CHAPTER 1177: CHAPTER 738: THE SECOND KINGDOM EXPEDITION, DEVOTEES AND DIALECTICIANS

The sun tilted westward, and the battlefield had been cleared. The sky reflected a gorgeous red glow, and the coast floated with pale red waves of blood. The Kingdom Fleet docked along the shore, and a large group of the Kingdom’s Warriors, clad in armor, disembarked and surged into the village of the Red Soil Clan. The tribespeople in the village cheered to welcome them, joy evident on everyone’s faces. Meanwhile, the two Taíno Chiefs, bearing the evident Emblem of the Chief Divine on their foreheads, returned. Their expressions were somewhat melancholic, but they forced smiles and said nothing more.

The banquet of the Red Soil Clan that night was grand and enthusiastic, without any incident. The Kingdom’s Warriors and the Taíno villagers sang and danced, and after eating and drinking their fill, many women, enamored by the warriors, willingly offered themselves.

Priest Tomate, with a broad smile, pulled the two dazed chiefs and solemnly declared to the tribespeople!

"The Chief Divine bestowed Divine Power upon us, granting victory in the battle against the Zigualyuans! Both revered chiefs have now converted to the Chief Divine and embraced His embrace!...From now on, the mighty Chief Divine shall be their supreme and sole belief, protecting the entire tribe from the Zigualyuan marauders!"

Upon hearing this, the warriors and sailors of the Kingdom cheered in celebration. Some of the ordinary tribespeople were surprised, but soon they too celebrated. Only the elders and chieftains of the tribe appeared bewildered and came forward to inquire.

The two Taíno Chiefs, although crestfallen, nodded in affirmation.

"To repay the debt of rescue, we have sworn with our souls to worship the Chief Divine of the Longboat Tribe... The Longboat Tribe has promised to protect us and will also train our militia to guard against the Zigualyuan marauders!..."

Hearing this promise, the leaders of the Red Soil Clan exchanged glances, speechless. Throughout the day, the ferocity and combat prowess of the Longboat Warriors had been witnessed by all, leaving an indelible impression. In the presence of these armored and axe-wielding warriors, the "fierce" Zigualyuan warriors seemed like children before adults, truly no match. And the Taíno Militia, who feared the Zigualyuans, in front of the Longboat warriors, might as well be infants.

That night, the Kingdom’s Warriors reveled in conversion with the young women, while the Kingdom Priests, though solemn in demeanor, were inwardly elated!

For with the esteemed chiefs leading the way and the powerful demonstration of force, just in one night, they had converted five or six high-ranking tribal leaders and over a dozen skilled hunters!

"Phew! This is top-down mission work... Once the upper leaders convert, the ensuing progress indeed flows as a rapid mountain flood, unstoppable!"

Priest Tomate rotated his sore wrist, his face unchanged but feeling immensely satisfied inside. Looking at the twenty or so respectful Taíno believers before him, and the Sun Hummingbird on their foreheads, he envisioned the endless Divine Light of the Chief Divine enveloping the entire Cuba Main Island’s future!

Of course, Priest Tomate was well aware that most of this newly converted tribal upper class were shallow believers, moved either by gratitude for the fleet’s rescue or by the awe of force, perhaps even opportunistic pseudo-believers. They only knew the name of the Chief Divine and revered His power, still harboring various divine beliefs within and lacking firm conviction.

Next, only if they truly revered the Chief Divine from the heart could they further become True Believers. True Believers are the main body of followers, the most numerous. In the Kingdom, most of the nobility and merchants, with their complex thoughts and deep desires, can perhaps only remain at the stage of True Believers, if even that.

Above True Believers are the Sincere Believers, who harbor no doubts about the Chief Divine and believe with genuine sincerity. In the Mexica Alliance and the Kingdom of the Lake, Sincere Believers are already the highest requirement for most people. The warriors of the Kingdom, carefully selected for thousand-mile voyages, mostly belong to this level.

And going further, only a few pure unwavering believers or those who have experienced the collapse of old beliefs and comprehensively reshaped cognition can become Zealots. Zealots already view the divine as the only one and can truly sacrifice their lives for the divine!

In the Mexica Warriors of the Kingdom, the proportion of Zealots is actually small. Instead, among the Prepecha Warriors who experienced the collapse of the Tarasco Kingdom and abandoned the belief in the Three Gods, there are quite a few Zealots. The Divine Blessing Legion, formed by Otomi Warriors stained with the blood of their clan, and the Vanguard Throwing Camp composed of the Tecos Tribe warriors who surrendered after their tribe’s extinction, also have a high proportion of Zealots.

"His Highness Xiulote has demonstrated the Divine Power of the God of Death, subduing many Telascallan tribes driven to extinction and should also gain a large number of Zealots. Hmm... If ’the Heart of the Divine’ hot air balloon ascends a few more times to display divinity, the piety level of believers would also greatly enhance!"

In the vast night, amidst the joyful singing and dancing, Priest Tomate smiled, contemplating long and hard over the simple, celebratory Taíno villagers. These simple ordinary tribespeople, pure in thought and sincere by nature, just need patient instruction to produce a much higher proportion of Sincere and Zealous Believers, far surpassing the tribes on the Mexican Plateau!

