No one could explain why.
The sky was clear. The weather was mild. The routine was the same as every other day.
And yet, a strange tension hung in the air.
Servants spoke in hushed tones. Even the laziest among them moved a little faster. No one dared to slack off.
At the center of it all was Steward Han.
He stood near the main hall entrance, arms crossed, eyes bloodshot. He hadn’t slept well. The dark circles under his eyes made his face look even more swollen than usual.
Every few seconds, he would glance around the courtyard as if expecting something to happen.
Or someone to appear.
Li Ren noticed everything.
He carried a wooden bucket across the courtyard, posture relaxed, movements unhurried.
Inside, his mind was calm.
Today is the day, he thought.
The pressure he felt from the steward’s debt was overwhelming now. It was no longer a distant weight. It was like a storm cloud hanging directly overhead.
He didn’t need the system to tell him.
The time for collection had come.
After the morning chores, the servants were dismissed for a short break.
Steward Han turned to leave, wiping sweat from his neck.
“Steward,” a quiet voice called.
He turned.
Li Ren stood a few steps away, holding his empty bucket.
Steward Han frowned. “What do you want?”
“Just a moment of your time,” Li Ren said calmly.
The steward’s irritation rose.
“A servant thinks he can waste my time?” he snapped. “Get back to work before I—”
“You embezzled sect resources,” Li Ren said quietly. “Five thousand one hundred spirit stones’ worth.”
Silence fell.
For a brief moment, even the wind seemed to stop.
Steward Han’s eyes widened.
“What… what nonsense are you spouting?” he said, voice unsteady.
Li Ren didn’t raise his voice.
“You’ve been selling sect goods to the Black Sand Market,” he continued. “Ten crates at a time. Hidden behind a false wall in the storage shed.”
The color drained from the steward’s face.
“You—”
He stopped himself.
His eyes darted around the courtyard. A few servants were still nearby, though none seemed to be paying attention.
Still, he grabbed Li Ren by the collar and pulled him closer.
“Where did you hear that?” he hissed.
Li Ren didn’t resist.
“Does it matter?” he said. “The debt is real.”
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Steward Han’s grip tightened.
For a moment, killing intent flickered in his eyes.
But the instant that thought appeared, his chest seized.
A sharp, stabbing pain spread through his meridians.
He gasped and staggered back, releasing Li Ren.
“What—what is this?” he choked.
Li Ren watched him calmly.
The system responded to the moment.
Lawful Collection in Progress
Karmic Protection Active
Steward Han clutched his chest.
Every time he looked at Li Ren, the invisible pressure grew heavier.
“What did you do to me?” he demanded.
“Nothing,” Li Ren said. “This is just the weight of your debt.”
The steward’s breathing grew ragged.
He had cultivated for years. He had faced beasts, rival disciples, and harsh trials.
But this feeling…
It was different.
This wasn’t fear of an enemy.
It was fear of consequences.
Steward Han forced himself to stand straight.
“You’re bluffing,” he said, though his voice lacked confidence. “Even if I did take some extra resources… what can a servant like you do?”
Li Ren brushed dust off his sleeve.
“Settle the debt,” he said simply. “Or face foreclosure.”
The word felt strange in this world, but the meaning carried.
Steward Han’s face twisted.
“You think you can threaten me?” he sneered. “I’m an outer sect steward. You’re nothing.”
Li Ren’s gaze was steady.
“You owe the sect,” he said. “Not me.”
That was the key.
The system’s third law.
Balance must be maintained.
“I’m just the collector,” Li Ren continued. “Pay what you owe, and this ends quietly.”
Steward Han’s thoughts raced.
How does he know?
Did someone betray me?
Is this some kind of sect investigation?
The pressure in his chest grew stronger.
He knew one thing for certain.
This servant wasn’t normal.
“…What do you want?” he asked.
“Everything you owe,” Li Ren replied.
“That’s impossible!” the steward snapped. “I don’t have that much!”
Li Ren nodded slightly.
“That’s fine,” he said. “Then we’ll take collateral.”
Steward Han’s eyes widened.
“Collateral…?”
The system stirred.
Major Debt Collection Initiated: Steward Han
Total Debt: 5,100 spirit stones equivalent
Collateral Available:
-
18 years lifespan
-
Earth-grade cultivation
-
Flame Control Technique (Fragment)
Li Ren looked at the options.
Taking the full amount at once might destabilize his body. The system had warned about overload before.
He needed a controlled foreclosure.
“Partial collection,” he whispered.
The system responded.
Foreclosure Protocol Activated
Selected Collateral:
-
10 years lifespan
-
60% of cultivation base
A golden chain appeared between them.
This time, it wasn’t faint.
It was thick, radiant, and heavy with authority.
Steward Han saw it too.
His eyes filled with terror.
“What is that…?”
The chain wrapped around his chest.
“No… no, wait—”
The energy surged.
His body trembled violently.
A cold sensation spread through his limbs, like his life itself was being siphoned away.
His face aged visibly. Wrinkles deepened. His hair thinned.
At the same time, his aura weakened.
The faint pressure of a cultivator… faded.
Warm, powerful energy poured into Li Ren.
It was nothing like the small collections before.
This was a flood.
His muscles tightened. His bones felt lighter and stronger. His senses sharpened dramatically.
The world around him seemed clearer, more vivid.
Collection Successful
Debt Qi Gained: +120
Li Ren steadied his breathing.
Inside him, the energy surged like a roaring river.
The system adjusted instantly.
Debt Qi: 120/200
Realm: Interest Gatherer (Stage 1)
Across from him, Steward Han collapsed to his knees.
He looked like he had aged a decade in seconds.
“My… my cultivation…” he whispered.
He tried to circulate his qi.
Nothing.
Or at least, far less than before.
“You… what did you do to me?” he croaked.
Li Ren looked down at him.
“The debt is partially settled,” he said. “You’re still alive. Be grateful.”
Steward Han’s eyes filled with despair.
Years of effort.
Years of cultivation.
Gone.
And the worst part?
He knew, deep in his bones…
He deserved it.
At that moment, a system message appeared in Li Ren’s vision.
Debt Distribution Complete
60% returned as karmic compensation to Azure Cloud Sect
40% converted into Debt Qi
Somewhere in the inner sect, a locked treasury door creaked open as a hidden compartment revealed forgotten spirit stones.
An elder, meditating in seclusion, suddenly felt his qi flow more smoothly.
The balance of the sect shifted slightly.
No one knew why.
But the universe did.
The debt had been paid.
Back in the courtyard, a few servants had noticed the scene.
They whispered among themselves, eyes wide.
“Did you see that?”
“The steward just… collapsed…”
“What happened to his aura?”
Li Ren turned and walked away calmly.
No one stopped him.
No one dared.
Behind him, Steward Han remained on his knees, staring at his trembling hands.
For the first time in years, he felt weak.
And for the first time…
He understood what it meant to pay a debt.
As Li Ren returned to his corner, the system displayed one final message.
Major Collection Complete
New Feature Unlocked: System Store (Locked)
Unlock Condition: Settle one more significant debt
Li Ren smiled faintly.
“Another one, huh?”
His eyes drifted toward the servant quarters.
Toward the girl with the bound contract.
Mei Lin.
“Good,” he murmured.
“Because I already know who the next collection is for.”