The mountain wind blew past, and the temple of the God of Death seed to co alive, lowly chanting ancient mories. The cold wind swept through rows of skulls, issuing a lancholy "woo" sound like a flute. The hanging skeletons swayed with the wind, occasionally colliding and making drum-like "bang" sounds.
Xiulote pursed his lips, observing carefully. He also heard the crisp sound of wind chis, which were teeth hanging from the skulls’ jaws, resembling the soft whispers of the deceased. Various strange bone sounds intertwined, forming a unique symphony, masking the noises within the temple.
"All personal guards, half protecting His Highness and half surrounding the temple! Arrange two rows outside the temple, one row with shields up, the second row with bows ready. Surround from all sides like a pack of wolves hunting; don’t let a single person escape!"
Bertade lowered his voice, giving so instructions to a few guard captains. After a mont, two hundred personal guards split into two groups. One group raised their shields high, tightly protecting Xiulote. The other group spread out in four directions, surrounding the small Temple of the God of Death.
In just a mont, two hundred elite xica warriors were ready, poised to attack at any mont.
"Your Highness, please wait here patiently for a mont."
Bertade squinted his eyes, gripping his bronze long sword with one hand and then grabbing a Great Shield. He glanced at Nashu, who was dressed in leather armor, bowed to Xiulote, and led dozens of personal guards rushing towards the mottled main door of the temple.
The commotion had already alerted the people inside the temple. As the head warrior stepped into the main door, a dozen bone arrows ca flying!
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"
"Bang!..."
Bertade dodged swiftly, raising his shield. Most arrows fell into empty space, hitting the dark bricks. Only one sharp feathered arrow stuck in the wooden shield with a heavy "thud".
"Kill!"
Dozens of Great Shield personal guards surged forward, swiftly rushing into the temple. From within the narrow temple, a dozen Tlaxcala warriors imdiately leapt out. These warriors wore serpent-patterned war clothes, wielding Obsidian war clubs in their hands, eting the advancing xica guards! Many warriors carried conspicuous Greatbows on their backs but had no opportunity to use them.
Bertade held his Great Shield and copper sword, but did not engage in combat. He patiently and keenly searched for the source of the sharp arrow just monts ago.
"Whoosh!"
A bone arrow, whistling with the breath of the God of Death, shot forth instantly at an extrely tricky angle. A Great Shield personal guard groaned and fell to the ground, blood gushing from his neck.
Bertade quickly glanced and confird it was a fatal wound, beyond saving. Then, he suddenly lunged forward like a jaguar spotting prey, swiftly rushing towards the great hall of the temple!
"Protect His Highness!"
Seeing the head warrior’s moves, the battling Tlaxcala warriors scread in unison. They quickly retreated, converging towards the center, disregarding their injuries, tightly blocking the front of the great hall.
"Hmm? His Highness?"
Hearing this title, Bertade froze slightly, montarily distracted.
"Whoosh!"
Another precise bone arrow targeted the vital spot of his neck! Although the head warrior was distracted, his body instinctively reacted. He dodged with a swift step, narrowly avoiding the bone arrow of the God of Death.
"Hmm? Good archery!"
Bertade showed a calm expression, but a flash of surprise and admiration crossed his eyes. Then, he shouted without hesitation.
"Raise shields and charge, storm the great hall!"
"Kill!"
Dozens of personal guards charged forward in unison, wielding sharp bronze axes. They swung powerfully up and down, tearing enemy war clothes, cutting through thin cotton armor, and splitting fragile bodies!
"Splat!... Sizzle!..."
Soon, a spray of blood burst from the bodies of the Tlaxcala warriors!
The personal guards had the advantage in numbers, superior battle techniques, and weaponry. They took less than a quarter to push the enemies to the entrance of the great hall. In under another quarter, all the Tlaxcala warriors at the hall entrance were dead.
The front of the God of Death’s great hall was covered in fresh blood, with a dozen corpses lying densely at the door. Then, the scene inside the hall beca clear.
"Hmm? Won and children?"
