Gu Zi observed the crowd, recognizing many faces from Chen Village. Their expressions were cold and sour, giving her an instinctive feeling that their presence spelled trouble. She quickly descended the stairs, the dawn barely breaking, the chill of the early morning not yet dissipated. Pulling her coat tighter around herself, she sought to ward off the cold.
Just as Gu Zi stepped into the courtyard, she hadn't even opened the gate when she was spotted by the crowd outside. Among them was the gossipy woman from Chen Village, a character Gu Zi had become acquainted with during a previous temple ceremony. The woman's reputation for stirring up trouble and her knack for manipulation had left a deep impression on Gu Zi.
