The sky was just beginning to brighten.
Sentry Chief Liu of the Patrol Department's Sixth Outpost received an urgent report and hurried toward the northeastern corner of Anping Vegetable Market with two Patrol Officers.
Last night, a flock of Night Owls had migrated to the vicinity of the Vegetable Market. Then, an hour ago, they had suddenly begun causing a commotion for some unknown reason.
According to nearby residents, this flock of Night Owls had been behaving in an extraordinarily abnormal manner.
As for shooting birds, nobody dared to do that now.
The Hall of Councillors had issued a "ban on hunting Night Owls." Overnight, Night Owls had become protected birds. Killing one incurred a fine of ten Silver Coins, and the more one killed, the harsher the penalty.
The residents could only curse furiously at home, calling the Hall of Councillors' officials a bunch of useless bastards.
As an aside.
For the sake of the Mysterious Person, the authorities had also introduced a series of measures.
For instance, they had set up over a dozen feeding sites in Qinglin City to ensure that Night Owls could obtain sufficient food during the cold, long winter and would not suffer a sharp decline in population from starvation.
This flock of Night Owls had migrated in from outside the city precisely for these "benefits," temporarily settling around the Vegetable Market.
Five minutes later.
Sentry Chief Liu spotted a tree nearly twenty meters tall.
After two consecutive nights of violent winds, its crown had been battered into disarray. More than twenty black-feathered Night Owls were scattered across its branches.
Not far away, over a dozen civilians shivered in the cold while discussing the matter.
Just then.
A young man noticed Sentry Chief Liu and the others and politely greeted them. "Good morning, Patrol