When the Cannon Fodder Male Supporting Role Picks Up the Script - Chapter 2

Tian Dao Sect rests atop the towering Celestial Stairs, shrouded in immortal clouds, resembling a heavenly palace from myth.

Once ranked as the foremost among the Four Great Immortal Sects, Tian Dao Sect is founded by Gu Shenshu, the most devout follower of the Heavenly Dao and the greatest cultivator in the immortal realm.

Even though Sect Leader Gu has long since fallen, Tian Dao Sect remains an influential force in the cultivation world.

Yun Zhuoran has been in seclusion for over ten years, and after leaving the sect to undergo his tribulation at night, today is the first time he returns to the mountain with the heart demon. 

The heart demon, full of curiosity about everything, is fascinated by the inscriptions on the boundary marker, which glow with golden spiritual power. It constantly peeks around, looking like a small, furry spirit pet with a tail due to its sealed malevolent energy.

Dark and fuzzy, it actually appears somewhat cute.

Yun Zhuoran conceals the flicker of emotion in his eyes and ascends the steps. Since he wears the inner sect disciple’s robes, the gatekeepers greet him respectfully from afar. Yun Zhuoran walks past them indifferently, and only after he has gone a distance do the disciples dare to whisper.

It is no wonder—Yun Zhuoran’s face is unfamiliar to most of the disciples in Tian Dao Sect. Despite the small number of inner sect disciples, none of them have ever seen Yun Zhuoran before.

Yun Zhuoran can hear them speculating about his identity from a distance, but his expression remains completely unchanged as he continues walking toward his residence in the back mountain, composing a reply to his senior brother. The heart demon, lying obediently on his shoulder, seems to have listened to Yun Zhuoran’s earlier words. However, from the way its black form appears tense, it is clearly on guard.

Yun Zhuoran’s residence is in the rear of the main peak, quite far away. With his cultivation currently suppressed to the early Core Formation stage, he decides not to bother flying, maintaining his usual persona. Just as he is walking, someone suddenly rushes out ahead and collapses right at his feet. Yun Zhuoran pauses, and the spiritual energy he has been using to reply to his senior brother scatters completely.

Yun Zhuoran frowns, a trace of displeasure in his gaze as he looks down at the boy on the ground. The pale boy wears white robes, his hair disheveled, and the hem of his robe is stained with traces of blood. Clearly injured, he clutches his chest as he struggles to stand. When he lifts his eyes, he is greeted by the sight of Yun Zhuoran’s snow-white robes.

A cluster of water-red honeysuckle blooms in the snow.

The boy’s eyes brighten, and he looks up abruptly.

“Senior br—”

But when he sees Yun Zhuoran’s delicate and refined face, the boy seems to choke on his words.

Yun Zhuoran lifts his foot to walk around him, but the boy quickly comes to his senses and lunges forward, grabbing the hem of Yun Zhuoran’s robe.

“Senior brother, save me!”

These are the robes of an inner sect disciple.

The boy recognizes them, and only disciples from the main peak have water-red honeysuckle embroidered on their robes.

Yun Zhuoran barely restrains the urge to kick the boy away and also suppresses the heart demon that has been startled. He lowers his gaze coldly at the boy who is causing him trouble.

“What is it?”

The boy knows he has been rude, but seeing that this senior brother hasn’t scolded him, he feels a surge of joy. His eyes shine brightly as he looks at Yun Zhuoran. However, faced with the senior brother’s ethereal beauty, his voice instinctively softens, and the anxiety in his eyes subsides. “Senior brother, may I ask for a small favor?”

Yun Zhuoran’s gaze falls on the boy’s hand, still gripping his robe. “An outer sect disciple?”

The boy awkwardly releases his grip. “Yes.”

Just as the boy hesitates over how to ask for help, Yun Zhuoran has already turned decisively.

“No.”

The boy stands frozen, his face full of shock.

As Yun Zhuoran walks away, he resumes forming hand seals to finish his reply to his senior brother. After he is done, he hears footsteps approaching from behind. Turning to look, he sees the boy standing a few steps away, fidgeting, occasionally glancing back, pleading with hopeful eyes, “Senior brother, please! I’ve been targeted. I won’t ask you to intervene; I’ll just follow you. I won’t be a bother!”

