The weather at the seaside is constantly changing. Just now it was cloudy and rainy, and now it's sunny again. A beam of golden sunlight fell on the white stone temple through the scattered clouds, like a blessing from the sun god. On the walls of the temple, the relief of the snake god shines with golden light, lifelike, as if swimming, showing wonder.
When the Totonak people in the city walk past the edge of the temple, they will bow their heads devoutly and salute to the majestic temple. Under the temple of the pyramid, the prosperous market is bustling with stalls and bamboo sheds selling goods. Shouts of various accents came and went, and foreign merchants wearing various costumes came and went... This huge city-state market had at least thousands of people!
"Hey! It's such a big city!"
Chihuaco climbed to the shore and looked at the scene in the city. He opened his eyes wide and was a little surprised. Such prosperity reminded him of the kingdom's Qincongcan capital. However, the buildings and murals of this city-state were engraved with many gods that he had never seen before, which made him a little wary while marveling.
"There are many carvings of gods, and the feeling is different from that of the Feathered Serpent City. There is a big snake over there, and here is a snake nest..."
Tikalo smiled and nodded, looking at the familiar scenery, recalling the trade here many times in the past, and answered leisurely.
"Haha! Captain Qi is really keen. Hidden Snake City is famous for its snakes, worships many snake gods, and also has the tradition of raising snake pets. Here not only believes in Quetzalkoatl, the feathered serpent god, but also believes in us corn people Itzamana, the serpent sun god of the northern Maya, Kukulkan, the Quetzalcoatl god of the northern Maya..."
"Huh? Isn't your Quetzalcoatl different from the Quetzalcoatl in the coastal tribes?"
Hearing this, Chihuaco was startled for a moment, a little strange.
"Tikallo, when you prayed in the past, did you pray for the 'Kecharcoatl' or the 'Kukulkan'?"
"Well..."
Ti Carlo raised the corners of his mouth, suddenly remembering the oath of allegiance he swore in front of His Highness a long time ago. He suddenly smiled happily and preached proudly.
"No! The main god of our family is actually the Serpent God, Itsumna. Only by swearing to Him can we not break it!"
"Snake God..."
The old militiaman scratched his head, feeling a little confused. He had never heard of these Mayan gods before. Ti Carlo changed the topic and spoke confidently.
"Captain Qi, let me tell you, the world is very vast, and Hidden Snake City is the real part of the world! The tribes of the Mexican Plateau and the Mayan Lowlands meet here, exchanging knowledge of the two worlds and exchanging knowledge of the two worlds. Specialties of the two regions... And we, the wandering Mayan traders, are the messengers who communicate between the East and the West under the guidance of the snake god..."
Speaking of this, Ti Carlo sighed. He looked to the northeast, where there was the former glory of the family, as well as the ancestral land of the ancestors and gods. But now, all of this has been... Tikalo lowered his eyes for a moment, suppressed the emotions in his heart, and turned to look south.
"...Further eight hundred miles to the southwest, there is the Oaxaca Valley of the Zapotec people, which is also connected by waterways. And to the southeast, there are various tribes in the Mayan highlands. Merchants from various tribes will trade here and communicate with each other. Yes or no!... Respected two captains, respected priests of the main god, there is huge wealth flowing here, and there are also divine objects from ancient times, let’s enter the city now!”
The fleet of boats in the lake docked at the shore. Seven long boats, with forty or fifty people on board at once. The warriors and sailors were all armed with weapons, bags bulging around their waists, and gems in their arms. The exploration fleet needs supplies and purchases of goods. The captains and sailors of each ship also want to buy something for themselves, well, using the fleet's gems...
Everyone was gearing up and preparing for a big fight. Chihuaco was wearing a straw hat, a short coat, and a short spear for self-defense. He was very simple. At first glance, he looks like a militiaman.
The group of people entered the city gate guarded by Totonac warriors and did not attract much attention. They only paid the fee for foreign merchants to enter the city and a bag of cocoa beans. Then, they merged into the crowd of people coming and going, like hundreds of businessmen from various ministries, merged into the torrent of wealth!
People were coming and going, walking on the wide dirt road and heading straight into the central market. Soon, under the guidance of Ti Carlo, everyone arrived at the square market under the temple pyramid without taking any detours. The noisy atmosphere suddenly hit us, bringing with it the shouts of thousands of people, making people's ears ring for a while.
Chihuaco opened his old eyes wide, touched his straw hat, looked at the prosperity in front of him, and admired from the bottom of his heart.
