The pavilion of the Veiled Star Marquis thrummed with menace, its floating orbs casting shadows across the rune-etched floor. Jian Feng stood before the Marquis, the Nine Serenities Jade silent, its spirit a faint pressure. Clerk Wei's warning lingered, her silver-chained robes a reminder of the Ministry of Karmic Ledgers' reach. The crimson shadow outside—marked with the Vermillion Bird Legion's emblem—watched like a predator.
"You deal with dangerous pawns, Marquis," Wei had said before vanishing. Jian Feng felt the truth, his Golden Core trembling under the Debt-Bonds' grip. The Star-Thread Divination had added a heavy chain, its links pulsing with starlit cold.
The Marquis leaned forward, his nebula-patched eye swirling. "You've seen the Pearl's truth, boy. The Stolen Constellation Pearl is your first debt to Heaven—a star's heart, stolen from the Ministry of Stellar Alignment. It binds realms or breaks them. Your Ministry wants it to chain the cosmos. I want it to… shift the balance."
Jian Feng's heart pounded. An artifact tied to his debt, contested by celestial powers. "Your price is a favor," he said, his voice steady. "Sworn on Heaven's Oath. But I need more than a rite to face the Vermillion Bird Legion."
The Marquis's golden eye gleamed. "Clever. The Chain-Veil Rite will hide your Debt-Bonds, but the Legion's vaults are guarded by Starfire Wards—flames that burn the unworthy. I'll give you a map, etched in starlight, to navigate their realm. Swear the oath, and it's yours."
Jian Feng's mind raced. The Court's rules bound him: Trade no favor without a witnessed oath. The Marquis's favor was a chain, but the Ministry's debt was a cage. He needed the map, the rite, and time to unravel Heaven's game.
"I swear," he said, his voice cutting the silence. "On Heaven's Oath, I'll owe you one favor, to be called when you choose."
The Marquis extended the black jade scroll, its runes flaring. Jian Feng pressed his palm to it, and a searing pain lanced through his core—a new Debt-Bond, forged of starlight and shadow, binding him to the Marquis. The orbs dimmed, the pavilion trembling as the Court bore witness.
"The map," the Marquis said, producing a crystal shard glowing with a constellation's pattern. "The Legion's realm lies beyond the Court's third bridge. The rite requires star essence and voidstone—find them in the bazaar. But beware: the crimson shadow serves the Legion. They know you're coming."
Jian Feng took the crystal, its light cold against his skin. The sword's spirit whispered, "Heaven's tally grows with every oath. You've bound yourself to a dangerous star."
He stepped toward the exit, the crimson shadow gone but its presence lingering. The Court's mist swirled, hiding eyes that tracked his every move. Heaven's debt was open, and Jian Feng's name was written in chains.
To be continued…
Can Jian Feng find the rite's materials in the Court's bazaar? What does the Vermillion Bird Legion know? Drop a comment and join Jian Feng's battle against Heaven!
Author's Note: Readers, what's the Marquis's true goal? Is the crimson shadow a hunter or a spy? Share your predictions, and vote with Power Stones to defy Heaven's debt! Next chapter drops Friday!