Chapter 1995: Chapter 1458: Him? How Could It Be Him?!

"Waiting? Wait until the three conflicts erupt even more? Wait until the power of the Divine King is seriously dispersed? That’s when we’ll have our chance..."

The night was deep, and Luwei Clan Chief Xintle sat cross-legged inside the tent, silently bowing his head. He resembled an old wooden sculpture in thought, remaining silent in the shadows for a long time before slowly raising his head.

"Izel, are you sure that after conquering the Mixteco Cloud, the Divine King will continue the Southern Expedition? Are you sure the conflicts between the Great Nobility, the Asar Lineage, the High Priesthood, and the Divine King and Prophet will grow more intense?"

"Chief Divine bears witness! I’m certain!"

Mountain Clan Chief Izel nodded solemnly, his expression serious.

"The Southern Expedition can only end if the Divine King’s desire for conquest is completely satisfied! But will the Divine King be satisfied?... The conflicts between the Asar Lineage and the Divine King can only be eased if the Divine King voluntarily retreats and retracts the new divisions! Will the Divine King retreat?... As for the High Priesthood and the Prophet, their intentions are difficult to ascertain, but there are many people backing them... They actually have no choice, and they can’t back down..."

"And then there’s the Southern Expedition! In the eyes of the Divine King, the Southern Expedition he hopes to achieve has a standard, and that is to completely overwhelm the Prophet, satisfying his supreme majesty!... But is it enough now? Is merely conquering a Mixteco enough?... You must know, further south, lies the last unconquered Nava Realm, and the Zapotecs Alliance extending four to five hundred miles is almost within reach, seemingly close enough to grasp with an outstretched hand!"

"Hmm! Let me think, Izel, what you say makes a lot of sense!... Over the past year, I’ve witnessed the battles between the southern expedition army on the valley front lines and the Zapotec forces. Judging from the Divine King’s arrangement, he is indeed trying his best to harm the Zapotec warriors as much as possible, ’kill the enemy’ as much as possible!... This isn’t just defense, it’s not keeping the enemy out, but preparing for a further southward move..."

"Xintle, think! If the army continues southwards after conquering Mixteco Cloud... What changes will occur? Will it be more favorable to our actions?..."

"The Southern Expedition against the Zapotecs..."

Xintle pondered for a moment, his face revealing deep contemplation. He was a true veteran, much stronger in commanding troops than the younger Izel. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"Chief Divine protect! The Southern Expedition against the Zapotecs, the expedition into the Oaxaca Valley, means that the supply lines must extend two hundred to four hundred miles further... and the actual food that can be transported to the front lines will be halved, if not more!... This means that only half of the Southern Expedition army can continue southwards... Of twelve and a half cocoa beans, only six can be on the front line?..."

"Correct! At least halved! Xintle, don’t forget, opposing us, the Mixteco still have four cocoa beans left. Mountain River City has three, and Cloud Mountain City has one... Once the Mixteco are completely annihilated, aside from losses, troops must be left behind to garrison Mountain River City and Cloud Mountain City, these two crucial strongholds! These garrison troops will also need supply shipments from the rear for a short time... The Divine King’s available front-line legion will be reduced to four or five cocoa beans at most!..."

"As for the Zapotec forces, while the specific numbers aren’t clear, they’re estimated at four... To use these four or five cocoa beans to conquer the Zapotecs Alliance, stretching four hundred miles and comprising hundreds of thousands, is by no means easy! It could lead to a lengthy siege or slow progress... And the logistics conscription pressure will continue to weigh on the Great Nobility, accumulating their dissatisfaction!..."

Izel’s eyes flickered as he rearranged the twelve and a half cocoa beans in the first circle, forming two long snakes. One stretched toward the Valley of Oaxaca, and the other toward the Southern Seaside. Each snake’s head had only two or three cocoa beans.

"Look! When we conquer the six hundred miles of the Land Amidst the Clouds, we’ll need to leave legions for garrison duty. As the front line advances into the Oaxaca Valley, logistics will extend a thousand miles... The Divine King must divide his forces again and again! One path biting into the Valley from the north, another biting into the Seaside from the south... With the Divine King’s valor, and the traditions of us Mexica, he will surely be at the forefront of the conquest! Then, the guards around the Divine King will probably be reduced to just two legions! And if he ventures deep into the Oaxaca Valley, the Divine King must split forces to guard the Valley’s back road and the newly conquered City-States..."

