Night Visit to the Priest

In the middle of the night, Lin Qi left the dormitory.

The campus was quiet, with only the occasional muffled chirps of birds too cold on the treetops. Snowflakes fell to the ground, the dull sound piercing the silence. Lin Qi walked on the snow, still making no sound. He cautiously headed towards the faculty dormitory building, avoiding several patrolling guards along the way.

The darkness and cold provided Lin Qi with the best cover. He infiltrated the deep, dark faculty dormitory building without alerting anyone. He walked familiarly down a smooth, clean corridor and arrived at a dormitory door at the end. Glancing cautiously to his left and right, Lin Qi used a piece of wire to pick the lock.

This lock-picking trick was something Lin Qi learned from Vik. Vik, who aspired to be a master thief, had a unique talent for these petty thieving skills. Lin Qi and his brothers had all learned a few tricks from Vik for self-defense.

Silently pushing open the door, a bare, white backside faced the entrance.

Father Balin sat naked on a round stool, counting the copper coins in a money pouch with a mumbling sound. An assistant priest should always be impeccably dressed and appear virtuous. If Father Balin's appearance were seen by his superiors, he would surely end up in the church's disciplinary hall.

Beside Father Balin lay a large wine bottle and a small wine glass. He chuckled softly, counted out ten copper coins from the pouch into a money box, then poured himself a glass of wine. He raised the glass, whispered a blessing to "my god," and downed the fine wine in one gulp.

Drinking alcohol was a grave sin in the church, but Father Balin drank with great relish. On his fair, round face, his stout, bulbous nose was as red as if it were engorged with blood. He happily counted his money, drinking a small cup for every ten copper coins. He even hummed a little tune and occasionally wriggled his plump body, causing the white flesh on his body to ripple.

"Praise my god!" Finally, after placing the few silver coins and the pile of copper coins from the pouch into the money box, Father Balin playfully twisted his buttocks and let out a loud, happy fart. He knelt on the ground triumphantly, hands clasped over his chest, and prayed piously, "O revered God, my father. The gods watch me from the heavens, please bless the pious Balin!"

Sighing deeply, Father Balin said with immense piety, "Just today, the pious Balin sold another three hundred and seventy-five Atonement Talismans. The church has gained another sum of funds, and the church's strength has increased by another point. This is all thanks to the pious Balin. Great God, ye gods, please bless the Bishop of University City to ascend to your service soon, so that the pious Balin may take his place!"

Rubbing his bright red, bulbous nose, Balin lamented, "That greedy and lustful Bishop, he is not worthy to be a servant of the gods. Let him go to hell, along with his lackeys. The pious Balin is the best candidate for Bishop of the University City district!"

Kneeling deeply and kissing the floor devoutly, the half-drunk Balin concluded his evening prayer.

Lin Qi closed the door behind him and walked up behind Balin, gently patting him on the shoulder.

Balin let out a scream. He flailed his fleshy body and rushed to a corner of the room, pulling out a heavy Battle Axe from a large, inconspicuous porcelain vase. Enraged, Balin turned around and, before he could even see Lin Qi clearly, swung the axe down at him.

"No one will take even a single copper coin from me! This is the church's property!" Balin's eyes were bloodshot, and he lunged at Lin Qi like a starving wolf whose prey had been snatched from its mouth.

Lin Qi raised his right hand, grabbed the handle of the Battle Axe, and kicked Balin away.

"Damn it, Father, you're a revered priest, how can you chop people with an axe?" Weighing the single-edged bull horn Battle Axe in his hand, Lin Qi disdainfully tossed it onto the bed. His gaze involuntarily flickered to the bronze Money Box on Balin's table.

Balin, who possessed an equally fervent desire for money, keenly noticed the hint of greed hidden in Lin Qi's eyes. He said nervously, "Mr. Lin Qi, if you dare to touch even a single one of my precious coins, I swear I will not let you off!"

Lin Qi, who had known Father Balin for three years, knew his character well. He looked regretfully at the Money Box, smacked his lips, and sighed with feigned grievance, "Oh, what kind of person do you think I am? We are old friends, old friends! How can you distrust my character like this? This is your money, I won't touch it!"

Rubbing his hands vigorously, Lin Qi squinted and smiled, "How much did Mr. Grong give you? Revered Father!"

Father Balin watched Lin Qi warily, hastily grabbing a long robe to cover himself. He muttered cautiously, "Oh, that's none of your business, dear Mr. Lin Qi. I'm just an intermediary. Mr. Grong made a request, I conveyed his request to you, and then you helped him fulfill it. It's that simple, isn't it? That's all there is to it!"

He lightly blew on his index finger at his lips and whispered a warning, "I take my rightful share of the benefits, and you also have your own interests. Our cooperation has been pleasant for the past three years, hasn't it?"

Looking at the nervous Father Balin, Lin Qi nodded thoughtfully.

Father Balin, a scoundrel who mingled within the church, was a representative for many high-ranking figures in University City. These important figures had various desires and requests, but they were important figures with noble backgrounds and could not directly interact with people of the lower and middle classes. Thus, this oddity, Father Balin, came into being. The important figures in the University City district would subtly convey certain requests to Father Balin, and Father Balin would be responsible for contacting people like Lin Qi to resolve various issues for these important figures.

These unsavory transactions had their own unique rules. Lin Qi really shouldn't have asked Father Balin how much he benefited from them.

Shrugging helplessly, Lin Qi reluctantly moved his gaze away from the Money Box. He muttered, "Alright, alright. Lend me a Talisman, a real, effective Talisman. When I get the money, I'll pay you back double!"

Father Balin's eyes darted, and his eyebrows twitched rapidly. "The price of materials for manufacturing Talismans has fluctuated recently. The price of each Talisman has increased by three silver coins!"

Lin Qi glared at Father Balin angrily, "Then I'll give you six silver coins more! But, now, immediately, give me a Talisman! A powerful, effective Talisman that can resist all kinds of attacks. Don't try to fool me with that stuff you use to trick commoners!"

Father Balin grinned and nimbly pulled a small white scroll from his sleeve.