"Venison sellers, turkey sellers, meat beetle sellers, pumpkin sellers, beans sellers, cornmeal sellers, pottery, stone tools and grass clothes... The faces of the villagers here are all You’re energetic and your life is going well!”
"...Well."
Hearing this, Ti Carlo's mouth twitched. He looked around. Everyone else was looking for weird artifacts. Only old man Qi looked at these earthen objects without oil and water. They were really...
"You're really ignorant!"
Tikalo cursed secretly, while his eyes scanned several locations in the market. Then, the corners of his mouth raised, and he was confident.
"Haha! The villagers are living a good life, but they don't get it by selling local products... That's because the legends about the sacred objects here have attracted countless foreign businessmen here!"
The Mayan merchant smiled and pointed to the market.
"Look, ancient relics are buried on this land, leaving countless remnants. The stalls on the ground, these local villagers, will sell some ancient relics dug out of the ground. It's just that sacred objects are rare. If you want to find a true divine object among these many ancient relics, you have to rely on the blessing of the gods!"
Then, Ti Carlo smiled faintly and proposed again.
"Hidden Snake City is a sacred trading city. Fighting is strictly prohibited in the city, and there are warriors patrolling it. It is very safe. Why don't we just disperse and find our own destiny!..."
"Okay, God bless you! Old man Qi, let's separate and see who has better luck!"
Puap couldn't wait, rubbed his hands, and looked at the old militiaman expectantly. The old militiaman glanced at Puap, then at the excited crowd, and nodded helplessly.
"Okay! Let's go shopping in the market separately this afternoon. Don't forget the supplies for each of your ships, and don't show your wealth and spend too many... gems. This is far away from the Kingdom and the Alliance, so stay vigilant. In order to Regardless of the safety of the fleet, we cannot stay in one city-state for too long!"
"Well, you must get back to the ship before the moon comes out. We will sail into the harbor tomorrow afternoon at the latest. If we miss the time, the fleet will not wait!..."
Hearing this, everyone looked solemn and nodded in obedience. Tikalo's eyelids twitched and he felt anxious.
"Just leave for an afternoon? Leave tomorrow?...No, I have to hurry up..."
Soon, the fleet of people dispersed and went to various parts of the market. Puap stretched out his hand and touched the bag of gems in his arms, with a confident smile on his face. Then, he picked up his energy, opened his eyes wide, and went to hundreds of street stalls to look for the divine object that was destined to belong to him!
Mayan businessman Tikalo was strolling around with a smile on his face, looking at the familiar scenes around him. His steps were very slow, and he gradually fell behind others, intentionally or unintentionally, watching everyone's actions.
Thomas, the priest of the main god, has a clear purpose and decisive actions. He held the sacred Ali Sutra and, under the blessing of the Lord God, swept the surrounding vendors sharply. After a while, he found his target, strode forward, came to a stone mirror stall, and searched carefully.
Among the large piles of ancient stone mirrors, a palm-sized, simple and solemn black and red stone mirror engraved with divine patterns quickly fell into his eyes. And on the edge of this stone mirror, there is infiltration of cinnabar red and gold-plated patterns, which makes it even more extraordinary.
Tomato's eyes suddenly froze. He pursed his lips, stared at the divine pattern on the ancient mirror for a moment, and held the scripture in his hand tightly. Then, the devout priest of the main god looked at the young Totonak vendor sitting on the ground with majestic eyes. He stretched out his hand and asked in a deep voice.
"This is a very old style, black and red with gold pattern, thin stone mirror, how to sell it?"
The ancient Hidden Serpent City is now the city-state of the Totonak people. The Nahua language of the plateau is also spoken here, but it incorporates a lot of Mayan vocabulary. The kingdom's fleet can still communicate normally in the market here, even talking and gesticulating.
Hearing such a loud and powerful voice, the young vendor's heart skipped a beat. His eyes moved slightly and he quickly looked at the person's clothes. Then, his eyes suddenly focused on the book in the hand of Priest Thomas, and he immediately became cautious.
"Well... Lord Priest, what do you want to exchange for?"
"Gem. Very good gem."
Priest Thomas stretched out his hand and flashed the lake gem in his hand. Pure brilliance fell into the eyes of the young vendor, making his eyes light up. He swallowed involuntarily and smiled.
"Dear priest, your vision is really sharper than an eagle! This artifact from the second ancient city has the divinity to foretell the future, and it deserves to be yours..."
Priest Tomat had no expression on his face as he interrupted the young vendor.
"How to sell it?"
"...As long as ten of them are like the gems in your hand... This magical mirror that can be passed down to future generations, protect the family, and be blessed by fate, is yours!..."
