Chapter 353: The End of the Northern Expedition, the Sacrificial Ceremony, the Aftermath and the Return Journey

The sacred fire was blazingly lit, and the sacrificial smoke rose in the square, bringing a divine atmosphere. The altar is erected high, and the chants of the priests echo in the valley, like the whispers of gods.

".The sun rises in the wilderness, and the Lord God Huitzilopochtli ascends to the highest place! He is supreme, supreme, and omnipotent. He controls the divine heaven and earth, governs all the ministries in the world, and also rules the people of the wilderness! The highest The Lord God blessed the alliance and granted the divine power of thunder and fire! Under the watchful eye of the Lord God, the Holy Northern Expedition achieved a perfect victory!"

Shulot, wearing complicated sacrificial robes, stood at the highest point of the altar. He held the emerald staff high, opened his arms, and prayed to the supreme god.

The square was filled with solemnity. Under the altar and altar, there were hundreds of priests singing, thousands of warriors killing, and tens of thousands of surrendered Guakili tribesmen. At this moment, tens of thousands of people knelt on the ground, bathed in the light of the Lord God, crawled at the feet of the king, and offered their initial surrender.

"Supreme Lord God! In order to thank you for your protection, I offer you the most noble sacrifice. He is the culprit of the southern invasion and the descendant of the god in the northern wilderness! He has the blood of divinity and was killed by the army of the Lord God. "

Shulot's chant became louder and louder, and the accompaniment of the priest group also reached the sky. Soon, the priest king waved his magic staff, and the eight wooden cannons exploded like thunder. The faces of the Guakili tribe in the audience looked horrified, which soon turned into deep awe. In the eyes of tens of thousands of people, the dead Chichika leader was dressed in wolf robes, lying on a stretcher sprinkled with spices, and was carried to the altar by four priests.

Shulot's face was solemn, as if he possessed divinity. He held his breath secretly, chanted a few words again, and then threw Chichika's body into the sacred fire. Then he prayed to the Lord God again, offering dead coyotes, peaceful white-tailed deer, and a good harvest of river fish. For these two coyotes and white-tailed deer, thousands of warriors worked hard all day to capture them from the mountains to the east.

"Praise the Lord God, you give us long life! Praise the Lord God, you give us peace after death! Praise the Lord God, you give us the harvest of the fields and the victory of the Northern Expedition!"

The chants of the priests of the main god echoed in the small town, accompanied by strange dances, as mysterious as the priests of the wilderness. The heads of various ministries fell down in the front square, their faces full of awe. Behind them, there were tribesmen densely packed like a colony of ants.

"Ozoma, isn't the Death Chief the incarnation of Death? Why does he keep praising this main god, the Sun God, and the God of War?"

Chief Massat of Red Deer fell to his knees. Although his face was full of awe, it didn't seem to affect his low murmur.

"Hush! Dudelu, what are you thinking about?"

Red Monkey Chief Ozoma looked pious and replied in a low voice.

"Isn't this simple? The main god is the biggest, and the god of death is the second. Although the chief of death is powerful, he is not old and is not the big leader of the Southern Alliance. Above him, there is also the big chief who is the incarnation of the main god. When the big chief dies, The Death Chief will become the Lord God Chief!"

"Ah, so it can be changed? Then it depends on who has more magic power and who is stronger."

"Of course! If you are strong, you are naturally blessed by the gods. Right now, the Death Chief is the strongest, so why don't we just listen to him?"

The low whispers dispersed in the divine smoke and then stopped quietly. For the leaders of the wasteland, it is appropriate to revere the gods, but after the reverence is over, they can do whatever they want. To spread the faith of the Lord God into their hearts requires a long period of naturalization.

"God has come and is watching over His people! Offer your piety and give your souls to the Lord God!"

Soon, several high-pitched chants sounded. The priests poured dozens of kilograms of sulfur into several piles of sacred fire, and the blue flames rose up. Seeing this mysterious spell, the Guakili tribesmen were immediately in chaos, shouting with fear.

