The setting sun shoots out bloody light and falls on the Lithospermum manor. The beauty and glitz that once existed have turned into dilapidation and destruction before our eyes. Outside the manor, ragwood branches and leaves are scattered, with more traces of cutting, smashing and chiseling. Inside the manor, dahlia stems
The pole was broken and trampled into the dust and mud. And among the flowers and trees, the gold and silver carved buildings were dyed with fresh red, like the brush of death, writing the mark of the end.
Huitu Puap came with a thousand elite warriors with murderous intent. In just half a day, he captured the Zicao family's manor. Most of the more than two hundred Zicao warriors stationed there were killed in the battle, and a few were captured. Only a few were captured.
Several people fled to the southeast. Later, more than three hundred members of the Lithospermum tribe were captured by the warriors and imprisoned in the main hall deep in the manor. Among them, there were sixty or seventy of Gulamo's wives, concubines, and heirs alone.
At this moment, hundreds of Qin Congcan warriors were patrolling the manor repeatedly, looking for fish that had slipped through the net. Puap himself led a hundred warriors to torture the Purple Grass tribesmen in the palace.
"Say! Where did Gulamo go?!"
"I...I'm just a servant...ah..."
Huitu Puap looked fierce, grabbing the opponent's hair with his left hand, and slashed hard with the long dagger in his right hand! Warmth flew out in an instant, and Gulamo's servant died immediately. Then, his eyes turned red, and he grabbed a middle-aged nobleman's hair.
hair, and put the blood-stained long dagger on the opponent's neck.
"Say! Where did Gulamo go?!"
"I...I don't know, brother...uh..."
Puap flashed a fierce light and swung the blade again. Then, he wiped his face with his sleeves, licked the corners of his mouth, and then grabbed another old tribesman.
"Say! Where did Gulamo go?!"
"I...he, he is Gulamo's son, he knows."
"Um."
Puap nodded. He retracted the dagger with a sneer, then suddenly thrust it forward, stirred it hard, and pulled it out again!
"ah!..."
The old tribesman was bleeding from his chest and fell to the ground. Then, Puap strode forward and grabbed the identified young nobleman. He put the bloody long dagger against his cheek.
"Say! Where did Gulamo go?!"
"Ah! Father...Father came back not long ago and took a few brothers away in a hurry. Then, he went, went..."
The young nobleman's legs were weak and he collapsed on the ground, with snot and tears streaming down his face. Gulamo didn't even enter the manor, but hurriedly took away a few people who had been waiting. At that time, he was messing with his father's dancer, and he was a little slow.
After getting the news, the only chance of life passed by.
"Where have you gone?!"
"Go to the south lake...ah!"
Puap pulled out the dagger neatly and said to the bodyguard angrily.
"Separate two hundred warriors and search the lake in the south! Try to find as many boats as possible!"
"Yes, deputy commander!"
The guards bowed their heads in agreement and left after receiving the order. General Huitu didn't like others to call him battalion commander, and preferred the title of deputy commander. Of course, at present, this title is only shouted in the camp.
Huitu Puap stood there, looking around the hall with red eyes. The four walls of the hall were carved with naked goddesses and graceful dancers. At this time, the goddess was stained with bright red, and the dancers were stepping on the corpses, which gave them a coquettish beauty. His eyes swept across it manically.
The crowd's eyes stayed on Gulamo's concubines.
After a few breaths, he made a choice, strode directly, picked up a tied-up and charming woman, and dragged him to the side hall next to him. After a while, deep breathing began to sound, accompanied by the woman's charming voice.
The sound was quick and rapid, and then became high-pitched. First there was a hysterical man's roar in the side hall, and then a woman's scream, and all the sounds stopped at the same time.
Puap walked out of the side hall with fresh blood stains on his body, and his violent eyes finally calmed down. At this time, he had to admit that Gulamo, this insidious snake, had escaped from the trap.
"Secret letter...Secret letter...Where is the secret letter?!"
Puap held the last chance and whispered to himself. Then, with a cold look in his eyes, he replaced the worn obsidian dagger and walked towards the Zicao tribe again.
The sun sets in the sky, and darkness covers the earth, covering up the endless blood. The warriors who went to South Lake to search have not yet returned, and Sky Orta has already arrived first.
"How about it!"
Horta asked anxiously and irritably.
"He escaped. The letter was not found."
Puap lowered his eyes and shook his head. Then, he asked equally eagerly.
"How's the city?"
"The city was broken. The legion went around to the east gate, and the defenders there immediately collapsed. Then, the warriors climbed directly over the wall and entered. The rebels in the city resisted for a while at first, and then surrendered. Now, the four gates in the city have been sealed.
