When the Cannon Fodder Male Supporting Role Picks Up the Script - Chapter 24

Shen Lingshu decides to let Li Jianming stay, so Yun Zhuoran doesn’t chase him away. Anyway, there are so many rooms here; since Li Jianming doesn’t leave, he simply heads to the empty room next door to Lu Qi with his heart demon.

Cultivators generally prefer quiet places. The Tiandao Sect has booked the entire inn, but only about ten people actually arrive. Each person has a room, leaving plenty of empty ones, so he doesn’t have to be next to Shen Lingshu.

Seeing how infatuated Li Jianming is with the jade branch given by the Penglai Immortal, Yun Zhuoran kindly allows him to absorb its energy for one night.

When he holds the jade branch, he first checks it with his divine sense several times and finds nothing unusual. Moreover, he has a large bunch of such jade branches stored in his storage ring.

As he leaves, Li Jianming waves goodbye.

“I knew you wouldn’t sleep with me. Fine. But Yun Zhuoran, listen, don’t go out tonight. Recently, it’s not very safe in Xingyun City. I arrived a few days earlier and heard that for several nights in a row, people have seen shadowy figures sneaking around the city. Be careful; you look good, so you might attract the attention of those bad people. Speaking of which, I’m suddenly worried about myself.”

Yun Zhuoran ignores his narcissistic nonsense and turns around to enter the nearby room. As soon as the door closes, a golden-red spiritual light pops up, and in an instant, a large barrier opens, completely blocking out any outside prying eyes.

The heart demon yawns and floats out, rubbing against Yun Zhuoran’s hand affectionately.

Yun Zhuoran gently pets the soft little creature before taking out a small jade bottle the size of his palm. Inside, something dark and flowing seems to swirl. If listened to carefully, faint sounds of anger or wailing can be heard, but due to the strong sealing barrier, the sounds are suppressed.

“Eat it.” Yun Zhuoran uncorks the bottle and puts the mouth of the bottle in front of Xiao Heituan.

The heart demon holds the jade bottle with its little paws, moans, and opens its mouth, beginning to suck in the evil spirits inside.

As night deepens, a dark figure glides past the empty inn, pausing outside a window.

The room’s protective barrier is eroded by a dark mist, and the window slowly creaks open…

Two soft tapping sounds come from the window.

Yun Zhuoran counts the remaining four jade bottles, each filled with malevolent spirits, adding up to about half a Golden Core’s worth. He estimates there is enough for the heart demon to consume over the next two or three days.

Hearing the sound, he tilts his head toward the window, while the heart demon, blissfully absorbing spirits from the jade bottle, widens its little black eyes warily.

The window continues to produce rhythmic tapping sounds, like someone knocking from the outside.

Yun Zhuoran extends his divine sense to investigate and raises an eyebrow in surprise. He hands the jade bottle to the heart demon so it can continue absorbing the spirits and waves his hand to create a gap in the barrier. The window creaks as it opens a crack from the outside, and a small paper figure, about the length of two fingers, squeezes in, bouncing off the windowsill and quickly hopping over.

The heart demon shifts from being wary to curious, hugging the jade bottle and leaning down to get a better look. The little paper figure climbs up the table leg, and when it hops in front of Yun Zhuoran, the heart demon leans forward to block its path.

Yun Zhuoran chuckles quietly and picks up the little paper figure, which reveals a line of faint golden text floating in the air:

“Come see me.”

The heart demon blinks its eyes and asks, “Who is it?”

The little paper figure jumps down from Yun Zhuoran’s palm and stands on the table, pointing outside the window.

Only the Penglai Immortal, who stays at the opposite inn, has invited him today, and now that night has fallen, the Penglai Immortal has come to urge him. Considering this, Yun Zhuoran nudges the soft heart demon. “Are you going, Weiran?”

Seeing that he intends to go, the heart demon hurriedly finishes absorbing the malevolent spirits from the jade bottle, smacks its lips, and pushes the jade bottle back into Yun Zhuoran’s hand.

“If brother goes, then I will go too!”

Yun Zhuoran pets the black creature, tucking it into his arms as he stands up and looks down at the little paper figure.

