Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!-Chapter 1826 - 1314: Golden Light Shines Everywhere, Zuwaro’s "Buddhist Law"!

"Chieftain of the Shandan from the Northern Snowfield! Meeting a good friend is like hearing the wonderful sound of deer singing in the dwelling place! With just a slight smile, we have already settled in for a peaceful sleep... And at this moment, seeing you, I seem to hear the cry of a Spirit Deer, full of anticipation for a tranquil night!..."

"Haha! Chieftain of the Japanese from the Southern Coast! Reindeer are companions in tribal migrations, envoys paving the way in cold winters, and friends aiding travelers on their journey. She comes stepping on frost and snow, across the frozen strait, from one tribe's dream to another tribe's heart. And when you hear the deer calling, it proves you heard my heart, a good friend to traverse the winter together!..."

Large ships docked by the seaside, warriors of the Kingdom wearing armor and holding longbows, sharply watching the opposite side. Warriors of Japan set up spears, behind them is a row of Bow Samurai with greatbows, equally vigilant. And in the middle of the opposing formations were the two armor-clad leaders walking. They each brought a few personal guard warriors, whose faces were tense, communicating "friendly and warmly" with the help of an Ezo translator.

As they chatted, Zuwaro and Kaozaki Yoshihiro were somewhat surprised to find. Both sides were of similar age, had equal cultural levels, and both had rich experiences with a liking for poetry. The communication between them was quite understandable, even considered a rare connection. For example, the conversation that followed...

"Ah! Chieftain of the Shandan! Your words are incredibly aligned with Buddhist philosophy! Indeed, our meeting is like a dreamlike Buddhist fate!..."

"Haha! Indeed, it's the Divine Power bestowed by the Heavenly Divine! It is the Chief Divine of the ocean, thunderbolt, and gold, guiding you and me here, through ocean, thunderbolt, and gold, from the prophetic dream to the destined reality!..."

"Tss! Indeed! All things with form are like a dream, illusion, bubble, shadow, like mist or lightning!"

"Right! With the Chief Divine's blessing! He is supreme and great, swallowing the Smoke Mirror, Rain Divine, and Feathered Serpent, becoming the immortal Sun!..."

The increasingly "friendly" exchange continued for a full quarter of an hour. Until Hougai Elder Masanobu lightly coughed, bringing Kaozaki Yoshihiro back to his senses. He glanced at the three large ships at sea, vaguely seeing the hostages of the Main Family. Then, he solemnly broached the main topic of trade.

"Chieftain of the Shandan, I have come with enough sincerity! The goods, cattle and horses, poultry, craftsmen, and able-bodied behind me... are all brought to ransom the hostages and trade special gold products with you!..."

"Oh? The quantity of these things, such as the four-legged cattle and horses... seems not to meet my proposed conditions?"

"Ah! The Main Family's capacity is limited, hoping to first exchange a portion step by step reaching an agreement with your tribe! The first priority is to ransom the Elder of the Main Family!"

"Oh! Are you referring to the elderly white-haired leader? He has received very good treatment on my flagship! He can eat half a jin of venison in a meal, consuming up to two taels of Luba, he is enviably strong!... However, to ransom him, the condition I previously mentioned requires exchanging craftsmen."

"Thank you for your hospitality! These are the craftsmen assembled by the Main Family! Although not at the 'Craftsman' level, they are already excellent across the Ezo land!"

Saying this, Kaozaki Yoshihiro gestured. His trusted retainer, Kinoshita Ichiro, brought over a dozen nervous and somewhat anxious Japanese craftsmen. Then, while gesturing, Kinoshita Ichiro used unfamiliar Ainu Language to introduce the foremost blacksmith.

"This is Matsushita Tetsusuke! He can forge sharp Tachi and has produced three excellent swords 'Yemono'! He is skilled in the carburizing steel method, having touched the secret of Tamahagane. In fact, he is Matsumae's number one blacksmith, second only to the Main Family's Otani Kento in the Japanese land!"

Zuwaro, though tirelessly studying Ainu Language day and night, and practicing threefold effort, still couldn't understand the meaning of these Japanese words. He didn't understand the blacksmithing skills, unable to assess the level of the opponent. He simply maintained a confident smile to Kaozaki Yoshihiro.

"Japanese Chieftain, according to our agreement, let him demonstrate his blacksmithing skills!"

Upon hearing this, Kaozaki Yoshihiro gave a command. The lean and sincere Matsushita Tetsusuke immediately took out a few strange tools from the bamboo basket behind him, along with some pre-forged iron wires.

"The unusual order from the lord, to showcase the blacksmithing skills, as instructed previously!"

Matsushita Tetsusuke thoughtfully considered, and as per the Young Master's previous instruction, with the tools in his hand, continually bent the shape of iron rods, creating two complex iron rings. Then he spoke to the woodworker beside him about something. The woodworker took out a prepared saw and wooden boards, expertly processed octagonal wooden blocks, and made mortise and tenon connections, relying on the iron rings to create a wooden framework.

"Chief Divine! What is this?... Though I don't know what they are doing, it seems very skilled, very impressive!"

Thus, two Japanese craftsmen, under the constant gaze of Zuwaro, gradually created a very strange, vertically cylindrical iron-wood appliance. Then the third craftsman joined in, using slender pre-prepared bamboo strips, swiftly weaving a fine mesh, encasing the iron-wood appliance exterior. Finally, the fourth craftsman used a thin, gauze-like Japanese paper to wrap the entire appliance...

