No strange things are allowed to evolve!

Before he knew it, even Henry himself didn't notice that tears were welling up in his eyes.

The figure before me, blurred by tears, appeared incredibly tall at this moment, like a righteous and just official.

"Be strong. We'll get out of here sooner or later. This is our promise, and I will keep it." Jiang Shu stretched out her right hand.

Henry instinctively reached out and gripped Jiang Shu's hands tightly: "Thank you... thank you... I will be strong! I will definitely hold on until that day!"

“It shouldn’t be too long…” Jiang Shu thought for a moment, “It shouldn’t be too long.”

"Uh-huh!"

After doing all this, Jiang Shu quietly returned to her room.

Because his conscience felt much better, he no longer suffered from insomnia and ended his first day of adventure in this world with ease and joy.

......

In the following days, because the branch leader did not assign him any tasks, Jiang Shu had a lot of free time to grind monsters and level up. Life was uneventful but still quite interesting.

The only thing that annoyed Jiang Shu was that ever since the day of the interrogation, the knight who had clashed with him had been constantly causing him trouble.

Jiang Shu had spoken to the branch leader, but the other party seemed helpless as well.

Because the other party is the commander of this branch, whose position is second only to the regimental commander, and is a senior figure, it is indeed a very troublesome problem for the regimental commander to put himself in Jiang Shu's shoes and to take care of the feelings of these old men, led by the commander, on the one hand.

Having understood this, Jiang Shu stopped going to the regimental commander when he encountered similar situations again.

First, the other party is destined not to bring about any substantial change; at most, both sides will be equally blamed. Second, the commander, seeing that Jiang Shu only knows how to complain, has already begun to label him as a weakling and is getting increasingly arrogant.

Ordinary warnings and punishments could no longer deter this reckless man who felt his position had been challenged.

Therefore, Jiang Shu decided to solve the problem in his own way.

Time quickly came to the day when Jiang Shu reached level 25.

In fact, Jiang Shu's level 12 equipment was already somewhat inadequate before he even reached that level. In addition, he never considered wear and tear when using it and never repaired it, so it became less and less usable very early on.

However, since he is now a member of the Kingdom's Knights, he has built his own faction by flattering and currying favor with the knights, who often take him along on hunting trips.

Their levels were all much higher than his, so as long as he seized the opportunity and finished off the monster when it was about to die, he could get a large amount of experience points that he couldn't get on his own.

Jiang Shu was also very good at dealing with people. He didn't take any of the materials dropped by the monsters he killed in this way, and he even gave all of his share to his companions. Afterwards, when he returned to the city, he would treat his brothers to drinks, karaoke, and romance.

So even if he steals kills, people generally don't mind. Sometimes, when they encounter monsters where materials are more valuable than experience points, they will even ask Jiang Shu to finish them off.

And so, Jiang Shu leveled up at an unimaginable speed.

They quickly reached the average level of the Knights.

He felt a little embarrassed to continue leveling up in this way, because the knights would also greatly need the experience points provided by the monsters that followed.

Jiang Shu realized it was time to upgrade his equipment.

That day, after hunting down a large magical beast, the knights, who had become familiar with Jiang Shu, jokingly said, "Hey, when are you planning to get a new set of equipment? You've gotten a fair amount of materials lately, even though it's not a lot. They should be worth a thousand or two gold coins, right? I've only seen you earning, but I've never seen you spend them!"

“I actually know that,” the other person said with a smile. “I asked him the same question, and he said he was a ‘street rat.’”

“That’s not how it works.” Someone else spoke up for Jiang Shu: “Do you think he takes us to those taverns and dance halls for free? Those aren’t the cheap places we usually go. I secretly asked last time, and the day he celebrated reaching level 20, the meal he treated us to cost 300 gold coins.”

Everyone was taken aback, then patted their chests solemnly and pointed at Jiang Shu.

"Brother, good brother!"

"I won't say anything more, it's all in my heart."

"Alright, bro, next time you kill a monster, you don't need to bring any equipment, just come and eat as much as you want!"

Faced with everyone's enthusiasm, Jiang Shu waved his hand shyly:

"I can't keep sucking your blood forever, can I? Actually, I've recently saved up enough money to forge a new set of equipment, but it will take some time and I can't pick it up right away. But judging by the days, I should be able to pick it up today."

Chapter 236 The Great Upheaval in the Knights

"You little rascal, you've been secretly improving behind our backs, haven't you?"

"You don't actually have any money left? You haven't gone bankrupt?"

