Troublemaker’s Guide to Immortality

Having made a mental note to approach Yang Hui and "build rapport," Yun Jin returned to her closed-door alchemy session for the time being.

This time, she intended to refine a broad range of useful pills, especially Huanglong Pills—a staple resource that remained in high demand both in the market and for her own cultivation. The more, the better.

She stayed in seclusion for half a month, crafting a large batch of pills across various types. Only then did she emerge. Her first stop was to find Yue Zhao and hand him a storage pouch filled with pills. Yue Zhao gave it a quick inspection, and his expression shifted.

All… all pills?!

Since when did Little Junior Sister's alchemy speed defy logic?!

"Senior Brother, these are all ready to be sold," Yun Jin said with a yawn. "Every last one is of perfect quality."

Yue Zhao forced himself to maintain a calm expression as he nodded. "Alright. I've already spoken with Pavilion Master Chen and let him know we might be bringing in a new supply soon. He should be mentally prepared by now."

"Good." Yun Jin grinned, then casually asked, "Senior Brother, do you know much about Yang Hui, the peak master of Artifact Peak?"

The way she smiled was... peculiar. Yue Zhao gave her a puzzled look but still answered, "Peak Master Yang Hui is highly skilled in refining. He's a fifth-grade artifact refiner and once forged a Heaven-Tier artifact, even if it was just entry-level. That alone proves his abilities."

A fifth-grade refiner...

Yun Jin tapped her chin thoughtfully. "What's his personality like?"

Yue Zhao raised an eyebrow. "You ever seen a weathercock? The kind that turns whichever way the wind blows?"

"Ah," Yun Jin understood instantly. "So, someone who knows how to read the situation."

"He's actually a pretty interesting guy," Yue Zhao added. "Outwardly, he's best friends with Huo Lie and openly supports the sect leader. He'll even throw shade at our master now and then. But, as far as I know, he's secretly helped Tianjian Peak before. He keeps it under wraps though, probably doesn't want anyone to find out. So just act like you don't know."

Yun Jin nodded in understanding.

So, Yang Hui's personality boiled down to cautious and opportunistic.

"Senior Brother," she asked after a short pause, "if I were to ask him to teach me artifact refinement, do you think he would?"

"Absolutely not," Yue Zhao replied without hesitation. "He would never risk associating with us openly. If you went to him, he'd probably throw you out on the spot."

Really?

Yun Jin began to mull things over.

Yue Zhao looked at her strangely. "Junior Sister, why the sudden interest in refining artifacts?"

He really wanted to say it—

Haven't you already taken on enough?

Sword techniques!

Cultivation farming!

Alchemy!

And now you want to tinker with forging too?

"I don't really want to either," Yun Jin sighed. She didn't bother hiding anything and directly took out the Tai'a Sword. "I unlocked my ancestral ring today. Turns out it was left behind by a cultivator who was saved by our ancestor in a time of crisis. He left this ring as a thank-you gift. When I opened it, I found this sword inside."

Yue Zhao's eyes lit up as he examined the ring.

No wonder he hadn't noticed it before. The ring had clearly been concealed with some kind of technique. Now that it was unlocked, he could finally sense that it was a storage ring.

Yue Zhao, also a sword enthusiast, took the Tai'a Sword and examined it closely.

Almost immediately, his expression shifted.

This sword was no ordinary item.

Despite its low rank, there was something unusual about it—something hidden beneath the surface.

Before he could ask, Yun Jin continued, "This is a sword that can grow stronger. With the right ores and proper refining techniques, it can be upgraded again and again. In theory, if the refinement process continues, it could even reach Heaven-Tier or Sacred-Tier."

Seriously?

Yue Zhao's first reaction was awe.

But a moment later, he hesitated.

It sounded amazing, but such a sword would require extremely high refining skill from its master. To elevate it to Heaven-Tier, the wielder would essentially need to become a refining grandmaster.

If it were him, he'd rather just find a high-grade weapon from the start.

But...

This was his junior sister they were talking about. Yue Zhao looked at Yun Jin intently. Logic told him she already had her hands full. Alchemy, farming, cultivation—wasn't that enough?

But then again...

The sword had already bonded with her. That meant she had made up her mind. She was determined to upgrade it. And she seemed to have some confidence in her refining potential too.

Yue Zhao quickly ran through his options. If that was the case, they'd really need to visit Yang Hui. Not for personal reasons, but because only Artifact Peak had access to the Earthfire Array—the key to forging spiritual-grade artifacts.

The alternative was the trading market.

There were refining workshops in the bazaar too, but with the undercurrents stirring lately, it would be too risky to send Yun Jin there.

Yue Zhao thought for a moment, then said, "Xiao Jin, there's something you missed while you were in seclusion."

"What is it?" Yun Jin straightened her posture and listened intently.

"In the end, aside from Long Yi and Huo Lie, the control over the spiritual fields was handed to Zhao Wuji. The rest of the peaks have honored the agreement and gradually withdrew from the fields."

Yun Jin nodded. She already knew this part.

"But Zhao Wuji did two things after that. First, he harvested all spiritual plants in the fields—whether they were mature or not, regardless of their age. All that was left for the other peaks were empty plots."

That, too, Yun Jin had heard.

"The second thing," Yue Zhao's tone deepened, "was that he contacted all the nearby seed suppliers and warned them not to sell to the other peaks. Now that the fields are empty, everyone is looking to replant. But when they approach suppliers, they're all refused."

"During the half month you were in seclusion, the spiritual fields across the sect remained barren. Only a few scattered seeds from old stock were planted. Several peak masters have come to us for help. I've already sent Ye Cheng to assist where he can."

"But even the best cook can't prepare a meal without rice."

Yue Zhao stopped there, letting his words hang in the air.

"Senior Brother?" Yun Jin blinked. She didn't quite understand what he was getting at.

Seeds shouldn't be a problem.

After all, their alliance with Hundred Herbs Pavilion meant they could easily source seeds, as long as Yue Zhao made the request.

Yue Zhao smiled. "Hundred Herbs Pavilion doesn't know we're from Tianxing Sect. So after the sect master had a word with them, they cut off all seed supplies to our sect. If I used my 'Ren Woxing' identity, I could probably convince them to lift the blockade."

Zhao Wuji had spoken, and Hundred Herbs Pavilion, not wanting to offend a sect leader over something with minimal profit, simply complied.

But if Yue Zhao made the request, things would be different. Given their partnership and Hundred Herbs Pavilion's influence in the Canglan Kingdom, they had no real reason to be afraid of Zhao Wuji.

"So?" Yun Jin still wasn't following his reasoning.

Yue Zhao chuckled and said softly, "Junior Sister, this is something I can't resolve. Only now that you've come out of seclusion can it be handled. You're the only one who can truly help the peaks."

Yun Jin paused, then understood.

Her senior brother hadn't solved the problem on purpose.

He had been waiting for her to come out.

He wanted her to take the lead—and win their hearts.