"Your Majesty!..."
Texiwhit spoke in a low voice. Huitzilihuitl squinted his eyes and looked over in response to the sound.
At this mont, countless thoughts appeared in the mind of the Turquoise Great General. He wanted to accuse Huitzilihuitl of possible murder and ask the supre King to investigate the truth. However... he had no evidence, nor did he have sufficient status and power. In the pragmatic political tradition of the Alliance, such powerless accusations were destined to be of no use, rely disturbing the other party in vain.
"I... want a suit of sturdy bronze heavy armor!"
"Hmm? Bronze heavy armor?"
Upon hearing this, Aweit was slightly stunned. A few monts later, he laughed heartily and praised with admiration.
"Good! Truly a pure xica warrior! Turquoise Texiwhit, you will receive a suit of sturdy armor, along with a sharp bronze great axe, to better fight for the Alliance!"
In the current Alliance, bronze heavy armor and bronze great axes were still strictly controlled military supplies. They were only produced in the craftsn’s great camp in the capital city and the armory division in Copper Capital Qinchongcan. Except for the important Royal Legion, only a few extrely honorable mbers of the great nobility could obtain them in small quantities.
"Thank you, Your Majesty! May the Chief Divine bless, and the King be supre!"
Aweit nodded slightly, patted Texiwhit’s shoulder, and moved towards the next warrior. The King personally took action, generously rewarding, and gathering the hearts of warriors from various states. Until the deep night, when the evening breeze carried a slight chill, the grand reward ceremony finally ca to an end.
"May the Chief Divine bless the Alliance!"
The King raised the scepter and prayed solemnly.
"May the Divine bless the Alliance! May the Divine bless the King!"
The assembled generals bowed their heads respectfully in prayer.
Monts later, Aweit sat back on the elevated stone seat, scanning the people present. His lips curled into a smile again, and he calmly ordered the guard beside him.
"Go, bring the City Lord of Tree Snake City!"
"As you command, Your Majesty!"
Two trusted aides hurried away. Not long after, City Lord Okote appeared before everyone, dressed in plain robes, with disheveled hair. The boisterous generals imdiately quieted down, all curiously observing the highest leader of the Tlaxcala Alliance.
"..."
Under the gaze of the generals, Okote, unard and staggering, was escorted by the warriors. He ca to the familiar grand hall and gazed complexly at his palace, now occupied by the fierce xica. He was temporarily speechless.
"Okote, noble descendant of the Tree Snake, leader of the Tlaxcalan people."
Aweit spoke with interest, a smile on his lips. Holding the inherited Divine Staff, he looked at Okote’s somber expression and commanded indifferently.
"Co! Right here, perform a celebratory ceremonial dance for the Alliance warriors who conquered Tree Snake City!"
"...You!"
Upon hearing this, Okote gritted his teeth, his eyes gradually reddening. From a young age, he was a noble Divine Descendant, sitting high above tens of thousands. How could he have ever suffered such humiliation?
"What? Okote, are you unwilling?"
Aweit’s expression turned slightly cold, his eyes filled with murderous intent.
"I think you shouldn’t be foolish enough to refuse."
"..."
Okote trembled all over. He looked at the high-seated xica King and recalled his life in captivity over the past few days, tears falling from his eyes. As a noble Divine Descendant, he could not be like the bravest warriors, treating pain and death as nothing.
"...Red is the abode of man, the vibrancy of life and blood."
A mont later, Okote lowered his head, wearing white garnts, tiptoeing as he began the dance of death and mourning. He swung his arms and shook his hair, dancing with a farewell somberness, with the sorrow of a fallen nation, and with the yearning to go to the Divine Kingdom.
"...I linger in the darkness, seeking in the caves of flesh, seeing only white bones..."
The sorrowful chant echoed in the grand hall, each voice mournful, yet it was precisely the sa in the xica language.
"...I co from the North, the shared bloodline of the wilderness. I go to the South, where separate fires burn..."
At this, Aweit’s brows raised in slight movent. In terms of blood and language, the xica and the Tlaxcala were truly brothers. The two tribes had battled for decades, and now, a victor had finally erged. And what should the ultimate victor do with the defeated in this mont?
"...I am burning, and you are burning! Red is the unquenchable fla. Surviving Tlaxcalans! You crawl and climb, in the deep underground world, struggling between survival and death..."