Priest Tomat shook his head decisively. He stared into the young vendor's eyes and spoke in a low voice with the majestic tone unique to the priest in the lake.
"A gem!"
"Well...respected priest, this is a rare divine object! Meeting you is a fateful encounter..."
"A gem!"
"Ah, at least seven gems are needed. Priest, think about it, if you have such a divine object, in the eyes of other priests, you will be a person blessed by the gods. Then..."
"A gem!"
"...No way! Gemstones have a price, but divine objects are priceless. When I sell a divine object, it is also the guidance of the gods. I want to find a divine owner for it. Divine objects cannot be covered with dust, and their value must be reduced...at least I want five gems!”
Hearing this, Priest Tomat's eyes were filled with anger. He pressed on the surface of the scripture, and his momentum was as majestic as a god. He stared hard at the young vendor in front of him, his eyes as sharp as knives, bringing great oppression to him. His voice was decisive, as decisive as thunder.
"A gem! The Lord God has given me a revelation. Although this mirror is ancient, it does not have any divinity! Because, the Lord God said: All divinities in the world can only be given by the Supreme One!"
"...This...Master Priest...you...are right!"
Sweat gradually broke out on the young vendor's forehead. He glanced at the copper ax on the priest's waist, fearing that the other party would draw his weapon and chop him to death on the spot. If a priest respected by various ministries kills people in the name of God, no matter if it is a trading city-state that protects merchants, it will not be too harsh...
"But I... have an old mother and young children at home... so I decided to sell something and buy them some cornmeal and eggs... at least two gems!"
"Um..."
Priest Thomas lowered his eyes, thought for a while, and chanted in a low voice.
"The Lord God watches over us and gives light to the lost! Say to me: Praise the Lord Huitzilopochtli! He rules over all things and is omnipotent!"
"ah?"
The young hawker stayed for a while, speechless, and stammered.
"Uh...praise the Lord God for 'feeding a carrot is so strange'! He rules all things and is omnipotent!"
"Praise the Lord God! He has given me precious stones!"
The vendor's eyes instantly lit up, he prayed earnestly, and hope arose in his heart.
"Praise the Lord God! He has given me precious stones!"
"very good!"
Priest Thomas nodded with satisfaction. He took out three gems from his arms and handed them to the vendor.
"Ah! Three? Thank you, Lord Priest!"
The young vendor was overjoyed and hurriedly put the gem into his arms. Then, he picked up the ancient stone mirror and handed it to the strange priest in front of him respectfully.
"My lord, your magic mirror."
"No, this is just an ordinary mirror. It has no divinity, but it has very ancient divine patterns."
Priest Thomas shook his head and looked at the vendor with bright eyes.
"And these gems are not given to you by me, but by the Lord God!"
"...Well..."
"Say, praise the Lord God! He gave me gems and led me away from the lost path of darkness, and gradually walked into the light!"
"Huh?...Dark Lost?"
Hearing this, beads of sweat broke out on the young vendor's forehead again. He hesitated for a while, but for some reason, he actually followed the priest and repeated the prayer in a low voice.
"Praise...praise the Lord God! He gave me gems and led me away...from the lost path of darkness, and gradually walked into the light!"
"Very well! My child, the merciful Lord God watches over you and guides you! What is your name?"
Priest Tomat nodded with satisfaction, stretched out his hand, and touched the young vendor's hair kindly.
At this moment, the young vendor seemed to be under a restraining spell, inexplicably stagnant in place, unable to escape. He raised his head, looked at the soft eyes of the priest in front of him, and listened to the other person's gentle voice, as if he really felt the warmth of the Lord God.
"My, my name is...Stone Rat, a rat born from stone, without parents..."
Hearing this, Priest Tomat raised his eyebrows, glanced at Stone Rat meaningfully, and shook his head.
"You have no parents, but you have the blessing of the Lord God! The Lord God is the sun in the sky, bringing light to all living beings. No matter what his origin, as long as he converts to the right path! My child, from now on, your name will not be Shi Rat, and call it Day Rat. The Lord God gives you light, and even if you are in the abyss of the earth, you will see the hope of salvation!"
Shi Shu was in a daze for a moment, and then changed his name inexplicably.
"...Yes. My name is Sun Rat. Praise the Lord God! Even if I am in the abyss of the earth, I will still see hope!"
"Very well! Sunrat, my boy, we will meet again!"
Priest Thomas smiled kindly, picked up the mirror, ruffled the hair of the day rat, turned and left. A few steps away, Ti Carlo opened his mouth wide, watching all this, his jaw almost dropped.
"This... this preaching priest of the Lord God... is really evil!"
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