Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!-Chapter 623 - Three Hundred and Nineteen: Night Talk

The campfire flickered within the encampment, causing darkness to ebb and flow. The Red Frog Envoy looked visibly unsettled, while Xiulote was brimming with laughter. As their eyes met, the envoy shivered, speaking up with a hint of fear.

"Ah, wise Great Chief! I am from the Red Frog Tribe..."

At this point, the envoy paused, his eyes wide as he looked at Xiulote. He hesitated for a long while but eventually mustered his courage.

"Greetings to you, honorable God of Death Great Chief! I am Keka, the battle-hardened Chieftain of the Red Frog Tribe!"

"Oh, Chieftain Keka!"

Xiulote remained composed, nodding slowly. He had already anticipated this answer. The King pondered for a while, then waved at his trusted aides around him.

"Release him."

The aides let go and stepped back, and Keka collapsed to the ground as his strength left him.

"Keka, why have you come yourself? Are you not afraid of being discovered by the Alliance and sacrificed to the divinities on the spot?"

Xiulote asked with a smile. He was quite interested in this Red Frog Chieftain. The man had managed to defend his camp against the onslaught of Clay Tribulus and withstand the Black Wolf’s attack, even wounding his favored commander. Now he dared to come in person as an envoy to meet directly with him... Putting other things aside, there was indeed an animal-like acuteness, tenacity, and bravery about him.

At the mention of sacrifice, the Red Frog Chieftain trembled. He kept his kneeling posture and looked up as he shouted.

"Great Chief, only by coming in person can I show my sincerity in surrendering!"

"Oh? But at the start, you did not voluntarily reveal your identity. Playing such a hide-and-seek game, you might as well be sacrificed! With the Red Frog Tribe suddenly losing its leader, it will be in chaos. Tomorrow would be a good day for a decisive battle!"

Xiulote shook his head and chuckled. He looked into the round eyes of the Red Frog Chieftain and threatened coldly.

Keka was at a loss for words for a moment, then fearing for his life, he lay prostrate on the ground and shouted with a trembling voice.

"Great Chief, I revere your power and truly wish to submit to you! The reason I did not reveal my identity right away is that I had wounded your Great General in the previous battle. I did not dare to be honest with you without your promise of safety..."

"I am willing to lead the tribes of the Valley in surrender, to fight for you! I am also willing to make the tribes of the Wilderness acknowledge you as their sovereign! Great Chief, your ambition is as lofty as the sky, and your magnanimity as vast as the Wilderness! I am the first Coyote of the Wilderness to surrender to you; why must you kill me and dishearten your warriors?"

"Fight for me, sovereign of the Wilderness?..."

Upon hearing this, Xiulote fell into contemplation. He watched the Red Frog Chieftain’s sincere demeanor but inquired about something else.

"Keka, in the battle at the valley’s entrance, when you first faced the explosive Divine Power Globes, did you not feel fear toward the divinity? How did you think quickly and find a way to respond?"

"Uh..."

Keka’s eyes widened with surprise. He lifted his head and looked cautiously at Xiulote.

"So those were Divine Power Globes? I thought they were the witchcraft, no, Divine Arts... of the Cactus Tribe. Of course, divinities should be feared, but how can one be distracted on the battlefield? One must survive first, then sacrifice some birds and beasts... As for the response, as long as you keep the witch... Divine Arts from landing inside the camp, they can’t harm the encampment. I was watching very closely..."

"Hmm, not bad."

Xiulote sized up the Red Frog Chieftain once more, his interest evident.

"Keka, have you seen herds of great beasts running across the Wilderness?"

"Ah? I have. The Priest of our tribe said that these great beasts mostly roam the distant northeastern plains, with a few occasionally coming to the Coahuila Wilderness. They are immensely powerful and swift runners, making them difficult to capture. But if you kill just one, it’s enough to feed a hundred people for two days."

Facing the Great Chief’s question, Keka was somewhat puzzled. However, since he couldn’t figure it out, he just gave up trying and answered honestly.

"Hmm."

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Xiulote nodded slightly, pondered for a moment, and asked again.

"Keka, how would you deal with it if you encountered foreign tribes riding these great beasts, claiming to be incarnations of divinities? They possess weapons that roar like thunderbolts, and armor that is difficult to penetrate; what would you do?"

