Marcus lay on the floor for an hour.
Maybe two.
Time didn't feel real anymore.
Eventually he moved. Forced his body upright. Every muscle protested. His shoulder popped wrong. His ribs sent fire through his chest.
But he stood.
Adequate.
The word echoed in his skull. Her voice. Clinical. Cold.
He'd saved her life. Endured hours of agony. Been used until he broke.
Adequate.
Marcus's hands clenched into fists. His nails cut into his palms. Blood welled.
Wait for me Xue Lian. This humiliation. This defeat. I'll pay you back with interest.
The thought was poison. Sweet poison. It kept him standing when his body wanted to collapse.
He opened the system panel.
Name: Xue Lian
Age: 370
Cultivation: Golden Core Stage 1 (Peak)
Occupation: Leader of Black Seal Trade Association
Spirit Root: 2nd Grade
Talent: Merchant (High), Cultivation (Low+)
Favorability: 1/100
One. Up from zero.
An entire night of torture and she liked him one point more.
Marcus laughed. The sound was broken. Wrong.
How many more sessions would it take to reach eighty percent? Seventy-nine more nights like last night?
The math was simple. The reality was impossible.
The thought made his stomach turn.
The Yin poison was only temporarily suppressed. Elder Su had said days of treatment. Multiple sessions.
He'd have to do this again. And again. Until the poison was gone.
Until Xue Lian decided he'd served his purpose.
Marcus pushed the thought away. Focused on the system.
The mall was still locked. Insufficient Kama Points.
But there was another option. One he'd seen before.
Yang Physique Evolution: Cost 1 Kama Point (0.5 point transaction fee)
His finger hovered over it. Two points total. This would take one and a half. Leave him with half a point.
But he needed strength. Needed his body to handle what was coming.
He pressed confirm.
Heat flooded his body. Started warm. Became burning. His blood felt like it was boiling. Surging through his veins like a dam had exploded.
The weakness faded. Not completely. But enough.
His injuries still hurt. His shoulder still hung wrong. But he could move. Could function.
The system had taken his pain and made it useful.
Marcus pulled on his clothes from the floor. Torn. Stained. He didn't care.
He left the room.
The corridor was empty. Silent. He didn't know where to go.
"Elder Su?" His voice was hoarse.
Light flashed.
The world shifted.
Marcus stumbled. Caught himself. He was in the main hall now. People stared.
A mortal appearing from nowhere. They looked. Saw he wasn't a cultivator. Went back to their business.
A figure rushed toward him. Xuan Ao practically jogged over. Eyes wide.
"Lin Mo? Heavens man where've you been? I've been looking everywhere. Elder Su just kept giving me that creepy smile and saying 'all is handled.' I thought you'd been fed to a cauldron or something."
Marcus forced the corners of his mouth up. "Lady Xue Lian is fine. Treatment worked. She's... resting."
Xuan Ao exhaled hard. Shoulders dropping. "Thank the fucking ancestors. You had me worried sick." He looked Marcus up and down. Winced. "You look like death warmed over. Come on. We're getting food. You smell like you've been marinating in regret."
They walked toward the exit. Marcus's gait was off. Each step sent pain through his hips. His legs.
Xuan Ao glanced sideways. Smirking.
"Oi. Why're you waddling like a duck that lost a fight with a horse? Did someone shove a formation array up your"
Marcus cut him off. Voice flat. "Fell off the bed. Hard floor. No turtle shell like yours to save me."
Xuan Ao snorted. Then his grin faded when he saw Marcus wasn't laughing.
"...Shit. You actually hurt? We should swing by the medical hall."
"No." Sharper than he meant. "It's fine. Just sore."
Xuan Ao studied him for two heartbeats. Then shrugged. "Alright. But if you start leaking blood I'm dragging you there myself. Brother or not."
They left the Golden Needle Pavilion. Flew toward the markets.
The Floral District was alive with activity. Stalls everywhere. Thousands of people. The smell of food made Marcus's stomach growl.
Xuan Ao grinned. "The Golden Fork. My favorite place. You'll love it."
The restaurant was large. Built into a massive tree. The workers were Mu Ling. Plant-based humanoids. Their skin was bark. Their hair was leaves.
