He Luo's Yin Soul looked bewildered as he said:
"There was no water clock and no night watchman, so I don't know what time it was.
"I left the city this morning and only just returned. It took about six hours, including stops to rest and feed the horse."
A water clock measured time through the regular flow of water. The tallest Watchtower housed an enormous one, calibrated against a gnomon and an incense clock. Dedicated attendants announced the time with drums, horns, or flags. At night, they passed it on to the watchmen, who struck their clappers and called it out.
When He Luo went to Sunset Glow Ridge on Crouching Lion Mountain, he must have whipped his horse onward, afraid something might go wrong. After handing the Flower of the Ten-Thousand-Year Golden-Rain Tree to the Three Fiends of Xiao City, he would surely have slowed down on the way back to spare his mount... That meant the Three Fiends of Xiao City had possessed the flower for more than three hours—at least another half hour longer... Ding Songyan was about to ask another question when He Luo's Yin Soul let out an agonized howl and gradually vanished like smoke.
"What happened?" Xie Fengchao asked in confusion.
He had no Yin Eye and could only hear, not see.
Ding Songyan said with a puzzled expression:
"Perhaps the Demon Seed affected him. He Luo's Yin Soul couldn't hold on any longer and crumbled into dust."
"I see." Xie Fengchao nodded.
Neither he nor Xing Chang, Temple Host Zhu, and the others knew much about Spirit Walking Through the Netherworld. Once given a reason, they accepted the explanation.
Only Zheng Zhuxi froze for a moment before her eyes swiftly brightened:
*No, junior brother is lying. Xie Zi'an's Yin Soul had no