Xingyue, is Xiaokai also considered Kai?

"Therefore, I must never repeat the same mistake, and that is what I should do."

It's not something I want to do, but something I should do.

Tralock didn't understand either of them; she really didn't understand the difference between them.

But from Favia's voice, one could hear a determination that even her brother could not sway.

What kind of person is this in front of me?

For the black-haired girl who only gleaned the allegory from the smoke mirror, it was all too vague. Despite being so close at this moment, it seemed like an object she could never comprehend.

However, the silver-haired youth seemed oblivious to her surprise and continued:

"Therefore, I have prepared a safe and foolproof plan for the Aztecs and this continent."

"...What is the plan?"

"Let Tonatiu, the sun god of the fifth sun age, truly become the only god of the Aztecs."

In other words, it was about completely overwhelming other Aztec gods in terms of the spread of faith, carrying out necessary religious reforms, and promoting Aztec mythology with itself as the absolute origin.

However, when Tralock heard Favia say this, she immediately frowned:

"The sun god of the Fifth Sun Age... Tonatiu? Is there such a god among the Aztecs? And a sun god at that?"

"Haven't you heard of this name?"

"No, I've never heard of it."

The black-haired girl shook her head; Favia could tell she wasn't lying.

This puzzled him somewhat, since there were many different opinions about who the sun god of the Fifth Sun Age was.

However, according to the Sunstone, the fifth Aztec sun god was Tonatiu, who in some versions attempted to devour all the gods.

Lost in thought, Favia suddenly noticed the Sunstone behind Traloc, upon which the sun was carved only...

Four?!

The first sun, the smoke mirror.

The second sun, the feathered serpent god.

The third sun, the rain god.

The fourth sun, the god of fertility.

Where did the 'sun' that foreshadowed the fifth sun go?

It is important to understand that in Central and South American mythology, death, while the end of growth and maturity, is also a harbinger of a new birth. This refers not only to the way living beings exist, but also to the way the world exists, a world that is always repeating destruction and creation.

After destroying the ancient world, the Aztec gods would surely create the next one.

The people who live in it have witnessed the world of the sun, the destruction and creation, the death and the birth.

After all, it is the sun that provides shelter for the flourishing of life, which is the center of the world or the world itself.

According to legend, the current world was created after going through such a process, and it is the fifth world.

Thinking of this, Favia suddenly asked the black-haired girl who had been silent from the beginning, leaving him to ponder:

"Now, it's the fifth sun age of the Aztecs, right?"

"Correct."

Although he didn't know why Favia asked this common-sense question, Tralock still answered it properly.

"Then who is the fifth sun god you know of?"

"You..." Seeing that the person in front of her really didn't know, the black-haired girl couldn't help but feel her cheeks twitch a few times before she suddenly realized, "Indeed, I just remembered that you are just an outsider who relies on legends, so it's normal that you only know a little bit."

She then began to explain.

"The Fifth Sun Age is the world we live in today. The end of the Fourth Sun Age marked the end of the Age of Gods on this land. I think you understand that with the end of the Age of Gods, there can be no more gods on earth. Therefore, there is no sun god in the Fifth Sun Age. If you have to say, it is that sphere far away from Earth."

"I see."

Favia nodded.

He really hadn't expected that the fifth sun god didn't exist. Although he could accept it, it undoubtedly hindered his plan to create a single god.

After all, how can people who believe in the Aztec pantheon accept the creation of a non-existent god out of thin air, a new god who stands above all other gods?

However, Favia did not dwell on this too much, because collecting the power of the Aztec gods was necessary in any case, to counter the 'destruction' of the Central and South American world caused by the prohibition of human sacrifice.

During this journey, Favia felt that he might also be able to spread the idea of ​​a unique, non-existent sun god.

In terms of martial prowess, even Traloc, who fought using the beliefs of two great gods, was no match for him, let alone other priests.

Legally, as the messenger of Quetzalcoatl, he enjoyed the trust of Montezuma II, and his role in promoting the shift in faith was beyond question.

And most importantly, no matter what, Aztec mythology still falls within the realm of primitive religion, and for him, as the editor of the New Testament, there were many aspects within it that he could work with.

Just as Christianity initially flourished among the Roman people, the protracted practice of human sacrifice was undoubtedly both terrifying and exhilarating for many Aztecs, and the legend of the return of the feathered serpent god would give them a subconscious endorsement to abandon human sacrifice.

As for creating a unique sun god, all that's needed is for Favia to have enough prestige within the Aztec Empire. After all, the Aztecs themselves had a tradition of constantly adding new legends once they had a high level of faith in a god, which in itself was a manifestation of a high status.

