Infinite Nightmares

"What’s the situation? Why did the plane suddenly crash? Was it Kopan’s doing? He hasn’t even made a move yet. It can’t be, right?" Zhang Wenda asked Ahava, who was gathering information from his tribesmen.

"It’s strange. They haven’t finished the inspection, but the preliminary judgment is that the pilot died suddenly from fatigue."

"Died suddenly? What a bullshit excuse." Although Zhang Wenda was dissatisfied with how the people here handled things and found the incident incredibly strange, he couldn’t be bothered to press the matter since no one was hurt. Right now, resolving his problem with Kopan was what mattered most.

He and the others began to walk into the city, which was filled with an exotic atmosphere.

Aside from the constant presence of the Wai, the Maya Republic had all sorts of other peculiar features.

For instance, they had no written language here. All records were kept by tying knots in strings. The size and style of each knot on a rope, much like the strokes of calligraphy, followed specific rules. A large, tangled collection of knots held in one’s palm could be a beautiful piece of writing.

But Zhang Wenda was in no mood to admire such things. He urged Ahava to help him find the High Priest and resolve his problem.

Ahava seemed to understand Zhang Wenda’s anxiety. He immediately picked up his suitcase and headed toward the largest structure in town: a moss-covered, square pyramid altar.

Just as Song Jianguo and the others were about to climb the altar, Ahava stopped them. He explained that the altar was used for human sacrifice. Apart from major festivals, when the High Priest would be up there tearing out hearts and lungs, it was usually empty.

Under Ahava’s guidance, they entered a stone temple beside the altar. There, they saw the High Priest: an elderly man wearing a golden headdress and lavish robes, his face covered in strange, swirling tattoos.

The High Priest’s solid white eyes stared levelly at them. On the low table before him sat a number of clay bowls, one for each of them, as if he had known all along they were coming.

"The wind carried your scent, guests from the distant East. Please, sit."

"Thank you, High Priest." After sitting down, Zhang Wenda got straight to the point. "For certain reasons, I’ve been marked as a sacrifice for Kopan. Is there any way to reverse it?"

The High Priest didn’t answer right away. He lifted a clay bowl and took a small sip of an inky-black beverage. "Ai... With any other god, I might have been able to mediate on your behalf. But why did it have to be Kopan?"

Those words made Zhang Wenda’s scalp prickle. "What about Kopan?"

"The gods of this land are all wise and benevolent, willing to help travelers from afar. But there are exceptions. Kopan, for example. His temperament is like the clouds in the sky, as whimsical and unpredictable as a *Chawat* in the water."

"More importantly, this is a pact between a mortal and a god. You once offered yourself as a sacrifice, and the god in turn granted you a boon. If you refuse to go with him now, you are committing blasphemy."

’None of this sounds good.’ Zhang Wenda’s heart sank to a new low. "High Priest, I understand. I’m willing to pay any other price, but I really can’t die yet."

The High Priest contemplated for a moment before speaking a single name to Zhang Wenda. "Ishchel."

"Ishchel. You might be able to find a solution with her. Ishchel is the Moon Goddess and the Water Goddess; she is tolerant of all things."

"She is the only one who can tolerate Kopan’s foul temper. She is his only friend. Only she can change his mind."

Hearing there was a solution, Zhang Wenda immediately straightened up. "What do I need to do?"

"Fortunately, you are a rabbit, and Ishchel is fond of rabbits. Go to her altar, find her, and worship her with sincere piety. If you can truly move her, she may help you change Kopan’s mind."

"Where’s the altar? How do I get there?" Zhang Wenda pressed, but this time, the High Priest remained silent.

Just then, Ahava stood up and quickly began pulling the others toward the exit. "I know about this. I know the ritual, too. Let’s not disturb the High Priest any further."

"Hey, don’t drag me out of here! We’re not done! Where’s the altar?"

"It’s on the moon."

"You what?!"

Amid the clamor, the group gradually left the temple, leaving the High Priest sitting alone, cross-legged.

He pulled a shriveled kernel of corn from his robes and tossed it lightly onto the table. "The guests have left. The swirling wind should now disperse."

The kernel bounced on the table, making a crisp, tapping sound.

Accompanied by the sound of flapping wings, a black Crow landed on the table. It pecked at the corn kernel twice with its sharp beak. The High Priest’s expressionless face was reflected in its red eyes.

After swallowing the corn, it was about to fly away when it suddenly stumbled. Its belly began to swell rapidly, and a cornstalk shot out of the Crow’s mouth, pinning it to the table like a crucifix.

"The great Kukulkan is very displeased that the wind carried away his people. Regardless of the reason, an incident like today’s must never happen again. Otherwise, a wall of cast iron will block all winds."

"The moon? Are you sure it’s *on* the moon?" Zhang Wenda asked Ahava, seeking confirmation again and again.

"Ishchel is the Moon Goddess, so of course her altar is on the moon."

"How are we supposed to get to the moon? It’s the freaking *moon*!"

"I know, I know! We can’t go now, obviously. It’s a ball of fire. We’ll go up tonight, after the sun turns into the moon. Don’t worry, it’s not far," Ahava said with complete conviction.

"The sun turns into the moon? How can the sun possibly turn—" Zhang Wenda stopped mid-sentence and turned to look at 2826.

gave a silent nod. "Your guess is correct. Some of the Big Circle’s moons were smuggled from here in America. However, that smuggling route was closed off not long ago."

Watching the sun gradually sink toward the west, Zhang Wenda no longer had the energy to question any of it. ’Whatever,’ he thought. ’As long as I can solve my problem, I don’t care how.’

"Haozi, I’m hungry," Song Jianguo said, clutching his stomach.

Seeing they still had time, Zhang Wenda led the others to a nearby restaurant with a distinct Maya style.

As night began to fall, tiny, palm-sized pink elephants took flight, each one carrying a star. They flew up and gradually dotted the entire sky. The group, in the middle of dinner, stared up at the spectacle in utter shock.

Zhang Wenda took a bite of a golden corn tortilla and looked up at the moon. A sliver of confusion entered his mind. ’This moon’s size... it seems a bit off, doesn’t it?’

Without even looking up from their meal, Hu Maomao explained, "Nothing’s wrong with it. The moon is always bigger and rounder in foreign countries. That’s perfectly normal."

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!