Chapter 74: Preparations Before the Battle

"I have a general idea of what's going on now." Returning to Vednina's side, Liu Zhi looked at the newly appeared pair of blue flames and said, "There's someone called the Demon-Slaying General, preparing to enter the Golden City through a passage from the Underworld. Their target is us."

Vednina gazed into the mist, saying nothing at all.

At that moment, Liu Zhi found himself growing curious about the mist. Until now, he'd never really had the time to consider what might be inside it.

"You… must… not… go…"

Vednina seemed to have guessed his thoughts; with a flash, she positioned herself in front of Liu Zhi. "You… will… get… lost."

Hearing this, Liu Zhi abandoned the idea of exploring the mist. "Understood. Once we've dealt with this wave of enemies, we'll have plenty of time to chart a path at our leisure."

After speaking, Liu Zhi looked up once more toward the direction of the blue flames; another pair had appeared, and the flames were slowly approaching the Necropolis.

Meanwhile, near Parker's encampment, General Cutter, the Demon-Slayer, watched the old man's actions with a calm expression.

Before the old man sat two braziers, the wood inside them newly extinguished.

This was the twelfth time the flames had gone out.

But the old man seemed as unfazed as ever. He removed the spent wood, replaced it with fresh kindling and herbs, lit it anew, and resumed his incessant prayers, as if failure had never crossed his mind.

"How do you feel about this?" Cutter asked, turning to Lloyd, who had been following him.

Lloyd shook his head. "I can't make sense of it. But I have a feeling he's setting up coordinates, like lighting lanterns for the road at night."

"An interesting metaphor. You seem quite talented. Once this is over, would you like to learn the art of demon-slaying from me?" Cutter glanced at Lloyd, noticing his latent potential. If only he weren't so burdened by sorrow, perhaps he would excel even more.

But Lloyd shook his head. "No. I'm the last of my family. I promised my uncle that once I returned I'd marry and carry on the family line. I'll leave Lord Beckett's matter in your hands."

Cutter lifted his gaze to the stars, a touch of disdain in his voice. "You have no idea what you're missing out on."

Lloyd wanted to explain further, but Cutter waved him off. "Enough. You've made your choice. Don't disturb me while I watch the stars—tonight, they're exceptionally bright."

As Cutter spoke, Lloyd noticed a few sailors hurrying past. They pulled out various instruments and began to play a serenade. The air grew awkward, and even the praying old man seemed at a loss.

Lloyd approached the old man. "Continue. Don't stop. We don't have much time left."

The old man cast an awkward glance at Cutter, seeming to disapprove of the music, but seeing the flintlock at Cutter's waist, he said nothing and resumed his ritual as before.

Meanwhile, in this encampment, the other chiefs were organizing their troops.

In truth, none of them had much will to fight. To them, this whole affair was nothing but Parker's ambition. As for the demon breaking free—how many years had it been? If a demon truly existed, why hadn't it appeared by now?

Not only did no one consider this point, but they kept provoking the demon. The current plan seemed pointless, far less effective than their previous attempt to enter through the forest path.

That time, they lost nearly twenty of their best hunters and warriors. If another such disaster befell them, their tribes would struggle for years to recover.

Now, the three chiefs of the Mayan civilization had gathered together once more. One of them asked, "What do you make of this?"

"What else is there to think? It's clearly that old man's doing. I've always said that those who don't believe in the Feathered Serpent are heretics. Can't you see his real motive? He's after the Feathered Serpent. The Incas only believe in the Sun God, and now their Sun God has fallen.

Who knows how he learned that the Feathered Serpent still has an undestroyed divine core hidden in the Underworld? That's what he's after. But if the Feathered Serpent really had such power, why would he hide his divine core in the Underworld?"

The Maya are experts in mathematics and divination; with just a few clues, they can deduce the future.

Though these three weren't so gifted, they still understood enough to see through the old man's intentions at a glance.

Yet they had no way to stop what was coming. The arrival of General Cutter spoke volumes—they were here to find the Golden City and slay demons.

If any of them voiced dissent or proposed disbanding, their corpses would soon decorate the trees, just as Parker's had.

Their people would be made cannon fodder; their entire tribes might vanish into the jungle.

For the sake of their kin, they had to survive.

Unlike the perfunctory attitude of the three Maya tribes, the three Aztec tribes were busily preparing their weapons.

Each tribe had its own reason, but all shared a desperate resolve to storm the Golden City and fight to the death.

It was evident their mental states were off-kilter. The Serpent Strike Tribe fought for survival—their chief had died by Cutter's hand, and now, assigned to the cannon-fodder battalion, they knew that without proper preparation, death was almost certain. So they readied themselves with feverish diligence.

The Eagle Tribe sought revenge for their fallen chief. Under their new leader, their eyes burned with killing intent; they seemed ready to pick a fight with anyone.

Only the Deer-Eater Tribe seemed slightly more composed, though their spirits too seemed unsettled. Their chief, Eji, was shouting before his followers.

"One minute on the battlefield takes ten years of practice. If you want to survive, you must be stronger than the rest. If you don't wish to die, you must show the courage of the jaguar, to prove to all that we are the true heirs of the jaguar warriors—only we are the masters of this jungle!"

Seeing the Deer-Eaters shouting, the nearby members of the Serpent Strike and Eagle Tribes rolled their eyes, muttering under their breath, "Idiots!"

At that moment, the old man who had been praying stood up and declared in a loud voice, "The gateway is open!"