During the nighttime, patrols around the City of Rest would retreat behind the city walls, thereby increasing the number of guards patrolling the ramparts. This was an attempt to prevent anyone from infiltrating through blind spots or smuggling illicit goods into the city.
At the entrance gates, the primary force, usually composed of 15 to 20 guards during the morning and afternoon shifts, was reduced to only 10 guards during the night. For someone visiting the city for the first time, this composition might appear to be a security flaw. After all, fewer guards could imply a higher risk of undesirable incidents, right?
In theory, yes. If the city gates remained wide open as they did in the morning, and if the guards assigned to the night shift had the same level of cultivation as their daytime counterparts, then reducing the number of guards at the gates during the night could indeed be considered a security lapse.
