Word spread quietly, but it spread fast.

  No one in the servant courtyard had seen the exact moment when Steward Han lost his cultivation. Most of them only saw the result.

  Before, he had walked with a heavy step and a loud voice. Servants avoided his shadow. Even outer disciples treated him with a certain respect.

  Now, he moved slowly. His back was slightly bent, and his voice lacked its old authority. The bamboo rod he once carried like a symbol of power now looked more like a walking stick.

  And standing at the center of that change was Li Ren.

  No one had proof.

  But no one believed it was a coincidence either.

  By the third day after the incident, the atmosphere in the courtyard had shifted. Servants who used to shove past Li Ren now gave him space. Conversations grew quieter when he walked nearby.

  It wasn’t respect.

  It was caution.

  Li Ren noticed the change, but he didn’t react to it.

  He carried a bucket of water across the courtyard, moving at the same steady pace as before. He didn’t walk like someone important. He didn’t act like someone powerful.

  But the invisible numbers above people’s heads told a different story.

  Debts floated everywhere.

  Small ones. Old ones. Emotional ones.

  This courtyard was full of them.

  Mei Lin walked beside him, carrying a smaller bucket.

  She had changed her routine since her contract was settled. Instead of being assigned random chores, she now moved more freely around the courtyard, picking tasks that gave her better access to information.

  It was part of their agreement.

  “People are talking about you,” she said quietly.

  “They always do,” Li Ren replied.

  “This is different,” she said. “They think you’re dangerous.”

  He shrugged. “That’s not the worst reputation to have.”

  She studied him for a moment.

  “You’re not worried it’ll attract attention from the outer disciples?”

  “It will,” he said. “Eventually. But that was going to happen anyway.”

  In a place like this, strength—or anything resembling it—always drew eyes.

  Better to control the narrative than hide from it.

  As they reached the well, a thin servant boy approached them hesitantly.

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  He looked no older than fourteen. His clothes were patched, and his eyes were tired.

  “Brother Li Ren,” the boy said.

  Li Ren turned. “Yes?”

  The boy swallowed.

  “…Is it true you can settle debts?”

  Mei Lin glanced at Li Ren but said nothing.

  Above the boy’s head, faint text appeared.

  Target: Chen Yu

  Debt: Borrowed ration tokens

  Total: 2 spirit stones equivalent

  Status: Overdue

  Li Ren crossed his arms.

  “Depends,” he said. “Whose debt is it?”

  “Mine,” Chen Yu admitted. “I borrowed food tokens from another servant. I couldn’t repay them in time. Now he says I owe double.”

  Li Ren nodded slowly.

  Interest disputes were common. Even in this world, numbers were often manipulated by those in stronger positions.

  “Bring him,” Li Ren said. “We’ll settle it properly.”

  Chen Yu’s eyes widened. “R-really?”

  “If the debt is real, it can be settled,” Li Ren replied.

  The boy nodded quickly and ran off.

  A few minutes later, Chen Yu returned with a broad-shouldered servant.

  The man looked annoyed.

  “What is this?” he demanded. “I was working.”

  “You’re Luo?” Li Ren asked.

  “Yeah. And?”

  “Chen Yu owes you two spirit stones’ worth of food,” Li Ren said. “Correct?”

  Luo snorted. “That was months ago. With interest, it’s four now.”

  Li Ren shook his head.

  “The karmic value is two. Not four.”

  Luo frowned. “What are you talking about?”

  “The actual weight of the debt,” Li Ren said. “Not the number you decided on.”

  Luo crossed his arms.

  “And who are you to judge that?”

  Li Ren didn’t answer directly.

  Instead, he focused inward.

  Debt: Chen Yu → Luo

  Total: 2 spirit stones equivalent

  Status: Collectible

  The system didn’t lie.

  He selected the settlement option.

  Debt Settlement Available

  Cost: 10 Debt Qi

  He confirmed it.

  A small portion of energy left his body.

  Debt Qi Spent: 10

  Debt Settled: Chen Yu → Luo

  Luo blinked.

  The irritation in his eyes faded.

  “…Strange,” he muttered. “Feels like this is already settled.”

  He looked at Chen Yu.

  “Forget it. We’re even.”

  Chen Yu stared at him. “Really?”

  “Yeah,” Luo said. “No point arguing over scraps.”

  He turned and walked away.

  Chen Yu stood frozen for a moment before turning back to Li Ren.

  “You really did it,” he said.

  Li Ren shrugged. “Small debt. Simple settlement.”

  Chen Yu bowed quickly.

  “Thank you, brother Li Ren. I’ll remember this.”

  He hurried off, looking lighter than before.

  Mei Lin watched the whole exchange.

  “You didn’t gain anything from that,” she said.

  Li Ren lifted the bucket again.

  “Not directly,” he replied. “But reputation has value.”

  She nodded slowly.

  “In the markets, merchants call that long-term profit.”

  “Exactly.”

  If more servants trusted him, more debts would come his way. And among those small debts, there would always be a few valuable ones.

  It was just a matter of time.

  That evening, small groups of servants gathered in quiet corners.

  They spoke in low voices.

  “Did you hear?”

  “He settled Chen Yu’s debt.”

  “Just like that?”

  “Yeah. Luo didn’t even argue.”

  “They say he can see karmic debts.”

  “That’s unsettling…”

  Not far away, Li Ren sat with his back against the wall.

  He didn’t need to hear the whispers.

  The system told him enough.

  New Minor Debts Detected Nearby

  Potential Collections: 5

  He opened his eyes slowly.

  Above the heads of nearby servants, faint numbers flickered.

  Tiny obligations. Old promises. Small betrayals.

  Nothing worth much individually.

  But together?

  They formed a steady flow of power.

  He leaned back against the wall and looked up at the evening sky.

  This courtyard was only the lowest layer of the sect.

  If even this place was filled with debts…

  Then what about the outer sect?

  The inner sect?

  The elders?

  The sect master?

  How many broken promises were buried in those higher halls?

  How many fortunes had been stolen, inherited, or forgotten?

  He felt a quiet excitement stir in his chest.

  “Every place runs on debts,” he murmured.

  Mei Lin sat down beside him, not too close, not too far.

  “Then this sect must be a gold mine,” she said.

  Li Ren gave a faint smile.

  “Eventually,” he replied. “But we’re still working with copper coins.”

  She nodded.

  “Then we gather copper until it becomes gold.”

  He closed his eyes again.

  For the first time since arriving in this world, he felt something close to stability.

  Not safety.

  Not comfort.

  But direction.

  He had a system.

  He had a method.

  And now, he had a reputation.

  In a world ruled by power…

  Reputation was often the first step toward influence.

  And influence…

  Was just another form of debt waiting to be collected.