Back at the camp, it was dinner time, and the air was filled with the fragrance of grilled corn tortillas, the herbaceous aroma of roasted amaranth, and the spicy aroma of roasted peppers.
Shulot sniffed his nose and ran all the way. He was also a little hungry, but he still had business to do right now.
He asked Bertard to set up camp and cook for the army, while Orosh went to see his father's injury. He took Stanley with him to go to the Chinese army's tent to report the military situation.
As soon as he entered the big tent, the young man saw Avitt sitting majestically on the throne. After not seeing each other for a week, my friend became more and more calm, with every move he made carrying the majesty of a king. His glance sent chills all over the body.
There were many generals sitting on both sides of the big tent. On the left were those directly under the royal family, and on the right were the heads of various city-states. The generals were talking to each other in low voices, and large cups of cold cocoa were already placed on the simple wooden tables. It seemed that the dinner was about to begin.
Shulot smiled slightly, and his old friend Akap also sat near Avitt.
Akapu is slightly thin, but full of energy. Before the decisive battle, he was sent out to appease and contact the surrounding city-state legions. Looking at the tens of thousands of city-state warriors near the camp, this job must have been done well.
Seeing the young man come in, Akapu also showed joy and nodded to the young man.
There are four seats around Avitt, and the one closest to him is still empty. The remaining two were occupied by two visitors from the royal capital.
Sitting close to the throne was a warrior in his thirties. He has a thin face, a square face, a solemn demeanor, a always serious expression, and a domineering look between his brows. At this time, he was raising his head slightly and carefully looking at the young man who entered the tent, his eyes sparkling with wisdom and thinking.
In another position was a young priest in his twenties, who was also wearing the fifth-level coyote priest uniform. He has a handsome appearance and always has a slight smile on his face. He doesn't look very friendly, but he has a cynical nobility. At this time, he was also looking at the young man with great interest.
Seeing the young noble priest, Stanley behind him snorted heavily, showing a bit of disdain. The noble priest also curled his lips and did not look at Stanley.
Then two more warriors came in. They carried Tisok's body and placed it in the center of the tent. The autumn on the plateau is not considered cold. Tisok's body had been dead for three days and already had a faint corpse odor.
There was silence in the big tent for a moment. The legion commander in the front row looked complicated, while the senior warriors in the back row stood up to check. The generals stared at the old king's body and were silent for a moment.
"King, Tisok has died in the battle, and Totec has committed suicide. Fortunately, you have fulfilled your destiny by going south this time. You are already the only king!"
Shulot knelt on one knee, lowered his head slightly, and held up the staff with both hands. On such a formal occasion, all the generals gathered together to maintain the majesty of the king.
The entire army commanders suddenly exclaimed. It seemed that until now, until they heard the boy's reply with their own ears, they could be sure that Tisok was really dead and that the body was really the king.
Avitt's eyes flashed with excitement on the throne. He stood up and approached, gently took the staff, handed it to the guard behind him, and then lifted the young man up with both hands.
"You have worked hard on this trip! This is your first achievement in this battle!"
The king praised loudly. He held Shulot's hand and looked around sharply at the generals in the camp.
"This is my beloved general Shulot! He is the grandson of Shuter, the high priest of the Holy City. He is my favorite student and the fiancé of my eldest daughter! Come, drink this cup together and pay tribute to my victorious warrior. !”
The generals in the camp looked solemn. They picked up the cocoa on the table and stood up together. Just as they were about to drink it, they paused for a moment and looked at each other: What should I call this?
It was the serious warrior at the head who reacted fastest, and he quickly grasped the key. He walked closer, raised the pottery cup to his chest, bowed his head seriously and saluted: "Your Highness!"
Then everyone bowed their heads and saluted: "Your Highness!" Then they drank a large glass of cold cocoa in one gulp.
The bright red cocoa juice dripped from the corners of the mouth. This is a drink for warriors and nobles, and a gift from the gods. Special juice is added to the cold cocoa to color it, and it is flavored with honey, spices and chili peppers, just like the blood of the gods.
The generals uniformly saluted loudly, giving the young man a strange feeling, as if he was drunk.
He bowed his head resolutely and returned the greeting, smelling the sweetness of honey, the pungentness of spices, and the spiciness of chili peppers in the air. Thinking of the bitter, spicy and sweet taste of cold cocoa, the boy's heart twitched and his face turned bitter. However, the slightly tipsy feeling just now disappeared all of a sudden.
Avitt then approached Tisok's body, looked at the pale and bloody face, and smelled the faint breath of death. His joy slowly faded, and deep sadness gradually appeared in his eyes.
After all, this is the second brother of his compatriot, with the tenderness of his childhood for more than ten years. Even though they later turned against each other due to power and regarded each other as enemies, the warm memories of the past could not be erased.
"Perhaps, only in the face of dead enemies and corpses that pose no threat will tenderness flow out of the king's heart again, giving the cruel power struggle a coat of tenderness."
Shulot looked at his friend who was grieving from the bottom of his heart and sighed in his heart.
