Chen Cheng stepped out of the stream and used Battle Aura to steam the moisture from his body. But the clothes he had been wearing were nothing more than coarse hemp, and by now they were soaked through with blood and could no longer be worn.
Just as he was considering making do with animal hides for the moment, then going to "borrow" a couple of outfits once he came down the mountain—
The young tribesmen who had returned with him earlier came over under the guidance of the tribal elders, carrying in their hands silk garments that were their most precious possessions, fit only to be offered to the gods in whom the tribe placed its Faith.
The tribal elders spoke to Chen Cheng in halting official speech, and Chen Cheng managed to grasp the general meaning through half-guesswork.
He understood that these were precious gifts sent to thank him for saving their tribesmen.
Chen Cheng did not stand on ceremony and directly accepted the clothes, draping them over himself.
They fit perfectly, and they suited the identity he had disguised himself as exceptionally well.
After declining the fervent invitations of the tribal savages, Chen Cheng continued on his way down the mountain.
Once he passed through the garrison legion's territory beyond the mountain forest, Chen Cheng swiftly disguised himself according to plan as a wandering bard.
It was a highly unusual profession, the kind that had no fixed abode and made its living by selling stories compiled from its own travels and experiences.
They were somewhat like traveling storytellers, except every tale they told was something they had personally seen and heard during their journeys.
The reason such a profession existed was that long-distance travel between cities in this era was extremely dangerous. The wilderness belonged to ferocious