When the Cannon Fodder Male Supporting Role Picks Up the Script - Chapter 119

Yun Tianqing shakes his head and says nothing, only waving his hand to signal Yun Shaowei to push him out of the alley. Yun Shaowei obeys.

Yun Zhuoran grows increasingly confused and anxious. He suddenly frowns and chases after them. “What did he say!”

The heart demon quickly steps forward, quietly hugs Yun Zhuoran’s arm, and signals him not to get angry.

Yun Shaowei also notices the change in Yun Zhuoran’s attitude and nervously grips the wooden back of the wheelchair with both hands.

Yun Tianqing still wears a leisurely smile. “He said a lot. I can’t finish it all in one and a half hours.” He tilts his head to glance at Yun Zhuoran, then adds meaningfully, “Today, Yun Duo and Young Master Yin left the city.”

Yun Zhuoran is stunned. “You don’t trust Yun Duo, so you deliberately sent her and Young Master Yin away?”

Yun Shaowei looks at Yun Tianqing in surprise. These past few days, his father has clearly instructed him to treat the guests well and get close to Yun Duo. But from this conversation, it seems his father does not trust Yun Duo at all. Yun Shaowei is puzzled, but quickly calms down. He believes his father must have his reasons.

Yun Zhuoran and Weiran, unlike Yun Shaowei, do not trust Yun Tianqing so easily. They both find Yun Tianqing strange and calculating. When in front of Yun Duo, he acts grateful and close to her, even going so far as to offend Yun Zhuoran on her behalf. Yet now, in front of Yun Zhuoran, he openly hints at his distrust toward Yun Duo.

Yun Zhuoran begins to question whether the Yun Tianqing standing before him now is his true self.

Yun Tianqing doesn’t stop at hinting; he speaks directly. “Before the incident in Yun City, Yun Duo and I weren’t close. She was a student of the high priest, and the high priest was even crueler than Yun Tianfeng. Even if your brother believed Yun Duo wouldn’t change, my brother and I always kept our distance from her.”

Yun Shaowei doesn’t know these old stories from Yun City and looks confused.

No one understands a son better than a father. Yun Tianqing knows what his son wants to ask, so he patiently continues, “After the incident, Yun Tianfeng and the high priest reaped what they sowed and died in the evil formation they created. Yun Duo disappeared after that—no one knew where she went. Then, just as Yun City faced trouble, she suddenly reappeared and saved my life. Shaowei, you saw it all with your own eyes. You’re simple and loyal. Of course you’d think Yun Duo, who saved your father and you in your time of need, is someone worthy of trust. And indeed, she did save us—but I cannot fully trust her.”

Yun Shaowei nods. “So you don’t trust her because she was the high priest’s student?”

Yun Tianqing shakes his head lightly, smiles, then looks at Yun Zhuoran. “In truth, I don’t know exactly what happened back then. I only know that Yun Tianfeng and the high priest went mad. They captured people all over the city—especially children—and used every means to build the evil formation. Peiran noticed something was wrong, so he discussed with me the idea of escaping from Yun City together. But before we could act, Peiran was taken by people from the City Lord’s Mansion. I took my sister and you into hiding and went out to gather information. But my sister was careless for just a moment, and you were taken away. When we found you again, both my sister and I had been captured and were being used as sacrifices in the formation. You were tied to the altar by the high priest, placed at the very center of the formation.”

Yun Shaowei looks at Yun Zhuoran in shock. The incident in Yun City happened before he was born. Survivors rarely speak of those dark days, and his father and aunt have always avoided mentioning the past. As the young master of Yun City, he knows about the evil formation and how many lives it had taken, but not the specific details.

Then Yun Tianqing says, “You saved us.”

There is no malice in his eyes.

“You’ve forgotten all that happened, which isn’t a bad thing. Don’t think too much about it. The disaster that struck Yun City back then wasn’t your fault. The real culprits died in the divine fire. After the fire subsided, Peiran took you and fled Yun City. But when the Buddhist cultivator from Tianqing Sect arrived, I realized he might uncover your existence. So yes, Yun Feng was right. I altered Yun Shao’s medicine and killed him.” A sneer curls Yun Tianqing’s lips. “But don’t believe everything Yun Feng says. Who even knows if he was truly Yun Shao’s sworn brother? If I’m not mistaken, perhaps Yun Feng isn’t even Yun Feng anymore.”

