Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!

In the early February sun, high and bright like a deity, it illuminates the East, West, South, and North. Sunlight crosses two time zones, nearly ten degrees of latitude, spanning a vast area of four thousand miles from the arid, cold southwestern coast of the North American continent, all the way to the warm and humid southeast of the Gulf of Mexico.

The jungle is dense, rivers crisscross, the climate is warm all year round, and the rainy season is long and heavy. This is the Totonac coast, the frontline where the Eastern coastal tribes and the Kingdom Legion clash, another warm "Golden Bay."

The Kingdom Legion's camp and military post, flying the flag of the Chief Divine, stretch nearly sixty miles from the coastal Snake Lake village camp in the northwest to the Riverbank post by the river in the southeast, forming a semi-encircling line. More than six thousand Kingdom's Warriors lead nearly ten thousand surrendered Totonac Tribal Warriors. A legion of sixteen thousand troops is scattered across five major camps and military posts. They have already endured the long rainy season, confronting the East and West Totonac Alliance for half a year!

The East and West Totonac Alliance centers on the large city of Golden Bay, surrounded by eight or nine tribal camps and military posts, extending over fifty miles, located on the other side of the semi-encircling line. Before the rainy season arrived last year, the Totonac Alliance suffered several disastrous defeats, consecutively ambushed by the Kingdom's army, losing two major posts, reducing their number to over twenty thousand at one point.

However, after replenishment during the rainy season, more tribal reinforcements, bearing the banners of city-states, arrived from the seven hundred miles' distance of Totonac lands in the East. The scale of the entire alliance gradually replenished to more than thirty thousand.

At the start of the battle, no one expected this battle under Golden Bay City to last so long! After the rainy season passed, the Kingdom Legion still maintained the initiative on the battlefield, semi-encircling the thirty thousand Totonac army with a force of sixteen thousand.

Sixteen thousand people semi-encircling thirty thousand, it sounds somewhat unbelievable at first. But after several field battles involving thousands, the leaders of the Totonac Alliance were also forced to acknowledge a bitter truth. That is, the Totonac City-State army with cotton armor, stone axes, stone spears, and short bows, despite having a two-fold numerical advantage, could not win field battles against the copper-armored, bronze-axe-wielding, longspear-armed Kingdom's Main Force.

However, if the scale of the field battle were to rise to tens of thousands, with the Kingdom's main six thousand leading over ten thousand easily collapsed recruited tribes against thirty-thousand strong allied forces in a decisive battle, the outcome would be uncertain. But for now, the leaders of both armies, one content to defend the city, the other hesitating and waiting, have no intentions of staking everything on a decisive battle to determine the winner.

Not fighting in the field means they can only besiege the city. The Kingdom's main warriors number only six thousand; even with over ten thousand cannon fodder defectors, capturing the Golden Bay City and surrounding posts defended by tens of thousands of allied forces is challenging. Thus, the battlefield situation has reached a standstill. The Kingdom Legion sets out a long-snake-like camp, while the Totonac Alliance curls into a spiky porcupine, with both large armies standing off against each other, consuming each other's strength.

"Heh! The giant snake in the rain, the porcupine in the mud, neither can overcome the other, both rolling in water and mud!…"

As the rainy season arrives, Black Wolf Toltec raises the Wolf Banner, returning to the Snake Lake village camp, stopping motionless.

The long rainy season lasted for several months, turning the ground muddy, creating swamps in the jungle, making any large-scale military action costly and infeasible. A thousand miles of seaside lands finally became peaceful, a rare calm. Only the small boats supported by Totonac people continued to arduously brave the raindrops, transporting reinforcements along the coast and rivers to Golden Bay City.

When the harvests of October came, and the rainy season was over, a messenger from His Highness came hurriedly, bringing new instructions and plans. After reading the new plans, Black Wolf Toltec's eyes flickered with thought, pondering for a moment before grasping the meaning.

"Ah! His Highness treats me, Black Wolf, like a fishing net, wanting to capture all the big fish from the various Totonac tribes in one fell swoop!…"

From then on, Black Wolf Toltec changed his usual habit, no longer hasty for battles. He even found leisure to seek out a priest accompanying the army, diligently studying the texts and teachings from the Book of Ama Colley. For he knew that when His Highness arrived, there would surely be an examination of his literacy to see if he had improved.

