Under the same slowly westward-tilting sunlight.
Over a hundred kilometers away, on an island in the heart of Lake Texcoco, the Tenochtitlan Royal City of the Aztec Empire was enshrouded in a faint blood-red hue.
"Lord of the Skins! Xipe Totec!"
"Lord of the Skins! Xipe Totec..."
In the temple at the city's center, a Godly Name echoed like a mountainous wave. Each time a sacrifice was flayed and offered, the Shaman-Wizards and the city-state residents who took turns presiding over the rituals would repeat this name once more. The continuous Blood Sacrifices began with the skinning of three beautiful Taya Empire princesses and had been ongoing for more than a month without interruption. Every day, hundreds of people were sacrificed, filling the entire city-state with the scent of blood.
Meanwhile, bounded by the waters of Lake Texcoco, the Tenochtitlan Royal City on the central island, Tesco City on the eastern shore, and Tlacopan City on the western shore, all conducted similar ceremonies. In fact, the core of the entire empire consisted of a military alliance of these three city-states. All other city-states and tribes conquered by them were required to pay tribute, provide sacrifices, and undertake military obligations to the tripartite military alliance. Within this tripartite military alliance, Tenochtitlan held a dominant position, and its Monarch was the nominal Emperor of the entire empire. With a very fragile Authority, he ruled over all 371 city-states of the Aztec Empire and its population of tens of millions.
The solemn and stately stone Royal Palace.
In the eyes of a [Falcon Warrior] standing in close guard of the Emperor's bedchamber, a slight azure Divine Light flickered. The dominant entity within the body silently switched.
Byron moved the body that had become slightly stiff from standing too long, turning his head toward the direction of his true self.
Geronimo, that old man, is still so ill-tempered even at his age, always speaking with a heavy breath. The [Curse Spirit · Bone Gnawing God], though quite terrifying, was once killed by a piece of the [Sacred Relics · True Cross Fragment] wielded by a Military Chaplain from the official exploration team during their assault on the Fortress Bridgehead of the People of Castilia. To this day, there has been no news of its revival, so Tarascan City and the interior of the Aztec Empire should be safe... I suppose.
With the plan nearing execution, other members of The Skinners' Church had already infiltrated the expeditionary armies of various Taya Empire city-states. Only [Falcon] Alvin wore the human skin belonging to an Aztec Royal City Falcon Warrior. As the "Queen's" personal guard, he returned to the Tenochtitlan Royal City alongside Beatrice, who didn't forget to enjoy a night of pleasure with [Conqueror] Cortes before parting.
It was the recently encamped Hightins allied army, though, whose destination was not here. Their main goal was to pick off easy targets from the hands of the People of Castilia; the remaining two city-states, Texcoco and Tlacopan, were their primary targets. As tribute recipients within the Aztec ruling system, their respective shares of the empire's tribute were 40%, 40%, and 20%. After centuries, if not millennia, of accumulation, the wealth in population and Gold and silver treasures of the three city-states were undoubtedly the most substantial. Although not primarily targeting wealth or land, who would refuse to scoop up some treasure if it came easily?
The Harkins People had set their sights on seizing Tlacopan City located on the western shore, the smallest of the three major city-states, avoiding the brunt of the Castilian force. The People of Castilia and the natives of the Imperial City restraining each other provided a perfect opportunity for them to take action. And they had to move fast and strike at the right time, or else if some other major power got there first, everyone would be consumed by regret. If they moved swiftly enough, after securing Tlacopan, they might even grab a share from the Imperial City situated at the heart of the lake. By then, Byron's early-planted mole would truly begin to fish in troubled waters and casually bleed others dry.
Quietly unleashing [Child of the Storm], the wind from all directions suddenly carried the sounds of splashing water and tender melodies from the Emperor's bedchamber behind him into his ears, crisp and clear.
"Those imperial Nobility and priests, they always trouble you with every matter, unlike me who only feels pain for Your Majesty."
"Come catch me, just catch me and today you can do whatever you desire."
"Hahaha, my beauty, my sweetheart, don't run, experience the power of my Mummy Powder..."
Using the omnipresent wind as his tentacles, Byron's mind even began to conjure a vague image. The [Versatile Enchantress], who combined the best traits of hundreds of beauties to appeal directly to Montezuma II's aesthetic sense, her body as smooth as satin, adorned only with a few sparkling gold ornaments. The ripples she caused while fleeing in the bath also stirred ripples in one's heart...
