Starting with a Family System to Become an Immortal Official Chapter 89

The far depths of the southeast quadrant.

Here, the dunes grew taller and the spiritual energy was thin and unstable.

A lone and tired beauty walked forward with a face full of bitter resentment.

Song Ruyi.

Even from a distance, one glance was enough to know what kind of young miss she was: pampered, haughty, the sort who considered speaking to strangers beneath her dignity. Her long red-and-black daoist robe fluttered around her sweet and slender body, somehow making her look both delicate and untouchably noble. Yet right now those ruby eyes were narrowed into slits of pure displeasure.

She had no idea where she was going.

She simply walked.

And complained.

"Useless dogs..."

She muttered under her breath as she kicked at a small ridge of sand.

"I HATE THIS SO MUCH! The moment those Gu family curs ambushed us, they scattered like rats! Left me! ME! Alone in this godforsaken wasteland!"

She hugged her sleeves tighter.

"I am Song Ruyi! Holy daughter of Heavenly General Song! Future heir to the entire Song clan fortune! When we return to the sect, I swear on my bloodline—I will have their heads mounted above the outer gate as a warning!"

Her voice cracked slightly on the last word.

There were some that wouldn’t take what she said as a threat because of how adorably it came out.

She sounded like a stuffed animal.

A voice too high-pitched and childish to be deadly.

She kept walking and scowling.

Kept pretending the growing dryness in her throat and the ache in her legs didn’t exist.

Until her small foot caught on something hard half-buried in the sand.

She pitched forward with a startled yelp.

"AH—!"

She landed hard on her palms and knees.

A sharp, twisting pain lanced up her right ankle.

"Ow—! Dammit—!"

She hissed and clutched the joint.

"Stupid desert... stupid rock... stupid everything!"

She gingerly shifted to sit on her bottom, drew the injured leg close and glared at whatever had dared to trip her.

Then she froze.

It wasn’t a rock.

It was the clean white dome of a human skull.

It was still fresh.

Enough that bits of dried tendon still clung to the bone.

A few dried bloodstains marked the sand around it.

Song Ruyi’s breath hitched.

Her hands flew to her mouth.

"N-, No... no no no..."

She scrambled backward, dragging her sprained ankle until her back hit a low dune. Then she curled up, hugged both knees to her chest and started to tremble.

"They were supposed to protect me..."

She whispered with a breaking voice.

"That’s their only job. Protect the young miss. Obey the young miss. But the second danger came they ran... they just ran and left me here to die..."

Hot and furious tears welled up in her pretty eyes.

"I don’t deserve this. I don’t. I’m not supposed to be here alone..."

A low growl unsettled the dunes.

Her entire body stiffened.

From the corner of her eye, she saw them.

Six... no, seven... black-furred fiend beasts slinking forward on all fours. Their fur was matted with fresh blood, mouths foaming with rabid froth, yellow eyes glowing with hunger.

Middle-grade fiend wolves.

They are lean, fast, and utterly merciless.

They saw prey and lunged.

Song Ruyi screamed and scrambled to her feet.

Pain exploded in her ankle again but she ignored it.

Half-running, half-hobbling forward in blind panic.

"Get away from me! Get AWAY!!"

She risked one glance back and saw they were too close then whipped her head forward again.

That was how she ended up being chased for an entire hour.

And with every quarter of the hour that passed, the pack of fiend wolves grew bigger at an alarming rate.

"Don’t chase me!"

She looked back at them again.

And crashed straight into a solid chest.

Strong arms caught her around the waist before she could fall.

She blinked up dazedly.

A tall young man looked down at her.

Sharp features, lazy smirk already forming, dark hair tousled by the desert wind.

Li Qingmu.

He thought to himself.

『Hmm... she’s beautiful.』

Those blood-ruby eyes, that delicate face still flushed from fear and exertion, the way the red-black robes clung to her slender curves despite all the sand...

He let out a proud chuckle, reached up with his free hand and slicked his hair back with style.

"No need to thank me. Saving maidens in distress is what I do for a living."

Song Ruyi blinked owlishly.

Her eyes were so holy and innocent.

WERE.

Then her expression soured instantly.

"Pervert! Get your filthy hands off me this instant!"

Li Qingmu’s smirk froze.

Behind him, Su Liyue covered her mouth as her shoulders shook with suppressed laughter.

He squinted at the furious little heiress still trapped against his chest.

Then, with an exaggerated sigh, he simply... let go.

Song Ruyi dropped straight down onto her backside with a startled "Oof!"

She glared up at him, outraged.

"How—how dare you drop me like that?!"

Li Qingmu yawned, already turning his attention toward the incoming pack of fiend wolves.

