The sacred fire was blazingly lit, and the sacrificial smoke rose in the square, bringing a divine atmosphere. The altar is erected high, and the chants of the priests echo in the valley, like the whispers of gods.
"...The sun rises on the wasteland, and the Lord God Huitzilopochtli ascends to the highest place! He is supreme, supreme, and omnipotent. He controls the divine heaven and earth, rules over all the ministries in the world, and also rules over the people of the wasteland !...The supreme lord God protects the alliance and bestows the divine power of thunder and fire! Under the watchful eye of the lord god, the sacred Northern Expedition achieved a perfect victory!..."
Shulot, wearing complicated sacrificial robes, stood at the highest point of the altar. He held the emerald staff high, opened his arms, and prayed to the supreme god.
The square was filled with solemnity. Under the altar and altar, there were hundreds of priests singing, thousands of warriors killing, and tens of thousands of surrendered Guakili tribesmen. At this moment, tens of thousands of people knelt on the ground, bathed in the light of the Lord God, crawled at the feet of the king, and offered their initial surrender.
"Supreme Lord God! In order to thank you for your blessing, I offer you the most noble sacrifice. He is the culprit of the southern invasion and the descendant of the god in the northern wilderness! He has the blood of the god and was killed by the army of the Lord God. ..”
Shulot's chant became louder and louder, and the accompaniment of the priest group also reached the sky. Soon, the priest king waved his magic staff, and the eight wooden cannons exploded like thunder. The faces of the Guakili tribe in the audience looked horrified, which soon turned into deep awe. In the eyes of tens of thousands of people, the dead Chichika leader was dressed in wolf robes, lying on a stretcher sprinkled with spices, and was carried to the altar by four priests.
Shulot's face was solemn, as if he possessed divinity. He secretly held his breath, chanted a few words again, and then threw Chichika's body into the sacred fire. Then, he prayed to the Lord God again and offered dead coyotes, peaceful elk, and a good harvest of river fish. For these two coyotes and elk, thousands of warriors worked hard all day before catching them from the mountains to the east.
"Praise the Lord God, you give us long life! Praise the Lord God, you give us peace after death! Praise the Lord God, you give us the harvest of the fields...and the victory of the Northern Expedition!"
The chants of the priests of the main god echoed in the small town, accompanied by strange dances, as mysterious as the priests of the wilderness. The heads of various ministries fell down in the front square, their faces full of awe. Behind them, there were tribesmen densely packed like a colony of ants.
"Ozoma, isn't the Death Chief the incarnation of Death? Why does he keep praising this main god, the Sun God, and the God of War?"
Chief Massat of Red Deer fell to his knees. Although his face was full of awe, it didn't seem to affect his low murmur.
"Hush! Dudelu, what are you thinking about?"
Red Monkey Chief Ozoma looked pious and replied in a low voice.
"Isn't this simple? The main god is the biggest, and the god of death is the second. Although the chief of death is powerful, he is not old and is not the big leader of the Southern Alliance. Above him, there is also the big chief who is the incarnation of the main god. When the big chief dies, The Death Chief will become the Lord God Chief!"
"Ah, so it can be changed? Then it depends on who has more magic power and who is stronger..."
"Of course! If you are strong, you are naturally blessed by the gods... The Death Chief is the strongest right now, so why don't we just listen to him..."
The low whispers dispersed in the divine smoke and then stopped quietly. For the leaders of the wasteland, it is appropriate to revere the gods, but after they are done with reverence, they can do whatever they want. To spread the faith of the Lord God into their hearts requires a long period of naturalization.
"God has come and is watching over His people! Offer your piety and give your souls to the Lord God!"
Soon, several high-pitched chants sounded. The priests poured dozens of kilograms of sulfur into several piles of sacred fire, and the blue flames rose up. Seeing this mysterious spell, the Guakili tribesmen were immediately in chaos, shouting with fear.
However, in front of thousands of elite warriors, they had no choice. Shulot looked around at the crowded crowd, took a deep breath, and shouted loudly.
