Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!

Chapter 1928 1399: Ah! My Lover, I Can Never Go Back Again!

"Good, very good! It appears you are indeed a capable scholar craftsman! These peculiar drawings, along with the designed pulley mechanism, and some sort of submersible breathing bell, all really impressed me!...""Witness of the Chief Divine! Though your knees are quite weak, your mind is sharp, just like a long-headed Maya noble!... As long as your design is effective and retrieves the 8-pound cannon from the seabed... I will not only exempt you from sacrifices but also reward you sufficiently, allowing you to live a prosperous life!"

After viewing the three sketches, Xiu Maoying was delighted. This captured evil demon scholar genuinely has some level of skill, possessing valuable knowledge from the evil demon legacy!

His brother had once told him that despite the evil demon's greed and wickedness, their knowledge has no division among evil demons! Their exploration of knowledge is the root of all power!

All "knowledge" comes from exploring the world created by the Chief Divine, comprehending the essence of the world deeply, and summarizing and refining it! And among the evil demons, the "scholars" are the "most valuable" few, worth the effort to absorb, to transform their knowledge and thinking into those of the Gummy People!

Thinking of this, Xiu Maoying's gaze toward Scholar Martin softened significantly. This scholar is impossible to let go, not this lifetime. And with the priests' methods, naturally, it's a combination of a big stick in one hand and corn in the other. First, cut off the opponent's escape route, then compel them to contribute, and finally gradually win over their heart, letting them willingly divulge all their knowledge!...

"Haha! I love smart people, and so does my brother!... By the way, what's your name? Martin Behaim?... Let me think, you've arrived at the Kingdom, you should have a fresh start and a new name, separating from everything in the past... Hmm, I grant the surname Xiu to you! From now on, your name will be Shu Adin!..."

"Come! Light the Sacred Fire! I want to personally brand this white-skinned scholar craftsman with the Chief Divine's emblem, allowing him to convert to the Chief Divine!..."

"Ah! No... don't kill me, I'll change the sketches right away!... Uh!... Not kill me? You want to brand me with the Evil God's sign? This?... How can I convert to the Evil God?... Ah! Don't hit me! Ah!!... Knife! Neck! The neck is going to be severed!... Keep the knife away, I beg you!... I... I'll convert immediately..."

Soon, roaring flames rose on the deck. The Taino apprentices sang joyful Cuban-style hymns, while Priest Xiu Maoying, with a friendly face, raised a sharp obsidian dagger, surveying where to make the cut.

Scholar Martin shivered, glancing around, with two Kingdom's Warriors glaring fiercely, their bronze axes thick and hard. Meanwhile, two Castilian sailors wielded scimitars, their eyes filled with both schadenfreude and some genuine envy.

They found delight in witnessing a noble from the Catholic World being forced to bear the Hummingbird emblem, becoming no different from them, thus converting to the Chief Divine... What a rare spectacle! Before reaching the natives' Great Island, they couldn't even dare think of it! Yet the envy was real too, as the Lord Priest stated that displaying skill would be generously rewarded. And the skill of this "Alamanni Scholar" was evidently far superior to them, who merely played with knives and sailed ships. Not to mention the painting or designing skills, merely being literate, writing, and understanding various European languages already placed him leagues ahead...

"Ah!!..."

The frigid obsidian dagger sliced into his forehead, causing Scholar Martin to suddenly let out a piercing scream! The sound was so heart-wrenching that it startled Xiu Maoying. He almost trembled, ready to slice the scholar's neck.

"Shu Adin? What's this? Did you eat mushrooms?..."

Xiu Maoying paused speechlessly, observing Scholar Martin trembling incessantly. As he trembled, tears flowed, while he cried out hopelessly in his native Highland German.

"Heul! Merciful Holy Mother! No! No! The devil's mark, stained upon my forehead, can never be erased, never covered!... Heul! Jona, my lover, I will never return! My meticulously designed manor, my elegant Lusitano horse, and my beautiful wife... they'll all be settled with another man! Heul! Heul!!..."

"Damn it, calm down! You, toughen up!..."

Xiu Maoying tried for a long time, even slapped Scholar Martin twice, but still couldn't get him to calm down.

This Evil Demon Chief is different from others, with a relatively weak will. He possesses so much, has never suffered any hardship in this life, always floating on the clouds. And now, the 'Demon' emblem engraved on his forehead signifies the total loss of hope to return to the Catholic World, back to the nobility, to enjoy a noble life. He has suddenly fallen from the cloud tops, lost too much, completely breaking his defenses...

Helplessly, Xiu Maoying just shook his head and said to the Taino Apprentice beside him.

