When the Cannon Fodder Male Supporting Role Picks Up the Script - Chapter 48

After all, in Shen Lingshu’s eyes, Yun Zhuoran is no longer the top genius who established his foundation when he entered the Dao many years ago. He has only just formed a Golden Core, which makes Shen Lingshu confident that Yun Zhuoran will not reject him.

Seeing that Yun Zhuoran remains silent, Shen Lingshu says, “I want to say these words when you come out of retreat, but I just don’t find the opportunity.” 

He looks at Yun Zhuoran and speaks in a tempting voice, “Zhuoran, I know I was wrong. I want to ask you to give me a chance and become my Dao companion. In this way, you can stay in Tiandao Sect openly, and I will never force you to do anything you don’t want to do. I also know that you’ve always wanted to find your brother, but it’s a pity that this senior brother is not strong enough right now. However, when I cultivate the Great Dao, I will help you find him.”

Yun Zhuoran’s brows furrow, and he looks at Shen Lingshu in surprise before suddenly smiling. “Brother Shen really opens my eyes.”

Yun Zhuoran’s smile is very beautiful. Shen Lingshu hasn’t seen him in years, but at this moment, the smile on Yun Zhuoran’s face is filled with irony.

Shen Lingshu says, “I made a mistake in this matter. You should blame me.”

Yun Zhuoran shakes his head and calms down. He believes that Shen Lingshu truly wants to form a Dao companionship with him, but his intentions must be impure. Just because he wants to form a Dao companionship, he arranges for others to target him? It’s ridiculous.

He even begins to suspect that Shen Lingshu has truly practiced an evil method of killing his partner to prove his Dao, rather than the Supreme Emotionless Dao he inherited from Gu Shenshu. In his memory, Gu Shenshu once says that his Dao is only suitable for him. What Gu Shenshu taught Shen Lingshu is the 7-star sword technique, carefully selected from millions of Dao arts. It is also the Dao that Shen Lingshu uses most often. Only after Gu Shenshu’s death does Shen Lingshu announce that he has inherited the Emotionless Dao.

Yun Zhuoran has spent too much time focusing on his own cultivation, and the results have been good, but he has missed far too many details. Now, looking back, he realizes how many suspicious things he has overlooked over the past 20 years.

Yun Zhuoran re-examines Shen Lingshu. The person before him feels strange, but it also makes him laugh. “Shen Lingshu, don’t you think you’re ridiculous?”

Shen Lingshu’s confidence and expectations are immediately extinguished. He had expected Yun Zhuoran to be angry and resistant upon learning the truth. These reactions were anticipated, but hearing Yun Zhuoran’s words makes him feel a little ashamed. He endures it and forces a gentle smile once more. “Zhuoran, I know you’ll be angry.”

“You really surprised me…” Yun Zhuoran pauses, thinks for a moment, then takes a step back to calm his inner turmoil, also maintaining a distance to show his attitude.

This is exactly what Shen Lingshu expects. Undeterred, he says, “Zhuoran, think about it carefully. I won’t force you to do anything. If you become my Dao companion, we can continue as we always have. I will never pressure you. And in this way, I’ll have a reason to reject Tianqing Sect’s request. Zhuoran, as long as you and I become Dao companions, I can help you!”

If he doesn’t agree, then Shen Lingshu won’t help him reject Tianqing Sect?

“Shen Lingshu.” Yun Zhuoran calls his name softly, which makes Shen Lingshu pause, and an uneasy feeling surges in his heart. Yun Zhuoran’s expression remains cold, but the light in his eyes is no longer calm. A slight smile appears as he says, “You know me very well.”

Shen Lingshu looks at him, feeling inexplicably flustered. He says nervously, “Junior Brother Yun…”

“But you overestimate me.” Yun Zhuoran’s tone is gentle, yet it carries an unmistakable coldness. “I know about your little tricks behind my back. I am indeed angry and disappointed, but considering the friendship between fellow disciples, your little tricks really… have no effect on me.”

