"Elder Wezil, I have received a Divine Revelation, and I can both see the past and know the future! The xica, and the people of Teotihuacan, are entirely different. And this era is completely unlike the past eras!... "
"...Conquering the world is not just the mission of the xica; it is the overwhelming trend of the era! If this cannot be achieved, with the dawn of a new era, there will only be destruction and death in the world!... "
"Ugh... "
Upon hearing such an apocalyptic prophecy, Elder Wezil furrowed his brows, pursed his lips, and remained silent for a mont. He felt very troubled. Although the xica’s Highness was young, his resolve was extrely firm, leaving no opportunity to exploit. After quite a while, he sighed and in a different manner, softly implored.
"Your Highness, the Holy City of Cholula has been passed down from the Toltec Era, and it is the beacon of civilization under the teachings of the Nawa universe! It holds a unique aning in the hearts of people everywhere! I beseech your legion to retain a sense of piety and benevolence toward the gods!"
"Oh? A beacon of civilization... deeply entrenched in the people’s minds... showing benevolence?"
Hearing these familiar words, Xiulote felt an inexplicable urge to laugh. Nonetheless, he shook his head and spoke candidly.
"In my view, leaving this so-called Holy City holds no significance for the Alliance!"
"...Your Highness, you have not dispatched a legion to directly attack the Holy City... which implies that you have reservations and care about the significance of the Holy City!"
Elder Wezil straightened his posture, his tone growing slightly firr.
"All the tribes in the world revere the Holy City of Cholula! Whoever attacks the Holy City will lose the hearts of the people!"
"Haha, the hearts of the people?"
Xiulote continued to smile and asked calmly.
"The hearts you speak of, are they the hearts of the priests, the nobility, the samurai, or the commoners? Can I win these hearts if I do not attack the Holy City?"
"Your Highness!... You..."
"Ultimately, there should only be one Holy City in the world!"
Xiulote’s expression turned cold as he resolutely replied.
"I restrain my legion not to attack the Holy City directly, only because I’m waiting for a suitable excuse!... Or a satisfactory answer!"
"Hmm?... An answer... satisfactory?"
Elder Wezil lowered his head, pondered for a mont, and decided not to beat around the bush anymore. His eyes shone brightly as he asked in a deep voice.
"Your Highness, when the wind ets the clouds at the right place, it turns into the spring rain we have now, bringing life to the earth!... What would a satisfactory answer be to you?"
"Hmm... The Holy City of Cholula is far from the Kingdom of the Lake, so I have no essential need to eradicate it. If you keep the valuable heritage of the Toltecs, you may contribute in many ways!"
Xiulote pondered carefully before responding. He did not know the specific situations of the city’s elders but calculated based on the perspective of the Alliance and the Kingdom.
"...However, the prerequisite for all this is that you must surrender independent control over financial, military, and divine powers and comply with the arrangents of the Royal Family and the High Priesthood! You must integrate into the Alliance and serve the grand purpose of the xica conquering the world!"
"...Surrender independent power and comply with the arrangent of the Alliance?"
Upon hearing these words, Elder Wezil’s expression turned sowhat bitter. He clenched his teeth and tentatively asked.
"Your Highness, do you not wish to dominate the world?... The city’s elders are willing to support you, as long as you leave us a way of life. If in the future, there are changes in the Alliance..."
"Hmm?! Elder Wezil!"
Xiulote’s face turned cold as he gazed sternly at the frail old man before him. All favorable feelings dissipated within that single statent.
"I absolutely do not wish to hear such a lowly jest again!"
"...Yes, Your Highness."
Facing His Highness’s cold and stern gaze, Elder Wezil found himself unable to continue speaking. After a long pause, he sighed helplessly and resorted to delaying tactics.
"Your Highness, regarding the future of the Holy City and the Alliance, we have much sincerity... Besides this old man who ca here, there are two elder priests who are visiting the Lake Capital City and the North to et with the High Priesthood and the Kings among the Northern Route Army! I ask that you exercise patience for a bit longer and refrain from dispatching the legion to plunder outside Cholula City and terrorize its citizens..."
"Hmm? Have you already sent envoys to et with the High Priesthood and the King?"
Hearing this, Xiulote reflected for a mont, remaining silent. The fate of the Holy City Cholula rightly should be decided by the High Priesthood or the King. In light of this, the strong asures he had planned were suddenly not quite suitable for imdiate execution...
The young king stood up, looked towards the vast and towering glacier, and hardened his resolve. He cast a cursory glance at Wezil and spoke curtly.
"Elder Wezil, I have sufficient patience to wait. But the prerequisite is that Cholula City must not pose a threat to the Southern Army!"
"Ah? Your Highness, what do you an?"
"Since the eastern expedition, many Tlaxcaltecs have fled to the Cholula state, near the Holy City. Among them are nurous Divine Descendant Nobility with warriors, many also accompanied by ordinary militian with their families!... These people are a threat to the Southern Army!"
"This..."
Elder Wezil’s thoughts raced. Originally, Cholula state had a population of 200,000, half of which was controlled by the local Tlaxcalan nobility, and the other half by the twelve priestly family elders. Out of these, only those controlled by the priestly families, residing in Cholula City and its vicinity, were considered the descendants of the Toltecs.
However, since the xica began their eastward expansion, as many as forty or fifty thousand Tlaxcaltecs have fled into the state! Among them are no shortage of formidable warriors, capable of defending the city with able-bodied n. To surrender them would be akin to self-destructing the city...
The elder priest pursed his lips, pondering for a long ti, yet delayed in responding.
"Hmm? You are unwilling?"
Xiulote raised an eyebrow and waved his hand dismissively. He turned around and, with hundreds of samurai in accompanint, began heading down the mountain.
"Haha, then let us et on the battlefield! The Southern Army will not permit any hidden dangers lurking nearby!"
"Ah, Your Highness!"
At this sight, Elder Wezil reached out his hand, hastily calling out.
"We will! We are willing to hand over all these Tlaxcaltecs to you!"
"Oh?"
Xiulote turned sideways, looking at the elder priest.
"How many of them are there?"
"Two... no, thirty thousand able-bodied and elderly..."
"Not enough, you can’t fool !"
Xiulote extended a finger, shook it, and left the final ultimatum.
"Within two months, hand over forty thousand able-bodied n and won, and forty thousand under thirty-five years old! Then I will spare you. Rember, the Southern Army is just forty li away; the Holy City Cholula has no option!"
The cold words drifted across the Divine Mountain, like falling snow, leaving Elder Wezil shivering all over. He knelt on the ground, tremblingly extended his hand, wanting to protest, yet he watched as the young king walked further into the woodland, his figure growing ever distant.
The bitter winds gusted through the thin clothing, penetrating the aged body, bringing an unbearable chill. A frigid era seed to be shaped anew by the winds, reshaping everything.
After so ti, Elder Wezil painfully stood up, gazing at the ancient Temple of Death. It was only then that he suddenly noticed that amid the bricks of the temple’s black stone walls, there was dark red-stained blood. This stagnant blood was almost dry, hidden deep within the ancient crevices, utterly devoid of life. What use was there in keeping this dead blood?
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