When the Cannon Fodder Male Supporting Role Picks Up the Script - Chapter 15

Yun Zhuoran initially thinks this is just Ji Chen’s anger, but to his surprise, Ji Chen doesn’t resist at all. Although being immobilized means that any resistance is pointless, the fierce rage emanating from him fades away.

“Just kill me,” Ji Chen says, a sense of hopelessness radiating from him. “Qingyang Peak has given up on me. Senior Brother Shen is polite enough to let me go down the mountain to train, but it’s just short of expelling me from the sect.”

Yun Zhuoran had originally planned to quickly take Ji Chen away while he isn’t paying attention, but seeing the sudden change in his attitude piques his curiosity, and he glances out the window.

“Aren’t you reporting this today?”

Ji Chen is momentarily stunned, then looks wary. “Don’t wait! No one will come here at all! It’s true! I heard from my senior brother that after losing so many people last night and facing such bad news one after another, who has the mood to report it? If you want to kill me, just do it! No one will come here!”

Yun Zhuoran detects the implication in his words. “You’re quite loyal to your fellow disciples tonight.”

Ji Chen snorts in anger, thinking that at least he has bought some time for his fellow disciples, hoping that this villain won’t extend his evil claws to others and that he can remain on the mountain forever. “Just do it! I don’t want to live anyway!”

Yun Zhuoran finds it amusing. He has known from the start that there are no ambushes near Ji Chen. After what happened the other day, it is likely that the prideful and currently enraged master of Qingyang Peak has given up on him. Even knowing that he bears a mark of demonic creatures, no disciples come to attend to him.

However, that doesn’t mean Yun Zhuoran can kill Ji Chen. After all, Ji Chen is an inner disciple of Tiandao Sect; if he dies, the breath inscribed on the soul lamp disperses, and once a person dies, the lamp goes out. At that point, the people from Qingyang Peak will definitely come.

But Ji Chen’s awareness tonight surprises him. Is this the result of Shen Lingshu’s brainwashing?

“I won’t kill you,” Yun Zhuoran says, rubbing the small black creature. “You’re still very useful. My pet needs to be well-fed, and that depends on you.”

Yun Zhuoran guesses Ji Chen will be furious, and the angrier he gets, the denser the death aura surrounding him becomes, attracting more evil spirits. However, he doesn’t expect Ji Chen, shrouded in black mist, to suddenly say—

“Are you Yun Zhuoran?”

Yun Zhuoran’s eyes flash with cold light, and the little black ball emits a strong murderous aura. A pair of flashing little black eyes looks at Yun Zhuoran with curiosity, who gently presses its head down and shakes his head. “Who is Yun Zhuoran?”

Ji Chen swallows hard. “You’re really not him?”

Yun Zhuoran looks down at Ji Chen coldly. “Is he like you, someone marked by demonic creatures?”

Ji Chen feels a flicker of suspicion, but after hearing the other person’s response, he quickly loses his temper, though he remains unwilling in his heart. “That person isn’t a good thing either… But he is not.”

How strange; Ji Chen doesn’t take the opportunity to harm him? Yun Zhuoran finds it surprising.

Ji Chen says sullenly, “I used to have a grudge against Yun Zhuoran, but it was just a one-sided hatred. Do you really think I would say anything good about someone I hate? I really do hate him.”

Similarly, Yun Zhuoran doesn’t like Ji Chen either, but after hearing his repeated denials, Yun Zhuoran’s eyes gradually soften, and the hidden murderous intent fades away quietly. He has no interest in asking Ji Chen why he hates him. Instead, he suppresses the heart demon in his arms, which is irritable and unhappy due to Ji Chen’s personal attack, and takes out a teleportation talisman.

Spiritual power transforms into golden-red flames, and with a bang, it rushes to the end of the talisman paper. Under the faint firelight, Yun Zhuoran’s slender fingers look particularly pale. “No matter what you say, you still have to go out tonight.”

A light laugh falls into Ji Chen’s ears, and a familiar unease surges in his heart. But just as he thinks that, his body is lifted off the ground and rolls in the black mist.

“I… you bastard! Come back!”

Before dawn, Yun Zhuoran and the heart demon return after taking Ji Chen to the foot of the mountain to fish. 

he evil spirits down the mountain are certainly far more numerous than those within the sect, and the heart demon particularly enjoys a hearty meal for most of the night. Ji Chen, exhausted after a night of ordeal, nearly spits out his soul when he is sent back to Qingyang Peak. He lies helplessly on the ground, muttering tearlessly all the way.

“Please, please, don’t come looking for me again… I’m so, so tired…”

Yun Zhuoran has just wiped away the traces he left behind when he hears the voice. He glances back and sees Ji Chen’s expression, which is on the verge of tears. He smiles slightly and then leaves with the well-fed heart demon in his arms.

He intends to tell Ji Chen that he might not come to him in the near future.

The deathly aura on Ji Chen’s forehead begins to dissipate. As he is still alive, he has likely passed the test of life and death. Although he could still take Ji Chen fishing before the aura completely fades, he has already taken Ji Chen away three times. Even if Ji Chen, with his heart as dead as ash, hasn’t reported him, Qingyang Peak will still notice something amiss.