Therefore, Shen Lingshu must have assumed that he wouldn’t be too angry over something so trivial. If Yun Zhuoran had rejected him outright, Shen Lingshu might have felt some relief. But Yun Zhuoran’s words sound oddly indirect, almost like he is calling him foolish… Shen Lingshu can’t help but ask, “Since you knew all along, why didn’t you confront me? Junior Brother Yun, I know you want to give me a chance. Don’t worry, I will never do it again.”

Since Gu Shenshu’s death, Yun Zhuoran has gone into seclusion for 20 years, emerging only a few months ago. Shen Lingshu has noticed Yun Zhuoran distancing himself from him, especially after Ji Chen exposes him.

During this time, Shen Lingshu has been hesitant, wondering if Yun Zhuoran has known his actions all along, which would explain why he didn’t react when Ji Chen exposed him, nor did he mention it afterward. This leaves Shen Lingshu in a bit of a panic, but Yun Zhuoran never exposes him.

After some thought, Shen Lingshu convinces himself that Yun Zhuoran is giving him a chance to confess.

So he confesses.

Since Junior Brother Yun is willing to give him a chance, it means that he still holds some affection for him. This is the source of Shen Lingshu’s confidence, though he forgets that Yun Zhuoran is skilled in forbearance. Especially under the watchful eyes of multiple parties, Yun Zhuoran would never allow his true thoughts to be revealed for something like this.

Yun Zhuoran can’t help but laugh when he hears it. In truth, he has never intended to give Shen Lingshu a chance; he is fully focused on preparing for the early stages of the integration stage. The Qingyang Peak Master of the Tiandao Sect, with the highest cultivation, is in the integration stage, while the Buddhist disciples of the Tianqing Sect are already in the late integration stage. For Yun Zhuoran, reaching the integration stage is simply the threshold needed to escape the surveillance of both the Tiandao Sect and Tianqing Sect.

It is true that Yun Zhuoran’s current strength is sufficient to leave Tiandao Sect. If he wishes, he could disappear, but he is always cautious of the Buddhist disciple from the Tianqing Sect. The same man who had brought Yun Peiran back to the Tianqing Sect and locked him under the pagoda many years ago.

For that reason, Yun Zhuoran will not expose himself easily or allow the Tianqing Sect disciples to discover him. So, over the years, whether it is Shen Lingshu guiding Ji Chen to exclude and target him, or Shen Lingshu pretending to care about his junior brother, it all seems like a trivial matter to Yun Zhuoran.

Yun Zhuoran has always been a loner, concentrating on his cultivation. The reactions of Ji Chen and the others, avoiding him, only give him a reason to retreat for many years and secretly grow stronger. Yun Zhuoran has never cared about his reputation in the outside world or the rejection of others. When he first learns of Shen Lingshu’s underhanded actions, he is disgusted. But Shen Lingshu rarely makes mistakes and has always maintained a perfect image. He hasn’t committed any grave offenses, so how could Yun Zhuoran deal with him?

Thus, Yun Zhuoran has been observing, waiting to see what Shen Lingshu will do. He never imagines that his purpose is actually…

Yun Zhuoran sighs lightly before decisively saying, “Shen Lingshu, this is the first and last time I will answer this question. My silence was to give you face, and also to give face to Gu Shenshu. If you understand me, you should know that your methods make me deeply uncomfortable. You should know the consequences of crossing my bottom line. I can no longer consider you as one of my own, and I will never become Dao companions with you. But over the years, regardless of your selfish motives, you have indeed helped me a lot when facing Tiangqing Sect. Therefore, I won’t harm you, but as fellow disciples, our bond ends here.”

Shen Lingshu is shocked. He has known Yun Zhuoran would be angry and that it would be difficult for him to agree immediately, but he hadn’t expected Yun Zhuoran to sever their bond entirely!

“Because of this small matter, you don’t want to marry me, and now we can’t even be brothers?”

From his words, it is clear that he doesn’t think his actions would have such a profound impact.

Yun Zhuoran suddenly laughs, but his eyes remain cold. “You treat me like this, yet you never considered the friendship that brothers should share?” Just because he doesn’t care, Shen Lingshu thinks it is acceptable to offend him at will?

