Every ounce of power in the world comes with a date by which it must be repaid.
Yu Zhao, a boy from Rain Harbor, was born with “leaky meridians.” He couldn’t hold on to any power, and was told he would never be able to practice martial arts. But when a stone bridge collapsed, he heard the true origins and expiration dates of power: one punch could borrow the weight of a mountain, one step the length of a road, but every borrowed force would eventually have to be repaid.
To uncover the truth behind his sister’s disappearance three years ago, Yu Zhao joins the Roaming Boat Academy, which travels across the land. Alongside a group of companions, each with their own debts, he journeys through fourteen territories. As a page from an erased ledger comes to light, they discover that the system of borrowed power sustaining the world is quietly mortgaging the future of ordinary people.
When the whole world has grown accustomed to letting a chosen few decide the price everyone must pay, Yu Zhao’s goal is not to become the sole savior. It is to let everyone see the ledger, say no, and decide for themselves what they are willing to bear.
