Outside Water Valley City, in the main general’s tent, there was a somber and quiet atmosphere. A gentle breeze blew, bringing faint sounds of distant farrs shouting, accompanied by the subtle scent of burning fields. It was the sll of spring cultivation and the hope of an autumn harvest.
Xiulote sat cross-legged on the carpet, looking at his trusted aide Miwa, who was dripping with sweat just a few steps away. He smiled faintly and asked in a low voice.
"Miwa, you just said that Black Wolf has sothing to tell ?"
"Yes! God of Death, Great Chief."
The red-haired trusted aide Miwa stood in the center of the tent. He looked at the God of Death, the Great Chief above him, earnestly nodding in affirmation.
"I ran all the way without stopping to your tent, precisely to deliver a ssage from Black Wolf Chieftain!"
Upon hearing this, Xiulote showed interest and asked with a smile.
"Oh? What is the ssage?"
Miwa raised his head and looked at the western sky. Mimicking Black Wolf’s posture, he clenched one fist at his chest, while the other hand hung down by his side, suddenly laughing loudly.
"...Haha! I, Black Wolf Torc, conquered Mountain Peak City in just one day!"
"...Cough, cough!"
Witnessing this vivid scene, Xiulote was taken aback, coughing twice before he almost burst into laughter. Then, he smiled wryly, shook his head, and inquired again.
"Conquering Mountain Peak City, how many were the military casualties? How many did we kill, and how many were captured?"
"Uh..."
Miwa was montarily stunned, not knowing what to say. The army had just captured Mountain Peak City, and he jumped off the city wall, ran a hundred forty miles in two days to reach the camp outside Water Valley City. He left before the battle was over. As for the exact number of casualties and captives, who could know?
"Uh!... God of Death, Great Chief, our casualties aren’t significant. Roughly, we lost over a thousand defectors and two hundred warriors from the legion?"
Miwa thought for a mont, roughly offering an estimated number based on tribal warfare experience.
"...I shot dead a chieftain, and the defending army on the city wall fell into disarray. Then Black Wolf Leader led us to capture the city wall. Later, he told to co back and deliver the ssage... By the ti I left, the enemy tribe had completely scattered, and the warriors’ casualties shouldn’t increase much further... As for the number captured, it should be thousands upon thousands, many indeed!"
"Hmm... good!"
Xiulote nodded, his expression unchanged. Within three or four days, more accurate reports would naturally arrive from Black Wolf’s side. He pondered for a mont, looking at the red-haired warrior before him, and asked carefully.
"Miwa, do you think the Telascallan are easy to fight?"
"Great Chief, if it’s out in the wilderness, yes, they are easy to fight!"
Miwa scratched his head, replying frankly.
"We have armor, bows, copper beasts, and wooden beasts. Encountering them in the wilderness, the warriors can unleash several rounds of arrows, then charge forward, and the enemy militia will likely crumble. Their morale is very low, not enduring in battle out in the open... But attacking these tall stone cities results in heavy casualties. On the city walls, tribesn in armor led by warriors, along with chieftains and priests providing encouragent, even the militia can hold out for a long ti. Their numbers are quite large, and they shoot arrows and throw stones, causing casualties to our warriors..."
"...When attacking Water Valley City previously, many warriors from the tribes died. Both sides’ warriors were entangled together, burning away like firewood, crackling until they disappeared!..."
"Hmm, you are right."
Xiulote calmly nodded. In battles, attacking cities entails the greatest loss. The casualties from sieges are truly devastating. He thought briefly, looking at Miwa’s honest face, and asked in a serious tone.
"With so many warriors lost, are there any voices of discontent within the legion? What is the warriors’ morale like?"
"Uh... discontent? Morale?"
Miwa raised his head, cautiously looking at the God of Death, Great Chief, stamring.
"Uh...well... no discontent per se... just so resentnt. As long as the legion captures a stone city, kills those chieftains, seizes large amounts of wealth, and then... has so rrint, the warriors will charge again!"
"Hmm..."
Xiulote nodded slowly without speaking. He had a general sense that the legion’s morale could still be maintained.
In this era, after assaulting fortified cities and incurring heavy casualties, the warriors must vent their frustrations. The more fiercely the enemy resists, the harsher the subsequent revenge. As for religious faith, it rely allows warriors to endure higher losses, not letting them show rcy.
