Xingyue, is Xiaokai also considered Kai?

When they arrived at the island in the middle of the lake, they saw an eagle with a snake in its beak perched on a cactus, an image that told them they should build a city there.

For this reason, Montezuma II desperately hoped that the "day of the return of the feathered serpent" in the myth would come soon, so that he could use this legend, which has been passed down to this day, to smoothly abolish human sacrifice in the empire.

At noon, the sun, which has never changed, hangs in the vast, unchanging blue sky.

Suddenly, Montezuma II felt a sense of foreboding, and it was a feeling he couldn't stop having.

Confused, he instinctively looked in the direction from which an ominous premonition was spreading, then he gradually realized something—

Something unknown has arrived on the eastern coast, and the torrential rain falling from the dark sky that belongs only to that side is the most effective proof of it.

"Could this be...?"

Montezuma II was speechless.

A short while later, the imperial priests and high-ranking officials, having learned of the situation, arrived at the location to await his orders.

Montezuma II glanced around; all the high priests and high-ranking figures had already gathered there.

What are you thinking?

"Your Majesty, according to the divine decree of the God of War, the god commands us to kill that visitor."

Before some ministers could say, "We've set up a special intelligence room to receive reports and are taking extra precautions," the old priest of the great temple spoke first.

"So that's it, a divine message from the God of War...?"

Upon hearing this, Montezuma II narrowed his eyes slightly. As the ruler, he could naturally tell that this was not the priest's usual statement based on the empire's or his own thoughts, but rather a message relayed after hearing the words of someone who was not to be contradicted. This was evident from the fervor on his face.

How should I put it? Montezuma II understood that listening to this advice seemed to be the best course of action, as it could prevent a certain degree of unrest.

"What if," he thought.

Just now, from the window of the palace, I saw changes on the distant coast that were beyond human capabilities.

What if, although the Age of Gods has passed, Quetzalcoatl has returned from the Maya, just as she herself said?

What if this is a divine decree spoken by the God of War because he didn't want the Feathered Serpent God to return?

What if, in fact, the one there is indeed the feathered serpent god who can eradicate human sacrifice and bring peace?

—The answer is 'there'.

Sunlight streamed through the skylight once more as Montezuma II gazed upon the Great Temple.

Traloc, the rain god, as the sun of the Third Sun Age, bestowed gentle rain and raging fire upon the world. A god who was synonymous with water was described as being associated with fire in his many acts of calamity. Such examples are not uncommon in Aztec mythology.

For example, Quetzalcoatl, as the god of wind, also possessed the divine attributes of a god of agriculture and a god of rain; Smoke Mirror, as the god of night, could become the sun and simultaneously possessed the divine attributes of a god of war. In Aztec mythology, once a god gained a high level of faith, people would continuously add new legends to him.

In other words, the diversity of divinity and legends is actually a manifestation of its exalted status.

The hummingbird, the god of war, inspired the Aztecs to sacrifice over 20,000 people annually. For Mesoamerican warriors, dying gloriously in battle and becoming a sacrifice to the god was an honor and a supreme achievement.

In this faith, after a glorious death, one becomes a follower of God, gathering each morning on the plain to welcome the sun god with a feast. After four years of this work, they will receive a higher blessing, being reborn as birds and butterflies, returning to the world to drink nectar and fly freely each day.

This is why the Aztecs readily accepted this bloody ritual, as it was a common interest in their world and a sacred ceremony for selecting a suitable candidate.

but.

What if someone didn't want to die like this at all?

Indeed, Montezuma still remembers that although many people died voluntarily, there were also many who hated them because of it.

In the silence, Montezuma then turned and looked towards the sea.

"When Quetzalcoatl departed, she said something that I don't need to explain to you."

A tense look crossed the faces of the priests present, and they understood what Montezuma II meant.

"But, Your Majesty, we can't even find a single Fantasy Species now, how could a god possibly appear in person..."

The high priest couldn't help but retort, as the manager of the great temple, his position was not only based on faith, but also because if the legend were true, his position would be in jeopardy.

In fact, even he probably couldn't have guessed that, in Montezuma II's view, if it really was the return of Quetzalcoatl, he would even want to take the initiative to invite him to sit on the throne of the Aztec Empire. He himself had only been guarding this throne for Quetzalcoatl, and now that he had returned, it belonged to him.

It may be incomprehensible to the average person why this accomplished king would act this way; one can only say that he truly believed in the legend that 'Queen Quetzalcoatl would return as she said.'

In the normal course of history, Montezuma II, believing that the Spanish colonist Cortés was the 'messenger of Quetzalcoatl,' allowed him to wreak havoc in the Aztec Empire and use force to coerce other city-states, and even, as is the case now, was willing to return the throne to him.

Moreover, after the Spanish entered the city fully armed, Montezuma II showed no intention of plotting to kill them. Instead, he handed over an empty palace to the Spanish to settle in and treated them with high honors, which made the Spanish uneasy.

