Maple Forest Town, tavern.
Gu Xingzhi had eaten and drunk his fill, only to suddenly remember when settling the bill that he did not have a single coin on him.
As he lingered awkwardly, the owner of the ox cart who had brought him to Maple Forest Town along the official road entered the tavern.
The man recognized Gu Xingzhi at a glance and quickly approached. The two sat down together again in the tavern, drinking and chatting idly until the tavern closed.
The old man looked plain, but he was actually a traveling merchant. He spent generously and resolved Gu Xingzhi's urgent predicament.
After leaving the tavern, he brought Gu Xingzhi to an inn and arranged a room for him.
It was pitch-black outside and unsuitable for traveling, so Gu Xingzhi did not refuse.
After resting at the inn for a night, the two bid each other farewell and went their separate ways the next day.
Still, Gu Xingzhi remembered this favor.
After leaving the inn, Gu Xingzhi wandered through town and encountered the black-skirted woman in a bamboo hat again.
She grabbed him and swiftly pulled him into a dark alley. After weaving through several turns, they entered a small courtyard.
"Miss, why have you brought me here?" Gu Xingzhi frowned at the woman in black.
The woman in black smiled mysteriously. "Come inside with me."
After giving it some thought, Gu Xingzhi followed her into the main house.
Inside sat three mysterious women dressed like her. They glanced at Gu Xingzhi, their brows furrowing with suspicion.
"Linglong, who is this?" one of the women asked, turning her gaze toward Mu Linglong.
Mu Linglong immediately introduced Gu Xingzhi, while his brow tightened.
*How does this woman know I came from Tonggu Village? And how does she know my