Starting with a Family System to Become an Immortal Official-Chapter 75: Wedding Preparations

The Li Family Palace was deep in preparations.

Everyone was busy with their own tasks.

They were all working to make sure the wedding took place as quickly as possible.

In the second courtyard.

Li Qingmu’s illegitimate children had been pressed into service like a small army of reluctant ants.

Li Ge was balanced on a ladder, tongue poking out as he tied red knots around the wedding canopy poles. His younger sister Li Lan darted below him passing up ribbons as she giggled every time he almost dropped one.

"Stop laughing or I’ll tie your braids to the beam next!"

"You’d have to catch me first, slow-brother!"

Nearby, the twins Li Ah and Li Bei were hauling baskets of beads to decorate the ceremonial bed.

They moved with exaggerated care but every few steps one would "accidentally" bump the other and send beads scattering like frightened fireflies.

"Stop it!"

"You bumped me!"

"I did not—!"

Behind a screen of hanging gauze.

Li Zimo was once again attempting escape.

She had almost made it to the side gate.

Then a huge shadow covered her.

Huang Shiyue’s voice was stern yet smooth.

"Li. Zi. Mo."

The little girl froze mid-tip-toe.

Huang Shiyue appeared holding a bamboo switch the exact length of a disciplinary ruler.

She didn’t even need to raise it.

The sight alone made Li Zimo spin around with wide eyes of pure innocence.

"Mother Huang! I was just... checking if the gate array needed... polishing?"

Huang Shiyue’s smile was terrifyingly sweet.

"Come here, sweet child."

Li Zimo took one reluctant step.

Huang Shiyue scooped her up by the back of her little robe like a kitten, flipped her over one meaty thigh, and delivered three painful spanks that were humiliating enough for Li Zimo’s face to turn red.

"Waaaah—! Not again!"

"You ran three times today already!"

Huang Shiyue said calmly as she set the squirming girl back on her feet.

"Next time I’ll make your bottom glow like a lantern."

Zimo rubbed her backside with both hands.

From the opposite side of the enormous courtyard came a dramatic gasp.

"My poor baby!!"

Zhen Rou swept in like a maternal force. She dropped to her knees in front of Zimo and gathered the girl against her chest in a crushing cuddle.

"Oh my sweet, precious Zimo~! How dare anyone lay a hand on such a cute little angel! Look at this face! These big eyes! This tiny nose! Who could bear to hurt her!?"

Zimo’s voice came out muffled against silk.

"Rou-jie... air... dying..."

Zhen Rou only squeezed tighter, rocking side to side.

"No no no, let Rou-jie protect you~! You’re too adorable for chores! You should be carried around on silk cushions and fed the sweetest fruits all day!"

Zimo flailed weakly.

"Rou-jie... mercy... I surrender... please..."

Only then did Zhen Rou loosen her hold enough for Zimo to gasp dramatically and flop backward.

"You’re going to kill me before this wedding even..."

Zhen Rou beamed and kissed the top of her head.

"Good girl. Now go help Ge with the knots. I’ll watch to make sure no one bullies you again."

Zimo shot Huang Shiyue a pitiful look.

Huang Shiyue only raised one beautiful brow.

In the kitchen courtyard, things were far livelier.

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In the third courtyard.

Under a blooming magnolia tree.

Chen Yuling sat on a cushioned bench surrounded by five of her former Fragrant Flower Peak sisters. Zhen Rou perched beside her with a very traumatized Li Zimo trapped firmly in her lap while she patiently braided tiny flowers into the little girl’s hair.

One of the sisters sighed dramatically.

"Yuling-jie... I still can’t believe you’re the first of us to marry. And to a man, no less."

Chen Yuling frowned slightly.

A peak sister hurried to wave her hands.

"And there’s nothing wrong with that! Nothing at all!"

She was already nervously red.

"It’s just... surprising!"

A hint of sadness crossed Chen Yuling’s face.

Zhen Rou’s eyes narrowed at the peak sisters.

They all suddenly found the magnolia blossoms very interesting.

Chen Yuling spoke softly.

"Have... Jingshu and the others said anything? About coming to the wedding?"

The sisters exchanged miserable glances.

"Since Sister Jingshu she became Peak Master..." s

"She ruthlessly forbade all of us from even mentioning you or Madam Chen."

Chen Yuling’s shoulders drooped.

"I see..."

The silence became very heavy and awkward.

The only reason these peak sisters were even able to come visit her was because they lied to everyone and secretly snuck out just so they could support their close sister.

Chen Yuxuan dropped the huge bombshell that Fragrant Flower Peak would no longer allow hatred toward men which caused a massive uproar. Most of the sisters on the peak refused to accept it... especially Chen Jingshu.

