Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!
Chapter 938 - 545 Glorious Death

Chapter 938: Chapter 545 Glorious Death

Arrows flew, and the Legion Commander fell. In an instant, under the grand banner, there was a shocking silence. Moments later, the nearby Tzompantli trusted aides rushed over, their faces filled with despair and panic, shouting incredulously.

"Family Head!"

"Legion Commander!"

Seeing Xochitl fall, the face of Turquoise Texiwhit changed drastically. He immediately abandoned the Cloud Serpent hunter and turned, sprinting wildly toward the grand banner.

Telavito’s face lit up with pleasure. He widened his eyes, trying to locate the warrior who shot the enemy. But in the flickering firelight, shadows danced and blurred, making it impossible to see clearly.

"Who? Who could have shot the Mexica Legion Commander and achieved such a great feat!"

"Such a divine archer must be one of the famous hunters of Tree Snake City!"

Itz watched for a moment, but found nothing. Yet, having achieved such merit in a night raid, it was enough to report to the City Lord.

"Telavito, stop looking! While the Mexica have lost their leader, let’s go quickly! We’ll inquire of the warriors upon our return to the city and handsomely reward the hunter who achieved such a great feat!"

"Hmm... Itz..."

Telavito tightened his grip on the Bronze Axe, looking at Itz beside him, murderous intent flickering in his eyes.

"The Mexica leader is dead, the warriors have lost their Commander-in-Chief. If we charge again..."

"... It’s too late now! If only the enemy leader had been shot two quarters earlier, there might have been a chance."

Itz thought for a moment, then shook his head. He extended his hand, pointing to the different family-crested noble flags outside the Tzompantli grand banner.

"The sky is about to brighten, and these Mexica noble battle groups have slowly restored order. We don’t have enough manpower, and without the cover of night, we can’t break through them! ... Let’s go quickly!"

"Two quarters earlier..."

Telavito reluctantly raised his head, looking at the chaos beneath the grand banner. If that warrior had managed to shoot the enemy leader earlier, they would have had a chance to completely defeat the Mexica legion! But at this moment...

"Ah! Let’s go!"

The Cloud Serpent hunter sighed, turned around, and left. Without looking back, he led the remaining dozen or so Tree Snake warriors, retreating swiftly out of the camp. The nearby noble battle groups held tightly to their own banners, annihilating the scattered Tree Snake warriors, but no one took the initiative to pursue.

At the same time, where the dark arrow truly came from, a lean figure slung a longbow over their back, shuffling their steps, and disappearing amidst the chaotic battle. Toward the direction they headed, there was a banner second only to the Tzompantli grand banner. That banner depicted a towering spruce tree, with a cluster of red clouds at its top. The red cloud enveloped the tree, like a blood-colored eye, quietly watching everything unfold in the night under the moon and dawn.

A few quarters later, Telavito led the night-raiding warriors, taking a detour to the south gate, finally returning to Tree Snake City. On the retreat route, some Tree Snake warriors who hadn’t lost their minds gradually joined his ranks. But upon truly returning to the city, a quick count revealed that of the five hundred Tree Snake warriors on the night raid, only a little over a hundred remained.

More than seventy percent of the elite night raiders either died in battle on the spot or scattered throughout the Mexica camp. And when the sky brightened, the fate of these brave warriors in the enemy camp was only to head to the Divine Kingdom of the Cloud Serpent. This era’s night raids and battles were this brutal!

City Lord Okote stood at the city wall, watching the firelight outside the city, waiting through the entire half-night. When the morning sun rose and the sky brightened, Telavito appeared before him again, kneeling with a "bang."

"City Lord! Telavito did not disappoint your expectations! ... Cloud Serpent’s protection! We fought through the enemy camp, killed the Mexica Commander-in-Chief, and returned!"

The cloak on Cloud Serpent hunter was stained red with blood. His splendid war clothes were also tattered, damaged beyond recognition. Yet, when he raised his head and chest, confidently reporting loudly, the bustling crowed on the walls of Tree Snake City fell silent.

"Good! Very good! Telavito, my warrior, you are a true warrior, a sacred hunter blessed by the Cloud Serpent! ... Haha!"

City Lord Okote’s face beamed with joy, laughing out loud. He glanced around, looking at the spirited expressions of the city’s warriors, pondered for a moment, and then announced loudly.

"The night raid’s great victory was bestowed upon us by the Cloud Serpent! Tlahtolli, as the leader, has received divine grace, ascending to hereditary nobility! The deputy leader Itz fought bravely in battle and is equally promoted! The warrior who killed the enemy leader will also be elevated to nobility! As for the other returning warriors, each shall receive rich rewards..."

Then, Okote paused. He turned around and looked at the valiant Cloud Serpent hunter for a moment before making up his mind to once again inspire the city’s military spirit.

