After leaving the Huastec village, the team hurried south for two days.
The rainforest has long since disappeared, replaced by sparse mountain forests. The sky became open and clear, and the crowds of people traveling gradually became denser. The land became fertile and easy to cultivate, and extensive farmland spread along both sides of the river.
Until noon that day, Shulot saw a small lake at a tributary of the Tampen River. In the middle of the lake was a field in the lake that looked like a floating island.
The edge of the floating field is a circle of supported and fixed fence, half of which is submerged under the water. In the center of the floating island is a neatly intertwined waterway, cutting the floating island into uniform small pieces. On the fields on the floating island, the three staple foods of corn, pumpkins, and beans are densely planted, as well as peppers, sunflowers, and precious herbs.
"This is the first chinampa on the way back." Looking at the fields in the lake, Olosh finally smiled. "We have finally returned to the land of the Mexica city-states, and we can have a good sleep today. Not far ahead is the city-state of Metztitlan, Xiulote, you can go to the central market with Ters , buy some small items you like."
Sure enough, not long after Shulot moved forward, a Chinese-American style city appeared near the river.
A circle of four to five meters high earth and stone city wall could be called a fortified city in the medieval times. The city wall is decorated with dark red patterns. Beyond the city wall, you can see at a glance the twin pyramids unique to the Aztecs, which are tens of meters high and are dedicated to Tlaloc, the rain god in charge of agriculture, and Huitzilopochtli, the patron saint.
It was still afternoon, the city gates were wide open, and the villagers began to return from the city. Most of them were shirtless, with only a long crotch cloth tied around their waists, and they carried newly purchased stoneware and pottery. A very small number of people hugged a person's length of cotton tightly and hurried away cautiously.
The warriors of the city-state wore white or yellow vests and regular uniforms, with crotch cloth or leather skirts tied around their waists, and small shields and war clubs on their backs. They gathered together in small groups, not knowing what they were talking about. The sound came along the wind, and the boy vaguely heard "legion", "war", and "Otomi people".
A little further away, several nobles and priests were sitting on shoulder carriages, being carried by slaves as they approached slowly. The civilians and warriors along the way gave way to them.
Shulot looked at their colorful shawls and feather crowns, and at the flowers and herbs on their shoulders, guessing that they must have just returned from an outing in the botanical gardens of the nobles.
The young man smiled. The social class of the Aztecs was really obvious at a glance. All in all, the more you wear it, the higher your status, the more gorgeous the color, and the more respected people are.
The team set up camp outside the north gate. Orosh left a few warriors to guard the prisoners and exchanged a few words with the guards guarding the gate. The Jaguar warrior then led the team into the city, and then the warriors quickly dispersed and went to have their own fun.
The moment he entered, the guard at the city gate glanced at the obsidian necklace around Shulot's neck, showing an expression of surprise and reverence.
The first thing Shulot saw when he entered the city was the pyramid temple. The temple was the center of the city, and the divine power governed the city-state.
Under the temple is the central square of the city-state, covering an area of thousands of square meters. During festivals, this is a place for sacrifices, and it is also a trading market during normal times. It reminds Shulot of the farmers' market in his "past hometown".
Outside the farmers' market are stalls owned by villagers and citizens, offering a wide variety of products. Farmers brought turkeys, dogs, rabbits, corn tortillas, black bean puree, pumpkins, peppers, sunflower seeds, and last year's avocados.
City potters sell a variety of pottery for daily use, and some also sell stone farm tools.
Shulot bought a handful of sunflower seeds for two cocoa beans at a stall. He was knocking around and wandering around, followed by Tels who was also looking around.
A turkey costs eighty cocoa beans, a tortilla costs about three cocoa beans, and black beans and pumpkin cost about the same. An earthenware pot for making soup is about one hundred cocoa beans.
The boy then saw a farmer stuffing a turkey, a few tortillas, a mess of avocados, and cactus tubers into a potter, taking a large clay pot and leaving happily. Neither farmers nor potters were likely to have sufficient currency in cocoa beans. In fact, most transactions in the market are barter.
Further inside are the craftsmen, with a dazzling array of obsidian products, including warriors, animals, symbols of gods, and various small statues that dazzled the young man's eyes.
Shulot looked around, wanting to choose a warrior statue for his father in this life, but looking at the various "freehand" and simple faces, he always felt something was wrong. He and Tels continued to walk into the market.
Walking further inside, it feels like a formal market. Shulot crossed the border where several warriors were standing and looked at the bustling inner city in surprise.
