Midnight deep into the night.
The little eunuchs from the Inner Court's Bell and Drum Department started striking the slow drum of the third watch.
The nuns rose up, moving like lifeless corpses towards the rear hall, no longer casting even a glance at the Three Pure Ancestors.
Bai Li followed silently behind the nuns, like a clam desperately trying to bury itself in the sand.
Returning to the rear hall, just as the nuns were about to crawl onto the common beds to sleep, Zhu Lingyun pointed at a nun: "Go, heat up water for me to wash my feet."
The nun was slightly stunned.
Zhu Lingyun then pointed at Xuan Su, who was blind in one eye: "You, go fetch footwashing water for my sister, or you'll stand outside until dawn without sleep tonight."
Xuan Su responded repeatedly: "Yes, this servant will go right away."
