As the grey smoke rose higher and higher into the sky, the scene dissolved into darkness, replaced by a scene where the whole tribe gathered around Xi'an and one other man. According to the custom, there was a set of accessories to be handed over from the previous tribe chief to the next one. This was typically done before the previous tribe chief passed away, but no one really had the heart to take the position from her. Yang Shu was after all the first tribe chief that brought the tribe together.
One by one, Xi'an put the bone necklaces, the metallic arm rings, and ivory bracelets on the other man. His eyes were glassy from happy tears stemming from pride. It was a coronation ceremony, but it was not a grand ceremonious event like the coronation of kings in many kingdoms. Besides, the coronation ceremony still carried a bit of a sad atmosphere as Yang Shu just recently passed away.
