Starting with a Family System to Become an Immortal Official-Chapter 130: Helping the Sect

In the spacious Lion Kitchen.

Li Qingmu held a sturdy bamboo broom to sweep the wide stone floor in heavy strokes. His had a thin sheen of sweat already gathering on his brow despite the cool mountain breeze drifting through the open gates.

Kitchen Master Han Yan lounged on his favorite low wooden bench near the back wall, plump legs spread comfortably. In one meaty hand he cradled a small sack of roasted pine nuts. Every few moments he would pop a nut into his mouth, chew with loud satisfaction, then casually spit the hard seed shell onto the freshly swept floor.

Plink!

The tiny shell skittered across the tiles.

Li Qingmu’s broom paused for half a breath.

He exhaled slowly through his nose, then swept the shell into the growing pile near the corner without a word.

A minute later plink! another one landed a chi away from where the last had been.

Li Qingmu’s jaw tightened, but he kept sweeping.

Han Yan chuckled under his breath and emptied the entire handful of discarded shells onto the floor in one careless motion.

Li Qingmu stopped, broom handle gripped a little harder. He closed his eyes for a second, then turned back and started sweeping the same section again.

The wide doors at the side of the kitchen creaked open. Two senior disciples pushed in a large wooden cart piled high with plump cabbages, glossy purple yams, bundles of spirit greens, and several crates of speckled winter melons.

"Master Han."

The taller one called respectfully.

"These are donations from the villages and inns at the foot of the mountain. Enough vegetables to feed the outer and inner disciples for at least a month, maybe more if we’re careful."

The old kitchen master waved a hand without looking up from his nuts.

"Good, good. Leave them by the storage array. You two can go."

The seniors bowed then exchanged a quick glance as they turned to leave.

The shorter one lowered his voice.

"That’s the one Li Qingmu. The newbie Master Wen Jiuling personally invited into the sect."

The taller one smirked.

"Mhm, I heard he had the guts to flirt with Sect Master’s daughter. No wonder he’s sweeping floors and about to scrub toilets. Serves him right."

"Exactly. And after that big meal this morning..."

The shorter disciple wrinkled his nose.

"The toilets are a warzone right now. Poor bastard."

They both snickered as they slipped out.

Li Qingmu pretended he hadn’t heard a single word. He paused only long enough to wipe sweat from his forehead with the back of one wrist, then resumed sweeping.

That was when he sensed it.

A familiar, faint spiritual fluctuation.

His eyes flicked toward the line of dense bushes that bordered the open kitchen yard.

Sure enough... there she was.

Wen Qingwan crouched low among the leaves, only the top half of her face visible. Those wide, bright eyes were locked on him like a small dog watching something fascinating from its hiding spot.

Li Qingmu frowned slightly.

She immediately ducked her head a little lower but kept peeking.

He shook his head once, muttering under his breath.

『This senior sister... I really don’t understand her at all.』

She was the one who had suggested that he receive this punishment detail. Yet here she was again, watching over him like a worried mother hen. If the goal was to teach him proper distance between junior and senior, shouldn’t she stay far away? Instead she acted as though she couldn’t bear to leave him alone for even half a day.

Another plink! a fresh nut shell bounced off the tiles right in front of his broom.

"Clean that too, brat."

Master Han Yan drawled lazily.

Li Qingmu swept it aside into the pile without comment.

Plink! Plink! Plink! Three more in quick succession.

Li Qingmu finally snapped.

"Master Han! Do you want this place clean or not?!"

The fat old man threw his head back and roared out a laugh so hard the bench creaked.

"Ha ha ha! Temper, temper, little brother!"

Li Qingmu glared then grumbled under his breath as he kept sweeping.

"I just don’t understand Big Sister Wen at all. She’s always hovering around me like she can’t go a single day without seeing my face. The other disciples think I got punished because I flirted with her but she never minded that part. Yet the moment I called her a silly nickname she turned red and ran off angry. If she’s not interested, why does she get so flustered whenever I’m close?"

He sighed heavily and attacked the dirt on the floor.

Han Yan watched him for a few moments.

He yawned dramatically and pushed himself to his feet with the help of his own bamboo broom.

"Want to hear a little story about why Qingwan acts the way she does?"

Li Qingmu immediately tossed his broom aside.

He dropped to one knee and saluted the old man.

"Yes, Master Han! This junior is all ears!"

The old cook snorted, returned to his bench with a groan and leaned back.

"I’m tired, ah. My old back is killing me today..."

Li Qingmu muttered, mostly to himself.

"You haven’t lifted a finger all morning..."

Han Yan’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, nothing!"

Li Qingmu hurried behind the bench and placed both hands on the old man’s broad shoulders.

"This junior was only joking, hehe."

He massaged his shoulders respectfully.

"Please continue, Master."

Han Yan grunted in approval.

He spoke slowly, between mouthfuls of nuts.

"Wen Jiuling comes from an immortal cultivation clan on the same Far-Reaching Continent you hail from. He left home young, pursued the Dao single-mindedly, reached Grandmaster realm there, then crossed into our Four Regions and eventually stepped into Ancestor realm. After that he married, took a wife, and had two children Wen Xian and Wen Qingwan."

Li Qingmu’s hands paused for a heartbeat.

