The cool wind blows, and the flowers and plants in the courtyard tremble in the cold. The warrior's hanging feathers swayed silently, and the scene was solemn for a moment.
Tikalo looked at Shulot's sudden tall figure and felt fear in his heart for the first time. He struggled futilely in the hands of the warriors and shouted desperately.
"Your Highness! Your Highness! Let me go! I am a close friend of the Orosh Warrior Commander. Ever since we met two years ago, I have been sincerely devoted to you! The God of War can learn from you!"
Listening to the Mayan merchant's begging for mercy and the God of War's oath, Shulot frowned slightly. The opponent is full of nonsense, but his psychological defense is still solid.
He put away his smile, turned around expressionlessly, and stared at the businessman coldly.
"Oh? Are you Mr. Olosh's best friend? But he told me that you are a complete profiteer. Ever since he smoked a pack of cigarettes from you when he was young, he has never been able to repay the money he owed. .Today, I will take your life here and let the teacher’s account be written off!”
Tikalo's face froze, and he became very cold. He tried hard to move his slender head and defended loudly.
"Your wise highness! You always have to charge interest for things you lend out. What's more, in these years, I have never asked Orosh for principal and interest. I swear by Quetzalcoatl, I have always been a good entertainer!"
Tikalo sincerely swears by the great Quetzalcoatl god Kukulkan. This is the most important belief of the Mayans and is rarely violated. Because it is indeed the case. Although big businessmen love to lend usury, charging usury also depends on the person.
Ever since Olosh became the warrior chief of the Holy City, he had never mentioned the money he owed. Every time they met, he would lend Olosh some cigarettes to try to establish contact. Of course, the bill is always remembered, and the monthly interest is exactly the same. If something happens to the samurai commander in the future and his status is no longer guaranteed, he still has to take out his small book.
Shulot shook his head calmly. He didn't speak, just watched Ti Carlo being dragged onto the high altar.
"Your Highness! Spare my life! This, I, Orosh's account has been wiped out!"
Standing on the high platform of sacrifice, looking at the mottled bloodstains, Tikalo felt like duckweed in the wind, and his legs trembled. He hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and yelled.
Shulot carefully looked at Ti Carlo's expression, and the other person's expression was only slightly panicked. He shook his head again and spoke slowly.
"Well, the account has been wiped off. But the Lord God loves rare fruits, so he still wants to sacrifice the pickers to serve Him in the Kingdom of God. You said you picked these yourself?"
Tikalo's wise head was spinning rapidly. Hearing the young man's relaxed tone, his heart moved slightly and he shouted quickly.
"No, I ordered my servant to pick it. It's the old servant at the door! He will replace me and devote himself to the gods!"
Hearing this, the old servant at the door trembled and said nothing, just nodded silently. Big businessmen are extremely wealthy and have no sense of security. They always keep servants and guards who are willing to die. The purpose of raising a man for a thousand days is to be used at this time.
Shulot ignored it. He just scolded authoritatively.
"Ti Carlo, you didn't pick this precious fruit yourself? How dare you deceive me!"
"Yes, ah! No... Although I didn't do this myself, my admiration for you remains unchanged!"
Tikalo's hands and feet were firmly held down, and he was laid flat on the sacrificial platform. His body kept trembling, and he nodded his divine head desperately, but his words were still clear and coherent.
Shulot thought for a moment and pondered slightly.
"In that case, then only offer precious fruits to God."
The warriors on the left and right let go of their hands, and the Mayan merchant breathed a sigh of relief. He got up from the ground and smiled.
"Your Highness, you are so majestic and funny! The joke you just made almost scared me to death."
Hearing this, Shulot frowned slightly and his eyes turned cold.
His face was solemn again, he took the long bow from the attendant, attached the obsidian arrow, and aimed it at Ti Carlo's chest. The warriors on the left and right also raised their sharp war clubs and aimed them at the merchant's vital points. The Mayan businessman was like a frog stared at by a snake, standing motionless for an instant. The boundary between life and death blurred in an instant, and sweat poured down his back.
"Sacrifice the precious fruit. Let the Lord God decide your fate!"
Shulot aimed for a moment and lowered his bow. He picked a fist-sized cactus fruit from the merchant's gift, thought about his archery skills, and then replaced it with a pineapple as big as a human head. Then, he motioned to the guards to place the pineapple on the merchant's head.
The Mayan merchant's head is long and slender, with a rounded slant, and the pineapple cannot be placed safely.
The young man's heart froze, and he shouted solemnly.
"Hold it with your hands! Hold it firmly! If it falls, it will destroy the sacrificial ceremony, which is a capital crime!"