However, in front of thousands of elite warriors, they had no choice. Shulot looked around at the crowded crowd, took a deep breath, and shouted loudly.

"People of the Lord God! Drink up the wine of blood, offer up your hair, surrender to the Lord God, and shine His glory!"

The drum sound of "dong dong" sounded in an instant, followed by the singing of the priest of the main god and the war dance of the Mexica warriors! Each tribe of Guakili came forward in groups of thousands to be baptized by the priests. The red-haired warriors of the tribe have always been fearless of life and death, and regard death in battle as their way home. However, at this moment, when they watched their red hair turn into blue smoke and fly into the sky of the Mexica Kingdom, they actually showed deep fear.

Sacate and Ozoma are no exception. The two canine chiefs offered their hair, drank blood wine, and were led to the edge of the altar. They looked at each other, and for the first time, they saw real uneasiness in each other's eyes. In this era, the rituals of gods and souls will always have practical constraints in people's hearts. In the wasteland where the king's power is beyond the reach, only divine power still has power.

Shulot stood solemnly on the high platform, watching the people in front of him. After the conversion ceremony begins, he does not need to do it himself, he only needs to be a divine sculpture. With this free time, he lowered his eyes and thought about the arrangements after the Northern Expedition.

The three armies pursued for seven or eight days and wiped out all the ministries in the valley. The Eastern Route Army even caught up with the tail of more than 3,000 Red Crow warriors and bitten off hundreds of canine men. Afterwards, under the leadership of Chief Red Crow, hundreds of red-haired hunters fought to the death, and then the covering tribal brigade boarded the bamboo rafts and boats. It was not until more than two thousand tribesmen went east along the Tampeng River, and hundreds of elites behind them fled away under the cover of night, that the pursuing legions returned.

At this point in the Northern Expedition, everything was settled. Among the Eastern Dog Clan, the Red Dog, Red Flamingo, and Red Newt tribes were completely wiped out. The Red Dog and Red Flamingo chiefs died in battle, and the Red Newt chief was missing. The Red Deer and Red Monkey tribes suffered heavy losses and surrendered to the Alliance. Only the Red Crow tribe unexpectedly rose, dragging thousands of tribes to flee eastward in a hurry, and their whereabouts were unknown.

Before the Northern Expedition, there were about 60,000 to 70,000 tribes in the Eastern Dog Clan. During the Northern Expedition that lasted for several months, 10,000 Dog Clan men died or disappeared, more than 10,000 tribes migrated eastward, and 3,000 to 4,000 old and weak fled to the northwest wilderness. The remaining 40,000 Dog Clan surrendered to the coalition. At this moment, they knelt at the feet of the king, converted to the Supreme Lord, and accepted the baptism of the priests.

After conquering the valley, Shulot had another 40,000 mouths under his command. The food seized in the city of Pams was limited and could not support the army to stay for too long. After the sacrificial ceremony today, within three days, the first batch of more than 10,000 dog descendants will go south and embark on a migration of more than 700 miles.

The northern expedition can be declared over here. The three legions were mobilized in June and July, and troops were dispatched in early August. The valley was captured in early November and the red dog leader was sacrificed. Thousands of people from the Red Fox Tribe fled west, and 10,000 people from the Red Crow Tribe fled east. The three tribes of Red Dog, Red Flamingo, and Red Newt died in the battle, and the four tribes of Red Frog, Red Cat, Red Monkey, and Red Deer surrendered. The chiefs of each tribe took the stage and ended one after another. Countless calculations and ambitions were scattered in the wind, and finally there was a clean white!

More than 100,000 dog descendants went south, and more than 20,000 were killed and injured, and more than 20,000 fled. The remaining more than 60,000 tribes were captured and surrendered by the alliance, and they are about to become the people of the kingdom.

"More than 60,000 people, most of them are young and strong men and women, and they are brave and brave. They are excellent soldiers!"

