Dark clouds drifted in from the eastern sea sky, bringing moist water vapor with them, and rain showers fell on the beach. The huge and strange stone statue with a human face is like a silent giant, standing still in the wind and rain, standing on the seaside for thousands of years. A long and mighty river merges into the sea here, overflowing with fertile fields along the river. And surrounded by large tracts of fertile farmland, there is an ancient city that has lasted for thousands of years, or even longer.
This is the Caribbean coast with a tropical rainforest climate. It is hot and rainy all year round, with precipitation exceeding 2,000 mm. That ancient city, one thousand three hundred miles away from the capital city in the lake, is located on the edge of the Totonac people's territory. It is the prosperous coastal city-state, the Hidden Snake City Coatzaas.
And the long river flowing from the depths of the jungle through Hidden Snake City is the Hidden Snake River. In the legend, Quetzalcoatl went from here on a snake raft to the endless East China Sea...
"What? We rowed seven hundred miles by sea to get here from the Feathered Serpent City. How did we get here? It is also the legendary place where the Feathered Serpent City goes to the sea?!"
Chihuaco, the old militiaman, scratched his hair and looked at the Mayan businessman Tikalo, who had a bald head. He looked at the calm-looking bald businessman with suspicious eyes and questioned mercilessly.
"Ti Carlo, you bald fox. How many Quetzalcoats are there in the legend? How many times did she go to sea? Do you know the details of these city-states?"
"Ahem! Captain Chihuaco, of course I know!"
Tikalo choked, touched his smooth and divine head, and replied with a forced smile.
"There is only one Quetzalcoatl in the legend, and she only went to sea once! It's just that the location of the sea... For the coastal tribes who believe in Quetzalcoatl, it is a holy place of pilgrimage. It not only allows the descendants of the city-state to take the holy place with them The halo can also bring real income from pilgrimage..."
"So, the city-states along the coast usually claim that the long river near them is the mouth of the Quetzalcoatl where Quetzalcoatl goes out to sea!"
"Well, no!... The fleet traveled all the way and saw so many river mouths. Could it be that they are all holy places? These Totonak tribes on the seaside are not fools. There will always be details in the legends to judge the authenticity of the holy places. Is it fake?...Besides, after so many years, even turtles in the water can compete and tell who is the thousand-year-old bastard and who is the fake toad!"
Chihuaco glared at Tikalo and spoke the simplest dialectic. He always instinctively felt that this bald profiteer was unreliable.
"Cough! Cough!..."
Mayan businessman Tikalo coughed several times before answering awkwardly.
"Captain Chihuaco is really... like an old turtle, seemingly ordinary, but with great wisdom. Indeed, this fight will definitely have results. Which city-state is stronger and which surrounding monuments are older? Whichever tribe affects the most is naturally the true holy land!"
"Today, there are only two sacred places of the Totonak people that are truly believed by people. One is the Feathered Serpent City in the north, and the other is the Hidden Serpent City in the south. These two city-states are both very strong. It has been passed down for thousands of years, yet is far apart, and is believed by the surrounding tribes...it can be regarded as two holy places, the east and the west!"
"So that's how it is, just like the Kingdom and the Alliance."
Huitu Puap touched his head and casually said something that was out of line. Soon, his eyes were attracted by the huge stone statue on the beach. He looked at it curiously for a while and asked questions again and again.
"God bless you! What are these giant human heads, three people tall, used for? Some of their facial features are standard, much like ours. Some have extremely protruding faces, like the tribes there!" ..And why are their expressions so sad? What are those hats on their heads?"
"...Well...that was the giant stone head carved by the gods using themselves as models in the First Era. The gods came from all over the God Realm, so their appearances would naturally be different...They had known for a long time, The end of the era will come one day, so he looks sad."
"... Inside the giant human head, there are the seeds of divinity left behind by the gods after they left. Only the descendants of gods with noble blood can inherit it. In the understanding of the various seaside tribes, nobility is born, and divinity is divinely imparted. . The descendants of gods who inherit the divinity are also destined to lead the tribe! Whenever a distinguished descendant of gods is born, comes of age or dies in the city-state, the major tribes will hold sacrificial ceremonies under the giant stone man's head to inherit the ancient and respected divinity. And the power of the tribe! As for that hat..."
Mayan businessman Tikalo thought for a long time, he didn't know, so he just made up an explanation.
"That hat is used to attract divine power. Put it on, and the thunder in the sky will carry the divine power and crash down..."
"boom!"
Just as Ti Carlo finished speaking, a thunder fell from the low clouds and landed on the nearby sea. The three people on the boat were startled at the same time, with panic on their faces, but for different reasons.
"Ah!...Is it so dangerous? Then we'd better drive the boat farther away and stay away from these giant stone statues!"
Puap raised his head in awe and looked at the low and rainy sky. He gave a few instructions, and the sailors waved the flag to notify other ships, then moved two or three miles into the river mouth, and finally lowered the anchor outside Hidden Snake City. As for the flag language on the ship, it was naturally made up by His Majesty’s divine inspiration and used for simple communication between ships.
The kingdom's fleet approached the city-state, and the ancient city gradually appeared in front of them. The temple of white stone stands high, surrounded by low walls of blue brick. The houses of the nobles are gorgeous and spacious, while the thatched houses of the ants are simple and crowded. Under the towering Quetzalcoatl Temple in the center is a broad central market. At this moment, ministries from all over the world are trading here.
easy.
Tikalo stood on the bow of the boat, stood on tiptoes and looked around the market, and soon narrowed his eyes. Hidden Snake City is located at the junction of the Maya states in the north and the Nava tribes in the west. There are also large rivers connecting the cities in the interior. Therefore, not surprisingly, he saw the slender heads of gods, which were the symbols of Mayan travels and came from various city-states. What made him even more angry was that these colleagues all had hair on their heads!
"Ha! A bunch of idiots who aren't smart enough..."
Tikalo gritted his teeth and cursed in a low voice.
"What? Tikallo, what are you talking about?"
The old militiaman touched his hair and looked at Tikalo carefully, with suspicion always in his eyes. Once we got to sea, we were completely out of the reach of the Mexican Alliance. The osprey of the Silver Crow tribe no longer knows the way behind. Continuing to go east, you will reach the Mayan states. The Mayan merchant Tikalo was their only guide during their voyage, guiding them every time they set sail and docked. In this place far away from the alliance and with an unpredictable future, he must keep a close eye on this cunning businessman!
"Well..."
Tikallo lowered his head slightly to avoid the sight of the old militiaman. Facing this old captain with a keen sense of smell, he felt inexplicably a little frightened, and he hesitated in his long-planned plans. After a few breaths, he raised his head with a sincere smile on his face.
"Dear Captain Chihuaco! This Hidden Snake City has a history of more than a thousand years, but it is the center of the ruins of various city-states of the Olmec ancestors! Here, as long as you have a keen enough sense of smell, there are Great chance to obtain a unique artifact left by the ancient ancestors!"