Troublemaker’s Guide to Immortality

Late at night. Deep in the forest.

Ye Danxia waited nervously.

She didn't know if Gu Jinghong would still be willing to meet her.

If he refused to come, she would have to think of another plan.

Just then—

The wind stirred the treetops. Ye Danxia sharply turned around.

There stood Gu Jinghong, calm as ever, watching her with unreadable eyes.

"Second Senior Brother," she greeted with a bittersweet smile, eyes reddening. "I thought… I thought you never wanted to see me again."

Gu Jinghong frowned.

He knew perfectly well what kind of person Ye Danxia was.

And yet, seeing her like this in person, something in his heart softened for a moment.

As if he'd lost his mind.

Suppressing the odd feeling, he spoke coldly, "Junior Sister Ye, what did you call me here for? I've got matters to attend to tomorrow and would like to rest early."

Ye Danxia's eyes flickered as she put on a look of righteous anger. "Second Senior Brother! I heard what happened today. That Yun Jin girl—how dare she treat you like that? She's completely out of control!"

"And?" Gu Jinghong remained indifferent. "Junior Sister, you know full well that under the master-servant contract, I can't even harbor resentment toward her without her sensing it. I barely managed to sneak out tonight. If you have something to say, say it quickly. If I'm caught, the consequences won't be pleasant."

His tone was flat, but Ye Danxia seemed to hear boundless bitterness beneath it. Her eyes gleamed. "Second Senior Brother, tell me honestly—is Yun Jin forcing you to break sect rules?"

"Is she ordering you to kill those five senior brothers who offended her? Or to steal rare herbs from the spiritual fields? If she's truly doing this, it's a grave violation. I'll report it to Master and ensure she's punished accordingly!"

Gu Jinghong stared at her, then suddenly asked, "You're telling me to betray Yun Jin?"

Ye Danxia hurriedly clarified, "How is that betrayal? Yun Jin is the one in the wrong. I just can't stand seeing you mistreated and want to help you."

A faint, eerie smile curled Gu Jinghong's lips.

"Dear Junior Sister," he murmured, stepping closer.

Ye Danxia flinched and instinctively stepped back.

She forced herself to stay composed. "Did I say something wrong, Second Senior Brother?"

Gu Jinghong began to applaud. "Not at all. What you said was absolutely correct. Your scheme… is quite impressive, in fact."

"What scheme?" she asked, pretending to be confused.

"You want me to report Yun Jin. Once she's punished, the contract binding me to her will shatter. But before that happens, she'll still hold the contract, and if she's enraged… she could kill me instantly. That way, Yun Jin is punished by the sect, and I end up dead. Wouldn't that clear both your problems in one go?"

Ye Danxia paled. "Senior Brother, how could you think that? With Master here, she wouldn't dare kill recklessly!"

Gu Jinghong's voice dropped to a whisper. "She might be calm at first. But what if you made sure to tell her it was me who betrayed her? She's already temperamental, and she holds my life in her hands. One order from her in anger… and I'll be the one sent straight to the underworld. Seems plausible, doesn't it?"

Ye Danxia avoided his gaze. "Senior Brother, perhaps I didn't think it through. I just… couldn't bear to see you enslaved like this."

Gu Jinghong studied her coldly before finally saying, "Thank you for your concern. But three months is nothing. I'll endure it. It's late—I'll take my leave."

He turned to go.

Then, behind him, there came a muffled cry.

Gu Jinghong whirled around in surprise.

Ye Danxia leaned against a tree, a small dagger now protruding from her abdomen.

She pulled it out slowly. Blood streamed down as she gasped in pain.

Gu Jinghong narrowed his eyes.

Ye Danxia's lips curved into a strange smile despite the blood. "Second Senior Brother, this dagger… you gave it to me. I've kept it hidden all this time."

She looked up at him, voice soft and sweet. "And now it's buried in my belly. Tell me, who do you think did it?"

Gu Jinghong's gaze sharpened.

"You did," she whispered. "Under Yun Jin's orders, you lured me out with guilt, then tried to kill me. The instigator and the executor—both guilty of murdering a fellow disciple. Both deserving death. Don't you agree?"

Gu Jinghong almost laughed.

So her earlier words were just a feint. She'd never expected him to accuse Yun Jin.

This was her true killing move.

His dear junior sister was leaving him no path to survival.

How… delightful.

"Senior Brother Gu," Ye Danxia murmured, "I'm bleeding. Fresh human blood. Don't you… want it?"

The metallic scent assaulted Gu Jinghong's senses.

His lips pressed into a thin line.

The side effect of the Blood Qi Art was an insatiable thirst for blood. Though he often joked about drinking human blood, in truth, as a righteous sect disciple, he had never crossed that line. Usually, he bought beast blood to suppress the craving.

But since being bound by Yun Jin's contract, he hadn't had access to any. It had been days. Gu Jinghong's eyes turned crimson as he stared at Ye Danxia's bleeding wound. He stepped forward, trembling, and gripped the dagger tightly.

Rationality slipped away, bit by bit.

With a guttural growl, he raised the dagger and drove it down at her.

Ye Danxia didn't move. In fact, she smiled wider.

In the next moment, the dagger struck a glowing shield.

It was a defensive artifact—one that Zhao Wuji had personally given her. Capable of withstanding a fatal blow from a Nascent Soul cultivator, it would activate on its own when danger struck. It wouldn't last long, but long enough.

Long enough for Zhao Wuji to arrive.

Gu Jinghong, completely lost in madness, continued to strike wildly at the barrier.

It didn't take long before Zhao Wuji burst onto the scene.

"You wretch!"

He'd truly tried to kill Danxia!

With a flick of his sleeve, Zhao Wuji sent Gu Jinghong flying.

He smashed into a tree, bones cracking, meridians tearing apart.

The pain was excruciating, but it brought back a sliver of clarity.

Gu Jinghong lay sprawled on the ground, staring blankly at the stars above.

So this was his master.

This was his junior sister.

He had been completely and utterly discarded.

"You vile disciple!" Zhao Wuji raised his hand for the killing blow.

"Master, please wait!" Ye Danxia cried, stepping in front of him. "You can't blame Second Senior Brother! He… he was only being used. The true mastermind—the one who wanted me dead—is someone else!"

"Yun Jin," Zhao Wuji growled. "Of course. That girl will not escape punishment. But this disgraceful brat dared to raise a hand against you. That, I will never forgive. I will—"

"You'll do what exactly?"

A crisp, light voice echoed from the trees.

Yun Jin appeared, smiling, her presence lighting up the dark forest like a star descending from the heavens.

---

Author's Note:

Gu Jinghong won't be redeemed—given past events, Xiao Jin will never forgive him. He's just a tool to her. His arc? A twisted man who goes from humiliated submission to willing submission. (Ahem. Maybe the author's a bit twisted too…)