April is coming to an end, the sea breeze is becoming more humid and the weather is getting hotter. Zuvallo is tanned, standing on the bow of the boat, looking out. The vast sea is endless, the long journey has come and gone, and the familiar scenery has also disappeared.
He caught his sight. Not far away, three long rivers came from the east, converged and separated, and flowed into the boundless West Sea. And a low and prosperous city-state appeared on the fertile soil where the long rivers intersected.
"Hoo! Praise the Lord God! It traveled four thousand miles north and returned three thousand miles. It took more than three months to sail back and forth for seven thousand miles. The fleet finally returned to the land of the Tekos people and arrived at Trois-Rivières! And from here it was again
After traveling a thousand miles to the southeast, we returned to the kingdom's seaside and the mouth of the Talsas River. This shocking and long journey is finally coming to a successful end!..."
Thinking of this, Zuwaro felt emotional. As a Prepecha priest from Apa County, in the past twenty years, the largest lake he knew was the Ato Lake, which is more than 100 miles long. He once walked
The longest road I have ever traveled is just over 300 miles from Apa County to the royal capital of Qinchongcan, to study at Shenwei University.
However, after he graduated from the Kamui University in the royal capital with excellent grades, an order came from the chief minister, Sage Jatiri. And the order itself came from the will of His Highness. In the kingdom
In all matters, young priests who graduated from Shenwei University will always be given priority.
"Witness the Lord God! Travel four thousand miles north, investigate information along the way, station people in familiar tribes, trade coal and stone, dig out struvite..."
The newly minted priest Zuvaro, full of piety, embarked on a long journey to lead the merchant fleet and improve the northern route. A vast world that he had never imagined suddenly arrived and came towards him. At this moment, Xing
After crossing the waves for a full seven thousand miles, he had lost weight and was tanned into a black charcoal, leaving only a pair of bright eyes, always looking into the distance.
"Supreme Lord God, thank you for protecting me! ... What a vast sea, what a boundless north, what a turbulent waves!"
Zuvaro prayed lowly and looked at the more than twenty catamaran canoes around him, at the cargo carried on board, and at the weathered-looking warriors and sailors. Scenes of memories of sailing flashed in his mind.
in mind.
"More than three months ago, I took thirty-four catamarans and more than four hundred warrior sailors, carrying gems, weapons and spices, and set out from the mouth of the Tarsus River. We first arrived at the land of the Nantecos.
, trading along the coast of the Fire River Plain. In the past few years, the tribes of Colima have surrendered to the Kingdom of the Lake, and trade between the two parties has been very frequent. A trading town has also arisen along the coast, Cuyutlán, also known as "Palm."
"The land of the fruit of the tree", Zongshi Town. The area around Zongshi Town has been infiltrated a lot by long-distance merchants from the south of the kingdom. According to the tradition of the kingdom, long-distance merchants must shoulder the mission of collecting intelligence..."
Zuwaro squinted his eyes and looked to the distant southeast. Brownshi Town is six to seven hundred miles away on the seaside. It is the first key town on the northward trade route. The second key town is Sanhe where the fleet is located.
city.
"At Trois-Rivières, Trali, a Trapanic merchant who surrendered to the kingdom, took six or seven boats and seventy or eighty people and separated from the group. His mission was to give gifts and make friends with the chiefs in Trois-Rivières.
, to find out detailed information about the tribes of Northern Tekos. Although this businessman does not have enough faith in the main god, he has had many years of friendship with the tribes of Northern Tekos, and is also very afraid of the kingdom and His Majesty, so he should not go wrong..."
Zuvalo pondered for a moment, thinking in his mind. Some of the chiefs in Trois-Rivières had planned an attack on the Kingdom's expedition fleet. One of the tasks of the merchant Trali was to investigate the tribes and chiefs who participated in the attack, and to find other solutions.
The chief's protection. Until there is no reliable news, the merchant fleet he leads will bypass Trois-Rivières and supply supplies at a Tecos village dozens of miles away, where the leader is more reliable.
"Witness the Lord God! When the kingdom's army comes, they will definitely send these tribes and chiefs who dare to offend each other to the sky to see the Lord God!"
Zuvarro held the sun amulet and prayed silently, feeling secretly angry in his heart. He sent a small boat with a few sailors to notify Trali, a merchant in the Trois-Rivières area. Then, the kingdom's merchant fleet set sail again and crossed the Trois-Rivières.
Don't enter the city.
"The northern sea route is desolate after all. The Three Rivers City of the Northern Tekos people is the last city-state on the sea route. After passing the land of Northern Tekos, along the coast, six hundred miles to the northwest, there is a large river that flows into the West Sea. This
The moderately located river mouth is the third important node on the route. The fleet can camp here, replenish fresh water, catch game fish, and hunt some birds and animals that come to drink water..."
"However, when we reached the mouth of the river and set up camp, we encountered a group of fierce Huichol and Teopan tribesmen on the banks of a large river rich in game."
Zuvalo looked to the north, his expression flashing. Ten days ago, they returned from the Yushan Village of the Tuotome people and rowed continuously for more than 400 miles before they tiredly stopped at the mouth of the river to repair. But no one expected that Thor
The Pan tribe had just migrated to the river mouth area and were holding the ancient and sacred Mitote ceremony.
This inherited ritual has a distinct atmosphere of the wilderness. The Torpan tribe of more than a thousand people first migrates for dozens of days, and then hunts huge bison or groups of gray wolves. After obtaining the internal organs and organs of these beasts,
After removing the skull, the tribe will follow the guidance of the wilderness priest and find a vast or towering divine place.
Then, the wasteland priests would offer sacrifices to the gods and mothers of the earth in the sacred place, praying for their divine power. The wasteland warriors would pick special cacti, sit against nearby trees or rocks, and take them, which have hallucinatory effects.
cones. These tribal warriors will sit quietly with their eyes closed, whisper to themselves, try to communicate with the gods in their dreams, and obtain enlightenment from heaven and earth. As for the tribal leaders, they will work with the wilderness priests to use the skulls and blood of wild beasts.
Divination to decide whether to settle here.
For the Huichol people who are constantly migrating, such a ceremony is very important and will last for several days to decide the tribe's migration, settlement, war, and even survival. Outsiders are not allowed to disturb. Around the ceremony site, the Tolpan tribe
Many alert scouts were sent out to lurk in the mountains and forests to ensure that the ceremony went ahead.
When the Kingdom's merchant fleet went north, they replenished fresh water here and surveyed the surrounding situation. So when they returned from the south, they boarded the river bank with almost no precautions and set up camp to rest. In the evening, when night fell, the danger
Then came the attack. The merchant fleet camped on the shore were directly surrounded by hundreds of fierce Torpan soldiers.
"Huh! It's really the blessing of the Lord God! In the situation at that time, the spears of both sides were facing each other's foreheads. There was only a little difference, and I was going to the Kingdom of God!..."
Thinking of that evening with hidden murderous intent, sweat broke out on Zuvalo's forehead, and his heart beat a little faster. He shook his head vigorously, thinking about the reaction of the Huichol people, and couldn't help but have doubts.
