaji People, Seri, and even the northeast mountains of the Opata People (Opata), all had these gold stones! The surrounding tribes’ lands were full of these gold stones. In future Mexico, it would be the largest gold and copper mining region in the area, with a quarter of the gold production and three-quarters of the copper production!

"Ah? This..."

Seeing the dazzling gold, the old militia’s expression froze instantly. After a long while, he finally nodded with difficulty.

"Friend, good friend! This business, it’s a deal!"