Weiran doesn’t understand. “Then who is he?”

It is only the second time Yun Tianqing has met Weiran. He has heard from Yun Shaowei that this is the young island master of Penglai, who has a close relationship with Yun Zhuoran and even looks just like him. Weiran still has traces of baby fat on his face, making him look younger.

Yun Tianqing looks at him kindly. “Someone from the Fengtian Temple.”

That is all Yun Tianqing knows. He doesn’t seem to know who Yun Feng is pretending to be.

As they speak, they return to the square. The altar is just ahead.

Yun Zhuoran looks toward the altar and asks again, “What did Yun Peiran tell you?”

It is the third time he’s asked.

Yun Tianqing sighs and finally gives a truthful answer. “He said you might come back with many questions and a completely different temperament than when you were young. He told me your new name and asked me to wait patiently for your return. He believed that no matter what happened, you would one day return to Yun City.”

“He was sure I’d come back?” Yun Zhuoran doesn’t understand. Yun Peiran left him no clues. If he hadn’t discovered the kinship thread with Ji Ruo, he might never have returned to Yun City.

Yun Tianqing’s face shows nostalgia, mixed with indescribable complexity.

“Peiran came and went in a hurry. He only stayed in Yun City for half a day. He didn’t tell me what Yun Duo did back then. He only said he had severed ties with her. If Yun Duo ever returned, he asked me to keep her away from you.”

Yun Zhuoran immediately guesses the truth. Yun Peiran knew what Yun Duo had done in the past. He feared Yun Zhuoran, who had lost his memory, would be deceived by her.

The heart demon gently squeezes Yun Zhuoran’s palm, silently telling him that even if Yun Peiran is gone, he—the heart demon—is still here and will protect him just like Yun Peiran once did.

Under the heart demon’s silent comfort, Yun Zhuoran gradually calms down. He asks Yun Tianqing, “I heard that Yun Peiran left something behind.”

Yun Tianqing looks at him with an ambiguous expression. “No. Peiran never left anything in Yun City. But Zhuoran, you left something very important here. Your brother said that as long as you had that thing, whether you remembered it or not, whether you were willing or not, you would eventually be brought back to Yun City.”

Everyone looks confused.

Yun Zhuoran raises his eyebrows. “Something of mine?”

Yun Tianqing falls silent for a moment, then sighs. “Actually, your elder brother left a few words when he departed. I didn’t quite understand them at the time. Only now do I think I might have figured it out.” He gazes at Yun Zhuoran with a complicated look. “Your eldest brother said that if he could return, then you would never need to come back to Yun City.”

Yun Zhuoran frowns. “Where did he go?”

“Now that things have come to this, I’ll be straightforward.” Yun Tianqing hesitates briefly, then his expression grows heavy. “Your elder brother went to Fengtian Temple.”

Everyone—who has just recently heard of Fengtian Temple or even investigated it—looks shocked.

Yun Tianqing continues, “When he left, he told me only that the gods of Fengtian Temple were calling him, and he had to go. If he could return alive, you wouldn’t need to return to Yun City. But if he didn’t return… then perhaps… he would fall and never come back. He specifically instructed me that if he didn’t return, I must one day bring you out of Tiandao Sect.”

Even as he says it, Yun Tianqing finds it absurd, but he knows it’s the truth. He says to Yun Zhuoran, “I’d never heard of Fengtian Temple back then. But he really never came back. All these years have passed. The Tiandao Sect leader has died. Your elder brother was hunted by the entire righteous path for years, and no one ever found him…”

Yun Tianqing doesn’t say it outright, but clearly he no longer believes Yun Peiran will return.

Yun Zhuoran is stunned to finally learn of Yun Peiran’s whereabouts—only for his face to go pale the next moment. His cold gaze locks on Yun Tianqing, filled with suspicion.

He understands what Yun Tianqing is trying to say—that Yun Peiran may already be dead.

Even the heart demon is struck silent, unable to recover.

“…Brother, he…”

Yun Tianqing gently shakes his head and says nothing more, simply watching Yun Zhuoran.

Yun Zhuoran replies coldly, “Yun Peiran won’t die.”

