He took the script of an exorcism legend, but became the number one anti-fraud expert.

The white clouds in the sky pressed down on the sun, and the blinding white light echoed the remaining white snow on the ground.

It was so bright, like holy light shining everywhere.

It had been a long time since so many people had gathered together at the entrance of the monastery on the crossroads.

Although the crowd was packed, their faces were filled with joy and passion.

Many people were muttering, "We've struck gold today!" Some even grabbed the remaining holy water and left when the supply was almost empty.

They probably plan to resell it in other neighborhoods.

Benjamin fastened the money bag tightly to his waist and looked at the pale-faced priest.

I don't know if it was the cold weather or if my blood had frozen from anger.

In short, he knew that Father Robin originally intended to put on a show today to take the opportunity to raise the price of holy water again.

But unexpectedly, not only did I manage to snatch it away, but it might also make it even less likely that I'll be able to raise prices in the future.

This could be considered doing a good deed, he said jokingly to the priest as he approached him:

"What's wrong, Father? You don't look well. Are you upset about the money?"

Father Robin looked at Benjamin, whose forehead veins bulged, but he still maintained a smile:

"How could that be? Contributing to others is what we clergy should do, so we shouldn't accept this money. Please take it back."

After saying this, the priest's eyes sharpened, carrying a warning, telling Benjamin that he had messed with the wrong person.

Benjamin shook the heavy £200 hanging from his waist, almost unable to lift it; this was no small sum.

In Windhowl, you can buy over 3,000 loaves of bread, 12000 quarts of beer, or over 9600 pounds of beef!

It can also provide new clothes for hundreds of people.

He continued to press the question in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"Are you sure you don't want to? Please don't let this cause the monastery to suffer heavy losses, after all, I'm doing a good deed."

The priest rolled his eyes: "Our monastery regularly sends holy water and bestows blessings upon the garrison stationed in the town. We appreciate your kindness, but please take it back. I will personally deliver this kindness to them."

Father Robin deliberately emphasized the word "personally," as if it were a threat.

When Benjamin offered the priest a huge sum of £200, the priest refused, intending to kill Benjamin and keep the money for himself. Benjamin, at that moment...

He would choose...

[Virtue: Reclaim £200 as capital for revolution, vow never to bow down, +4%]

[Torture: Give all your money to the priest and ask to become his partner, +4%]

Ha ha,

If you're going to pretend, then please pretend to the end.

This money...

Benjamin remained calm and composed; he had a plan in mind to keep this windfall—a virtue.

[Virtue: Fountain Accumulation Progress: 10%]

Looking around, he saw several pairs of eyes fixed on him with murderous intent.

Benjamin knew that to go against the monastery, he needed to find an equally powerful organization.

The most suitable organization would be the Guard, a direct military force led by the royal family of Hamlet's city-state.

In the central city-state, the guards might at best be considered watchdogs.

But it's different in Windhowl Town, where the guards can suppress the monastery at will.

Even the dean here probably has to offer tribute to the commander of the guard regiment!

There are people all around now, and everyone knows that I want to donate to the guard regiment.

Because of their bodies covering their faces, they didn't know that the priest hadn't actually taken the money.

Benjamin chuckled. Since the other party wouldn't accept it, he wouldn't force the issue. He patted the money pouch at his waist.

Then he turned around and squeezed into the crowd.

Amid cheers from the crowd, he ran toward Mink Street.

Everything happened so fast that no one expected it.

With a single glance from the priest

The five thugs, including Jeff, who were already prepared, immediately turned around and ran in the direction Benjamin had left.

Benjamin adjusted his breathing.

The purse, laden with £456 at her waist, was quite heavy, jiggling like a bouncy little Chihuahua.

He had already studied the map of Windhowl Town before he arrived; it wasn't far from Mink Street.

I went straight to the police station, found someone in the guard regiment, and applied to join the guard regiment.

That was Benjamin's plan, but there's no doubt he was gambling.

The bet was that the monastery and the guard were not as close as Father Robin had claimed.

If their interests are firmly intertwined, then one must find other ways to adapt to the changing circumstances.

Upon seeing the police station in front of him, Benjamin snapped out of his thoughts and turned around.

Several thugs were already within arm's reach, one hand raised above their head, a rope-like phantom swaying back and forth in their hand.

Damn it,

It's a lasso!

In broad daylight, even though Mink Street is sparsely populated, it is incredibly audacious to use such a concealed weapon against the town's residents.

A flicker of fear crossed Benjamin's mind at that moment: if they weren't afraid of being seen...

Could it be that they really share the same interests as the guard regiment?

Looking at Jeff, who had just been "reformed," his expression was now as ferocious as a wolf, as if he wanted to tear him to pieces and feed him to the dogs.

