"How much do you still owe?" Li Qingxian asked.
"After deducting your twenty taels, we still owe a hundred and forty," Liu Yitian said.
"Snowballing interest, interest upon interest?" Li Qingxian asked.
"That's how they all operate," Liu Yitian said.
Li Qingxian opened his mouth, then closed it again. After a few breaths, he said, "Not all that much, then." He turned to look out the window.
Liu Yitian looked at Li Qingxian. The jade pin in his topknot was plain but translucent, and his jet-black hair remained untouched by dust despite the sandy winds of the northwest. That hairpin was probably a magical artifact.
His gaze fell to the clothes. The black, close-fitting outfit looked ordinary, but faintly visible gold threads were embedded inside the collar. It had to be a magical artifact.
Looking farther down, he saw the jade pendant at Li Qingxian's waist, his trousers, and his shoes. All looked plain, but all were magical artifacts.
Liu Yitian recalled what he had learned about the situation in the capital, then thought of that iron-tower-like expert and the guardian beast. Growing ever more certain of this Li Jingqiu's identity, he drew a deep breath and said, "As long as we can recover the manuals, keep the Divine Bow Sect's name standing, and repay the old sect leader for raising me, this humble official will spend the rest of his life serving you as an ox or a horse."
"Mm." Li Qingxian did not even nod, merely offering a casual response.
"Every disciple except me will switch to Jade-Clear Archery. Anyone who refuses will be expelled. After the Talent-Seeking Gathering, you will appoint the sect's instruction elder." Liu Yitian let his hands hang at his sides.
The corners of Li Qingxian's mouth lifted slightly. He rose and said, "Since