He doesn’t miss the flicker of murderous intent in Yun Zhuoran’s eyes, but Yun Tianqing is helpless. He forces a bitter smile. “Maybe… he’s still in Fengtian Temple?”

But Yun Zhuoran finds no comfort in those words. His heart sinks. He unconsciously clenches his fists, not even noticing the pain of his nails digging into his palms. He feels torn—part of him insists Yun Tianqing’s words can’t be trusted, but another part tells him they might be true…

He’s waited so many years—just to hear that Yun Peiran might be dead.

The heart demon catches the faint scent of blood and quickly returns to his senses. He grabs Yun Zhuoran’s hands, gently pries open his tightly clenched fingers, and looks at the crescent-shaped blood marks on his palm with heartache.

“Brother…” He wants to speak but stops himself, ultimately gathering spiritual power silently to heal Yun Zhuoran.

Yun Zhuoran lowers his gaze, hiding the frost in his eyes. Then, suddenly, he pulls his hand away and asks Yun Tianqing in a cold voice, “Did he tell you where Fengtian Temple is?”

Yun Tianqing shakes his head again. “He said he didn’t know. Just that the gods of Fengtian Temple would guide him. I asked if he needed help, but he told me we couldn’t help him. It was a bet—between him and the god of Fengtian Temple.” Yun Tianqing’s expression turns uncertain. “After he disappeared, I tried to search for Fengtian Temple, but found nothing. It wasn’t until Yun Feng attacked me that I realized Fengtian Temple had already infiltrated Yun City—without my even knowing it. Zhuoran, during the days I was bedridden, I sometimes wondered… could the god they worship at Fengtian Temple really be the Way of Heaven?”

“Impossible,” Yun Zhuoran replies flatly.

Gu Shenshu had claimed that the Way of Heaven he believed in was the true one. Fengtian Temple also claims to serve the Way of Heaven… In the world of cultivation, countless people and sects act under the banner of the ‘Way of Heaven.’

Yun Zhuoran gradually calms. After all… Yun Tianqing’s words do match what Yun Peiran said to him in person.

He still remembers that final meeting—every word, every look, every gesture—when Yun Peiran came to Tiandao Sect. For twenty years, he’s recalled it again and again. Yun Peiran had evaded Gu Shenshu and come to Idle Cloud Hall in secret. Before leaving, he had told him he was going to gamble.

Now, recalling it, Yun Zhuoran can’t help but wonder—was it a gamble of life and death?

But he quickly rejects the idea.

Yun Peiran won’t die so easily.

Disasters endure for a thousand years—people like Yun Peiran are the type who’ll live forever.

Yun Zhuoran closes his eyes. When he opens them again, all traces of grief and shock have vanished from his dark gaze. Only cold frost remains.

“I will find Fengtian Temple.”

The heart demon carefully takes his hand and nods firmly. “I’ll go too!”

This time, Yun Zhuoran doesn’t pull away. He lets the heart demon slowly heal the blood marks on his palm.

Yun Tianqing, unaware of the excessive closeness between the two, simply breathes a long sigh of relief. His expression eases noticeably. “It’s good that you can pull yourself together. I’ve carried this burden in my heart for twenty years. Now I’ve finally said it.”

Keeping a secret isn’t easy—especially one kept for twenty years.

Yun Zhuoran only looks at him without speaking.

Yun Tianqing then asks, “Do you want to retrieve that thing first?”

As the man rebuilding Yun City, he has seen countless people. At a glance, he can tell that Yun Zhuoran still doesn’t fully trust him. But he doesn’t mind. If he were the one who lost all his memories and someone suddenly told him that his loved ones might be dead, he wouldn’t believe it either.

Yun Zhuoran asks, “What is it?”

Yun Tianqing pauses, then suddenly smiles. “It’s in the old Yun City. No one can take it away but you. And you’re closely connected to it—try sensing it carefully and calling it out.”

Yun Zhuoran and the heart demon exchange wary glances.

Yun Tianqing continues with a smile, “You were a very sensible and lively child. But now that you’ve forgotten the past, you’re much more withdrawn. Since you don’t remember us, it’s only natural that you might not trust us. That thing was lost by you, and only you can retrieve it. This was also your elder brother Yun Peiran’s instruction.”

Yun Zhuoran asks, “He said I should retrieve it?”