Bertade frowned, paying attention to the situation inside the hall. A young female warrior in her early twenties held a longbow, aiming at the dozens of personal guards outside the door. Behind her, the faint silhouette of a child could be seen.
"Cruel xica! You have chased us down here!"
The young female warrior looked at the crowd outside the hall, knowing there was no way out. Her eyes widened in rage, shielding the child behind her, she shouted angrily.
"Our honorable family head has already committed suicide in the city; all the adult divine descendants are dead, yet you won’t spare his last bloodline! Our noble divine descendant family will be wiped out today, and such fate will one day fall upon you! In this temple of death, I curse you with my life, you evil xica!"
"...Hmm?"
Hearing this, Bertade paused slightly. Then, his expression turned solemn, and he asked in a deep voice.
"Skilled female warrior, which divine descendant family do you belong to? What is your na?"
"Hah! Evil xica, don’t think you can fool !"
The female warrior spat and then abruptly drew her bow, shooting at Bertade.
"Thud!"
The head warrior was prepared, and swiftly raised his shield to block the sharp arrow accurately. His expression turned cold, and he looked at the surrounding personal guards, gesturing forward.
"Advance!"
"Wait!"
Under the cover of several Great Shields, Xiulote slowly walked into the temple, followed closely by Nashu with her bow. He scanned the broken stone doorway, glanced over the dark-bricked floor, looked at the red-tongued Divine Wolf statue, and then carefully observed the Divine Platform with black skulls in the center, finally turning his attention to the two people against the hall wall.
"Skilled female warrior, if I’m guessing correctly..."
Xiulote’s gaze paused slightly on the serpent patterns of the female warrior’s war clothes, then confidently asked.
"Are you divine descendants of the Water Serpent clan?"
"...Evil xica leader..."
The female warrior tightened her longbow, aiming at the young man before her. Although she had no chance of hitting him amidst the shield cover, she persisted in her desperate resistance!
"Who are you?!"
"...Hmm."
Xiulote pondered briefly and smiled.
"I am sent by the God of Death, seeking the prophecy of the divine priest of death."
"What?!"
The female warrior paused for several breaths, a look of grief and anger appeared on her face.
"You’re not pursuing His Highness?"
"...Hmm."
Xiulote smiled calmly.
"eting you today is purely by chance, arranged by unpredictable fate... or perhaps, by the God of Death."
"Ah! Chance... God of the Hunt!... You abandoned us! I curse you!..."
The female warrior trembled all over, looking up at the sky, tears dripping from her eyes.
"White Serpent slave... they are not here to capture us?"
A seven or eight-year-old boy cautiously peeked out from behind the female warrior. He fearfully looked at the corpses scattered around, then glanced at the xica on the other side, asking softly.
"Can we... escape?"
"...Your Highness..."
The White Serpent female warrior trembled inside. She hurriedly tried to shield the boy, but he kept peeking out, looking around. Finally, she dropped the longbow, picked up the boy, and covered his eyes.
"Your Highness, don’t look... we... will stay here, and go nowhere."
Dozens of warriors holding Great Shields and bronze weapons surrounded the small temple completely. However, without orders from His Highness, they remained silent and solemn, watching the two.
"..."
Xiulote quietly observed, his heart, as firm as a rock, suddenly softened. He smiled and spoke calmly.
"We have co seeking the divine priest of the God of Death for a prophecy. Capturing you is not my duty. Tell where the divine priest is, and I will let you go!"
"Haha... hahaha!"
Hearing this, the White Serpent female warrior paused montarily, then suddenly burst into a sorrowful laugh.
"Divine priest? Seeking prophecy? Haha, hahaha!..."
Her hoarse laughter echoed in the temple of the God of Death, accompanied by the ringing of skulls, resonating in the cold sky. The sky was a pure blue, the mountaintop was pure white. And the ground beneath was a pure black mixed with pure red. Then, a sorrowful voice mixed all colors, even bringing madness.
"Prophecy? No prophecy, only nonsense! The old priest rambled so prophecies, daring to curse the Four States Alliance, intimidating my family head... I’ve already slain him!"
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