"It is better to bring back such a corpse than to bring back a brother who will eventually be turned into a corpse by Avitt. This will at least preserve a little more warmth for my friends!"
After a long time, Avitt woke up from his memories. His eyes returned to indifference.
"The old king is dead, and all sins will naturally be judged by God. Take the body down and let the priests embalm it. After all, it will be brought back to the royal capital and buried in the royal cemetery."
"Remember to ask the commanders and captains of each battalion to take a look and let them confirm that Tisok is dead!"
The bodyguard bowed his head and accepted the order, then took the body out of the tent and left. The big tent became lively again, with more excitement than before.
Avitt kindly pulled the young man to the throne. Akap, the serious warrior, and the noble priest all welcomed and greeted him together.
"Come on, Shulot, let me introduce you."
Avitt held the boy's hand with one hand, and firmly pulled the serious warrior's arm with the other. The serious warrior quickly bowed his head and saluted the king.
"This is my loyal warrior Gulim. He is a hereditary noble. He has followed me for more than twenty years since he was a child. He has been planning the overall situation for me in the royal capital last year. The two thousand family warriors in Ketoko's reinforcements are His arrangement.
Gulim has worked hard over the years and achieved great results. We could win the battle to seize the army so easily, but it was all thanks to him! Now that he has come to help me plan, I will leave the intelligence work of the army to him. "
Hearing Avitt's praise, Gulim bowed his head solemnly and saluted the king again.
When Shulot heard this, his heart moved. This was his friend's absolute confidant and the future intelligence chief.
Ever since Avit raised his army, there was no longer any need to worry about Tisock's suspicion, and the old subordinates who had gone to Tarasco in the past had gathered one after another. Shulot had already met many generals, but Gulim was the only one who was introduced in such a grand manner today, which shows the status of the other general in Avitt's heart.
The young man also lowered his head and clenched his fists, saluting Gulim solemnly.
Then Gulim returned the greeting seriously again.
Seeing the formal salutes between the two people, the young noble priest next to him laughed and joked.
"Since we are all eagles, there is no need to imitate the turkey flapping its wings, let us just fly!"
Hearing these words, Gulim remained silent.
Shulot smiled and nodded to the young priest.
He had some doubts in his heart: "Where does this rich young man come from? He is ignorant of the world and compares me and Gulim to turkeys? This is more reckless and innocent than me."
Avitt also smiled upon hearing this. He held Shulot with one hand and pointed to the noble young man with the other to introduce him.
"This is one of the six elders of the chief priests of the Great Temple, the youngest son of Ugor, a hereditary noble from the royal city, Ugos. Now he is also the fifth-level hyena priest in the capital. He came this time as a means of war Priests join the army specifically to serve the Alliance.”
Hear these key messages from the chief priests and the six elders. The young man thought in his heart and seemed to realize something. He glanced at Avitt, and his friend nodded slightly. The young man looked back at Ugos with a smile on his face.
"When I first came to the camp, I heard about His Highness's reputation. When I saw him today, he turned out to be a good-looking warrior. He is indeed a warrior like a flower." Ugos commented to Shulote reservedly.
Gulim also nodded seriously in approval.
"His Highness can develop trebuchets and longbows, and is indeed good at dexterity. He has created writing, which shows his profound knowledge. He put forward the slogan to end the war in the camp, which shows that he understands people's hearts. This time, he shot the old king and forced the general to death, which was even more brave. .
I offer you another cup of cocoa. May the heart of a scholar never fall, the heart of a wise man never change, and the heart of a warrior always remain! "
After saying that, Gulim filled another cup of mixed cocoa, raised the pottery cup to his forehead with a solemn expression, and drank it all in one gulp.
Seeing Gulim like this, the young man could only sigh softly. He also filled a glass of mixed cocoa and drank it with a bow. My spirit suddenly lifted, the sweetness filled my mouth and nose, the bitterness echoed on the tip of my tongue, the heat burned my chest and abdomen, and my heart twitched again. It's so difficult!
Avitt looked at the etiquette between the two with a smile.
He smiled secretly in his heart. Xuelote only drank hot cocoa with honey, and he was particularly sensitive to chili peppers and spices. Now the young man's secretly twitching expression couldn't be hidden from him.
"Although cocoa is a drink for nobles and warriors, it is still in the secular world. The priests of the great temple do not like to drink it." Ugos also drank some cocoa and continued to interject.
"I once drank the holy water from the chief priests in the great temple in the holy city. It is a true gift from God. You must fast for three days before you can drink it. Every time I drink it, I feel like I am flying, and The gods share the joy in the heart, and it does not leave a headache like the smoke of the gods. It is truly a supreme treasure."
The young man was stunned. It sounded like some kind of specially prepared medicine that made people feel happy. He curiously asked: "Where does the holy water come from? And how can I drink it?"
Ugos smiled mysteriously, with a rather content look on his face.
He looked at Avitt and nodded in salute: "Of course the holy water comes from God's gift. When the distinguished king attends the enthronement ceremony in the capital, the chief priests will naturally offer it respectfully!"