"Jeez, you’re way too fickle."

He didn’t even spare her a glance.

"Can you shut up for just one second?"

Song Ruyi’s jaw dropped.

She climbed to her hands and knees in the sand as her small face turned reddish.

"Who do you think you are?! Telling me to shut up?! Do you even know who I am? I am Song Ruyi—holy daughter of Heavenly General Song! My father commands three legions in the Central World State! My grandfather is Patriarch Song himself! We own estates in nine provinces! When I tell my father about this—"

Li Qingmu lifted one brow and finally decided to pay the spoiled brat some attention.

"Song family?"

Song Ruyi folded her arms and lifted her chin.

"Hmph. At least you know your place now."

He studied her for a second longer.

『So she’s related to Big Sis Song...』

Su Liyue stepped forward, voice calm.

"Qingmu. Those are middle-grade fiend wolves. Take care of the girl. I’ll handle them."

Before he could reply, she drew her sword fluidly.

The blade gleamed with faint golden light.

Then she moved.

Like a fairy dancing through falling petals, Su Liyue flowed into the pack. Her Flora Weaponization Arts sent countless vines bursting out of the sand. They wrapped around legs, coiled around bodies, and locked onto jaws to completely restrain the fiend wolves.

"Rotation."

Su Liyue moved like a spinning top as her sword flashed with spiritual energy to erupt a storm of slashes that instantly sheared the bound beasts into pieces!

Blood sprayed in graceful arcs.

Yet not a single drop you her immaculate robes.

When the last wolf collapsed into pieces, she sheathed her sword with a soft click.

Li Qingmu clapped slowly, grinning.

"Beautiful as always."

Su Liyue glanced at him with an affectionate smile.

"Flattery will get you nowhere."

Song Ruyi pushed herself to her feet, dusted sand from her palms with quick, angry slaps.

"Thank you for your... assistance."

She dressed her flawless hair back.

"I’ll be taking my leave now."

She turned to go.

Su Liyue hurried forward and gently caught her wrist.

"Wait. You can’t wander alone like this. Your ankle is injured, and you have no guards. It’s safer if you stay with us. The path ahead has fewer ambushes."

Song Ruyi yanked her hand free and glared.

"I do not need your help!"

Li Qingmu tilted his head, eyes slowly traveling from her face down to her slender waist then lower.

She really was stunning.

Young, immature in some ways yet carrying the great aura of a Central World State holy daughter.

That red-black robe hugged her figure perfectly.

She has a smallish figure.

But she is also a verily ripe beauty.

She isn’t as beautiful as Song Yan but that’s likely because she doesn’t have the perfect temperament that a famous beauty like Big Sis Song has.

If she ever stopped scowling she’d probably outshine half the beauties in the exam.

He nibbled the tip of his tongue thoughtfully.

"You’re an amazing little miss, no doubt. But I can tell you’re already hungry and thirsty. Delicate flowers from rich clans aren’t built for this kind of trial—especially without their protectors."

Song Ruyi whipped around and gave him a vicious side-eye like he was dirt.

"Stop staring at a noble lady as though she’s a sex slave on auction! This is exactly why I despise commoners from backwater realms!"

She folded her arms under her modest chest.

"Hmph! Disgusting!"

Li Qingmu just kept looking, perfectly unbothered.

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Back on the central dais.

The proctors watched through the floating mirrors.

Song Yan let out a long, relieved breath.

『Thank the heavens... Senior Brother will be pleased. That fool actually let his daughter join the exam at barely eighteen. She needs years more training!』

Ye Zirou slid her a cold, filthy side-eye.

"So you’ll truly allow trash like Li Qingmu to associate with your niece? It’s getting harder and harder for me to pretend I’m not irritated."

Song Yan smiled lazily.

"Good thing it’s not your niece. Or your business."

Ye Zirou’s Nascent Soul aura almost leaked.

"Insolent..."

She caught it at the last moment.

Song Yan’s defenses rose instinctively.

Before the tension could snap, Gu Bingyue spoke softly.

"How about a little bet to lighten the mood?"

Song Yan leaned back in her chair.

"Not interested."

A large hand suddenly clamped down on her shoulder from behind.

"You’re not exactly in a position to refuse. Why don’t you act like the submissive old bag of bones you are and agree to the bet?"

Song Yan stiffened.

She turned slowly.

Gu Linyuan stood there, smiling down at her.

Her eyes widened.

"What are you doing here?! Shouldn’t you be in the exam right now?!"

Gu Bingyue’s voice turned gentle... dangerously so.

"Quiet, dear. Or I’ll have to get aggressive. And you know I dislike being aggressive."

Song Yan’s heart sank.

She finally understood.

She’s the one in danger.