The group had spent three days in Wanfeng County, but when Yi Yang reached the gates of Crossing Peak Stronghold, he was still five days ahead of the scheduled arrival of the main contingents from the various prefectural cities.
Crossing Peak Stronghold's walls were built of black basalt. Rising three hundred feet high, they stretched toward the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains on either flank, cutting straight across the valley's main passage. Their pitted surfaces bore old scars from blades and axes.
Yi Yang's group and the caravan stopped a hundred paces from the gates.
On the official road ahead, people waiting to enter formed a long, winding line. Porters pushing wheelbarrows of goods and merchants leading mutant beasts were all packed together.
Wu Ge dismounted from his black horse and tugged at the hem of his gray cloth robe. Mu Yanluo hopped down from the carriage and walked over to Yi Yang's horse in her cloth shoes.
"Lord Yi, this is where we part ways," Wu Ge said in the official language of Great Yu.
Yi Yang nodded. He knew that reaching this place meant his mission was finally over. From Crossing Peak Stronghold onward, they would have to make the journey to the Shaman Kingdom on their own.
Beside them, Wu Yanluo took off her hood, too, tossing her braid back over her shoulder.
She pulled a scroll from inside her robe and handed it to Yi Yang with a grin. "This is for you."
Yi Yang accepted it with a puzzled look. The scroll in his hand was thin, wrapped in animal hide and tied with a slender cord. It did not look particularly special.
"What is this?"
"Your payment."
Wu Yanluo smiled. "You escorted us all this way. This is the payment I promised you."
Yi Yang