"...Two children? I thought Sect Master only had one."

Han Yan shook his head.

"Most people don’t talk about the older one anymore."

He went on to explain the Sect Resource Allocation Battle.

A contest hosted every decade by Mountain Lord Mo Yuan between the two great sects on Immortal Table Mountain. Winner took the lion’s share of cultivation resources for the next ten years.

For generations the Exalted Sage School had always won because of Wen Xian.

The young man had monstrous talent, radiant charisma and an almost unfair amount of luck in the forest trials. He carried the sect to victory time after time.

Until the last competition.

Despite the unspoken rule that sect masters should not participate, Sect Master Dai Qiu of the Empyrean Thunder Sect personally entered the trials and killed Wen Xian in the depths of the forest.

Without their shining star, the Exalted Sage School’s other disciples crumbled.

They suffered a crushing defeat.

This is why their sect was getting no resources.

The transport documents made sense now!

Li Qingmu’s expression darkened.

"Why didn’t anyone do anything? Surely sect masters aren’t allowed to interfere directly—"

Han Yan leaned his weight on the broom handle he held between his thighs like a crutch.

"High God Mo Yuan has always favored Empyrean Thunder Sect. Dai Qiu spent decades building connections, offering gifts, making promises. To Mo Yuan, Wen Xian was just acceptable collateral damage."

Li Qingmu’s eyes widened.

"He’s that heartless?"

Han Yan gave one slow nod.

Then he looked straight at Li Qingmu.

"Your black hair. Those blue eyes. That fearless aura of confidence... you look so much like Wen Xian it’s uncanny. That’s why Qingwan can’t stay away from you. She misses her big brother."

Li Qingmu froze.

The old man continued gently.

"And that nickname—Xiao Ma. It was what Wen Xian always called her, because of the way she ties her hair in that little side ponytail since they were young. When you called her that... it probably hurt too much. So she lashed out, gave you this punishment. Maybe she hoped if you hated her, it would hurt less to see his face in yours."

Li Qingmu stood there stunned, hands still resting on Han Yan’s shoulders.

Everything clicked into place.

The constant appearances.

The soft, attentive gazes.

The food trays.

The way she hovered around even when he cultivated or ate or scrubbed dishes.

She wasn’t pursuing him romantically.

She was chasing the shadow of her dead brother.

And he had been so eager to claim a beautiful woman that he never once considered she might carry such grief.

He pressed a palm to his face and let out a sigh.

『When did I become so shallow? These days I only think of helping a woman if she’s already in my bed. Mother would be disappointed. I need to do better.』

Han Yan yawned theatrically.

"Oi, those hands are slowing down. My shoulders aren’t satisfied yet."

Li Qingmu quickly resumed the massage.

"Thank you for telling me, Master Han."

The old man chewed another nut.

"So? How do you plan to fix it?"

"Eh?"

"Wen Xian was the smile of the sect. Brilliant talent and endless charm. If you look like him, then act like him. Find a way to save the sect. We’re bleeding disciples already and without more resources, in a few years the Exalted Sage School will be an empty mountain."

Li Qingmu’s fingers stilled again.

"...What can I even do?"

Han Yan shrugged.

"Don’t know. But I heard from Master Wen himself there’s talk of a plan... sneaking into enemy territory to steal some of Dai Qiu’s hidden stockpiles."

Li Qingmu’s eyes sharpened.

He nodded once.

"I understand."

He released Han Yan’s shoulders.

"I have to find a solution—fast."

He started to rush off, then stopped and turned back.

"If this junior returns, I’ll finish the massage and clean everything properly. Promise."

The old kitchen master waved a lazy hand and reached for more nuts.

"Go on, go on."

Li Qingmu smiled faintly and left.

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Half an hour later.

Beside the quiet river that wound through the sect’s lower grounds, he found her.

Wen Qingwan sat on a smooth stone, knees drawn up as she idly tossed small river pebbles into the water. Each one sent gentle ripples outward.

Li Qingmu approached slowly.

"Senior Sister. I heard about the plan to steal resources from Empyrean Thunder."

She jolted upright like a startled kitten as her soft brows shot toward her hairline.

"I—I don’t know what you’re talking about."

He laughed softly.

"No need to hide it. Kitchen Master Han already told me everything."

She pouted, cheeks puffing.

"Hmph. I knew it had to be him. I don’t understand why that old man likes you so much. He tells you things juniors aren’t supposed to know."

Li Qingmu gave a nervous chuckle.

"I don’t think he likes me THAT much..."

"Trust me... he does."

Qingwan muttered dully.

She tossed another stone, harder this time.

It skipped four times before sinking.

Li Qingmu stepped closer.

"I just want to help. I want to get those resources for the sect so we don’t keep declining."

Wen Qingwan rolled her eyes.

"You’re talking like you can actually do something."

"Xiao Ma! Don’t underestimate me."

Her face flushed with instant anger. She shot to her feet and swung her small hand toward his cheek.

"Don’t call me that—!"

Li Qingmu caught her wrist lightly, then tugged her closer by the waist until their bodies were almost touching.

She froze.

He looked straight into her wide eyes.

"Accept my help."

Wen Qingwan stared up at him.

For a long moment neither of them moved.

She inhaled softly.

『He smells so nice...』