Inside the Grand Astrolabe Hall of Heavenly-Lock Summit, the twelve white-bearded Array Elders stood in a neat line beside Grandmaster Zhen. Every single one of them had traded his silver-embroidered sect robes for a bright yellow canvas vest with [PUBLIC UTILITIES DEBTOR CREW] printed across the front and back in reflective orange paint.
In the center of the hall, Abacus Su stood behind a tall mahogany podium, his brass spectacles glinting like twin executioner blades as he unrolled a ten-foot-long itemized bill that dropped all the way down the steps and rolled across Grandmaster Zhen’s boots.
“Ahem! Case Number 3,402 of the Dry-Well Municipal Debt Court: The People of Dry-Well Metropole versus Zhen Tianlock, formerly known as Grandmaster Zhen of the Heavenly-Lock Array Sect!” Abacus Su announced briskly, clicking his iron abacus with a crisp CLACK-CLACK.
“Item One: Releasing five hundred miles of unlicensed Eight-Trigram Ghost Maze Fog across an eight-lane public expressway, causing 4,200 mule carts to drive in circles and delaying Auntie Wang’s tea-egg delivery by two hours. Fine: 150,000,000 Spirit Stones!”
Grandmaster Zhen’s goat beard twitched violently. “One hundred and fifty million stones for two hours of fog?!”
“It was peak morning rush hour, Debtor #1,200! Rush-hour traffic violations carry triple penalties!” Abacus Su said sternly without looking up. “Item Two: Operating thirty-six unlicensed Teleportation Toll Booths without a Dry-Well Transit Permit and attempting to price-gouge citizens at 1,000 Spirit Stones per ride. Fine: 200,000,000 Spirit Stones!”
