“Near the corpses, there are corresponding paper figures. The paper figures have heads but no faces. You need to draw the face of the corpse on the paper figure."

As expected, they were face painters… Upon hearing this, the expressions of the crowd couldn't help but change.

Chen Hao steadied his mind and asked in a low voice, "Is there a specific meaning behind this?"

The night watchman slowly turned his head, his dead-looking eyes fixed on Chen Hao. "The souls have been wandering outside for too long and need a new vessel."

"These paper figures will eventually be given to the relatives or friends of the deceased. If the people the deceased trusted most during their lifetime are willing to accept them, then your task is considered complete."

Everyone understood. In other words, the faces they drew on the paper figures needed to satisfy the families of the deceased.

Put another way, they needed to draw the faces as closely resembling the faces of the corpses as possible.

"But... we are corpse retrievers, we are not familiar with drawing faces on paper figures," Zhang Junyu voiced everyone's concerns.

Upon hearing this, the night watchman revealed a strange smile. "Just do your best, everyone. Everything is predestined."

After saying that, the night watchman didn't linger. He took out a small black box from his sleeve. When he opened it, inside were bamboo sticks.

After some selection, the mission list for tonight was determined.

The first was Zhang Junyu, the second was Lei Mingyu, the third was A Biao, and Wang Fugui was the fourth.

A Biao looked at the bamboo stick in his hand, his gaze maliciously glancing at the fatty. Last time, his attempt to attack Jiang Cheng had failed, indirectly leading to Zhou Qing's tragic death. This time... he must seize the opportunity.

"Alright, go back and prepare. At the third watch, take the sound of the clapper as the signal, and the first one of you can set off."

Just as everyone thought the night watchman was finished with his instructions and was about to leave as usual, the night watchman paused and suddenly said, "If an accident occurs during the face painting, I will ring the clapper again. Remember, upon hearing the sound of the clapper, the second person can set off."

This rule had never existed before, representing a brand new beginning. Zhang Junyu glanced at Yu Chengmu with some admiration. The latter's prediction was gradually becoming a reality.

Yu Chengmu had once told him that he was worried the mission rules would change, even to the point of wiping out all the participants in the mission at once.

At the time, Zhang Junyu thought Yu Chengmu was overthinking things. After all, based on the previous missions, the mission would end with the appearance of a victim.

But this time was different! The night watchman had personally said that if someone had an accident during the mission, then the next person would have to continue the mission upon hearing the sound of the clapper.

In other words, no matter how many people died, the mission had to be completed.

According to this rule, in extreme circumstances, it was possible for all four people participating in the mission tonight to be wiped out.

What Zhang Junyu could think of, the others present could also think of. Fear and unease filled their gloomy faces.

The night watchman seemed very satisfied with these people's reactions. He swayed as he turned around, stiffly taking one step at a time, and left.

"The stars are not favorable tonight, not suitable for going out. Rain at the fourth watch, rain at the fourth watch!"

The night watchman's hoarse voice carried a strange rhythm, drifting from not far away, exceptionally clear.

Back in the room, the fatty sat nervously at the table, his hands holding a teacup. Even though he was deliberately controlling himself so as not to appear too nervous, the ripples on the surface of the water in the teacup still betrayed him.

Drawing faces on paper figures just didn't sound reliable. If it were a doctor, there might be a chance. He had seen the doctor's painting skills, but him…

"Don't be nervous," Jiang Cheng comforted. "You're the last one, maybe it won't even be your turn to go."

These words sounded a little perfunctory. It was clear that even Jiang Cheng himself didn't believe it.

Accompanied by the first sound of the clapper, the third watch arrived. Zhang Junyu took a deep breath, opened the door, and walked into the vast night.

Heading east, the distance to the ancestral hall was farther than expected.

It wasn't until he left the village and walked for more than ten minutes that he found a strangely shaped building at the foot of a remote earth slope.

There was a faint light coming from inside.

Getting closer, Zhang Junyu saw that there was also a stone gate made of white stones outside the building.

In the darkness, Zhang Junyu vaguely saw some words written on the stone gate.

He tried his best to see clearly, but he couldn't see at all. Suddenly, a flash of lightning flashed past. By the time Zhang Junyu saw the words on the stone gate clearly, his whole head buzzed.

Wu Clan Ancestral Hall.

He subconsciously believed that this was the ancestral hall of the Wu family, who had once lived in the Wu family mansion.

The mission actually required him to come to such a place in the middle of the night alone.

After considering the mission in his mind, the more Zhang Junyu thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong. Filled with fear and doubt, Zhang Junyu steeled himself and pushed open the gate of the Wu Clan Ancestral Hall.

The first thing he saw upon entering was a dense array of spirit tablets, as many as dozens of them.

Incense was offered in front of the spirit tablets, as well as portions of sacrifices.

Zhang Junyu very sensibly knelt in front of the spirit tablets and piously bowed. "Respected seniors, I apologize for disturbing you tonight. I have no choice but to do so. I hope you seniors will forgive me."

"I will leave immediately after I finish my work. Seniors, please forgive me, please forgive me."

After bowing, Zhang Junyu didn't dare to delay any longer and immediately set out to search the ancestral hall. Soon, he found the mission location behind the ancestral hall.

White coarse cloth separated four areas, marked with corresponding numbers.

Lifting the white cloth of the first compartment, what came into view was a corpse, with a paper figure lying next to it.

The paper figure's head was bald, without any facial features or hair, just as the night watchman had said, a head without a face.

A white candle burned faintly, emitting a half-dead light. The candlelight reflected on the corpse's face, giving the impression that it could come back to life at any moment.

An incense burner was placed in front of the corpse, with only the ashes of burnt incense remaining inside.

Zhang Junyu had also seen big scenes. He calmed down in a few breaths. He walked forward and observed without daring to touch the corpse.

The corpse was a man, about 40 years old. It could be seen that he had been dead for some time. A rotting stench stimulated Zhang Junyu's nostrils.

Along the edge of the wooden frame on which the corpse was placed, there was a constant dripping of sticky liquid.

What was even more terrifying was that the corpse's eyes were open, the pupils dilated, staring blankly at the ceiling, his mouth slightly open, as if he still had something to say.

But Zhang Junyu was not a relative of the corpse. He only hoped that the corpse would lie quietly, not speak, let alone move, and not disturb him from drawing a face on the paper figure.

The paints for drawing the face were all prepared and placed on the ground, consisting of several small plates filled with various colors of paint.

Although the night watchman hadn't given a time limit for each person, Zhang Junyu didn't dare to neglect. He recalled the night watchman's words, as well as Yu Chengmu's instructions before he left, and began to paint.

With the first stroke, he traced the eyebrows on the paper figure.