It was late at night, and gradually, everyone in the communication channel fell silent.
Wind and rain raged outside. The wind howled as it swept through the house, sounding like someone crying.
None of them could sleep, so they forced their eyes shut and tried to rest. They knew more fierce battles probably lay ahead. Even a little rest would help.
Li Tianyang and He Zheng took the first watch. They were responsible for monitoring the windows and waking the others at the first sign of trouble.
As they stood watch, both pressed close to the wall, tacitly choosing to stand behind the corpse.
He Zheng even took off a layer of clothing and draped it over the Taoist priest's head.
Although he couldn't see the face from behind, he could barely stand the shadow on the floor. People who hanged themselves had long tongues, and this priest had been dead so long that his tongue seemed to have fallen loose from his mouth. As the corpse swayed, it swung back and forth like a shriveled umbilical cord.
Nothing happened during the first watch. Soon, it was time for the second, then the third.
By the time Zhang Tie and Huang Liang took over, it was the second-to-last watch, and the time was around three.
Beyond the window plastered with talismans, the sky had brightened a little, letting in a faint glimmer of light.
Realizing dawn might be coming soon, neither dared let his guard down. They watched the movements outside intently.
Standing behind the hanged priest as well, Zhang Tie resembled an iron tower, his eyes as wide as brass bells. He barely dared blink. Every time a dark shape flashed past, he clenched his fists nervously and tensed his body.
He had no idea how much time passed.