When the Cannon Fodder Male Supporting Role Picks Up the Script - Chapter 30

Gu Qiuming instinctively wants to hide the pendant, but just as he raises his hand, he puts it down again and says openly, “I heard from Senior Brother Lu that this is a protective magic weapon.”

Yun Zhuoran asks, “Did you meet Senior Brother Lu?”

Gu Qiuming replies, “We just parted yesterday.”

He thinks for a while and adds, “By the way! Senior Brother Yun, Senior Brother Lu is looking for you, but something happened two days ago. Senior Brother Lu is still searching the same place. I don’t know where the black dragon has gone…”

The second half of the sentence is a whispered muttering, and Yun Zhuoran only catches the word “black dragon.” His eyes suddenly became stern. “Black dragon? What did you encounter?”

“It was an accident… A couple of days ago, I passed by a valley and found a young demon beast. It looked pitiful, so I took it back to its nest. The mother beast gave me this protective talisman. Just as I was about to leave, I saw Senior Brother Lu…”

“Senior Brother Lu told me that the valley was strange, and he found a black dragon near the cave where I had been. But since I didn’t see it with my own eyes, I can’t be sure,” Gu Qiuming continues, “Later, Senior Brother Lu checks the area around the valley but doesn’t find anything unusual, so he asks me to go find other senior brothers.”

Lu Qi has always been a man of few words, but he is still very concerned about the lives of his sect’s disciples. When he notices something wrong with the valley, he immediately lets Gu Qiuming go and gives him an extra reminder — Gu Qiuming’s cultivation is too low, only at the 6th level of Qi Refining, and it’s really dangerous to be alone in the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest. He advises Gu Qiuming to follow Senior Brother.

Now, when talking about the black dragon, Yun Zhuoran can only think of the black mirage dragon that appeared in Tiandao Sect and took the resurrected Gu Shenshu in Cloud Pool.

Could it be that Gu Shenshu has also come to the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest!?

Yun Zhuoran is both shocked and filled with an emotion he can’t fully define, a sense of anticipation.

“Where is that valley?”

Gu Qiuming suddenly feels a little embarrassed. “Not far, why don’t I take you there?”

The terrain of the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest is complex. Looking around, there are large jungles, and it’s really hard to tell where is where. Gu Qiuming can’t pinpoint the exact location, so he can only walk by memory. Fortunately, Yun Zhuoran doesn’t mind. Gu Qiuming blushes, clenches his fists, and offers to lead the way.

As Gu Qiuming says, the valley is indeed not far, but it takes him a day to reach Yun Zhuoran’s side at his foot speed, so the distance isn’t close. 

Even if Yun Zhuoran takes out the flying sword, it would still take from noon to dusk to reach the valley.

From a distance, Yun Zhuoran feels a very faint and cold evil spirit.

“It’s here.” Gu Qiuming jumps off the flying sword first, blushing the entire way. His pair of clear black eyes shine as he looks at Yun Zhuoran from time to time.

Senior Brother Yun is so handsome…

Yun Zhuoran doesn’t notice his abnormality. He puts away the flying sword and walks into the valley. Gu Qiuming jogs a few steps to catch up but doesn’t find Lu Qi. Instead, he finds sword marks on the black rock and guesses that they were left by Lu Qi.

Gu Qiuming feels embarrassed because he hasn’t found anyone.

He secretly looks at Yun Zhuoran, only to see the afterglow of the setting sun slanting on his clothes, coating them with soft light, like an immortal who fell from the throne into the mortal world.

Senior Brother Yun’s usual cold and arrogant attitude fades a little, as if he is closer to me…

When Yun Zhuoran turns around, he sees Gu Qiuming in a daze again. He doesn’t think much about it, pats his sleeves, and stands up. After all, the Gu Qiuming in his mind, or the one he read about in the storybook, is just a silly boy.

Yun Zhuoran isn’t familiar with the real Gu Qiuming. He is more familiar with the Gu Qiuming in the book The Emotionless Daoist, which he has read many times. The Gu Qiuming in the storybook is also a poor little man with a not-so-glorious background. He has nothing, so if others are willing to give him a little kindness, he returns it tenfold.

It is mentioned more than once in the storybook that as long as it’s Shen Lingshu’s request, Gu Qiuming would agree unconditionally. After Shen Lingshu rescues him from the Gu family, he devotes himself to her. Even when Shen Lingshu later accepts the young master of the Demon Palace and the young master of Yuncheng, who are difficult to get along with, Gu Qiuming always gives way to them obediently.

But at the end of the storybook, Gu Qiuming, Ji Ruo, and others in Shen Lingshu’s backyard, as well as his relatives and friends, are no longer mentioned. The story stops at the moment he ascends to become the new Heavenly Dao.

The new Heavenly Dao… Shen Lingshu?

Yun Zhuoran never understands the Emotionless Daoist. He doesn’t know where the storybook came from or whether it’s a trick. He doesn’t think about this question anymore. Instead, he looks up at the sky and then at the uneasy boy beside him.

“It’s night. Let’s stay here.”

Gu Qiuming’s eyes flicker. He asks uncertainly, “Aren’t we looking for Senior Brother Lu?”

Yun Zhuoran glances at him indifferently, turns around, and leaves. But he doesn’t use the flying magic weapon; instead, he slowly walks toward the nearby river.

Gu Qiuming suddenly realizes and hurriedly grabs his magic sword to catch up.

The night in the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest is the hardest to endure. After nightfall, the yang energy accumulated throughout the day dissipates, and the yin energy surges up. Some creatures in the forest begin to emerge in search of food. Yun Zhuoran could abandon Gu Qiuming to chase Lu Qi, but since he doesn’t know where Lu Qi is, he stays with Gu Qiuming for the night, as Gu Qiuming is leading the way.

