Early the next morning, the three armies arrived. The rainy season has come to an end, and the sun is shining from the sky. It is a rare sunny day.
Thirty thousand Mexica warriors gathered outside the camp, covering the barren fields and frightening the Otomi people in the city of Hilotepec. The samurai is the master of war and the power to conquer all. Now, nearly one-third of the empire's power is gathered here, obeying the king's orders.
The sacrificial altar has been erected high, thirty thousand warriors gathered together, and the ceremony for the expedition began immediately.
Shulot sang ancient songs praising the sun, and Akap danced the obsidian dagger used for sacrifice. This represents a sacred sacrifice to the sun god, announcing human affairs in the name of the god.
Behind them are nearly a hundred priests of different levels. Everyone was dressed in ancient costumes and looked solemn. The priests held their feather crowns high, played the distant and desolate ocarina, and danced mysterious and ancient ritual dances, creating the solemnity of a formal ceremony.
The priesthood had just arrived from the holy city of Teotihuacan not long ago, and Akap was now their chief priest. This is also the support of the high priest Shuter to the king's brother Avit. With his lofty divine authority, he endorsed the king's brother's expedition and gathered the hearts of the warriors.
Under the gaze of 30,000 warriors, the great nobleman Ketoko lay trembling on the ground. He was fed obsidian knife water in advance. Now his eyes are dull, his limbs are weak, and he cannot speak. Beside him were dozens of officers close to Tisok, who were also under anesthesia.
Shulot learned the recipe of sword water from his grandfather. This anesthetic is often used in sacrifices before sacrifices. The main ingredients are hallucinogenic and sedative herbs, such as magic morning glory, black jade, datura, psilocybin mushrooms, and enhanced tequila. These are also known as "plants of the gods" and were also added to the sacred smoke by the Mayans and Tarascans.
"The potion is very effective and can be used as an anesthetic for surgical operations." The young man sang solemnly while thinking wildly, "But the name is too simple, why not call it Sacrificial Water!"
The military situation is urgent, so keep everything simple. It didn't take long for the solemn ceremony to enter the sublime stage of sacrifice, and all the warriors held their breath. Their eyes were fixed on the altar, their eyes full of awe. There was solemnity between heaven and earth, except for the singing of sacrifices.
Like a wild boar waiting to be slaughtered, Ketoko was dragged lightly for a hundred meters by the giant bear Stanley to the altar for sacrifice. Later, under the obsidian daggers of the priests and in the hallucination of the Kingdom of God, the blood of the divine descendants flowed on the altar and turned into a noble sacrifice to the sun god Huitzilopochtli.
Under the warm sunshine, Akap raised the warm sacrifice in his hand, shouted the name of the god "Huitzilopochtli", and prayed for the coming of the god. Thirty thousand warriors also knelt down and shouted in unison in front of the altar. The thunderous shouts immediately resounded throughout the world, like lightning tearing apart the world! Do this three times, and then lie down on the ground.
Not far away, in the city of Hilotepec. The nobles of Otomi trembled in the shouts. They were no strangers to this ritual. It was the source of the Aztecs' conquests and the nightmare of the Otomi people.
Soon, dozens of long poles stood tall in front of the altar, and the sacrifices had turned into heads that shocked the three armies.
"Tisok's war against the Otomi people has failed. It is time to end this war!"
Shulot stood majestically on the altar and shouted to the army in a solemn tone. In his mind was his grandfather's speech during the mobilization in the Holy City. He was wearing a black Tengu priest uniform.
This was Tisok's "gift" after the first life-and-death test. At that time, Tisok's army was in control, and he had just learned about the vision he had at birth and his innate wisdom. The king was murderous and jealous, so his father could only watch in humiliation as he was taken away, with his life and death in the hands of others. After that, there was the secret communication between grandfather and Avitt.
This is the cause of everything and will also witness the result of everything.
"But Tisok is not ready to end this war! For the sake of his shattered reputation, he will besiege the city again, wasting the lives of the warriors in the terrible rainy season and the boundless mountain forests. There, the warriors do not even have an honorable Die in battle. They either die of weakness or illness, or die at the hands of the despicable Otomi militia, and will never reach the land of the God of War!"
