Troublemaker’s Guide to Immortality

Zhou Li once again wanted to raise his head, but Zhou Dai tightly gripped the hem of his robe.

Gritting his teeth, Zhou Li forcibly restrained himself.

At this moment...

The inexplicable fondness he had felt upon first meeting Ye Danxia completely transformed into disgust!

Cultivators were born to defy the heavens. Everyone fought for opportunities, treasures, and territory!

He and his brother had constantly taken missions outside the sect to fight for their own future.

After all, although they were disciples under the Sect Master, they weren't particularly favored by their master. Many things still depended on their own efforts.

But now?

With just one word from Zhao Wuji, they were to remain in the sect indefinitely. In other words, they were to become glorified babysitters for their so-called little junior sister.

If Ye Danxia had once saved their lives or shown them great kindness, maybe they could have accepted it.

But the truth?

It was their Demon-Slaying Token that saved Ye Danxia's life.

Even that wasn't enough. Now, they were being told to stay behind and look after her.

What about their future?

What about their ambitions?

Were those meaningless now?

The more Zhou Li thought of Ye Danxia's pale and pitiful face, the more nauseated he felt.

"Zhou Li, Zhou Dai," Zhao Wuji called, his voice stern. "You two have no objections, do you?"

Before Ye Danxia, Zhao Wuji had five disciples. His favorite had always been his first disciple, Ruan Jun, and then his fifth, Han Xiaoyu. But now, the most doted upon was clearly Ye Danxia.

As for the rest, the ones caught in the middle were nothing more than tools in Zhao Wuji's eyes. He hadn't taken them in because of any exceptional talent, only because they served some use.

For years, they carried the title of 'personal disciples' and enjoyed better resources than ordinary members. Now was the time for them to give something back.

If they were willing, fine. If not...

A cold gleam flashed in Zhao Wuji's eyes.

"Master," Zhou Dai said respectfully, "we've spent years out on missions, and have failed to remain by your side. That is already a grave lack of filial respect. Staying now, to honor you and take care of our junior sister, would be best."

His words were spoken with sincerity. Zhao Wuji nodded in satisfaction. "Then I leave Danxia to you. Visit her tomorrow. If she lacks anything, provide it. And if even a single hair on her head is harmed, I will hold you both accountable."

"...Yes," they responded in unison.

"Good. You've been through much on the road. Go rest," Zhao Wuji said with a wave of his hand.

Zhou Li and Zhou Dai bowed and took their leave.

Only after returning to their quarters and raising a barrier did Zhou Li finally let his frustration spill out. "Brother, what does this mean? Among all our fellow disciples, we're already the least favored, and now we can't even leave to seek our own paths? Just for some junior sister who came out of nowhere, we're being chained down here?"

Zhou Dai's expression was thoughtful. "Brother, something has changed in the sect while we were gone. Why did Second Senior Brother leave with some strange girl? And who is this junior sister? Why was she imprisoned at Heshan? Until we understand what's going on, it's better not to rush out again."

Zhou Li nodded reluctantly, but muttered, "I still think Master is being unfair."

Zhou Dai gave a bitter smile.

Unfair? His bias had already reached the bone.

But what could they do?

They could only swallow it in silence.

Later, they left their quarters separately to ask friends around the sect for news. When they returned and shared what they'd learned, they both fell into heavy silence.

They had known Zhao Wuji played favorites, but this... this was another level entirely.

"Second Senior Brother might be odd, but he's always treated us fellow disciples with sincerity. And now what? That junior sister manipulated him into opposing Yun Jin, and he alone bore all the blame?" Zhou Li clenched his fists in fury.

"And not only that," Zhou Dai added coldly. "He fell so far for Ye Danxia's sake, and she feels no guilt. She even tried to have him killed?"

He had expected things to be bad, but not this outrageous. Ye Danxia had done so much wrong, and the worst she got was house arrest on Heshan Meanwhile, Second Senior Brother was forced to sign a master-servant contract, enslaved for life, never to walk the path of cultivation again.

How was that fair?

It wasn't.

Their anger and resentment surged. In Gu Jinghong's fate, they saw their own potential end.

Yet they were powerless.

Zhao Wuji stood high above them like a god, dictating their lives as if they were pawns on a board.

Zhou Li wanted to speak again, but after seeing Zhou Dai's expression, he fell silent.

What was the point?

As if words could change anything.

Not only could they do nothing, they still had to obediently serve that so-called "pure-hearted" junior sister.

Pure-hearted...

Zhou Li scoffed when he recalled how Zhao Wuji had described Ye Danxia.

Was their master truly blind, or just too deep in his delusions?

If someone like her was considered pure, then what did purity even mean?

After a long silence, Zhou Dai said, "That Yun Jin is quite something."

Zhou Li nodded.

He had only glimpsed Yun Jin once earlier, but what he'd heard since painted a picture.

In all these years, only Yun Jin had managed to push Zhao Wuji this far.

Zhou Dai sighed. "We should find time to visit Second Senior Brother, bring a few gifts. Hopefully Yun Jin will go easy on him. We'll have to go in secret though. If Master finds out, we're finished."

Zhou Li, though restless and frustrated, agreed. "Alright. I'll follow your lead."

After chatting a bit longer, the two brothers settled into quiet meditation.

—

At the Sect Master's residence...

Zhao Wuji coldly summoned Ma Hongyu and Ye Cheng.

Ma Hongyu immediately bowed in terror. "Sect Master, it was my failure as a teacher. Hongyu accepts any punishment. Please decree my sentence."

Ye Cheng, who had been keeping his head low, suddenly looked up. "No! It was my lack of skill! If punishment is to be given, punish me!"

Zhao Wuji stared at them coldly. "You two were humiliated today. You've disgraced me. And now you beg for punishment? If I'd known you were so useless, I would never have kept you around all these years."

Ma Hongyu froze.

Kept them around?

Had they not contributed all this time?

But Zhao Wuji was beyond reason in his fury. After a long tirade, he finally calmed slightly.

His gaze shifted to Ma Hongyu, then away. As the sect's only fifth-grade planting master, Zhao Wuji still needed him—for now, he couldn't touch Ma Hongyu.

But Ye Cheng...

Whether it was his crushing defeat by Yun Jin or his voluntary surrender, he had crossed Zhao Wuji's bottom line.

This person... could not remain.

"Step forward," Zhao Wuji commanded coldly.