The climate at the seaside is constantly changing. It was cloudy and rainy just now, but now it is sunny again. A beam of golden sunshine, through the dispersed clouds, falls on the white stone temple, like a blessing from the sun god.
On the walls of the temple, the reliefs of the snake gods flashed with golden light, lifelike as if they were swimming, and looked miraculous.
When the Totonak people in the city pass by the edge of the temple, they will bow their heads piously and salute to the towering temple. Under the temple of the pyramid, the prosperous market is bustling with people selling goods on the street stalls and bamboo sheds. People with various accents
There were shouts and shouts, and foreign merchants wearing various costumes came and went... This huge city-state market had at least thousands of people!
"Oh! It's such a big city!"
Chihuaco boarded the shore and looked at the scene in the city. He opened his eyes wide and was a little surprised. Such prosperity reminded him of the Kingdom's Qincongcan capital. However, the buildings and murals of this city-state were
, and engraved with many gods that he had never seen before, which made him a little wary while marveling.
"There are many carvings of gods, and the feeling is different from that of the Feathered Serpent City. There is a big snake over there, and here is a snake nest..."
Tikalo smiled and nodded, looking at the familiar scenery, recalling the trade here many times in the past, and answered leisurely.
"Haha! Captain Qi is really keen. The Hidden Snake City is famous for its snakes. It worships many snake gods and has a tradition of raising snake pets. Here, not only does the Quetzalcoatl believe in Quetzalcoatl, but we, the corn people, also believe in it.
Itzamana, the celestial serpent sun god, Kukulkan, the Quetzalcoatl god of the northern Maya..."
"Huh? Isn't your Quetzalcoatl different from the Quetzalcoatl of the seaside tribes?"
Hearing this, Chihuaco was startled for a moment, a little strange.
"Tikallo, when you went to pray, did you pray for the 'Kecharcoatl' or the 'Kukulkan'?"
"Well..."
Ti Carlo raised the corners of his mouth and suddenly remembered the oath of allegiance he made in front of His Highness a long time ago. He suddenly smiled happily and preached proudly.
"No! The main god of our family is actually the Serpent God, Inte Sumner. Only by swearing to her can we not break it!"
"Snake God..."
The old militiaman scratched his head and was a little confused. He had never heard of these Mayan gods before. Tikalo changed the subject and spoke confidently.
"Captain Qi, let me tell you, the world is very vast, and Hidden Snake City is the real part of the world! The tribes of the Mexican Plateau and the tribes of the Mayan Lowlands meet here, exchanging knowledge of the two worlds and exchanging knowledge.
Specialties of the two regions... And we, the wandering Mayan traders, are the messengers who communicate between the East and the West under the guidance of the snake god..."
Speaking of this, Tikallo sighed a little. He looked to the northeast, where there was the former glory of the family, as well as the ancestral land of the ancestors and gods. But now, all of this has been... Tikallo looked down a little.
, suppressing the emotions in his heart, turned his head and looked south.
"...Further eight hundred miles to the southwest, there is the Oaxaca Valley of the Zapotec people, which is also connected by waterways. And to the southeast, there are various tribes in the Mayan highlands. Merchants from various tribes will trade and communicate with each other here.
Yes or no!... Respected two captains, respected priests of the main god, there is huge wealth flowing here, and there are also divine objects from ancient times, let’s enter the city now!”
The fleet in the lake docked on the shore, and seven long boats, with forty or fifty people coming up at once. The warriors and sailors were all armed with weapons, bags bulging around their waists, and gems in their arms. The exploring fleet needed supplies and purchases.
Goods. The captains and sailors of each ship also want to buy something for themselves. Well, use the fleet's gems...
Everyone was gearing up and preparing for a big fight. Chihuaco was wearing a straw hat, short clothes, and carrying a short spear for self-defense. He looked very simple. At first glance, he looked like a militiaman.
A group of people entered the city gate guarded by Totonac warriors and did not attract much attention. They just paid the foreign merchants' entry fee and a bag of cocoa beans. Then, they merged into the crowd of people passing by, like
Hundreds of businessmen from all walks of life are joining the torrent of wealth!
People came and went, walking on the wide dirt road, and went straight into the central market. Soon, under the guidance of Ti Carlo, everyone arrived at the square market under the temple pyramid without any detours. The noisy atmosphere suddenly greeted them.
When it arrived, it brought the shouts of thousands of people, making people's ears ring for a while.
Chihuaco opened his old eyes wide, touched his straw hat, looked at the prosperity in front of him, and admired from the bottom of his heart.
