Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!
Chapter 975 - 577: The Weeping Journey North

Chapter 975: Chapter 577: The Weeping Journey North

The summer is scorching, and the autumn wind rises, marking a junction of death and harvest, like the withering yellow grass between mountains. Groups of Canine Warriors escorting hundreds of youthful Mistec men, laden with plundered wealth, embark on their return journey northward.

Similar scenes unfold in the northern region of the Teotihuacan Valley, territory conquered by the Mexica. The resistance of all tribes has turned into death and ashes.

Further south in the valley, large groups of Canine Warriors, donned in Leather Armor and wielding copper weapons, adorned with bone accessories, roam unpredictably. Howls akin to wolves echo between the Mountains and Valleys, accompanied occasionally by sounds of slaughter, followed by a moment’s fierce cries and then an eerie silence.

Whenever this happens, the busy Mistec captives digging holes always pause slightly, showing uncontrollable fear. Then, the whips of the Defectors from Divine Stone City mercilessly lash out, urging the captives to continue. In every place where a valley tribe is destroyed, there’s a bloodstained pit filled with soil. In the pit, the revered Cloud Priest, the noble Divine City Samurai, and the humble village Militia all have their bodies interwoven, gradually buried by the earth. After covering the bones with soil, the young male and female captives are chosen, laden with plundered food and wealth from the tribe, to begin their long march northward.

As for the remaining elderly and children, the Mexica Warriors show little concern, nor engage in unnecessary massacre. The Jaguars of the jungle never expend needless effort to capture food that can’t be carried away. Moreover, the benevolent lord dislikes slaughter, so the warriors naturally restrain themselves.

Groups of youthful captives converge like a stream, like a docile herd of deer, gathering from all corners of the valley until reaching the northern Flower Grove Fort. Then, the herd forms into a flood numbering tens of thousands, stepping into the desolate Trascal Land, heading toward an even more distant north.

"What is the north? According to the high and mighty chieftain, that too is territory of the northern barbarians, filled with white-skinned Serpent People, similar to the green-skinned Jaguar Men, extracting hearts for sacrifices, extremely brutal. Ah, and the red-haired cannibal Werewolves too!"

Tribesman Didi kept his head down, cautiously glanced at the Canine Hunters. Then, he looked toward the North of the Highland, a place he’s never been, like the deep Black Abyss beneath the anthill.

"The chieftain often says the north is Trascal Land, warriors wearing white War Clothes, claiming to be descendants of the great serpent in the clouds. Whereas the northwest is the land of the Aztec, warriors dressed in dark green War Clothes, identifying with the fierce Jaguar. Only the south is the ancient Land of the Rain God! Warriors wear blue War Clothes, claiming to be descendants of the Rain Divine, born from the Divine Tree in the clouds, and not really descendants of any beast..."

Thinking this, Didi shook his head in confusion. As a lowly tribesman, he can’t distinguish much, nor understand divinity or beasts. In the tribe, he always listens to the chieftain, working hard bending low in the fields, and would never think wildly.

But now, he was captured by red-haired barbarians, walking for a long time. Along the way, many noble Divines and Priests, like turkeys from the village, were killed before his eyes by the barbarians, and buried by him personally. Right now, he’s wearing the clothes of the chieftain, even stained with blood...

"No, the tribe’s Priests also extract hearts for sacrifices. Isn’t that the same, as brutal as the barbarians?"

Ant-Man Didi randomly thought, daring even to question the chieftain’s words. Somehow, something seems to burgeon inside his heart, yet he can’t grasp it fully. Nevertheless, the road ahead is still long, perhaps beyond his imagination, always giving him a chance to understand.

"Oh, ohhh... Rain Divine!... That’s, that’s... ohhh!"

As Didi walked with his head down, the cries within the captive group suddenly grew louder, even the swinging and striking of spear shafts by the Canine Warriors could not stop them.

"Ah!"

Fearful cries of terror echo throughout the entire group. Many elderly captives knelt on the ground, hopelessly bowing their heads forward and crying desperately. Didi, affected by them, also knelt on the ground, staring dumbly ahead.

Nearby in front, lay the sacred Cloud Temple, the legendary dwelling of the Rain Divine and Divine Servants. But at this moment, beside the stone statue at the Cloud Temple, a tall mound of heads was stacked.

Thousands of heads piled together, already rotting under the scorching summer sun. But at the highest point, large sections of heads still bear sacred vibrant Feather Crowns, symbolizing the Rain Priests, their revered, immortal identity!

