On the second day of the first month, the day folk called "the dragon raises its head," the South Sea Dragon Clan, led by its newly appointed Water Marquis, Boyu, formally surrendered to the allied forces of the Four Rivers and Mysterious Spirit!
Thus this war, seldom equaled in ancient or modern times, finally ended. From the advance of the Four Rivers armies and Mysterious Spirit cavalry into the South Sea to attack Hidden Wave Isle last August, to the South Sea's formal surrender that day, the fighting had lasted a full six months. Although the allied armies of monsters and deities had never faltered in battle, the warriors of the South Sea tribes were no easy opponents either. On the surface, the war looked one-sided; in truth, both sides had suffered considerable casualties. Long warfare inevitably brought exhaustion. Even the Mysterious Spirit Monster Race, so long held in contempt and whose casualties had been deemed astonishingly "few," rejoiced beyond measure when they heard that the South Sea had formally surrendered.
Now, on the second day of the second month, officers and soldiers on both sides rose early, donned robes and fastened their belts, and washed and groomed themselves with care. Even those surrendering did their best to look smart and spirited. The formal acceptance of surrender had been scheduled for the hour of the Snake that morning, but almost everyone had spent a sleepless night. Without waiting for their commanders to urge them, they rose early, groomed themselves, and reached their appointed assembly points.
The weather that second day of the second month was exceptionally fine. The blue sky looked freshly washed, the brilliant sun hung high, and not a scrap of cloud shaded the vast heavens. The rising sun seemed to climb higher sooner than usual; even the