Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!

The vast expanse of stars reflected on the sea, transforming into a floating band of magnificent light. The crescent moon and stars shone together, and the shimmering waves undulated like a dreamlike scene. The people on the longship gazed at the serene beauty of the sea, listening to a distant song. No one spoke, unwilling to break this moment of Peach Blossom Land tranquility.

Such a peaceful and harmonious life had continued among the various Taíno tribes of the Caribbean Islands for thousands of years. Yet, as the two on the ship foresaw, the beautiful blossoms were about to meet their end, withering in the storm.

Three years later, Columbus's exploration fleet would arrive here, initiating a massacre of the American natives. The peace, innocence, and abundance of the Taíno people would incite the most brutal cruelty among the white men. Pillage, murder, enslavement, bestial desires... all the most horrifying crimes would appear on these wealthy islands. By then, regardless of age or gender, even newborn infants would become the torn meat in the jaws of hunting dogs. These were not isolated crimes but a systematic, large-scale extermination, without any doubt!

When the second expedition brought enough soldiers, Columbus would begin his mad pursuit of wealth, wantonly unleashing slaughter. He proclaimed that all the land he saw belonged to the Kingdom of Spain, and he was the governor of the kingdom in the New World. He ordered all subjugated Taíno islanders to hand over a pound of gold dust or a large bolt of cotton every three months. Villagers unable to meet this demand would have both hands cut off and hung around their necks as a warning, bleeding to death. Islanders dying because of this numbered in the tens of thousands.

Soon after, when impoverished Spanish marauders arrived, they would also join the savage revelry. Barbaric and wicked, they plundered the land, gold and silver, slaves, female slaves desired by them from the native villages... Also, they indulged their brutal nature by killing defenseless elders for amusement.

According to history, when the white fleet arrived, doomsday began counting down. Facing the defenseless Taíno islanders, the greedy Spanish marauders would show no mercy! Their brutality was such that even the priests accompanying the ships could not bear it and believed Hell had descended on Earth.

After the whites appeared, within ten years, from Cuba to Haiti, and then to the Lesser Antilles, all native villages along the Caribbean coast would be plundered, enslaved, massacred, or destroyed by the Spaniards. The surviving islanders could only hide in the inland forests, hoping to avoid the whites' frantic plunder.

Within thirty years, more than eight million natives would die under the whites' brutality, wiping out 80% of the population throughout the Caribbean Islands. Smallpox began to spread across the islands for the first time, annihilating tribes that fled into the forests. Endless enslavement and abuses would make Taíno women under Spanish rule prefer to kill their newborns rather than let them live and suffer.

Within half a century, over 90% of the various Taíno tribes and Caribbean tribes on the Caribbean Islands would be extinct! And the Spaniards would continue to spread death, insanely plundering the wealth of Central America. Following smallpox came the dreaded typhus; these two plagues, in three major outbreaks in Central America, would kill millions of natives, reducing New Spain's so-called population by more than 85%!

Half a century later, across America were desolate ghostly cities, while Spanish rulers still cruelly extracted wealth. They proclaimed the divine resistance of white bodies to disease, entirely disregarding the extinction of the governed tribes and not taking systematic measures against the plague. They even artificially spread diseases to crush the remaining tribes' resistance.

Because they came here, not to build anything, not to bring light or enlightenment. Whatever guise they wore, their purpose remained unchanged, which was merely to plunder wealth and destruction!

Of course, at this moment, the brutal future occurring in another space-time is unknown and unimaginable to the two on the ship. At this time in the world of Central America, only Xiulote could foresee everything and predict the future. As the advance party of the expedition, the primary goal of the exploration was to find the open-air iron ore mine in Cuba and establish the first kingdom outpost.

"Tikalo, we set out from the West Mountain Tribe at the tail of the snake, heading east along Cuba Snake Island, taking two months to reach the Golden Lake Tribe at the snake's head... this journey must be two thousand miles, right?"

"Respected Captain Chiwaco, it must be two thousand miles! I even feel it's two thousand four hundred miles... over these two months, we haven't stopped much, constantly rowing east, riding a current and taking advantage of some east wind..."

Tikalo reached out, touching his wise bald head. Then, he pinched his fingers, calculating silently.

"Starting from the familiar West Mountain Tribe, heading east for about a hundred miles are the Lake Bird Tribe beside the Great Lake. Three hundred miles more is the Forest Tribe on the coastal plain, another hundred miles plus to the lowland seaside is the Bata Tribe. During this leg, we found two lost longships... Then, traveling southeast four to five hundred miles, bypassing desolate southern mudflats and marshes, we reached the jungle bay's Palm Bay Tribe, discovering the last lost longship. Going another nearly two hundred miles east, there's the wealthy Jaguar Tribe inside the lagoon. Another two hundred miles past the numerous waterfalls and undulating hills is the Waterfall Hill Tribe... from the East Mountain Tribe at the snake's tail to the mid-point long snake's Waterfall Hill Tribe, that's already twelve hundred miles!"

"From the mid-point Waterfall Hill Tribe eastward, the coast is full of beaches and small fishing villages. The thriving Sacrificial Plain Tribe, Original Bird Tribe, and Camagüey Tribe are inland. After seven hundred miles, the fleet reaches the relatively large Sand Village Tribe along the coast. From the Sand Village Tribe further east, following the coast for five hundred miles, we reach the Sharp Bay Tribe at the southern corner of the snake's head. Actually, from the Sand Village Tribe, directly crossing the sea southeast two to three hundred miles would take us directly to Sharp Bay Tribe... From mid-snake's Waterfall Hill Tribe to the snake's head Sharp Bay Tribe, that's another twelve hundred miles!"

"Rounding the cape from Sharp Bay Tribe, another four to five hundred miles east, we arrive at our current location, the Golden Lake Tribe. This tribe is also inside a lagoon with calm seas in the bay. And just thirty miles west of here is a mountain of red and yellow colors, the most famous sight locally... Whew! Count it up, over these two months, we've sailed two thousand eight hundred miles!"

Hearing such detailed calculations, old militia Chiwaco widened his eyes, tugging his hair with force, and gasped.

"Whoa! Blinded! This Cuba Snake Island is so vast, it's two to three thousand miles east to west! ...Hiss! Without Tikalo's Mayapan records, not knowing the iron ore's precise location, blindly searching the island, how many years would that take to find? ...Hah! Blinded! Sending us out here, it's rotten to the core!..."

The starry river was splendid, the moonlight boundless, invoking nostalgia and gradually growing melancholy. Chiwaco muttered a few curses softly, feeling a bit sorrowful. This time leaving his homeland in the Lake Region, he was now probably seven to eight thousand miles away! Whether he could return alive was unknown...

The old militia, lost in thought for a while, finally composed his expression. Remembering Tikalo's earlier words, he blinked sharply, his expression shifted.

"Wait! Tikalo, you just said thirty miles west of the Golden Lake Tribe is a mountain with red and yellow colors flowing? What exactly does that mountain look like?"

"Uh? Yes, that mountain is in this area. Our ancestors' fleet recorded it, marked on the navigational heritage tablet. But I've never been there... Why, is there something special about this mountain?"

Tikalo paused, touching his head, with a hint of speculation in his eyes. The old militia exchanged glances with him, then mused with a smile.

"Chief Divine's witness! What's on the mountain, I don't know either. But this red and yellow color is indeed peculiar, giving me some uncertain premonition. While exploring in the Northern Continent, I also heard local tribes mention similar mountains, yet... no matter what, tomorrow gather the priests in the fleet, and we'll take a look!"