They sat at Xuan Ao's usual table. Ordered.
The food arrived. Crimson Beast Flame Roast. Dragon Fire Noodles. Forest Root Stir-Fry.
Marcus ate like he was starving. Because he was. The Yang Physique evolution had increased his appetite. His body needed fuel.
Xuan Ao watched with amusement. "Hungry brother?"
"Didn't eat yesterday." Not a lie.
After they finished they walked through the market. Stalls sold everything. Artifacts. Herbs. Formation materials. Weapons.
Marcus's eyes caught on one stall. Fruits and herbs.
One fruit looked familiar. Large. Brown. Like a cocoa pod.
He picked it up. Sniffed.
The vendor watched. "That's Velvet Pod. Exotic birds like it. Not for human consumption. Tastes terrible."
Marcus turned it over in his hands. The smell. The texture.
This was it. This was cocoa. Or close enough.
"Brother Xuan. Buy this for me."
Xuan Ao looked skeptical but paid. The vendor handed over the fruit.
Marcus cracked it open on the spot. Pulled out the seeds. Sniffed them.
Perfect.
He bit one. The taste was raw. Bitter. But it was cocoa.
He smiled for the first time since entering that room.
"Do you want to eat more chocolate brother Xuan?"
Xuan Ao's eyes widened. "This makes chocolate?"
"Yes."
"Buy everything." Xuan Ao turned to the vendor. "All your Velvet Pods. Every single one."
The vendor was confused but happy. Spirit coins changed hands. Dozens of pods went into Xuan Ao's storage bag.
"Brother Lin Mo." Xuan Ao's voice was excited. "If we start this business. I want in. I'm sick of being a ship captain. The pay is terrible. I can barely afford cultivation resources."
Marcus nodded. A plan was forming.
"We need permission from Lady Xue. And funding. Do you have savings?"
Xuan Ao's face fell. "With my salary? I spend everything on cultivation. I have maybe fifty spirit coins saved."
"Then we follow my plan. Let me handle Lady Xue."
Marcus had an idea. The second method from the system. Spread love and kindness. Point one Kama Points per person affected.
If he could create a product people loved. Something that made their lives better. Something affordable for mortals.
Chocolate. Coffee. Sugar. The simple pleasures from Earth.
He could reach millions. Earn thousands of Kama Points.
And he'd never have to touch Xue Lian again.
The thought made him breathe easier.
They returned to the headquarters. Asked about Lady Xue.
She'd already left. Flew back to Tianluo City that morning.
Something had happened. Something urgent.
"We should go." Xuan Ao's voice was worried. "If she left in a hurry the association is in trouble."
They boarded a ship. The journey took a full day. This time nothing attacked. No ambushes. No battles.
That night the crew gathered. Ate. Drank. Sang songs.
Marcus joined them. Let himself relax. For a few hours he wasn't a slave. Wasn't property. Just Marcus. Drinking with friends.
On Earth he'd had everything. Money. Success. Power.
But he'd never had this. Simple friendship. Simple joy.
Something was changing in him. Slowly. Against his will.
---
Morning came. Tianluo City appeared on the horizon.
They descended. Marcus saw the Black Seal Trade Association headquarters.
His jaw dropped.
Half the building was destroyed. Collapsed. Rubble everywhere. Parts still smoked. Royal guards swarmed the area. Their armor marked them as kingdom military.
"What happened?" Xuan Ao's voice was shocked.
They landed. Approached a guard.
"State your business."
Xuan Ao showed his token. "We work for the association. What happened here?"
The guard's expression was grim. "Rebellion. Several elders tried to overthrow Lady Xue. Led a coup. Thousands died in the fighting. We're still pulling bodies from the rubble."
Marcus's blood ran cold. If Xue Lian had died. If the rebellion had succeeded.
The seal would have killed him. Far away in Shangyuan City. He'd have died and never known why.
His life wasn't his own. It was tied to hers. Completely.
"Is Lady Xue alive?" Marcus's voice was urgent.
The guard looked at him. At his mortal status. Frowned. "She's in the office building. Coordinating recovery. Why does a mortal care?"
"He's with me." Xuan Ao stepped forward. "We were sent to help."
The guard checked their tokens. Verified. Let them pass.
