Li Ren moved quietly among the workers, carrying buckets and sweeping dust like everyone else. On the surface, nothing had changed.
But inside, everything felt different.
He now knew the steward’s secret.
Hidden spirit stones. Illegal sales. A private ledger.
That was no longer just a debt.
It was a weakness.
And weaknesses were what collectors lived for.
Li Ren opened his system interface as he walked.
Divine Debt Ledger
Host: Li Ren
Realm: Ledger Initiate (Stage 1)
Debt Qi: 27/100
Active Debts:
-
Steward Han – 5,100 spirit stones equivalent – High Priority
He closed the interface.
Still too dangerous to collect directly, he thought. But now I have leverage.
Just then, a loud voice echoed across the courtyard.
“You! New one! Come here!”
Li Ren looked up.
One of the outer sect disciples stood near the well. He wore clean blue robes and carried a short sword at his waist.
Above his head, text appeared.
Target: Outer Disciple Gao Ming
Debt: Beat servant without cause
Interest: +80% (2 years)
Total: 4 spirit stones equivalent
Li Ren frowned.
So even violence created debts.
Interesting.
Gao Ming pointed at him. “Yeah, you. Black hair. Move.”
Li Ren walked over calmly.
“Yes, Senior Brother?”
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Gao Ming smirked. “My boots are dirty. Clean them.”
Li Ren looked down.
The boots were spotless.
He raised an eyebrow. “Senior Brother, I’m assigned to courtyard duties—”
The slap came fast.
His head snapped to the side. A sharp sting spread across his cheek.
Several servants flinched. No one dared to interfere.
Gao Ming leaned closer.
“Did I ask for your opinion?” he said coldly. “You servants exist to obey. Understand?”
Li Ren slowly straightened.
His cheek burned, but his eyes remained calm.
Back on Earth, insults were common. Threats were normal. Violence wasn’t new to him.
But this time, he had something different.
He opened the system quietly.
Debt Detected: Gao Ming → Li Ren
Reason: Unjust violence
Estimated Value: 6 spirit stones equivalent
Status: Collectible
Li Ren’s eyes flickered.
So the moment he hit me, he created a debt.
That was… extremely useful.
Gao Ming shoved a rag into his chest.
“Clean them. Now.”
Li Ren caught the rag.
Instead of kneeling, he spoke softly.
“Senior Brother, you just created a debt.”
Gao Ming blinked. “What nonsense are you talking about?”
“You struck me without cause,” Li Ren said calmly. “That carries karmic weight.”
Gao Ming laughed.
“You think I care about karma? I’m an outer disciple. You’re a servant. I can beat you to death and no one will blink.”
Li Ren nodded slightly.
“Perhaps,” he said. “But the debt still exists.”
Gao Ming’s smile faded slightly.
For some reason, hearing those words made his chest feel heavy.
An invisible pressure settled over him.
He frowned.
“What is this feeling…?”
Li Ren stepped closer.
“I’ll keep it simple,” he said. “You owe six spirit stones’ worth of compensation. Pay now, and the matter ends.”
Gao Ming stared at him in disbelief.
“Have you gone insane?” he said. “You think I’ll pay a servant?”
Li Ren sighed.
“That’s unfortunate.”
He focused on the system.
Debt Collection Initiated: Gao Ming
Collateral Options:
-
Minor qi reserve
-
6 months lifespan
Li Ren chose the safer option.
Minor qi reserve.
A faint golden chain appeared between them—visible only to him.
Gao Ming suddenly staggered.
“Huh?”
His face paled.
“My qi… why does it feel weaker?”
Warm energy flowed into Li Ren’s body.
It was different from the previous collections.
Sharper. Stronger. More refined.
Collection Successful
Debt Qi Gained: +8
Li Ren exhaled slowly.
This is stronger than servant debts.
Of course it was.
Cultivators had more valuable energy.
Gao Ming took a step back, eyes wide.
“What… what did you do to me?”
Li Ren handed him the rag.
“The debt is settled,” he said. “We’re even now.”
Gao Ming felt the strange pressure in his chest vanish.
The invisible heaviness was gone.
He swallowed.
“That… that was karma?” he muttered.
Li Ren didn’t answer.
He simply turned and walked away.
Behind him, Gao Ming stared at his own hands, confused and slightly afraid.
For the first time in years, he felt uncertain.
As Li Ren returned to his corner of the courtyard, the system appeared again.
Debt Qi: 35/100
Realm: Ledger Initiate (Stage 1)
He clenched his fist.
Thirty-five already.
At this rate, he would reach the next stage soon.
But his eyes drifted back to the steward.
The golden debt text still hovered above the fat man’s head like a halo of guilt.
5,100 spirit stones.
Li Ren’s lips curved into a faint smile.
“Small debts build strength,” he whispered.
“Big debts change fate.”
And Steward Han’s debt…
Was big enough to change everything.