The Heretical God Encounter of a Library Administrator (8)

Zhu Ping was called up that night to switch shifts and stand watch.

The morale of the Three Teachings had been low these past few days. They had been suffering defeat after defeat, and their past wars had mostly been internal conflicts. Situations this brutal were rare.

He followed the patrol leader on night watch, preventing anyone who had slipped into the army during the day from stirring up trouble at night.

As he silently went about his duties, Zhu Ping memorized the location of the prisoner camp.

Though the prisoner camp bore no sign, the screams of prisoners being tortured for confessions made it easy for any passerby to understand what kind of place it was.

There were no conventions to speak of at a time like this. Interstellar colonial wars used every possible means, and intelligence was of utmost importance. Torturing people until they no longer looked human for the sake of a scrap of information was perfectly normal.

Zhu Ping noted the location and continued his patrol without making any unnecessary moves.

Time passed amid the dull patrols. On the second and third days, the Federation launched no attacks. Both sides were rapidly regrouping.

Zhu Ping was reassigned to transport supplies, but the lack of fighting did not make the soldiers in the city's barracks happy. Instead, they grew somewhat restless.

It was like waiting for an execution—the waiting was the most tormenting part.

On the third night, the atmosphere in the barracks became even stranger. Both sides had likely finished their preparations. Another siege battle would probably break out tomorrow, and once again, it was Zhu Ping's turn to stand watch.

At night, aside from the howl of the cold wind, the barracks held only the soldiers' snores, along with intermittent groans and sobbing.

Only the