Before long, Gu Zhang and the village head returned.
The city entrance fee was still the standard: three hundred copper coins per person.
Having been through this once, everyone was used to it, and no one questioned the entrance fee. Gu Zhang figured Gu Rong must have spent all his silver by now. He was just thinking of secretly giving him some when he saw his older sister walk over, press something into Gu Rong's hand, and leave.
Gu Zhang relaxed and called for everyone to enter the city.
After a brief stop in Xin City, the group continued on their way.
They traveled like this for several more days. One morning, before setting out, Uncle Ma spoke with a grave expression. "Today, we have to pass through Qinglong Gorge. A band of mountain bandits, about a hundred strong, is holed up there. First, we all need to move quickly and try to get through Qinglong Gorge's territory before dusk."