In that moment, Didi’s mind went blank. It wasn’t fear of death, but some terror transcending death, reaching deep within the heart—fear of the death of Divinity. The humble Ant-Man lay down on the ground, trembling, unable to believe, unable to help himself, merely crying and murmuring.

"Ah! The priests of the Cloud Temple, grander than the heavens, have... all perished?... Ah! How can this be! Ah!..."

"Pah! Crying like this, no longer afraid of death. Such peculiar Southern Tribe!"

Hunter Chabo gritted his teeth fiercely, lowered his Long Spear, spat forcefully, and left the crying crowd. At this moment, these captives seem to have their souls enchanted, like walking corpses, endlessly crying in despair, wailing frantically. Even the threat of death before their eyes couldn’t stop them. This very moment, such Mistek people, made the experienced Wilderness Hunter feel a deep unease.

"Don’t worry! They just cry for a while, and once they’re done, when they’re exhausted, they’ll start moving again. These Southern tribes, they see the gods as more important than their own lives!"

The hunter Mique watched for a while and then shook his head indifferently. However, he also held his long spear tightly, maintaining a hunter’s vigilance.

"Hey! All this crying, it’s really ominous."

The hunter Chabo sneered. He tilted his head, eyeing the not-so-scary pile of skulls, then looked at the distant temple and the Black Wolf guards stationed outside.

"Huh? Mique, do you think the mighty Black Wolf Great Chief is in some temple in this cloud or whatever?"

"Ah, I don’t think so. The mighty Black Wolf Great Chief should be leading the army, plundering further south in the valley. I heard the Great Chief has gained several thousand more defectors under his command, conquering everything in his path, with the fires already reaching the other side of the mountains!"

"Hey, a few thousand defectors from the Southern tribes, what good are they? Just driving them forward when sieging a village. In a true field battle, two thousand elite troops would be enough to crush them!"

The hunter Chabo raised his head, showing some disdain for the combat strength of the Mistec defectors. Then he glanced again at the temple in the mountain, imagined the treasures inside, and couldn’t help but lick his lips.

"Mique, if the Black Wolf Great Chief isn’t here, then why is the Great Chief’s guard at the entrance of the temple? These temples of the Southern tribes are certainly wealthy. If we could get inside and grab a few things..."

"What?! Chabo, you can’t act recklessly! The Great Chief’s military discipline is truly strict... If you don’t want to live, don’t drag me into it!"

Hearing this, the hunter Mique was startled. He quickly covered Chabo’s mouth and pulled him back a few steps. The captives’ cries continued unabated, drowning out all their subsequent conversation.

The hunter Mique, pulling Chabo aside, whispered a few words, then pointed to the basket of food on Didi’s back. Chabo paused, lowered his voice, and hastily asked something. Mique nodded affirmatively, and both broke into broad, joyful smiles.

"Good, really good, Earth Mother Goddess is good! Mique, my good brother, when we return to the tribe’s flag unit, we’ll sell those goods and let the unit have a prosperous year!"

"Shh! Keep it down! Although the Great Chief turns a blind eye, if the War Priests with the army find out, they won’t be lenient!"

"...Yes, you’re right. But generally, the War Priests of the Chief Divine tend to let it go, they won’t seriously investigate. What we seize with our skills, why should we give it to the corps?... Ah! Still, the Black Wolf Great Chief is good, and the Earth Mother Goddess is better than the priests of the Chief Divine!..."

The hunter Chabo spoke excitedly for a while, even saying things that were taboo. Then, scratching his head, he still felt something strange.

"So many of the Great Chief’s guards, so many elite warriors... What exactly is in this Cloud Temple?"

"Who cares! Maybe it’s something important for the sacrifices; the Great Chiefs value that the most."

The hunter Mique was indifferent. His gaze remained fixed on the back of the tribesman Didi until Didi finished crying and stood up absent-mindedly, with the heavy bamboo basket still steady as ever, not tipping at all.

"Hmm, this captive is not bad!"

Chabo and Mique exchanged a glance and nodded with a smile. Then, two piercing wolf howls erupted from their mouths, striking people’s hearts and reaching the ears of the crying captives.

"Awoo, awoo! The Rain God is dead! The Chief Divine is supreme! Go, turkeys, keep moving north, go!"

Under the orders of the Canine Warriors, over a thousand Mistec captives staggered to their feet and walked numbly towards the north. At this moment, their eyes were full of deathly stillness, devoid of the Rain God’s hope. And on the canvas of the death-streaked earth, new faith and new life were being nurtured with the bones of perished divinities.