They walked through the destruction. Bodies covered in sheets. Blood staining the courtyard. The smell of death was thick.
Survivors sat in groups. Injured. Traumatized. Staring at nothing.
This was cultivation world politics. When the strong fought the weak died as collateral.
They reached the office building. Intact. Protected by stronger formations.
Xuan Ao led them to Xue Lian's office. Knocked.
"Enter."
They walked in. Bowed immediately.
Xue Lian sat behind her desk. Surrounded by papers. Communication tokens. Reports. Her face was calm but exhausted. Dark circles under her eyes.
She looked at them. Nodded. "You're early. Good."
She gave Xuan Ao a list of tasks. Supply requisitions. Survivor counts. Damage assessments.
He bowed. Left.
Marcus stood alone. The door closed.
Silence stretched. Xue Lian worked. Communication tokens flashed. She answered. Gave orders. Moved pieces on a board Marcus couldn't see.
He sat on a nearby couch. Waited.
His mind raced. This wasn't the time to ask for business permission. The association had just survived a coup. Resources would be tight. Money would be spent on rebuilding.
His chocolate business would have to wait.
Minutes passed. Ten. Twenty. Thirty.
Xue Lian didn't look up from the jade slip she was reading.
"You're still standing there. Why?"
Marcus swallowed. "I was... waiting for you to finish."
She finally glanced at him. Brief. Bored. Like he was furniture.
"If you have something to say spit it out. I have seventeen more fires to put out before midnight."
He took one step closer. Voice low.
"I want to start a business. I need your permission. And enough capital to make it happen."
Silence. Long enough that he thought she'd already dismissed him.
Then she set the jade slip down. Very deliberately.
Leaned back in her chair.
Looked at him like she was pricing livestock.
A small dangerous smile curved her lips.
"You want money. Resources. Freedom to play merchant."
She let the words hang. Then leaned forward slightly.
"Fine. I'll give you everything. Seed capital. Seals. Protection. Even a nice little shopfront if it amuses me."
Marcus felt the trap closing before she finished.
"On one condition."
Her voice dropped. Soft and vicious.
"Tonight. My quarters. Sunset. You impress me... really impress me... and tomorrow morning I'll sign whatever contract you shove in front of me."
She tilted her head.
"Or I can just keep you exactly as you are now. Adequate. Useful. Replaceable."
She picked the jade slip back up. Already dismissing him.
"Don't be late. I hate waiting."
Marcus stood. Bowed. Left.
His legs shook. His hands trembled.
The door closed behind him.
He leaned against the wall. Breathed.
Adequate.
That's what he was. That's all he'd ever be to her.
A tool that performed adequately.
Marcus closed his eyes. Felt the seal pulse in his bones.
Tomorrow he'd ask for his business. His funding. His small piece of freedom.
Tonight he'd pay the price.
Again.
In the silence of her office, Xue Lian set the last communication token aside.
Her gaze drifted to the empty space where the Marcus had stood moments before.
She remembered the weight of him beneath her.
The raw, unrefined excess of his mortal frame.
The sheer audacity of its scale.
A faint, arctic amusement touched the corner of her lips.
Had this creature been born with even the thinnest thread of spirit root…
Had fate granted him the slightest qualification to stand among cultivators…
Then tonight, perhaps, he might have forced this seat to acknowledge him.
He might have made me… concede.
The thought lingered only a heartbeat before she dismissed it with the same indifference one discards a flawed jade slip.
But he did not.
He is nothing. A furnace of unclaimed Yang essence wrapped in fragile flesh. A convenience. A necessity.
She leaned back, fingers steepled, eyes half-closed as though contemplating the next move on a vast formation board.
Tonight I shall extract every last drop of that warmth.
Methodically. Without haste. Without mercy.
I will refine him until resistance becomes memory, until pride curdles into dependence.
When dawn arrives he will rise from my bed with trembling limbs and clouded mind.
He will look upon me and see not a woman, not an enemy, but the only axis around which his existence is permitted to turn.
He will crave the chain.
He will thank me for it.
Xue Lian exhaled once, slowly, the sound almost inaudible.
Then she returned her attention to the scattered reports.
The hour of sunset approached.
She would be ready.