Chapter 4: A Reputation Forged in Wind
The victory felt like ash in Lin Feng's mouth.
He walked through the bustling outer sect pathways, the Gale-Edge Dagger a brand of heat against his thigh, hidden once more beneath his robes. The awe in the eyes of the other disciples that had parted for him now felt like accusations. The whispers that trailed him—"cheater," "hidden treasure," "what kind of power was that?"—were a cage more confining than his previous obscurity.
He had won. He had humiliated Bo and advanced in the tournament. But the cost was a terror that chilled his bones more deeply than any winter wind. The shopkeeper's words echoed in his mind, underscored by the silent, terrifying presence of the iron guard. "Do you understand the penalty for failure?"
He understood. He understood that if a senior disciple decided to "confiscate" the dagger, the system wouldn't care. The debt was his. If he was jumped in a dark alley, the penalty would still be his to pay. His newfound notoriety wasn't a shield; it was a target.
His feet carried him instinctively not toward the dorms, but back toward the dusty courtyard and the unassuming, obsidian door of The Celestial Vault. Returning the weapon early felt like his only hope for safety.
But he was not the only one drawn to that part of the sect.
Lounging against a wall near the courtyard's entrance was Wang Jian, the arrogant young master from a minor noble family. He was taller, older, and far richer than Lin Feng, his robes of finer silk, his hair held back by a jade pin. He'd heard the rumors of Lin Feng's shocking victory and, more interestingly, the description of the weapon that had caused it.
He pushed off the wall, a condescending smile on his face, flanked by two lackeys.
"Lin Feng," Wang Jian said, his voice dripping with false camaraderie. "Quite the show you put on. That was quite the interesting… trinket you used. Let me see it."
It wasn't a request. It was a command wrapped in a threat.
Lin Feng's heart seized. "Senior Brother Wang, I… I must return it to its owner. Immediately."
"The owner?" Wang Jian's smile widened. "You mean you borrowed it? Even better. Consider your debt transferred. I'll take it off your hands. My father will compensate your… lender." He held out his hand, expectant.
Panic, cold and sharp, lanced through Lin Feng. This was exactly what he'd feared. "I cannot, Senior Brother. The terms are—"
"Are you refusing me?" Wang Jian's smile vanished, replaced by a cold glare. His lackeys took a step forward, their auras pressing down on Lin Feng's weaker cultivation.
Inside the Celestial Vault, Li Wei saw it all.
A new, smaller window had materialized in his system interface, displaying the scene outside his door like a security camera feed. He saw the arrogant young master, the terrified Lin Feng, and the impending shakedown.
A flicker of cold anger ignited in his chest. This wasn't just a threat to Lin Feng; it was a threat to his business model. It was someone trying to skip the line, to ignore the contract, to steal his inventory.
He didn't give a verbal command. He simply willed it.
The obsidian door of the Celestial Vault didn't open. It dissolved.
One moment it was a solid, imposing slab of dark material. The next, it was simply gone, revealing the stark, intimidating interior—the starry void ceiling, the floating display cases, the polished jet floor.
And standing framed in the doorway, was the Iron Sentinel.
It took a single, silent step forward. Its heavy, plated foot made no sound as it settled on the dusty ground outside. The glowing blue runes along its armor flared brightly, casting an eerie, cold light on Wang Jian's suddenly bewildered face.
The young master stumbled back a step, his arrogance replaced by shock. "What is this? Some kind of puppet?"
The Sentinel didn't speak. It didn't move toward him. It simply turned its smooth, helmet-like head toward Lin Feng and extended a massive, plated hand.
Understanding, Lin Feng nearly wept with relief. He scurried forward, carefully placing the humming Gale-Edge Dagger into the Sentinel's open palm. The moment it left his fingers, a notification appeared in Li Wei's vision.
[ Rental Item Returned: Gale-Edge Dagger. ] [ Contract Fulfilled. Transaction Complete. ] [ Customer Status: In Good Standing. ]
The Sentinel's fingers closed around the dagger. It then turned its head back to Wang Jian, the blank faceplate seeming to stare right through him. It took another step forward, the silent pressure of its presence immense and threatening.
Wang Jian paled, all his bravado evaporating under the gaze of something he couldn't understand. This was no simple puppet. This was power of a different, more terrifying order.
"Fine!" he spat, trying to salvage his dignity. "Keep your secrets! This isn't over!"
He turned and hurried away, his lackeys scrambling after him, not looking back once.
The Iron Sentinel watched them go before turning and retreating back into the shop, the obsidian door solidifying behind it, leaving a deeply bowing Lin Feng and a thoroughly shaken courtyard outside.
Inside, Li Wei let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. The dagger floated back to its display case.
The system notification glowed with satisfaction.
[ First successful rental transaction completed. ] [ Shop reputation increased. ] [ New potential customer segment identified: 'The Desperate'. ] [ New potential threat identified: 'The Entitled'. ]
Li Wei looked at the now-dormant Sentinel. He had faced his first business threat. And his silent partner had handled it perfectly.
The rules had been established. The market was taking notice.