Yun Zhuoran sighs secretly. Ji Chen is right: you can’t just catch a sheep and pluck its wool. 

Last night, the heart demon found several Golden Core Level monsters at the foot of Tiandao Sect Mountain. This meal is quite satisfying. After eating, it curls up in Yun Zhuoran’s arms and falls asleep happily. 

When it wakes up in a daze, it finds it has already returned to Yun Zhuoran’s room. The little black ball subconsciously sniffs, and its black eyes suddenly dim. There is no trace of its brother in the room!

The heart demon, afraid that Yun Zhuoran will lock it in the barrier again, sneaks out and feels a little wronged. The entire black ball suddenly becomes extremely dejected and jumps onto the window frame, exuding a dark aura. Suddenly, its eyes brighten—a very faint, strange fragrance floats in the air. This is the scent of Yun Zhuoran!

The heart demon perks up, happily chasing the strange fragrance to find its master.

There was a green bamboo forest behind the white clouds, and a layer of cool white mist covered the ground. The deeper one went, the heavier the mist became and the colder the temperature.

There is a green bamboo forest behind the white clouds, and a layer of cool white mist covers the ground. The deeper one goes, the heavier the mist becomes and the colder the temperature. The heart demon doesn’t like this cold mist, but Yun Zhuoran’s scent is within it. The little black ball sniffs the strange fragrance all the way, floating deeper into the bamboo forest. The crisp sound of water comes from the cold spring, shrouded in thick smoke and clouds. Spotting Yun Zhuoran’s back from afar, the heart demon flicks its tail excitedly and rushes over.

“Brother!”

As the master of the barrier, Yun Zhuoran has long been aware that the little creature has come out and is now searching for him in his bathing area. He has no choice but to get up. Just as he is putting on his clothes, the little creature comes in.

Yun Zhuoran doesn’t feel the need to hide; however, when he hears the boy’s voice, which has noticeably become more hoarse, his gaze brightens a little as he turns to look back.

He has grown taller. This voice is now filled with youthful energy.

Yun Zhuoran smirks, “You…”

“Ah!” The heart demon, flying midway, suddenly stops and lets out a scream.

Yun Zhuoran is also taken aback by its shout. Before he can react, the little black creature, floating in mid-air, quickly covers its face with its slender claws and darts out, looking surprisingly shy in that moment.

“Sorry, brother! I’ll leave right away!”

Yun Zhuoran: “…”

The heart demon vanishes suddenly. Yun Zhuoran can’t figure out what it is doing, but he can’t deny his anticipation for the heart demon to transform into a human. 

Thinking of this makes Yun Zhuoran smile. He lowers his head and adjusts the clothes draped over his arms, covering a large area of snow-like scenery. His slender fingers quickly arrange his clothes, and then he walks out of the cold spring slowly.

As expected, Yun Zhuoran finds the little black creature in his room. It has buried itself under the blankets and has been softly whimpering before Yun Zhuoran enters; upon his arrival, it immediately falls silent. The little black head is buried in a soft pillow, its tail twitching, pretending to be dead.

Yun Zhuoran sits nearby and watches its antics, noticing a faint mist rising from the heart demon’s head, which feels hot. He raises an eyebrow, reaches out to touch it, and finds the whole black ball warm.

Yun Zhuoran frowns slightly. “Are you running a fever?”

The demonic thoughts freeze and look up at him, then quickly bury themselves back into the soft pillow. But in an instant, Yun Zhuoran has already seen its condition—how has this little black creature turned red?

If it weren’t for Yun Zhuoran’s keen eyesight, he wouldn’t have been able to see that hint of red in all that darkness.

This is the first time Yun Zhuoran raises a heart demon, and since it is so capable, he can’t just stand by and watch it turn red and hot, evaporating into mist.

“Did you eat something wrong last night?”

But the little black creature said the food was very sweet when it ate the monster last night.

The heart demon pauses for a moment, its bright little black eyes blinking, as if lost in thought. Even the heart demon doesn’t know. As it grows older, its mind becomes more flexible, and it begins to think more deeply. It can no longer engage in the carefree and shameless antics it once did, chasing after Yun Zhuoran to have him take care of it.

At this moment, the heart demon seems to have figured something out. It climbs down from the soft pillow, looks up at Yun Zhuoran with its little head, then quickly lowers it nervously. The boy’s voice trembles slightly, revealing a strong sense of unease.

“Brother, I’m sorry! Weiran didn’t mean to peek at you while you were bathing…”

Yun Zhuoran’s black eyes widen slightly in disbelief. “So, you are blushing?”

The heart demon clasps its slender little claws and looks at Yun Zhuoran cautiously. This human-like gesture from the little black ball is both odd and endearing. Yet, it is impossible to ignore the even stranger blush on the black ball’s surface.

Yun Zhuoran pauses for a moment before laughing. Seeing the corners of Yun Zhuoran’s mouth gradually rise, a bright smile appears on his usually expressionless and delicate face, leaving the heart demon both startled and puzzled. It stares blankly for a while before coming to its senses.

