That evening, the servant courtyard was quieter than usual.
Most of the workers had returned to their corners, eating thin porridge or lying down on straw mats. The air smelled of damp stone and boiled rice.
Li Ren sat near the wall, holding his bowl. He ate slowly, more focused on observing the courtyard than on the food itself.
Across the yard, the thin servant girl from earlier was still working. Her sleeves were rolled up, and her hands were red from scrubbing clothes in a wooden tub.
Above her head, the familiar text hovered.
Target: Mei Lin
Debt: Bound servant contract
Principal: 5 spirit stones
Interest: +120%
Total: 11 spirit stones equivalent
Status: Active
Li Ren studied the numbers for a moment.
Eleven spirit stones wasn’t a small amount for a servant, but it wasn’t impossible either. Especially compared to the debts he’d already handled.
He stood up and walked toward her.
Mei Lin noticed his shadow and immediately straightened.
“I’ll finish the washing soon,” she said. “It won’t delay the evening chores.”
“I’m not here about that,” Li Ren replied.
She hesitated, then looked up.
“You’re the one who spoke to me earlier,” she said.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Li Ren.”
“…Mei Lin.”
He nodded. “How long have you been under this contract?”
“Two years,” she said. “My father borrowed spirit stones for medicine. When he died, the debt transferred to me.”
Her tone was calm, almost rehearsed.
“I couldn’t repay it. The sect took me in as a servant to settle the amount.”
Li Ren crossed his arms.
“And how much longer?”
She shook her head. “Hard to say. The steward keeps adding fees. Food, clothing, penalties… the numbers never go down.”
He wasn’t surprised.
Back on Earth, he’d seen similar tactics. Small debts turned into lifetime burdens through constant interest and hidden costs.
He opened the system quietly.
Settlement Options:
- Extract collateral
- Transfer contract
- Pay debt directly
He focused on the last one.
Debt Qi Conversion Available
Rate: 5 Debt Qi = 1 spirit stone equivalent
He did the calculation in his head.
Eleven spirit stones meant fifty-five Debt Qi.
He currently had thirty-five.
Not enough.
He closed the interface.
“Who holds your contract?” he asked.
“The steward,” she said. “He keeps all servant contracts.”
Li Ren nodded.
Everything led back to Steward Han.
Debts. Contracts. Hidden stones. Illegal trades.
A walking disaster of karmic imbalance.
He looked back at Mei Lin.
“If your contract disappeared tomorrow,” he asked, “what would you do?”
She didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, she rinsed a piece of cloth, wrung it out, and placed it on the line.
“Leave the servant quarters,” she said finally. “Find work in the outer markets. Maybe join a caravan. Anything that doesn’t involve chains.”
Her eyes were steady.
“No more debts. No more contracts.”
Li Ren nodded slowly.
That was a reasonable goal.
No dramatic dreams. No romantic nonsense.
Just survival.
“I might be able to settle your contract,” he said.
She froze.
“…How?”
“I have my methods.”
She studied him carefully.
There was no excitement in her eyes. No sudden gratitude. Just caution.
“And what would you want in return?” she asked.
Li Ren raised an eyebrow.
“Why assume I want something?”
“No one in this world does things for free,” she replied. “Not for servants.”
He couldn’t argue with that.
“Fair enough,” he said. “If I settle your contract, you work with me for a while. Information, errands, anything within reason.”
She considered it.
“How long?”
“Until the value balances out,” he said. “Think of it as a temporary partnership.”
Mei Lin looked down at the water in the tub.
After a few seconds, she nodded.
“That’s fair.”
No bowing.
No tears.
Just terms.
Li Ren gave a small nod.
“Then we have a deal. For now, keep your head down. I’ll handle the rest.”
She watched him walk away.
For the first time in two years, the idea of freedom didn’t feel like a fantasy.
It felt… negotiable.
