Family Stealing System: your wife, mother, sister, all mine now!
Chapter 11: Outing

Chapter 11: Outing

After a few more minutes of chatter and adjustment, the three of them finally assembled at the front door.

Hua Jia had tied her short hair back with a plain ribbon, revealing her bright, defiant eyes, while Hua Mia had let her long black hair cascade freely, the small beauty mark near her eye catching the morning light.

Kian watched them both with an appreciative gaze, noting how the simple sect robes they wore still managed to accentuate their figures—Jia’s slender, athletic frame and Mia’s fuller, more mature curves.

"Ready to see what this sect has to offer?" Kian asked, stepping out onto the garden overlooking the river.

The morning mist had begun to burn off, revealing the distant golden rooftops of the inner sect and the lush gardens that sprawled between the disciples’ residences.

A cool breeze carried the scent of blooming lotus flowers and fresh grass, mixing with the faint, crisp tang of Qi that flowed in the air.

"I know a good path to the market district," Hua Mia said, falling into step beside him. "It’s less crowded, and we can avoid running into any of my brother’s flunkies." She shot a glance at her sister. "That is, unless you want to cause trouble today."

"What are you going out for anyway?" Hua Jia asked.

"I am going out to get a Qi Loan."

They left the house as they conversed.

"A Qi Loan?" Hua Jia’s eyebrows shot up as they descended the stone steps leading away from their residence. "Those are dangerous. If you can’t pay it back within the grace period, the interest compounds like crazy. I’ve heard stories of disciples ending up as debt slaves over failed Qi Loans."

Kian waved a dismissive hand, stepping around a puddle left by the morning dew. "I’m not planning to fail. I just need a short-term boost to get started on some money-making ventures. Once I have capital flowing, I can pay it back within the week."

He glanced at Hua Mia. "You know where the loan hall is?"

She nodded, pointing toward a cluster of buildings with jade-green roofs visible above the treeline. "Past the market square, near the Mission Pavilion. Everyone calls it the Gambler’s Den because half the people who walk in end up betting their future on a shaky investment." She paused, her lips quirking. "But I guess that fits you perfectly, doesn’t it?"

Kian chuckled, the sound low and genuine. "You’re learning me fast."

As they rounded a bend in the path, the market district opened up before them—a sprawling network of stalls and shops nestled between ancient trees, their branches draped with glowing lanterns even in the morning.

Disciples of all ranks milled about, haggling over spirit herbs, pill vials, and talisman paper.

Kian’s eyes swept across the scene, cataloging opportunities one by one, almost as if he were a merchant counting coins. But there was no luck today.

They passed through the market’s edge and into a quieter lane lined with administrative buildings.

The Gambler’s Den lived up to its nickname—a squat, grey-stone structure with a faded sign reading "Spirit Asset Lending" above its iron-bound door.

Due to the crowd, the girls had to remain outside while Kian entered the structure.

Inside, the air was nauseous with the smell of old paper and ink, and many clerks sat behind a high counter. One clerk had his narrow eyes tracking Kian the moment he stepped through the threshold.

"You here for a loan?" the clerk asked, not bothering with pleasantries.

He was an older man with thin lips and a cultivator’s aura that hovered around Qi Building Stage 2, though his real power clearly lay in bureaucracy.

Kian nodded, and the clerk gestured to a wooden chair in front of the counter. "Sit. I’ll assess your cultivation first."

Kian sat, letting the clerk place a pale jade disc against his wrist. A pulse of neutral Qi washed through his meridians, probing the foundation he’d built. The disc glowed faintly, and the clerk’s eyebrows rose by a fraction of a millimeter.

"Qi Building, but you are deliberately hiding your real cultivation. So, I can only give you a loan range that we give for Qi Building stage 1 disciples. Respectable for your age. You’re a normal disciple, no faction backing?"

Kian shook his head.

"Good. That means you’re not already drowning in debt from some inner circle."

The clerk withdrew the disc and scribbled something on a bamboo slip. "Maximum line of credit for a Stage 1 disciple with no collateral: one thousand low-grade spirit stones. Interest is ten percent per month, simple—doesn’t compound, so you won’t be paying interest on interest. Grace period is thirty days from disbursement. Fail to repay the principal plus interest within that window, and we start charging late fees and reporting to the Mission Pavilion."

He slid the bamboo slip across the counter. "How much do you want?"

Kian didn’t hesitate. He picked up the slip and scrawled his signature at the bottom. "All of it. One thousand stones."

The clerk’s pen scratched one last line, and a moment later, a bulging leather pouch thudded onto the counter — one thousand low-grade spirit stones clinking against each other in a promising chorus.

"We have your Qi signature so don’t try to escape payments."

"Yes."

Kian scooped it up, the weight settling comfortably in his palm as he tucked it into his inner robe. He nodded once at the clerk and pushed through the iron-bound door, the morning light stinging his eyes after the dim interior.

The girls stood a few paces away, both with their backs to him, both wearing identical sect robes. His gaze slid over them, recognizing the familiar curve of the one he’d spent the night with.

A grin spread across his face as he moved beside them silently, then brought his palm down with a playful placement against Mia’s backside.

The girl yelped, spinning around with a face as red as a cranberry. "What are you doing?!" she said, jumping away in fear.

Kian said, "Come on, let’s go to the Arragon Shop."