Troublemaker’s Guide to Immortality

Ling Fei gave a long explanation before finally allowing the girl and beast to leave. The Iron-Eating Beast was still muttering, as if complaining about something. Yun Jin carried it by the scruff of its neck, replying helplessly to its constant grumbles.

Watching their interaction, Ling Fei couldn't help but smile faintly. Truthfully, this Iron-Eating Beast wasn't suited for the Spirit Beast Pavilion. Some spirit beasts were naturally fond of peace and stability, content to live quiet lives. But this little Iron-Eating Beast was different. From the moment it arrived, it showed great curiosity about the outside world.

So, when it met a young disciple and exchanged a few words, it was quickly drawn in by the disciple's stories of the world beyond. Without hesitation, it chose to follow him.

Ling Fei had tried to dissuade it at the time.

After all, the beast was still far too young and might not be able to handle what lay ahead. But the Iron-Eating Beast had been stubborn. Since its mind was made up, Ling Fei could only let it go.

The result?

That disciple formed a contract with the beast. At first, it was all novelty and fun. But soon enough, he began to resent its immaturity, calling it troublesome. He complained about its low strength, saying it was inferior to other spirit beasts.

In less than a few months, the disciple returned the Iron-Eating Beast to the pavilion. Already mischievous by nature, the little beast became even more unruly after being abandoned. Ling Fei understood it was hurt and didn't know how to deal with its emotions. He'd been doing his best to comfort it ever since. Unfortunately, his efforts hadn't borne much fruit.

Each time a new disciple came to choose a spirit beast, the Iron-Eating Beast would grow unstable—sometimes envious, sometimes dismissive.

There were moments when Ling Fei simply didn't know what to do. With a temperament like that, the beast was better suited to wandering outside. Keeping it caged in the pavilion would only lead to eventual depression. And yet, letting it leave again with just anyone would risk it being hurt once more. Besides, the little one seemed to have developed a dislike for humans altogether.

This time, however, Ling Fei could finally breathe easy.

The Iron-Eating Beast had taken the initiative to form a contract with Yun Jin, which showed it had begun to trust her. He trusted his judgment. Yun Jin wasn't someone who would carelessly abandon a contracted beast. That girl and this beast should get along just fine.

Ling Fei looked forward to seeing how things would turn out.

—

After what felt like hundreds of scuffles along the way, Yun Jin and the Iron-Eating Beast finally returned to Tianjian Peak.

At the entrance to her room, Gu Jinghong stood looking pale and pitiful.

"Pull yourself together. What's that miserable face for?" Yun Jin snorted.

Gu Jinghong: "..."

He forced a smile onto his face.

Yun Jin's expression turned even more disgusted. "Why do you look so ugly? Wait outside. I'll deal with you later."

Inside, the Tianjian Peak disciples had gathered, waiting for her.

When they saw the Iron-Eating Beast in her hand, Si Wanning's eyes lit up. She immediately took the beast into her arms. "Xiao Jin, you have excellent taste! This Iron-Eating Beast is adorable!"

Yun Jin let out a sigh.

In the short time they'd spent together, one thing was clear:

This beast was a menace—an edgy, rebellious menace.

Yet in Si Wanning's arms, it transformed into a perfect angel, sitting primly with wide, innocent eyes.

Si Wanning became even more smitten. Her eyes sparkled with envy. "I really want a spirit beast of my own too…"

"If you still dare step into the Spirit Beast Pavilion, then go ahead," Yue Zhao said lazily.

Si Wanning froze.

Truth was, every disciple in Tianxing Sect dreamed of owning a spirit beast. Si Wanning was no exception. From the moment she joined the sect, she had been making trips to the pavilion.

Unfortunately...

"Senior Brother, what do you mean by that? Sounds like there's a story," Yun Jin asked with obvious interest.

"It's nothing, really…" Si Wanning tried to brush it off.

But Yue Zhao was already recounting it with vivid flair. "Not much of a story. The first time your Second Senior Sister went to the pavilion, she told a timid little Water Spirit Rabbit that she'd take it out to fight people. She scared the poor thing so badly it started crying."

