Kid, Need a Loan?

On the gray, hazy street, a mechanical wooden crow flapped up from a branch, startling the other birds perched in the treetops. It flew straight toward Lu Li.

"Caw, greetings, valued customer. You have an outstanding debt to repay, totaling thirty-six spirit stones and two thousand four hundred and twenty copper coins."

This wooden crow sounded different from the one last night, but when Lu Li heard that string of numbers, his heart gave a violent lurch.

"Why is it even more than yesterday? It went up by eighty copper coins."

"Caw, seventy-nine copper coins in interest."

"You calculate interest by the day?"

The morning chill filled the youth's lungs, and he felt a powerful sense of suffocation. He had originally hoped to pass the assessment at the end of the month, work hard for a raise, and pay off his debt as soon as possible. Instead, Lu Li realized in horror that his daily wages were not even enough to cover the interest.

"Caw, Azure Sun Hall's Enforcement Hall reminds you that your debt is about to become overdue. If it is not repaid in full before the end of the month, we will take special measures."

"But I really don't have any money."

"Caw, esteemed customer, our hall has recently introduced the Five Viscera Loan. If your household has any spare internal organs, you may use them to settle your debt, up to a maximum value of two hundred spirit stones."

"Spare internal organs, my ass! Tell me—which of your heart, liver, spleen, lungs, or kidneys can be left sitting idle?"

Lu Li nearly started cursing on the spot, but swallowed the rest of his words. On second thought, a person's kidney did seem like something spare. Selling one probably would not kill him.

But had he really fallen so low that he had to sell a kidney just to survive?

Between his life and his kidney, Lu Li decisively chose the former. He swallowed and asked cautiously, "Roughly... what kind of price are we talking about?"

"Caw, below are the reference prices for various organs. Specific prices may vary depending on the individual's constitution.

"Blood: two hundred copper coins per jin. Bone marrow: three thousand copper coins per jin. Bones: sixteen spirit stones per set. Heart: twelve spirit stones each. Liver: five spirit stones each. Spleen: seven spirit stones each. Lungs: seven spirit stones per lobe. Kidneys: three spirit stones per lobe..."

"Stop. Don't rush. Let me do the math first."

Setting aside blood, bones, and skin for the moment—Lu Li had no idea how much of those he had—he first calculated the total price of the five viscera. It actually came to a staggering forty-four spirit stones. In other words, if he could sell off all five of his internal organs, he would have more than enough to clear his debt.

But if he wanted to stay alive, he could at most sell blood, bone marrow, and a kidney. It was nowhere near enough to repay what he owed.

This was the first time Lu Li had realized that his body was actually worth so much. Yet when all that blood, bone, skin, flesh, and internal organs were put together to form a living human being, they became utterly worthless.

He rented out his body to the workshop owner, selling his energy and lifespan, yet he only earned eight hundred copper coins a month.

"The way you put it, I'm worth less alive than dead."

"Valued customer, that is not the case. We only accept fresh organs. If your corpse starts to stink, we will not take it."

"Why are kidneys so cheap?"

"Caw, rarity makes things precious. Too many people sell kidneys, so naturally they are cheap. If you do not sell, plenty of others will."

The wooden crow's eyes were crimson as blood, glinting coldly in the morning mist. Deeper within the fog, even more wooden crows rested on branches and in wall corners. They did not move at all, like true carrion eaters merely waiting for him to die so they could swoop down and peck out his organs.

"Caw, have you considered it?"

"I... I don't want the Five Viscera Loan. I won't give you anything."

The moment the words left his mouth, the wooden crow's flapping wings froze. It immediately dropped to the ground and began convulsing violently.

"Malfunction, caw, malfunction..."

"I said I won't give you my organs. You don't need to react this strongly, do you? Hey, hey, don't try to pin this on me. I didn't touch you just now. You broke down on your own."

Sensing that something was wrong, Lu Li first cleared himself of responsibility, then turned to run. He had no idea how much this wooden crow was worth, but it was definitely more than he could afford to compensate for.

As he ran, Lu Li heard someone speaking behind him. The voice was hoarse and indistinct, and what it said left him completely bewildered.

"Cough, cough, cough... Damn it, I finally escaped! Just you wait, you traitorous disciple! Hmph! Once I return, I'll purge the sect!"

Escaped?

Traitorous disciple?

Purge the sect?

Lu Li had no idea what was going on, but he knew that the more one knew, the more dangerous it became. He had a strong feeling that something was very wrong with that wooden crow.

Flap, flap, flap~

The soft sound of wooden wings beating came from behind him, drawing closer and closer.

"Child, stop running. Stand still for this old woman."

"I told you, I don't want that Five Viscera Loan. I won't give you anything. Your prices are a complete rip-off—three spirit stones for half my kidney? Bah! I'd rather starve to death than take your damn loan."

"Three spirit stones for half a kidney? Wow, such a low cost price, and then they turn around and sell it to me for five spirit stones? What a black-hearted sect—even its elders get scammed."

The mechanical wooden crow sounded somewhat surprised. Lu Li did not look back as he sprinted wildly down the street, while the crow called out again behind him.

"I don't want your three spirit stones. Child, stop first. We have other services, and the price is negotiable."

"As if I'd believe that. You just want my kidney. Even if I die, I won't give it to you."

The moment he heard the quoted price for kidneys, Lu Li had already made up his mind. When he got back, he would pack his things and run. At worst, he would leave Southern Sun Town and hide from his debts, never to return again. He refused to believe that Azure Sun Hall controlled everywhere under heaven.

If he could not repay it, could he not at least run from it?

Deadbeat? Damn right he would be a deadbeat!

This is all your fault!

Lu Li thought resentfully. The birdcalls grew farther and farther away until they vanished completely. He looked back, finally letting out a breath of relief, but he did not dare linger. Instead, he left the town. After walking for half a shichen, he returned home and locked the wooden door behind him.

By then, the sun had risen. Lu Li leaned against the door, then slowly slid to the ground as though all strength had left his body. A figure's shadow happened to fall across his face. He raised his head slightly and only then noticed that a woman was hanging from one of the beams in his home. She dangled there in midair, her body swaying gently.

This was not the first corpse Lu Li had seen in this life, but it was the first time he had seen someone who had hanged herself. Yet strangely, he felt neither much terror nor much grief. He did not even want to cry.

Lu Li felt that, at a time like this, he ought to have a good cry. But after trying to summon up the emotion, he found that he simply could not cry at all.

Not only could he not cry, but unable to hold it back, he actually laughed.

"Ha ha ha..."

He was like an outsider. The woman hanging there as though swinging had nothing to do with him. It was as if this were not his home, but a ruined temple where he had happened to stop while running all over the place to evade his debts, only to happen upon the corpse of someone he had never met.

Lu Li took the woman's body down from the beam, then dug a pit in the backyard and hastily buried her. He wanted to pack his things and flee at once, but his body would not obey him. After being busy all night, he felt as though his chest were clogged tight.

So he lay down on the kang bed and fell into a deep sleep. He did not know how long had passed before a faint sound at the door woke him.

Knock, knock, knock~

It sounded like someone—no, like something—was knocking on the door.

"Kid, want a loan?"