When the Cannon Fodder Male Supporting Role Picks Up the Script - Chapter 110

Yun Duo is a woman with a very gentle appearance and temperament. Her smile, her gestures, and movements are all full of extreme gentleness, as if people could unconsciously sink into her gentleness.

However, Yun Zhuoran completely ignores the gentleness in her words. He doesn’t know why his heart demon says he doesn’t like Yun Duo. He only knows that Yun Duo’s gentleness hides a certain charm that makes him feel a little uncomfortable. The closer he gets to Yun Duo, the stronger the feeling of something wrong—something he senses when he first meets her—becomes.

That feeling gradually turns into displeasure, even rejection…

Yun Zhuoran suppresses those negative emotions he doesn’t understand and nods gently under Yun Duo’s soft gaze.

Yun Duo sees this and suddenly realizes it. She chuckles and says, “I forgot that you were still young when you left Yun City with Brother Peiran. You didn’t have many chances to see me. After so many years, you probably don’t remember me.”

The bamboo slips of the high priest do record this. After Yun Duo becomes his student on the surface and his maid in reality, she works for him and indeed moves out of the small courtyard where Yun Peiran and his brother live, returning to the city lord’s mansion. She only has the opportunity to visit her sworn brother on the 1st and 15th of each month. The High Priest observes Yun Peiran through her eyes.

Later, the High Priest finds that Yun Duo is growing day by day and has feelings for her sworn brother. She refuses several times when he asks about Yun Peiran’s private affairs. The high priest mocks Yun Duo’s wishful thinking on the bamboo slips. He must admire Yun Peiran greatly and thinks Yun Duo is impure in mind and so foolish that she is not worthy of Yun Peiran.

Thus, the High Priest undertakes what he describes as a “trivial” endeavor: he seeks to sever Yun Duo’s feelings for her adoptive brother by arranging a marriage for her with one of the grandsons of Yun Tianfeng.

Yun Tianfeng has only one legitimate daughter but several sons born of concubines. These sons are less favored than the daughter, and the fiancé arranged for Yun Duo is the third-ranking grandson.

Now, seeing Yun Duo again after so many years, Yun Zhuoran cannot help but feel fortunate.

Fortunate that the High Priest has a habit of recording important matters for the True God and leaves behind that particular scroll. Fortunate too that Ji Wuwang and Ji Ruo find the scroll—without it, his ignorance might lead him to reveal himself in front of Yun Duo far too easily.

According to the High Priest’s observations, Yun Duo strongly opposes the marriage to Yun Tianfeng’s grandson and repeatedly tries to flee, seeking help from Yun Peiran. At that time, Yun Peiran was already preparing to leave Yun City with his younger siblings.

From this perspective, Yun Peiran at least fulfills his duties as an adoptive brother to Yun Duo.

Yun Duo, having proactively offered an explanation for Yun Zhuoran’s unfamiliar and distant demeanor, prompts him to respond in kind: “Since we left Yun City, Yun Peiran and I haven’t seen you again.”

Yun Duo lowers her gaze slightly, her smile tinged with bitterness. “It’s a long story.”

Yun Zhuoran asks, “Really?”

Yun Duo shakes her head gently and says softly, “Brother Tianqing’s body is seriously injured. Fortunately, I can still pull him back. It just takes some time. Everyone is tired tonight. Why don’t we go back and rest?”

Her words are addressed to the group as a whole.

At this time, Ji Ruo helps Yun Shaowei out the door.

Yun Shaowei’s face is still very pale. The wound on his neck has been bandaged, but the clothes stained with blood don’t seem to have been changed in time.

As soon as Yun Duo finishes speaking, Yun Shaowei continues in a hoarse voice, “Thank you all for your help. It’s getting late; why don’t you stay at the city lord’s mansion for the night? The cold in my father’s body needs to be cleared as soon as possible. Please forgive my poor hospitality. Manager Xu, treat the guests well.”

Manager Xu responds tremblingly. He still doesn’t understand why Steward Yun becomes a traitor and escapes after just a welcoming banquet, and why the city lord and young city lord are also injured, and why so many people come. But as long as the young city lord doesn’t vent his anger on him, who has followed Steward Yun before, he counts himself lucky.