Thinking of this, Xiu Luote smiled. After many battles with the dog race, he changed his original plan. It would be a pity if these warlike Guakili tribes were used as serfs. He planned to disorganize the tribes and organize them into fifteen or sixteen flag teams of four thousand people, and place them in the least populated Hekou County. Afterwards, a Guakili Legion will be formed from more than 60,000 tribes, with two 3,000-man war groups under its jurisdiction, which will be handed over to Chief Red Frog and Chief Red Monkey respectively according to the king's promise. Of course, this legion must first devoutly convert to the Lord God, accept the management of the war priests, and then integrate enough kingdom officers.

Xiuluot glanced at the chiefs lying on the ground, and then moved his eyes to look at the Otomi nobles of the three states guarding.

At the beginning of the northern expedition, the three Otomi states mobilized a total of 16,000 warriors and 10,000 to 20,000 militiamen to maintain the food supply. The Mexica Legion dispatched 8,000 elite troops, including 6,000 royal guards and 2,000 longbow militiamen. At the end of the northern expedition, the Pams Legion had been disbanded, and the remaining 1,000 people were incorporated into the Mexica Legion. The remaining two states still had over 10,000 warriors left.

In total, the three Otomi states suffered 5,000 casualties, and there were thousands of militiamen responsible for transportation. After replenishing the Otomi warriors and dog captives, the Mexica Corps was still fully staffed with 8,000 people. However, such a long journey lasted only three months, and the food of the three Otomi states and the kingdom's estuary county was consumed. From the perspective of actual logistics, the southern coalition's troops could only stop here.

First, the dog invaded the south, and then the coalition army marched north. The Otomi nobles of the three states suffered heavy casualties, and the remaining noble private armies were intentionally integrated. Xiuluot planned all the way, and the kingdom was finally able to intervene, transform the priests of the original god, and initially control the three Otomi states.

If it is simply described in one sentence, it is that the three Otomi states have finally been integrated from the disloyal outsiders of the vassal alliance to loyal subjects obeying the kingdom.

After initially mastering the three states, the number of people in each state was recorded. Before and after the Northern Expedition, the population of the Ottopan State in the south remained roughly the same at about 200,000. The population of the Guamare State in the west dropped from nearly 200,000 to about 150,000. The most tragic situation was in the Pamus State in the north, which dropped from 150,000 to 60,000, leaving only a fraction of the original population. The three states combined, the Otomi tribes only had over 400,000 people. You know, a few years ago, including the Xilotepec State, the Otomi people numbered millions!

"The cruel war will cleanse everything, destroy the old production relations, and give birth to a new class of productive forces. I will personally breed them!"

Xiuluot opened his eyes, and the flames flashed from his eyes. Now, there are three main achievements of the Northern Expedition. One is the capture of tens of thousands of dog-born people, the second is the conquest of the three Otomi states, and the third is the acquisition of a stable outpost in the wilderness, the city of Pamus.

In the singing of the priests, he thought about the subsequent arrangements for the three states.

"The state of Pamus will continue to be governed by local nobles, but the city of Pamus will be directly governed by the alliance, with Paramo as the city lord. The six thousand freed serfs and prisoners of war will be the most valuable wealth in the city of Pamus. Well, leave five hundred Mexica warriors to Paramo, one thousand Pamus warriors, and recruit five hundred from the prisoners of war. That's two thousand warriors, enough to defend the city of Pamus."

After a northern expedition, more than 100,000 Guakili dog descendants were wiped out. Within two generations, the Guakili tribes were unable to invade the south. However, the tribes in the wilderness migrated to each other, chasing prey and water sources. The large blank left by the Guakili people will probably soon be discovered by the Toboso, Jumano and even Concho people in the north, and then gradually migrate south.

"The population of the Pamus Valley is still too thin. Even if the refugees around are gathered together, there are less than 20,000 people."

Xuluot stared at the blazing holy fire and pondered in silence.

"We still need to leave 5,000 Dog Tribe members to fill the valley's population, and also establish a Dog Tribe camp of 1,000 people."