"Pseudo believers, Superficial Believers, True Believers, Sincere Believers, Zealots... Beyond that are the Saints officially canonized by the High Priesthood of the Alliance! The level of Saints is not just about faith but requires demonstrating sufficient ability, making astounding contributions to the Chief Divine..."

With this thought, a surge of excitement coursed through Priest Tomate’s heart, unable to contain his longing.

"Currently, the only two canonized Saints are the immortal elders who founded the Divine Church with unfathomable prestige and High Priest Xutel, who personally established church law and led religious reforms. His Highness Xiulote, blessed with Divine Revelation and able to prophesy, will certainly hold a reserved spot as a Saint in advance..."

"And if I can spread the faith of the Chief Divine across Cuba and withstand the invasion of the foretold evil with white skin... then, the revered position of Saint... Ah! May the Chief Divine bless!"

Priest Tomate murmured prayerfully, the fervent gleam in his eyes seemingly able to scorch anyone who met his gaze.

Old militia Chiwaco shrank his neck and lowered his head, avoiding such daunting eyes. He paused silently, exhaled softly, ceased paying attention to the fervent state of Priest Tomate, and instead looked at the Huitu Puapu who was embracing a Taíno woman and drinking merrily.

"Come, come, come! Finish this cup! After you’re done, all four of you, accompany me to the hut next door!... Haha! I, Puap, am the strongest warrior on the longship! Yes! All four of you, I want tonight!..."

"Whew! After this battle, I’m going to head back. Before I leave, I have to thoroughly enjoy myself! It’s a pity that on a long voyage, we can’t bring women. Fine beauties like you, once I return to the Kingdom, I’m afraid I won’t encounter again!"

"Tsk tsk! So vibrant, so enthusiastic! Come all of you, let’s go inside! I can’t be like some old men, having only a teapot without a mouth, and there’s no water inside the pot..."

"Cough cough! Damn! That scoundrel Huitu!"

Upon hearing this, Chiwaco’s face darkened, cursing angrily in his heart.

"You’re about the same height as me! If these Taino women stood up, even if you stood on tiptoe, you couldn’t reach them!..."

Strangely enough, although the Taino are gentle by nature, they are exceptionally tall, generally a head taller than the Highland Tribes. According to the Mayan merchant Tikalo, on the Southern Continent, there are giant tribes who are as tall as the long spears of the Kingdom’s warriors, and mind you, under the new Kingdom standards, a long spear is over two meters.

"The Northern wilderness people, the Highland people of the Alliance, the lowland Mayans, the Taino of the islands, and the rumored Southern giants... So many differently built, diverse in character, and entirely different in language and belief tribes... Are they really, as the scripture says, all descended from the same ancestors of the Jiao People?"

Reflecting on the experiences of two maritime explorations, old militia Chiwaco had flashes of deep skepticism in his mind. Though uneducated and illiterate, he has witnessed numerous things and nurtures a spontaneous, simple dialectic thought, pondering everything in the world. However...

Old militia Chiwaco turned his head, glancing at the fervent and focused preaching of Priest Tomate, then pursed his lips. He knew that most people in the fleet were different from him. It was faith that brought them thousands of miles here. He can think certain thoughts but must never express them.

"Praise the Chief Divine! He blesses you, blesses us, and blesses the converted tribes and villages!"

The stars shone, and the bonfire roared. Priest Tomate lowered his dagger and carved another hummingbird. Then, solemnly and devoutly, he comforted the converted hunter.

"Hunter Chiwo, as long as you sincerely believe in the Chief Divine, your combat skills will improve daily! Your courage, your strength, your wisdom will all be blessed by the Divine, gradually increasing... In the end, you will be as valiant and strong as the Kingdom’s warriors!"

"Praise... the Chief Divine!... Praise... Huitzilopochtli!"

The newly converted Taino hunter Chiwo stammered out the Divine’s name and prayed a couple of lines, then excitedly left.

Priest Tomate smiled and stroked his chin, brooding silently. He hadn’t deceived the other; all hunters and militia who underwent ceremonies and converted to the Chief Divine would receive systematic training from the Kingdom’s warriors before engaging in small-scale battles. Completing this comprehensive process inherently leads to enhancement.

"Hmm, seizing the current wave of the Kingdom’s might, I still need to recruit some clever Taino youths! Teach them the Kingdom’s language, explain the Chief Divine’s scriptures, teach them the prayer rituals, and train them as local priest apprentices. Once these apprentices become priests, the Kingdom’s foundation on Cuba Island will be firmly established!..."

Thinking of this, Priest Tomate felt invigorated and thrilled. The situation on Cuba Island was unfolding, offering the Kingdom fleet great opportunities! And among the greatest contributors, besides himself, was old militia Chiwaco...

Priest Tomate raised his head, placing a fist to his chest. He nodded and smiled at Chiwaco, who was lost in thought, stargazing nearby.

"Praise the Chief Divine! Praise you, Captain Chiwaco, you are an outstanding believer of the Chief Divine!..."

Amid the celebratory crowd, old militia Chiwaco paused. He stood motionless for a few moments, then respectfully bowed in return.

"Praise... the Chief Divine! Priest Tomate, you are the fearless whale in the sea, leading the fleet forward!..."

"Hahaha!..."

"Haha!..."

The hearty laughter echoed in the village of the Red Soil Clan, reflecting the night sky of stars and moons. This was the greeting between the pious believer and the dialectician, before bidding farewell and leaving.