Yun Zhuoran scans the area and notices a few people hiding in the shadows. Their cultivation levels aren’t high. Glancing at the bloodstains on the boy, it is obvious he has been bullied.

On his shoulder, the heart demon mumbles in confusion, “Is he trying to scam you or set up a trap?”

To outsiders, the heart demon might look like a strange spirit pet, but due to the blood contract, only Yun Zhuoran can hear it at the moment. A hint of amusement appears in Yun Zhuoran’s eyes. “Weiran knows a lot.”

The heart demon proudly replies, “Whatever brother knows, I know too! I would never embarrass brother!”

Yun Zhuoran raises an eyebrow slightly, then stops paying attention to the boy and continues walking. The boy hesitates for a moment before following, his face flushed, maintaining a respectful distance.

Yun Zhuoran pretends not to notice. Such bullying is not uncommon in Tian Dao Sect.

Not long after, a sword light flashes across the sky, passing over the two of them and flying into the distance before suddenly turning back and landing ahead.

“I knew I’d find you here!” The sword master’s scolding voice startles the boy, causing him to tense up and turn pale.

But a smile flickers in Yun Zhuoran’s eyes.

The sword intent hasn’t fully dissipated as a young man with a round face, dressed in moon-white robes, approaches.

“Yun Zhuoran, where did you sneak off to? Why didn’t you tell us first?” the young man reprimands sternly.

“Just taking a walk,” Yun Zhuoran replies calmly, completely unaffected by the fierce-looking young man’s harsh tone. After all, he can’t exactly tell him that he has gone down the mountain to undergo a tribulation. The difference between the Core Formation stage and the Nascent Soul stage tribulation is immense, obvious even to a fool. 

As the young man draws nearer, Yun Zhuoran lazily offers a formal greeting, “Senior Brother Jiang.”

This is the senior brother who has sent him a message not long ago. Yun Zhuoran has just replied, informing him that he has returned to the mountain, but he hasn’t expected him to come right after.

“As long as you’re back. You have no idea…” Jiang Zhibai clearly doesn’t believe Yun Zhuoran’s explanation. As he raises his hand to place it on Yun Zhuoran’s shoulder, he suddenly notices a small creature sitting there and jumps in surprise. “What is that?!”

The heart demon, startled by Jiang Zhibai, quickly hides behind Yun Zhuoran’s back. However, since Yun Zhuoran is quite tolerant of Jiang Zhibai, the heart demon feels no hostility toward him.

“Just a little spirit pet I happened to pick up,” Yun Zhuoran says, grabbing the heart demon and moving it to his other shoulder. The heart demon takes the opportunity to snuggle against Yun Zhuoran’s palm, softly whining to let him know how scared he is.

Jiang Zhibai, eyes full of curiosity, remarks, “It’s actually kind of cute.”

On the other side, Yun Zhuoran hears the heart demon let out a disgruntled hum, and he can’t help but chuckle.

Yun Zhuoran rarely laughs, but when he does, it is breathtaking. Like the sky clearing after a snowfall, the dazzling sunlight reflecting off a thick layer of ice casts a beautiful, shimmering glow. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call him the most stunning person in the world.

Jiang Zhibai is momentarily stunned, his ears heating up. He turns his gaze toward the pale boy standing not far away.

“There’s someone else here too?”

“I don’t know him,” Yun Zhuoran says as he lightly strokes the heart demon’s head, not sparing the boy a single glance.

The boy realizes from the interaction between the two that this exceptionally handsome senior brother has a good relationship with the newcomer, whom he recognizes as Senior Brother Jiang from Qingjing Peak. Feeling increasingly embarrassed, the boy catches sight of a familiar figure in the distance and notices that the people pursuing him are gone, likely too scared to act under Jiang’s watchful gaze. With a sense of relief, he bows to the two and quickly walks away.

“Is that so?”

Jiang Zhibai is puzzled and doesn’t pursue the matter regarding the boy’s departure. Instead, he turns to Yun Zhuoran, his face filled with admiration, and can’t help but praise him repeatedly.

“It’s been ten years since we last met, and who would’ve guessed our Junior Brother Yun has grown even more alluring?” Jiang Zhibai clicks his tongue. “No wonder Senior Brother Shen has been talking about you all this time.”