“Lead the way.”

The little paper figure seems very happy, bouncing to the door.

Yun Zhuoran follows closely behind, and just as he pushes the door open, he suddenly hears a commotion coming from next door. He steps out to see Lu Qi and Shen Lingshu standing in front of Li Jianming’s wide-open door, seemingly in conversation. Upon noticing him, they both show surprised expressions.

“Junior Brother Yun!”

Shen Lingshu steps forward quickly. “You’re still here!”

Lu Qi rushes over, following closely.

The little paper figure senses something is wrong, quickly climbs onto Yun Zhuoran’s hand, and hides in his sleeve. Yun Zhuoran looks at the two and asks, “If I’m not here, where else would I be?”

Shen Lingshu still looks a little nervous. She raises the object in her hand. “But someone just sent me the Penglai Jade Branch and a letter, saying that you were captured and asked me to go to Huai Tree Ridge outside the city alone to pick you up.”

Lu Qi then asks Yun Zhuoran, “You didn’t go out?”

“I didn’t.” Yun Zhuoran takes the jade branch and the letter; the Penglai jade branch still carries Li Jianming’s aura, confirming it is indeed his. Realizing this, he walks to Li Jianming’s room and sees that the doors and windows are wide open, empty of any person. A very faint, unusual fragrance wafts silently through the air. Yun Zhuoran immediately understands and turns back to look at the two.

“I’m still here, so who is the one that got captured?”

Under the moonlight, a shadow glides over the dark treetops, soon disappearing deep into Huai Tree Ridge. The figure casually tosses someone to the ground and kneels in front of a dilapidated wooden house.

“Young Master, the person has been brought.”

“So soon!”

A clear voice, unable to hide its excitement, comes from the flickering light of the small wooden house. A black-clad youth wearing a silver mask quickly steps out with his followers. He seems very interested in Yun Zhuoran, waving his hand to have his subordinates stand, cautiously glancing at the unconscious person on the ground before kneeling down to turn the person’s face by the chin.

Upon seeing Li Jianming’s healthy, honey-colored face, which can only be considered handsome, the youth’s mouth twitches slightly as he looks suspiciously at the subordinate who brought the person back.

“Is this what the vase of the Tiandao Sect looks like?”

The subordinate also can’t figure it out. “I hear that the Penglai Immortal gave him the Penglai jade branch, and I confirm three times that it is Yun Zhuoran’s room, where he indeed has the jade branch in hand. To make Shen Lingshu believe it, I send the jade branch over. Young Master, I think perhaps the Yun Zhuoran in the rumors is nothing special; his abilities are too weak, and the only thing he has going for him is his looks, which is why people call him a pretty boy. He can’t compare to you at all!”

The young master chuckles softly upon hearing this; whether in satisfaction or mockery is unclear. He doesn’t ask further, instead rising to take the handkerchief offered by his subordinate to wipe his hands. “Fine, as long as it brings Shen Lingshu here. It seems that the true disciple of the first person under heaven is nothing extraordinary. Tonight, I will take Shen Lingshu’s head and establish the reputation of our Demon Palace.”

The young master sneers, looking at Li Jianming, who sleeps soundly at his feet and even snores softly. Unable to help himself, he gives him a light kick. “Is this person really Yun Zhuoran? He’s built like a little calf.”

The force of his kick isn’t too strong. Li Jianming groans in his sleep and reflexively hugs the young master’s leg, suddenly biting down hard. The young master is caught off guard, letting out a hoarse sound from the pain.

“Hurry up and pull this pig away!”

The two subordinates scramble to pull Li Jianming away, but to their surprise, Li Jianming has immense strength. They use all their might, inwardly cursing, realizing that this pretty boy from the Tiandao Sect is indeed like a bull.

After a strenuous struggle, they finally manage to pull Li Jianming away. They are both sweating profusely from exhaustion and breathe a sigh of relief. When the young master sees the deep red blood oozing from his trousers, he can’t help but inhale sharply from the pain. He doesn’t dare to look closely, so he points at Li Jianming angrily and yells, “Asshole! Kill him!”