Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!
Chapter 976 - 578: Cloud Temple, Wilderness Negotiations

Chapter 976: Chapter 578: Cloud Temple, Wilderness Negotiations

"Haha! The Rain Divine is dead, the Chief Divine is supreme! Esteemed Elder Viko, you are named holy ’cloud’ and the chief priest of Divine Stone City, above all elders. Now, you, famous for your piety, witnessing this scene, what are your thoughts?"

The sacred Cloud Temple towers among the mountains. Andiwei, dressed in the ritual robe of the Chief Divine, stands before the window of the great hall. He slightly tilts his head, looks beside him at the low-key old man in a black robe. His face is full of pride, carrying an inexplicable delight as he speaks fluently in Navajo.

"My esteemed chief, all Mistec captives, before heading north, must be brought here to Cloud Temple, to see the Rain Divine Priest leading to the Divine Kingdom, and also to see the sacrifical noble chieftain! ... They will thoroughly witness how the noble figures who resemble divines die humbly, and how they decay like fruit! And their beliefs will die before the sacred temple, just like the dead nobles!"

"Haha, this is my suggestion as Chief God Priest Andiwei to the Mexica Commander-in-Chief. The wise and brave Black Wolf General has also praised and adopted it!"

Upon hearing this, Chief Priest Viko’s eyes twinkle. His heart burns with boiling anger, wishing to incinerate the traitor before him into ashes. However, his face reveals no displeasure, only a serene and indifferent smile.

"Andiwei, you truly are the wisest Elder Priest in Cloud Temple!"

Chief Viko smiles without moving a muscle. He observes the barbaric warriors who howl like wolves and act fiercely wild, his pupils slightly contract. Then, he glances at the wailing and despairing Mistec tribespeople, only slightly lowering his eyes.

After a while, Chief Viko glances at the nearby Mexica warrior, then looks at the red-haired barbarian on the other side, smiling amicably. Next, he deliberately speaks using the Mistec priest’s divine words, with the gentle tone of the Rain Divine’s envoy, kindly.

"Andiwei, you are a descendant of the Tiger Claw King, carrying divine blood. Although you were coerced by the Mexicas to kill Elder Priest Ita, forced to serve them, and did things you shouldn’t have done. But I know you did all this under duress. I saw clearly upon arriving here that the sacred Cloud Temple has not suffered severe damage."

"Hmm?!"

Upon hearing this, Andiwei is somewhat surprised. He looks at the chief beside him, his tone changes.

"Esteemed Chief Priest, are you saying?..."

"Andi, this is your outstanding contribution! It’s because of your devout heart for the Rain Divine that you endured under the ruthless Mexicas and preserved the Holy Land of the Rain People! ... Witnessed by the Rain Divine! Your achievements are enough to offset the errors made on a lost path and even an indelible merit! The elders of Divine Stone City will forgive you, admire your contributions to the tribes. Your honorable ancestors, wife, and family, knowing what you have done, will be consoled and cry with joy!"

"Eh?... I, I, preserved the Cloud Temple, accomplished great deeds?"

Hearing this, Andiwei’s expression freezes, his pupils slightly dilate. This is a path he had never envisioned, leaving him a bit stunned. He follows Chief Viko’s gentle words, thinking of his relatives in Divine Stone City, recalling the esteemed life among divines. The young priest’s eyes gradually soften a bit. He lowers his head, murmuring in the dialect of the Mistec people.

"This, I...I’ve done so much... Could I still turn back?"

"Of course you can! Andi, trust me. With me in charge of the City-State, you certainly can turn back!"

Chief Viko smiles kindly, his tone persuasive, yet his words are firm. He cautiously glances at the nearby Mexica warrior, seeing the puzzled expressions of the barbarians, ensuring they don’t understand the language, before smiling again.

"Andi, you understand, although the Mexicas are powerful, they can’t conquer Divine Stone City. They are merely a side force and won’t linger here for long. Once they head north, what will you do?... Will you go with them, abandon your homeland and family, to Aztec Alliance far away? But leaving the familiar Land of the Rain God, as a surrendered foreign priest, what value do you hold for the Aztecs?"

At this moment, Viko pauses slightly. Then, as if realizing something, he adds with a smile.

"Oh, yes, you still have value! You carry the esteemed bloodline of the Tiger Claw King, one of the noblest divine descendants among the Mistec tribes. And the ruthless Aztecs enjoy extracting the hearts of divine descendants to sacrifice them to their Chief Divine!"

"..."

Upon hearing this, Andiwei presses his lips tight, remaining silent. He is hit by the fear hidden inside, his fingers slightly tremble, even his face turns pale.

"Andi, as chief of Divine Stone City, I believe in you, your devotion to the Rain Divine. You still have a chance, to return to your birth tribe, become the high and mighty Elder Priest again! ... But, you also need to trust me, for the sake of protecting our Divine, and for your own future, do something more..."

Chief Viko smiles kindly, like a gentle old man. He uses a soothing tone, speaking in cryptic priestly divine words, thus, in front of Mexica warriors, asks boldly yet kindly.

"The Rain Divine witnesses all, granting forgiveness and protection! Come, Andi, my child, tell me: where is the regiment of Black Wolf of the Mexica legion now? How many troops does he have? ... The resistance of the Tlaxcalans continues, this elite barbarian legion won’t stay here forever. How much longer until they retreat?"

"...I, this... I... he..."

