"Phew!"
Upon hearing that Moke had robbed Duke Patterson, the tense Hillman visibly relaxed.
Influenced by Moke's kind mother, Lina, Hogg, Hillman, and the others in Wushan Town were all very kind people.
The taxes imposed in Wushan Town under Hogg's rule were the lowest in the entire Fenlai Kingdom.
"Alright, I'll tell your father. I think he'll be very happy to hear this news too."
Moke nodded, then added, "Also, don't rush to send Wharton to O'Brien Academy. Wait until I return home before deciding anything."
"Oh?"
Hillman was somewhat surprised. "What are you planning to do?"
"Secret."
Moke chuckled.
"Uncle Hillman!" At that moment, Linley ran over from afar and said in surprise, "Uncle Hillman, why have you come again?"
When Hillman handed the full twenty thousand gold coins and the magic crystal card containing one hundred thousand gold coins to Hogg, Hogg was unsurprisingly stunned.
Hillman immediately smiled and said, "Lord Hogg, this money came from a proper source. Don't worry."
"This money was..." He repeated Moke's words to Hogg.
"He robbed Duke Patterson and even cut off one of his arms?"
Hogg was initially excited upon hearing the news, but then he frowned. "Moke is only a Fifth-Level Warrior. Even after transforming, he's only at the peak of the Seventh Level. There must be quite a few Seventh-Level Warriors at Duke Patterson's Mansion.
"Sigh, he took quite a risk!" Hogg said with lingering fear.
"Lord Hogg, I think Young Master Moke knows what he's doing."
Hillman speculated, "Perhaps Young Master Moke has made another breakthrough recently? If he's an Eighth-Level Warrior, then he could come and go with ease."
"Oh?"
Hogg's eyes flickered.
Hillman continued, "Young Master Moke also said to wait until he returns from Ernst Institute before having Hiri take Wharton to O'Brien Academy, but he didn't tell me the reason."
"Is that so? Then we'll listen to him." Hogg smiled and nodded.
Ever since learning that Moke had become a Dragonblood Warrior and possessed strength surpassing his own, Hogg had begun to seriously consider Moke's opinions.
"Big Brother, you're going out? Where are you going? Can I come with you?"
At the Ernst Academy cafeteria, Linley blinked at Moke.
Sitting beside Linley and Moke were their friends Dixie, Yale, George, Reynolds, and Delia, who were also eating.
"Next time. This time, I want to go alone." Moke smiled.
"Oh, alright."
Though Linley was somewhat disappointed, he obediently nodded.
Still, he felt that his brother Moke had been acting rather mysteriously lately. Moke would not even tell him what he was doing, which made Linley a little curious.
In the original story, Wharton grew up safely at O'Brien Academy. But if Father, Linley, and I ever move against the Radiant Church, they may send people to the O'Brien Empire to capture Wharton.
Moke thought, And Father... before becoming a Dragonblood Warrior, he'll remain a Sixth-Level Warrior. A Sixth-Level Warrior... is still too weak. The slightest accident could cost him his life.
Moke had decided to leave Ernst Academy this time to make a trip to the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
He wanted to tame several high-level magical beasts and have them stay by his father's and Wharton's sides in the future, ensuring their safety.
As for Linley, Moke did not intend to interfere.
Linley had his own path to walk. He needed to experience some setbacks.
"Yale,"
When they parted after dinner, Moke stopped Yale, who had been about to leave with Linley and the others.
"Moke, did you need something?" Yale asked with a smile.
Although Moke was currently only a First-Level Mage and seemed utterly ordinary at Ernst Academy,
Linley often said that Moke was much stronger than him. Linley was already a Second-Level Mage, so Yale and the others believed that Moke possessed strength beyond what he showed on the surface.
Coupled with the calm aura Moke displayed, whenever they were together, they subtly treated Moke as their leader. Yale and the others greatly admired this sort of "reclusive expert."
Moke got straight to the point. "Yale, can you get me a few contract scrolls?"
"Contract scrolls?"
Yale was surprised. "Moke, what do you need those for?"
"Don't tell me you're planning to contract magical beasts already?"
To contract an adult magical beast, one first needed the strength to defeat it.
And Moke, even if he was stronger than Linley, was at most a Third- or Fourth-Level Mage, right?
In Yale's view, contracting Third- or Fourth-Level magical beasts would be of no use.
"Yale, there are some things I can't conveniently explain." Moke smiled and shook his head, handing him a magic crystal card. "Don't tell Linley about my needing contract scrolls."
Yale accepted the magic crystal card, surprised. "You're this rich?"
Linley was Yale's dormmate and close friend, so Yale knew that Linley and Moke came from nothing more than a fallen rural noble family.
Linley and Moke were usually quite frugal at the academy.
Yet today, Moke had casually produced tens of thousands of gold coins, which surprised Yale.
But Yale also knew that there were things he should not ask about, so he said, "Alright, you're always being so mysterious."
"I'm heading out for a bit. I'll have them for you tonight."
"Thanks, Yale. Another day, I'll treat you to the prettiest girls at Azure Water Heaven."
"Now that I know you're so rich, don't expect me to be polite with you anymore."
"I want two!" Yale grinned.
The Magical Beast Mountain Range was the greatest mountain range on the Yulan Continent. It stretched across the center of the continent, dividing the Holy Union, the Dark Alliance, and the Four Great Empires.
Ernst Institute was located less than a hundred li west of the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
Moreover, it was a tradition for upper-year students of Ernst Institute to venture into the Magical Beast Mountain Range for training.
Although Moke was not an upper-year student, the academy's courses were quite relaxed. He could choose whether to attend, and being absent for several days was not a problem at all.
Traveling in human form, Moke took only a few hours to behold the towering, continuous mountain range stretching for who knew how many tens of thousands of kilometers.
The Magical Beast Mountain Range was filled with magical beasts. There were even many Saint Realm magical beasts hidden within forests dozens or even hundreds of meters tall.
"The Magical Beast Mountain Range truly is one of the great wonders of the Yulan Continent!"
Moke sighed and plunged headlong into the dense forest.
He had not transformed for now. The outskirts of the Magical Beast Mountain Range were filled with low-level magical beasts, and his strength as a Sixth-Level Warrior was enough to handle them.
Moreover, Moke had mastered Weightless as a Feather. He could easily crush ordinary Seventh-Level Warriors.
Whoosh!
Just after entering the dense forest and before he had walked even a few hundred meters, Moke sensed a fierce gust coming from his right, accompanied by a foul stench.
With a flick of his wrist, the Iron Leaf Sword appeared in his hand. Moke gave it a light shake and thrust it forward, slicing through the attacker's body as easily as cutting tofu.
It was a rabbit-type magical beast the size of a piglet. Its eyes were crimson like gemstones, and its ambush speed rivaled that of a Fourth-Level Warrior. But now it had been cut in two, blood spraying everywhere as its internal organs shattered.
"A Third-Level Magical Beast, a Red Crystal Rabbit. Its Third-Level magicite core is worth several dozen gold coins."
Moke casually glanced at it, with no desire to take the Red Crystal Rabbit's magicite core.
Holding the Iron Leaf Sword, he headed deeper into the Magical Beast Forest.
This time, his target was a Ninth-Level Magical Beast.
Before you continue