Yun Duo also says to Yun Zhuoran, “I know you have a lot to ask me, and I have a lot to say to you. But Brother Tianqing can’t wait. I’ll come to you when I’m done.”

Yun Zhuoran nods slowly.

Yun Duo stares at him for a moment, smiles with curved lips, and turns back to the house.

For some reason, Yun Zhuoran can feel that Yun Duo is looking at someone through him.

Young Master Yin, who is observing everyone, notices Yun Zhuoran’s cold gaze. He smiles and turns away, saying he has to deal with his subordinates who stayed in the city.

After Manager Xu sends them away, he asks Yun Zhuoran and his friends to go to the guest room to rest.

Ji Wuwang leaves with Yun Zhuoran and remembers to give Yun Zhuoran the small black wooden statue he just picks up on the altar outside the old city lord’s mansion.

This is brought by Young Master Yin and Yun Duo. Yun Feng’s attitude changes after seeing it.

Ji Wuwang speculates, “Is this called the ‘Statue of the Saintess’? Yun Feng seemed to care about it a lot. I don’t know where Young Master Yin found it. We haven’t even seen these so-called Fengtian Temple.”

Yun Zhuoran takes it from him. The figurine is palm-sized at the base and about half a foot tall. Its material is identical to the statue privately worshipped by the High Priest—crudely carved from black wood. It depicts a plump woman with a kind expression, her face partially veiled with gauze, giving it a more approachable feel compared to the divine statue.

The heart demon glances at it and his eyes widen slightly. “Is she also wearing a veil?”

Yun Zhuoran knows what he’s hinting at and only says, “I can’t tell who it is.”

The surface of the wooden statue is extremely smooth, showing that the people who once worshipped it must have been very pious.

Only by wiping it every day and caring for it carefully can this layer of glossy luster be cultivated.

“It should be the Saintess of the Fengtian Temple.” Ji Wuwang mutters, lowering his voice. “Something doesn’t feel right tonight. Young Master Yin’s arrival was too conveniently timed.”

Yun Zhuoran responds with a glance of agreement.

Ji Wuwang then asks, “What about your sister?”

Yun Zhuoran shakes his head. “Too soon to say.”

They exchange a look. Ji Wuwang then turns and walks toward the courtyard he shares with Ji Ruo.

Yun Zhuoran and the heart demon, guided by Steward Xu, return to the small courtyard they previously stay in.

According to his usual habits, Weiran should be sleepy or hungry, yet all the way back, he keeps staring intently at the Saintess figurine in his hands, his expression unusually focused.

Across from him, Yun Zhuoran—clearly being ignored—sits down, his cool, clear eyes full of confusion.

“Both the High Priest’s idol and this Saintess statue brought by Young Master Yin are very crudely carved. I suppose the people of the Fengtian Temple don’t want anyone to see their true faces, so they deliberately blur them.”

Hearing Yun Zhuoran’s words, Weiran frowns and places the saint statue on the table. His handsome face is serious. Just as he puts it down, he reaches out and flips the statue upside down on the table.

Yun Zhuoran’s eyes fill with faint amusement. “Weiran dislikes Yun Duo that much?”

The heart demon’s eyes light up. He says to Yun Zhuoran with a serious expression, “Brother, I think this Yun Duo is not a good person. She’s clearly in league with that bad guy Yin. You absolutely can’t trust her.”

Yun Zhuoran replies, “So just because she’s with Yin, that makes her a bad person?”

The heart demon frowns and says, “In any case, she’s definitely not the big sister who looked after you when you were little.”

Yun Zhuoran presses further, “Why not?”

The heart demon can’t give a clear answer. He just gazes at him imploringly and says, “Big Brother, trust me.”

Yun Zhuoran looks at him quietly for a moment, leans closer, his eyes seeming colder.

“Weiran, you’re hiding something.”

The heart demon blinks. “I’m not.”

The smile in Yun Zhuoran’s eyes vanishes, and his face grows colder. “Something’s been off with you since we entered Yun City. Weiran, are you hiding something from me?”

The heart demon’s eyes dart for a moment, then quickly meet Yun Zhuoran’s gaze again. “Brother doesn’t believe me. Once you saw Yun Duo, you forgot about Weiran, and now you start doubting me!”

Yun Zhuoran is stunned.

“You’ve turned bad!”