Thinking of this, the king's mind flashed through the faces of the chiefs, and finally fixed on the most harmless face.

"Well, you have faced the power of new weapons, been frightened by the alliance, been betrayed by the red fox and the red frog, and experienced the despair of becoming a sacrifice. It is you, the red cat chief Mizli!"

Xuluot smiled faintly. After being captured, Mizli has been imprisoned in the Red Fox Valley and received the teachings of the main god priest. When the army returns, he will personally test one or two to decide the fate of the opponent.

"A flexible city lord, 25,000 people, 3,000 warriors. The balance of the Mexica, Otomi and Guajili. With such an arrangement, even if it is 700 miles away, it can at least be maintained for more than ten years!"

The king lowered his head slightly, looking at the rich Pams Valley and the vicissitudes of Pams City. Then, his eyes continued to look south, across the journey, and cast towards the mountain city hundreds of miles away.

"The Guamare State in the west maintains aristocratic autonomy, with Chief Chalkki as its leader. The mountain city of Otopan in the south is a key node. Although autonomy has been promised, it needs to be allocated a fiefdom nearby and station an army of the kingdom."

Xuluot sniffed the burnt air, his expression calm and relaxed. He had already thought about it in his heart, and his will could not be violated.

"The two thousand longbow militiamen of the First Long Spear Corps will be stationed around the mountain city and set up a camp for farming! As for the vacancies in the First Long Spear Corps, they will be filled from the dog-born captives. The Guakili people are good at shooting, and they will also settle in Hekou County. After the dog-born convert to the Lord God, a thousand archers will be drawn to fill the vacancies of the Guard Corps."

The sun at noon gradually set in the west, and then slowly fell. The light of the setting sun dyed the sky red, and it was another brilliant sunset. The sacred sacrificial ceremony lasted for a day, and all 40,000 Guakili tribes were baptized.

In the red sunset, under the gaze of tens of thousands of dog descendants, Xiuluot took off his sacrificial robe and put on the wolf robe representing the chief. Then, he personally stretched out his hand, facing the sacred red sky, and scattered Chichika's ashes in the wind, scattering them into the vast wilderness.

This is the tradition of the wilderness and the inheritance of the chief!

Seeing this scene, tens of thousands of Guakili tribes were stunned on the spot, and the small town was silent for a while.

Red Monkey Chief Ozoma was well prepared. He was the first to stand up, raised his hands, and shouted with his guards around him.

"Praise the Great Chief! The powerful God of Death Chief is the real Lord of the Wasteland!"

Then, Chief Red Deer and Chief Red Frog also stood up and cheered. But in a moment, the shouting waves echoed in the valley, with a heart-shaking power.

"Death Chief! The real Lord of the Wasteland!"

In the afterglow of the sunset, Xiuluot laughed heroically and looked to the north. The northern wilderness is two or three thousand miles long, and further north is the boundless North American continent. There is endless land and endless journeys!

The grand sacrificial ceremony ended in the night. Xiuluo invited Chief Guakili and the Otomi nobles to have a dinner together. The end of the dinner turned into a ceremony of loyalty. The king smiled and comforted them one by one, shaking everyone's hair.

Three days later, the first batch of legions and tribes began to move south, and the subsequent southward migration team stretched for nearly a hundred miles. The Guakili tribesmen blew horns, learned to howl like wolves, sang sad songs, and disappeared at the end of the mountain road. They will leave the familiar wilderness and go to the unknown fertile land in the south, to the powerful cactus kingdom.

More than ten days later, the black wolf's royal flag left the city of Palms and set off on the long journey back to the south under the escort of thousands of armored soldiers.

The fluttering royal flag fluttered, and Xiuluo climbed up to the camp at the entrance of the valley. He turned around for the last time and looked at the wasteland in the north. It was another red sunset, as if it was a call from the end of the mountains.

The king listened calmly for a moment and nodded. He smiled and said to the sunset.

"Don't worry, I will come! In my lifetime."

I'll make up for yesterday's chapter, which I just finished. ^_^