Troublemaker’s Guide to Immortality

Yun Jin said she was going into seclusion, but in reality, she zipped off to find Yue Zhao.

The moment she reached the door, she heard a ruckus inside.

"Hurry, hurry, play your tile already!"

"We finally get to sit down for a round of pai jiu, don't waste my time!"

"Senior Brother! You're always yelling about needing a fourth player, but now that Junior Sister's here, you're not calling her to join?"

Yun Jin paused, intrigued.

Yue Zhao didn't answer directly. Instead, he looked at Si Wanning. "Then you go ask her."

Si Wanning trembled. "On second thought... three players is fine. Three's good. Really good."

Their Little Junior Sister was perfect in every way—except for her uncanny ability to utterly crush people's spirits.

Her methods of showing off were numerous, unpredictable, and struck from angles no one could anticipate. Who could withstand that?

Yun Jin stood there, lost in thought.

Her seniors didn't invite her to play anymore. Was that... a good thing?

Granted, she didn't have time for games either.

But how did they have time to mess around?

Maybe everyone had gotten a bit too comfortable lately.

She reflected deeply. How could she focus so much on improving herself and forget to bring the team along?

There's a saying: once you've made it, lift others with you.

Someone as outstanding as her should inspire collective progress.

Therefore, senior brothers and sisters… your days of leisure were over!

Of course, this wasn't at all revenge for them excluding her from Pai Gow!

Yun Jin was not that kind of person.

Her sole intention was to lead everyone toward collective prosperity.

With that noble thought in mind, Yun Jin calmly pushed the door open.

Three pairs of eyes immediately snapped toward her.

Yue Zhao and Si Wanning's expressions shifted. Yu Songnian was so shocked, he practically turned to stone.

"L-Little Junior Sister? What brings you here?" Si Wanning asked guiltily.

Yue Zhao immediately threw her under the cart. "Little Junior Sister, I wanted to invite you, but Second Junior Sister insisted on excluding you. See how cruel she is?"

Si Wanning glared at him. Was there ever a man more shameless than this?

"I, on the other hand, have always wanted you to join us. Without you, the world loses all meaning. Now that you're here, my life is bright again," Yue Zhao said with utmost sincerity.

Si Wanning was livid. "Yue Zhao, you old scoundrel—"

Before she could draw her sword, Yun Jin smiled sweetly. "Eldest Senior Brother, your words move me deeply. I've reflected on this—as fellow disciples, we should spend more time together and strengthen our bonds! How could I focus only on my own affairs while neglecting my dear senior brothers and sisters?"

Yue Zhao and Si Wanning exchanged looks of horror.

For some reason, they had a very bad feeling about this.

"Actually…" Yue Zhao tried to protest.

But Yun Jin cut in, "From now on, let's train together! The Grand Sect Assembly is approaching. If we don't work hard, wouldn't we embarrass Master?"

"That's true, but… we can practice on our own," Si Wanning said cautiously. "We don't have to train together."

Yun Jin's eyes instantly welled up with tears. "Second Senior Sister… do you dislike me? Do you not want to see me?"

Si Wanning panicked and waved her hands. "No, that's not what I meant!"

"Good." Yun Jin's expression brightened instantly. "Then it's settled—we'll train together from now on. No time like the present, so let's start today."

Yue Zhao and Si Wanning shot resentful glances at each other, then looked enviously at Yu Songnian. Third Junior Brother's petrification had perfect timing.

Once again, he had dodged the bullet.

Following their gazes, Yun Jin studied Yu Songnian thoughtfully.

"Eldest Senior Brother, Second Senior Sister," she asked, "what sword art does Third Senior Brother cultivate?"

Lin Ya was renowned for his swordsmanship, and all his disciples specialized in sword arts—Yu Songnian was no exception. But since joining the sect, Yun Jin had never seen him fight. She only knew his movements were ghostly, making him nearly impossible to detect.

Yue Zhao asked, "Have you heard of the Yu Clan, a cultivation family?"

Yun Jin shook her head. 

Yue Zhao explained, "You know how rare spiritual roots are. In the mortal world, maybe one in ten thousand has them. That makes it hard for sects to recruit new disciples, which affects the harmony and sustainability of the cultivation world."

He paused and looked at her. "Junior Sister, are you following so far?"

Yun Jin nodded. "I understand. Please continue."

Yue Zhao went on, "So people realized that children of cultivators had a higher chance of spiritual roots. Cultivators started forming relationships with each other, and even if their kids weren't qualified to join sects, they stayed in the mortal world and had families. Over generations, this created cultivation clans. Children born in such clans have a much higher chance of possessing spiritual roots. These families became a stable source of new blood for major sects. Some even rival mid-tier sects in power."

Yun Jin thought for a moment. "So the Yu family is one of those clans?"

Yue Zhao nodded and lowered his voice. "Third Senior Brother's father used to be the clan head. Yu Songnian showed extraordinary talent from a young age and was expected to succeed him. But then he developed a strange illness that causes him to petrify unpredictably. Every time it happens, his cultivation regresses. A genius like him was reduced to being seen as a cripple."

"He still had his father's protection, so life wasn't too bad. But one day, his father was ambushed and killed during a trip. Without that protection, things became dangerous for him."

"So he made a clean break, joined Tianxing Sect, and was accepted by Master. That gave him some breathing room. Master even found a way to suppress the side effects of the petrification. But it can't be cured completely. His cultivation is still unstable. And if Master loses his seat as peak lord during the Sect-Wide Assembly, the Yu family might come knocking."

Yue Zhao sighed. "We all have our share of hardship."

A mysterious petrification illness...

Yun Jin studied Yu Songnian, whose body seemed normal but carried a stiffness that betrayed deeper issues.

She grew curious.

"System, scan Third Senior Brother's condition."

The mechanical system voice replied:

[Scan failed. Condition too complex for standard mode.]

That was a first.

Yun Jin's curiosity only grew.

"Then what mode do I need?"