The heart demon huffs angrily, turns around, and storms off. Under Yun Zhuoran’s speechless gaze, he walks over to the bed, climbs up, and yanks the bed curtains shut to block his view.

Yun Zhuoran stares in silence for a long while.

His pale fingers tap lightly on the table. A faint smile rises in his eyes—then quickly fades. He gazes thoughtfully at the snow-colored bed curtains, his brows unconsciously furrowing.

Night deepens.

Despite all that’s happened—the City Lord and Young Lord being taken hostage by Yun Feng, and then Yun Feng’s panicked escape—the new City Lord’s manor remains as quiet and peaceful as ever. On the surface, nothing seems to have changed.

At dawn, when the heart demon wakes up, it’s as if he has completely forgotten the previous night’s outburst. He tidies himself up and promptly runs over to Yun Zhuoran, asking for food while sitting in a perfectly obedient posture.

Yun Zhuoran is still flipping through formation diagrams he retrieves from the Sky City’s treasure vault, trying to identify the origin of the evil array on the altar. Ever since he transcribes the array, he has been searching for its prototype. With no expert on formations at his side—since even the Penglai Immortals are not proficient in this—he can only use his connections through them to ask others for help. But as there is no telling how long it will take to receive a reply, Yun Zhuoran comes up with a better idea.

Since this evil formation clearly comes from the demonic path, he remembers that Sky City still holds a group of demonic and monster cultivators. They aren’t doing much anyway, so Yun Zhuoran uses the Sky Order to record the formation and instructs anyone familiar with formations in Sky City to search its library for similar diagrams.

Although it is now confirmed that the formation is set by the High Priest of the Heavenly Mandate Temple and is meant to take lives, the source of the strange flame remains unclear, and Yun Zhuoran is not willing to give up until he figures out the source of the strange fire.

It’s a pity the demonic cultivators in the floating city spend several days painstakingly finding several similar formation diagrams. When Yun Zhuoran reviews them during his free time, he sees that while similar in appearance, they are actually very different. It seems Gu Shenshu’s resentment incarnation leaves only low-level demonic cultivators sealed in the original demon well, and their knowledge isn’t great—just like their cultivation.

Seeing that the heart demon seems to have forgotten his anger from last night, Yun Zhuoran silently puts down the formation diagram and pretends nothing happened. He takes off the storage ring on his hand and hands it to the heart demon.

The heart demon grins broadly. “Big Brother is the best!”

That is quite different from what he said when angry last night—how Yun Zhuoran has turned bad. What a quick turnaround.

Yun Zhuoran secretly shakes his head.

Yun Zhuoran’s storage ring is high-level with large internal space. The heart demon ignores the ring’s restrictions and searches inside for food. He soon finds a bag of demon cores. Counting them, he realizes there aren’t many left. The heart demon feels a bit regretful but is glad there are still some in the storage bracelet.

If he wants to eat as much as possible, these demon cores won’t be enough.

The heart demon takes out the demon cores and asks, “Brother, when will we go to the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest again?”

Yun Zhuoran asks, “Not enough to eat?”

Originally, he thinks demons and monsters would be plentiful in the Demon Realm, and if demon cores run out, they can just collect more on the spot. However, he doesn’t expect that there is a land in Yun City with no death or life, and no evil spirits within hundreds of miles.

“What is this?”

The heart demon suddenly exclaims and takes something out from the storage ring. He spreads his palm and hands it to Yun Zhuoran. There are two simple, transparent crystal rings shining with strange, dazzling light. They are probably earrings.

If they weren’t so shiny, the heart demon wouldn’t have found them at a glance.

Yun Zhuoran has never put such things in the ring. “Didn’t you put these in?”

The heart demon quickly shakes his head, poking at the two crystal earrings with his fingertips. He sniffs them and says, “They’re fragrant.” After a moment of thought, he adds, “It’s the scent of the peonies we picked above the Floating City.”

Yun Zhuoran raises his eyebrows, takes the two earrings from the heart demon’s palm, and places them on the table. He sweeps his palm over them with spiritual power. As the spiritual light passes, one of the earrings momentarily transforms into two blooming peonies—one purple, one white—before reverting to their original ring-shaped crystal forms. The spiritual light glowing on them also becomes even brighter.

Looking again, the light reflected by the two ring earrings is also one purple and one white.