"God does not necessarily have to appear in person; a demotion or a messenger is also possible."

At this point, Montezuma II paused, as if he felt it was unnecessary to say the words, but since things had come to this point, he had no choice but to say them.

"But--"

"No need for further words." Montezuma II walked straight out. "Let us go and welcome the... return of Lord Quetzalcoatl!"

Those who remained looked at each other for a few moments, then followed him. Even the high priest hesitated before following behind.

At this time, in the Aztec Empire, Montezuma II was the king who also served as the highest-ranking priest. The reason he appointed the old priest as the manager of the Great Temple was only due to a partial entrustment. Therefore, there was no conflict between royal power and papal power.

As they moved forward, they all saw that the sky above them was shrouded in a gray mist, as if it had been artificially isolated.

At the far end on that side, countless raindrops kept falling, accompanied by a few green specks, looking like shooting stars.

Soon, Montezuma II arrived at the shore with his entourage and saw a large ship he had never seen before.

And, the silver-haired human and the non-human creature beside him.

Montezuma II immediately recognized that Bavan Shi was not human, not because of his exceptional magical skills, but because Bavan Shi was no longer concealing her heels.

However, according to his observation, the silver-haired humans seemed to understand their language, while the red-haired girl did not.

So Montezuma II, filled with immense excitement, slowly approached Favia:

"Are you the messenger of Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent god? I am Montezuma Sokoyotsin, the king of the Aztecs."

Montezuma II has already discovered it.

The strong smell wouldn't let him look away.

Is this something to be taken for granted? Or is this something that belongs to the realm of the gods, and should be called a blessing?

He noticed that the person in front of him exuded an aura similar to that of the top of the Great Temple.

“The messenger of Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent god? Yes, that is why I have come.”

Favia smiled.

If anyone had seen him during the Roman era, they would likely have noticed that his smile at this moment was exactly the same as when he was preaching.

“However, Sokoyotsin, King of the Aztecs, have you ever heard a saying—”

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."

232: The Creation of the Only God in Central and South America (5k)

When people talk about the Aztec Empire, what else comes to mind besides the kings who were fooled by Spanish colonists and led their ancient civilization to ruin?

The answer is the long-standing tradition of human sacrifice.

The most important aspect of Aztec religious rituals was the human sacrifice ceremony. However, human sacrifice was not a unique Aztec practice; early Native Americans also had the custom of human sacrifice.

In fact, even earlier, before the Aztec Empire was established, previous dynasties had already begun to use the ritual of executing prisoners of war to symbolize the transformation of blood into water and harvest, as well as the worship of Venus as a symbol of military might.

According to later accounts from the Spanish, in front of some temples in the Aztec Empire there would be a huge statue, half-lying and half-sitting on the ground in a stiff posture, holding an empty plate in its hands. The empty plate on the statue's chest was used to hold the heart that had just been removed from a person's body.

"Before the victim's heart was ripped out, people paraded him around... then placed him on the offering table. Four men grabbed his hands and feet, stretching them outwards, and the executioner, carrying a hard stone knife, came over and skillfully made an incision between the ribs on the left side of his body, below the nipple, then reached in and plunged his hand in, like a hungry tiger seizing a sheep..."

Most of the sacrifices were prisoners of war, but some were from the tribe itself. Generally, these chosen people could enjoy certain privileges before being killed, and on the day of the sacrifice, they were sent to the altar. These people believed that making a sacrifice was a great honor.

The reason for offering human hearts is that they believe it can delay the end of the world, a belief widely accepted throughout Central America.

Favia had already made plans while waiting for this day on the ship.

The Central and South American world operates under rules drastically different from those of Eurasia. Perhaps this is because the South American gods voluntarily returned to the jungle to slumber during the Age of Gods, or perhaps because the South American gods are extraterrestrial bacteria. As a result, although they can utilize some of the remaining divine power, once they touch the underlying operating rules of the world, that is, the Central and South American pantheon, they will naturally and gradually perish.

The underlying operating rules of the Central and South American world are extremely bloody human sacrifices.

Although primitive religious views all involve human sacrifice to some extent, whether it is the Shang and Zhou dynasties and the Spring and Autumn period in the Far East, the Brahmanism of the Vedic period in ancient India, or the ancient Semitic people in Sumer and Babylon who had the custom of sacrificing human beings to gods, such as burning children to sacrifice to Moloch, and the story in Genesis that tested Abraham's willingness to kill his only son to sacrifice to Yahweh.

However, without exception, they gradually changed from the majority to the minority with the general trend of the times. Starting from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, human sacrifice and human burial were severely criticized by various schools of thought and eventually banned. In India, they were opposed by Buddhists, Jains and other ascetics during the Warring States period and were slowly banned.

As for the one true God Yahweh, he forbade Abraham from doing so at the last moment.