Moreover, once the sole sun god is identified, it means that the other Aztec gods have already been incorporated into the group, indicating that they are all one family.

Just like monotheistic religions, there is only one supreme God, which means that everyone is the same.

Even professional soldiers in the Aztecs had to acknowledge this god with the authority of a war god. It should be noted that the most respected Jaguar Warriors or Eagle Warriors in the Aztecs were not hereditary, but rather those who fought bravely and earned the Jaguar or Eagle Order could be promoted to this class.

However, although they were ready to die, they were essentially used to it. After all, dying on the battlefield was acceptable for a soldier, but to die as a "living sacrifice" must have been incredibly painful at the last moment.

Therefore, in Favia's conception, the Aztecs should not die as human sacrifices to maintain the continuation of the world.

"Although I don't know why you came up with a non-existent sun god, it seems to have disappointed you a bit, doesn't it?"

"Because that would mean I would have to spend more time, which would be a bit of a hassle."

Despite this, Favia's eyes were extremely serious.

Tralock couldn't bear his gaze; she felt she didn't have the inner strength to withstand it.

Therefore, she couldn't help but look away and turn her head to say:

"Ha, what an exasperating guy. He came here so irresponsibly without even having a proper idea. Well then, if you apologize for your rudeness first, I can offer you some suggestions."

"suggestion?"

“Yes, a perfect suggestion, but before that you need to show respect to Tenochtitlan. You didn’t react at all when you came in, which is very unusual. There are very few cities in the world that are so magnificent, strong and beautiful. You should, no, you must show your appreciation, right?”

As he said this, Tralock couldn't help but feel his cheeks twitch a few times.

No.

Perhaps unlike a twitch, she didn't understand what the surging emotion was. She touched her lips, and her fingertips brushed against them, revealing a natural smile that didn't even feel like her own lips...

Putting that aside for now, what Tlalock really wanted to suggest was to regard the Smoke Mirror as the sun of the Fifth Sun Age.

Although she doesn't get along with Smoke Mirror at all, who advocates fighting to the death, she is somewhat tolerant of this because she respects and regards Smoke Mirror as an older brother... However, she clearly thinks things through more.

After all, Favia's desire to abolish human sacrifice was, in a sense, a rejection of the Aztecs' daily battles, and also a threat to the rules of the Central and South American world. It was an enemy of the Smoke Mirror, who was protecting the rules of the Central and South American world.

"That's unnecessary, I already have a solution."

"Huh? Impossible, how could a mere human like you—"

“It’s very simple. I’ll become the new ‘sun’ and let a brand new ‘sun’ exist in the entire Aztec world.”

Following such a youth—

A gentle breeze swept across the night sky of the ancient city.

Cheerleader Rain God.jpg

234: "Who will I be?" (4k)

Two weeks later, late at night, in Tenochtitlan, in front of the great temple where people were packed, almost everyone's attention was drawn to the silver-haired youth who had arrived.

The silver-haired youth stood before the great temple, the towering altar in the distance like a silent guardian.

In fact, many Aztecs understood that this second sun was different from the god of war, the hummingbird. She abhorred human sacrifice and blood sacrifice rituals. Based on this, the Aztecs were also afraid that their human sacrifice rituals, which had lasted for so many years, would lead to them being hated by the feathered serpent god.

The reason for their fervent belief in human sacrifice is mainly their profound reverence for the god of war, the hummingbird. They also believe that dying in battle or becoming a sacrifice to the god will make them followers of the god after death and receive greater blessings. As time went by, this belief became deeply ingrained in their minds.

Although the Aztecs held a less revered view of the feathered serpent god compared to the left hummingbird, as they were more focused on human sacrifice and thus did not worship the feathered serpent god as much as the Mayan religious kingdoms to the south, it was still a sun god and a deity with a legend of returning home, so they naturally dared not neglect Favia.

As for whether there will be any doubts?

That was indeed possible to some extent, but with Montezuma II's approval and the priests having already predicted the return of Quetzalcoatl in 1519, the idea was quickly dismissed.

Moreover, Montezuma II was an exceptionally capable military leader who single-handedly brought the Aztecs to unprecedented heights, and thus enjoys immense prestige within the Aztec state.

Since the king has already acknowledged it, then he is absolutely the true messenger of Quetzalcoatl.

This is what the Aztecs thought.

However, they soon noticed something was amiss, as many priests began flocking to the square from all directions. The priests wore colorful feather cloaks and had mysterious totems painted on their faces, and the entire square was filled with a solemn and dignified atmosphere, as if even the air had frozen.

As a deep and solemn drumbeat sounded, a group of priests slowly emerged from a corner of the square. They wore magnificent feather cloaks and carried golden ritual implements. Every step they took was steady and powerful. Then, the prisoners from Tekascara in the west were led by the priests to the front of the temple.

