Outside the city of Cholula, the twelve priest families were lined up two miles outside the city. They held high ancient feather flags, wore the same ancient Toltec costumes, and behaved elegantly and regally. Beside the priests, there are a large group of priest apprentices holding sacred objects, and ceremonial attendants holding high ritual vessels.
Further outside, two hundred Cholula girls held flowers in their hands, waiting respectfully and cutely; thousands of temple warriors held war clubs and were on guard at the outermost perimeter.
In the center of the crowd, there was the leader of the Cholula priests, Petel, who was wearing an ancient rain god sacrificial robe, a heavy obsidian crown, and holding a turquoise scepter.
For the ancient Toltecs, Quetzalcoatl was the most important main god, and the Rain God was the second main god. Together, they ruled the sky, the earth, and people. However, after the religious reform, the Mexican Union rejected Quetzalcoatl, so Petel flexibly adjusted his beliefs and put on the ceremonial robes of the storm rain god. In the alliance, the Rain God is also the number one subordinate god after the God of War.
The old fox Petel narrowed his eyes and looked at the southern sky. In the vast wilderness, the scout team of the Mexican Legion was looming. They are like exposed weapons, always showing a menacing threat. To the west of Nancheng is the towering Shenshan Mountains, where you can see the shining peaks of Yanfeng Mountain with glaciers.
"Damn Quiao!... I asked him to lobby the high priests and provoke the priests and elders. How did he recruit the high priests?! I must tell him not to provoke those two old guys!" ..”
Petel's face was calm, but there were dark clouds in his heart. He wanted to use his scepter to hammer Quaio to death.
He had received a promise from the King of Mexica and had just returned from the north in a low-key manner. It had only been three or four days since he arrived in the city of Cholula. The Wezier war elders had returned from the south long ago and reported the results of the negotiations to "hand over tens of thousands of Moth people and reconcile with the South Route Army."
Everything went according to his plan. Although it was not perfect, it was enough for Cholula City to survive this crisis safely. And a brighter future seems to be right in front of us, but suddenly there is a variable that is difficult to deal with...
"Hoo, ho ho!"
Two moments later, the desolate sound of pottery xuns sounded from the southern horizon, drifting far away to the Holy City. Patel suddenly became solemn, and the priests and elders also stopped talking and arranged their gorgeous ancient sacrificial clothes. Soon, a group of people appeared in the distant wilderness, getting closer and closer.
Under the escort of two hundred Mexica warriors, an old man wearing sacrificial robes, a stone crown on his head, and holding a scepter was walking slowly like a god with a solemn expression.
The leader of the priests, Petel, straightened his crest and strode out of the group. He came to the old man with a smile and nodded politely.
"Shuter, my old friend, I haven't seen each other for more than ten years..."
The high priest looked calm and said nothing. He straightened his spine, with eyes as bright as morning stars, raised the staff in his hand high, and then leveled it downwards.
"..."
Patel paused for a moment, his expression darkened, and a surge of anger rose in his heart. As the leader of the priests, he naturally knew the meaning of this action. This is the etiquette for "spirits" to meet each other, and it is also the "master-slave etiquette" for the "master god" to meet the "subordinate gods". At this moment, the actions of the high priest represent the main god!
The old fox's face turned blue and white. He has been in charge of the world's divine power for twenty years and is the leader of the Eastern Holy City. At that time, the high priest of the Western Holy City was just one of the leaders of the two major priest groups of the Mexica Alliance. More than ten years ago, he met the high priest, and it was in his capacity as the main god that he asked the other party to perform the "master-slave ceremony." But today, times are different, and the status of the gods has been reversed...
"Um?"
The high priest smiled half-heartedly, looking at his old friend whom he had not seen for more than ten years.
"..."
Petel gritted his teeth and lowered his head. He lowered the staff in his hand, then leveled it upwards.
"Ding!"
The two jeweled staffs touched heavily and made a crisp sound, symbolizing the divine meeting. Then Petel knelt down on one knee with difficulty, saluted, and stood up again.
"Um!"
The high priest smiled and nodded with satisfaction.
"Patel, I haven't seen you for more than ten years. It's such a joy to reunite with an old friend!"
"Ahem, respected high priest, I am extremely happy to see my old friend again."