Chen Yuxuan refused to end up fighting her own daughter so she chose to step down.

She resigned as Peak Master and handed the position over to Chen Jingshu instead.

That’s how she ended up here right now.

Together with Chen Yuling and Gao Yue.

Zhen Rou looked at the bride-to-be’s downcast face.

『No. Absolutely not. Husband entrusted me to make sure Yuling’s wedding is perfect. As future Head Wife, how can I allow my new little sister to be sad?!』

She raised a tiny fist of determination.

"Hmph!"

Li Zimo blinked up at her in confusion.

Zhen Rou scooted closer until their thighs touched.

"Don’t be sad, Yuling!"

She spoke with a wide smile on her face.

"We bought so many bolts of cloud-brocade silk for your wedding gown—green, blue, white! And I already ordered special undergarments. The kind that... well..."

She leaned in and whispered.

"...the kind that makes a man lose his mind when you tell him that’s what you’re wearing."

The peak sisters turned various shades of red. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

One whispered frantically.

"No way Yuling-jie would—"

"She’s too pure for that—"

"She would never dress just to satisfy a man’s—"

Chen Yuling suddenly brightened.

"Do they come in green?"

Zhen Rou giggled like a conspirator.

"I’ll ask!"

Still trapped, Li Zimo stared blankly ahead.

『Father isn’t a dependable man at all. He isn’t even that much of a good person either. But somehow... he always ends up surrounded by lovely people.』

She gave a tiny, slow nod.

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Across the palace grounds.

Huang Shiyue stood in the herb storeroom courtyard with a long scroll in hand as she checked off bulk ingredients from Black Iron Village.

"Three hundred jin spirit rice... checked."

"Fifty barrels aged plum wine... checked."

Each check made her luscious breasts jiggle noticeably under her robes.

Elder Silver Cloud stared at her in awe.

He hadn’t blinked once in the last five minutes.

He was supposed to be supervising the overworked disciples unloading crates.

Elder Flame Cauldron slurped pork sauce from his portable bowl and elbowed him.

"Oi. Stop staring at her chest like that or Chief Li will turn you into a pill ingredient."

Silver Cloud frowned.

"I’m not leering. I’m... impressed. How does a man keep a woman like that as a mere concubine? Tall, busty... she should be head wife material."

He shook his head.

"Chief Li has a truly impressive catalogue!"

Flame Cauldron chuckled.

"That’s because Chief Li is handsome. He collects big chests like trophies."

Silver Cloud stroked his mustache strings thoughtfully.

"Indeed. He clearly has a preference."

"Preference?"

"Big breasts. I’m already planning to gift him a pair of busty courtesans for the wedding night."

Flame Cauldron gave him a tired side-eye.

"You must not value your position. If Head Wife Zhen Rou hears even a whisper of that plan, she’ll throw both you and Chief Li out of the palace together."

Silver Cloud sniffed.

"Then let’s bet. Does Chief Li prefer busty women or women of every size?"

"Done."

Huang Shiyue shot them an underwhelmed glance.

『Two grown men discussing breasts like they’re debating array formations. Boring. If I were betting... I’d say these two are secretly in love with Chief Li.』

She shook her head and returned to her list.

『Where is Master, anyway...?』

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Far above the clouds.

A tyrant sword tore through the sky like lightning.

Li Qingmu stood perfectly balanced on the blade with both hands clasped behind his back.

Three-Legged Crow Peak is up ahead.

He descended vertically as the sword dispersed into glittering red motes.

His boots touched stone without a sound.

The ancestral hall guards snapped to attention but did not move to block him.

The last time he was here he was Sea Opening realm trash while they were Golden Core experts.

Now he is also a Golden Core cultivator.

With two Heaven-Dao Golden Cores to boot.

They could not stop him even if they wanted to!

Li Qingmu smiled faintly.

『Last time they dragged me in like a sack of trash.』

He took one deep breath.

Then stepped forward straight through the massive doors as his black robes billowed.

At the far end of the echoing hall were two figures.

Patriarch Zhen who sat on his short golden throne.

And Grand Elder Song Yan who was seated to the side where she elegantly made tea.

Her face was expressionless as always.

Li Qingmu stopped ten paces away.

He inclined his head—not quite a bow.

"Patriarch Zhen. Grand Elder Song."

A long silence stretched.

Then Patriarch Zhen spoke with a voice rough.

"You’ve got some nerve showing your face here, boy."

Li Qingmu smiled lazily.

"I came to deliver wedding invitations personally."

Song Yan’s lashes lowered.

『Tch! This brat really married Chen Yuxuan.』

Her fingers twitched once around her teacup.

The hall suddenly felt very small.