The smile on Jing Wen's face grew ever more mysterious and unfathomable.
Just as Han Li thought the deal was about to get back on track, Jing Wen abruptly changed tack, his tone leisurely. "But, junior brother, I've given you a full 1,000 years to repay me.
"Why don't you calm down and think it over? After 1,000 years, how many flying swords should you return for the one you originally took from me?"
At these words, Han Li's expression tightened. Even the air around him seemed to freeze as he fell silent.
The scene of Jing Wen asking about loans and interest between landlords and farmers immediately surfaced in his mind. Now he understood completely: that seemingly casual question had been a carefully laid trap, waiting for him all along.
Han Li inwardly warned himself that if he followed Jing Wen's logic and calculations, he would be walking straight into the net, playing right into Jing Wen's hands. That terrifying compound-interest calculation would inevitably bind him fast, plunging him into a bottomless abyss of debt.
Han Li quickly weighed the pros and cons, searching for a response. Only after a long while did he slowly speak. "Senior brother, what we have is a trade, not a loan."
As though he had expected this response, Jing Wen's smile remained unchanged. He lightly waved a hand and explained, "You're right, junior brother. Ours is a trade. I was only giving an example.
"I'm just worried you might feel you got the short end of this deal.
"After all, in the Cultivation World, if either party harbors a knot in their heart, future cooperation becomes difficult. I'm thinking of our long-term dealings."
Seeing that Han Li still looked conflicted, seemingly unable to let it go, Jing Wen continued, "How about this? If