Troublemaker’s Guide to Immortality

"Eight times eight is sixty-four!"

"Nine times nine is eighty-one!"

Gun Gun shouted proudly as it finished the hundred recitations Yun Jin had told it to do.

Gu Jinghong let out a long sigh. So this was how it wanted to train? There was no way this method would bear real fruit. That little beast was definitely going to lose its temper and start tormenting him again.

He braced himself mentally.

Then it happened.

A faint glow rippled across Gun Gun's fur. For a moment, it froze in place, then suddenly slammed forward with all its might.

CRACK!

A hundred-year-old spiritwood tree cracked audibly and shattered.

[Tree: What did I ever do to deserve this?]

The light shimmered once more, then fully merged into Gun Gun's body.

Gu Jinghong's jaw slowly dropped open.

This was…

A skill advancement?

Gun Gun's impact had clearly gained a tier of power. Combined with that mysterious glow, it was likely the skill had just leveled up.

But why?

It was notoriously difficult for spirit beasts to evolve their skills. Most beasts in the Qi Refinement stage never advanced past the first skill level. So how had a mere mid-grade spirit beast advanced to the second level with such ease? Just from that weird little chant?

Was that even possible?

"One times one is one… one times two is two…" Gu Jinghong couldn't help but try reciting the chant himself, hoping to sense something miraculous hidden within it.

But no matter how many times he repeated it, there wasn't even the faintest ripple of power.

Gun Gun immediately burst into mocking laughter. "That chant was made just for me by my master! With your tiny brain, how could you possibly get it?"

Though Gu Jinghong didn't understand the words, the mocking tone was unmistakable.

His face darkened.

"How dare you glare at your Grandpa Gun Gun?" Gun Gun leapt onto Gu Jinghong's shoulders and yanked a handful of his hair without hesitation.

Gu Jinghong sucked in sharp breaths of pain but didn't dare fight back. He didn't even let himself feel annoyed.

Spirit beasts shared a mental link with their masters. If Yun Jin sensed his resentment through the contract, she could end him from across the continent.

After plucking out a small patch of hair, Gun Gun got bored and returned to its training.

"Heh. Master said a hundred reps…"

"But what if I do two hundred? Three hundred?"

"I'll grind in secret… and outwork everyone!"

Meanwhile, at the Hundred Herbs Pavilion, Yun Jin sipped tea as she received a notification:

[Gun Gun's "Charge" skill has advanced to Tier 2!]

She smiled in satisfaction.

"Good. The little guy's got drive."

With that attitude, she wouldn't mind burning more simplified cultivation attempts on it.

Effort, after all, would always be rewarded.

Still, with Gun Gun in the picture, her consumption of simplified attempts had spiked. She needed to continue flaunting her talents to earn more from the system. No slacking off now.

"Little sister, do you like the tea?" Lan Cen asked gently, seeing Yun Jin smile as she sipped.

Yun Jin beamed at her. "It's amazing! Thank you, Sister Lan Cen."

Lan Cen returned the smile, soft and warm.

She truly felt grateful toward Yun Jin.

Originally, her status in Hundred Herbs Pavilion was middling at best. She was a pharmacist, with no clear path yet to becoming a true alchemist.

But after Yun Jin casually said she'd "take her along for the ride," Elder Chen, eager to collaborate with Yun Jin long-term, immediately pulled some strings.

Lan Cen was removed from front desk duties and granted resources to focus entirely on her alchemy breakthrough.

All because of one offhand remark from Yun Jin.

Remembering her initial coldness toward the girl, Lan Cen cringed inwardly. From now on, even the pavilion master would take a backseat when Yun Jin visited.

"If you like the tea, I'll pack some for you to take home," Lan Cen offered.

Yun Jin casually agreed. No need for polite refusals between friends.

But Lan Cen hesitated for a moment, then asked worriedly, "Little sister, are you truly confident in reaching Second Rank Alchemist? The Pavilion Master has personally helped spread word of your exam. I'm afraid half the marketplace will be coming to watch. If anything goes wrong…"

She wasn't worried about reputation. She feared Yun Jin's pride couldn't handle public failure.

Geniuses who'd never tasted defeat often shattered at the first setback.

Yun Jin raised her head, lifted her chin, and said boldly, "Failure? That word doesn't exist in my world."

The reason she could live so freely in this life was simple. She had already failed countless times in the past. When she first began traversing different worlds, her strength had been next to nothing. Every mission had been a brutal uphill battle. She had failed more times than she could count.

Many times, she had hovered on the edge of life and death. And having survived so much, she now deserved a smooth path in this life.

This lifetime was hers. Whatever troubles that woman Ye Danxia might bring were just passing annoyances. What truly mattered was living her own life to the fullest. This life would be smooth from beginning to end. No one would stand in her way.

Yun Jin's voice brimmed with absolute confidence.

For a moment, Lan Cen almost believed her.

Believed this girl could achieve anything.

That she'd climb to the pinnacle—until no one in the world could stand beside her.

Shaking off her own thoughts, Lan Cen laughed.

"Yun Jin's theatrics are rubbing off on me…"

~

Meanwhile, the Alchemy Pavilion was already on high alert.

Yue Zhao had come by early to report that Yun Jin would soon attempt her Second Rank Alchemist assessment.

Ming Heng thought back.

How long had it been since she passed the First Rank test?

Four.

A whole four days!

Plenty of time to advance, right?

Totally normal!

Ming Heng gritted his teeth.

Normal my ass!

After Yun Jin had casually said, "A proper cauldron should know how to refine pills on its own," her words had spread like wildfire among the Pavilion disciples. They'd all been hoping their pill cauldrons would gain sentience.

Even Ming Heng had secretly tried it countless times.

With zero success.

Now she was going for Second Rank?

If she pulled off another ridiculous stunt—

Should they imitate her?

If they did, it would waste time and resources.

If they didn't, what if it was actually a new technique?

Worse still, Yue Zhao had insisted on holding the assessment on the grand platform at the heart of the marketplace. This way, everyone could watch.

Ming Heng's heart nearly gave out.

So it wasn't that there were too few spectators before?

Now she wanted the whole city?

Yet, for some reason, Ming Heng had still agreed. He even promised to use Pavilion channels to help promote the event.

After Yue Zhao left, beaming with satisfaction, a disciple asked timidly, "Master Ming, we've tried her method over and over with no results. Do you think… maybe it's because not enough people were watching?"

Ming Heng: "...That's ridiculous!"

Yet even as he denied it, his mind began to turn.

They had recreated every step.

Even the snacks.

Could the true secret… really lie in having an audience?

He didn't understand the logic, but there had to be a reason that flashy girl always made a spectacle of herself.

Surely it wasn't just her personality, right?

Ming Heng's spirit flared with sudden excitement.

Maybe this time, he'd truly discovered the real secret!