Starting with a Family System to Become an Immortal Official-Chapter 120: Reluctant Bet
The brothel master smiled satisfactorily.
He always welcomed a bit of bad blood in the house.
『Heh. Look at them.』
In his mind the abacus beads clicked rapidly.
『This feud is gold. Pure gold. Every time these two lock eyes the air gets thicker with killing intent. Desperation means stupid bids. Stupid bids mean my purse gets fatter. Once tonight is over I’ll have enough to buy that abandoned three-courtyard estate on the east bank, tear it down, and build the biggest pleasure garden this side of Immortal Cloud City. This is absolutely perfect!』
He almost laughed out loud.
『And the best part? These so-called high officials and sect masters... they’ll do anything to save face. Anything. They’ll throw away mountains of gold just to avoid looking weak in front of their peers. Idiots. I don’t even rate them as men anymore... just walking money vaults with too much pride and not enough sense. I’ll bleed them dry.』
His pleasant daydream snapped in half when a clear ding! rang from the third floor.
The silver bell.
All eyes turned upward.
Li Qingmu leaned forward slightly, one arm still draped around Linger’s waist while she pressed a fresh cup of pear wine to his lips.
"Brothel Master... what’s your name?"
The thin man blinked once.
"Hm?"
He cupped his hands and raised his voice.
"This humble one is called Manager Hua, courtesy name Wenqing. How may I serve Attendant Li?"
Li Qingmu gave a lazy nod.
"Mn. Manager Hua... be a good man and bring out the next beauty already. Some of us don’t want to sit here all night waiting for the old man to finish snoring."
A ripple of choked laughter boomed through a few junior tables before dying instantly.
Sect Master Dai Qiu’s face darkened.
The two junior courtesans in his arms flinched.
One of them opened her painted lips.
"How dare this presumptuous little—"
Another cut in, voice dripping venom.
"Shameless junior! Do you even know who sits before you? A Grandmaster Realm thunder cultivator! A man who once split Black Cloud Peak with one palm! You’re nothing but a mere inconvenience you—"
A third joined.
"To insult a senior of such standing... your parents clearly never taught you the meaning of propriety, boy. A mayfly mocking a divine dragon—how laughable!"
Their words were long and flowery
But to him... quite pointless.
Li Qingmu didn’t even glance down.
He simply yawned, opened his mouth, and let Linger tip more fragrant pear wine onto his tongue. She pressed herself tighter against his side, soft curves caressing him as her voice fell to a worried whisper near his ear.
"Young Master... please don’t provoke them too much. These men have deep backgrounds. It’s not worth it."
He patted her hip gently.
"Don’t worry. It’s not a problem at all."
Below, several officials in their private boxes took their chance to curry favor.
One fat man in purple robes stood and pointed.
"Arrogant junior! You think hiding behind Young Master Xu Xiaoshan makes you invincible? Hmph! If not for his protection you’d already be kneeling in the street!"
Another sneered.
"I’ve heard the rumors. This trash is supposedly going to be taken in as Holy Court Attendant soon? Laughable! We will never allow such an uncouth, face-losing dog to disgrace the court’s name!"
A third official slammed his table.
"Exactly! Arrest him! Teach him respect!"
Manager Hua watched the chaos with bright eyes then clapped once.
"Gentlemen, gentlemen! A little decorum, please."
He tried to hide his joy.
"This is the Flower Garden Tavern, not a battlefield."
When the noise reluctantly died he spread both hands in a placating gesture.
"Perhaps... to calm everyone’s spirits... we could turn this tension into something more entertaining. A small, friendly bet between our two distinguished guests, Sect Master Dai and Court Attendant Li, regarding the final four beauties. Winner takes all the glory... and maybe a little something extra from the loser. What do you say?"
Xu Xiaoshan immediately leaned over and shook his head hard at Li Qingmu.
"Brother Li don’t. Don’t make any bet here. You don’t have that kind of liquid wealth. Manager Hua is cunning; the whole point of suggesting this is to make both sides desperate. They’ll keep raising until one collapses. My money comes from the Shanbao branch treasury. Yes, my father controls logistics across half the Central World State domains, but even he would vomit blood if he learned I threw away a fortune here just to sleep with women. I’m already nervous about the official funds I’ve used tonight."
Li Qingmu sighed and looked down at the platform.
"Manager Hua, there’s really no need for—"
One of the junior prostitutes in Dai Qiu’s arms tried to pour more wine for her master. The old man caught her wrist in a grip like iron and stopped her cold. His murderous eyes locked onto Li Qingmu.
"Accept the bet, boy."
Li Qingmu opened his mouth to deflect.
"Maybe some other ti—"
"Accept the bet."
The words came out low, but the killing intent that followed was a silent roar.
Invisible pressure crashed through the hall.