Byron shook his head vigorously, casting out these useless thoughts from [Falcon] Alvin's mind.
Yes, it was Alvin's mind. Although I keep a diary, I am universally recognized as a serious person and have no interest in such things—it's all this individual, Alvin, causing me trouble.
The name Beatrice sounds pleasant, but she reeks of a pervasive aura of infidelity from head to toe. Having mastered the art of malicious intent without a teacher, such talent, when using the Beauty Trap, really isn't wasted.
Before meeting Beatrice, Byron had naïvely thought a Beauty Trap was but a beautiful woman offering you a clearly marked price for sensual pleasures, in return for the price you pay for her. He believed that as a powerful and clever man, once he weighed the pros and cons and found the price unreasonable, he should immediately abandon it like a pair of worn-out shoes. To ruin a country for a beauty was, he felt, utterly foolish. He also couldn't understand why there were so many idiots in History who fell for such traps.
Only now did Byron realize that a real Beauty Trap is like this: You think she is the fate you will never encounter a second time in your life; she is an incomparable treasure. You want to protect her, care for her, save her. You are willing to risk everything for her, even facing mountains of blades and seas of fire; your heart and eyes are filled only with her image, your heart holding only vows of love for her. Even facing death, you would still feel content. All because you thought you had found true Love!
Beatrice's professional abilities are indeed formidable, and the temperament of [Conqueror] Cortes was truly far beyond that of ordinary people. For this shameless pair to end up together was, in a way, a meeting of perfectly matched talents.
Unlike Byron's former confidant, [Falcon] Alvin, who would absolutely not cross any line Beatrice set for him, Byron, using his powers, silently eavesdropped, also capturing the secrets shared by the two at the core of the whirlpool, secrets spoken only in moments of complete relaxation during intimacy.
It was only when the clouds broke and rain stopped, and the two in the bedchamber had both transformed into Sages, that the topic they discussed finally made his spirits lift.
"...Your Majesty, being with you is the happiest time of my life. I want nothing, not your Gold, not your palace, not even the title of Queen. As long as I can be with you in eternal happiness, that's all that matters."
"My Queen, what foolish things are you saying? As soon as this blood-feast carnival for the Lord of the Skins is complete, and I have obtained the [Anchor] that can reach the Divine Domain. The first one I will anchor will be you. Don't you believe in my Love for you..."
"Your Majesty..."
Light flashed in Byron's eyes as he finally discovered what The Skinners' Church was secretly instigating the Emperor Aztec to do by holding a large-scale Blood Sacrifice.
Logically, the Kings of the Old Continent cannot achieve immortality because they cannot access forbidden knowledge and thus cannot achieve the sublimation of their Life Essence. So why can't the rulers of the Aztec and Taya Empires, who master sufficient forbidden knowledge, achieve it either? Although called Emperors, their equally declining Authority was not backed by the Old Continent's divine authority or the [Silver Law]. After the Transcendent System was integrated, everything could be explained by the theories of 'Divinity,' 'Human Nature,' and 'Beastliness.' As the Native Extraordinaries advanced, their Human Nature continued to degrade. Ordinary Totem Poles, heavenly stairways, Gods, and Pyramids gradually became unable to stabilize their ever-expanding Spirituality, and the influence of the Source Tide on them naturally grew stronger. Upon reaching a certain level, let alone achieving immortality, even maintaining Human Nature became impossible. The greater their magnitude, the faster their fall into corruption. This was how the numerous half-human, half-beast Evil Spirits, grotesques, and even [Curse Spirits]—which emerged alongside massive casualties—were born on the Bantaan Archipelago. This continued until they reached the level of [Curse Spirit]. Their Power might vary, but in terms of Rank, they faintly touched upon those 'Indescribable' entities that exist beyond normal parameters. They obtained an absolute Immortality, rendering them unkillable by any means. Clearly, the natives were not fools; they would never be deceived without the promise of substantial rewards. They intended to use a vast Blood Sacrifice to compensate for the shortcomings of their own Transcendent System.
"My Queen, if you doubt my Love for you, then this... [Golden Code] we have crafted, I shall entrust to you for safekeeping."
As Byron listened to this, the information on his interface updated:
[Hidden: The Mystery of the Aztec Empire's Blood Sacrifice, Historical Influence 27], the Decryption Rate jumped from the previous 26% straight to 58%.