Si Wanning huffed. "How was I supposed to know it was that timid?"

"Elder Ling kicked her out immediately. But since he thought it wasn't entirely intentional, he let her back in a few days later. That time, she did her research. She learned that Blaze Rats are bold and warlike, much more her style. So she went and boasted to a whole group of them, saying she'd take them on adventures across the world."

"That should've gone better, right?" Even Yun Jin was curious now, and the Iron-Eating Beast perked up its ears.

Yue Zhao chuckled. "The Blaze Rats weren't scared, true. But she hyped them up too much. More than ten of them started fighting each other on the spot to compete for the contract. Several got injured."

Yun Jin: "..."

Si Wanning looked guilty. She hadn't expected those spirit beasts to be so easily provoked.

"Elder Ling threw her out again. That time, he gave her a permanent ban. From then on, the Spirit Beast Pavilion was off-limits to her," Yue Zhao said, not even hiding the schadenfreude.

Yun Jin couldn't help asking, "Senior Brother, what about you? Do you have a spirit beast?"

Yue Zhao shook his head and explained, "Spirit beasts aren't that easy to raise. Cultivating one requires a huge amount of resources. If its cultivation is too low, it won't be of much help. Our Sky Sword Peak is… not exactly rich. Raising spirit beasts at Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment stage is still manageable. Anything beyond that, though, and we can't afford it. And honestly, beasts at those lower stages can't offer much help at my level. I don't have the time or resources for one, so I never applied."

Si Wanning wanted one more like a pet, so it wasn't a big deal for her.

But Yue Zhao was practical. To raise a spirit beast to the Nascent Soul stage or higher would require a staggering amount of resources and effort, far more than he could bear.

"Raising a spirit beast is a serious discipline in itself, a great art," Lin Ya said calmly.

"There are four major Holy Lands in this realm. For combat power, it's the Kunlun Sword Sect. For techniques, the Qingxiao Pavilion. For alchemy, it's Xuandan Gate. And the last one is the Beast Taming Sect."

"Disciples of the Beast Taming Sect have unique methods. Their beasts are often stronger than they are. In battle, they can summon a whole squad of spirit beasts in an instant. Under the same rank, their fighting style is incredibly overpowered. You might think they're alone, but they carry a spirit beast army with them."

"But that's the Beast Taming Sect. They have the heritage, the skills, the secret arts. For other sects to raise a high-tier beast is incredibly difficult. Your Iron-Eating Beast is only at Qi Refining now. Getting it to Foundation Establishment will take a long time. By then, you might already be at Golden Core, and a Foundation Establishment-level beast won't help much."

Yun Jin nodded. She understood.

But she wasn't worried at all.

Difficult? Then so be it.

She could refine pills and earn spirit crystals. Plus, she had the Super Simplified System to help. nOne Iron-Eating Beast? She'd raise it no matter what.

She didn't feel troubled in the slightest. But while she stayed calm, the Iron-Eating Beast had gone stiff beside her. Its last master had abandoned it because it couldn't become strong fast enough. This time… would it be left behind again?

Yun Jin didn't notice the tension. She simply spoke with a serious expression. "That reminds me, there's something important we need to do."

The beast was sitting on Si Wanning's lap, but now it leaned forward anxiously.

What should it do?

Was she regretting the contract?

Was it going to be abandoned again?

The little Iron-Eating Beast looked like it was about to cry.

The next moment—

It heard Yun Jin say, "Let's give it a name."

Iron-Eating Beast: "???"

That's it???

It had leaned out too far, lost its balance, and tumbled to the floor with a few rolls.

A bit embarrassing.

But as the proud Iron-Eating Beast, it wasn't flustered in the slightest.

It quickly sat up, pretending nothing had happened.

Yun Jin thought it was just being playful. She sighed. "So mischievous. Let's call it Gun Gun. (Rolling)"

---

Gun Gun (滚滚): A playful name meaning "rolling," fitting the panda's tumble and its round, roly-poly form.