Blockade, the large group of rebels either died or surrendered, and only a few stragglers were left, who could not escape..."
Horta answered confidently. He did not mention the golden-armored leader who died in the battle at the North Gate, because as expected by Huitu, he was just a substitute.
"Where is General Etalik?"
"He is intact and has five hundred Mexica warriors with him."
Speaking of this, Horta's face looked a little angry.
"This old guy Etalik! We traveled hundreds of miles and traveled day and night to save him. He actually sat high on the pyramid temple and let me go to see him alone!"
"Oh? Going to visit alone?"
Puap raised his eyebrows and asked.
"You went alone?"
"...I went. I brought a dozen personal guards with me, but he didn't dare to say anything!"
Horta's eyes flashed and he tilted his head slightly, avoiding Puap's eyes.
"If it weren't for his seniority and his family background as a warrior..."
Huitu Puap was silent. Taking a dozen personal guards was basically the same as going alone. He thought for a moment and asked again.
"What did the old general say?"
"The old guy asked me to divide my troops to suppress the rebels in the city, and then control the streets and prohibit civilians from passing. I left 1,500 people in the city to quell the chaos, so I came directly with 500 personal guards."
"Five hundred Mexica warriors still on the temple pyramid?"
"It was still there when I left."
"Um."
Puap nodded silently. It seemed that General Etalik was also suspicious of them. Gulamo's assassination put the generals who were born in Prepecha in an embarrassing situation. He and Horta had another fight with Gulam
Mo has contacted me many times. This is the embarrassment of embarrassment, and may even be in danger.
"Damn it! Horta, I was tricked by you!"
Thinking of this, Puap cursed in a low voice.
"The secret message may have been taken away by Gulamo!"
"ah!"
Horta looked nervous and subconsciously held the dagger at his waist.
The two of them were feeling upset when suddenly a personal guard came from the main hall and reported back.
"Deputy Captain, we tortured Gulammo's trusted servant, and he said that Gulammo has a secret room!"
"Um?"
"Walk!"
Upon hearing this, the two people's eyes lit up. They shouted almost at the same time.
"Lead the way!"
Everyone held torches and followed the trembling servants to the family warehouse behind the main hall. There were many rooms in the warehouse, one of which was filled with unknown herbs and bottles. The servant walked to the innermost part of the room and pushed open a wooden door.
table, pointing to the wooden board below.
"Sir, here it is."
Alter sneered. The so-called "secret room" had almost no secret measures. It was just a cool cellar. He directly opened the wooden board, and a pungent smell of herbs mixed with rich blood hit his nostrils.
Puap looked stern and held the long dagger at his waist. He signaled to the guards on the left and right, who held torches and carefully walked into the cellar. Then, low exclamations came from the front.
Come.
"ah!"
"This is?"
"O Lord God!..."
Puap waited patiently until one of the guards returned.
"Deputy Corps Commander, there is no danger ahead, only a strange... earth wall?"
"Um?"
Puap looked at Horta and walked into the cellar first. The cellar was not deep, and it was cool and dry. The further inside, the stronger the smell of blood became, making people dizzy. Within a moment, the group walked in
At the deepest point, a vast basement appeared in front of them.
"...Gulamo, this disgusting poisonous snake! Warriors collect the heads of powerful warriors and build skull walls to show off their military exploits! But he actually collects so many women's heads and embalms them with herbs. It's really disgusting.
coward!"
Puap let out a disdainful "Bah", while Horta shuddered.
In front of everyone, there was an earthen wall seven or eight meters long and two meters high. On the earthen wall was a hole as big as a human head. In the hole, the heads of young women were neatly stored. They all
Treated with antiseptic herbs, most of them have long hair and dry and pale skin. Different expressions can be vaguely recognized. Some are frightened, some are afraid, some are desperate, some are relieved, and some are smiling.
At this moment, there were hundreds of heads on the entire wall, all with empty eyes, staring at everyone strangely. And on the wall next to the heads, there were detailed graphic and text labels, which seemed to be evaluations of the collection.
If Shulot stood here and examined carefully, he would be able to identify a withered head in the middle. She had a relieved smile on her face, and her eyebrows were somewhat similar to Medina's. And on the mark next to her, there was a regret.
's smiling face.
Historically, this kind of underground or semi-underground building was called a skull wall. It was a custom passed down from the Teotihuacan era and was usually built underground in ancient temples. The skull itself recorded the builder's achievements and also symbolized
Sacrifice to gods. This worship of death is deeply rooted in the hearts of all Mesoamerican tribes, just like the Day of the Dead in later generations.