Tikalo held the pineapple with both hands and held it with his head. Three points form the triangle of destiny. Under the fate, he was trembling with fear and wanted to cry but had no tears.
Shulot was extremely majestic. He raised his bow again and gestured for a long time to aim. After looking at the size of the target, he took a few steps forward and gestured again. The sweat of the Mayan merchant had soaked his clothes, and drops dripped from the corners of his clothes on the altar, soaking the blood of the sacrifice.
Shulot looked again at the normally distributed target not far away. The Mayan businessman had been watching the young man, and now he turned his eyes and aimed at the human-shaped target beside him. Then, his legs began to shake violently, and he prayed crazily to Quetzalcoatl in his heart.
Shulot searched for the feeling again, and finally coughed.
"Ahem, Bertard. I want to communicate with the gods and pray for their attention. I will leave the sacrificial ceremony to you. It depends on the choice of fate! Shoot more accurately."
The young man lowered his voice so that only two people could hear the last sentence.
The corners of Bertard's mouth curled up slightly. He nodded calmly, half-drawn the long bow, and took aim carefully. After thinking about past experiences, I moved up a little.
Tikalo was shaking like chaff and his legs were weak. Sweat dripped from his forehead and slid down his cheeks and neck, carrying the rich aroma of pineapple, which seemed to enchant the soul.
Time is as long as a century. Then, the bow trembled with a "buzz" sound, and an arrow shot with a "swish" sound, and then with a "bang" sound, the pineapple split and juice splashed everywhere.
The Mayan merchant was trembling with fear. The impact of the bow and arrow pushed him back, and his weak legs were no longer stable. He fell backward suddenly, his hands still not daring to let go, and the pineapple juice flowed down his slender forehead, slid over the tip of his breath-holding nose, and fell into his dry mouth.
Tikalo tasted it subconsciously. The sweet and sour taste of pineapple juice is the taste of fate and the beauty of life after disaster. He looked at Shulot again, with fear that could not be concealed on his face.
Shulot carefully observed the merchant's expression. He nodded secretly, his defenses finally breaking, and he was cast into the shadow of the king.
So, the young man moved forward with a smile. Pulling up old acquaintances from the ground and speaking gently and comfortingly.
"Tikallo, the gods have made their choice. Your guilt of deception is forgiven and you are now my guest!"
The Mayan businessman was covered in cold sweat and his emotions had not yet calmed down, but Nono was speechless.
Later, Shulot asked someone to bring brand new clothes for the businessman to put on. Then he took him into the main hall and sat across from him.
The warriors put away their weapons and guarded the hall inside and outside. The attendants brought cocoa drinks, tequila liquor, honey sweet water, and delicious snacks.
"Come, Tikalo. Drink this cup and thank the Lord God for his blessing! Destiny brings us together!" Shulot drank the cocoa in one gulp. This is his favorite taste, hot cocoa with honey.
As a businessman, Ticaro could only drink tequila. Looking at the smiling young man, his mood was complicated and changing. The once ignorant young priest has grown into a sharp-edged man capable of taking life and death.
He thought about it silently for a moment, blaming himself secretly. Today, I was affected by the memory of the past, and with contempt for the young man, I lost my caution when facing the Venerable. But the person sitting across from him was no longer a child, but the heir to a powerful empire.
When Ti Carlo thought of this, the past memories were completely blurred and dispersed, leaving only an arrow that pierced his heart, like the irresistible power of the king.
The Mayan merchant moved his lips, and finally just bowed.
"Thank you, Your Highness. Thank you Lord God for your blessing!"
Xiuluo nodded and smiled slightly. He looked at the businessman with majestic eyes.
"Ti Carlo, what do you want here? But it doesn't matter."
The businessman opened his mouth, paused for a moment, and then sighed.
"Dear Your Highness. I came here this time to propose business law to you, but now I dare not say anything more."
"Very good. Let's talk about something else."
Hearing the businessman's honesty, Shulot smiled with satisfaction. Immediately, he looked serious and asked in a deep voice.
"Where did your bronze battle ax come from? Are there more?"
Ti Carlo's face froze, and he subconsciously tried to fool him. He raised his head and saw the young man's expression. The previous experience resurfaced again, and his body trembled slightly. The businessman paused and then told his secret.
"The bronze battle ax comes from the loose southern city-state of the Tarascans. The Lake Patzcuaro area is the center of Tarascan rule, and the copper mines there are tightly controlled. However, starting from the lake capital, along the Balsas The river goes all the way west, passing through the territory of the Jontar people, and goes deep into the Huetamo Mountains south of the Tarasco people. There are still a large number of open-pit spotted copper mines.