Andiwei looks outside the window, his gaze growing increasingly confused. He doesn’t know what he’s saying, only in the guidance of the chief, like dozing off, uncontrollably whispers an answer.

"The Black Wolf commander, he, he should be leading his legion, a hundred miles south. I told him all the locations of the great tribes in the southern valley. With his temperament, he’ll likely wipe them out one by one..."

Upon hearing Andiwei’s answer, Chief Viko’s eyes flicker, murder intent briefly flashes by. Then, the expression on his face grows even kinder, his smile ever more radiant.

Priests of the northern tribes use various potent potions, only employing crude methods to cloud minds. Whereas Mistec tribes in the south have a long heritage, their priests not only can mix potions, but also possess the ability to manipulate with words. This is why their tones are always gentle and kind.

"Hmm? What are those two guys saying?...

Red Monkey Ozoma squints his eyes, watching the two at the window, listening to the incomprehensible words, his brows gradually furrowing. With keen intuition like a monkey, he observes Chief Viko’s smiles, notices Andiwei’s vacant eyes, immediately senses something amiss. As a chieftain grown up in the wilderness, once sensing anything amiss, he acts immediately!

"Hey! You old white-haired fox, what nonsense are you babbling here!"

Red Monkey Ozoma drew out his hand axe, turned the handle, and strode over to Chief Viko. Then, in the incredulous and shocked gaze of the Chief Elder Priest, he directly raised the axe handle, as if wielding a sturdy short stick, and fiercely smashed it on Viko’s forehead.

"Bang!"

"Ah!"

The stick landed, right on the forehead. Chief Viko let out a sudden scream, unable to maintain his gentle expression any longer. He trembled as he extended his finger, cursing aloud in clear Navajo.

"You!... I am the Chief Priest of the Rain Divine! You, you... you dare to offend the divine envoy!"

"Bang!"

"Ah!... You, you uncouth barbarian, Chichimec!"

"Bang!"

"Ah!... You short-lived child of the wilderness, who only knows their mother, but doesn’t know their father—a mongrel dog!"

"Bang!... Bang!"

"Ah! It hurts... hurts!... I’m begging you, please, stop hitting!"

Red Monkey Ozoma struck five consecutive blows, directly knocking the esteemed Chief Priest Viko to the ground. The old priest hunched over, clutching his head, rolling in pain on the ground, no longer able to utter a single confounding word.

"Haha! What a damn Chief Priest, nothing but a talking white-haired fox! I thought he was so formidable, but he couldn’t even handle my five blows!... Our priests of the wilderness can fight coyotes with their bare hands!"

Red Monkey Ozoma looked disdainfully. He stretched out a foot and stomped forcefully on the Chief Priest of Divine Stone City, shouting fiercely.

"You are the envoy of the Divine Stone Tribe, here to show submission to Black Wolf Great Chief, to express obedience! What you should do is bow your head obediently, offer your tribute to the Great Chief, redeem your so-called Holy Land! What you shouldn’t ask, what you shouldn’t say, all swallow them, don’t let a fart escape!... "

"Ah! Yes, yes!... Please don’t hit anymore!..."

"This... This... Honorable Chief Priest, distinguished Elder Viko..."

Andiwei stared dumbfounded at all of this, only feeling something shattering in his mind. But Red Monkey Chieftain Ozoma didn’t give him any time to zone out. Moments later, a loud slap landed on his face.

"Smack!"

"Uh!"

"Ha! You foolish colorful bunting, with a face thinking it’s all clever! You’re nothing more than a turkey!"

Red Monkey Ozoma grabbed Andiwei’s ritual robe, stretching out his coarse hand, with rage consuming him, "Smack smack" went two more slaps.

"Truly dumb and stupid! Think carefully, what have you done, how much blood are your hands stained with! Since you’re a wolf, don’t be indecisive, looking back at the doghouse. You’ve already tasted the wild, followed other lead wolves, your whole body reeks of the wild! How would a domesticated doghouse ever take you back?... Remember, a wolf in the wild that enters the wrong den will only be overwhelmed and bitten to death, shared out!"

"This... I..."

Hearing this, Andiwei finally snapped back to reality. In that instant, he felt shame and disgrace, clutching his red-swollen face, wishing to hide away in the earth. He had always prided himself on his cleverness, looking down on the barbarians of the northern wilderness, yet here, he was taught a good lesson by the barbarian leader. Afterwards, he lowered his head, looking at the struggling Chief Priest Vika on the ground, losing all respect and only filled with complete hostility and hatred.

"Go! Talk properly with this old fox! If you can’t agree, use your fists."

Ozoma withdrew his foot and returned the axe to his waist. He was nothing like the self-proclaimed clever Andiwei. He always remembered the instructions of Black Wolf Great Chief, not forgetting a single bit.

"Tell this old fox! Divine Stone City must submit to the Great Chief, offer worthy hostages, worship the powerful War God, and provide sufficient food!... Not a single one of these four conditions can be missing!"

"As long as these four things are met, the legion will head north, return the Holy Land to them, and the captured divine descendants can be returned as well! If they refuse, the entire Teotihuacan Valley will be burned to bare land! And all the captured divine descendants and nobility will be sent to the sacrificial altar, offered to the War God!"

Subsequently, Ozoma puffed up his chest, shouting the final words, reverberating like thunder.

"This is the negotiation of the wilderness!"