Starting with a Family System to Become an Immortal Official-Chapter 119: Pricey Women

Li Qingmu leaned back against the soft cushions of the private alcove, one arm draped lazily around Linger’s slender waist while she fed him another sip of fragrant pear wine from her own cup. Her fingers occasionally wandered to press his palm firmly against the generous curve of her hip whenever she felt his hand growing idle.

She wasn’t a peerless beauty by any stretch... her features were soft and pleasant rather than breathtaking, but her willingness to please, her warm obedience, and the way she molded herself against him made the experience surprisingly comfortable.

Xu Xiaoshan sat across from him as he swirled his wine cup with a strange smile.

From their earlier conversation, Li Qingmu had already pieced together quite a few interesting things.

The Empyrean Thunder Sect and the Exalted Sage School had been locked in a bitter rivalry for generations. Both sects hungered for the same scarce spiritual resources around Immortal Cloud City and both wanted to be recognized as the undisputed number one power in the region. The bad blood ran especially deep because Sect Master Dai Qiu had once been a core disciple of the Exalted Sage School and close enough to Master Wen Jiuling that people used to call them sworn brothers.

Until Wen Jiuling was selected as the next sect master over a hardworking Dai Qiu.

His pride couldn’t swallow such humiliation. He left in a rage, defected to the Empyrean Thunder Sect, and ever since had made it his personal mission to suppress and humiliate his old sect at every opportunity.

Two months ago, when word spread that Li Qingmu had been granted access to a top ten inheritance, City Lord Xu Wanshan flew into silent anger. Rather than confront the Exalted Sage School directly, he chose a more insidious path: cozy up to their greatest enemy. That was how Xu Wanshan and Dai Qiu suddenly became "old friends" almost overnight.

As for the Xu family itself... it was powerful, yes.

But far from united.

The clan had many branches, and ambition boiled between them like hidden poison. Xu Lingxi’s father openly opposed Xu Wanshan’s position as clan head. Meanwhile, Xu Xiaoshan’s father "Xu Shanbao" was one of Wanshan’s staunchest allies. It was Xu Shanbao who had personally introduced Dai Qiu to the City Lord and helped cement their new alliance. By all rights, Xu Xiaoshan should have stood firmly on his father’s side.

Yet here he was, quietly favoring Lingxi’s side instead.

"Because she and I grew up together and because some debts of gratitude matter more than bloodline politics and the sick need for revenge."

Li Qingmu hummed thoughtfully and took another slow sip from Linger’s cup.

"The Flower Garden Tavern really is something."

For now, it was better to change topics.

Xu Xiaoshan chuckled and raised his cup in a lazy toast.

"Ordinary people chase ordinary pleasures. Men of our level... we want entertainment that also displays status. A place like this exists precisely for that purpose."

He gestured vaguely toward the hall below.

"The owners understand their clientele perfectly. The junior girls like Linger here are available for a straightforward price and sometimes they even offer themselves for free if they’re desperate enough, though the house forbids it. But the true prizes? The senior prostitutes? Those are auctioned like rare spiritual treasures."

Linger smiled sweetly against Li Qingmu’s shoulder as she nuzzled closer.

Xu Xiaoshan continued.

"To keep the Ministry of Finances from sniffing around too closely, they ban spirit stones. Copper, silver, gold coins only. Keeps everything looking... respectable on paper."

Li Qingmu gave a low hum of amusement.

"Interesting brothel."

Xu Xiaoshan only laughed softly and drank.

Down in the main hall.

The brothel master stepped onto the central platform.

He was a thin, sharp-eyed man dressed in nice blue silk.

"Honored guests!"

He spread his arms out gracefully.

"Tonight we are blessed with twenty new senior beauties, freshly arrived from distant lands. Some were war prizes from the southern border tribes. Others are runaway holy daughters whose sects fell to ruin. A few are even pure, untouched slaves trained in the most exquisite arts of pleasure. So your pockets had better be deep tonight!"

A roar of approval and drunken applause thundered through the hall.

Li Qingmu glanced sideways at Xu Xiaoshan.

"I don’t have that kind of money on me. I was planning to visit one of the smaller brothels and let the girls there pay me instead since my constitution is quite... generous during dual cultivation. Or maybe even squeeze out some cash and sleep with dear Linger here."

Linger perked up immediately, eyes sparkling.