"Venison sellers, turkey sellers, meat beetle sellers, pumpkin sellers, beans sellers, cornmeal sellers, pottery, stone tools and straw clothes... The faces of the villagers here are all
Be energetic and have a good life!"
"...Well."
Hearing this, Ti Carlo's mouth twitched. He looked around. Everyone else was looking for weird artifacts. Only old man Qi looked at these earthen objects without oil and water. They were really...
"You're really ignorant!"
Tikalo cursed secretly, while his eyes scanned several locations in the market. Then, he raised the corners of his mouth, confident.
"Haha! The villagers are living a good life, but they don't get it by selling local products... That's because the legends about the sacred objects here have attracted countless foreign businessmen here!"
The Mayan merchant smiled and pointed to the market.
"Look, ancient relics are buried on this land, leaving countless relics. The stalls on the ground, these local villagers, will sell some ancient relics dug out of the ground. It's just that sacred objects are rare.
If you want to find a true divine object among these many ancient relics, you have to rely on the blessing of the gods!"
Then, Tikalo smiled and proposed again.
"Hidden Snake City is a sacred trading city. Fighting is strictly prohibited in the city, and there are warriors patrolling it. It is very safe. Why don't we just disperse and find our own destiny!..."
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! "Okay, God bless you! Old man Qi, let's separate and see who has better luck!"
Puap couldn't wait, rubbed his hands, and looked at the old militiaman expectantly. The old militiaman looked at Puap, then at the excited crowd, and nodded helplessly.
"Okay! Let's go shopping in the market separately this afternoon. Don't forget the supplies for each of your ships, and don't reveal your wealth and spend too many...gems. This place is far away from the Kingdom and the Alliance, so stay vigilant. In order to
Regardless of the safety of the fleet, we cannot stay in one city-state for too long!"
"Well, you must get back to the ship before the moon comes out. We will sail into the harbor tomorrow afternoon at the latest. If we miss the time, the fleet will not wait!..."
Hearing this, everyone looked solemn and nodded in obedience. Tikalo's eyelids twitched and he felt anxious.
"Just leave for an afternoon? Leave tomorrow?... No, I have to hurry up..."
Soon, the fleet of people dispersed and went to various parts of the market. Puap stretched out his hand and touched a bag of gems in his arms, with a confident smile on his face. Then he cheered up
, eyes wide open, he went to hundreds of street stalls to look for the divine object that was destined to belong to him!
Mayan businessman Ti Carlo was strolling around, smiling, looking at the familiar scenes around him. He walked very slowly, gradually falling behind others, watching everyone's actions intentionally or unintentionally.
The main god priest Thomas had a clear purpose and decisive actions. He held the sacred "Ali Sutra" and under the blessing of the main god, he swept the surrounding vendors sharply. After a while, he found the target and strode towards a place.
Go to the stone mirror stall and search carefully.
Among the large piles of ancient stone mirrors, a palm-sized, simple and solemn black and red stone mirror with divine patterns engraved on it quickly fell into his eyes. And on the edge of this stone mirror, there was infiltration of cinnabar red, and the coating on it
The golden patterns make it even more extraordinary.
Tomath's eyes suddenly froze. He pursed his lips, stared at the divine pattern of the ancient mirror for a moment, and clenched the scripture in his hand. Then, the devout priest of the main god looked at him sitting on the ground with majestic eyes.
The young Totonac vendor. He raised his hand and asked in a deep voice.
"This is a very old style, black and red with gold pattern, thin stone mirror, how to sell it?"
The ancient Hidden Snake City is now the city-state of the Totonac people. The Nahua language of the plateau is also spoken here, but it is blended with many Mayan words. The kingdom’s fleet and the market here even speak and gesture.
, you can still communicate normally.
Hearing such a loud and powerful voice, the young vendor's heart skipped a beat. His eyes moved slightly and he quickly looked at the person's clothes. Then, his eyes suddenly focused on the book in the hand of Priest Thomas, and he immediately took it with him.
Be more careful.
"Well... Lord Priest, what do you want to exchange for?"
"Gem. Very good gem."
Priest Thomas stretched out his hand and flashed the gem in the lake. The pure light fell into the eyes of the young vendor, making his eyes light up. He swallowed involuntarily and said with a smile.
"Dear priest, your vision is indeed sharper than an eagle! This artifact from the second ancient city has the divinity to foretell the future, and it deserves to be yours..."
Priest Thomas had no expression on his face as he interrupted the young vendor.
"How to sell it?"
"...As long as there are ten gems like that in your hand...this magical mirror that can be passed down to future generations, protect the family, and be blessed by fate, is yours!..."
