Before the crowd could even react, Good Fortune Born trotted all the way over and scooped up the watermelon.
The commandant said expressionlessly, "Since the watermelon has been retrieved, back to the village."
He gave Good Fortune Born a deep look and led the team outward.
Book-Listener's gaze fell upon Good Fortune Born, observing his sleeves, the tops of his shoes, his lower garments, trouser legs, and other such places.
Sunshine Boy looked toward the spot where Good Fortune Born had previously been, deliberately walking off course. He lowered his gaze and swept it across the ground, spotting a tender yellow watermelon flower with a sprig of mugwort resting upon it. He bent down, picked it up, sensed no eeriness, and tucked it onto his person.
A single dried, dark-red droplet clung to the watermelon flower, weighing down its tender yellow petals.
Sunshine Boy followed at the back of the team, glancing from time to time at the green-striped watermelon in Good Fortune Born's hands.
Auditory hallucinations rang in his ears once more, and he could constantly hear what sounded like a little person trapped inside the watermelon, frantically beating against the melon skin and making a thump, thump sound.
The eighteen people walked out of the melon patch and arrived at the village entrance.
Wang Laoshi grinned from ear to ear, revealing a mouthful of crooked yellow teeth, and said repeatedly, "Well done! Well done! As expected of Night Guard lords, you truly handle matters much more decisively than ordinary people."
As he spoke, he walked up to Good Fortune Born, extended both hands, and said, "Good Fortune Born, is it? I will definitely report this to the mistress, and she will surely reward you."
"Thank her ladyship on my behalf, and I wish her ladyship the birth of