Chen Cheng did not press Jamir and the others for details. War had broken out across the land, and the already fragile rule of the noble lords had all but spun out of control.
The thought of the Apocalyptic Four Horsemen, who claimed to bring judgment at the end of days, made Chen Cheng frown.
But he could not stop every war in the world with a single word. All he could do was grow stronger faster and unravel the Codex that weighed on everyone's mind.
Chen Cheng handed the old man the purse, then sighed.
"Is the Sea Clan still fighting out there? Sir, do you know of any secret routes out to sea? I'm willing to pay handsomely for one.
"Don't worry, I'm no spy. I just want to take this chance to make some money offshore. After all, like you said, the taxes are so heavy that even the landowners are running out of grain."
Chen Cheng's disguise made him look like a well-fed farmhand. The air of comfort was his own; the farmhand's face was the disguise.
Without that rough appearance, he would have looked like a soft-skinned young master. The old man would never have said any of those things to him.
Only when Chen Cheng asked about a route out to sea did the old man understand. He had wondered who would pay so much money just to hear him say a few words.
Clearly, this man had noticed that the fish at his stall were fresher than elsewhere and hoped to learn his route out to sea.
This time, the old man was more than cautious. What he had said earlier was of little consequence; at worst, he could leave. At his age, no one would go to great lengths to track down