Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!-Chapter 1753 - 1254: The Crop That Decides North Asia’s Fate—You Came at the Perfect Time! (Part 2)

Therefore, when the agricultural tribes of the Old Continent had no potatoes, no crops resistant to the extreme cold, they could only stop at the limits of agriculture and endlessly tussle with the nomadic, fishing and hunting tribes at the borders. Even during warm centuries, when farmers migrated past the border and once established agricultural villages, like during the Tang Dynasty's warm period... these villages and farmers would ultimately be assimilated by the local nomadic and hunting communities as temperatures dropped, reverting back to the nomadic ways!

Thus, before the introduction of potatoes and before more cold-resistant crops were cultivated over generations, the Ming Dynasty could only abandon Outer Northeast that was not cost-effective, the Russians could only be held at the western side of the Ural Mountains, the Koreans could only stop at the Tumen River, and the Wa People were confined to the southern coast of Hokkaido!… It's not that they didn't want to go further; they made efforts and attempts, but without crop yields, agriculture couldn't sustain, and the subjugating conquests would inevitably collapse!

At this moment, from the Ural Mountains to Hokkaido, from the four hundred millimeters precipitation line to the crops' cold endurance line, lies the demarcation between Eastern and Western agricultural nations and all the nomadic and hunting tribes of Asia! Beyond this dividing line, the agricultural way of life can never be settled, holding no advantage over the local nomadic and hunting practices!

But all of this, this ancient boundary between agriculture and nomadism, untouched for millennia on the millions of square kilometers of cold land of North Asia… at this moment, with the silent arrival of the New Continent's potato, the first edible tuber to change everything has been planted!

Even though this tuber is only the size of a bird's egg, it will inevitably extend over time, until it covers the entire vast land of North Asia, until it completely changes all the ancient constants! The divine potato, though it descended from the Andes Mountains, is destined by fate to be the true Great God of North Asia!…

"Hoo! The Rice God of the Wa People was blocked by the Guardian Spirit of the Ainu Tribes, preventing the cultivation of rice grains on Maoshili Island… but the potatoes we brought can grow on the colder, northern peninsula of the Ainu Land, so naturally, they can also thrive on Maoshili Island. Potatoes are a gift from the divine Hummingbird, a gift from the Main God!… Shell, you know, what does this mean?"

"Ah? Uh… Ancestor?… What… does this mean?"

"Haha! This means that our Gummy People's Main God is a more powerful deity than the Rice God of the Wa People!… The Main God was originally a Heavenly Divine of the Ainu people! That's why he wasn't resisted by the guardian spirits of the three tribes…"

"Ah! Is that so? Yes… it is so!… Ancestor, so you are also a guardian tribe from the Eastern Islands? A branch of the Ainu Tribes?…"

"No, Shell. You do not know the vastness of the world… The expansiveness and complexity of the Gummy People, the grandeur and immortality of the Main God's power, will far exceed your imagination! What you call the Ainu Land is just a single hair on the divine Hummingbird of the Main God, while the true Land of the Main God is as large as countless Ainu Lands! As for you Ainu people, you are indeed a branch of the Gummy People, our initially scattered brothers…"

"Ah? We are a branch of the Gummy People… scattered brothers?… Ancestor! You're mistaken, I am a woman. We… we are husband and wife! Ancestor, let's go to the tent, I want to soar with you… like a bird…"

By the icy harbor, Zuwaro's eyes were weathered, and with a passionate tone, he narrated plain yet moving myths of the Main God. To the young girl Thousand Island Shell, this preaching myth seemed like a promise or oath.

To join the family of the "Gummy People," to be protected by a powerful Heavenly God. The future of the Ainu people, her tribe's future, the future of her children… Unknowingly, Thousand Island Shell blushed, and from her flowing eyes, a yearning expectation emerged. Until…

"Howl! Howl!"

The perpetually alert Samoyed dog began to bark wildly once more. The swiftly running sled also appeared from the edge of the snowfield. More and more wise large dogs eagerly leapt over, until they were abruptly tamed by the reprimanding whip of their female owner, who wielded it through the air to make them suddenly stop obediently.