Yun Tianqing nods, his eyes drifting to the gray sky above the green mist, his voice distant. “With that thing here, old Yun City will always be shrouded in yin energy. I don’t know if the city will ever see daylight again after today.”

The heart demon frowns. Yun Tianqing’s words are sounding more and more cryptic. “You really don’t know what it is?”

Yun Tianqing smiles. “You’ll understand when you find it.”

Yun Zhuoran can tell that Yun Tianqing is deliberately keeping things vague. The man seems in no hurry at all, even looking rather expectant.

Yun Zhuoran hesitates—he’s afraid of accidentally releasing something dangerous.

The heart demon asks again, “Where exactly is it?”

Yun Zhuoran turns to look at Yun Tianqing as well.

Yun Tianqing finally gives something more. “All I know is, it’s right nearby.” He looks solemnly at Yun Zhuoran. “It’s something that belongs to you, something only you can sense and find.”

Hearing this, Yun Zhuoran grows even more confused. He follows Yun Tianqing’s gaze toward the sky. The dense yin energy has turned into green mist, curling through every corner of the old Yun City like smoke.

“My thing?”

Yun Zhuoran falls silent, deep in thought. What exactly was it that Yun Peiran had left behind for him to retrieve?

At the same time, a cloud boat bearing the emblem of the Demon Palace docks just outside the gates of Yun City.

Someone from the Demon Palace has arrived.

Ji Ruo and Ji Wuwang rush to the city gates after receiving word, assuming it’s a response to the message they previously sent back to the palace. As they approach, they see the steward of the City Lord’s Mansion escorting a woman in snow-colored robes into the city. Ji Ruo freezes when he sees her—then runs over in astonishment.

“Mother…! Mother, why are you here?!” His face lights up with joy as he clings to her arm like a child.

Behind him, Ji Wuwang also pauses in surprise at the elegant figure in white. Though not as stunned as Ji Ruo, he quickly follows and bows respectfully. “Madam Yun.”

Yun Fushuang gives him a nod, then gently straightens Ji Ruo’s collar. Her pale face wears a soft smile. “You’ve been out training for so long and still act like a child.”

Ji Ruo beams. “Why did you come, Mother? Has Father come out of seclusion? Is he here too?” He looks past her eagerly. Though he recognizes the familiar guardians, he doesn’t see the person he hopes for. Disappointment flickers across his face. “Why didn’t Father come? You don’t know how badly Uncle and Cousin have been bullied!”

“Your father is still in seclusion and couldn’t come,” Yun Fushuang replies gently. She then turns to Ji Wuwang, her tone still kind but more formal. “Xiao Ruo must’ve caused you trouble during this time.”

Ji Wuwang lowers his head. “Madam, you’re too kind. I was only doing my duty.”

Ji Ruo doesn’t care. “He was assigned to protect me by Father, anyway.” He grabs Yun Fushuang’s hand and leads her into the city. Outside, he might be a proud young master of the Demon Palace, but in front of his mother, he’s just a pampered child. “Mother, did you come just to see Uncle?”

Yun Fushuang chides, “Why are you being rude to your cousin? I’ve read the letter you sent. How is your uncle doing?”

“Much better. Aunt Yun Duo is watching over him.”

Yun Fushuang’s smile falters. “Are Yun Duo and that Young Master Yin still in Yun City?”

Ji Ruo doesn’t think much of it. “Aunt Yun Duo and Young Master Yin left the city. Uncle asked the steward to take them to see the spiritual mine. That Young Master Yin was the one who took our mine in the first place… But let’s not talk about him. Mom, let’s head back quickly. Uncle and Cousin disappeared early this morning and haven’t come back…”

Yun Fushuang presses her hand over his, stopping him gently. “Your uncle left? I heard the master of Penglai Island is here too.”

Ji Ruo nods. “Yeah. When we left, Uncle and Cousin weren’t in the mansion.” He turns to Ji Wuwang for confirmation. “Right?”

Ji Wuwang smiles faintly. “That’s correct.”

Yun Fushuang’s expression grows serious. She purses her lips, thinking for a moment. “I want to meet the master of Penglai Island first. Wuwang, take me there.”