"People of the Lord God! Drink up the wine of blood, offer up your hair, surrender to the Lord God, and shine His glory!"
The drum sound of "dong dong" sounded in an instant, followed by the singing of the priest of the main god and the war dance of the Mexica warriors! Each tribe of Guakili came forward in groups of thousands to receive baptism from the priests. The red-haired warriors of the tribe have always been fearless of life and death, and regard death in battle as their way home. However, at this moment, when they watched their red hair turn into blue smoke and fly into the sky of the Mexica Kingdom, they actually showed deep fear.
Sacate and Ozoma are no exception. The two canine chiefs offered their hair, drank blood wine, and were led to the edge of the altar. They looked at each other, and for the first time, they saw real uneasiness in each other's eyes. In this era, the rituals of gods and souls will always have practical constraints in people's hearts. In the wasteland where the king's power is beyond the reach, only divine power still has power.
Shulot stood solemnly on the high platform, watching the people in front of him. After the conversion ceremony begins, he does not need to do it himself, he only needs to be a divine sculpture. With this free time, he lowered his eyes and thought about the arrangements after the Northern Expedition.
The three armies pursued for seven or eight days and wiped out all the ministries in the valley. The Eastern Route Army even caught up with the tail of more than 3,000 Red Crow warriors and bitten off hundreds of canine men. Afterwards, under the leadership of Chief Red Crow, hundreds of red-haired hunters fought to the death, and then the covering tribal brigade boarded the bamboo rafts and boats. It wasn't until more than two thousand tribesmen went east along the Tampeng River, and hundreds of elites behind them fled away under the cover of night, that the pursuing legions returned.
At this point in the Northern Expedition, everything has settled. Red Dog, Red Stork, and Red Salamander were completely wiped out. Red Dog and Chief Red Stork died in battle, and Chief Red Stork disappeared. The Red Deer and Red Monkey tribes suffered heavy losses and surrendered to the Alliance. Only the unexpected rise of the Red Crow tribe forced thousands of tribesmen to flee eastward without knowing where they were going.
Before the Northern Expedition, there were about 60,000 to 70,000 tribes of dog descendants in the east. During the northern expedition that lasted for several months, 10,000 strong men of dog descent died in battle or disappeared, more than 10,000 tribesmen migrated eastward, and 3,000 to 4,000 old and weak people fled into the northwest wilderness. The remaining 40,000 canine descendants all surrendered to the coalition forces. At this moment, they knelt at the feet of the king, converted to the supreme god, and accepted the baptism of the priests.
After capturing the valley, Shulot had 40,000 more mouths under his command. The food captured in the city of Palms was limited and could not support the army stationed for too long. After the sacrificial ceremony is held today, within three days, the first batch of more than 10,000 dog descendants will go south, embarking on a migration road of more than 700 miles.
At this point, the Northern Expedition can be declared over. The three legions mobilized in June and July, sent troops in early August, captured the valley in early November, and sacrificed the leader of the red dog. Thousands of people from the Red Fox Tribe fled west, and tens of thousands from the Red Crow Tribe fled eastward. Three tribes, the Red Dog, Red Stork, and Red Salamander, were killed in the battle. Four tribes, the Red Frog, Red Cat, Red Monkey, and Red Deer, surrendered...The chiefs of each tribe took the stage in turn. The curtain ends again, countless calculations and ambitions are scattered in the wind, and finally there is a clean white expanse!
More than 100,000 dog descendants went south, more than 20,000 people were killed and injured, and more than 20,000 people fled. The remaining more than 60,000 tribes were captured and surrendered by the Alliance, and will soon become subjects of the kingdom.
"There are more than 60,000 people, and most of them are young and strong men and women. They are brave enough to fight. They are excellent soldiers!"
