Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!-Chapter 1795 - 1288: North, North_2

"The wind is rising! It's the south wind blowing north!..."

The south wind howls northward, blowing from the sea to the land. It first reaches the Colima Mountain Region, witnessing the small iron mines just discovered and barely starting to be excavated, along with the bustling volcanic ash mines under the tall Colima Volcano, and the miraculous natural cement.

A brand new white palace has been completed around the volcano's hot springs, reinforced with natural volcanic ash cement. The Great Chief of Colima soaks in the hot springs, elderly yet robust. Beside him, little Yanshan, plump and youthful, also soaks, strong and solid. The two soak side by side, one rambling on tribal stories, the other occasionally responding loudly, shouting "Yes!" Afterward, the elderly chieftain bursts into hearty laughter...

The strong wind does not linger, blowing past the Colima Volcano, reaching the center of Great Lake County, the midpoint of the downstream Lerma River, controlling the ancient city-states of the Northern Ticos Tribes, Lake Stone City Tecititlan.

A flag of the Divine Monkey flutters atop Lake Stone City's gate. However, the County Magistrate of Great Lake County, Great Chief Kuluka of the Divine Monkey, is not within the city. He is wearing coarse short clothing, carrying a basket on his back, wielding a hoe, personally busy weeding between the newly cultivated fields. The feared spear legion of the Tecos Tribes has their golden bronze spears planted in the field ridges, following their Legion Commander, busy in the farmlands outside the city. Further out, more Northern Ticos Tribespeople are grouped into flag teams, diligently working in the expansive fields. And this endless farmland is the heart that beats in the Northern Ticos Lands of the Kingdom...

"Cultivating land to open up wasteland, consolidating people's hearts. Through intermarriage and alliances, calming and stabilizing... If this season's autumn harvest is successfully completed, then the hearts of the Northern Ticos Tribespeople will somewhat settle down! And only after two more successful autumn harvests can I say that the Kingdom's rule has officially stabilized on the thousand-acre fertile land downstream of the Lerma River!..."

"By that time, we can recruit a large number of people to build irrigation canals and dams along the river, irrigating even more good land... And the potential for opening up here is no less than the fertile fields of the Apa Plain, perhaps even surpassing it!..."

Of course, to cultivate the land well and produce more food, the first priority is water, the second is fertilizer, the third is pest control, and the fourth is the quality of the land... And what Monkey Kuluka yearns for is the "white gold," the natural and excellent guano rock fertilizer over a thousand miles to the north, in Bird Rock Village...

"Ding... Bang... Ding... Bang..."

Outside Bird Rock Village, piles of guano rock form mounds. However, the sweet potato fields outside the village are sparse and grow very little. The primary reason is extreme drought and lack of water. Places producing guano rock often have annual precipitation of 100-200 millimeters, or even less. Most of the time, Bird Rock Village's food relies on support from Reagan Town, the largest town on the Northern Continent across the Strait, established by the river.

"Chief Divine! What is this? ... The last Feather Clan of the Tarasco Kingdom has actually come to the Northern Continent?! And this Feather Prince Pengguari sent me a clan messenger with a pictorial letter of allegiance?..."

In the red brick Main God Temple of Reagan Town, the Songbird Priest frowns, repeatedly looking at the bark letter in his hand. The letter has drawings of piles of food and a little man with feathers on his head kneeling, clearly here to borrow food. The Feather Messenger, wearing the Chief God's emblem, recites the Chief God's name, indicating their clan has fully converted to the Chief God. The messenger also states that they are not asking for a freebie but are willing to serve as a mercenary corps, using their "two thousand elite warriors" with axes and spears to "work" for food for Reagan Town!

"This cunning Feather Prince... All from the Prepetcha background, he has betrayed so many nobilities! From the Prepecha Lake District to Chapala Lake Region, then to the Northern Ticos States, countless cursed nobilities in the Abyss... Who can he deceive now? I might believe an old turkey could fly up to the treetop, but I wouldn't believe this Old Feather can turn over a new leaf!..."

