Starting with a Family System to Become an Immortal Official-Chapter 44: Hunting Down the Thief

The days following the great panty theft at White Steam Pavilion set the peak on fire.

Every courtyard buzzed with the same topic.

"That panty psycho struck again last night!"

A junior sister hissed to her friends while grinding herbs in the medicine hall.

Her cheeks were flushed with indignation.

"He took Sister Mei’s favorite red pair!"

"Sex-crazed?"

A tall, beautiful senior with a sharp tongue, snorted as she fanned herself.

"Why are we all assuming it’s a man? This could be a jealous sister. Some women are more perverted than any male disciple."

The first girl gasped.

"Senior! How can you say that? Only a depraved man would steal freshly worn panties!"

"Depraved knows no gender. I’ve seen sisters fight over a single hair ribbon like it was a heavenly treasure. Imagine what they’d do for revenge."

The argument spread like wildfire.

Soon half the outer courtyard was divided.

Some shrieked that it was a shameless man.

Others insisted women were just as capable of such.

In the middle of the debate, a cluster of inner disciples burst from the direction of Jade Blossom Estate—the secluded residence reserved for senior sisters and direct disciples of the peak master.

"More panties vanished!"

One cried as she clutched her towel robe tight.

"Just a few hours ago! Mine were still warm—I’d only taken them off to change into training garb!"

"Mine too!"

Another wailed, tears glittering in her phoenix eyes.

"The thief is unlike anything we’ve ever seen. He... or she... only takes the freshly worn ones. Leaves everything else untouched. Not a single coin pouch, not a jade hairpin—just panties!"

"Shameless pervert!"

A third spat and stomped her bare foot.

"Who could be so utterly, disgustingly shameless?"

"They sniff and hoard our most intimate garments like some starving beast!"

"I’m sure it’s one of those ugly, bearded men from outside the peak. He must have snuck in here and is using our panties to pleasure himself like a monkey!"

The square erupted.

Hundreds of voices overlapped in fury.

"Catch the thief!"

"Strip them bare and parade them through the peak!"

"Make them wear every stolen pair on their head for a hundred years!"

"I... think they would enjoy that..."

From the hot springs reserved for core disciples, a fresh wave of panic arrived.

Six senior sisters came running.

They were dripping wet as they clutched slipping towels to their glistening naked bodies.

These are one of the strongest and most talented women on Fragrant Flower Peak.

But their faces were red with embarrassment.

These beautiful senior sisters were now like children.

"He struck again!"

The leader screamed.

Senior Sister Lan.

She is a renowned beauty famous for her twin peaks that rivaled even Madam Chen’s.

"The new panties we bought in the mortal city last week and the silk ones from Heavenly Silks Pavilion! I wore mine all day just to break them in... and now they’re gone! Vanished from the drying line while we soaked!"

"Mine were black lace!"

Another senior sister sobbed.

Senior Sister Lan wrapped her towel tightly to chain her wild bouncing breasts.

"My junior sister is going through her monthly courses and he still stole those foul-smelling panties!"

The entire crowd almost vomited.

"EWWWWWW!"

"Curses upon that filthy dog!"

"May his tongue rot and his manhood shrivel!"

"May he reincarnate as a chamber pot in his next life!"

The curses grew more vicious.

At the height of the uproar, a delicate figure in flowing lavender robes stepped onto the central dais of Fragrant Flower Square.

The clamor quieted almost instantly.

It was not a beauty. That was Fang Zichun.

His painted lips curved in a righteous smile.

Behind him were a dozen of his delicate brothers.

"Sisters."

He called them boldly.

"Your cries have been heard. An elder has personally assigned me and my brothers to investigate and arrest this panty thief. Rest assured—once caught, the criminal will face severe punishment."

A thunderous cheer rose.

Several beautiful elder sisters smiled approvingly.

One clapped delicately.

"Little Zichun has grown so reliable."

Fang Zichun’s shoulders lifted higher.

His chest swelled with pride.

『Good. I already know exactly where to look. The only scoundrel bold enough to attempt such depravity on our sacred peak...』

His eyes narrowed.

『That crude dog Li Qingmu. I’ll see him arrested and make sure he’s personally castrated beneath Elder Sister’s iron boot.』

A menacing grin spread across his delicate face.

Within minutes.