"Young master would really spend the whole night with this lowly one?"

Before she could finish, Xu Xiaoshan cut in smoothly.

"Absolutely not. I can’t allow Brother Li to settle for anything less than the best on his first night here. Whatever beauty catches your eye tonight, I will cover it no matter the price."

Li Qingmu forced a polite smile and raised a hand.

"No need, really. I—"

He caught Auntie Chuyan’s subtle nod from the dark corner of the alcove. Her expression was calm but the message was clear: accept the gesture.

Li Qingmu sighed inwardly. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

"...Fine. I appreciate it."

The brothel master clapped once.

"To avoid stressing our honored guests, those on the second and third floors may simply ring the silver bell beside you to place a bid. And our guests on the main floor will simply raise their hands high!"

A servant struck a large bronze gong.

The first senior courtesan walked out onto the stage.

She was breathtakingly beautiful, with skin as pale as fresh snow and long black hair that flowed like ink down her back. The crimson dress she wore was bold and revealing in more ways than one. It clung to her curves, pushing out her full chest and her rounded hips. Even the so-called refined and civilized officials in the room could not hide their reactions. They stared at her like hungry dogs who had just caught sight of a feast.

"Look at those peaks!"

"I want to bury my face in them!"

"A peach like that deserves a good spanking."

"I’d pay triple just to hear her scream my name."

The officials and nobles muttered and leered openly.

The brothel master raised both hands for silence.

"Our first beauty of the night is Red Petal. Hails from the fallen Jade Phoenix Caravan. Minimum bid is ten gold coins with increments of ten percent or more. Begin!"

Bidding erupted almost instantly.

"Twenty!"

"Thirty-five!"

"Fifty gold!"

"Seventy!"

"Eighty!"

A fat Ministry official slammed his palm on the table.

"One hundred gold coins!"

The steepness of the amount inspired silence.

No one topped it.

The brothel master beamed.

"Sold to Lord Zhao for one hundred gold! Nothing to be upset about, gentlemen. We still have nineteen more heavenly maidens to go!"

The night continued in a frenzy.

One beauty after another was paraded out and each more breathtaking than the last.

A golden-haired western tribeswoman with legs that seemed to go on forever.

A delicate southern princess with skin like polished jade and bedroom eyes.

A wild, athletic beauty said to have once been a sword cultivator before her sect collapsed.

Prices climbed higher with every presentation.

By the time the tenth senior prostitute was sold for 260 gold pieces, Xu Xiaoshan had already claimed a lithe dancer with fox-like eyes for himself and was lounging contentedly while she massaged his shoulders.

Li Qingmu still hadn’t lifted a finger.

Xu Xiaoshan glanced over.

"Not interested in bidding yet, Brother Li?"

Li Qingmu yawned and stretched lazily.

"Sure. Why not."

Right then the brothel master raised his voice again.

"Only four supreme beauties remain! Better move quickly or regret! I’m honestly surprised a tiger like Sect Master Dai hasn’t claimed even one yet!"

Dai Qiu laughed from his seat below as he pulled two junior prostitutes tighter against his sides.

"Everyone knows the best dishes are served last! Maybe this old man will simply buy all four remaining ones for himself tonight ohohoho!"

The hall boomed with forced laughter.

Officials, nobles, even the prostitutes draped over the old sect master giggled along.

Li Qingmu, however, did not laugh.

He folded his arms across his chest and spoke loud enough for everyone to hear.

"An old man shouldn’t be so greedy. If it were up to these ladies, they’d rather spend the night with a poor but strong and healthy young cultivator than some wrinkled old fart who might keel over from a bowl of extra-salty soup."

A few drunken officials barked surprised laughs before catching themselves.

Most stayed deathly silent.

The silence was drier than a desert.

Who could afford to offend this thunder elder?

"That boy is insane..."

"Who even is he? I’ve never seen him here before."

"Does he not know how much Sect Master Dai spends in this place? The old beast could close his eyes and buy the whole brothel if he wanted."

Dai Qiu’s laughter boomed again.

"Xu Wanshan didn’t lie. The boy really is delusional."

His eyes locked onto Li Qingmu like twin thunderbolts.

"Mark my words, boy. You will not leave this place with even one senior courtesan tonight."

Li Qingmu met that gaze without flinching.

A smirk tickled the corner of his mouth.

"We’ll see about that."