Passing the Test

"Honored new Mexica Tlatoani!"

Daylight shone bright, and warriors clamored. Inside the great tent enclosed by hanging drapes, the priest from Xilotepec's Suiqiu City raised his staff in salute.

"Great Primal God, God of Day and Night, god-descendant of the Ancestral God Ometeotl, we pay homage to you!"

Everyone stood in separate ranks, their expressions solemn. Xolotl stood among the Priesthood on the left side of the tent, curiously studying the Suiqiu City envoy's attire. These interwoven black-and-white stripes symbolized the chaos of light and darkness. They looked much like a wild animal from his homeland twenty thousand li away—the national treasure, the giant panda.

On the right side of the tent stood the commanders in double-sided Sun Stone cloaks. At their head was a hard-faced man with a "Cihuacoatl" painted on the back of his cloak. Avet stood at the end of the commanders' group as well, wearing a sincere smile.

At the center of the tent sat King Tizoc, dressed in a splendid red-and-white war robe and wearing a skull helmet. The king sat high upon a raised platform, maintaining the majesty of a god. He showed no intention of coming down to perform the sacred rites, merely looking down coldly at the envoy.

"Honored Mexica King!"

The priest envoy from Suiqiu City lowered his head, his tone becoming even more respectful.

"Xilotepec City has always paid tribute to you and the great Alliance on time. Our city lord even married a noble Mexica lady. We are loyal subjects of the great Alliance. Why has the king raised troops to come and punish us?"

At this, the king slightly raised a hand toward the Priesthood, while his face continued to maintain its divine, indifferent expression.

Very soon, an elderly priest in a Sun Cloak stepped out from in front of Xolotl and shouted sternly.

"Xilotepec has three crimes! First, in last year's tribute, the quantity of offerings failed to meet the Alliance's demands. Second, it secretly formed an alliance with the Otomi city-states to the west, harboring treacherous intentions. Third, it worships old gods and does not believe in the Main God!"

When he spoke of the third charge, the elderly priest fixed the envoy with a piercing stare, murder in his eyes.

The Suiqiu City envoy pressed his lips together and kept his head bowed. Only upon hearing the third accusation did he raise his head, a shocked expression appearing on his face.

Sure enough, the elderly priest continued to rebuke him.

"The great descendant of the Sun God demands this: Xilotepec City-State must surrender ten years' worth of tribute, three thousand adult male sacrifices, and sever its alliance with the Otomi cities. The city-state must hand over the Inheritance Ritual Disc used by its Temple for sacrifices and record-keeping, and convert to the great Sun God, God of War, Main God Huitzilopochtli!"

"Ah! Hand over the Ritual Disc and convert? Mexica priest, those are unacceptable terms!"

Hearing these terms, the priest envoy clearly lost control of his emotions, fury blazing in his eyes.

"The great Primal God protects us! We have one hundred thousand warriors and three years of food! Suiqiu City is as impregnable as a divine stone atop a mountain, unbreakable and indestructible!"

At this, the king raised his hand again, gesturing toward the commanders. Soon, the hard-faced man at their head strode forward.

"You have food for three years, then we will besiege your city for three years! The Tampico River will bring us food without end! The Alliance's reinforcements are also arriving without end. Our great army can remain here for ten years!"

"Besides, you only have twenty thousand warriors and food reserves for one year!"

The hard-faced man paused slightly, then mercilessly spat out the cold truth, declaring the city-state's fate.

"After one year, from god-descendants above to slaves below, every adult male in the city will be sacrificed to the Main God!"

The priest envoy's expression froze. He knew the Mexica People were not making threats; they were merely stating a cruel fact. For a moment, the great tent fell so silent that a needle dropping could be heard.

"Tribute, sacrifices, the Ritual Disc, conversion!"

King Tizoc spoke for the first time, still as indifferent as a deity.

"Go back and tell the god-descendants of your city-state! They have only one chance."

The negotiations had reached this point; there was nothing left to discuss. The Suiqiu City envoy could only lower his head and leave in silence.

Only after the envoy departed did the solemn atmosphere within the tent lighten somewhat. Tizoc shed his godlike pose and smiled as he asked Ahuitzotl.

"My dear younger brother, what movements are the Otomi People farther west making?"

Hearing this, Avet stepped forward. His smile faded as he replied gravely.

"Honored King, according to intelligence gathered by the merchants we sent out, the Otomi People are gathering their forces. Nearby Otopan has mobilized its entire state, conscripting every able-bodied man and forming forty thousand Samurai and Militia. Of course, they have no more than ten thousand City-State Warriors. Farther away, Guamare and Pames State have each mobilized twenty thousand men, including eight thousand City-State Warriors apiece."