"You...tsk, you're not honest."

Just like Jiang Shu thought, he advised himself to think more about himself, and even said that he could just go with her to hunt in the future.

But when they actually got their own better gear, those guys got upset.

However, this sentiment was certainly not what everyone truly felt. After a few joking complaints, everyone became curious about Jiang Shu's new equipment and made arrangements to accompany him to inspect it.

Jiang Shu didn't refuse, and after the hunt, he led everyone straight to the blacksmith shop.

Everyone was taken aback when they saw the new equipment that Jiang Shuna had already crafted.

Putting aside strength and other factors for the moment, the finished product is simply too luxurious.

It was so luxurious that it didn't seem like something a member of a knightly order on a fixed salary should own.

Moreover, the materials used to make it are ridiculously extravagant.

Although the knights couldn't recognize it, judging from the magical beast aura it contained, it was definitely not something that Jiang Shu, at his level, could have obtained.

"What kind of material is this?" someone couldn't help but ask.

Upon hearing this, the blacksmith shop owner gently stroked the exquisitely crafted armor, which resembled a work of art, his eyes filled with the admiration of a peerless beauty: "This is made from the materials of a black winged dragon."

Looking at the dragon horns on the helmet, the knights suddenly realized what was going on. They stared at Jiang Shu in disbelief, their eyes widening: "Where did you get the Blackwing Dragon material? It's a level 40 magical beast! We don't have any here."

"We don't have any here. I specially asked a merchant to order it from other places."

Satisfied, Jiang Shu fiddled with the armor and explained:

"Top-quality imported goods."

"Specially ordered materials...how expensive must these be?" The knights couldn't understand where Jiang Shu got the money.

To everyone's surprise, Jiang Shu scratched his head and said, "Actually, it's not too bad. Since it's just materials, it's not particularly expensive. And the merchant accepts barter and charges for materials, especially those materials that are only available here but not in other cities. They are also above market price. So I used all the money and materials I had to pay for them, and it was just enough."

"Is that so...?"

The knights didn't think much of it.

It's normal for material prices to vary from place to place. A material that's only worth ten gold coins in the initial city might cost several times more elsewhere.

What Jiang Shu referred to as "above market price" may actually be "far below market price" in other places.

After all, merchants make money from these price differences.

Although it made sense in theory, the Blackwing Dragon equipment was still far too precious for ordinary knights like them, and someone still reminded them, "You still have to be careful not to get scammed."

"Scammed?" Jiang Shu looked bewildered. "The equipment has already been crafted, how could the materials be fake?"

That's not what I meant.

The man explained:

"What I mean is that merchants are very cunning. Normally, this level of material would be much more profitable to sell to a chamber of commerce or auction house than to an individual, but you managed to buy it."

So I'm thinking you need to be careful that this material isn't from an illegitimate source.

Jiang Shu was taken aback: "It shouldn't be... right?"

Seeing Jiang Shu suddenly tense up, the man immediately put on a relaxed smile: "I was just saying. Actually, as long as they are registered merchants, this kind of thing usually won't happen when you trade with them, as long as they are not black market merchants."

"Hmm..." Jiang Shu hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.

Everyone realized something: "You wouldn't..."

"what..."

"Hiss—" Everyone gasped.

At this moment, Jiang Shu scratched his head again: "Actually, I've thought about this issue, but I remember that the kingdom's laws stipulate that even if it's stolen goods, if it has already been sold, then it will not be pursued further, and the loss will be borne entirely by the person who stole or robbed the stolen goods."

So I thought, even if the money was obtained illegally, I'm still a victim, so I probably won't be held accountable.

"That's what they say," someone sighed. "But we are knights of the Kingdom's Knights after all. We can't take such chances and try to get away with this kind of petty advantage."

Although there has been no obvious change in everyone's attitude towards Jiang Shu, it is clear that they are now somewhat disappointed in him.

Fortunately, this wasn't a major issue and couldn't be considered a desecration of chivalry. Moreover, Jiang Shu is usually very good at interpersonal relationships and doesn't have any major flaws in most situations, so everyone didn't criticize him too much, only reminding him not to do it again in the future.

Jiang Shu nodded, his attitude very proper: "I understand, this won't happen again."

And so the matter came to an end, with everyone tacitly agreeing to pretend nothing had happened.

The knights, who had expected to simply report back to their order and then patiently wait for the day to end, never imagined that a major event would occur during their hunting trip...