```
Upon hearing this passage, the expressions of the assembled generals flickered, gradually pulling back their smiles. Since the eastward expedition, each legion has been unusually ruthless towards the Tlaxcala tribes, showing no rcy whatsoever.
"...When the flas consu , I shall turn to ashes and drift towards the red realm. I see the end of death, with nothing left behind! That is the end of reincarnation, the end of all things, regardless of you or ..."
Aweit sang, danced, tears streaming down, gazing at the King seated above. Only when the song ended did he co to a halt and looked towards the high ceiling. There, a wind tunnel lay open where free and warm winds blew in from the vast night sky.
"Hmm... well danced. It seems, rather than leading troops in battle, you are more suited to chanting and dancing!"
After a while, Aweit lowered his gaze, nodded slightly, smiling as he comnted. This solemn dance of death indeed surpassed his expectations. In the xica aesthetic, such a dance is considered quite poignant and morable.
"Take him away!"
Aweit tightened his lips, holding back tears, as he was led away by Personal Guard Warriors. This ti, after leaving the palace where he had resided for decades, he had no chance of returning.
"Ahem."
The flickering firelight gradually quieted the hall. Aweit collected his thoughts well, and spoke with a smile.
"Haha! The dance of the Telascallan Divine Descendant was good, but sowhat too solemn. What I like most is the dance of Alliance nobles, bold and magnificent, with a spirit that swallows the mountains and rivers..."
"With a great victory in the east, the Royal Legion will soon return. All City-State Legion Commanders, stand up and dance for your King!"
The King’s voice was steady and powerful, landing in the ears of each Commander like it carried the force of thunder.
"Another dance offering?!..."
Luwei Xintel, the Reed Legion Commander, imdiately frowned, feeling indignant. He looked to either side, only to see Mountain Legion Commander Izel the first to rise, followed closely by new Tzompantli Legion Commander Huitzilihuitl. Next, Gold Legion Commander Pachjo silently stood. This ti, no one dared make any excuses like the late Xochitl.
"Alas."
Without a sound, Xintel sighed and joined the line. Then, the four esteed honorable nobles, mighty City-State Legion Commanders, together in the grand hall, danced for the supre King, praising the supre Sun God!
"In the courtyard, the sun stands motionless like a Firestone, high and still...
The Firestone, supre above all, overlooks the sky of birds, granting life to the earth...
The Firestone burns brightly, holding ti in its grasp, illuminating the divine heavens...
The Firestone rotates like a serpent, the Cloud Serpent burns in the flas, while the Divine King boldly drinks the water from the fire!
That is the crimson blood...
The Divinity drinks blood, feeds on life force. The Divinity controls immortal life, granting it to the loyal King!...
"
The four City-State Commanders sang loudly, raising their hands and feet. This is a hymn praising the Sun God, usually used in sacred sacrificial rites. Singing it here naturally equates the King to the Sun God and themselves as loyal attendants, expressing their utmost surrender.
With the great victory in the east, Tree Snake City fell, and the City-State Army suffered significant casualties. The situation now differs greatly from before the last dance offering. The King’s prestige has risen to its peak, like the noonday sun. The power of the King also firmly suppresses all City-States!
Listening, Aweit’s face blossod with a radiant smile. When everyone completed the sacrificial dance, gasping for breath and saluting, the King tightly grasped the Divine Staff and sincerely praised aloud.
"Good! Very good! I like it very much!"
"Praise the King! We are willing to offer dances and songs for you!"
All four City-State Commanders bowed their heads with respect and saluted the King.
"Hmm."
Aweit scanned the crowd, nodding repeatedly. He smiled, but his eyes were as sharp as a hawk’s. After probing with the dance, it was ti for the true obedience he desired.
"Luwei Xintel, Gold Pachjo, Mountain Izel, Yun Shan Huitzilihuitl..."
The King’s compelling voice pronounced the nas of each Commander. Subsequently, the King’s intention was made clear, without any concealnt.
"The supre Sun requires the guard of City-State Warriors!... After the eastward expedition, I will establish two new Tonsured Guard Camps, requiring at least warriors of the third-level elite Fire Warriors!"
Aweit cast a glance at the commanders whose expressions changed suddenly and ruthlessly announced.
"Warriors of each City-State are truly brave. Your four City-State armies must produce a thousand third-level elite warriors or above!... The Tzompantli army suffered heavy casualties, produce two hundred n, while the Mountain army did not participate in the siege, produce three hundred n. The remaining two legions should each produce half!"...
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