The moonlight, like water, descends from the western sky, casting the towering Fire God Mountain in a long shadow that stretches like a giant serpent. Flickering flas illuminate the formidable shadows of the mountain range.
At this mont, if one gazes toward the mountain range from the distant night sky, it seems like seeing a mythical seaside serpent from tribal lore, devouring everything! The giant serpent gradually awakens from its slumber, opening countless bright eyes. It gazes coldly at the gods in the starry river, revealing a greedy thirst and murderous intent. It seeks to devour all the old gods, burying all the old divinity. A newborn sun will be born from its belly, just like the ancient prophecy...
"The gods will perish among the stars, the Chief Divine shall ascend supre! All tribes shall reunite, reshaping the descendants of the Jiao People! And all of this must be realized by my hand, it must not be delayed for future generations!..."
Xiulote gazed at the stars, a grand ambition burning in his chest like that of the First Emperor. The conquests across the land had gradually reached a new stage. To him at this mont, the slaughter of a single city or place was far less significant than the strategy for the entire realm, less important than integrating the hearts of all the tribes! Therefore, he would especially tolerate and employ those talents who could genuinely assist him in integrating culture and faith, in the grand cause of national unity!
With these thoughts, Xiulote turned his head, showing a gentle smile for the first ti. He dismissed the generals and looked at the anxious surrendered general Papu, speaking with a smile.
"Papu, you wish to see personally and surrender to ... you must have two considerations. One should be to erase past grudges, to receive the kingdom’s forgiveness. For this, I have already avenged you through Black Wolf and publicly forgiven all your past deeds in front of the generals..."
"Ah! Thank you, my supre lord! You are this majestic Divine Mountain, and I am willing to be a stone statue upon it, like the sculptures of the Olcs, guarding the deep mountain pass for eternity..."
The surrendered general Papu knelt skillfully, singing praises with equal skill. In the half-day today, he had exhausted nearly all taphors from the sacrificial verses, employing dozens of different rhetorical devices without repeating a single complint. Witnessing Papu’s literary and theological finesse firsthand, Xiulote beca more certain of his plan for this surrendered general.
"Papu, your second consideration must be to secure my promise of a bright future..."
Xiulote chuckled, extending his hand to pat Papu’s shoulder. Then, with a calm and determined tone, he shared his decision.
"According to my plan, I intend to let you choose between a position as the temple’s high priest in so part of the Seaside Lands or as a camp captain of a thousand-man naval camp..."
"Ah! Praise the Chief Divine! Praise Your Highness! I wish to beco a camp captain in the naval forces, to campaign against the East for the kingdom and fight for the Chief Divine!..."
Upon hearing these words, Papu was overjoyed. Without hesitation, he imdiately chose the latter, to beco the camp captain of a thousand-man naval force.
"Hold on! Papu, that was my original plan, before I heard your proposal..."
Seeing Papu’s reaction, Xiulote’s smile grew even brighter. He grasped Papu’s hair, and in the other’s astonished gaze, revealed the new arrangent.
"Upon hearing your proposal to ’rebuild the Olc Holy City,’ I was very supportive! And upon careful consideration, I realized I needed soone who could oversee the Olc Holy City, who understood the Olc heritage, and who could compile the Olc ancestor epics, thoughtfully integrating the epics of the alliance and the kingdom into them... And after pondering, I realized that such a cultural talent, who could earn the trust of the Totonac tribes and the mountain forest Soc tribes, was indeed rare..."
Xiulote pondered, looking at Papu, the Feathered Serpent Priest, and spoke aningfully.
"In the sight of the Chief Divine! Truly, for such an important position, in the current Seaside Alliance, there might only be one person left... and that is you, Papu!..."
"Ah! Ah, Your Highness? You want to go to the Olc Holy City, to oversee the compilation of the ancestor epics?"
Upon hearing such an arrangent, the surrendered general Papu’s mouth dropped open, an incredulous expression on his face. He had surrendered with the naval forces, striving to earn His Highness’s favor, only to be offered a bright future... leading to the "Ancient Holy City," now in ruins, to undertake the so-called "ancestor epics"?
"Chief Divine! To... to let compile history?!... But... but my status?... Your Highness, how can you entrust such an essential task of clarifying divine legacy to a surrendered general like ?!..."
"In the sight of the Chief Divine! For such a significant task, as long as there is genuine faith, as long as there is loyalty to the kingdom, it can of course be accomplished! Furthermore, Papu, you are very intelligent, with the legacy of the two seaside holy cities... you are also very adaptable, possessing flexible beliefs and boundaries..."
"And for this position, to compile the ’true’ ancestor epics... what is most needed is a talent like you, who is both intelligent and adaptable!..."
Xiulote put away his smile, his expression instantly turning serious, and a faint killing intent erged in his eyes.
"What? Papu, you don’t want to accept? Could it be... that your loyalty to the alliance and the kingdom today, your devotion to the Chief Divine, were all a charade, intentionally faked to deceive ?"
Xiulote feigned ignorance and criticized the surrendered general Papu. Listening to these words, Papu was left speechless, wanting to cry but unable to. He stamred for a long while, and seeing His Highness’s increasingly dangerous gaze, could only helplessly kneel on the ground.
"Your Highness! I... I am willing to accept!... It’s just... just... I am unsure of the position of compiling the epics in the Ancient Holy City, what its rank is in the kingdom, equal to what level of priest?..."
"Hmm... let think."
Xiulote stroked his chin, his eyes flickering. Rebuilding the Olc Holy City and compiling the ancestor epics was undoubtedly a major task for the kingdom’s priesthood!
For the xica Alliance and the Kingdom of the Lake, regardless of whether all the tribes of the world acknowledged it, they had always proclaid themselves as the legitimate inheritors of the Toltecs and viewed the older Olcs as their ancient direct ancestors! And the ultimate purpose of these statents is to enhance the divine source of the xican Royal Family by emphasizing the revered ancestor civilization shared by all tribes, and to elevate the standing of the Chief Divine on the divine hierarchy.
Now that the kingdom has conquered the Totonac coast and has many sites of the Olc civilization under its control, it is natural to further assert the orthodoxy of this culture and faith!
Therefore, establishing the Olc Holy City and compiling the ancestor epics is fundantally a contest for the highest authority over cultural and religious interpretation in Central Arica! Then, with the military conquests of the alliance, implent this interpretation of culture and religion across the world... Ultimately, through generations of storytelling and tradition, integrate the hearts of all tribes, thoroughly coalescing a collective consciousness of a united people!
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