Four craftsmen were evidently prepared, materials prearranged, their skills astonishingly proficient. A couple of hours or so later, the octagonal cylinder was completely formed. Until a bright candle flame lit up within the iron-wood framework of the cylinder, then shone through the gauzy bamboo strip paper net, reflecting dots of radiant light... Zuwaro finally widened his eyes in disbelief and asked.

"Heavenly Divine! What is this? What kind of device is this? Is it for illumination?..."

Kaozaki Yoshihiro secretly observed Zuwaro's expression. Upon seeing the other's face filled with genuine surprise, clearly having never seen such a thing, he became even more certain of his judgment. This formidable tribe, who appeared from nowhere and possessed firearms and gold, indeed had nothing to do with the Ming Dynasty's Tang people or Korea's Han people, not even worth a copper coin! Hence, the other's identity became as clear as day...

After forming a clearer judgment, Kaozaki Yoshihiro smiled warmly and waved to the four craftsmen. The four immediately felt a sense of relief and distanced themselves from the seemingly barbaric Shandan Chieftain. Only then did Kaozaki Yoshihiro hold the luminous device crafted by the artisans, smiling as he handed it to Zuwaro.

"Respected Shandan Chieftain, this is Buddha's octagonal lantern! It is a precious carrier of our shared Buddhist fate!..."

"And the four craftsmen just now, besides the senior blacksmith Matsushita Tetsusuke, include the senior carpenter Kizukuri Kichiro, the senior bamboo weaver craftsman Takeuchi Ichiro, and the senior paper craftsman Kajibai Eiichi. I wonder, are you satisfied with these four senior craftsmen?..."

There is no denying that the Japanese are skilled at this kind of clever marketing. With simple combinations of craftsmanship, they instantly elevated the status of the artisans. Moreover, through an octagonal lantern, Kaozaki Yoshihiro not only probed into Zuwaro's origins but also quietly added the bamboo weaver craftsman and the paper craftsman, who were not originally on the list.

"Heavenly Divine! What a delicate lighting device! A lantern? A cage with light inside? Quite an apt metaphor!..."

At this moment, Zuwaro lowered his head, gazing at the exquisitely luminous octagonal lantern in his hand, his eyes full of admiration. This was a craft that neither the Kingdom of the Lake nor the entire Mexica Alliance had ever seen before. This octagonal "lantern" seemed magnificent, far more exquisite than torches or pottery cups used for lighting...

After a while, Zuwaro came back to his senses. He pondered for a moment, quite unsure of these craftsmen's skill levels. Regardless, he intended to speak modestly first, to sound out the other's thoughts. With this in mind, Zuwaro glanced at the four uneasy craftsmen and, with a confident smile, said.

"Japanese Chieftain! While these craftsmen's skills are decent and the items they make are quite appealing... their workmanship is still far from reaching the level of senior craftsmen! The craftsmen you've presented fall significantly short of my initial expectations..."

"...Indeed... This is true; they aren't quite senior craftsmen yet. I apologize; there are too few craftsmen in Ezo land, a shortfall in my judgment..."

Kaozaki Yoshihiro squinted, observing Zuwaro's confident demeanor. Moments later, he suddenly chuckled, waved his hand, and, using fluent Ainu Language, instructed his trusted aide Kinoshita Ichiro.

"Ichiro, the Shandan Chieftain wasn't impressed with these craftsmen. Take them back for now!"

"Wait!... We want all these ordinary craftsmen for our tribe!"

Zuwaro had understood Kaozaki Yoshihiro's words, aware they were meant for him. He shook his head with a wry smile, understanding for the first time the image Lu Jiaohu had described in reports.

"Indeed, the Japanese chieftain is like a snowy fox chuckling slyly! But no matter how cunning a fox is, when faced with the jungle's Jaguar..."

With this thought, Zuwaro gave Kaozaki Yoshihiro a meaningful glance. Kaozaki responded with a slight bow, returning a warm and sincere smile. Suddenly, his expression froze, and even his breathing became a bit hurried.

"Oh?! What's this? Shandan Chieftain, no, I should say, my Buddhist fate friend! What is this? Is it all?..."

"Haha! Indeed! Japanese chieftain, the first fruit that falls from the tree is worth the monkey's effort to shake! As I said, one gold talisman for a senior craftsman. Although the first batch of craftsmen you presented didn't quite reach the level of senior artisans, they are worth a significant reward from me. Thus, I look forward to receiving even better craftsmen from you in the future!"

With a broad smile, Zuwaro, like a goose laying golden eggs, took four Chief God Golden Tokens, each weighing one jin, from his chest.

Under the stunned gaze of Hougai Elder, the eager eyes of Kinoshita Ichiro, the fascinated look of Kaozaki Yoshihiro, and the dazed expressions of numerous Japanese craftsmen, a hundred young men, and hundreds of warrior-farmers... he directly placed the four strung Chief God's Amulets around Kaozaki Yoshihiro's neck, weighing him down such that he had to support the tokens and could not lift his head.

"Haha! Japanese Chieftain, my dear friend Lumine! These four Chief God Golden Tokens, each weighing one jin, are my reward to you in exchange for your four craftsmen and to repay the thoughtful kindness from your friend!"

"Ahaha! My friend, I look forward to more, more! I have even greater rewards for you!"

Zuwaro's hearty laughter echoed across the seaside plains. In that moment, in the eyes of all the Japanese, he seemed like he was embodying the Buddha's radiance, golden light shining everywhere.