Night.
Northern frontier.
The garrison soldiers, exhausted after a busy day, were feeling weary as well.
Aside from the soldiers currently standing watch, the rest had already returned to the barracks to rest.
Nights were always quiet, the light dim, with only the glow of a few candles.
Coo, coo, coo. Birds from who knew where called out, their cries sounding somewhat eerie.
At the watch post atop the tower, two soldiers holding spears chatted as they could not help but yawn.
"Damn boring."
"Yeah. Night watch really isn't work for human beings."
"But luckily, the world is at peace now and there isn't much going on. If this were an age of chaos, we'd be walking straight into death."
"Have you heard the recent rumors from the capital?"
"The capital? It's so far away. Where did you hear those rumors?"
"Don't worry about that. Anyway, I heard people are saying the apocalypse is coming."
"The apocalypse? People actually believe that nonsense?"
"Hahahahaha, of course I don't believe it. But I heard the prefect nearby is preparing to build some kind of temple."
"I really don't understand these officials. Every last one of them wants to build this and build that."
"True. As long as we can live peacefully, that's enough. I've got a portrait here—look. My daughter. Cute, right?"
"Cute? You brat actually managed to have such a cute daughter?"
"In a while, I'll be discharged. Then I can properly spend time with my daughter."
The two chatted back and forth.
If Gu Yuan had been here and heard that exchange, he would probably have told them to stop talking.
Those were the nakedly obvious words of a cannon-fodder passerby before death.
The night was thick and alluring.
In the darkness far away, a wisp of mist had appeared