This proves it’s not an illusion technique. In fact, he’s just dispelled a residual masking spell.

At the same time, the floating order in his sea of consciousness lights up.

Yun Zhuoran cautiously sends out a trace of divine sense to investigate. He sees a jade slip float out from the Floating City’s treasury and retrieves it directly, activating it with spiritual energy in front of the heart demon.

A line of pale golden text appears:

“A treasure of the Floating City, and also a gift from your master. No need for excessive gratitude.”

“Gu Shenshu?” the heart demon says in surprise.

“The things in the floating city should have been found by Gu Shenshu’s resentful incarnation.”

Yun Zhuoran reads the introduction on the jade slip expressionlessly, annoyed that Gu Shenshu’s resentful incarnation is once again calling himself ‘master’. There is more content on the jade slip, and he continues reading, frowning even more tightly.

He doesn’t expect that the two peony flowers the heart demon found in the peony garden are actually treasures given by the resentful incarnation. He recalls the words the resentful incarnation said when burning him with strange fire—something about giving them a gift?

Could it be… this?

After reading the full explanation, Yun Zhuoran immediately understands the malice behind the resentful incarnation’s actions.

The heart demon plays with the two crystal earrings. “Brother, what’s the use of this?”

Seeing the complicated content of the jade slip, Yun Zhuoran doesn’t plan to hide it from him.

“A divine-grade artifact—but it only works if used by two people. It’s a spiritual tool for Dao companions. Once worn, no matter where the other person is, one can instantly teleport to them. When used together by a Dao couple, the artifact merges into a top-tier defensive item.”

In the end, it’s just a defensive spiritual tool, even if of the highest level.

Yun Zhuoran doesn’t find it particularly useful.

The heart demon widens his eyes. “Wow!”

Yun Zhuoran asks, “What are you thinking about?”

The heart demon holds the two earrings very carefully. “Brother, let’s wear them!”

Yun Zhuoran laughs. “They’re for Dao companions.”

So it really is useless for ordinary single cultivators.

Seeing the heart demon stunned, Yun Zhuoran explains, “Generally, it can only be used by Dao companions who have entered into a marriage contract.” He is sure the resentful incarnation is teasing them.

The heart demon blushes. “Must we enter a marriage contract to use it?” His breathing suddenly quickens, and he blinks at Yun Zhuoran. “But I also want to use it with my brother. Maybe one day if my brother gets lost, I can come to him immediately. Brother, can’t we wear it together?”

That makes sense.

Yun Zhuoran thinks seriously and checks the jade slip again. At the back is a small line of fine text: “Dao companions who have entered into a marriage contract can maximize the artifact’s effect, but if the wearers are not Dao companions—such as siblings or master-and-spirit-pet—it can still be worn, though with reduced effects.”

In short, if there’s no blood relation, then a contractual relationship is required.

Yun Zhuoran says, “We happen to have a blood contract.”

It can count as a kind of master-pet bond.

The heart demon is really happy. He looks at the earrings for a moment, then picks up the pale white one and kneels in front of Yun Zhuoran while sitting on the futon. He pinches the earring and tries to clasp it on his fair earlobe.

Yun Zhuoran dodges at first but is pushed back by the heart demon’s hand on his cheek. He doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

He doesn’t understand why Gu Shenshu’s resentful incarnation deliberately releases this item from the treasure house and gives it to them. Fortunately, the heart demon only treats it as a toy—if it had been someone else, this would’ve been extremely awkward.

Although annoyed inwardly, Yun Zhuoran finds it harmless and lets the heart demon play with it.

But this posture forces him to face the heart demon’s face closely. Yun Zhuoran notices the heart demon’s face growing redder and redder. He really is like a child—so happy when he sees a toy he likes.

The heart demon notices Yun Zhuoran staring at him. He holds his breath unconsciously. His hand holding the earrings begins to shake uncontrollably. He rubs Yun Zhuoran’s ear a few times, slides past it, and can’t hold back anymore. He purses his lips, lowers his head, and stares at Yun Zhuoran, his voice weak, “Brother… why do you keep looking at me like this?”

Yun Zhuoran doesn’t feel anything strange. Looking at this face so similar to his own up close still feels a little odd—like looking in a mirror but completely different. He knows it is the heart demon incarnated as a human, not just his heart demon but a brand-new person. Yun Zhuoran can’t help but stare.