"Uh? Tribes riding great beasts? Wouldn’t that mean a lot of meat, enough for the tribe to eat for a long time..."

Keka stared with wide eyes, reaching toward his waist only to remember that their weapons had been confiscated. After a moment’s thought, he cautiously spoke again.

"Since it is a Divine Being, it’s natural to be careful and submissive to show submission," he said.

"What if they want to steal your food, kill your men, and plunder your women?"

"Ah! Are there many of them? Can they fly?" Keka asked.

"Not many and they can’t fly," was the reply.

"Then there’s no need to run, just kill them directly!" Keka exclaimed, a fierce glint appearing in his eyes. He glanced at Xiulote and then cautiously lowered his head, whispering an explanation.

"Great Chief, the Priests of the wilderness often say that nature is a rotating circle, everything in the world has weaknesses, Divine Arts and Witchcraft have flaws. A giant beast cannot run through the mountains, Thunderbolts cannot strike all the time. And thick skin can’t cover the eyes or prevent falls... Even a Divine Being can be tried for killing. If not killed, then running is it…"

Upon hearing this, Xiulote stared at Keka’s face for a long while without speaking.

The Red Fox Chieftain Huitu had an earthy face but bore an innate wildness, as cunning as a beast in survival, and a heart unafraid of deities... In some respects, he truly was a rare general worthy of employment.

King pondered for a moment and finally made his decision.

"Keka, do you believe in deities, willing to sacrifice for deities?" he asked.

"Ah, this... I…"

Keka’s expression changed and it took a while before he reluctantly answered.

"All things have spirits... Deities, of course, I believe in. To sacrifice for deities, let’s wait until I’m about to die... Ah, Great Chief, I swear on my ancestors, I am willing to fight for you, to die for you!"

Keka threw himself to the ground once more, clutching at Xiulote’s legs.

"Great Chief, please accept my surrender! The Red Fox Tribe only asks to preserve four thousand able-bodied individuals, to keep the life of the Chieftain! The whole Red Fox Valley, and the tens of thousands of other Tribes, I will offer to you!"

"Good. Keka, rise. I accept your surrender, forgive your trespasses, and preserve your Tribes and your life!"

Xiulote waved his hand, signaling Balda to put away their weapons. Aides stepped forward and forcibly lifted the Red Fox Chieftain to his feet. The King looked into his eyes and said with a smile,

"You said you wanted to fight for me, so I will give you that opportunity! Keka, the Chief Divine needs a Noble Chief as Sacrifices... You go back, I’ll give you one day to bind the Red Cat Chieftain, then submit and surrender the camp!"

Upon hearing this, a look of joy crossed Keka’s face. However, after a few moments, a hint of hesitation appeared.

"Great Chief, your promise... the witness..." he said.

"Hmm?"

Xiulote looked coldly at him, and the Red Fox Chieftain prostrated himself once again, refusing to rise. The King thought for a moment before raising the Divine Staff and slowly saying,

"Keka, I swear upon the honor of my ancestors, I accept your surrender and promise you a future!"

"Great Chief, under the ancestors’ witness, I shall surely die for you!" Keka exclaimed with great joy, kowtowing heavily several times before getting up to leave.

"I will return to the camp now and bring Mizili to you bound!"

Xiulote gave a faint smile and nodded slightly. He watched as Keka lifted the tent flap and, accompanied by the trusted aides, disappeared into the deep darkness. Then, the King turned and gave a stern command.

"Order the Craftsmen to inspect the wooden cannons and Gunpowder! Command the trusted aide camp to check the Gunpowder and Fire Arrows! Distribute the copper armor in the camp to the warriors ready for a trap! Dispatch Pamus Samurai to blockade the south and north mountain paths. Also send orders to Bertade, have the entire army ready one day and meet with the Chalki reinforcement forces. If the Guajili people do not surrender, by early morning the day after next, a two-pronged force will attack the camp!"

The trusted aides bowed their heads, their faces filled with a murderous intent as they departed.

The moon faded behind the Mountains, and dawn lit up the sky, marking the arrival of a new day. Mexica legions at the east and west valley mouths were gradually awakening. Thousands of Samurai prepared for battle like fierce beasts showing their fangs. By the afternoon of the next day, Chalki Great Chieftain’s vanguard of reinforcement forces finally reached the northwest valley mouth, with more than two thousand Pamus Samurai blocking the mountain paths to the south and north of the Valley.