Troublemaker’s Guide to Immortality

It became clear to everyone in an instant.

Ye Danxia truly was Zhao Wuji's precious treasure.

Compared to her, his past disciples might as well have been strangers.

Some began to wonder.

Was Ye Danxia his illegitimate daughter?

Why else would he go to such lengths for her?

Though the thought remained unspoken, the presence of the Demon-Slaying Token meant no one could openly object. If Zhao Wuji insisted on protecting her, there was little they could do.

Lin Ya cast a worried glance at Yun Jin. By all accounts, today had been a complete victory, except for this single unresolved matter. Yun Jin had been at odds with Ye Danxia for a long time. Surely she couldn't be pleased with the outcome?

Yet, to his surprise, Yun Jin was smiling.

She had never believed Ye Danxia would die so easily. In fact, she didn't even want her to die just yet. Her aggressive stance had merely been to test the limits of Ye Danxia's so-called protagonist aura, to see how far this situation would twist itself to protect her.

She hadn't expected this outcome.

Zhou Li and Zhou Dai, who weren't supposed to return for some time, had suddenly come back early. In the original story, the Demon-Slaying Token was something they earned and kept themselves. Yet now, Zhao Wuji had handed it directly to Ye Danxia.

Zhao Wuji's entire sect had once been united in doting on her.

But just moments ago…

Zhou Li and Zhou Dai's gazes toward Ye Danxia had held no trace of affection. And Gu Jinghong, who already loathed her, had once been among her most devoted. Nearly half of her early "suitors" had fallen away in a single moment.

Of course, these male side characters weren't that important.

This was a sprawling epic, and Ye Danxia was adored wherever she went. She was never short on admirers. Among the disciples of Tianxing Sect, Zhao Wuji alone had benefited, using Ye Danxia's rising star to gain entry into Qingxiao Pavilion and inherit his father's legacy.

As for the five senior brothers she left behind, none of them had good ends. They had given everything for Ye Danxia, but in her eyes, they were nothing more than fleeting passersby.

Her life was too brilliant. In the mortal world, in the Immortal Realm, countless proud sons of heaven went mad for her.

And that Demon Sovereign male lead? Whether he admitted it or not, he was always jealous. All the men who loved Ye Danxia were nothing more than brief seasoning in the grand recipe of her romance.

Yun Jin was curious—would Zhou Li and Zhou Dai fall for her again in this lifetime?

In the previous life, those twin brothers had been the most stable among her many suitors. They had never clashed directly with Yun Jin. Zhou Li played the role of the hot-headed loyal dog, while Zhou Dai was the cold and cunning strategist. Both poured their hearts into chasing Ye Danxia, crashing into walls for her like madmen, but they had never dragged down the innocent.

Most importantly, they had spent their lives fighting against the demon race, and in the end, both perished on the battlefield. If not for Ye Danxia's presence, Yun Jin might have respected them.

Still, though she held no grudge against them, she had no friendship with them either.

In this life, she would simply wait and see whether they could open their eyes.

"Yun Jin, do you have any objections?" Zhao Wuji fixed his gaze on her.

Yun Jin's smile deepened. Her voice was soft as she said, "Our two senior brothers just returned from Demon-Slaying, and their token was taken without hesitation, then handed to a junior sister who has done nothing. I truly feel sorry for them. Sect Master, it seems your eyes see only Ye Danxia and none of your other disciples."

Zhou Li and Zhou Dai stood in silence.

Zhao Wuji looked at the two, then turned his cold eyes back to Yun Jin. "Stop trying to sow discord. They're senior brothers. Helping their junior sister is the right thing to do. The Demon-Slaying Token is now in Danxia's hands. Tianxing Sect has no authority to judge her. No matter what you say, that won't change."

"If the sect leader is willing to hurt his disciples' hearts just to protect Ye Danxia, what else is there for me to say?" Yun Jin raised an eyebrow. "Still, until the Demon-Slaying Alliance sends someone, Ye Danxia remains a criminal. A sinner doesn't deserve the same treatment as our other disciples."

Zhao Wuji's face darkened slightly. "Then what would you propose?"

"I remember there are two mountains not far from the sect," Yun Jin said calmly. "They stand across from each other, with the He River flowing between. The peaks are steep and isolated. Since Danxia's situation is delicate, it would be better to house her on Heshan. Let her meditate there, reflect on her wrongs, and wait for judgment."

Heshan?

Yes, two mountains near the Tianxing Sect were known collectively as Heshan.

But wasn't that basically a form of exile?

Zhao Wuji's expression turned unpleasant.

"Sect Master," Fang Mingyue interjected, "Yun Jin has a point. Ye Danxia is indeed a sinner. If someone from the Demon-Slaying Alliance arrives and sees her living no differently from ordinary disciples, they may accuse Tianxing Sect of abusing the Demon-Slaying Token's authority."

"That's right," others chimed in. "A sinner shouldn't remain in the sect like nothing happened."

Zhao Wuji was aware of the backlash. His overt favoritism toward Ye Danxia had begun to stir resentment. He cast an apologetic glance at her, then said, "Very well. We will do as proposed."

His plan was simple. Though Heshan was remote, as long as he continued caring for Ye Danxia, her life there would not be much different from within the sect. Once his father emerged from secluded cultivation, Zhao Wuji would ask him to settle the matter completely.

With his father's authority, no one would dare to raise further objections. Zhao Wuji was thoroughly considering Ye Danxia's future. But when Ye Danxia heard the news, her face went pale.

She was still going to suffer? Still going to be locked away on some desolate mountain?

For a moment, resentment stirred in her heart toward Zhao Wuji.

Wasn't he the great sect master?

How could he not even protect his own disciple?

Everyone used to say Yun Jin was unfortunate to be taken in by Lin Ya, but from the look of things, Yun Jin seemed to be doing just fine.

It was she, Ye Danxia, who had been tripping over bad luck from the start.

She lowered her gaze, not daring to reveal her true thoughts. In the end, she had no choice but to obey. At least, her life was temporarily spared.

Yun Jin glanced at her, the smile on her lips growing darker and more enigmatic.

She had specifically suggested Heshan for Ye Danxia's sake.

If Ye Danxia didn't go to Heshan…

How would she encounter the gravely injured Demon Sovereign?

How would she save his life?

How would that grand, fiery romance ever begin?

Look how kind she was.

So worried that Ye Danxia might miss the male lead, she had personally sent her to the right place.

In the previous life…

Ye Danxia had discovered the Demon Sovereign while wandering near the mouth of the He River. She nursed him back to health in a hidden cave nearby, tending to his wounds in secret.

During that period, she often vanished for days, and Yun Jin had taken the blame for her absences more than once.

But such an earth-shaking romance… how could she bear to see them miss their chance?

Those two were clearly fated.

Made for each other.