At the mention of Senior Brother Shen, the heart demon perks up its little head.

Yun Zhuoran asks, “What has he been saying?”

“It’s been too long since he’s seen you; he misses you,” Jiang Zhibai replies with a smile, waving his hand as he pulls Yun Zhuoran back in the direction they came from. “Since you’re finally out, don’t rush back to Baiyun Jian. Come on, let’s go see the excitement!” He explains as they walk, “Today is the last trial for the inner sect assessment, and this year, Senior Brother Shen is presiding over it. Everyone’s at the front mountain!”

Yun Zhuoran remarks, “Is Senior Brother Shen taking in disciples?”

The heart demon reacts quickly, and as Jiang Zhibai mentions the inner sect assessment, it immediately recalls the content from the storybook and whispers in Yun Zhuoran’s ear, “Brother, look! Shen Lingshu is taking in disciples! The disciple he’s taking this time is Gu Qiuming. After you die, he will be taken into the back courtyard!”

Yun Zhuoran’s expression remains unchanged, but he feels a hint of surprise in his heart—what a coincidence!

Jiang Zhibai shakes his head. “I’m not sure, but speaking of which, where’s your tracking jade pendant?” He lowers his voice. “You’ve been missing for days, and the pendant hasn’t responded either. Elder Qingyang thought you wouldn’t come back, and thankfully, Senior Brother Shen managed to suppress this. I think they wanted to expel you from the sect.”

“I wasn’t paying attention and lost it.” Yun Zhuoran has long been targeted by several peak masters and has grown accustomed to it. As for the tracking jade pendant that the peak masters insisted he carry, he had crushed it long before he prepared to descend the mountain for the tribulation.

Seeing his dismissive attitude, Jiang Zhibai can’t help but give a few more words of caution. “Just ask Senior Brother Shen for another one; don’t lose it again… I’m not doubting you; I’m worried you might run into that person. It’s very dangerous.”

Yun Zhuoran frowns. “I understand.”

He is usually not very talkative and has a distant demeanor. This time, Jiang Zhibai clearly notices that he is in a bad mood and doesn’t pursue the topic further. Instead, he turns to the heart demon, “Where did you find this spirit pet? Do you have more?”

Yun Zhuoran seriously suspects he wants to pick up a heart demon as well, causing him to smile faintly. “I found it at the foot of the mountain.”

Jiang Zhibai can’t possibly believe that.

The two continue chatting as they walk and soon arrive at the front mountain’s martial arts arena. As Jiang Zhibai has said, many disciples are present, and the final competition is underway, creating a lively atmosphere. Jiang Zhibai loves to join in on the excitement, pulling Yun Zhuoran into the crowd. 

The disciples see him and hurriedly pay their respects. As he leads Yun Zhuoran to the front, many are already captivated by Yun Zhuoran. Just like the gatekeeping disciples, most have never seen Yun Zhuoran’s face before and are all curious about his identity.

This makes things difficult for the heart demon, as it doesn’t like being around others except for Yun Zhuoran. The heart demon curls up listlessly in Yun Zhuoran’s sleeve, while Yun Zhuoran gently rubs its head to comfort it.

Yun Zhuoran has little interest in the inner sect assessment. As Jiang Zhibai introduces him to this year’s promising disciples, his gaze is scanning the high platform across the martial arts arena, and soon, he finds his target.

The White-Clad Immortal Lord looks down upon the crowd from the high platform. He is Gu Shenshu’s true disciple, inheritor of the emotionless Great Dao of Taishang, and the future sect master of the Tian Dao Sect. With a handsome, jade-like appearance, people speak of him as a paragon of virtue, and he is also Yun Zhuoran’s senior brother.

Shen Lingshu.

Yun Zhuoran silently repeats the name in his heart.

The competition on the platform has already ended, and after waiting for a long time without a response, Jiang Zhibai turns around to find Yun Zhuoran intently gazing up at Shen Lingshu on the high platform, a knowing smile appearing on his face. “You’re looking at Senior Brother Shen! It’s been ten years since you’ve been in seclusion, and you didn’t even visit Senior Brother Shen when you finally came out. That’s quite heartless of you; he took care of you so much in the past. Don’t you miss him?”