Tizoc raised his brows, nodded, then smiled and asked the hard-faced man beside him.

"My loyal Chief Minister and commander, Cihuacoatl Totek. How are my legions prepared?"

Upon hearing the king's question, the stern Totek finally showed a trace of a smile and answered respectfully.

"Honored King, if the Otopan people rush to provide aid, we will give them a surprise on the road!"

The commanders in the tent also smiled knowingly. They all knew what that "surprise" was.

After everyone in the tent finished discussing military matters, Tizoc finally turned his head toward the corner of the tent.

"Xolotl, my nephew."

He smiled warmly, beckoning for Xolotl to come over.

"I just heard Avet's report. You wish to make a large wooden Stone Thrower?"

"Ah! It is a Catapult."

At this, Tizoc frowned slightly and gave a soft "Oh." He did not ask what a cart was. To him, it was merely an insignificant digression.

"Xolotl, you say the Sun is a great ball of fire?"

Tizoc smiled faintly as he came to the main point.

"Yes. The Sun is a great ball of fire far away from us, much larger than Earth Mother."

Xolotl answered earnestly, his face full of a youth's sincerity.

"Ha! Then where does the Sun God live?"

Tizoc's expression turned cold. Staring at Xolotl, he asked solemnly.

"He should live on the Sun."

Xolotl weighed his words repeatedly before answering cautiously. He did not dare discuss the question of whether gods existed with a theologian—especially when that theologian was the supreme Divine Descendant King.

"Xolotl, you say Earth Mother is a great ball of soil?"

Tizoc's expression was icy as he continued to press him.

"Yes."

"Then where does Earth Mother live?"

"She should... she should live at the center of the great ball of soil."

"Come, Xolotl. Spin around in place a few times."

Xolotl was at a loss for a moment, then obediently spun around several times.

"Do you feel dizzy?"

King Tizoc's lips curled upward as he asked with a smile.

"Dizzy."

Xolotl answered sincerely, looking utterly innocent.

"So, you say Earth Mother is constantly spinning?"

King Tizoc smiled, faint mockery at the corner of his mouth.

"Then why do we not usually feel dizzy?"

Hearing this, Xolotl was left speechless. He wanted to explain the concept of relative velocity, but immediately realized it would be futile—and irrelevant. In the end, he could only look embarrassed and remain tongue-tied.

"Haaha! What a foolish child!"

King Tizoc appeared quite pleased. It was as though he had cast off some hidden concern and worry, no longer scrutinizing the youth with sharp eyes.

"Come here!"

After a moment, he beckoned again, calling Xolotl, dressed in Celestial Dog ritual robes, closer onto the platform. For the first time, he affectionately pinched Xolotl's cheek with his hand. Mm, it hurt a little.

"You child!"

King Tizoc chuckled as he lectured him.

"Since you wish to walk the path of a Priest, you must properly study astronomy and theology! Do you understand? At the very least, attain half your grandfather's mastery."

"After all, your grandfather has already told me that you will eventually succeed him as the High Priest of Teotihuacan. Originally, I intended to marry a princess to you. But unfortunately, the Main God has taught that devout priests should not possess formal wives."

"Avet, my younger brother. Come here as well!"

After lecturing for a while, King Tizoc beckoned again toward the commanders. Ahuitzotl hurriedly mounted the platform as well, lowered his head, and paid homage to the king.

"Mm. The Holy City Lineage of Teotihuacan is also a direct bloodline of the Sun God, close kin to our main Tenochtitlan line! Avet, you must treat Xolotl as your own nephew. On this campaign, let Xolotl remain at your side. You will personally teach him the basics of warfare and military affairs!"

"Yes!"

"May the Main God bless you! Devote more of your time to Xolotl! As for the intelligence and guard corps in your hands, let Chief Minister Totek manage them temporarily!"

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this King's Order, Avet obeyed respectfully. His face was full of composure, without the slightest trace of dissatisfaction.

"Xolotl, the Holy City Lineage has always been the royal family's most loyal supporter. In the future, you must loyally obey the next Tlatoani."

King Tizoc spoke with a smile, instructing Xolotl, yet his gaze remained fixed on Avet's face. When he mentioned "the next Tlatoani," he watched every shift in Avet's expression even more closely.

"Remember, just as your grandfather has been loyal to me!"

"Yes, Uncle! I will heed your instruction."

Xolotl looked anxious as he nodded sincerely.

"Very good! You may both leave."

Soon, the two walked out of the great tent and far, far away—so far that the Sun at the edge of the sky began to sink beyond the mountains. At last, the glaring sunlight slowly withdrew from this land where killing intent lay hidden.

"Xolotl, congratulations!"

Only then did Avet smile and speak to Xolotl.

"What?"

"You passed the test."