"Fire and theft prevention, a peaceful long night!" "Bang—bang! Bang! Bang!"
The sound reached their ears, and only then did the three relax slightly. So it was the Night Watchman! The rhythm—one slow beat followed by three fast ones—indicated that it was now the fourth watch of the night.
For the night watchman's announcements: One slow beat followed by one fast beat, repeated three times, marked the start of the night watch—declaring the onset of darkness. A beat followed by another beat, repeated multiple times, was the second watch. The third watch was one slow beat followed by two fast beats; the fourth watch was one slow beat followed by three fast beats; and the fifth watch was one slow beat followed by four fast beats.
Thus, by listening to the rhythm of the night watchman striking his bamboo clapper, one could easily tell the time.
They hadn't felt like they had accomplished much at the Withering-Glory Courtyard, yet so much time had unknowingly passed.
But in the next thought, their hearts tightened again.
The Withering-Glory Courtyard had been abandoned for years, and there were no settlements nearby. Why would a night watchman come here?
The three of them were all cultivators of considerable skill and not lacking in courage. No phantom or specter could easily frighten them.
However, having just experienced Jiang Wang's eerie encounter, they couldn't help but remain vigilant.
They exchanged glances.
Shi Si, clad in the Mountain-Bearing Armor, walked silently at the front.
Jiang Wang's hand was already on his sword hilt, and he and Chong Xuan Sheng flanked either side, naturally forming a Minor Three Talisman Formation—an unspoken rapport honed on the battlefield.
As mentioned earlier, outside the ruins of the Withering-Glory Courtyard, there was a pool of stagnant water, said to be the great crater left after the Mountain-Rending and Buddha-Fusing, later filled by rainwater.
Just as the three stepped out of the ruins, they saw beside that pool of stagnant water, with its back to them, a slightly stooped figure. The figure wore a worn leather cap, was wrapped in a tattered quilted jacket, and held a white paper lantern suspended over the water.
Shi Si, clad in heavy armor and not bothering to suppress the sound of his movements as he prepared for action, inevitably made the noise of armor rubbing as he walked.
"Who goes there?"
The figure by the pool turned its head sharply. Under the dim white light, a weathered face was revealed, with eyes wide open but devoid of any spirit—he was blind!
Stagnant water, a blind man, a white lantern...
And his hand had not stopped; he was still striking the bamboo clapper.
"Bang—bang! Bang! Bang!"
The fourth watch!
"Passersby," Chong Xuan Sheng said, lowering his voice.
The stooped blind man stopped clapping and simply said: "Don't think to deceive this old man just because my eyes are blind. My heart sees clearly!"
From him, they sensed no trace of cultivation whatsoever.
But as soon as he spoke, an invisible pressure was felt by the three.
Within the Celestial Palace, from the Nether Candle, Jiang Yan's voice suddenly emerged: "If I were you, I would flee this place immediately and not concern myself with anything else!"
Jiang Yan's voice was very solemn.
With the explosive speed of the Flame Meteor, he might indeed be faster in fleeing than Chong Xuan Sheng and Shi Si.
But Jiang Wang simply tightened his grip on his sword hilt, ignoring Jiang Yan's advice: "We wouldn't dare deceive you, sir. We are about to leave now."
The night watchman stood motionless, and the white lantern seemed frozen in the air.
He slowly asked: "Do you know where this is?"
Jiang Wang was indeed more sincere and easier to trust. Thus, Chong Xuan Sheng remained silent, allowing Jiang Wang to handle the negotiation.
Jiang Wang thought for a moment and replied: "The ruins of a broken temple."
"Did you see anything?"
"What my eyes see are broken walls and rubble. What my heart sees is merely a mental obstacle!"
The night watchman asked again: "Do you know the way back?"
"I remember it clearly!"
The words Jiang Wang spoke were indeed without the slightest falsehood.
The night watchman paused slightly before saying: "Watch your step, and do not disturb the neighbors."
With that, he pulled the white paper lantern to the side, as if guiding and illuminating the way for the three.