Ji Wuwang is a little surprised, and Ji Ruo even more so. “Mother, why not go to the City Lord’s Mansion first to see Uncle and find Yun Zhuoran? He’s a strange one—cold to everyone…”

Yun Fushuang doesn’t explain. She only says firmly, “Take me there now.”

Ji Wuwang complies without hesitation and leads her to the southern part of the city. His position in the Demon Palace has always been awkward—he has to protect Ji Ruo, but he also can’t ignore Madam Yun. Even though he doesn’t know what she plans to do, he has no reason to refuse her request.

Ji Ruo follows, sulking. She’s his mother, after all—how can he not follow?

In the old Yun City—

Several people stand silently in front of the altar, no one daring to disturb Yun Zhuoran.

He stares into the dark world around him. From initial confusion, a faint realization gradually dawns on his face. Then, he slowly closes his eyes.

The heart demon stands beside him, vaguely sensing something unusual in the air. It feels colder.

Moments later, as wisps of green smoke begin to coil around Yun Zhuoran, the heart demon’s suspicions are confirmed.

It is Yin energy.

The surrounding Yin energy is growing heavier.

Just as he’s about to step forward, Yun Tianqing stops him with a hand on his arm.

The heart demon frowns, displeased. Yun Tianqing, too, is briefly stunned when he sees his eyes faintly tinged with red. “He’s sensed it.”

The heart demon sneers, “So have I.”

The Yin energy thickens instantly, almost alarmingly so, and the heart demon begins to suspect that Yun Tianqing might be plotting something against Yun Zhuoran.

But just then, Yun Zhuoran opens his eyes and stretches out his hand. Strands of Yin energy surge toward his slender fingertips. The pale blue mist makes his skin appear almost translucent.

Just as Yun Tianqing said—he can feel it. These Yin energy aren’t harmful to him. On the contrary, they feel warm and unusually pure. Beyond the Yin energy, he also senses another presence—something he can’t ignore. His consciousness instinctively follows the flow of the Yin energy, trying to reach it.

It seems Yun Tianqing is telling the truth. The moment Yun Zhuoran reaches out, it responds.

Only then does Yun Tianqing release the heart demon’s arm.

The heart demon shoots him a cold glance, then quickly moves to Yun Zhuoran’s side. He stares anxiously at the Yin energy wrapped around his pale fingertips.

“Brother, this is…”

He trails off. The silver-white fire mark on Yun Zhuoran’s brow has lit up with a faint golden glow.

Yun Zhuoran feels a sudden chill at the center of his forehead. Just as he raises his hand to touch it, his sea of consciousness shakes violently. It’s a resonance—powerful and undeniable. His head snaps up, eyes locking onto the gray sky.

The Yin energy in old Yun City begins to stir despite the windless air. Something surges outward from all directions, carrying a pressure as vast as mountains and seas, and an icy coldness that seems to freeze even the soul.

Not just Yun Zhuoran—everyone sees it.

With a low boom, a flame ignites in the dim sky above them.

It is a pure, light-golden fire, burning not far from where they stand. It’s identical to the small flame Yun Zhuoran saw before—the one that appeared to him, and the one that burned away Gu Shenshu’s resentful incarnation. It emits no heat, only a soul-piercing cold.

It burns quietly in midair, exuding a deadly silence—cold, calm, and utterly lethal.

Yun Zhuoran stares, entranced.

It isn’t an illusion. The moment the flame appears, an unexplainable joy wells up from deep within him. He knows—this fire is his. Their lifebloods are connected.

Yun Tianqing watches the flame with a complicated expression. His voice is low. “Take it back.”

Yun Zhuoran turns to him.

Something is off in Yun Tianqing’s tone.

His eyes are tinged with sadness.

Yun Tianqing doesn’t hide it. “This is the divine fire that nearly destroyed Yun City back then.”

The heart demon immediately steps in front of Yun Zhuoran, shielding him warily.

“This is the Taiyin True Fire.”

A soft female voice rings out behind them. Everyone turns.

Yun Duo and Young Master Yin, who are supposed to have been sent out to the spiritual mine, are walking slowly toward them.

Their gazes are locked onto the floating golden flame.

Yun Duo’s gentle, elegant face is twisted in near-maniacal ecstasy.

“The Taiyin True Fire… the flame that can destroy the world—it’s finally appeared…”