Starting with a Family System to Become an Immortal Official-Chapter 122: Please, Raise Your Hands

The noise in the hall stopped at once as everyone turned to look at the third-floor alcove, where that calm but sharp voice had come from.

It was Minister Wei of the Ministry of Finance.

Dressed in deep indigo robes embroidered with silver cloud patterns, the middle-aged man leaned casually against the carved railing. His thin mustache twitched with faint amusement. As the official who personally oversaw Immortal Cloud City’s treasury, tax ledgers, and spirit-stone reserves, Minister Wei feared almost no one in the city... least of all a lecherous old Grandmaster Realm sect master who liked to play beast in brothels.

Sect Master Dai Qiu’s face immediately darkened.

"Hrmm."

His thick brows knitted together until they looked like two angry black caterpillars.

"Twenty thousand gold pieces!"

Dai Qiu barked and slammed his palm on the table so hard the wine cups jumped.

Minister Wei smiled mockingly.

"Twenty-five thousand."

"Thirty thousand!"

"Thirty-five thousand."

The bids climbed ridiculously.

Manager Hua’s grin stretched so wide it threatened to split his face in half. His small eyes glittered with pure greed as he mentally counted the mountain of gold already piling up in his imagination.

Down in the private box, Linger noticed the bleak shadow that crossed Li Qingmu’s handsome features. She quickly lifted a fresh cup of pear wine toward his lips.

"Court Attendant, more? It will warm your heart—"

Li Qingmu gently pressed her wrist down to stop the cup before it reached his mouth.

"It’s fine."

Inside, his mind was racing.

『There has to be a way... if I obtain the Ancient Devil Scale and the Blood Dragon Horn, I can finally complete the Four Earthly Transformations and push my body refinement straight into the Deva Body Realm. This stupid bet cannot end here. There must be a solution.』

He stroked his chin, eyes half-lidded as he hummed softly under his breath.

Beside him, Beautiful Chuyan shook her head slowly as she watched the two powerful men continue their absurd bidding war.

"Men..."

She sighed dramatically.

"So wasteful. All for face and a night’s pleasure."

Xu Xiaoshan gave a helpless nod, taking a slow sip of wine while the fox-eyed dancer kneeling behind him continued to massage his shoulders and press soft kisses along the side of his neck.

"Both of them have inflated egos. Neither wants to lose face in front of the house."

Li Qingmu’s eyes suddenly snapped open.

"Inflated..."

Linger and Auntie Chuyan quickly turned to him with worry on their pretty faces.

"Court Attendant? What’s wrong?"

Instead of answering, Li Qingmu reached out and rang the tiny silver bell that hung beside their alcove.

A clear, delicate chime rang through the hall.

Every eye, including Sect Master Dai Qiu’s furious glare and Minister Wei’s narrowed stare, snapped toward the young man lounging in a third-floor alcove.

The bidding halted mid-shout.

"What now? I thought we were done with this brat!"

"Why is he trying to be relevant again?"

"Focus on the auction! We want to see who wins!"

"Enough games from that penniless court attendant!"

On the central platform, Lady Yueshan lifted her gaze. A small, genuine smile curved her raspberry lips as she looked directly at Li Qingmu. To her, he wasn’t merely another handsome face among dozens tonight. Plenty of men here possessed fine features. But only this one had dared challenge the old beast Dai Qiu openly.

She had heard the rumors weeks before her debut: Sect Master Dai Qiu came to the Flower Garden Tavern nearly every night to hunt for fresh virgins to claim as his "first taste" and whatnot. He reveled in being known as the brothel’s number-one patron, the man no one dared compete with. Most officials admired his wealth and dominance. A few of the senior prostitutes quietly found the habit both boring and distasteful.

But Li Qingmu is an interesting man.

He acts differently from the majority.

He relaxed on his side as his head rested on one palm while his other hand lay loosely on his thigh.

Linger knelt gracefully beside him as she held the wine bowl in both dainty hands.

The crowd’s complaints grew louder.

"Speak, boy! Don’t waste our time!"

"Get on with it or sit down!"

A chuckle slipped out of Li Qingmu’s lips.

"I just thought of a very fun little game. I promise it won’t take long at all."

His stared down at Lady Yueshan.

"Miss Yueshan, may I ask what exactly is your purpose here as a senior prostitute?"

She blinked once, then answered with calm honesty.