Petel's face forced a smile. Then, he extended his hand and pointed towards the welcoming crowd.
"The families of the twelve priests have been waiting for you outside the city for a long time with their sacred objects and ritual guards. Let the musicians play divine music and the girls dance with flowers before presenting them to you!"
"Oh? It's a grand ceremony to welcome His Holiness! Such an ancient ceremony can only be performed in the holy city of Cholula."
The high priest looked at it with a smile and sighed. Then, his smile faded and he said with a faint solemnity.
"The city of Cholula has not yet surrendered to the Alliance. It is an enemy rather than a friend at this time! Don't make these decadent false gifts!... We will go directly to the Holy Temple on the 'man-made mountain' Trachvaltpetl, where Let’s talk about the outcome!”
"...yes."
Old fox Petel's expression changed. After a while, he lowered his head, suppressed all his dissatisfaction, and smiled gently.
"High Priest, I will listen to you."
Later, the priest leader Petel ordered the welcoming team to disperse, and the warriors were on guard in the outer city. The elders of the twelve priest families all went to the Holy Temple to hold talks with the high priest of the alliance. After everything was taken care of, he stepped forward and saluted again, respectfully and resolutely.
"Dear High Priest, your guard warriors will stay in the outer city for the time being. Your safety will be taken care of by the Holy City Cholula. You only need to bring a few attendants!"
"oh?"
The high priest had a smile on his face and looked at Peter, who was looking down at him. He nodded slightly, gave a few instructions, left two hundred Mexica warriors behind, and headed toward the inner city with only Shadow Chevali and a few attendants.
The holy city of Cholula is quite large, with no outer city and only an inner city in the temple area. The city wall of the inner city is seven or eight meters high. It is made of solid stone and is made of clay mixed with mortar to thicken and strengthen it, just like a small fortress. At this moment, there are a thousand Cholula temple warriors guarding the city walls. They all knelt on the city wall, put down their weapons, and saluted the gods in their hearts devoutly and the procession of priests who passed by. These temple warriors have been loyal to Cholula for generations and are the most reliable force in the hands of the priests.
Beyond the inner city wall, the Cholula Pyramid, Tracvartpetl, which is 450 meters long and 60 to 70 meters high, towers on a high hill not far away, as stable as a mountain. Towering!
In the Nahua language, Tlachihualtepetl means "mountain built with hands", an artificial mountain!
The high priest entered the inner city and stopped. He squinted his eyes and stared at the ancient Great Pyramid, as if he was seeing the bygone Toltec era.
"Respected High Priest, Lachwaltpetl, is the habitat of the Nava gods and a sacred residence recognized by the world!"
Priest leader Petel told the story proudly with a smile on his face.
"After the Teotihuacan people colluded with the volcano demons and were abandoned by the gods. The city of Cholula began to rise, and Lachivaltepetl was built accordingly! Under the protection of the gods, the Great Pyramid continued to be built, Throughout the Toltec era, construction took a full six hundred years, and it was finally completed six hundred years ago!..."
"Rachvaltepetl is the most magnificent pyramid in the world and the most sacred blessing from the gods! With the blessing of the gods, the city of Cholula has experienced the Teotihuacan era, the Tolte era From the Christian era to today's Mexica era! It unites the hearts of people from all over the world of Nahua and is an unparalleled holy place in the world!..."
Having said this, Petel looked at the high priest with deep eyes, meaning something.
"Dear High Priest of Mexico, no matter how the world changes, no matter how the city-states rise and fall, the holy city of Cholula has lasted for thousands of years and will always be immortal in the world! And it stands firmly here, connected to the fate of the ancient priest family, With the blessing of the gods, it will be passed down for another thousand years!”
"Oh? It has been passed down for thousands of years and is immortal in the world?... What a great and sacred wonder!"
Hearing this, a bright smile appeared on the high priest's face. He admired the towering "artificial mountain" and admired it from the bottom of his heart! Then, he turned around, raised the corners of his mouth, looked at the old fox in front of him, and issued a torture that hit his soul.
"Pater, the sacred man-made mountain is made of stone and clay. It can stand tall and tall after weathering wind and rain. It has no life or desire, so it can be immortal. And the inherited priest family is a life of flesh and blood, longing for the mortal world. Can the desire for power be immortal?"
