Han Jin’s cold voice suddenly cut through the room.
"That’s enough."
His face was still pale, but under the system’s influence mixed with his remaining pride, he forced out the words in a stiff tone.
"She has already served you. The deal is done. Now hand over the spirit stones."
Su Qin also stood back up from the floor.
She raised the back of her hand and wiped the corner of her lips with a faintly disgusted expression, as if only now truly registering the taste left in her mouth.
Even so, the system’s influence still made her treat the overall situation as reasonable.
"Hmph... what a disgusting taste," she muttered under her breath, her full chest rising and falling slightly as she adjusted her slightly disheveled robes.
"Junior Brother Li, since I’ve already served you, don’t waste any more time. Give us the spirit stones."
Li Jian looked at the two of them and slowly smirked.
Without saying much, he took out the small bag of spirit stones Zheng Qingyao had given him earlier and tossed it toward Han Jin.
Han Jin caught it with one hand, his expression still cold and ugly.
Su Qin glanced at the bag as well, her earlier discomfort fading slightly once the "payment" was secured.
Just as Li Jian thought the matter was settled, a series of unexpected system notifications suddenly rang out in his mind.
[Ding!]
[Detected: Host has given a clear benefit to Han Jin.]
[Favor Debt from Han Jin: 1,945 → 2,045]
[Ding!]
[Detected: Host has given a clear benefit to Su Qin.]
[Favor Debt from Su Qin: 1,950 → 2,050]
Li Jian’s eyes flickered with surprise.
’...I gained another 100 points from each of them? Just from giving them the spirit stones?’
A strange light slowly appeared in his gaze as he looked at the pair who were still completely unaware of what had just happened.
’So even when I give them benefits... they still fall deeper into my debt. Interesting... Truly interesting.’
Han Jin stored the bag of spirit stones into his robes with a cold expression.
Su Qin also adjusted her clothes, clearly intending to leave now that they had gotten what they came for.
Just as the two of them turned toward the door, a testing thought suddenly rose in Li Jian’s mind.
’Since giving them the spirit stones increased their debt... then what if I make them return it?’
He immediately focused on the system and issued a request toward Han Jin.
Han Jin, return the spirit stones to me.
[Request confirmed.]
[Favor Debt from Han Jin: 2,045 → 1,945]
[Request has been successfully issued.]
Almost instantly, Han Jin’s steps paused.
A natural look of realization appeared on his face, as if returning the spirit stones was simply the proper thing to do.
Without any resistance, he took the bag back out from his robes and tossed it toward Li Jian.
Li Jian caught it calmly.
Su Qin, who had been about to step outside, froze slightly and turned back with a confused frown.
"...Why did you give it back?" she asked, clearly not understanding Han Jin’s sudden action.
Before Han Jin could answer, Li Jian’s eyes flickered once more as he issued another request.
’Su Qin, Han Jin returning the spirit stones is completely normal.’
’There is nothing strange about it.’
[Request confirmed.]
[Favor Debt from Su Qin: 2,050 → 1,950]
[Request has been successfully issued.]
Su Qin’s confused expression slowly faded.
A look of natural acceptance replaced it, as if she had just come to understand something reasonable.
"I see..." she muttered softly. "So that’s how it is."
She no longer questioned it.
Li Jian weighed the bag of spirit stones in his hand and looked at the two of them with an increasingly deep smile.
’So that’s how it works. I can give them benefits to increase their debt... then spend a portion of those points to take the benefits back.’
The more he understood the system, the more dangerous the light in his eyes became.
Even though he didn’t earn any net resources from these two in the end, he had still gotten a nice mouth service from a famous outer sect beauty... and more importantly, he had gained a much clearer understanding of how his system worked.
This knowledge alone was already extremely valuable.
Li Jian casually stored the bag of spirit stones back into his robes and looked at the pair standing near the door.
"You can leave now."
Han Jin’s face remained ugly, but under the system’s remaining influence and the strange logic that had settled in his mind, he only gave a cold snort before turning to leave.
Su Qin followed beside him, still looking slightly disheveled, the faint redness on her lips the only remaining trace of what had just happened inside the room.
_
_
_
Li Jian stepped out of his stone house just in time to see Han Jin and Su Qin walking away down the path.
Su Qin’s figure still looked a little disheveled under the moonlight, while Han Jin’s back was stiff with suppressed anger.
A faint smile appeared on Li Jian’s face as he watched them leave.
Just as he was about to turn back inside, he suddenly felt a gaze resting on him.
Li Jian’s eyes narrowed slightly.
He turned his head toward the neighboring stone house and saw a slender figure standing quietly near the doorway.
It was a female outer disciple.
Her long, somewhat messy black hair hung loosely around her face, covering most of her features and giving her a gloomy, withdrawn appearance.
She stood there slightly hunched, silently watching, as if she had been observing the earlier scene from the shadows without daring to step forward.
Li Jian recognized her.
’That’s... the timid one next door.’