Prostitutes shrank away from Dai Qiu.
Several officials paled and gripped their tables.
Xu Xiaoshan’s trembling hand shot out and clamped around Li Qingmu’s forearm.
"Make the bet."
Li Qingmu blinked in surprise.
"But there’s no—"
"If we refuse, we’re not leaving this place alive."
Linger pressed closer and spoke against his ear.
"Young Master... listen to him. Years ago the son of the Assistant Minister of Rites challenged Sect Master Dai in an auction battle just like this—who could claim the most senior courtesans in one night. Dai Qiu started with absurd bid jumps, then used every dirty trick: sudden hundred-fold increases, fake withdrawals to lure the other side higher, even spreading rumors mid-auction to shake confidence. The young lord lost everything... money, dignity, face. He left the city in shame and never returned. I don’t want that for you... but you don’t have a choice."
Before Li Qingmu could answer, a smiling official rose in his box.
"Sect Master Dai, please. No need to hold a grudge against young blood. They always act without proper respect. Better to forgive—"
Two chopsticks left Dai Qiu’s table in a flash.
They moved faster than sight.
More like twin battle-axes than eating utensils.
The official’s head flew off in a clean arc as blood sprayed in a neat fan pattern. The head thumped onto the wooden floor and rolled twice before stopping face-up, eyes still wide and paralyzed with shock.
"AHHHHHHHH!!"
Prostitutes shrieked and scrambled backward.
Everyone’s gaze snapped to Dai Qiu’s table.
The hall fell deathly quiet.
"When... when did he...?"
"That speed... greater than a ninth-level expert..."
"Grandmaster Realm... hmph. It’s no surprise..."
Xu Xiaoshan’s face went white while Linger buried her face against Li Qingmu’s chest.
Only he remained calm.
If I show fear now, what happens when the real pressure comes?
The only thought keeping him calm.
Dai Qiu’s voice boomed.
"You don’t have a choice anymore. Accept... or end up like him."
Li Qingmu casually sucked a bit of pastry cream off the tip of his pinky, then met the old man’s gaze.
"That’s true."
Dai Qiu’s lips curled.
"Good. The terms are simple. If you manage to win even ONE of the remaining four beauties tonight... this old man will give you anything you want. Anything. But if you fail to claim even one... you will personally cripple your own cultivation with your two hands... and relinquish all your wives to—"
He stopped abruptly.
Li Qingmu raised an eyebrow.
"...To whom?"
"Not important."
Li Qingmu’s eyes narrowed.
『Xu Wanshan’s hand is all over this.』
He frowned bitterly. The odds were abysmal. He had almost no money on him. But backing down now wasn’t an option and if he somehow won...
"I can ask for an Ancient Devil Scale and a Blood Dragon Horn to finish my cultivation."
He nodded with uncertainty.
"...Fine. I accept."
Manager Hua threw his head back and laughed heartily.
"Wonderful! Then let us begin! The first of the final four beauties may step forward!"
The silver-haired beauty in violet robes walked out with her fertile, bouncing hips.
Officials murmured in awe.
"Exquisite..."
"Truly supreme..."
But no one dared raise a hand.
The next step was to introduce the senior prostitute and announce the starting bid.
But Dai Qiu skipped all that with one powerful bid.
"Four thousand gold pieces."
The silence in the hall was loud.
Li Qingmu’s eyes widened.
He opened his mouth.
"Five thou—"
Xu Xiaoshan’s grip on his wrist tightened painfully.
He shook his head once.
"We don’t have it."
Li Qingmu’s jaw clenched. He went silent.
Manager Hua blinked, then beamed.
"Since no challenging bid... sold to Sect Master Dai for four thousand gold!"
Murmurs swept the hall.
"Poor brat..."
"No one’s ever beaten Master Dai in a bid war."
"He’s finished."
The next two beauties suffered the same fate.
Dai Qiu named absurd sums of five thousand, then seven thousand before the grinning brothel master was even done with their descriptions.
Each time Xu Xiaoshan gripped harder and whispered the same thing.
"We don’t have it."
Auntie Chuyan stared down at Li Qingmu with guilt boiling in her chest.
"I’ve set the young lord up to fail..."
Linger was trembling, eyes wet with fear for him.
Officials began to laugh openly.
"Look at him! He was so confident earlier and now he’s mute like a beaten dog."
"How can such a poor ghost act so arrogant?"
"A pauper playing at being a dragon. Pathetic."
Li Qingmu said nothing.
His face remained calm, but inside fury boiled.
『Xu Xiaoshan... was this your plan all along? Make me look like a fool? Suddenly "no money" after pushing me into this nonsense? It better not be so!』
A bright Manager Hua clapped once more.
"And now the final beauty of the night!"
Li Qingmu sat very still as he stared bleakly at the curtain about to part.
