Chapter 2227 - 1598: Cuba, the Kingdom’s Cuba!
"Chief Divine bless us! To the west, return to Iron Bay Town!"
The shouts of the warriors and sailors were strong and powerful. The light sailing ship Stone Spear turned its sails, tracing a nimble arc, and veered westward. Sailor Chief Qia Chu and Bartomele silently praised them in their hearts. Under their training, the Taino and Canine Descendant sailors had acquired very skilled sailing techniques. This level of sailing skill could rival those of the Castilian Navy sailors!
"Holy Spirit of Huitzilopo! At this speed, if we encounter the Castilian naval fleet, the Clark Galleon definitely won’t catch up! As for the light sailing ship... well, it still depends on the situation."
Sailor Chief Bartomele mused this over, unconsciously regarding the Castilian Navy as the enemy. Even if it was the "belief of demons," long enough prayers would truly take root in one’s mind. In the whole of Europe, there were not a few who secretly prayed to demons. What’s more, after enduring the initial sacrifices, his life in Cuba was far better than when he was with the Castilian Navy, and he wouldn’t trade it for a knight title!
"How can we steadily outpace the light sailing ships of the Castilian fleet?... I’m afraid we’ll need to add another small sail! But adding another sail would complicate operations a lot more, so it’s best to involve more skilled sailors, including those Portuguese sailors!"
Among the Castilian and Portuguese exploration teams, the few captives who survived the sacrifices all joined the Kingdom Navy after converting to the Chief Divine. Even as a sailor chief of Castilian origin, Bartomele had to admit, Portuguese sailors’ level in handling sails was generally a notch higher. They’d spent enough years at sea, many as fishermen from an early age, particularly adept at catching changing winds. And at sea, even a slight speed advantage often determined life and death!
"Swish! Swish!"
The coastal winds affected by the land always changed subtly and constantly. The eastern coast of Cuba had a slightly undulating terrain, much smoother than the mountainous regions of Haiti. As far as the eye could see, inland hills stretched in rolling waves, with the ridges joining the sky in blue lines, and peach blossom heartwood and American rosewoods growing between them. Streams meandered into the sea, nurturing a vast stretch of palm and mangrove forests, along with Taino Tribe’s cassava fields, cotton fields, tobacco fields, and villages.
In the nearshore reefs, coral fish and starfish flickered in the waters. On shore reefs, crabs scuttled and waterbirds perched, showcasing the fertility of this "Rich Soil" Great Island. Not far off, Taino Tribe’s canoe fishing boats caught fish with grass nets in the glimmering bay, along with ancient tarpon fishing. The paddles gently lapped the water, and songs were sung leisurely and softly. This centuries-old harmony brought a profound inner peace, like the shadow of the Divine Kingdom cast upon the earth.
"Cuba’s Rich Soil, the Kingdom’s most stable base on the Eastern Sea! Thirty Taino tribes, across three thousand li of Cuba, hundreds of thousands of Taino Tribe members converted to the Chief Divine..."
Xiu Maoying sat cross-legged at the bow of the ship, looking at the easternmost tip of the Cuban Snake Head appearing before him.
The first Taino Tribe the sailing ship arrived at was the Marine Tribe. This large tribe had already stationed more than twenty Kingdom’s Warriors. Among them were the Lake Warriors who first arrived from Prepetcha, warriors from various states newly supported by the Mexica Alliance, and Dog Descendant Warriors sent by the Black Wolf Army. In the Marine Tribe, a small sacrificial altar for the Chief Divine had long been built, bearing the emblem of the Hummingbird, with priests of the Chief Divine preaching there.
"The Evil Demon Fleet of the Castle Tribe has already appeared at Brave Island! They have a large scale, with over ten large ships and more than a thousand armored troops... If you see their fleet appear while guarding the Cuban Snake Head, immediately send a messenger to Iron Bay Town!"
"Chief Divine bears witness! Try to retreat inward, avoiding the range of their fleet’s cannons! The trained Taino strong men, don’t foolishly hold out! It’s best to disperse into small groups... If they land and attack, and you assess you can’t hold them off, quickly abandon the village and flee inland with the tribes!"
"Oh, and if an outbreak of plague occurs, if tribespeople develop pox... they must be immediately isolated, their clothes burned, and they must not come into contact with others! Plague is an invisible evil energy, always spreading through speech, touch, feces, and clothes... In necessary circumstances, special measures may be needed!..."
Facing the Marine Tribe’s priest and Warrior Captain who came to greet him, Xiu Maoying, serious in demeanor, gave many instructions all at once. From his brother Xiulote, he had learned much about the "dangers" of the Evil Demon, understanding them and the plague better than anyone else. After giving these instructions and writing down these key points, he once again hurriedly boarded the ship amid the local priests and warriors’ bewildered faces, heading to the next village on the return route.
After passing the Marine Tribe, next was the Red Soil Tribe. This is the second closest Taino Tribe to Iron Bay Town and one of the first great tribes converted to the Chief Divine. The sanctuary of the Chief Divine here already had the prototype of a small pyramid, and the built earth stones had a natural red hue. This is also a characteristic of the Red Soil Clan, situated on Central America’s largest nickel mining belt, with associated copper mines.
And in this place, the Kingdom stationed a whole two squads, a warrior team of forty people. These warriors were equipped with over ten sets of cloth copper plate armor, and the slightly fragile cloth iron plate armor, produced by Iron Bay Town. They trained eight hundred Taino spearmen in the Red Soil Tribe, each armed with a cheap iron spear. Among them were a hundred elite militia, all dressed in leather armor. Regardless of their actual performance in battle, for now, they did seem intimidating.