Priest Tomat shook his head and said decisively. He stared into the eyes of the young vendor and shouted in a deep voice with the majestic tone unique to the priest in the lake.
"A gem!"
"Well...respected priest, this is a rare divine object! Meeting you is a fateful encounter..."
"A gem!"
"Ah, here, at least seven gems are needed. Priest, think about it, if you have such a divine object, in the eyes of other priests, you will be a person blessed by the gods. Then..."
"A gem!"
"...No way! Gemstones have a price, but divine objects are priceless. When I sell a divine object, it is also the guidance of the gods. I want to find a divine owner for it. Divine objects cannot be covered with dust, and their value will be reduced...at least
I want five gems!"
Hearing this, Priest Tomat's eyes were filled with anger. He pressed on the surface of the scripture, and his aura was as majestic as a god. He stared at the young vendor in front of him, his eyes as sharp as knives, bringing him
The opponent was under great pressure. His voice was decisive, as decisive as thunder.
"A gem! The Lord God has given me a revelation. Although this mirror is ancient, it does not have any divinity! Because, the Lord God said: All divinities in the world can only be given by the Supreme She!"
"...This...Master Priest...you...are right!"
Sweat gradually broke out on the forehead of the young hawker. He glanced at the copper ax on the priest's waist, fearing that the other party would pull out a weapon and chop him to death on the spot. If a priest respected by various ministries kills people in the name of God, then for protection
The trading city-state of merchants will not be too harsh...
"But I... have an old mother and young children at home... so I decided to sell something and buy them some cornmeal and eggs... at least two gems!"
"Um..."
Priest Thomas lowered his eyes, thought for a while, and chanted in a low voice.
"The Lord God watches over us and gives light to the lost! Say to me: Praise the Lord Huitzilopochtli! She rules all things and is omnipotent!"
"ah?"
The young hawker stayed for a while, speechless, and stammered.
"Uh... Praise the Lord God for 'feeding a carrot is so strange'! She rules all things and is omnipotent!"
"Praise the Lord God! She has given me gems!"
The vendor's eyes instantly lit up, he prayed earnestly, and hope arose in his heart.
"Praise the Lord God! She has given me gems!"
"very good!"
Priest Thomas nodded with satisfaction. He took out three gems from his arms and handed them to the vendor.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! "Ah! Three? Thank you, Lord Priest!"
The young hawker was overjoyed and hurriedly put the gem into his arms. Then he picked up the simple stone mirror and handed it to the strange priest in front of him respectfully.
"My lord, your magic mirror."
"No, this is just an ordinary mirror. It has no divinity, but it has very ancient divine patterns."
Priest Thomas shook his head and looked at the vendor with bright eyes.
"And these gems are not given to you by me, but by the Lord God!"
"...Well..."
"Say, praise the Lord God! He gave me gems and led me away from the lost path of darkness and gradually walked into the light!"
"Ah?...Dark Lost?"
Hearing this, beads of sweat broke out on the young vendor's forehead again. He hesitated for a while, but for some reason, he actually followed the priest and repeated the prayer in a low voice.
"Praise...praise the Lord God! She gave me gems and led me away...from the lost path of darkness, and gradually walked into the light!"
"Very well! My child, the merciful Lord God watches over you and guides you! What is your name?"
Priest Thomas nodded with satisfaction, stretched out his hand, and touched the young vendor's hair kindly.
At this moment, the young vendor seemed to be under a restraining spell, inexplicably stagnant in place, without any escape. He raised his head, looked at the soft eyes of the priest in front of him, and listened to the other person's gentle voice, as if he really felt the Lord God's influence.
warmth.
"My, my name is...Stone Rat, a rat born from stone, without parents..."
Hearing this, Priest Tomat raised his eyebrows, glanced at Stone Rat meaningfully, and shook his head.
"You have no parents, but you have the blessing of the Lord God! The Lord God is the sun in the sky, bringing light to all living beings. No matter what his origin, as long as he converts to the right path! My child, from now on, your name will not be Shi
Rat, but called Day Rat. The Lord God gives you light, and even if you are in the abyss of the earth, you will still see the hope of salvation!"
Shi Shu was confused for a moment and then changed his name.
"...Yes. My name is Sun Rat. Praise the Lord God! Even if I am in the abyss of the earth, I will still see hope!"
"Very well! Sunrat, my boy, we will meet again!"
Priest Tomat smiled kindly, picked up the magic mirror, ruffled the hair of the day rat, and turned to leave. A few steps away, Tikalo opened his mouth wide and looked at all this, his jaw almost dropped.
"This...this preaching priest of the Lord God...is really evil!"
This chapter has been completed!