The siege failed, where will Tisock go next? Shulot doesn't know now. But the warriors must know that the former king has become their enemy and the target of their weapons.
Recalling the ever-humid rainy season, the arduous mountain forests, and the mosquito-like Otomi people, many warriors showed painful expressions on their faces. The religious concepts instilled in them since childhood made the samurai not very afraid of death. But without an honorable death in battle...the samurai worried about the afterlife.
"Tisok failed. He could not lead the warriors to victory. He did not cherish the lives of the warriors. He has been deprived of his status as a king!"
In the Mexica Empire, failure to win was the king's greatest original sin.
"Under the supreme witness of the sun god, war god, and patron saint Huitzilopochtli, the king's brother Avit has ascended the throne as the Great Tratoani! The high priests of the Holy City have sworn allegiance to the new king. He will End this war and send all samurai home! Samurai, now is the time to show your loyalty!"
As the words of the oath rang out, Avitt, dressed in the royal robes, held up Montezuma's staff and ascended to the highest altar.
Then the young man took out the obsidian dagger, cut off a lock of his hair, and placed it on the sacred altar in front of Avitt. The young man blinked his eyes quietly. Avitt looked at the young man radiantly, with a faint arc at the corner of his mouth.
Next, Akapu cut his hair and swore an oath, then priests at all levels, loyal camp commanders at all levels, then two thousand family warriors, 14,000 South Route Legion, and finally 30,000 Mexica Legion!
"This is also the order of loyalty." Shulot maintained the solemnity of the priest. He faced the warriors who had cut their hair and pledged their loyalty to the audience, silently weighing the situation in his heart.
The least loyal nobles were imprisoned in the camp. At this time, they stood on the wall of the village with bare hands, wearing unarmored costumes, silently watching Ketoko's sacrifice, and silently watching the loyalty of the 30,000 warriors.
These nobles are the former commanders of the Legion, former supporters of Tisok, and are now forced to remain neutral. The great nobles are well versed in the game of power, are not pious to religious theocracy, and disdain the priests' claims. But now, they have been deprived of the right to command the army, replaced by nobles loyal to the king's brother, and even sent to the altar for sacrifice. In this battle, they were no more important than the civilian warriors.
Beside them were the heavily armed Avitt family warriors. The warriors have received orders that if there is a rebellion in the Herotepec camp, the nobles will be executed immediately to prevent the rebellion from escalating.
"King Zhou is unruly, King Wu will attack him!" Xiulote carefully observed the expressions of the warriors, felt their fighting spirit, and then nodded with satisfaction. Those who manage an army must first control their hearts. Occupying the commanding heights of people's hearts is often more important than the battle itself. Because military morale determines the combat effectiveness that the army can exert and determines the direction of the war!
Likewise, he who attacks an army must first attack his heart. The young man's thoughts flashed: "Today's strategy can be used again in reverse."
No matter what era, solemn rituals can always gather chaotic people's hearts and plant a hint of obedience in people's hearts. With the completion of the loyalty of the 30,000 warriors, the morale of the army increased significantly. The warriors touched their weapons behind them, no longer afraid of the next battle.
"Samurai! It is not an honor to kill the compatriots on the opposite side, but capturing the samurai on the opposite side alive counts as military merit. This battle is just to depose the king, end the war, and everyone returns to their hometowns!" Under the dazzling sunshine, Avitt finally gathered his thoughts. The will of everyone, with the tolerant attitude of a king.
The three armies are united at this moment, and thousands of people are here to surrender! The majestic king waved his magic staff to the west, and the 30,000 warriors immediately set off, carrying two weeks of marching rations, and headed for the nearest mountain camp like a surging and murderous torrent.
Only 30,000 militiamen were left in the Hirotepec camp, with hundreds of warriors as the backbone. Relying on a strong walled city, they were able to defend the Otomi. Scouts and intelligence officers have already taken the lead, sneaking into the distant mountains and forests to communicate with the already agreed allies.
After marching for three days, we arrived at the junction of mountains and wilderness. Shulot saw the strong mountain camp again. The camp was built on the top of the hills, with open terrain and sparse forests, making it easy to defend. Looking from a distance, a wisp of smoke rises into the distant sky. Next to the smoke, the king's flag was also flying.
