A few disciples who had been practicing nearby had stopped mid-motion. Wooden swords hung in the air. Breathing techniques were forgotten. Every eye was now fixed on the center of the field.
Two outer disciples were already on their knees.
Lin Qiao clutched his chest, face pale. Fei Tong was breathing heavily, his qi circulation unstable.
And in front of them stood a servant.
Calm. Unhurried. Untouched.
Li Ren.
Yan Bo and Ke Shan exchanged a glance.
Neither of them spoke, but the message was clear.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Yan Bo took a cautious step back.
“We don’t have any problems with you,” he said. “This was between you and them.”
Li Ren shook his head.
“That’s not how debts work,” he replied.
Above Yan Bo’s head, the text flickered clearly.
Target: Yan Bo
Debt: Stolen spirit herbs
Total: 15 spirit stones equivalent
Status: Overdue
And beside him:
Target: Ke Shan
Debt: Broken weapon contract
Total: 9 spirit stones equivalent
Status: Overdue
Li Ren stepped closer.
“You both have unresolved debts,” he said. “I’m here to settle them.”
Ke Shan’s jaw tightened.
“You think we’ll just stand here and let you do whatever you want?”
Li Ren didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, he let the silence stretch.
The invisible pressure of karmic imbalance grew heavier in the air. Even the observing disciples at the edge of the field felt it.
Yan Bo swallowed.
He could feel it too.
A strange discomfort in his chest. Like an unpaid bill suddenly remembered at the worst possible moment.
“What do you want?” he asked.
“Payment,” Li Ren said simply.
Yan Bo hesitated.
He wasn’t stupid. He had just seen what happened to Lin Qiao and Fei Tong.
Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.
Something about this servant was unnatural.
“How much?” he asked.
“Fifteen spirit stones’ worth,” Li Ren replied.
Yan Bo’s face twisted.
“That’s not even accurate. Those herbs were barely worth ten.”
Li Ren shook his head.
“The karmic value is fifteen. You didn’t just steal herbs—you stole trust.”
Yan Bo fell silent.
He knew the story. He had taken the herbs from a fellow disciple who had trusted him. The value wasn’t just in the plants.
It was in the betrayal.
He clenched his fists.
“I don’t have fifteen stones,” he said.
Li Ren nodded.
“Then we use collateral.”
The system stirred.
Debt Collection Initiated: Yan Bo
Collateral Options:
-
2 years lifespan
-
Qi reserves
-
Movement technique fragment
Yan Bo’s eyes widened.
“What is that?” he demanded.
The golden chain appeared around his torso.
He tried to step back.
But his legs felt heavy.
Like the ground itself didn’t want him to move.
“No—wait—”
Li Ren selected the option.
Qi reserves.
The chain tightened.
Yan Bo gasped as a portion of his energy drained away.
Collection Successful
Debt Qi Gained: +22
Yan Bo dropped to one knee, breathing hard.
“My… my qi…”Ke Shan’s confidence shattered.
He turned and ran.
Or at least, he tried to.
He had taken three steps before the pressure hit him.
It wasn’t physical.
It was internal.
A tightness in his chest. A weight on his shoulders.
The feeling of something unfinished.
Something owed.
He stumbled.
The system reacted instantly.
Debt Collection Initiated: Ke Shan
Collateral Options:
-
1 year lifespan
-
Minor qi reserve
The golden chain appeared.
Ke Shan’s face turned pale.
“No… I’ll pay! I’ll pay!”
Li Ren raised an eyebrow.
“Then do it.”
Ke Shan fumbled through his robe and pulled out a small pouch. He threw it onto the ground between them.
“There! Five stones! That’s all I have!”
Li Ren glanced at the pouch.
The system confirmed it.
Direct Payment Detected: 5 spirit stones
Remaining Debt: 4 spirit stones equivalent
“Partial payment accepted,” Li Ren said.
He selected the remaining value.
Minor qi reserve.
The chain tightened briefly.
Ke Shan staggered but remained standing.
Collection Successful
Debt Qi Gained: +9
The pressure vanished.
The chain dissolved.
Silence returned to the training ground.
Four outer disciples.
All weakened.
All breathing heavily.
And in the center of them stood Li Ren.
Uninjured.
Calm.
Untouched.
He opened his system.
Debt Qi: 136/200
Realm: Interest Gatherer (Stage 1)
The numbers made his eyes narrow slightly.
Almost there.
Just a little more.
At the edge of the field, a few outer disciples whispered among themselves.
“Did you see that?”
“He didn’t even fight…”
“They just… lost their strength.”
“What kind of technique is that?”
Fear spread faster than any rumor.
Because this wasn’t normal combat.
There was no clash of weapons.
No flashy techniques.
No dramatic explosions.
Just inevitability.
Debts being paid.
Lin Qiao slowly pushed himself to his feet.
His face was pale, his expression dark.
“This isn’t over,” he said.
Li Ren looked at him calmly.
“It is,” he replied. “Your debt is settled.”
Lin Qiao clenched his fists.
But he didn’t attack.
He couldn’t.
Not after what he’d just experienced.
Mei Lin approached once the tension faded.
Her expression remained neutral.
“How much did you gain?” she asked quietly.
“Enough to matter,” Li Ren said.
She glanced at the four weakened disciples.
“This will spread fast.”
“Yes,” he replied.
“That could be dangerous.”
“It could also be useful.”
Fear, reputation, and debt often traveled together.
And right now, his name was being written into the outer disciple ledger.
As they walked back toward the servant courtyard, the system flickered again.
Major Debt Cluster Resolved
Bonus Applied: +8 Debt Qi
Li Ren’s steps slowed.
He opened the interface.
Debt Qi: 144/200
A faint warmth spread through his chest.
The next stage was close.
Very close.
He exhaled slowly.
“Another collection or two,” he murmured.
“And I break through again.”
Behind them, the outer disciple training ground remained unusually quiet.
No one resumed sparring right away.
Because for the first time, many of them had realized something.
Strength wasn’t the only form of power.
And some debts…
Couldn’t be fought.