Starting with a Family System to Become an Immortal Official-Chapter 126: Suspicious Goods

Li Qingmu stepped into the private chamber on the upper floor of the Flower Garden Tavern. Xu Xiaoshan and Auntie Chuyan were already seated at a low table with several bamboo scrolls laid out before them like battle plans.

At first, he felt it was nothing serious... maybe some minor squabble or a request for help with a trivial favor. He dropped onto the cushioned seat opposite them with his usual elegance and reached for the nearest scroll.

"Let’s see what the fuss is about."

He muttered while he unrolled it.

His eyes scanned the neat official script.

Transportation manifests.

Dates, routes, seals.

The latest shipment that departed at dawn toward the Empyrean Thunder Sect.

His brows slowly furrowed.

Massive. Far too massive.

The list went on and on: ten thousand high-grade spirit stones, fifty crates of Nine Yang Flame Ginseng roots and each root alone worth a small fortune to alchemists, three hundred vials of Thunderheart Condensation Pills, crates upon crates of Ancient Devil Scale, Moon Silver Ore ingots, and even several sealed jars rumored to contain powerful drops of diluted Heavenly Thunder Essence.

He flipped to the valuation summary at the bottom.

The rough estimate was over eight million mid-grade spirit stones.

"Converted to high-grade..."

That was easily eight hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones or more.

Enough to sustain even an upper-tier sect like the Empyrean Thunder Sect for five full decades if they managed it carefully. New disciples could be raised en masse, elders could push through bottlenecks, formations could be upgraded, protective arrays strengthened. It was the kind of windfall that turned a strong sect into an untouchable hegemon for generations.

And nowhere in the entire document was there a single mention of the Exalted Sage School receiving its allocated share.

Li Qingmu set the scroll down carefully.

He stroked his chin with narrowed eyes.

"Xiaoshan, I know your father is the Minister of Transport but maybe the news just hasn’t reached you yet. The Exalted Sage School’s resources could still be on their way or delayed for some reason."

Xu Xiaoshan shook his head slowly with a grim look.

"The Xu family’s transportation firm handles distribution for nearly every major sect across the five domains of the Great World State. On the same day, without fail. If the Empyrean Thunder Sect received this mountain of treasures this morning, then the ledgers for the Exalted Sage School should have been stamped, sealed, and dispatched alongside it. There is no ’delay’ at all. The absence of any record means... there is no allocation."

Li Qingmu tilted his head.

"Hm? So what’s the problem exactly?"

Auntie Chuyan leaned forward slightly.

Her voice was soft but carried a rare edge of anger.

"It’s very possible that Minister Xu Shanbao is fully backing the main Xu family line in this matter. They want to cripple your cultivation path. The Nine Celestial Transformations requires an ocean of resources to progress. By diverting the Exalted Sage School’s rightful share to the Empyrean Thunder Sect, they ensure you remain powerless. And they make the entire sect suffer just to target one man."

Her frown was deep but it barely did anything to affect her flawless face.

To be honest, Li Qingmu could simply pretend none of this made sense if he wanted to.

But the truth was crystal clear.

Official Xu Wanshan saw him as a threat and made sure to use the most ruthless and effective means to make sure his wings were clipped before he could soar.

Starve the man of resources and starve his sect.

『That bastard...』

No wonder Sect Master Dai called the Exalted Sage School a "declining trash heap" earlier. No wonder Master Wen Jiuling looked so helpless when he admitted he had nothing left to aid Li Qingmu’s cultivation.

Li Qingmu exhaled slowly.

"What about Mountain Lord Mo Yuan?"

His eyes brightened intermittently.

There was still hope.

"I read about him in the temple a few days ago. He’s a high god in the Four Regions and also sovereign of Immortal Table Mountain. He’s the one who oversees both sects. He even carved two separate paths through Golden Leaf Pass so disciples of the Empyrean Thunder Sect and Exalted Sage School never have to cross paths. A figure like that... surely he wouldn’t allow such blatant favoritism, right?"

Xu Xiaoshan pointed silently at the bottom of the scroll.

There it was: a golden dragon seal.

