Gu Zong was sitting at the table, eating some peanuts with his companions. He sat like a common man, relaxed, tossing peanuts in the air and catching them in his mouth. However, the two musicians looking at him felt differently. His red attire and the two strips of red and white ribbon in his hair made him look like a girl.

  But the one with the ancient pipa whispered to his companion, glancing at Gu Zong:"Brother Mao Xuan, look at Mo Jinxiang. I think they look like a girl, but their actions are like a boy's? Their voice is also very deep. Are they a girl or a boy?"

  Mao Xuan agreed with him and spoke, looking at Gu Zong. Gu Zong understood that he was the subject of their whispers, but he remained calm and pretended not to hear anything. This was an opportunity for him. He thought, "If these fools think I'm a girl, that's good. No one will recognize me. And getting into the Han Clan will be easier. I just need to learn a few feminine gestures."

  Then Mao Xuan said, "You are right, Zhu Shiu. The face looks like a beautiful girl's, but why are they sitting with their legs spread out like that? By the way, the way they have tied their hair, I've seen this style for the first time."

  Then Zhu Shiu also carefully observed the two long red and white ribbons tying his hair, and then looked at everyone else present there. No one else had ribbons in their hair. He was the only person with long ribbons in his hair. He said, trying to recall something:"Brother, I have seen this way of tying hair somewhere."

  Zhu Shiu was about to speak, but then he remembered, then forgot again, and this frustrated him. Hearing this, Mao Xuan also became worried about where he had seen this style.

  Gu Zong heard everything but was not particularly affected. Then he suddenly stood up, adjusted his clothes, and sat back down properly in front of them with perfect composure. But while he was doing this, Zhu Shiu and Mao Xuan kept staring at him. Perhaps Gu Zong himself had no idea how beautiful they found him. His red robes and the two ribbons tied in his hair suited him very well.

  Mao Xuan and Zhu Shiu were watching him with wide eyes. Then Gu Zong asked a question in a soft and gentle tone. He knew that both of them considered him a girl."Brother Mao Xuan, can you tell me when we are leaving for the Han Clan?"

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  At first, there was no reply from them. Then Zhu Shiu regained his senses and poked Mao Xuan with his elbow, urging him to answer. Then Mao Xuan cleared his throat and said:"Ahem... Ahem... Yes, absolutely, esteemed Mo Jinxiang... we will certainly go to the Han Qiantian Clan, but it will take us 8 days to reach there."

  Hearing this, Mo Jinxiang's face drooped and his eyebrows furrowed, and he asked with wide eyes in surprise. He was hearing this for the first time:"Huh! ...8 days? ...But why? How?"

  Zhu Shiu replied to this while eating peanuts, and Mao Xuan loudly called for wine. A woman came and placed wine and some snacks in front of them. Then Zhu Shiu said:"Actually, there is a grand corridor prepared to reach there quickly, but only Han Clan disciples and specially respected people can use it. The rest of us common people have to take this road."

  Saying this, Zhu Shiu explained further to Mo Jinxiang:"This Qinglin Mansion is the lowest rest house where one can come and rest after their journey. This is also the most important rest house. And besides this, there are three more rest houses prepared at a fixed distance, so that people can comfortably reach the top. That's why it will take us 8 days because we will proceed while taking breaks. And we will stay here tonight and leave for the next rest house tomorrow morning."

  Hearing this, Gu Zong became thoughtful. He was thinking: "The Han Clan wasn't this high up before, so why now? Whatever it is, a lot has changed in these 45 years. Well, what do I care? I just need to know the truth and..."

  Just then, Mao Xuan called out to Gu Zong:"Esteemed Mo Jinxiang... Where did you wander off? We have been calling you for so long."

  Then Mao Xuan placed a small cup of wine in front of him and gestured for him to drink it. Then Gu Zong looked at the cup, thought for a moment, and said:"Aaaa... A-ah... Forgive me, my brothers, but I cannot drink wine. Actually, the thing is that I am a dance musician. The specialty of my music is that I can play the flute while dancing. Because my dance tells a story, and the music expresses its emotions. So, drinking wine would not be good for my work."

  Hearing that Mo Jinxiang was a dance musician, both of them were very surprised and happy, and apologizing, Mao Xuan took back his cup of wine.

  Then Gu Zong asked another question. There was a little seriousness in his tone now. He bowed slightly and said:"Brother Mao Xuan, since I have come from the North, can you give me some information about this province? I want to know about this Han Qiantian Clan so that I can go back and tell everyone what I learned here."

  At this, Zhu Shiu became slightly suspicious because he was already trying to remember something about the way he tied his hair, but he couldn't recall it. But he did know that this style was not commonly used. He had been thinking continuously for some time about where he had seen this style and who used it.Meanwhile, Mao Xuan spoke.