"Thank you, sir," Jiang Wang said, preparing to pass by.
Chong Xuan Sheng suddenly asked: "Sir, why do you carry a white lantern while keeping watch? It looks more like a mourning offering."
The night watchman replied: "Perhaps the paint has peeled off. I am blind and cannot see."
Chong Xuan Sheng said: "Where do you live, sir? Later, I will send someone to your home to repaint it for you."
The night watchman lifted the white lantern before his eyes, as if his blind gaze could faintly perceive some colors of the world.
However, the white lantern's light, shining upon his wrinkled face, appeared particularly eerie.
He slowly said: "If you are sincere, why not come home with me? I can have it repainted now."
Chong Xuan Sheng retreated a step: "No need, sir. Your watchkeeping is more important."
With no further words, the three left the place, appearing casual but remaining vigilant.
...
After walking a considerable distance, when they looked back, the light of the white lantern was no longer visible.
Only then did Chong Xuan Sheng say gravely: "There is indeed something strange about the Withering-Glory Courtyard. Otherwise, there would be no need to specially arrange for an unfathomable night watchman here."
Keeping watch was a very ordinary profession, but since it was paid by the imperial treasury, in a sense, it was also considered part of the government.
And night watchmen also had their ranks.
It was well known that besides announcing the time and reminding people to prevent fire and theft, night watchmen had another function—driving away ghosts.
Involving the supernatural, an ordinary watchman could certainly not accomplish this.
The night watchman outside the ruins of the Withering-Glory Courtyard was likely of the most terrifying caliber.
With the current strength of Jiang Wang and the others, they could not even begin to fathom his depth.
What kind of secret could lead to such a powerful night watchman patrolling the area so many years after the Withering-Glory Courtyard was leveled?
And why could it trigger the changes in the swastika pattern and interrogate the Dao Heart?
Jiang Wang naturally understood why Chong Xuan Sheng attached such importance to this issue.
The "strangeness" within the Withering-Glory Courtyard was very likely related to the changes his father underwent back then.
Jiang Wang asked within the Celestial Palace: "Just now, that night watchman—do you have any knowledge about him?"
Jiang Yan had warned him to flee just now, so he must have had some judgment.
However...
The Nether Candle remained motionless, and Jiang Yan said nothing.
Hmph, quite the temper.
"We can only set this aside for now," Jiang Wang said seriously.
With insufficient strength, thinking about anything was useless.
Chong Xuan Sheng nodded as well: "I know."
He then asked: "I didn't have time to ask earlier. What did you gain at the Withering-Glory Courtyard? I feel your aura is more fluid and your bearing more stable."
"Life and death, withering and flourishing—life and death are like a cycle. The Withering-Glory Courtyard must have been an extraordinary place back in the day," Jiang Wang said. "My Dao Heart has become firmer, and at the same time, I have identified some of my own problems."
He had a sudden realization within his heart: "My life span is not complete enough. This will be an obstacle preventing my cultivation from advancing further."
After questioning his heart and finding it clear of guilt...
While strengthening his Dao Heart, he also became aware of his own deficiency.
The life span he had expended using the White Bone Escape Technique back in Maple Forest City, despite having taken a Youth-Nourishing Pill and a Longevity Fruit, had not been fully replenished.
Perhaps this was one of the reasons why he had been unable to reach the limit at the Heaven-Piercing realm for so long.
This was still the drawback of lacking a master's guidance. Many problems could only be discovered after hitting a wall, and even then, one might not realize them even after severe setbacks. When Chong Xuan Sheng had given him the Longevity Fruit, he had thought it helped make up for the deficiency, but it was still not quite enough.
Chong Xuan Sheng nodded: "Once the problem is identified, it can be solved. If you need anything, just let me know."
Shi Si, clad in heavy armor, walked silently on the long street.
...
The three quickly blended into the night of Linzi.
And in the vast darkness behind them, a white paper lantern flickered past.
"Bang—bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The fifth watch.