In fact, given the environment of the Mediterranean coast at that time, Yahweh, who did not pursue human sacrifice, was a clear case of being outclassed in modern terms. Perhaps because of this, the ancient Semitic god Moloch, who was overly focused on human sacrifice, became a 'hateful god' in the subsequent spread of the myth, that is, demonized.

In any case, as times progress, banning human sacrifice is an inevitable trend, just like magic is dying out. But the Central and South American world seems to be somewhat special, like their gods. Once there is any possibility of abolishing human sacrifice, the world itself will be destroyed. This 'destruction' does not refer to the land alone, but to the people living on it.

To be honest, for Favia, who only wanted to find the last piece of the Silver Key, the 'stubborn' existence of the Central and South American world was not worth saving. The pursuit of survival and progress would inevitably lead to destruction, which seemed very complicated no matter how you looked at it.

However, even today, Favia still remembers the countless 'rains of light' he witnessed during the Hunnic period.

The dark road was filled with stars, and amidst the lively meteor shower, the noise rose and fell. When passing by, those unfamiliar souls would smile gratefully, say their names, and then return to silence.

A vast rain of light poured down from the darkness, each drop carrying the smiling faces of people who truly live in this world.

Among them may be people who once lived on this continent.

That alone is enough for him.

Moreover, although the Aztec Empire practiced such bloody human sacrifices, from the perspective of human history, it really wasn't anything special.

History unfolded in this way, except that the Aztec Empire was poorly positioned in the Americas, which slowed down the pace of change.

Time passed, and in the night sky, the moonlight shone brightly, and countless stars twinkled like diamonds scattered across the endless firmament.

Occasionally, a gentle breeze blows by, bringing with it the faint mist and fresh scent of plants from Lake Texcoco in the distance.

The land that gave birth to the Aztec civilization and is also home to the ancient city of Tenochtitlan.

In the Aztec palace, Favia was gazing at Montezuma II, the king of the Aztecs.

After meeting on the shore, he and Bavan Shi were invited inside. Then Favia told the fairy girl to rest while he spoke with Mon II alone.

"I am very sorry that it is late and I cannot hold a grand ceremony for your arrival in time. Please forgive me."

"It's alright, it's only natural not to disturb other people's rest."

In fact, in Meng Er's view, the person in front of him was very different. He had an attractive aura, as if just being around him could make people around him relax. Moreover, even after ten, twenty, or a hundred years, this aura would not change.

This undoubtedly reinforced his belief that Favia was the messenger of the returned feathered serpent god.

"I am extremely grateful. In a few days, I will definitely hold the grandest ceremony to welcome you, my lord, as the messenger of the feathered serpent god."

Mon Er said respectfully, "If any Aztecs saw this, they would never imagine that the king who once led them to glory would be like this."

"That matter can be put on hold for now; I'm not in a hurry."

"No, it must be held immediately! The entire Aztec people must know of the return of Quetzalcoatl—"

Seeing the eager look on Meng Er's face, Favia smiled slightly and interrupted.

“Montezuma, you want to use this opportunity to abolish human sacrifice in the Aztecs, don’t you?”

Favia, who already held Mongols' ideas, naturally knew the reason why he was so eager to promote the 'Return of Quetzalcoatl': to use the legend to abolish human sacrifice.

“…Ah.” Meng Er paused for a moment, then nodded. “That’s right. If this continues, the Aztecs will eventually be destroyed by the surrounding city-states because of the accumulated hatred. As Quetzalcoatl’s messenger, you have come here now because Quetzalcoatl does not want this to happen.”

"Yes."

Montezuma wasn't particularly flustered that his thoughts had been exposed in public. In his view, Favia was already the messenger of Quetzalcoatl, so it was normal that such thoughts couldn't be hidden. Besides, the legend said that when Quetzalcoatl returned, he would abolish 'destruction, bloodlust, and war' and bring 'peace and technology.'

After all, to Montezuma II, the silver-haired youth's answer sounded utterly genuine.

Moreover, Favia's statement could also be interpreted as an attempt to solidify his identity as Quetzalcoatl's messenger in Mongols' mind, paving the way for the implementation of subsequent plans.

Spread faith throughout this land.

However, this is quite difficult; in terms of difficulty, it is probably even more difficult than in the Roman era.

Because, unlike the Roman polytheistic system, Aztec mythology is deeply ingrained here.

Take Montezuma, who is right in front of Favia, for example. As a believer of Quetzalcoatl, if Favia had said that he would become the king of the Aztecs, he probably wouldn't have hesitated and would have abdicated the throne immediately.

It can be said that Mongols II was a complex person, yet also a simple one. He was an extremely devout follower of the feathered serpent god, unlike the Roman emperor Claudius.

In short, Favia could have easily eliminated the human sacrifice by taking advantage of Mon II's trust in his identity, but what would have happened afterward?

The Spanish will come here sooner or later, and the Aztec Empire will definitely collapse then, whether or not there are human sacrifices.