"Execute them!"
The call was relayed from one person to the next, all the way to the execution platform.
Upon receiving the order, the executioner—dressed in red with a face full of bushy whiskers—picked up a nearby wine bowl and took a great swig of strong liquor.
He then sprayed the liquor from his mouth onto the thick-backed, gleaming cleaver in his hand.
This was a standard ritual for an executioner. First, drinking fortified his courage. Second, spraying the liquor on the blade was believed to ensure a cleaner cut and ward off evil spirits.
'Yellow wine and a steel blade, beheading's as easy as cutting cake!'
Once prepared, the executioner walked over to a captive from the Mo Mountain Tribe and gripped the thick-backed cleaver with both hands.
