Starting with a Family System to Become an Immortal Official-Chapter 113: Who Are You?!

High above the drifting sea of clouds.

Li Qingmu stood poised atop his flying sword with hands clasped casually behind his back.

The wind whipped through his long black hair.

His pristine and elegant robes fluttered without a single crease out of place.

He was several kilometers away from the misty outlines of Immortal Cloud City now.

His main destination was much further ahead.

Immortal Table Mountain.

The mountain earned its name for good reason. It rose as a colossal flat-topped giant, its summit so perfectly level and broad that from a distance it resembled an enormous table carved by divine hands. Thick, pristine white clouds often settled across the plateau like a spotless tablecloth draped over fine furniture to give the peak an otherworldly elegance that cultivators dreamed of claiming.

Two great sects divided the mountain between them.

On the eastern face stood the Exalted Sage School that cultivated the will and spirit.

On the western slopes was the Empyrean Thunder Sect who were masters of explosive lightning arts and aggressive battle formations.

The rivalry between them burned hotter and hotter with each passing year. Disputes over spirit veins, heavenly herbs and ancient ruins buried in the rock.

Yet neither side had dared escalate to open war.

The only reason the mountain remained shared was the supreme will of Mountain Lord Mo Yuan, the high god who had claimed Immortal Table Mountain as his domain since ancient times. Even the most arrogant sect elders bowed their heads when his name was spoken!

Li Qingmu tilted his head slightly then squinted like an old man at the growing silhouette.

"Almost there."

A yawn escaped him mid-flight.

He stretched his neck, unbothered.

But the next moment, an invisible pressure slammed down like an iron lid.

"Huh?"

His sword trembled violently.

Spiritual energy surged beneath his feet in a quick burst as he adjusted with ease and let the blade descend gently like a falling petal until his boots touched soft earth.

He scanned the surroundings and gave a small nod.

"I can’t fly here. Some kind of restriction must be covering the whole forest."

The sword vanished into his spatial ring.

He started walking deeper into the woods.

"Hmm, this forest..."

The Golden Leaf Pass.

It stretched endlessly around him.

Towering ancient trees with trunks so thick that ten men couldn’t link arms around them.

Every leaf shimmered with a soft golden hue.

It was a beautiful place.

It also has two separate branches that lead to Immortal Cloud City. Each path was given to one of the two sects so their disciples could travel back and forth in private without disturbing each other.

Li Qingmu inhaled deeply and muttered.

"Not bad. Beats the lower realms by a mile."

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Meanwhile.

In another part of the same vast forest.

Wen Qingwan and Yu Fang walked side by side toward the Exalted Sage School.

They carried their swords casually at their sides.

Wild spirit beasts roamed these woods, but most were low-tier and knew better than to bother human cultivators of their level. The pair moved with relaxed steps as the golden leaves crunched softly underfoot.

Yu Fang kept stealing glances at Wen Qingwan.

After a while he reached to his belt, unhooked a small bamboo bottle and offered it with a quiet voice.

"Thirsty, Young Miss?"

Wen Qingwan turned and her smile brightened.

"You always know what I need before I say it." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

She accepted the bottle and tilted it to her honeyed lips to drink slowly.

Yu Fang watched in silence.

A faint smile of content hit his normally stoic face.

『She’s never once been flustered about sharing a water bottle with me... or chopsticks when we’re out on missions and supplies run low. To her it’s nothing. But to me she’ll always be that special kind of lady.』

While she drank, he gently reached over and took her sword from her free hand.

"Let me carry it. You rest your arm."

She gave a tiny nod of thanks, still sipping.

Hidden in the thick bushes not far away.

Two figures crouched low.

The plump one with flushed pinkish skin was Gu Duzi.

Beside him knelt the tall, thin cultivator Tiao Gan.

Tiao Gan groaned under his breath.

"We’ve been tailing them for hours... my legs are killing me. Can we just—"

Gu Duzi slapped a meaty hand over his companion’s mouth.

"Shh! Will you shut up for once?"

Tiao Gan mumbled indignantly through the fingers.

"I’m starving... haven’t eaten properly in days because of all this spying..."

Gu Duzi’s eye twitched.

He ripped up a fistful of grass then shoved the clump straight into Tiao Gan’s mouth.

"Now shut up."

Tiao Gan’s eyes watered.

He nodded sorrowfully as he chewed miserably.

But when they peeked out again, Yu Fang stood directly in front of them.

