Perhaps the toll of the gong affected him more than expected, when Song Zhuyu awoke the next day, he felt like he could still hear its echo reverberating beside his ears.
With a groan, he straightened up and stretched his waist, yawning. The woods at night looked nothing but cold and eerie, but when morning came, it created quite a beautiful and tranquil scenery. The sky painted a perfect shade of blue, and dazzling sunshine filtered in through the leaves, casting dancing shadows upon the forest floor. As he took a deep inhale, his chest was filled with pure, crisp and refreshing air, dispelling the remnants of haze that still lingered in his mind.
"Good morning, Father Song…" a drowsy greeting reached his ears, and he turned to find Chen Ru groggily pressing his cheek against the wooden bars, his eyelids still not fully open.
