Troublemaker’s Guide to Immortality

"Master!"

Even though they had agreed to put on an act, hearing Ma Hongyu say those words aloud pierced Ye Cheng's heart. He couldn't hold back. Nearly crawling on the floor, he clung to Ma Hongyu's leg in desperation. "Master, I know I was wrong! Please don't expel me. I truly understand my mistake!"

His emotions overwhelmed him. The performance had become too real.

Even Ma Hongyu paused in surprise before shouting, "Then tell me, what exactly did you do wrong?!"

"I…" Ye Cheng's lips trembled.

"Rotten wood cannot be carved!" Ma Hongyu growled, then kicked him away again. "From this day on, I no longer have a disciple like you. Go wherever you want, but you and I are finished."

He turned to Zhao Wujie and cupped his hands respectfully. "Sect Master, I have failed as a teacher. It is my negligence that raised such a disgrace. For a disciple like this to repay your kindness with betrayal, calling him an ungrateful wretch wouldn't be wrong. I cannot tolerate someone like him in my household. I ask the Sect Master to bear witness—our master-disciple relationship is now formally severed. From now on, we have nothing to do with one another."

Zhao Wujie stared, momentarily stunned.

Wait…

Was this really necessary?

Ye Cheng was supposed to die in a month anyway. Cutting ties like this would just set him free.

And the jade pendant had been taken back by Ma Hongyu.

Something felt… off.

Zhao Wujie cleared his throat and attempted to smooth things over. "Hongyu, don't be so hasty. With proper guidance, this child can still be taught."

"Sect Master!" Ma Hongyu looked even more agitated. "If he had merely disrespected me, I could endure it. But now, he dares question your decisions. That is defiance against you. If we keep someone like him around and he starts stirring up more trouble, won't the entire Tianxing Sect become a laughingstock? Worse, if we don't punish him properly, what will stop the other disciples from following his example? I know the Sect Master is merciful and wishes to spare the disciples where possible. But in a situation like this, leniency will only embolden others!"

His words were full of righteous fervor.

Zhao Wujie's expression shifted slightly.

His authority had already taken several hits lately. If he didn't deal with Ye Cheng harshly, it might give the others dangerous ideas.

He narrowed his eyes and said calmly, "You're his master. You can handle it as you see fit."

Just one disciple. If Ma Hongyu wants to throw him away, so be it.

If I want him dead later, it'll be easy enough.

Ma Hongyu bowed respectfully before turning to Ye Cheng, his voice icy. "Go. From now on, if we meet, we are strangers."

Ye Cheng's lips quivered. He gave Ma Hongyu one final kowtow, then struggled to his feet.

His master had already paved a path for him.

He did not fear how difficult that road might be.

But he knew, no matter what happened in the future, he would never again be able to look Ma Hongyu in the eye and call him "Master."

His eyes burned red as he walked slowly out of the main hall.

"Senior Brother!"

"Senior Brother, what happened to you?!"

At the entrance, several younger disciples had been waiting anxiously.

Ma Hongyu followed behind and barked coldly, "Why are you still calling him Senior Brother? Our master-disciple bond is broken. From this day on, Ye Cheng is no longer under my tutelage. If you see him in the future, there's no need to greet him. Understood?"

The disciples froze in shock.

Expelled?

How had it become this serious?

They had guessed that Ye Cheng's actions might anger the Sect Master, but this was far beyond their expectations.

Someone tried to speak up in his defense, but Ma Hongyu cut them off with an icy glare. "Anyone who dares plead for him can leave with him."

His tone was absolute, without the slightest room for negotiation.

The disciples lowered their heads, grief on their faces, but none dared to say another word.

Silently, they stepped aside and opened the path.

Ye Cheng walked forward, one step at a time.

He looked up at the sky.

The sun blazed overhead, harsh and dazzling, but in it, he sensed a breath of freedom.

He forced back the tears, then kept walking, never once looking back.

The commotion in the Sect Master's Hall spread quickly throughout the sect.

Ye Cheng's situation hadn't technically violated any sect rules, but within the structure of a master-disciple relationship, the master held absolute authority.

A disciple could not betray their master. A master, however, could expel a disciple at will.

Ma Hongyu had chosen to cast Ye Cheng out. Whether he had reasons or not, no one could object. At most, his other disciples might feel disheartened, but others had no say.

Now that Ye Cheng had been driven out, he had two choices. One was to join one of the ten peaks and become their disciple. If none accepted him, he could still go to the outer sect and register as an outer disciple.

What he could not do was leave the sect entirely. He had only been expelled by his master, not from Tianxing Sect itself. If he left without going through the proper registration, it would be considered desertion. That crime would carry even heavier consequences.

After Ye Cheng's expulsion, Zhao Wuji kept a close eye, observing whether anyone dared to take him in. Even if it hadn't been Zhao Wuji who expelled him, others should understand that Ye Cheng no longer had his favor.

If someone dared to shelter him…

Zhao Wuji's lips curved into a cold smile.

~

Ye Cheng, injured and weary, dragged himself from peak to peak, seeking a place to stay. But most peak lords refused to even see him, sending their disciples to turn him away.

The only one who agreed to meet was Fang Mingyue.

Even then, she only offered some gentle words of comfort, telling him to stay strong. She did not dare take him in either. Zhao Wuji had too many ways to make things difficult. The reclamation of the spirit fields had only succeeded because six peak lords had acted together.

If she stood alone by taking in Ye Cheng, she would become a target. Zhao Wuji, for the sake of his pride, would single her out immediately. Fang Mingyue sympathized with Ye Cheng. She appreciated his character and talent, but she truly could do nothing for him.

There was one last path—but Fang Mingyue hesitated, then stayed silent.

She had heard that Yun Jin visited Ye Cheng the day before, provoking him until he fainted.

If that was true, even this final road might be closed to him.

A flicker of doubt crossed Fang Mingyue's mind.

Why would Yun Jin go out of her way to anger Ye Cheng?

She had always been bold, but never pointlessly cruel.

Had success gone to her head?

Or was this just another move in her feud with the sect leader's faction?

Fang Mingyue couldn't make sense of it.

Still, she quietly ordered someone to keep an eye on Ye Cheng.

If he ended up in the outer sect, she could at least help him in secret.

With a sigh, she felt the familiar weight of helplessness.

When will I ever be a true peak lord—and not just a puppet?

~

After being turned away again and again, Ye Cheng stood alone for a long time.

Many people were watching him from the shadows, wondering what he would do next.

And then, they saw him take a step forward—

Heading toward Tianjian Peak.