"What? The Duke, the lord of the City of Beginnings, has been robbed?"

Jiang Shu and the others were dumbfounded as they looked at the Knights' branch, which was now in complete chaos.

“Yes.” The branch leader nodded with a headache: “It happened this morning. When the Duke went out hunting, someone somehow sneaked into the hunting grounds and attacked the Duke who was alone.”

"How could he be alone?" Jiang Shu asked, puzzled. "Shouldn't the Duke be accompanied by many guards?"

Upon hearing this, one of the companions explained, "That duke is also an extremely powerful and proud monster hunter, so he prefers to hunt alone. This is recorded in the biographical section of the library. You can take a look when you have time. You will inevitably have to deal with the high-ranking officials and nobles in the city in the future. It will definitely come in handy if you find out their personalities and preferences in advance."

"Oh, alright."

The branch commander continued, "The situation is somewhat similar to last time. It also happened when the Duke was collecting spoils and was most relaxed. Someone ambushed him, but this time it wasn't with arrows, but with a blunt object that struck the Duke's helmet, knocking him unconscious."

The Duke is furious and has ordered us to find that damned fellow, even if we have to dig three feet into the ground.

The group exchanged glances, then cautiously asked, "What if we can't find it...?"

"Can't find it..." The regimental commander was silent for a long time before saying, "Then prepare to retire."

Jiang Shu was somewhat surprised.

Last time Andrei was possessed, the regimental commander told them to go back and wait for news. Why is it that this time they are digging three feet into the ground and coming out in full force?

Just because the other party is a duke?

"So what clues are there?" Jiang Shu asked. "You need to tell us some details about when the robbery happened so we can identify our target."

The branch leader thought for a moment: "First of all, the prisoner is of a very high level and is very well equipped. With just one blow, he dented the Duke's helmet. This gives us reason to believe that the other party was aiming to kill the Duke, but the Duke was lucky enough to survive."

Therefore, the subsequent theft of the Duke's property was most likely a fabricated motive to mislead the public.

Secondly, the other party possessed some kind of skill to conceal their presence, which allowed them to approach the Duke undetected.

"The opponent is so strong, do we really think we can catch them?" someone asked helplessly.

"Give it a try." The branch commander clearly didn't have much hope: "In any case, the appearance must be perfect."

Jiang Shu thought for a moment: "Then what was the Duke robbed of? I have some friends in the market. If he makes a move, I might be able to find out."

“A level 40 Thunder Rhino.” The branch leader didn’t think much of it and answered casually.

Just as the branch commander was planning the next procedural operation, Jiang Shu suddenly asked, "I know about thunder rhinoceroses... they don't seem to be very common in our territory, do they? Or rather, they're quite rare, aren't they?"

“Of course,” the branch leader replied. “The Duke would never personally take action against ordinary magical beasts. He would only personally engage in battle when he encountered prey that interested him.”

"And then, is the material of the Thunder Rhino white when it is first taken off, but turns gray after a while, until it finally turns black?" Jiang Shu asked again.

Everyone finally began to vaguely sense that something was wrong.

The branch commander also asked, "That's right, but why are you asking this?"

“Well… I think I saw this thing when I went to pay my installment at noon today. It was gray, and it must have been taken off not long ago. The merchant said it was a Thunder Rhinoceros,” Jiang Shu explained.

"Installment payment?" The knights who went with Jiang Shu to collect the equipment suddenly realized: "So you didn't pay it all at once, and you still owe quite a bit, right?"

“Yes…” Jiang Shu nodded somewhat awkwardly: “I’m really sorry for always taking advantage of your situation, so I couldn’t wait to get the materials to make equipment first, and planned to pay back the money slowly later. Actually, I used all the money I gained these past few days to pay back the money, so when I said I was busy and didn’t have time to go drinking with you guys, the truth is that I was out of money.”

These remarks immediately drew sympathy from everyone, who then criticized:

"Hey, why didn't you tell us you were having trouble..."

"Yeah, if all else fails, we can just split the cost."

"How did you get into overspending...?"

After listening to everyone's explanations, the branch leader, who was initially confused, finally understood the cause and effect.

Then he immediately asked excitedly, "So, you mean you saw fresh Thunder Rhino material at the house of the person you were trading with?!"

“Yes.” Jiang Shu said with absolute certainty: “Those things are definitely Thunder Rhino materials.”

Without saying a single unnecessary word, the branch commander immediately said, "Follow me!"

A moment later, the group arrived at the destination Jiang Shu had mentioned.