“…Brother isn’t angry?”

Yun Zhuoran hadn’t expected such a small black ball to exhibit such complex expressions and blush… He certainly isn’t angry. The heart demon has come into existence because of him. While he explores the reasons behind its creation, he also regards it as his possession. How could he possibly be angry about this?

But the little creature is so entertaining. Yun Zhuoran finds himself wanting to play with it.

Just as he is about to speak, the jade talisman on the table suddenly lights up. This is the communication jade talisman Jiang Zhibai sent yesterday. Unlike disposable items like paper cranes and sound transmission notes, this talisman can be used indefinitely as long as the other party’s breath is recorded.

Yun Zhuoran thinks for a moment, then raises his hand over the heart demon, takes the jade talisman, and presses his soft fingertips against it.

Jiang Zhibai’s voice comes through. “Junior Brother Yun, are you still in Baiyun Pavilion?”

Such a question makes Yun Zhuoran quite sensitive; not long ago, he really wasn’t there. But even quicker, Jiang Zhibai urgently says, “You must not go outside!”

Yun Zhuoran is puzzled. “Brother Jiang?” The noise on Jiang Zhibai’s end suggests something is wrong.

Jiang Zhibai speaks rapidly, “There’s a major problem with the mountain guarding formation. A demon dragon sneaked in. Several peak masters have guarded it all night and finally found it… In short, Junior Brother Yun, that demon dragon… is currently impossible to subdue. Many disciples have already been injured, and several are missing, including Gu Qiuming; they might have been swallowed… You absolutely must not go outside!”

Jiang Zhibai’s voice is intermittent, and at the end, he adds, “You are safest within the barrier of Baiyun Pavilion. It’s currently impossible to determine how many entities have infiltrated, so just don’t come out!”

Yun Zhuoran is surprised and asks, “What about you?”

He had anticipated issues with the mountain guarding barrier, but he hadn’t expected the demon dragon that sneaked in to be so powerful that even the combined efforts of several peak masters couldn’t subdue it. Jiang Zhibai’s urgency in sending the message indicates just how serious the situation is. It is the first time such an accident has occurred since the founding of the Tiandao Sect a hundred years ago.

“Hey, I’m fine; my mother is here!” Jiang Zhibai says quickly, adding, “I’m going to help fix the array,” before abruptly cutting off the communication.

The spiritual light on the jade talisman dims. Yun Zhuoran hesitates, thinking of Senior Brother Jiang, and decides to go out. Glancing at the heart demon from the corner of his eye, he says, “There must be a lot of monsters outside; let’s go fish in troubled waters.”

“Ah? Does brother want to eat fish?”

Before the heart demon can finish asking, Yun Zhuoran scoops it up with one hand. Without even putting on the Mingguang lock, he throws on a cloak with invisibility properties and rushes out.

Unfortunately, someone passes by outside the door. Yun Zhuoran quickly retreats back into the barrier, but he sees that the young man outside has a dazed expression, his hands weakly hanging down, leaning forward as if being drawn by something.

It is Gu Qiuming. After not seeing him for a day, Gu Qiuming’s death aura is significantly stronger. The black, ominous aura burns like flames, and at this moment, he is actually enveloped in the center of that flame.

Jiang Zhibai just mentioned that he is missing.

Yun Zhuoran is taken aback. Gu Qiuming in the storybook shouldn’t die so early… No, he quickly corrects himself. He shouldn’t base everything on the storybook’s plot.

Gu Qiuming moves swiftly. In just a few breaths, he is already hundreds of feet away, heading in the same direction he takes every day…

“Cloud Pool!”

Yun Zhuoran looks up and sees that atop the solitary peak submerged in clouds, the previously auspicious and rich fairy clouds have turned into thick, black evil spirits.

The heart demon squirms in Yun Zhuoran’s arms restlessly, muttering softly, “Brother, there seems to be something very fragrant over there…”

The heart demon is trying hard to suppress its instincts, but the overwhelming evil spirit emanating from Cloud Pool is difficult to resist. From the moment it was born, it has been endowed with the instinct to devour evil spirits…

“Brother, Weiran is so hungry…” The heart demon’s voice grows more distant.

Fortunately, Yun Zhuoran quickly reaches out to catch the little black creature, preventing it from floating off after Gu Qiuming. Yun Zhuoran gazes solemnly at the peak of the North Mountain. This is Gu Shenshu’s North Mountain Cloud Pool, but Senior Brother Jiang…

Yun Zhuoran glances in another direction, then finally turns around and follows Gu Qiuming.

The North Mountain Cloud Pool is Gu Shenshu’s place for quiet cultivation. It has been sealed off since his fall, but not long ago, Shen Lingshu lifted the ban, and many issues within the Tiandao Sect have come to light.

Yun Zhuoran has a bold guess. 

Could the evil energy at North Mountain Cloud Pool be related to Gu Shenshu’s death? If so, will Yun Peiran, the one who was rumored to have killed him, return?