Avitt laughed and patted Ugos on the shoulder. Shulot secretly wrote down the name of "holy water".
The dinner begins immediately. During the war, there wasn’t much fancy food, but there was a rich variety of food and plenty of portions.
Shulot first ate a corn tortilla with nopal cactus. This kind of cactus is the favorite of cochineal insects. It has a softer and fresher taste, with a sweet and refreshing taste. This is used to appetize and fill the stomach.
Then he spread out a piece of burrito, added delicious smut corn, fragrant pine mushrooms, sizzling roasted venison, and smeared it with fresh mountain honey. After carefully rolling it, take a bite and it will be tender and soft, sweet but not greasy, and have a light fragrance. This is a favorite staple food of teenagers.
After feeling sixty full, the boy took two more skewers of fresh pineapple barbecue and sprinkled them with a touch of chili powder. The sweet and sour taste of pineapple is exciting, and the slightly spicy turkey meat is grilled, slightly crispy, and soft enough. This is a non-greasy side dish.
Then, the boy thought for a moment and filled up another bowl of tomato and mushroom soup. He still liked the slightly sour taste of tomatoes and the freshness of mushrooms. This is considered a soup after a meal. I feel nine percent full.
In the end, the boy hesitated for a long time between the sweet cactus fruit and the vanilla chocolate, and finally chose two cactus fruits. Because it is October now, when the cactus fruits are just ripe.
After cooling the cactus fruit slightly with well water, he broke open the peel and took a bite.
The green and white flesh has sweet juice, just like watermelon in summer, while the purple flesh has glutinous and sweet flesh, more like dragon fruit in autumn. Then a faint feeling of flying came to the young man's mind. This was the slight illusion unique to the cactus fruit, which brought a moment of confusion.
When the banquet reached its climax, everyone had drunk tequila, and the big tent became noisy.
Avit stood up from the throne, waved the magic staff in his hand like a war stick, and made a war dance starting gesture.
The heads of the various city-states and their direct generals stood up in understanding.
The warriors stood side by side, cheering to the roar of eagles and tigers, waving shields and war clubs. They jumped with exciting steps, hitting each other from time to time, causing the roar of the battle formation, and then skillfully staggered, stepping hard on the ground, showing the agility and strength of their movements.
Stanley beat the heavy war drum, and the dull drumbeats echoed the excitement of the battle.
Akapu played the beautiful ocarina, and the distant sound of the flute flew to the distance of heaven and earth.
Shulot sang ancient divine music, and the clear and noble songs lingered in the desolation of ancient times.
Ugos murmured gorgeous arias and elegant songs describing the changes of the four seasons.
This is the warriors' praise of the battle formation and the memory of their ancestors. All the vast lands that have been experienced, all the colorful seasons that have changed, are like pictures unfolding in the memories of the past, and like the rivers that cross the hearts of everyone.
The generals then danced to their heart's content, cherishing each other in the center of the dance. They sang in unison, and there was no distinction between you and me in the ensemble. Until they are so close to each other, they no longer care about each other. It turns into a wild roar, crying and singing loudly in the intense moments!
This is the resonance and emotion of the warriors. They are lost, tipsy, and gradually forget about themselves, leaving only the collective fighting spirit!
Shulot also sang and drank. When he felt comfortable, he threw the pottery cup, snatched Stanley's war drum, and started beating Kitaro's ringing banquet! The young man roared back to the song for thousands of years, and then fell to the ground drunk without knowing it.
When he woke up, the night wind was slightly chilly, and he was covered with Avitt's cloak. He looked around the large tent, which was full of drunken generals, and then looked up at the smiling Avitt on the throne.
"My unparalleled warrior, how was today's dinner?"
Having just woken up, the young man's heart was still filled with the pleasure and wantonness of the feast.
He laughed and praised:
“Drunk and drunk, I draw my sword and sing loudly, the lyrics are so intense that it shakes the world.
The ambition is to know that great achievements will be achieved, and the heart of domination is still thinking of strong men.
The crowd chased me with a melodious sound, how generous I looked around when I danced! "
Avitt chuckled:
"Xulot, there is no need to say something unintelligible. How was the dinner? Was it good or bad?"
"Of course it's excellent! Before today's banquet, I brought Tisok's corpse and showed too much power. The generals were in awe and obeyed, but they could not help but feel sad.
The banquet was so enjoyable that the city-states and their direct generals could gather together, and the priests and warriors drank and sang together. All generals will be able to open their hearts and eliminate the grudges in their hearts. "
"After the dinner, all the hearts of the people will belong to you!"
Xiulote clapped his hands and praised: "Even I was drunk by you tonight, and you made so many wanton gestures, it's really unimaginable!"
"No! No!" The young man suddenly realized, "Avit, what kind of medicine did you put in this wine?!"
The king on the throne smiled and said nothing. Gulim then turned out from behind the shadow of the throne, bowed deeply to the young man, and apologized solemnly.