"Alright, Miwa, you may leave now! Eat so at, drink so wine. After today, convey my order to Black Wolf, instructing him to transport the captives soon and move everything from the Mountain Peak City area!"
"Alright! As you command, Great Chief!"
Miwa nodded firmly and cheerfully left through the tent’s entrance.
Xiulote glanced at the back of the red-haired warrior and smiled, talking to himself.
"Hmm, simple-minded, accustod to combat, along with familiarity in archery... Wilderness Dog Descendants really are excellent sources of troops! I’ll have to send more people to recruit tribes from the wilderness to supplent the legion’s losses!"
The young King stood up, gazed in the direction of Mountain Peak City in the East for a while. Then he turned North, and gazed at the mountains and valleys at the horizon’s end, contemplation rising in his mind.
Four days later, the second batch of ssengers arrived from Mountain Peak City. Black Wolf plundered for two days and then regathered the legion. As Miwa said, in this battle, the legion lost fifteen hundred defectors, three hundred regular soldiers, killed over three thousand defending warriors and militia, and captured more than four thousand able-bodied n.
Ten days later, the second batch of ssengers ca to announce their victory and brought the first batch of returned captives. After resting for a day, Black Wolf disbanded the legion, dividing it into familiar two-hundred-man squads among the Canine Descendants.
Scores of squads plundered within a hundred-mile radius, capturing Telascallan prisoners! In rely five to six days, they captured over fifteen thousand strong n and won. Combined, all the captives exceed twenty thousand and are being transported back continuously!
Xiulote held fort in Water Valley City, receiving war captives from various legions and transferring them via water routes to the South. Three City-State armies were sent out to capture prisoners throughout the Southern two territories, now having captured over ten thousand. The Yu Yan army even made several raids on the suburbs of the Holy City Cholula, capturing valuable able-bodied people there.
By mid-May, the Southern army had apprehended over eighty thousand Telascallan prisoners! And transferred populations to the Kingdom’s heartland, reaching up to twenty thousand!
Under Water Valley City, large patches of corn were already planted, with new fields still being cultivated. Anxious Telascallan prisoners under the supervision of xica Warriors continued planting beans.
Envoys from Cholula ca wave after wave, yet the King was as steady as a mountain, refusing to et. Until late May, a few scouts hurriedly arrived from the East, bringing urgent intelligence.
"The raiding Guajili squad encountered Mistek scouts fifty miles south of Mountain Peak City, clashing fiercely! And eighty miles south of Mountain Peak City, Misteks suddenly reinforced Flower Grove Fort with thousands of troops!"
Upon hearing this news, Xiulote was greatly shaken. He imdiately unfolded maps, looking toward the South of Mountain Peak City.
The South consisted of undulating mountain ranges, connected by mountain passes. Eighty miles south of the mountains lay a Mistek military fort, Xochitlán. The na "xochitl" aning "flower," "tlan" many, together forming "Land of Many Flowers," the Flower Grove Fort. This military fort, precisely located south of Mountain Peak City, posed a renewed threat to the Southern army legion!
"Mistek people..."
Xiulote furrowed his brows, with murderous intent slowly accumulating. Drawing a line from Flower Grove Fort southwest, there were still Small Willow Fort and Marsh Fort... All three Mistek military forts had reinforced with thousands, threatening the southern flank of the Southern army legion, and continuously holding back the army’s strength, indeed a thorn in the side!
The young King closed his eyes, pondering quietly for a long ti. After a while, he calmly spoke to the Head Warrior.
"Bertade, invite the envoys from Cholula, Elder Priest Wezil!"
Upon speaking this, a confident smile appeared on the King’s face. He looked north once more, offering a faint smile.
"It’s ti to have a proper discussion with Cholula’s envoys!"
"As you wish, Your Highness!"
Bertade bowed respectfully. However, before leaving, he rarely offered an additional comnt.
"Your Highness."
"Hmm?"
"The priests from Cholula are all cunning old foxes... Do not trust them lightly."
"Cunning old foxes..."
Xiulote pursed his lips, pondered for a while, then nodded solemnly.
"Good!"
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