"But thousands of the Feather Clan, claiming to have 'two thousand warriors', and all survivors of ten years of battle from the Highlands... Sigh! This is indeed a big problem! How did the invincible Divine Monkey Corps Commander allow such a cunning old guy to escape here with the Clan Warriors?!"

Thinking about this, the Songbird Priest feels quite troubled. It's spring plowing season, and although Reagan Town has nearly ten thousand tribes, it is challenging to summon the tribespeople during the busy farming period. Moreover, in the town, only around a thousand Kingdom Warriors can genuinely fight, sufficient for defending the town. However, it is beyond capability to launch a significant pursuit of the elusive Feather Clan and their raiding and plundering. Should the Feather Clan, desperate for food, start raiding Mayo people's villages and small tribes, and I cannot deploy troops to protect them, it would be incredibly troublesome.

"The Kingdom took years to convert nearly ten thousand Mayo tribespeople, establishing the powerful image of the Chief God and building the foundation of rule around Reagan Town! Should the Feather Clan's chaos not only undermine them, even if eventually defeated and expelled, reclaiming the tribes and minds in Reagan Town would be an arduous task..."

"No matter what, first provide some food to pacify them... Considering the shared Prepetcha background, I won't fight him, and he should not bother me... It's better to give information on Yaji Tribes to let him cause trouble in the northern Yomei Great Tribe!"

After much deliberation, the Songbird Priest sighs and gives instructions to the trusted temple guards.

"May the Chief God protect! Go and kindly invite the Feather Messenger here! We are all from Prepetcha, I won't see them perish without aiding... Yes, talk gently... what 'using axes and spears to work for food'..."

The trusted guard hurries away, soon bringing back a Feather Messenger adorned with the Chief God Amulet, wearing the Chief God's ornament, and a face painting of three Hummingbird. The Messenger respectfully arrives at the temple, takes one glance at the Songbird Priest seated high up, and immediately falls to his knees, shouting with utmost sincerity.

"Praise the great and high Chief God! Praise the great and high Priest! The humble Feather Clan is willing to serve the great Northern Priest, imploring you to stand on our palanquin and become even greater and higher!"

"...Stand up! Stop kneeling! Talk business! Can you fully represent the Feather Clan? If not, have Feather come over personally!"

"Reporting to the great and high Priest! I am Small Feather, the youngest son of the Feather Clan Leader. Whatever instructions you have, please tell me! Father is hiding with the tribe in the nearby mountains, hiding tightly, afraid of offending the Chief God's Temple, offending the tribes under your command planting... He stated that if you give food, you are our grand master, our father's father! Any order from the grand master, we will undoubtedly follow it!"

"I heard that the Northern Yomei Great Tribe has always been against you... Just tell us how to fight, and our Feather Clan, even at the cost of all warriors, will certainly take down this non-believing great tribe for you!"

Seeing this shameless attitude, the Songbird Priest develops another headache. It's not fear of Feather's fighting prowess, but fear of his sly deceitful nature, slippery and without any bottom line. The ensuing negotiation might not be so easy!

After pondering for a long time, the Songbird Priest then somberly asks the most crucial, and also his most concerning question.

"Ancestor witness! Small Feather! Your Feather Clan... roaming to such a far place, where exactly do you intend to go? ... Or rather, the position of the fief you desire upon surrendering to the Kingdom, where exactly is it?"

Upon hearing this, Small Feather, adorned with hummingbirds, again kneels to the ground, repeatedly kowtowing a dozen times before respectfully extending his finger, pointing north.

"Father said! The Feather Clan does not dare to offend the Kingdom or vie for territory by the seaside... The land we desire is to the north... even further north than the Yomei Great Tribe... into the northern mountains!..."

Hearing this, the Songbird Priest suddenly lifts his head, squinting toward the north...