"I don’t have much choice, Court Attendant Li. I was bought from a refugee caravan. The Flower Garden Tavern owns my indenture."

He nodded slowly.

"And how much do you think you’ll go for tonight?"

Her elegant brows lifted slightly.

『What a strange question...』

Before she could reply, Manager Hua hurriedly stepped in front of her with a face full of anxiety.

"Court Attendant Li, there is no need for such questions if you have no intention of bidding properly. There is no fixed price for our lovely flowers—"

Li Qingmu yawned sluggishly.

"I know, I know."

He sipped his clear wine.

"But I’ve noticed something. Senior courtesans tend to suffer greatly because of their... inflated prices."

The entire hall went "eh?"

He continued, unruffled.

"Could all the senior courtesans who have ever slept with Sect Master Dai Qiu please raise your hands?" 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Over forty painted hands lifted into the air.

"Now among those forty, could the ones who have slept only him raise your hands again?"

Ten hands remained raised.

"Of those ten... how many cost over a thousand gold pieces for their debut night?"

All ten hands stayed up.

Li Qingmu nodded thoughtfully.

Dai Qiu’s face had already turned the color of pig liver.

"What is the meaning of this farce?!"

The sect master roared.

"Have you realized you’re about to lose and are grasping at one last desperate way to save face?!"

Officials and several courtesans immediately joined in to hurl more insults.

"Shameless!"

"Pathetic!"

"Stop wasting everyone’s time, you broke dog!"

Li Qingmu sipped his wine and ignored them.

"Please. Calm yourselves."

He pointed toward the larger group.

"Excluding those ten ladies who have only ever served the old man... how many senior courtesans here earn more than ten thousand gold pieces in a single month?"

More than sixty hands rose.

He turned to one of the ten "exclusive" women.

"Sister, do you earn near that amount in a month?"

She lowered her eyes and shook her head.

"No... I receive only ten percent of what my customer pays. Since I have no other patrons, all my income comes from Sect Master Dai."

He swept his gaze across the remaining nine.

They all nodded silently in confirmation.

Li Qingmu finally looked back at Lady Yueshan.

"So you see—if you spend a night with powerful men like the Sect Master or the Minister, you might earn a large sum once... maybe more than most sisters make in a month. But with your beauty? You could charge a thousand gold per night and have a line of customers daily. Many men here can’t afford to offend those two old fellows, so they choose safer flowers. But if you set your own terms..."

The math clicked in Auntie Chuyan’s mind.

She smiled softly.

『Truly worthy of being called a top scholar from the lower worlds. Ingenious.』

Manager Hua trembled with fury.

『This brat is going to ruin everything! My auction—』

Yueshan’s smile grew.

"Quite interesting, Court Attendant Li."

The manager panicked.

"Lady Yueshan, don’t listen! It’s clearly a trick—"

Dai Qiu got desperate and shouted.

"If you get in bed with me I will put you on a generous monthly allowance befitting a flower of your beauty and get you anything you desire! Is it jewelry or beauty pills? Just name it and it’s done!"

Minister Wei panicked and shouted as well.

"I’LL OFFER TWICE THAT!"

Yet Lady Yueshan never looked away from the young man lounging above her.

"So... what exactly do you want me to do?"

That pillow-soft voice of hers asked obediently.

Li Qingmu took a slow sip then set his cup down.

"Spend the night with this young man. Not those two old fellows and especially not Sect Master Dai. No one wants to touch a woman the old beast has already claimed. Perhaps they’re afraid of him... or perhaps they’re worried about catching something unsavory."

Dai Qiu exploded upright.

"I HAVE NO SUCH DISEASE!"

Li Qingmu innocently slurped some more wine and gave the old man a half-lidded side-eye.

"I didn’t say anything though..."

The brothel master was practically vibrating with rage.

But Lady Yueshan didn’t seem to care.

She bowed her head with a charming smile of pride on her rosy lips.

"Very well then. Make whatever bid you wish. I accept to spend the night with you."

Li Qingmu’s grinned as he raised a finger.

"One copper piece."

Dead silence drowned the Flower Garden Tavern.

Then whispers erupted like startled birds.

"He must have gone insane..."

"A copper? For Miss Yueshan? Cheap rat!"

"This shameless toad thinks he can buy a jade beauty for a scrap of metal?"

But Yueshan bowed her head gracefully.

"I accept."

The entire hall boomed in shock.

"EHHHHHHH?!"