Jiang Zhibai recalls how Senior Brother Shen has been seeking him out these days and has shown particular concern for Yun Zhuoran. He also remembers that a while ago, the fairy Qingbo from the Lingshan Sect had predicted that Senior Brother Shen would soon have a Dao companion, which makes him think a little more about Shen Lingshu’s care for Yun Zhuoran.

“Junior Brother Yun, guess what kind of person Senior Brother Shen would look for if he were to find a Dao companion…” As he speaks, a commotion erupts from the crowd.

It turns out that during the sparring, a defeated disciple, disregarding everything, launches a deadly attack on the victor. He uses a high-level thunderfire attribute magical artifact, and with a loud bang, the entire competition platform explodes. The defensive array on the platform collapses, and one senior brother reacts quickly, grabbing hold of the disciple.

However, the previously victorious disciple is engulfed in thick black smoke.

He is supposed to be the first place in this assessment, but now it seems that without a top-notch defensive artifact, he will be severely injured or even killed.

Jiang Zhibai is stunned, his words cutting off mid-sentence. Realizing the situation, he wants to rush forward, but Yun Zhuoran grabs his arm to stop him. “Don’t rush.”

Yun Zhuoran stares directly at the platform.

Amidst the swirling smoke, the handsome White-Clad Immortal Lord steps out slowly, pristine and untainted, cradling a slender and pale boy in his arms, looking very well-matched.

Jiang Zhibai recognizes the figure and lets out a quiet sigh of relief.

Yun Zhuoran murmurs beside him, “Senior Brother Shen probably likes this kind of junior disciple.”

Jiang Zhibai gasps, “…”

The two on the platform lock eyes, and when the boy turns his head, a delicate, pale face is revealed.

Yun Zhuoran’s gaze freezes—isn’t this the boy who has been following him earlier?

“It’s good that nothing happens…” Jiang Zhibai says, “Don’t overthink it; Senior Brother Shen is just saving someone.”

Yun Zhuoran casually replies, “Oh.”

However, as the crowd reacts, Shen Lingshu still holds onto the boy, and the onlookers can’t help but discuss it. When Jiang Zhibai notices Yun Zhuoran’s teasing gaze, he can only give an awkward smile. “That junior disciple, we saw him on the way here. He’s a rare talent in the outer sect, named Gu Qiuming; he is…”

Unbeknownst to Jiang Zhibai, the heart demon has secretly emerged when Shen Lingshu is rescuing people, leaning close to Yun Zhuoran’s ear and using its excellent memory to recite the novel word for word—during the incident at the inner sect assessment, it is the first time Shen Lingshu mets Gu Qiuming. This boy has a pair of exceptionally pure eyes, and Shen Lingshu can’t help but become captivated by them. He holds the pale boy, who is as weak as a kitten, in his arms, forgetting to let go and reluctant to release him…

Yun Zhuoran quietly watches Shen Lingshu and the boy, a flash of golden-red light quickly passing through his eyes. He suddenly asks, “Did you see that thread?”

Jiang Zhibai and the heart demon are both taken aback. “What?”

Yun Zhuoran shakes his head, closes his eyes for a moment, and when he opens them again, he is still looking at Shen Lingshu, who has just put down Gu Qiuming, his expression darkening.

The heart demon senses something is off, as Yun Zhuoran never speaks idly. “What did you see, Brother?”

Yun Zhuoran furrows his brows. “A red thread.”

They are communicating in their minds, and Jiang Zhibai can’t hear them. He can’t help but wonder if Junior Brother Yun is frowning and angry because Senior Brother Shen is holding another boy.

The heart demon is extremely confused. “What red thread?”

“The red thread between Shen Lingshu and Gu Qiuming,” Yun Zhuoran says slowly, lowering his gaze to his right hand, his expression serious. “Shen Lingshu has a red thread with me as well, thicker and redder than the one with Gu Qiuming.”

The heart demon is startled, feeling a mix of anger and curiosity. “Then do I have one with brother?”

Reminded by this, Yun Zhuoran obediently turns to look at the heart demon, his expression becoming increasingly strange. After a long pause, he manages to squeeze out a word. “Yes.” He adds, “Red to the point of being purple.