"Ah! Reading and writing, learning teachings, it's even harder than fighting on the battlefield! And these things, how can they improve the level of fighting?"

Black Wolf Toltec complained in his heart but showed no trace of it on his face. He patiently read word by word through the cumbersome big books. As he gradually sensed, knowing these texts, although unable to help him in battle, could help him learn governance... thus better preparing for war.

"Chief Divine! Why is His Highness's march so slow?"

Black Wolf Toltec sat idly in the main tent, waiting for His Highness's army, turning moldy with anxiousness. The army of His Highness, however, was slow to arrive; it was only until mid-November that news of departure came. From then on, every day the army marched slowly, barely covering more than twenty miles, resting at every camp along the way.

"This march, only a bit better than a tortoise!…"

Black Wolf Toltec complained secretly. From Tree Snake City to New Snake City, a distance of over five hundred miles, His Highness's army took more than twenty days, dragging into mid-December. However, as the two armies drew closer, the communication between messengers became more frequent.

"Hey! Encouraging the generals, appeasing the surrendered troops... these surrendered Totonac tribes are collectively weak and vulnerable, what's the need to appease them?…"

Through the exchanged messengers, Black Wolf knew clearly that His Highness marched so slowly because he was meeting the Kingdom's generals stationed in various regions, summoning the surrounding surrendered tribe chieftains for banquets. Subsequently, His Highness would bestow the alliance-conferred seals, promising the chieftains' statuses, even dividing territories for them to appease them properly.

Then, in New Snake City, also known as the ancient Feathered Serpent City, His Highness stopped the Royal Banner, staying there for a full month!

Reportedly, His Highness meticulously managed affairs, first convening various generals to comfort and commend, and appease the surrendered troops. Then, personally overseeing the grant of lands and titles, giving thousands of territories outside the city to Mexica, Prepetcha, Mistec, and even Tononac warriors.

After completing these priority matters, His Highness checked last year's harvest from the garrison fields, inspected food, cloth, weapons, and timber reserves. The army also brought several dozen Kingdom shipwrights; under His Highness's personal supervision, they established the Kingdom Eastern Shipyard, preparing to construct long-distance oar-sailed longships.

"Phew! Land distribution, garrison farming, and shipbuilding... these are indeed the three things His Highness values the most! I must learn to do it myself…"

His Highness spent a month carefully reviewing the internal affairs of New Snake City before proceeding southward with the army. At Cimpoala's Nianshui City, he stayed for another five days, meeting the chieftains of Nianshui's tribes and banqueting with many chiefs. Among them were several subordinate Totonac Noble Chiefs who offered beautiful young maidens as tribute. His Highness did not refuse as before but accepted them all, sending them to the Kingdom's Divine Power University.

With the arrival of a twelve thousand-strong allied force, coupled with Xiulote's pacifying "united front" along the route, the five hundred mile territory conquered by Black Wolf was finally stabilized.

"From Nianshui City to here, it's only seventy miles! Even crawling like a turtle, they should arrive today…"

Black Wolf Toltec sat in the main tent, holding a book but having no heart to read. On the small table in front of him were copied scriptures, displaying an attitude of diligent study. His mind wandered, constantly being attentive to the surroundings of the tent. Until the Red Hair trusted aide Wuta rushed over, shouting through the camp.

"Commander! Leader! The royal banner of His Highness has finally appeared!"

"Good! Good! I'll go seek an audience with His Highness!"

Black Wolf Toltec sprang up, casually tossing aside the book in his hand, and enthusiastically rushed outside the tent. He had just stepped out when suddenly he halted, turned back inside, and grasped the book upside down in his hand.

"Heh! I, Black Wolf, will hold this book to see His Highness! This is what His Highness said, that... that 'never letting go of the scroll'! Haha!"

Thinking of this, Black Wolf smiled proudly. He moved like the wind, armored over his body, a book in hand, a bronze axe at his waist, followed by a few Red Hair trusted aides, disappearing outside the tent in no time.