Gnyan spent seven days in the dark cell and all this while, he is screaming at the top of his lungs demanding a meeting with his father, but his father already seemed to have instructed him to not bring anything related to his disappointing son to his notice for these seven days.

On the seventh day, he was finally able to get a meal but as soon as he ate it he fell unconscious and his spiritual energy that was locked couldn't help.

Now this news was finally brought to his father's notice and the family healer took a look at him and said some absurd reason that they sounded stupid.

"He ate food that was too good. He was served spiritual cuisine while his cultivation is locked. It was too much load for the body and he fainted. Unlock the seal, bit by bit, and let him absorb the energy slowly and he would wake up. Don't take it off immediately; that would be too much overflow of spiritual energy to his body as he wouldn't be awake to control it.

Might result in spiritual core damage."

This made the father furious. He didn't know if he should scold the kitchen for sending this food or if he should feel good that his family staff are so good to his son. He just stayed put.

After two days, he finally woke up. When he saw himself in his room, he felt devastated. He immediately ran out and went to his father who is in the middle of a meeting and yelled.

"Father, we have to go to Mirage city. How many days has it been? We have to go otherwise, we will be knee-deep in debt."

"Get out now, we will talk after the meeting is over."

His father didn't even say anything. But Gnyan didn't stop and yelled even louder.

"You have to listen to me, I have a lot of debt to pay. I need money now. How many days has it been since I am here?"

"I said get out."

"Listen to me goddammit. We are in deep shit if you don't listen to me."

At this moment, Rana came in and said to his father.

"If I were you, I would listen to brother, my dear father. Your son has done some great deeds in Mirage city that would tear your flesh apart if you don't find a way to reduce the damage."

Gnyan was surprised and turned to look at Rana.

"When did you come back? You are supposed to be in Mirage city."

"Well, I am having a bit of trouble as the people knew about our relationship, they are pointing fingers at me while labeling me as a brother of the cheater. It was a bit difficult for me to bear the brunt of your actions.

Even your creditors are also after me, so I gave them a suggestion. On the fifteenth day, they would present this case in the imperial court.

After all, war is a costly thing, so I offered them an easier alternative to let me leave the mirage city.

Today is already twelfth, so if you don't want to go to the imperial court and stand for the trial, you better go back and pay the debt."

Gnyan's body shivered, now he understood that it has to be related to his brother, otherwise he wouldn't be so smug about it. But he doesn't have enough evidence to convince his father to take action and the agreement he had was completely legit. He doesn't have a way out.

"What are you talking about?" Only after Rana spoke did the father even tried to listen.

After the betting incident, Rana left the family house and stayed outside. He didn't even come back to the family meetings and he heard that he started a business. The family head wanted to have a discussion, but he couldn't bring himself to. But two days ago, on the last day of Gnyan's stay in the dark cell, he finally came.

But he didn't get a chance to talk with him. Now that he came to him himself, he is saying something about his eldest son's mistakes.

He felt like something is fishy.

He dismissed the meeting and only his two sons remained in the room.

Gnyan who was panicking couldn't explain the situation, so Rana did the explaining, while Gnyan downed the wine directly.

"Stupid son, why didn't you contact me as soon as something happened to the forge? You idiotic bastard. I shouldn't have given you a chance at all. How much debt do you have now?" The family head became furious as he slammed the table. He almost wanted to beat his son to death. He already lost around three billion for the sake of his son and now it seems like he will be losing more.

The problem is, he doesn't have that much in his hand. He just paid the ladies who got cheated by his son a few days back and due to the loss of reputation, some business deals took a hit.

He is trying his best to remedy the situation and he cannot afford to pay a large amount in the form of spirit stones.

Gnyan didn't dare to say the number out loud. He is sweating all over as he calculated. It has been twelve days by now and they would surely take another day at least to pay it back. A total of thirteen days. It would be a horrible amount.

The family head turned to Rana and asked.

"how much is it?"

"If you are paying it tomorrow, then it is four billion five hundred and forty-seven million spirit stones and it is a rounded up sum."

There is a sudden silence in the room, the family head fell into his chair as he stared at his two sons.

He knew that his son has dug a large grave for him. Four billion is a huge sum. Particularly, when he just got ripped and is still licking the wound.

"I can't pay this, I am not paying this. Whoever it is that laid a trap to my family, they are going to pay. This is cheating. My son has been made a fool and he is being played."

"Don't be mistaken father. You can say all you want that you were cheated, but you better have a good reason and evidence. It is your loving son who signed that deal with all his ego inflated.

They normally asked for a refund when he failed to deliver the products they paid for but your son kept on delaying them with excuses, they got furious and there is no way they would let him off easily if not for the fact he signed the agreement. If you want to blame someone, you can blame only two people.

One is your precious son Gnyan and the second one is yourself for trusting your loving son so much.

And the people he made deal with are not pushovers either. If not for the fact I still have some conscience left towards the family and I want to take your position one day, I would have never tried to stop them and by now, an army would have been at our doorstep.

They are going to the imperial court on the fifteenth day that means three days later. If I were you. I would immediately try to find a way to pay them back. Lest you would make a fool out of yourself in the presence of the emperor."

With that, he left the place.

"Father, I think Rana is behind this trap."

Gnyan said from the side meekly.

*PAK*

His father replied with a loud and crisp slap right to his face.

"Let's go to Mirage city, I would like to have a talk with your creditors."

With that he and Gnyan both started their journey on a transcendent stage beast. They arrived at the Mirage city in half-a-day.

Gnayn's father went to the city management directly and asked for a meeting with his son's creditors and he really did get a meeting.

"I cannot pay such an insanely large amount. You cannot possibly think I would pay that."

As soon as he took the sea, he went straight to the point. But he wasn't able to beat them in an argument. And all they said is that they would meet the emperor if they don't give the money.

The family head was in a tight spot.

"Do you think four and half billion is a small amount that I could pay just like that? It is a lot of money."

"Of course it is, but that is your problem, to begin with."

"Is there no other way we could settle this?"

"Of course there is, you can pay us in the form of property. We will be generous, the two forges will be taken by us along with the management office. We will take all the employees, business deals all of them. We can value that at two billion in total and for the rest of the two billion and five hundred forty-seven thousand, you can pay in cash or give us something else."