What's going on? Could this be the original human sacrifice? But wasn't that the messenger of Quetzalcoatl? How could Quetzalcoatl possibly allow this...?

The Tkascara was a kingdom located to the west of the Aztecs. It maintained its independence throughout the Aztec expansion. For this reason, the Aztecs would hold the War of Flowers every year to capture people from the Tkascara for human sacrifice.

In the daily lives of the Aztecs, they sacrificed to the gods almost every day according to the requirements of festivals and rituals. However, this was not a random massacre. They devised various precise rituals and festivals, and even people of different classes and professions had different ways of sacrificing.

Each ritual has very complex and rigorous rules, and the person being worshipped also needs to undergo very complex learning, practice and training, sometimes for more than a year.

It is estimated that as many as 20,000 people are sacrificed each year for the sacrificial rites alone.

People know that life is the most precious thing, so when they want to ask the gods for something, they often offer their lives as bribes to please the gods and satisfy their desires.

Every nightfall, when the stars dotted the sky, was the time for the Aztecs to hold human sacrifice ceremonies.

Today was the day of the annual Great Sacrifice of the Aztecs. If it weren't for Favia, the messenger of Quetzalcoatl, the group of about three thousand prisoners and two thousand Aztecs would have already been disemboweled and skinned today.

Just as the Aztecs were at a loss, at that moment, Favia stood before the Sunstone that had been brought down and spoke:

"Sun, please hear my plea."

"Let this blood, about to spurt, nourish you; let this beating heart, about to be offered, fuel your pent-up rage. We, in your name, have created this darkness that embraces us, let this darkness become new life, heralding a new era—"

"These are the words of your past human sacrifices."

For the people who had lived in the Aztecs, this was a passage they had heard countless times in rituals in the past, but they seemed to sense... anger in the words of the person in front of them.

In an instant, the Aztecs understood that the messenger was expressing Quetzalcoatl's dissatisfaction with the human sacrifice ritual, and upon realizing this, they felt their bodies tremble involuntarily.

Those who were sacrificed were still somewhat puzzled. Some of them came from the defeated Tkascara, and perhaps they were originally Aztecs. They had no fear or despair about death, but rather a sense of relief and liberation.

Because in their hearts, their sacrifice was to bring prosperity and peace to the empire, and to offer the most devout sacrifice to the gods.

According to Aztec mythology, every fifty-two years, the sun would be destroyed without a blood sacrifice. At the end of each fifty-two-year cycle, when the Pleiades rose in the eastern night sky, people waited in terror, believing that this, in a true sense, signified the end of time, and that the gods might choose this moment to destroy the world...

Although it was said that there would be a 52-year interval, in reality, a human sacrifice would be performed every year. It was just that the Aztecs would be more nervous in certain years.

However, the people who appeared as sacrifices soon discovered the fear of the Aztecs around them, and even the priests beside them were afraid.

Their confusion was immediately resolved by the words of the silver-haired person who stood in front of them—

"Gentlemen, it is good to love battle, but one must not be without limits. Quetzalcoatl is extremely angry, angry for those who have died during this time. Her anger is not because you have focused your faith on the hummingbird and the rain god, but is an anger born of extreme grief."

"Why does Quetzalcoatl grieve? It is not because of his faith, nor because of his forced departure in the past, nor because of the changing of the world, but because of this ritual that sacrificed countless lives."

“Before I came, Quetzalcoatl wished for me to punish you for the various transgressions you committed during the human sacrifice.”

Favia's words once again instilled fear in the crowd, who sighed inwardly that it was indeed true.

The people of the Aztec Empire believed Favia's words without a doubt, because in their view he was a messenger of the feathered serpent god and would not lie.

Although this blood-stained ritual was started by the hummingbird, Quetzalcoatl did not want it to be this way. It was clearly a dispute between gods that caused people to suffer. The people of this land had become accustomed to it, because the Aztec gods were both omnipotent and capricious, and humans could only survive by silently enduring it.

Then, in a solemn atmosphere and under everyone's gaze, the silver-haired youth raised his exquisitely polished obsidian sacrificial knife, the uneven blade shimmering with a dim geometric luster under the starlight.

No muscle tissue or bone can withstand its sharpness; it can directly cut open the chest cavity, sever the arteries connecting to the heart, and dig out a beating heart.

Next, if Favia were willing, everyone present would be willing to be killed by him personally as an atonement.

"Ladies and gentlemen, my mission is to restore peace to this land that has fallen into destruction, bloodshed and war. Before that, I must apologize to you. I should have come sooner."

As he spoke, Favia raised the obsidian sacrificial knife in his hand and slowly placed it against his chest.