Thinking of this, a smile appeared on Shulot's face. After many battles with the canine descendants, he changed his original plan. It would be a pity if these warlike Guakili tribes were used as serfs. He planned to organize the various ministries into fifteen or six 4,000-strong flag brigades and place them in Hekou County, which has the smallest population. Subsequently, a Guakili Legion will be formed from more than 60,000 tribes, with two 3,000-man battle groups under its jurisdiction. According to the king's promise, they will be handed over to the Red Frog and Red Monkey chiefs respectively. Of course, this legion must first devoutly convert to the main god, accept the management of the war priest, and then integrate enough kingdom officers.
Shulot glanced at the chiefs who were lying on the ground, then moved his eyes to look at the guarding Otomi nobles of the three kingdoms.
At the beginning of the Northern Expedition, the three Otomi states mobilized a total of 16,000 warriors and 10,000 to 20,000 militiamen to maintain food routes. The Mexican Legion dispatched 8,000 elites, including 6,000 janitors and 2,000 longbow militia. At the end of the Northern Expedition, the Legion of Palmos had been disbanded, and the remaining thousand men were incorporated into the Legion of Mexica. The remaining two states have just over 10,000 warriors left.
All in all, the Otomi Three Kingdoms suffered casualties of 5,000 samurai and thousands of militiamen responsible for transportation. After adding Otomi warriors and canine prisoners, the Mexican Legion was still full of 8,000 men. However, such a long journey, which only lasted for three months, consumed all the food in the Otomi Three Kingdoms and Kawakou County of the Kingdom. From the perspective of actual logistics, the Southern Allied Forces' military front could only go so far.
First, the dog descendants invaded the south, and then the coalition army marched north. The Otomi nobles of the three kingdoms suffered heavy casualties, and the remaining noble private armies were deliberately integrated. Shulot planned all the way, and the kingdom was finally able to step in, transform the priests of the original god, and initially take control of the three kingdoms of Otomi.
If I could describe it in one sentence, it would be that the three Otomi kingdoms had finally integrated from the disloyal appearance of the vassal alliance to the loyal lineage of the vassal kingdom.
After initially grasping the three states, the number of Dingkou in each state was recorded. Before and after the Northern Expedition, the population of Otopan State in the south was approximately over 200,000, which remained basically unchanged. The population of Guamare State in the west dropped from nearly 200,000 to about 150,000. The northern state of Parmus was the most miserable, with its population reduced from 150,000 to 60,000 to 60,000, with only a fraction of the original population remaining. Taking the three countries together, there are only just over 400,000 people left in the Otomi tribes. You know, a few years ago, including Xilotepec State, there were millions of Otomi people!
"The cruel war will cleanse everything, destroy the old production relations, and give birth to a new productive class... I will give birth to them with my own hands!"
Shulot opened his eyes, and the flames flashed out of his eyes. Now counting, there are three main achievements of the Northern Expedition. The first is to capture tens of thousands of dog-born Dingguo, the second is to conquer the three kingdoms of Otomi, and the third is to obtain a stable outpost in the wasteland, Palms City.
Amidst the songs chanted by the priests, he thought about the follow-up arrangements of the Three Kingdoms.
"The state of Pamus continues to be autonomous by the local nobles, but the city of Pamus is designated as a direct territory of the alliance, with Paramo as the city lord. The six thousand serfs and prisoners of war who have regained their freedom will be the most precious wealth in the city of Pamus. Well, leave five hundred Mexica warriors in Páramo, one thousand Pamus warriors, and recruit five hundred more from prisoners of war. This is two thousand warriors, enough to defend the city of Pamus."
After a northern expedition, more than 100,000 Guakili dog descendants were wiped out. Within two generations, none of the Guakili tribes had the ability to invade south. However, tribes in the wilderness migrated between each other, chasing prey and water. The large blank left by the Guakili people may soon be discovered by the Toboso, Jumano and even Concho people further north, and then gradually migrate south.
"The Dingkou in the Palms Valley is still too thin. Even if we gather the surrounding refugees, there will only be less than 20,000 people."
Shulot stared at the blazing holy fire and was silent.
"It is still necessary to leave five thousand canine tribes to fill the population of the valley, and to establish a thousand-man canine camp."