After taking Gu Qiuming with him, Yun Zhuoran can no longer use his sleight of hand. He occasionally meets some cultivators along the way, but most of them walk their own paths, and their business has nothing to do with him. He chooses a small forest by the river to stay for the night.

As the sky darkens, Gu Qiuming starts a fire and prepares to set up a tent for Yun Zhuoran. However, Yun Zhuoran isn’t one to be so delicate, and after he refuses, Gu Qiuming swiftly packs it away. When he sees Yun Zhuoran sitting down to meditate, he feels his own heart calm in response.

The last glow of sunset is swallowed by the night, and the roar of monsters echoes from deep within the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest. The sound is endless, startling nearly a hundred disciples who are training.

Gu Qiuming circulates his spiritual energy for two full cycles. When he opens his eyes, the sky has already turned completely dark. There are a few scattered lights along the river, and some fellow cultivators have also stopped here to rest.

As the young man peers into the distance, Yun Zhuoran is also watching him from behind.

If Yun Zhuoran isn’t mistaken, Gu Qiuming has used just two hours to increase his cultivation by one level and is already at the 7th level of Qi Refining.

“Where is Senior Brother Yun…” The young man suddenly remembers this question. He stands up, holding the spiritual sword, and looks around, appearing a little flustered. “Senior Brother Yun…”

Before he finishes calling out, he sees the man in white standing in the woods behind him.

Gu Qiuming breathes a sigh of relief and walks over, holding the spirit sword in his arms. “Senior Brother Yun is still here!”

Yun Zhuoran returns to the fire and sits down. The small black eyes of the dark lump on his shoulder gleam brightly, and the little tail sways with a sense of satisfaction and happiness. The creature had just returned after eating dinner.

Since entering the Beast Forest, the Heart Demon has finally been able to enjoy his three meals a day.

There are so many demon beasts here, too many to count, and he can eat his fill every day and still not finish them all.

Because the Heart Demon is allowed to eat freely, there are barely any demon beasts left where Yun Zhuoran passes through.

Gu Qiuming follows him back and sits down for a while. He quietly touches his stomach, wanting to say something but hesitating. In the end, he asks Yun Zhuoran if he wants to eat monster meat.

The question catches Yun Zhuoran off guard. He has been taking pills to suppress hunger since he was very young, and he began foundation building early, so his need for food has also been reduced. However, seeing the boy’s embarrassed expression, he slowly nods.

Gu Qiuming, reinvigorated, grabs a water jug and goes to fetch water.

As he walks away, the Heart Demon curiously asks, “Is he planning to cook here?”

Yun Zhuoran replies, “I don’t know.”

But in the story, Gu Qiuming often cooks for Shen Lingshu. The food he prepares is infused with spiritual energy, which is beneficial for cultivators. As for Shen Lingshu’s backyard, Gu Qiuming is the most obedient, unlike the others who require Shen Lingshu to pamper and console them. Ji Ruo, for example, is the hardest to please, but Shen Lingshu’s greatest treasure is someone else. The young master of Yun City, who has not yet appeared, is likely to show up soon. Whether or not he will appear early, like Ji Ruo, remains to be seen.

Before Yun Zhuoran can think too much about it, Gu Qiuming returns, bringing some people along with him.

Before they even get close, Yun Zhuoran hears a familiar voice, and his scalp tingles. “Yun Zhuoran, I finally find you!”

Li Jianming rushes over as soon as he sees him. It seems he has endless energy; no matter when or where, he is always full of spirit.

“Yun Zhuoran, where have you been these past few days? I ask so many people on the way here but can’t find you. I send you a message, and you don’t reply. I know you saw it; you’re just ignoring me on purpose!”

As expected of someone Yun Zhuoran has known since his youth, Li Jianming’s guess is spot on. However, Yun Zhuoran doesn’t want to engage with him and instead looks past him. That’s when he notices that standing next to Gu Qiuming are several young cultivators from the Penglai Immortal Palace.

Yun Zhuoran finally remembers that he has been in a hurry to enter the Beast Forest and hasn’t replied to Penglai Immortal Palace yet.

Suddenly, a soft, warm, furry bundle is thrust into his arms without warning, making a faint whimpering sound.

Yun Zhuoran is momentarily startled and looks down to see a black-and-white furball with dark circles under its eyes, looking up at him with wet, pleading eyes. No, to be more precise, it is looking at the little black lump on his shoulder.

The Heart Demon notices that this creature resembles him somewhat but is much cuter. While his own form is entirely black, this one is black and white, round and fluffy. Seeing it occupy his brother’s embrace, the Heart Demon immediately bristles, his small black eyes narrowing in cold disdain as he glares at the furball.

The furball dares not move, trembling all over.

Li Jianming, never one to shy away from causing trouble, takes the opportunity to reach out and poke the Heart Demon, unfazed by the potential for a bite. With a grin, he says, “I catch you a baby Iron Eater Beast cub. How about we trade it for your little black lump?”

The Heart Demon is so angry that his fur stands on end. He snarls, “No, no, no! Go to hell!”

Only Yun Zhuoran hears this, and the noise makes his ears ring.

The baby Iron Eater Beast cub, frightened by the Heart Demon’s sudden outburst, begins to tear up. As Yun Zhuoran looks at it, it can’t help but let out a soft, pitiful whine, “Ying.”

Yun Zhuoran freezes, unable to resist reaching out to pinch the young cub’s furry paw.

The Heart Demon, witnessing this, nearly loses his mind. He shouts in disbelief, “Brother!”

Yun Zhuoran’s hand freezes for a moment, then he silently pulls it back and stuffs the cub back into Li Jianming’s arms. His face remains as cold as ever, though his eyes seem to glance at the cub, almost inadvertently.

“No trade. Go away.”