"From today, Tlahtolli is my son-in-law, a divine descendant of the Cloud Serpent! I will marry my youngest daughter to him!... The Cloud Serpent shields us, Tree Snake City is impregnable, as steady as the majestic Divine Mountain!"

"The Cloud Serpent shields us, steady as the Divine Mountain!"

The stirring cheers echoed atop Tree Snake City, carrying the Tlaxcalan people’s resolve to resist to the end. Afterward, Telavito and Itz searched through the night raid troops but couldn’t find the hunter who made great contributions. It was likely that he was lost in the Mexica encampment, with no chance of escape.

Miles away, the slaughter at the Tzompantli camp had just ceased. The scattered Tlaxcalan warriors within the camp had all been killed, their bodies piled together as sacrifices to the supreme Chief Divine. The nobles regrouped the camp, a thousand out of four thousand militiamen were lost, and the rest were scattered entirely. Moreover, more than a thousand out of over three thousand city-state warriors were lost or scattered in the chaotic night raid, truly a calamitous loss.

The alliance’s noble banners fluttered tattered, the camp was filled with grief and despair, a symphony of cries arose. Amid these chaotic cries, there were heartfelt wails, insincere sobs without tears, and hurried, ambivalent emotions.

Two days later, King Aweit received the news and led his thirty-thousand strong army to arrive beneath Tree Snake City. He appeared solemn, expressionless, and immediately went to the camp to inspect Xochitl’s corpse. The once proud honorable nobility now lay quietly on a wooden bed, wearing sturdy bronze armor, but his neck was stained with unremovable blood.

Observing this scene, King Aweit pursed his lips and remained silent for a while before speaking solemnly.

"...The honorable noble Xochitl died gloriously on the battlefield, a warrior’s honorable death. Guided by the Chief Divine, he went to the red kingdom, eternally enjoying peace and beauty!... Chief Divine bless!"

Upon hearing this, the generals all bowed their heads, collectively mourning and paying respects to the highest first-level commander fallen since the eastern expedition.

"Chief Divine bless! May he eternally enjoy beauty!..."

King Aweit lowered his eyes, deeply grieving on his face. After a while, he opened his eyes and looked towards the great nobility in the Tzompantli legion. The king’s gaze lingered on the middle-aged noble at the front for a moment before ordering deeply.

"From today, the Tzompantli legion will be overseen by the honorable noble, Yunshan Clan Chief Huitzilihuitl!"

Upon hearing this appointment, the Tzompantli nobles looked at each other, somewhat surprised but without opposition. Xochitl’s eldest son was not in the army, thus Yunshan Clan Chief Huitzilihuitl was indeed the most suitable successor, and also one of their own in the city-state.

In Navajo, "Huitzilihuitl" means a flowering fruit tree, while "Xochitl" signifies a tree in the sour fruit forest. Just by the names, one can discern their close kinship. In reality, Huitzilihuitl was the nephew of Xochitl’s grandfather, also the second-ranked great noble in Tzompantli City after Xochitl.

Upon hearing his name, Yunshan Clan Chief Huitzilihuitl retracted his sadness and appeared somewhat excited. He stepped forward, kneeling on one knee, and respectfully lowered his head in salute.

"Honorable king, Huitzilihuitl obeys your command! I will reorganize the Tzompantli legion, fighting valiantly for the supreme sun!"

"Mm. Do well! Huitzilihuitl, I have always trusted your work!"

King Aweit’s expression shifted slightly, nodding slowly. Then, with a smile, he reached out and touched Huitzilihuitl’s hair.

"Quickly regroup the scattered militia and warriors, reorganize the Tzompantli legion... Next, join me in taking over Tree Snake City, blood-sacrificing the nobles within... offering to the immortal elders, avenging the brave Xochitl Legion Commander!"

"Yes! Obeying you!"

Huitzilihuitl lowered his head, eyes flashing. Moments later, he raised his head, carrying anger and murderous intent, loudly addressing the surrounding Tzompantli nobles.

"Capture Tree Snake City, blood-sacrifice the nobles within! Offer to the immortal elders, avenge the brave Xochitl Legion Commander!"

"Besiege the city... blood-sacrifice... offering... revenge!"

Soon, under the guidance of the accompanying priest, the furious shouts of the Mexica warriors echoed throughout the tens of thousands of troops in the camp! The sound was like the roar of waves, akin to thunder in the sky, carrying the will to destroy everything!

King Aweit did not wait, nor did he hesitate; his heart was as hard as iron stone, already prepared for everything. Early the next morning, when the simple siege ladders were finally transported from the camp outside Feathered Serpent City to beneath Tree Snake City, the tens of thousands of Mexica legion immediately commenced their ruthless siege!