The two screamed like frightened children and toppled backward into the underbrush.

It was like getting caught in class by a strict teacher.

Yu Fang looked down at them calmly.

"Who are you?"

They stammered nonsense with pale faces.

"Uh—we—we’re just—uh—lost disciples!"

"Pa—pa—passing through—"

Yu Fang’s gaze dropped to their uniforms then to the jade tags dangling from their belts.

"Empyrean Thunder Sect."

Their minds blanked.

『How did he know?! Just from one glance? Does he have some godly divination art?!』

Gu Duzi pointed a trembling finger.

"Y-, You... are you some kind of diviner?!"

Yu Fang raised the other brow.

"Yes. That’s also how I know your names are Gu Duzi and Tiao Gan."

They shrieked again and scrambled back.

"He really is a prophet!!"

In truth, Yu Fang had simply read the names engraved on their jade identity tags.

From a short distance away, Wen Qingwan watched the farce and covered her mouth to giggle softly.

But then her eyes caught something.

"—!?"

A swift black shadow flashing between the trunks.

She frowned.

Meanwhile Yu Fang was already lecturing the two clowns in a cold voice.

"I’m not a cruel man. So be good, run back to your sect and I’ll pretend I never saw you spying. But if I catch you again... I won’t mind spilling a little blood. Your sect won’t miss two idiots like you."

He turned to leave.

"Wait!"

Gu Duzi shouted desperately.

"Do you know who you’re talking to? I’m from the Gu immortal family! One word from me and my brothers will descend on you—it’ll be brutal!"

Tiao Gan nodded vigorously.

"YES—!"

Yu Fang’s glare silenced him instantly.

Yu Fang ignored them and started walking again.

Gu Duzi leaped in front to block the path.

"Apologize!"

Tiao Gan joined in.

"And food! Apologize and give us food!"

They kept babbling as they jumped in front of him again and again.

Yu Fang glanced past their shoulders and realized Wen Qingwan was gone.

His expression darkened instantly.

"You two... distracting me on purpose?"

In a blur he dashed between them and shouted her name as he sprinted into the trees.

"Lady Qingwan!"

Behind him, the two idiots watched him disappear.

Tiao Gan panted.

"Was... was that distraction good enough?"

Gu Duzi clapped him on the back.

"We tried our best."

They dusted their robes and shared a laugh as they walked off in the opposite direction.

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By now Wen Qingwan had been silently tailing the suspicious black-robed man for almost a minute. When he reached a small clearing, he spun around and flashed his sword free of its sheath.

She reached for her own blade.

Only to see twelve more figures in black step out from the golden shadows.

They were all masked and powerful.

Nascent Soul aura?

Her heart sank.

『Assassins... Another one of the Empyrean Thunder Sect’s dirty schemes? There’s no way I can fight fourteen Nascent Soul cultivators alone...』

She took slow steps backward.

Then she formed a one-handed seal.

A fierce gust of wind exploded outward and hurled several assassins back like broken kites.

The rest raised their swords and charged.

Wen Qingwan spun and ran at full speed.

She leaped over fallen logs and skillfully weaved between massive trunks.

No matter how she twisted and turned, the pursuers stayed close with their terrifying speed.

『Yu Fang always says never look back when you’re being chased... but I need to know—』

She glanced over her shoulder.

They were only a few meters behind.

『Stupid! Shouldn’t have looked!』

Panic spiked.

Suddenly a strong hand shot out from the bushes and grabbed her wrist.

"Eh?"

It yanked her sideways into cover.

Instinct took over—she twisted the arm, threw the man to the ground and conjured a dagger in her palm that she was ready to drive down his throat.

But she froze at the last second.

The young man beneath her blinked up owlishly.

Wen Qingwan narrowed her eyes.

"Who are you?"

He gave a small, awkward cough.

"Erm... Li Qingmu? Uhm, you’re welcome?"

She studied his face.

Handsome features and an unfamiliar style of robes.

"You don’t look like you’re from around here."

Before he could answer, footsteps thundered closer.

Li Qingmu’s eyes sharpened.

He smoothly reversed their positions to pin her gently beneath him while clamping a hand over her mouth.

"Shh. Quiet."

He peeked through the leaves.

The assassins swept past with thirsty swords.

Wen Qingwan lay still as her heart pounded.

The weight of him was solid but not crushing.

A faint, clean scent drifted down.

Sandalwood and something warmer.

She blinked once.

『He smells... nice.』