"Chief Divine! This guy is trembling too much, like a frightened cottontail rabbit! If I force another engraving on him, I really fear he'll be scared to death like a rabbit... Go! Bring over that jar of prepared Blue Scorpion Venom, and use the Scorpion Sting to give him a few drops! Calm him down well..."

"Heul! My lover! My manor, my fine horse, and my wife!... Uh?... What is this?... Hmm?... Hmm!..."

The prepared scorpion venom, through the natural poison sting, pierced into Scholar Martin's arm. The strong pain relief and calming effect interrupted his cries, and then gradually silenced him. He knelt dumbly before the Sacred Fire, his mouth corners involuntarily slowly relaxing, looking both crying and laughing, eerily so. The two converted Castilian Sailors exchanged glances, both trembling uneasily. These 'Demon-like' native potions, just looking at them make one feel 'desecrated', oh no, 'sacred'!...

"The Chief Divine's hummingbird, deeply engraved on your forehead! And your soul, with the burning hair, connects with the Chief Divine of the Divine Kingdom... From now on, the Chief Divine watches over you, and you must devotedly worship Him! Once you convert to the Chief Divine, there is no turning back, no escape!..."

"Shu Adin! Remember my words! From now on, bring out all your knowledge and wisdom, to serve the Chief Divine and the Kingdom well! The Kingdom does not inquire about origins, appointing nobility based on merit. Even if you are a converted White-skinned Tribe member... As long as your contribution is sufficient, you can become a Craftsman Noble appointed by the Kingdom, leaving your bloodline and legacy in the Kingdom!..."

That night, the campfire burned fiercely, the scorpion venom slowly faded, and the hummingbird's mark remained forever on Scholar Martin's forehead. He had a strange nightmare, dreaming of a Divine Son bearing the Cross, shouldering all his sins, then suddenly kicking him from the top of the manor's bell tower into the flower bushes below. Afterwards, a hideous giant Evil Bird extended a long beak, and merely opened its mouth to suck, swallowing him into its maw, burning with hellish flames like a wicked dragon, flying deep into the endless Atlantic Ocean...

"Chief Divine bears witness! The great bell is not made in a day! Iron Bay Town will be busy for a long time, salvaging the Big Magic Artifact estimated in two months... Kepili, Chabo! Take three sailboats back to Cuba Iron Bay Town first, and report to Tomate Chief Priest, about the results of this raid! He must have been anxious waiting for some time, desperately needing good news of victory!..."

"Yes! Owl Shaman! I have identified these eight Evil Demon captives. One is a Carpenter who can repair ships, one is a Blacksmith who can repair weapons, and one is a Salt Worker who has dried salt... See! On their badges it's painted what they can do! As for the other five, all they know is fighting, pretty useless..."

"A Salt Worker who dries salt? Hmm, that is indeed a skilled job, not that simple... Looks like this Portugal Port Tribe indeed holds the skill of salt production! Tomate Chief Priest will surely be pleased!... As for the other five, along with the most capable fighting Evil Demon 'Knight', they shall be sacrifices offered to the Chief Divine!"

"At your command, Lord Priest!... What about the newly converted Scholar Craftsman?"

"Oh! Leave Shu Adin with me for now, I want to ask well about the situation on the Evil Demon Continent, record their valuable knowledge... Also! Leave Ah Mei with me too! He's a good Translator, and can teach Shu Adin the language!"

"Yes! Owl Shaman!..."

"Alright! Set sail and depart! The victory celebration must be prepared early! And for this Chief Divine's grand sacrificial ceremony, invite all the Great Tribe Chieftains from Haiti, to capture the hearts of all tribe members as much as possible!... Great Chief Divine! May He bless the Cuba land, bless the Haiti Mountain Island, bless the Bahamas Islands, bless the Jamaica Spring Island... Bless the Eastern Sea He shines upon, resisting all Evil Demon invasions!..."

"Yes! May the Chief Divine bless the Eastern Sea, resisting Evil Demons!..."

The resounding prayers simultaneously echoed on the three Kingdom's sailboats. Whether Kingdom's Warriors or Taino Sailors, all devoutly made the 'hummingbird' gesture. The Evil Demon's prophecy keeps fulfilling, terrible threats continuously emerging. Yet, the light of the Chief Divine's faith, under the protection of miracles, swiftly spreads, truly reaching into the tribes' hearts!

"Praise the Chief Divine! Set sail!.."

The clarion Taino shout spread throughout the European-style large ship. Then the horizontal sails lifted, reflecting the sun in the east. The bow was headed towards the western Cuba land, to the other side of the sea~~