Sunlight fell thin and clear. Marigold seeds sprouted from the soil, looking out upon the quiet, peaceful valley. Ten days had already passed since the funeral that had shaken the Zapotec. At the same time, a funeral in Yodzocahi had also come to an end, the last earth filled in.
The noble sons sent out to seek aid, the last clan elders unwilling to surrender, and the few priests who had rather kill themselves were all buried together in the burial pit inside the Rain God Temple, becoming the last sacrificial dead of Yodzocahi's ancestral land. After that, Yodzocahi opened its gates. The city lord, Cloud God Mountain, held the pottery urn of his ancestors; the Priest Elder, Yungu Shi, raised high the inherited tablet; and dozens of Yunshan God-descendants dragged the Rain God's stone disk, all bowing their heads as they walked out of the city.
"The Main God bears witness! The Yunshan Tribes today offer up Yodzocahi, one city and one fortress, surrendering to the mighty Mexica Alliance, surrendering to the supreme Divine King!..."
"The Divine King commands! Come forward for audience!..."
The surrendered Yunshan God-descendants wore their hair loose and disheveled, advancing one step at a time through one thousand Royal Warriors who held Copper Axes high and wore heavy armor. Then everyone was ordered to kneel, and only the city lord and the Priest Elder were allowed to meet the supreme Divine King. And when the two of them continued through another thousand armored, spear-bearing Shorn Guards whose hair had been cut away, a gigantic wooden palanquin borne by forty men appeared before their eyes.
"Noble Chief of Yunshan, audience with the Divine King!..."
Only at that moment did the two dare raise their heads and see the Mexica Divine King, dressed in the garb of