"Chief Divine protect! This drawn-out line... just as the Divine King is about to conquer the Zapotec forces, approaching the major feat of nation destruction, is when his accompanying forces are weakest! Perhaps by then, only the Cutting Hair Forbidden Guard Army will remain... and ’knives and daggers’ will be closer to him than ever!..."

"Likewise, along this drawn-out line, with long logistics and the Royal Legion scattered across various garrisons... there are many opportunities to tamper with things!... Whether it’s the High Priesthood or the Asar Lineage, they can find opportunities to take action!"

"For instance, the High Priesthood could forge orders from the Lake Capital City to reduce the Divine King’s food supply, or deliberately let food be seized by the Zapotecs. The Asar Lineage could secretly maneuver forces, launching an attack at a certain section... To maintain logistical supply, the Divine King must arrange more reliable Royal Legions to station and guard each segment of the supply line. His loyal forces at his side will continue to dwindle!..."

"This presents another opportunity! If ’knife and dagger’ fail to strike, we still have the chance to take action personally with our trusted aides!"

"Of course, it’d be best if we open up the road checkpoints and let the Asar Lineage strike! As for the High Priesthood, they might not necessarily aim to assassinate the Divine King, but could just create chaos and aim at the Prophet... The specifics are hard to predict, as it’s ultimately the Divine King who decides how the legion is deployed. But the strike aimed at the heart, the further south, the more powerful it becomes, capable of delivering a fatal blow!..."

"!... leveraging supply line pressure to disperse the Divine King’s forces? Then assassinating and finishing the job?!... The further south the better?... Most capable of delivering a fatal blow..."

Xintle squinted, looking at the cocoa beans arranged like two long snakes, staring closely at the snake head symbolizing the Divine King, staring for a long time. With Izel’s account, Xintle’s thought process instantly became much clearer.

He was not like "more strategic, less experienced in warfare" Izel. As a veteran, he had enough practical experience to turn the plan spoken into words into action!

"Izel, what you said makes a lot of sense, clearing my mind a lot! Tonight’s matter must not be leaked out..."

"Chief Divine protect! Your plotting is also excellent! We must continue to wait, dragging the High Priesthood and Asar Lineage along with more of the Great Nobility into the water!"

"I’ll deal with the Asar Lineage first. Once the Mixteco are annihilated and the Cloud Territory is divided, when the Divine King’s blade cuts into them... they’ll be seeing red, unable to stay back on the sidelines fanning the flames..."

"As for the High Priesthood, I’m not good at that sort of thing, can only propagate the Prophet’s new method of divination... How to make the High Priesthood see red and take the field will depend on your incitement!..."

"Good! Xintle, don’t worry! Spreading rumors, praising the Prophet, and alluding to the High Priesthood... stirring people’s hearts isn’t difficult... Of course, we must avoid the High Priesthood’s spies... By the way, Xintle, you who are knowledgeable, truly don’t know which Elder Priest might be involved? Even if it’s just a guess?..."

Upon hearing this, Xintle’s expression turned subtle, pondering for a moment before leaning in closer, softly whispering a name.

"!... Him? How could it be him?! That’s impossible!!... Xintle, are you sure?"

"Heh! I’m very sure! Not what you expected, right?... You should know the relationship between Quetzal and me in those days... the lineage of Death Warriors he cultivated, the personal connections left behind... I’m very familiar with these!"

"Chief Divine! That he would be involved?... How could it be? He doesn’t originate from... the relationship with the Prophet?..."

"Heh! Izel, once he entered the High Priesthood, and had the backing of family factions, desire and yearning in his heart... he’s no longer who he was, and might not even be able to follow his own will! How now, with the upcoming actions, do you feel more confident?"

"Hmm... With the Divine King’s trust he has gained and his relationship with the Prophet... he can indeed provide us with quite a bit of convenience! But it’s crucial to remain cautious not to be sold out by him or engage prematurely... and continue to wait!"

"Great! For the glory of our ancestors, I will wait! We will continue to wait!"

Xintle nodded once again, pulled up his cloak to cover his robust figure and face. The cold wind blew in from outside the tent, extinguishing the nearly burnt-out bonfire. Everything returned to silence, back to the depth of the night, as if nothing had ever happened. Yet, a new world, covered in deep brown bloodstains, was slowly being nurtured in the remnants of the bonfire’s warmth...