Fang Zichun and his entourage descended upon Li Qingmu’s secluded abode.

They landed in perfect formation.

"LI. QING. MU!"

Fang Zichun shouted with authority.

"Open this door at once! We are conducting a search!"

In his mind, he sneered.

『I’ll humble this dog today.』

The door remained shut.

The peak brothers exchanged excited glances.

Then—creak—the door opened.

Li Qingmu stepped out calmly, bent down, picked up a stack of cultivation manuals he’d apparently left on the porch and without so much as glancing at the crowd, walked back inside and slammed the door shut.

Dead silence.

The peak brothers slowly turned to stare at Zichun.

His face burned hot beneath his powder.

He growled low in his throat.

"Li Qingmu!"

He roared again with deeper fury.

"If you do not come out at once, do not blame me for what happens next!"

His hand went to his sword hilt.

Rustle.

A sound from the nearby spirit bushes.

Fang Zichun paused as his eyes narrowed.

The door opened again.

Li Qingmu leaned out, expression flat.

"Don’t waste my time."

He stepped back inside and sat cross-legged in the center of his small room.

He closed his eyes and went back to meditating.

Fang Zichun’s eyelid twitched.

"Search the place!"

His men scattered like eager hounds,

They began overturning shelves, smashing jars, and kicking aside cushions.

Li Qingmu remained perfectly still.

『Is it possible they’ve already discovered it?』

Sweat rolled down his forehead.

『I was so careful. I always checked for watchers before moving. I hid everything well...』

Fang Zichun sauntered over and stood before him.

He looked so smug.

"No need to worry about the mess..."

He spoke sweetly.

He was clearly enjoying this.

"This is just a routine search, per Elder Sister’s orders. No hard feelings. Though... you were rather hesitant to open the door earlier."

He leaned in close.

"Could it be... you feel guilty?"

Li Qingmu raised his shoulders in a lazy shrug then adjusted the plackets of his robe.

"You won’t find anything. Since the day I was born, I have never been guilty of a single—"

"Senior Brother! We found something!"

The shout cut him off like a blade.

Li Qingmu froze.

Sweat poured down his back, his neck, and soaked into his pristine white collar.

『Look where temptation has led me...』

He said nothing.

Fang Zichun’s smile widened into something vicious.

"Quite silent now, aren’t we?" 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Li Qingmu remained silent.

『If I say nothing, perhaps I can still argue my case before the elders...』

Fang Zichun walked over to where his men stood.

Li Qingmu forced himself to his feet as he already felt sick in his stomach.

Thump.

A huge silk bag landed between them and spilled open.

Hundreds of delicate panties tumbled out.

Lace, silk, cotton, embroidered, plain.

Every shade and style worn by the delicious beauties of Fragrant Flower Peak.

Fang Zichun threw his head back and laughed.

"Aha! So you are the panty thief!"

His men erupted in triumphant jeers.

"Shameless pervert!"

"Your life on this peak is over!"

"I’ll report this to Elder Sister immediately!"

Fang Zichun pointed a trembling finger.

"Your reputation is finished!"

But Li Qingmu only stared at the pile with the blank face of a lost child.

He scratched the back of his neck.

"Uh... what are these?"

The laughter died instantly.

Fang Zichun’s delicate mouth opened and closed like a stranded fish.

Several peak brothers shouted at once.

"Don’t play dumb!"

"You stole them!"

"These are our peak sisters’ panties, you filthy dog!"

Fang Zichun jabbed his finger again.

"These are exactly the panties you stole!"

Li Qingmu blinked.

He shook his head slowly.

"No?"

His voice was quite mild.

"I would rather rip a woman’s panties off her magnificent rear with my own hands and without her permission than run around the peak like some skulking thief collecting them."

The abode went dead silent.

Every peak brother’s face was frozen.

Li Qingmu’s brow furrowed in genuine confusion.

He placed a hand over his chest.

『Safe. I thought they’d found the dirty letters from Madam Chen. I even left them in plain sight among the manuals to throw off suspicion.』

Then his eyes widened slightly.

"Wait... there’s actually a panty thief on the peak?"

He looked at the spilled mountain of intimate garments.

Then at the stunned, furious faces around him.

Then back at the panties.

A pitying smile touched his lips.

"Well then... you’d better keep looking."