From the hour of the Dog to the hour of the Boar, no wolf packs came to disturb them. Even so, everyone dared not let their guard down. Si Beishu took the young men and stood watch in shifts. They even drove over a dozen wooden stakes into the ground around the perimeter, mounting torches upon them in the hope of scaring off the wolves. Young children huddled in their mothers' arms, while those without mothers clung to their older siblings or grandparents.
The night watch was divided into four groups. Moyuan led five or six men, Yunyan similarly led five middle-aged men, and Si Beishu and Si Beixing rounded out the watch. They all stood guard around the perimeter, each clutching a blade with a vigilant gaze.
In the second half of the night, miserable howls erupted from the woods.
Chapter 184