The stars and moon were bright, the night deep. Outside Kapok City, trees spread everywhere, and Lantern Cicadas perched among them, striking out low, drumlike threats.
"Thump... crack... thump... crack..."
The low cicada drums answered one another through the Kingdom's camp, ringing with the mysterious jungle whispers in the eyes of the Maya People. In the Kingdom's military camp, the Main God's divine banner, the King of the Lake's Royal Banner, and Mayapan's Royal Banner stood side by side.
"Thump... crack..."
Eastern Sea Marshal Bertad knelt in silence in the main commander's great tent. To the accompaniment of the cicada calls like war drums, his fingers gently traced across the spread-out Maya map, from Kapok City on the western side of the Yucatan, across an extremely short, twisting, narrow jungle road, and arrived at the Xiu clan's capital, the "Ancient City of Stars Rebuilt Three Times," Uxmal Three-Star City.
"The Main God bears witness! One hundred and fifty li, only one hundred and fifty li!... Setting out from Kapok City, the narrow jungle road only allowed twenty li a day, but even so, the army could still reach the Xiu capital in just eight days... Then, by gathering the Kanul, Pudun, Brocade Snake, and other tribes, launching a decisive battle against the Xiu clan would allow us to take Uxmal in one stroke, destroy the Xiu clan chiefdom, and annihilate the strongest 'Xo' branch among the sixteen clans!..."
Surging hot blood churned in his chest, and even his fierce heartbeat was clearly filled with longing. At this moment, Eastern Sea Marshal Bertad was no longer calm; in his heart floated the desire to fight for the god, the temptation of a great feat in destroying a nation... But after only a moment, he calmed down again, let out a long