Lord Mo Yuan’s personal verification stamp.

The resources including every last spirit stone and herb originally destined for the Exalted Sage School were legally rerouted to the rival sect.

Li Qingmu’s eyes widened.

For once, the usual lazy expression cracked.

Shock rooted him in place.

Auntie Chuyan shook her head.

"This is unfair. It’s clearly aimed at you. They’re jealous of your talent, your momentum... and now they’re willing to drag an entire sect down with you."

Xu Xiaoshan took a slow sip of tea, eyes half-lidded.

"This also explains why Dai Qiu has been throwing money around like it’s sand lately. The old man has always been wealthy, but recently? He’s spending at the level of Immortal Cloud City’s top merchants. Perhaps he plans to sell off a good portion of these resources on the black market and make some personal profit."

Auntie Chuyan blinked, stunned.

She clearly hadn’t considered that angle.

How could one use such heavenly gifts like that?

It angered her severely.

Li Qingmu remained outwardly calm.

But Xu Xiaoshan noticed the faint, furious tremble in his hands beneath the table.

Auntie Chuyan scooted closer and reached out to place a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Mr. Li, you don’t have to—"

Before her fingers could make contact, Li Qingmu drained his wine cup in a single gulp and slammed it down hard enough to crack the porcelain.

"I’m leaving."

Auntie Chuyan’s hand froze mid-air.

"To... where?"

Li Qingmu stood, yawned theatrically, and turned toward the door without looking back.

"Who knows."

"What about all of this?!"

The white-haired auntie called after him.

He paused at the threshold.

"None of my business. That’s for the sect master to solve himself."

With that, he walked out.

Auntie Chuyan stared after his departure with a look of worry across her beautiful face.

『Lady Lingxi would be disappointed...』

She let out a soft sigh.

Only then did she notice Xu Xiaoshan watching her.

She glared.

"What?"

The young master merely sipped his tea again.

"I didn’t say anything."

He set the cup down, rose smoothly to his feet using only his legs and nodded toward the exit.

"We should go too. We’ll talk again when Brother Li is in a better mood."

Auntie Chuyan hesitated.

"Do you really think he isn’t interested in helping the sect he’s part of? I’ve never thought of him as that shallow."

She placed a hand over her robust chest.

"Though... I suppose I don’t know him that well either."

Xu Xiaoshan glanced at the table now missing one scroll and smiled mildly.

"I can’t really say."

They left the private chamber, then the brothel entirely.

A second later...

Li Qingmu slipped back inside through the crowd of laughing men and prostitutes.

He dusted his hands with a confident smirk.

"Time to gather some information."

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Meanwhile.

Back at the Exalted Sage School.

In the main hall of the central pavilion, Master Wen Jiuling sat at a medium-sized round table with several key elders and disciples. Wen Qingwan and Yu Fang occupied seats to his left. Across from them sat a handsome young scholar dressed in flowing azure robes.

Master Wen Jiuling cleared his throat.

"This is Young Master Huo Yanzi, direct disciple of the Martial Scholar himself and one of the Nine Radiant Fires, the top battle strength in the political branch of the Great World State. A demigod among men in this era."

Wen Qingwan’s eyes widened in genuine surprise.

"You’re truly a student of the Martial Scholar?"

Huo Yanzi smiled warmly at her as his eyes lingered a touch too long on her delicate features.

"Indeed. Though I must say, your beauty impresses me far more than any title."

She looked like a delicate white flower.

No woman in the Holy Court was this beautiful.

Wen Qingwan blinked innocently.

"Huh?"

She barely registered the compliment as flirtation.

"Can you show me a few moves later? Really."

Huo Yanzi chuckled softly.

"Of course. It would be my honor."

Yu Fang sat rigid beside her with a blank face.

Inside, he felt pure irritation.

"Tch..."

First that rogue Li Qingmu, now this smug and polished young lord casually flirting with the young miss. It seemed every man with a pulse wanted to orbit her these days.

Master Wen Jiuling cleared his throat again. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"We didn’t gather here for small talk."

Peel your ears and listen.

That was the order.