Niax was the most inconspicuous of the six towns in the Northern Region.
The population was less than 30,000, and it was backed by Lake Tania. Farming and fishing were the main industries, and commerce was not developed. Most of the shops along the street were salted fish shops, and the other shops were sparse. Most of the business was mediocre, but the only four taverns in the town were full every night.
After sunset, the people who had finished a day of hard work liked to come here to relax and talk about their harvest of the day, the beautiful girls they saw on the road, or just three to five friends who were simply bragging and drinking. Other than some indescribable things, this was basically all the town's entertainment.
As time went by, the owner and the customers became familiar with each other. Nyax was not a tourist destination, so when a young man in a cloak opened the door, everyone inside stopped what they were doing and looked at him curiously. It was as if they were watching a circus performance.
At this moment, Painter was also sizing up the tavern expressionlessly. The tattered wooden floor, the creaking stools, the moldy walls, and the faint smell of fish and soil were mixed in. Ever since he stepped on this land, Painter, who was used to living a luxurious life, was very dissatisfied with everything here.
He could not imagine that a person who had once been the guardian of the human race would be willing to live in such a small place. This made him even more certain that the person was scared out of his wits and was hiding like a mouse in order to avoid capture. At the thought of this, Painter did not feel any joy. Instead, the displeasure in his heart intensified.
The outside world actually had a higher evaluation of such a fellow than Painter. Up until today, even after he had achieved so much, even his teacher still treated him as a substitute for that fellow. This was something that Painter could not tolerate no matter what.
Therefore, when the Matthews family came to him, he hit it off with them. Both sides took what they needed. The Matthews family wanted to use him to kill Rob, and he hoped to use the Matthews family's influence to find Rob.
Now that there was finally progress, he did not want to wait any longer. The friendly visit from the Lionheart Empire was not over yet, so he found an excuse to leave first.
Painter rushed here almost without stopping. He could not wait to defeat that person with his own hands and prove to those who had looked down on him who was the fake one.
Only by completely defeating that guy called Luo Bu, ruthlessly trampling him under his feet, and watching him cry and beg for mercy while hugging his boots, would he be able to completely tear apart the haze that had been shrouding his head.
However, when it came to how to deal with Rob, Painter and the Matthews family did not agree. He was more focused on destroying this opponent on the spiritual level than on the physical. After all, they were from the same master. Although the Steins did not admit that he had this disciple, if he really went too far, even with his current status, he would have to consider the opinions of others.
As for the Matthews family, they were just a tool in his eyes. After finding Rob, this tool lost its value. Even if he went back on his word now, what could those so-called nobles do to him?
Therefore, in the end, this matter depended on a certain someone's performance. If Luo Bu was tactful enough to kneel and beg for mercy after being defeated by him, then Painter did not have to kill him. In fact, Painter was happy to show his magnanimous side. Of course, if a certain someone did not have the awareness of a defeated dog, then he could not be blamed for being ruthless.
This thought only spun in his mind for a moment. Painter ignored the seemingly stupid townspeople around him, took off the small pouch from his waist, and threw it on the bar counter.
The pouch was not sealed. As soon as it was knocked on the bar counter, golden coins jumped out and rolled all over the table.
The breaths of the people in the tavern became rapid.
It was not easy to see such a large amount of money in a small place like Niax.
Painter deliberately paused for a few seconds to let everyone digest the surprise before saying, "I'm here to look for two people, a man and a woman. They moved here three years ago, and they're in their early twenties. I don't know their names, what they look like, or what they do for a living, but I know that there are very few outsiders in your town. So if you see unfamiliar faces, you should have an impression of them. The first person to tell me where they are, this pouch of money belongs to him."
The customers looked at each other, but no one spoke for a long time. The tavern fell into a strange silence.
Just when Painter was getting impatient, a pair of big hands picked up the pouch of gold coins.
After that, the hand picked up the scattered gold coins on the table one by one, blew on them, and put them by his ear to listen to them. Only then did he let out a satisfied sigh, and put them into his pocket along with the purse from before.
The tavern was immediately filled with angry curses. "Old Duffy, are you still a member of Niax? There's no traitor in our town!"
As they spoke, wine glasses and other things flew over.
Old Duffy roared, "Shut up! Damn it! Four years ago, when I joined the Northern Defense War, you idiots were still playing in the mud!"
As soon as he said that, the people in the tavern who were angry immediately deflated. Old Duffy used to be a member of Niax's garrison. As he said, he was a part of the Northern Defense War four years ago. He followed the army to Storm's End Fortress, and although he was lucky enough to survive the meat grinder that followed, he lost a leg. After that, he took a pension and returned home to retire.
His comrades who used to train and laugh with him in the army all left him during that war. Perhaps because he had seen too many bloody and cruel scenes, Old Duffy became a loner after the war, and his temper became worse and worse.
Usually, when he drank alone in the Salted Fish Tavern, no one dared to go up to him.
The kid in front of them was of unknown origin, and he was generous with his money. It was obvious that he did not come with good intentions. The customers did not dare to speak before they figured out his intentions. They did not expect Old Duffy to be so rude.
Seeing that someone finally spoke, Painter's expression softened a little. "What's Your Honor's name?"
"The name of a small character like me is not important to a big shot like you. Strictly speaking, I've only seen one unfamiliar face, not two." Old Duffy, who had received the money, said everything he knew.
"Oh, one changed his appearance, and the other borrowed the identity of a local resident? That's possible. It'll be safer." Painter nodded. "Where is he?"
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