"Howl… whimper… whimper…"

"Slap! Slap!…"

Musuona, the Mountain Part Master of dog training and a female hunter, swung the whip forcefully and jumped off the suddenly halted sled. With her high deer skin boots, puffing out her chest, she quickly walked to Zuwaro's side. Seeing the small, fearful Island Part girl in his arms, whom she could defeat with one hand, she sneered and looked down at her husband, muttering sulkily.

"Ancestor! It seems I came at the wrong time!…"

"No, you came at the right time!…"

Zuwaro lifted his head, giving a confident, dashing smile. Then, one hand cradled Thousand Island Shell, and with the other arm open, let the female hunter Musuona lean against him. Holding his two tribal wives just like that, he lovingly asked.

"Suona, what did the Old Grandmother say?" 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

"The Old Grandmother asked me to convey the message that she wants to see you once more, before spring thawing and the tribe's northward migration…"

The female hunter Musuona pursed her lips, leaning into the man's not-so-tall embrace, feeling both reassured and uneasy. What reassured her was his identity, her strong husband, a Great Chief with two hundred leather-armored warriors. What concerned her also was his identity. Two boats of reinforcements from the Sea Tribe indeed arrived last year on longships… Now, as a Great Chief with two hundred strong warriors and nearly a thousand Northern Tribesmen, her husband already had the qualifications and potential to challenge the Old Grandmother! But all these changes happened in just two or three years, and she had only just given birth to a child…

"Ancestor, will you go see the Old Grandmother?…"

"Oh? Suona, do you want me to go?…"

"I, I… Ancestor! You are the Chieftain of the tribe, the leader ordained by the Heavenly Divine. Your decision shouldn't be influenced by a woman, nor should you listen to me! You must consider the tribe, being as fierce and keen as a wolf at all times!…"

"Hmm… A Chieftain like a wolf makes his own decisions?…"

Upon hearing this, Zuwaro raised an eyebrow and held the tall female hunter even tighter. He lowered his voice and softly inquired.

"How is the Old Grandmother's health?"

"She has the protection of the Shaman's divine power, and she can live for a few more years."

"How about your father Mukun? I heard he was officially confirmed as the succeeding Chieftain by the Old Grandmother?…"

"Yes! Father is confirmed as the successor Chieftain… but precisely because of this, upon the Old Grandmother's orders, he led hundreds of tribesmen north. He is at the newly established reindeer moss river spring camp, on guard against the hastened return of the Rokube, preventing them from easily moving south… There's only one Chieftain in the tribe and only one Shaman. The Old Grandmother never errs, she is unshakable!…"

"Hmm…"

Zuwaro narrowed his eyes, pondered for a long time, and then slowly nodded.

"With the Main God's blessing! I will personally head north in early May to pay respects to the esteemed Old Grandmother! I also intend to swear a blood oath with the Old Grandmother to officially determine the grazing fields and camp boundaries of the two tribes, so everyone can rest easy…"

"Ah! Ancestor, you?… How many people are you planning to bring?…"

"Haha! The Old Grandmother is your grandmother, and also my kind elder, there's no need to bring others. Just me, along with two hunters from the Mountain Part, and my wife, you!"

"Ancestor Spirit's Divine Mountain! Ancestor, my husband! You… you have so many warriors, why not bring more people? Just like last time…"

"Haha! Suona, when I only had one ship of warriors, I needed to bring them all, to let the Old Grandmother see. But now I have three ships of warriors, I instead cannot bring them along, to prevent the Old Grandmother from seeing unease…"

Zuwaro smiled faintly, saying something like tongue twisters. Then, in Suona's clear eyes, trying to ponder deeply, he continued to smile and speak.

"Additionally, this time when I head north, I need to make a request to the Old Grandmother… To seek a noble lady's marriage alliance for the Captain of the support fleet, Warrior Chief Tamikusa, stationed at the camp! According to the Kingdom's laws, he is the succeeding Chieftain after me. He holds great respect for the Old Grandmother and hopes to cement the sacred alliance with the Mountain Part…"

"And after him, if another fleet arrives next year, they will also follow the custom of requesting a noble lady's marriage alliance from the esteemed Old Grandmother!…"

"Witnessed by the Supreme Main God! The Mountain Part and Sea Tribe shall forever be relatives by marriage, supporting each other, just like the Peninsula's pristine mountains and seas, standing side by side in the divine snow forever!…"