Clouds churned, and the sea wind from the east carried damp water vapor; mountains rose in overlapping layers, and the southern mountain forests were especially verdant and dense.
At this moment, a faint reek of blood spread among the towering temples. The Rain God priests who had once stood so high above others had mostly become fallen corpses, their souls gone to the Divine Kingdom among the clouds. In the ancient Temple, the lofty Rain God sat upright upon his divine throne. With deep golden eyes, he silently watched these northern warriors clad in heavy armor, and the wasteland barbarians he had never seen before.
"More than eight hundred li from north to south, over five hundred li from east to west; treacherous highlands in the east, rolling lowland valleys in the west, and dense coastal rainforest in the south—this is the vast land of the Mixtec! Two cities in the highlands, more than two hundred thousand tribesmen; four cities in the lowlands, nearly four hundred thousand people; three coastal cities, three hundred thousand souls. Put together, that is nine great city-states, more than nine hundred thousand tribesmen!"
Black Wolf's gaze burned as he looked at the young priest revealing his true feelings, and he pondered silently. He thought over the situation of the Eastern Expedition, and also worked hard to analyze this southern campaign, accumulating experience for the southern expedition that would inevitably come in the future.
The Four States of Tlaxcala had a small territory, a thriving population, and comparatively flat terrain. Most Tlaxcalan tribes were concentrated in the core Tlaxcala Valley and the Holy City Cholula. In the Mexica Alliance's Eastern Expedition, once the army broke through the passes blocking them from north and south, they would drive straight into the heart of their old enemy and