"Bah, what a waste of time!"
Puap looked at it for a moment and determined that this was just a simple skeleton storage room. He was so angry that he picked up the servant on the ground and stabbed out the long dagger with all his strength. The storage room was filled with fresh blood.
Everyone came out of the cellar and returned to the manor again. After being busy for a while, the samurai who went to search the lake had returned. They did not find the boat or the people, and returned without success.
"Puap, what should we do now? Do we want to continue the interrogation?"
Horta looked worried and vaguely frightened.
"Continue the interrogation? The Imperial Guards are on their way south, we don't have time!"
Speaking of this, Puap's eyes turned cold, and murderous intent boiled in his chest.
"Your Majesty said that the Purple Grass Family will be sacrificed! Then, we will kill all the Purple Grass Clan members, and then set fire to burn the entire manor to ashes! Anyway, no one in the entire Purple Grass Family is clean.
They are all rotten wood of the kingdom... If the secret message is still in the manor, it will be over."
"Ah? Then if the secret message is still in Gulamo's hands, wouldn't we be blackmailed by him?..."
"Well...the only way now is to confess to His Majesty and surrender!"
Puap frowned and pondered for a moment. He remembered what the old militiaman said after drinking, and finally spoke decisively.
"Since I can't find the letter, I can only confess! There is nothing in those letters, just some...just assumptions that will not happen."
"Old man Qi once said that there is no loyalty like stone in the world, but loyalty like a tree. As long as your majesty reigns over the world and is high above, the tree will live. Every branch and every leaf is loyal! Let it live.
Just live, or die if you want it. And if His Majesty does not come back from the northern expedition, the tree will die. Loyalty rots, and the wood rots. By then, not to mention us, even the most loyal Ezpan will also die.
Choose the Rebel Alliance!..."
"Your Majesty has received divine enlightenment and is a king who can see far away. We are useful to His Majesty. As long as we sincerely plead guilty, even if we receive some punishment, we still have a chance!"
Horta thought for a moment and nodded helplessly.
"That's all! Hey!"
The two sighed, gave a few instructions to their personal guards, and stopped talking. Soon, the dying wail suddenly sounded, and then suddenly subsided. The Prepecha warriors briefly plundered some belongings and set fire to stones and wood.
's house.
The wind helped the fire, but within two quarters of an hour, the vast Lithospermum Manor was engulfed in a sea of raging flames! The trees were burning, the flowers were burning, the buildings were burning, and the bodies were burning.
The glorious family, which has been inherited for more than two hundred years, was destroyed! All the past glory and all the sins were reduced to ashes in the fire, and then scattered in the wind. Outside the manor, the tall ragwort wood was destroyed by the fire.
It was lit and burned from bottom to top, like a row of torches more than twenty meters high, shining brightly in the gloomy night.
"Puapu! Horta!..."
Atoyak Lake reflected the distant firelight. Gulamo stood on a canoe, with a few people beside him. He was in great pain, his face was as ferocious as a snake, and tears of regret fell in large drops, and then turned into
The venom of hatred was buried deeply in his heart. After a while, he wiped away his tears and shouted to the people around him in a low voice.
"Why are you crying?! As long as we are still there, the family will still be there. Let's go!"
"Father, where are we going?"
A young noble asked in a low voice, trembling all over.
Gulamo did not speak. He put his hand deep into his arms and carefully took out a jade talisman. It was left by a distant guest during the king's northern expedition. He thought he would not use it at all, but he never thought that it turned out to be a jade talisman.
His final retreat...I don't know what fate awaits him.
"Row a boat and go to the East!"
Gulamo glanced at the mysterious symbol on the jade talisman and said coldly. Then, he squeezed the jade talisman tightly, turned his hand behind his back, and finally took a look at the burning manor before taking a boat. The front of the jade talisman,
Engraved is a hummingbird in the sun, and on the back of the jade talisman is a small square Chinese character, "mi".
The night was dim and the fire was shining brightly. At the same time, the veteran Etalik was standing in the south of the great temple, which was the battlefield where the Lithospermum warriors died in the last battle. He frowned, looked at the fallen corpse in front of him, and was silent.
There was a smile on the face of the corpse. Next to it was the peeled off bronze armor. On top of the bronze armor, there was a leather bag stained red with blood. This leather bag was found from the deceased's bronze armor and was preserved inside.
It was intact. After a quick inspection, it turned out to be...two secret letters!
This chapter has been completed!