The night watchman made his way up West Street, trembling until he stopped in front of the shadow where Gao Ming was hiding.
"First watch of the night, at 7 p.m., the air is dry, beware of candles."
The first night watch, probably 19:00 to 21:00 in reality, but what Gao Ming was worried about right now was something else. The Old Night Watchman had already spotted him, the sound of the copper gong ringing in his ears, as if it would shake his soul right out of his body.
Struggling against the discomfort, Gao Ming retreated, only to discover, after he'd left, that the place he'd stood was full of soil crumbs. After the gong sounded, more soil crumbs kept falling from his clothes.
"What is this?" Gao Ming rubbed the soil crumbs with his fingers and found they were mixed with rice paste. He realized something and looked towards the nearby land temple.