Thinking of this, the king's mind flashed through the faces of chiefs, and finally settled on the most harmless face.
"Well, I have faced the power of new weapons, been frightened by the Alliance, been betrayed by Red Fox and Red Frog, and experienced the despair of being sacrificed... It's you, Red Cat Chief Mizli!"
Shulot smiled faintly. After being captured, Mizli has been imprisoned in the Red Fox Valley, receiving instruction from the priests of the Lord God. When the army returns, he will personally assess one or two to decide the opponent's fate.
"A flexible city lord, 25,000 soldiers, and 3,000 warriors. The balance between the Mexica, Otomi, and Guakili people...With this arrangement, even if they are separated by 700 miles, they can at least maintain contact. More than ten years!"
The king lowered his head slightly and looked at the rich Parmus Valley and the vicissitudes of Parmus City. Then, he continued to look south, across the journey, to the mountain city hundreds of miles away.
"The Guamare State in the west maintains aristocratic autonomy, with Chief Chalki as its leader. The mountain city of Otopan in the south is a key node. Although it has promised autonomy, it needs to set aside a fiefdom nearby and station an army of the kingdom. "
Shulot sniffed the burnt air, his expression calm and relaxed. He has already thought about it in his heart, and his will cannot be violated.
"The two thousand longbow militiamen of the First Lance Corps were stationed around the mountain city and built field camps! As for the vacancies in the First Lance Corps, they were filled from the canine prisoners. The Guakili people happened to be good at shooting, so they would also Settling in Hekou County. After the dog descendants convert to the Lord God, a thousand archers will be dispatched to make up for the vacancies in the Imperial Guard Corps..."
The sun at noon gradually sets in the west, and then slowly sets. The rays of the setting sun dyed the sky red, and it was another brilliant sunset. The sacred sacrificial ceremony lasted for one day, and 40,000 Guakili tribe members were baptized.
And in the red sunset, under the gaze of tens of thousands of dog descendants, Shulot took off his sacrificial clothes and put on the wolf robe representing the chief. Then, he personally stretched out his hand to face the sacred red sky, flying Chichika's ashes in the wind and scattered them into the vast wilderness.
This is the tradition of the wilderness and the inheritance of the chief!
Seeing this scene, tens of thousands of Guakili tribesmen were stunned on the spot, and the small town was silent for a while.
Red Monkey Chief Ozoma has been prepared. He was the first to stand up, raised his hands, and with the guards around him, shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Praise the Great Chief! The powerful Death Chief is the real Lord of the Wasteland!"
Then, Chief Red Deer and Chief Red Frog also stood up and cheered. Within a moment, the sound of shouting echoed in the valley, with a power that shocked people's hearts.
"The Death Chief! The true Lord of the Wasteland!"
In the afterglow of the setting sun, Shulot laughed boldly and looked towards the north. The wilderness in the north is two to three thousand miles long, and further north is the endless North American continent. There is endless land and endless journeys!
The grand sacrificial ceremony came to an end in the night. Shulot invited Chief Guakili and the Otomi nobles to have a dinner together. At the end of the dinner, it turned into a ceremony of allegiance. The king smiled and comforted everyone one by one, holding everyone's hair.
Three days later, the first group of legions and tribes began to move south, and the subsequent southward migration teams stretched for nearly a hundred miles. The Guakili tribesmen blew their horns, howled like wolves, sang sad songs, and disappeared at the end of the mountain road. They will leave the familiar wasteland and go to the unknown fertile land of the south and the powerful Cactus Kingdom.
More than ten days later, Black Wolf's Wang Qi left Palms City and embarked on the long road back south, escorted by thousands of soldiers.
With the fluttering royal flag ringing, Shulot ascended to the valley entrance camp. He turned around for the last time and looked at the wilderness in the north. There was another red sunset, as if it was the call from the end of the mountains.
The king listened calmly for a moment and nodded. He smiled and said to the sunset.
"Don't worry, I will come! In my lifetime."