“Is it not okay? Have you put it on?”

“…Not yet,” the heart demon mumbles, upset that his brother looks at him like this. Suddenly, he wants to kiss him… What should he do?

When the heart demon finally puts on the earrings and finishes, his face is already red.

This artifact is temporarily named Lingxi, a casual name given by the former Floating City Lord while refining it. It is a simple defensive magic weapon that doesn’t need to recognize the master and can be worn directly. Yun Zhuoran and Weiran don’t change the name.

After Weiran hurriedly puts on the other earring, he tries it out immediately.

Once the artifact is worn, the link between their vital forces becomes noticeably stronger than before.

If Yun Duo hadn’t finally arrived, Weiran would have wanted to go out with Yun Zhuoran to test whether he could teleport to the other party. It is also Yun Duo’s arrival that makes Yun Zhuoran see Weiran’s expression change in an instant. He is cheerful a moment before and gloomy the next—clear proof that he truly does not like Yun Duo.

Especially after Yun Zhuoran lifts the barrier and lets Yun Duo in, Weiran curls his lips, stands up, and moves closer to Yun Zhuoran, sitting next to him as if afraid Yun Duo will take his seat.

Yun Zhuoran truly can’t figure out what the heart demon is thinking. He lightly rubs the earring on his ear with his fingertips, unaware that the heart demon suddenly stiffens all over, raises a hand to cover his right ear—the one wearing the divine artifact—and turns to look at him with a strange expression. Realizing he is the only one feeling his ear being touched, the tips of the heart demon’s ears flush red, as if bleeding.

Come to think of it, they aren’t actually Dao companions, yet they are using something only Dao companions can use…

The heart demon quietly thinks to himself, Rounding up, I guess that makes me and big brother Dao companions!

At that moment, Yun Duo walks into the house.

“Sorry for the wait.”

Yun Duo puts on the veil again, as if to cover the two-finger-long scar on her cheek. The scar is slender and seems to be scratched by a sharp weapon.

As soon as Yun Duo enters, she sees the red-dressed boy next to Yun Zhuoran. Seeing their almost identical faces, her gentle eyes slowly fall on the boy. “Who is this?”

“The little island master of Penglai.” Yun Zhuoran’s voice is a little cold, which makes Yun Duo pause for a moment. Then she notices Yun Zhuoran glance at the seat opposite him and Weiran. “Sit down and talk.”

Yun Duo looks at him and Weiran curiously, then sits down opposite them. She takes off the thin purple veil covering her face, revealing the light moon-colored scar on her cheek. She takes the initiative to explain, “This is the injury I got when I left Yun City that year.” As she speaks, her fingertips gently stroke the scar on her cheek, and she lowers her eyes slightly, as if uncomfortable. “Is it ugly?”

Before Yun Zhuoran can think of how to answer, the heart demon says sullenly, “You already know the answer.”

Yun Duo’s face freezes. She lowers her head and says, “Yes. I know it’s ugly. I’ve been wearing a veil and staying at home for many years. I didn’t know that Brother Peiran and you had made such a big name in the righteous way. It wasn’t until the last time the floating city appeared that I walked out of the house and finally learned about you and Brother Peiran.”

Yun Zhuoran originally thinks the heart demon’s answer is a bit rude, but since it is his heart demon, he ignores it. “Are you close to Master Yin?”

“I guess so. I watched him grow up.” Yun Duo pauses and explains, “After leaving Yun City, I meet my master, who teaches me medicine, and I have been practicing for more than ten years. I met Master Yin through my master. The leader of the Demonic Star Sect and my master are old acquaintances. Because of this relationship, I occasionally interact with them.”

The heart demon says coldly, “What a coincidence.”

Yun Duo notices something is wrong and smiles. “The little island master seems to have some misunderstandings about me?”

The heart demon chuckles dryly and turns to look at Yun Zhuoran, instantly showing a sweet and tender smile. “Not at all, Sister, you’re overthinking it. I was just thinking—back when Yun City was engulfed in flames, almost no one from the old City Lord’s manor survived. Even the High Priest perished in the strange fire. So I was just wondering, how did Sister Yun Duo, as the High Priest’s student, manage to escape Yun City unharmed?”