Benjamin gritted his teeth, determined to find a way to join the guard, otherwise this day next year would be his death anniversary.

Fight!

He took a step forward, the wooden floor in front of the police station creaking heavily; it felt as if he would crush it and trip over it if he exerted any more force.

He spread his arms wide towards the door... and practically pounced into the police station.

'Bang!'

After a loud crash, there was not only the sound of Benjamin falling to the ground, but also the sound of the door being smashed.

The linen sleeve on her arm was torn.

Ignoring the pain in his arm, he tilted his head back, grimaced, and shouted:

"I...I want to join the guard!"

Inside the police station, three soldiers dressed in heavy, knee-length flank robes leaned back in chairs, their boots propped up on the table.

They each held several playing cards, and gleaming silver coins were scattered all over the table.

At this moment, the soldier stared wide-eyed at Benjamin, who had fallen to the ground in a disheveled state, and at the broken door bolt behind him.

The guards did not cover up the gambling traces on the table.

Instead, a moment later, a soldier stood up and picked up the flintlock musket leaning against the cabinet behind him—the 'Brown Bess'.

He set his sights on the doorway.

The other two soldiers stood up, holding wooden batons.

It was obvious that the thugs at the door posed a greater threat than Benjamin, who was lying on the ground.

"You damned thugs, are you looking for death? Let me use my Brown Bess to give you an eye on your forehead! You bunch of blind fools, how dare you trespass on the guard post!"

Benjamin was breathing heavily. He glanced at the soldier with the gun out of the corner of his eye.

He wasn't aiming at himself, but at Jeff and four other thugs standing at the door.

Great.

The guards claimed they were thugs, indicating they weren't one of them.

Seeing this, Jeff raised his hands and slowly retracted the foot he had stepped out.

"Pete! It's all a misunderstanding, he stole our money!"

"Money? How much? Tell me."

Benjamin looked at Pete, who was aiming his gun at Jeff and the others. His question seemed to be about the amount of money, but his tone was full of hostility towards Jeff and the others.

"he....."

Just as Jeff was about to speak, someone behind him suddenly pressed down on his shoulder.

The man was clearly more astute than Jeff; he shook his head, signaling Jeff not to speak.

Jeff glared at Benjamin with a grim face, glanced at the guards, and then smiled faintly:

"It's alright, Pete, it was all a misunderstanding. Please give my regards to Lieutenant Avery."

'Bang!'

Pete fired a shot into the air, and sawdust fell to the ground with a soft rustling sound.

"Don't be so arrogant. A sewer rat wants to keep company with a cat? Tell Robin to behave himself. If we find him near the orphanage again, I'll personally cut off the rotten flesh between his legs. Even God can't save him!"

This tense atmosphere made Benjamin's heart race; he was excited.

He was secretly pleased that he had made the right bet!

The Brownbes, the most common flintlock rifle, was about 42 inches long and used muzzle-loading gunpowder and lead bullets.

It can penetrate a wooden shield within 20 meters, easily take down a horse, and a human torso hit by it is certain to die.

Benjamin glanced up and saw a hole in the flimsy roof of the sheriff's station, a hole that Pete had just fired.

A beam of light shone into the office, brightening the dimly lit card table.

The smell of sawdust still lingered in the air. Benjamin exhaled.

He watched as Pete skillfully removed the paper-wrapped bullet, bit open the tail, flung the gunpowder under the hammer, and pulled out the ramrod to compact the bullet and gunpowder.

Finally, he picked up the flint hammer and aimed it at Jeff at the doorway.

Jeff dared not move, not only because there were two soldiers inside the house wielding wooden sticks.

And behind Jeff, a man with a round belly and a small mustache, who was still pulling up his pants, ran out of the building across the street.

Someone reminded Jeff to look behind him.

"Damn it, Pete! What was that gunshot just now?!"

"Lieutenant! These thugs trespassed the guard post and even smashed down the door of the police station!"

"Damn it!" Avery finally pulled up his trousers, squinting at Jeff. "Hey, Rat, I don't care whose side you're on, but since you've messed with the guards, you've got to pay for it. Damn it for making such a mess of the door, bring 80 pounds for repairs tomorrow, or I'll stomp your head all over Windhowl!"

"No, it wasn't me!"

"Pete! Aim at this guy's head, looks like he doesn't understand what I'm saying!"

The dark muzzle of the gun never left Jeff's direction.

Jeff took two steps back, his eyes filled with fear.

Benjamin sighed inwardly, realizing that the guards were indeed not to be trifled with, but at least they could solve the immediate crisis.

"Listen carefully, 80 pounds. If you're short a penny, I'll send you to the crypt."

Jeff glanced at the sheriff's office, then at Benjamin.

His eyes showed panic and resentment, so he nodded and left.