Weitamo State is south of the Balsas River. Poor mountain tribes have been secretly mining these copper mines. They would make bronze vessels and sell them through foreign merchants in exchange for various expensive luxuries. The sixty bronze battle axes I brought came from the southernmost tribe. It was the farthest place from Qin Congcan, the capital of the Tarascans, and the tribe was the boldest, even daring to forge bronze weapons for sale.
I've been there. There are still a lot of spotted copper mines in the mountains, but the bronze weapons are gone. After all, the mountain tribes in the south have a limited number of people. Mining and casting are labor-intensive tasks, so their scale has never been large. I am afraid that it is precisely because of this that Qin Congcan, the capital, turns a blind eye to the border mountainous areas. "
Shulot thought carefully. Huetamo Mountains, copper mines. Well, who mentioned it to me? He looked at Bertard, who was guarding him.
Bertard nodded seriously.
"I have been there. The mountains there are full of colorful gilded ores. However, the terrain in the mountains is steep, there are many forests, and the mountain people are extremely tough and flexible. They are not suitable for large armies to conquer."
Shulot pondered for a moment. This kind of thing is most convenient for businessmen to do. He looked at Tikalo solemnly and majestically.
"Tikallo, I need more copper ore. Are you willing to go to Wetamobang to buy copper ore for me? The alliance has no shortage of craftsmen, and there is as much pure copper ore as you want. The price is right, bronze weapons and bronze vessels Want them all too.
If you are willing to serve the alliance, the alliance will list you as a secret military intelligence merchant and provide you with various discounts to ensure your safety in the alliance. I will also provide you with elite warriors and strong ships.
In the name of the patron saint, I promise that as long as you collect enough copper mines and intelligence, you can become a military noble of the alliance! And once you achieve great service, you can become a hereditary noble of the alliance and pass it on from generation to generation in the fiefdom! "
Hearing this, Tikalo raised his head sharply. His eyes flashed, and strong desire jumped in his heart. As a big businessman with no worries about food and clothing, his biggest wish is to obtain a fiefdom, truly become a member of the ruling class, and get rid of the fate of life and death in the hands of others!
He subconsciously touched his wise head, feeling the smooth feel and divine arc. His agitated mood slowly calmed down. In the powerful Mexica Alliance, he is just a foreigner with no roots, and no other holy kind can be seen. Even if you really have a fiefdom here, it is difficult to integrate into the ruling class. As long as there is a slight disturbance, it will overthrow.
Tikalo's thoughts were ups and downs, and reason and emotion were alternately struggling. After a moment, he sighed quietly.
"Your Highness. The wise sea turtle should belong to the boundless salt water outside the Yucatan jungle. How can he survive in the freshwater lakes of the Mexican plateau under countless crocodile kisses?"
Hearing the merchant's rejection, Shulot was slightly surprised. He looked at Ti Carlo carefully again, sighing at the other's wisdom in his heart, but with murderous intent in his eyes.
Tikalo shuddered and his rationality completely returned. He bowed his head respectfully and saluted again.
"Your Highness, I am happy to serve you. After the New Year, I will set off to Weitamo State to purchase copper mines at a fair price for you. As for military information, my servant always can't control his mouth. He will return when he returns After the capital in the lake, tell it to the great sage."
Shulot's expression remained unchanged and he shook his head slightly. This one-sided service relationship was not what he wanted. Without solid common interests, it is impossible to truly conquer the businessmen in front of you, and it is impossible for the other party to do their best to complete the alliance's tasks.
He pondered again for a moment and spoke slowly.
"Tikallo, you are a smart man. I have ambitions for the world. As long as you are truly loyal to me, I will promise you a satisfactory future. Remember you come from Tuturxiu, a rich land rich in cotton?
So do you want to return to Yucatan and become a Mayan noble lord? Sooner or later the warriors of Mexica would set foot on the shores of Yucatán. Backed by tens of thousands of Mexican legions, you will become the noble Calomute, like the mythical king Jaguar Claw! "
Tikalo's eyes flickered again. Longing leaps violently in the chest, and the family's past glory is recorded in the inherited verses, chanted over and over again in the mind. He looked at Shulot's solemn face again, feeling the young man's sincerity and the murderous intention hidden behind his sincerity.
After a long time, the Mayan merchant finally lowered his sacred head. He closed his eyes, bowed to the young man, and paid homage.
"I am willing to serve you, my king."
Tikalo took off the silver crown on his head, revealing his complete and slender head.
"I swear by the Quetzalcoatl God Kukulkan, I, Tikalo of the Holy Cocom family, will be your feather to help you soar into the sky!"
Looking at the kneeling businessman in front of him, Shulot smiled slightly. There was a youthful romance in his smile.