The leading pointed hat warrior looked cold and hard. He first looked at Shulote fiercely, and then was attracted by the obsidian necklace around the young man's neck. The warrior's eyes stayed on the necklace for a moment, then he said nothing and turned back to look outside.
The inner market was filled with the light of precious metals. The young man saw simple or exquisite sheds with various silver and gold ornaments in them.
Most of the people walking back and forth on the streets were nobles wearing colorful robes and gold and silver. There are also priests wearing necklaces and feather crowns.
Shulot turned the corner of the street and looked at Orosh in surprise. The majestic jaguar warrior was parked in front of an exquisite tent, puffing away contentedly, holding a lit cigarette between his fingers. The people around him also looked satisfied, sharing the relaxing atmosphere.
The young man leaned over and took a closer look: the cigarettes were wrapped in leaves, with dried tobacco leaves inside, mixed with unknown herbs and spices.
He turned to look at the shopkeeper again, and was shocked again to see a head that was twice as long as his own. The head curved "elegantly" backward from the forehead, extending into a slender crown with tall feathers on it. The ornaments and hanging silver ornaments are like the arrival of aliens.
Shulot took a step back in surprise, and then he saw clearly the shopkeeper's plump face and the sincere smile on his face.
"Hello, little priest." The round-faced alien quickly glanced at Shulot's obsidian necklace and smiled more sincerely.
"As you can see, I have a newly arrived divine smoke here, which comes from the remote rainforest holy land in the east. It is the sigh left by the gods in the world. As long as you have a small one, you can establish a quarter-hour connection with the gods. , feel the beauty of the Kingdom of God.”
As he spoke, the "alien" took out a small cloth bag as big as a palm. "As a gift for the first time, this bag only requires you a small gold jewelry, two people's length of cotton cloth, or five hundred cocoa beans."
"Cunning Maya!" Before Shulot could reply, he heard the iconic roar of "Jaguar". "I'm going to flatten your deformed head with a long obsidian stick! This is my student Shulot, how dare you deceive him! The cotton cloth of two people is enough to buy five bags of these low-quality cigarettes!"
"Oh, Orosh, he turns out to be your student." The alien was neither scared nor angry, he just laughed.
"Then let me introduce myself. I am Tikalo, a Pochitka who specializes in long-distance trade. I come from the city-state of Tuturxiu in the rainforest of the far east. The slender head is a symbol of divinity, and we Mayan nobles are the descendants of the gods. Descendants, possessing innate elegance and kindness, are also your Aztecs’ eternal friends.”
"Damn it, call me a Mexican, don't use a general term like Aztec!" Orosh said dissatisfied.
"Okay, respected Mexican Jaguar warrior. When will you pay back the cotton cloth and cocoa beans you owe me?" Hearing this, the teacher beside the boy suddenly became silent.
"By the way." Mayan merchant Tikalo winked at Xiulote again, "Now you can buy five bags of exquisite cigarettes from me with five hundred cocoa beans. Believe me, the priests all like this taste."
Shulot was a little curious, what did the earliest Mayan cigarettes taste like? Orosh strongly objected: "If you try the divine smoke too early, the vitality will be sucked away by the gods, which is not conducive to the physical strength of the warrior."
Then, the Jaguar warrior almost half-tucked Xilot under his arm and left Maya's shop.
"The Mayan nobles are not good people." Olosh cursed as he walked, "The mind is as cunning as a monkey, the body is as weak as a sloth, and the clothes are like tits, but all of them are eloquent and can count numbers better than anyone else. That's right! I owe them money for no reason. If we face each other on the battlefield, I can beat ten of them each!..."
Shulot wanted to laugh inexplicably, but he didn't dare to laugh out loud. He just looked back at the Mayan businessman who stood out from the crowd.
In his previous life, he traveled to Cancun, saw the so-called "Mayan" performance in a large amusement park, and drove to the ingenious Chichen Itza Pyramid. What used to be a few hours of flying and driving is now like a chasm.
After half a year of arduous land journey through the rainforest and unpredictable sea route by canoe, another trip to Chichén Itzá almost became a dream in my lifetime.
"How prosperous and beautiful are the Mayan countries now? With Yucatan, we can get in touch with the Caribbean island tribes as soon as possible, as well as the footholds of Europeans from far away." The young man's thinking habitually Diffused.
"Perhaps, when I return to Chichén Itza, I will no longer be alone." Following Olosh, he looked at the majestic and fierce tiger helmet of the Jaguar warrior, with the tall and solemn Aztec pyramid behind him.
Inexplicably, a new desire to conquer gradually began to burn in the Mexica boy's chest, which was the heart of a warrior.
"The warriors of Mexica will always use their own weapons to face the known world! To conquer the unknown future!"