But Jeff and his group didn't go far; they just hid in a corner not far away.

£80. It was clear that if they didn't get the £200 from Benjamin's waist today, they wouldn't be able to deal with the guards at all.

Avery pointed at Benjamin's nose and shouted:

"Throw him out! Take the money and forget about him. This guy's obviously a spineless scoundrel!"

[The "Caution" talent activated: A hint of probing flashed in Avery's eyes, suggesting he didn't intend to kill.]

With a hint of caution, Benjamin seemed to understand what Avery wanted.

"I want to join the guard."

"Hey! You think you can just join the guard regiment like that? Don't think I can't see through you. You actually dared to mess with those guys from the monastery. Do you know that their abbot has connections with our superiors?"

To gain asylum, one must pay a price.

Benjamin seems to have adapted to the environment of this exorcism world.

The other party wanted benefits, but as a guard unit, they were afraid of getting into trouble by openly collecting protection money.

Avery wanted a way out.

But Benjamin knew that the Guard Corps was a bottomless pit, and as an ordinary person, he was only of value to be exploited. He had to find a way out.

Having just escaped one danger only to fall into another, Benjamin has encountered a problem, and he seems to need a solution...

His choice was...

[Virtue: Benjamin despises the guards' insatiable greed and plans to break out on his own, +4%]

[Torment: Benjamin plans to bribe the lieutenant in front of him, but to prevent the lieutenant from making exorbitant demands, he must create a persona for himself, +4%]

Character design,

That's right. A persona and a windfall are enough to prove that he is not an ordinary townsman. He needs to pretend to be someone else to avoid being exploited.

"Respected Lieutenant Avery, I have long heard of your great name even in the central city-state. In fact, I come from the Hod family of Hamlet City-state. I have come to Hamlet Town to do business."

When you're out in the world, you have to choose your own identity. Benjamin believed that a merchant from a central city-state would inevitably make others speculate about his background, and that having a certain identity might earn him the protection of the guards—torture.

[Torment, progress in accumulating nutrients: 6%]

[The talent for "acting" has been reactivated, while the talent for "caution" is temporarily locked.]

[Your talent as an actor is activated: Your composure makes Lieutenant Avery begin to doubt his own ruthless judgment.]

"The Hod family?" Avery turned to Pete. "Has this guy registered before?"

A soldier quickly ran to the counter, opened the dusty, completely blank register, and pretended to shake his head:

"no."

"Damn it! I knew it, you lied to me!"

"No, I haven't registered yet. I came from Cross Street and met the priest. He said that evil spirits are rampant in Windhowl Town and he's even offering to donate £200 of his own money to buy holy water for the guard."

Avery's chubby face jiggled, his eyes widening in disbelief: "How much?!"

"You heard right, £200. The townspeople present can all testify to that."

Avery turned to look at the damaged door and yelled, "Nonsense! Even if you gilded this door, it wouldn't be worth 80 pounds. Do you know what 200 pounds means?"

"You can go ask."

Benjamin acted with righteous indignation.

Many people know that he was going to donate 200 pounds. Even if the priest didn't accept it, as long as he insists on it, the matter will remain unclear.

At some point, Avery's eyes fell on Benjamin's money pouch.

"Buddy, if this is true, you can join the guard immediately, and I can guarantee that no one here will dare to lay a finger on you. But if you're lying to me, I can also guarantee that you won't be leaving this room today."

Avery stepped forward and leaned close to Benjamin: "Tell me, that £200 isn't in your bulging purse, is it? The clinking and jingling sound really does make the pounds feel trapped and struggling to breathe."

Benjamin smiled and said, "Lieutenant Avery, you guessed right, there is money in here, but it's money for doing business. I've already given the priest the 200 pounds."

Avery snorted, "Hmph, no one here dares to touch the guard's money. Listen, I'm sending someone to find the priest right now. If you lie to me, you'll be locked up as a fraudster, and it will be shown that the pounds on your waistband are also stolen goods. They will all belong to the Windhowl Town Guard, understand?"

Just as expected,

Although Windhowl Town is remote, both the guard and the monastery are corrupt.

But unlike the swindlers in the monastery, the guards' greed needs a legitimate reason.

For example, this door, which is clearly less than 5 shillings, was charged £80 for repairs by Avery.

The four guards stared at their money bags with hungry eyes, clearly harboring wicked intentions.

After going around in circles, I still need to find a reason to arrest myself.

Just as Avery beckoned to Pete to go to the monastery to find out what had happened, the remaining door was pushed open.

A curry-scented accent, laced with shock, echoed throughout the police station:

"My dear Mr. Avery, truth above all, you won't believe what I just heard, but they're all saying that a great philanthropist named Benjamin Hod is planning to donate £200 to the Guard!!!"