Troublemaker’s Guide to Immortality

When the news arrived, Zhao Wujie let out a cold, mocking smile.

He said flatly, "Keep watching."

He wanted to see if Tianjian Peak would really dare to take Ye Cheng in. Just yesterday, Ye Cheng had clashed with Yun Jin. If today he acted like nothing had happened and joined Tianjian Peak, then...

Zhao Wujie narrowed his eyes.

That would be enough reason to suspect that Ma Hongyu and Ye Cheng had staged the entire act. Their deep bond as master and disciple had always been well-known. What if they had discovered something and put on a performance, just to send Ye Cheng into hiding at Tianjian Peak?

Thoughts shifting quickly, Zhao Wujie summoned Ma Hongyu.

Ma Hongyu stormed into the hall, face full of fury. "Sect Master, I've already heard. That shameless Ye Cheng actually dared go straight to Tianjian Peak! After what Yun Jin did to him yesterday, he saw it all with his own eyes. And today, just to stay in the inner sect, he grovels like this? I truly misjudged this disciple."

Ma Hongyu looked so genuinely outraged that Zhao Wujie was momentarily caught off guard.

He quickly offered a few comforting words. Only then did Ma Hongyu manage to calm down, though barely.

"Hongyu," Zhao Wuji suddenly smiled. "About that jade pendant I gifted Ye Cheng, which you returned…"

Ma Hongyu immediately replied, "Such a treasure is priceless for disciples below the Nascent Soul stage. How could I let that traitor keep it?"

Is that all?

Did he really not notice anything amiss?

Zhao Wuji's grin widened. Testing the waters, he said, "Once a gift is given, it's not my habit to take it back. Since Ye Cheng is unworthy, why not pass it to your second disciple?"

His gaze locked onto Ma Hongyu's face. If even a flicker of hesitation appeared, Zhao Wuji would act without mercy.

Poisoning a disciple was a secret worth killing to keep.

Ma Hongyu froze, then his face lit up with gratitude. He dropped to his knees and thanked Zhao Wujie profusely on behalf of his second disciple. "Thank you, Sect Master. Although Ye Cheng is gone, I still have several capable disciples. The spirit fields will be handled perfectly, I assure you."

Zhao Wujie stared at him for a moment, then suddenly laughed. "Good. Have your second disciple collect the jade pendant tomorrow."

Ma Hongyu clearly suspects nothing—otherwise, he wouldn't accept so eagerly.

Tomorrow, he'd give the second disciple an untampered pendant.

Why kill useful subordinates for no reason?

Just as Zhao Wujie was about to let him go, the disciple sent to monitor Ye Cheng returned.

He bowed respectfully. "Reporting on Ye Cheng..."

"Ye Cheng? That disgrace is not worthy of the title." Ma Hongyu snapped immediately, looking even more furious than Zhao Wujie himself.

The disciple flinched but continued, "After arriving at Tianjian Peak, Peak Lord Lin received him. That area is difficult to approach, so we couldn't hear what was discussed. But the conversation didn't seem to go well. Ye Cheng came out looking very upset. Still, he seems to be holding onto some hope. He's currently kneeling outside the peak."

Zhao Wujie chuckled.

That settled it. He no longer had any suspicions toward Ma Hongyu.

He glanced at him with amusement. "There are five great kneelings: to Heaven, Earth, Sovereign, Parent, and Master. Your disciple kneeling to Lin Ya—he clearly intends to take him as a new master."

Ma Hongyu's face darkened. "Shameless."

Zhao Wujie offered some light consolation. "Don't worry. Tianjian Peak may not even accept him. And even if they do…"

He paused, his tone turning subtle. "The sect-wide assembly is coming soon."

All the peak lords held at least Unity-stage cultivation.

Lin Ya had once been among the finest of them.

But that was in the past.

Now, at best, he was at the Divine Transformation stage.

How could someone at Divine Transformation remain a peak lord?

He had held the position this long only because of his past contributions to the sect.

But even the greatest merits expire.

Lin Ya… our long-standing feud will soon end.

Cold light flashed in Zhao Wuji's eyes.

~

Ye Cheng continued kneeling outside Tianjian Peak. Many watched in secret, waiting to see whether the peak would take him in. If anyone in Tianxing Sect dared to shelter Ye Cheng, it would be Lin Ya. And if even Lin Ya refused him, then Ye Cheng's only path was the outer sect. Outer sect resources were scarce, though that might not matter to Ye Cheng.

What would crush him was the barren land, useless for growing spiritual herbs. For someone like Ye Cheng, who treated spiritual plants as his life's work, that was the true deal-breaker. So they understood why he was willing to throw away his pride just to remain in the inner sect.

Still, to beg at the feet of Yun Jin's master the day after being humiliated by her...

It left many with a bitter taste.

Ye Cheng remained kneeling.

Three days and three nights passed.

At first, many watched. Later, most simply sighed and turned away.

Just as the deadline for his relocation to the outer sect approached, Lin Ya summoned Ye Cheng again.

Had the situation changed?

The eyes of the entire sect once again turned toward Tianjian Peak.

Not long after, Lin Ya personally went to see Zhao Wujie.

He didn't waste time with pleasantries. "Sect Master, Tianjian Peak requests registration of a second-generation disciple."

Zhao Wujie narrowed his eyes. "So you've decided to take Ye Cheng in after all?"

Lin Ya shrugged. "The boy only knows farming—his other talents are mediocre. You know I prefer sword prodigies. Ye Cheng is… a stretch. I intended to ignore him, but my youngest disciple spoke up for him and insisted we accept him. I indulged her."

"Yun Jin? Didn't she just clash with Ye Cheng yesterday? And now she's defending him?" Zhao Wujie's expression shifted, paranoia bubbling beneath the surface.

Lin Ya sighed. "Sect Leader, Ye Cheng will be a second-generation disciple of Tianjian Peak."

Second-generation?

Zhao Wuji froze.

If Ye Cheng were truly Lin Ya's disciple, he would be registered as a first-generation disciple, whether inner or core.

"So Ye Cheng took your disciple as his master?" Zhao Wujie asked.

Lin Ya nodded with a helpless look. "I tried to dissuade them. Since when does a Foundation Establishment cultivator take a Golden Core disciple? But Ye Cheng was desperate to stay in the inner sect. He actually agreed. It's absurd, but since neither of them objected, I'm just here to make it official."

Zhao Wuji was speechless.

Yun Jin—a Foundation Establishment ant—taking a Golden Core cultivator as her disciple?!

This wasn't acceptance.

This was humiliation.

And Ye Cheng, with no other choice, had swallowed the insult.

What an amusing master-disciple pair.

Zhao Wuji smirked. "Fine. The token will be ready tomorrow."

With that, he struck Ye Cheng from his watchlist entirely.

Let him rot at Tianjian Peak.

With Yun Jin's vindictive nature, how well could she possibly treat him?

He'd likely suffer just like Gu Jinghong.

Sooner or later…

Ye Cheng will regret this.

The thought finally put Zhao Wuji in a truly good mood.