Shen Lingshu is left speechless. “Zhuoran, I’m not…”

Before he can finish, Yun Zhuoran raises his hand and sends an object floating toward Shen Lingshu with a gentle push of spiritual power. When Shen Lingshu sees what it is, his heart sinks.

“This is the Lingsu Sword you gave me.” Yun Zhuoran speaks clearly, “I should have returned everything you gave me over the years. Shen Lingshu, if you still hold such thoughts about me, it’s better you give up now. I’ll return the Lingsu Sword to you. I’ll find another way to return some things to you for the friendship you once had with me, but you need to stop insisting.”

Had Shen Lingshu not exposed his ridiculous feelings, Yun Zhuoran might not have been so resolute. But once the suspicion has taken root, every time he looks at Shen Lingshu, an intense repulsion surges within him. Becoming Dao companions is no longer possible—not in this lifetime, nor in any future lives. Since Shen Lingshu has shown such intentions, it is inevitable that their relationship will only grow further apart. Even before, Shen Lingshu’s subtle actions had slowly worn away the bond between them, and his words and deeds no longer aligned with Yun Zhuoran’s values. This has led Yun Zhuoran to make the decision to sever their ties.

Yun Zhuoran can’t help but sigh inwardly. The little senior brother, Shen Yu, from back then will never return.

Shen Lingshu’s face drains of color. His confidence and pride freeze within him, leaving him speechless for a long time. Finally, he finds his voice, but doesn’t know how to defend himself. Instead, he can only beg, “Junior Brother Yun, even if you don’t want to marry me, I won’t bring it up again. You don’t have to draw such a clear line between us.”

His tone has turned humble. The future leader of Tiandao Sect, always confident and proud, is speaking with a tone of desperation for the first time.

Yun Zhuoran shakes his head. Once cracks appear, it is impossible to return to the way things were. Shen Lingshu’s confession tonight has forced Yun Zhuoran to make a definitive break.

“Shen Lingshu, take care of yourself.”

With that, Yun Zhuoran turns and walks away.

“Junior Brother Yun…” Shen Lingshu’s voice trails off, unsure of what to say. He has anticipated Yun Zhuoran’s anger, but this ending has completely taken him by surprise. He watches Yun Zhuoran walk away, his eyes bloodshot, humiliation welling up in his heart.

He never imagines his sincerity will be rejected so completely by Yun Zhuoran. All because of a small mistake he made when he was young… Was he truly so heartless?

Yun Zhuoran walks away decisively. Shen Lingshu stands there, watching as Yun Zhuoran returns to the camp. Li Jianming and the others who had been waiting for him approach, along with Lu Qi. They speak happily, and it is clear that Yun Zhuoran is more patient with them than with him.

“Again, this…”

Back at Tiandao Sect, it was Jiang Zhi Bai… And now, in the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest, Yun Zhuoran has never relied on him. Yun Zhuoran is always surrounded by many people, even when he says nothing. And he treats everyone better than he treats Shen Lingshu…

Shen Lingshu stares at the distant bonfire, a layer of haze gradually clouding his handsome face. He is unwilling to accept it.

The discarded Lingsu Sword floats in the air. The top-grade magic weapon has now become a symbol of humiliation. Shen Lingshu grits his teeth and slowly raises his hand to clutch the small jade sword. His palm tightens little by little, and the sword’s body flashes with bursts of strong spiritual light. Blood trickles from the knuckles, turning white from the force.

The more his palm aches, the more resentment fills Shen Lingshu. He fixes his gaze on Yun Zhuoran, memorizing the faces of everyone around him. Without a word, he turns and walks into the dark forest, the air around him thick with cold and murderous intent.

After parting ways with Shen Lingshu, Yun Zhuoran has decided that once they leave the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest, he will find a way to detach from the main group and find a place to undergo his tribulation. If he succeeds in breaking through to the integration stage, he won’t return to Tiandao Sect. The power of the integration stage should be enough to escape Tianqing’s grasp.

Every step Yun Zhuoran takes before is shrouded in confusion. His only belief is to wait for Yun Peiran, but that hope is unfulfilled. Now… Yun Zhuoran holds the black ball in his hand, and a smile appears in his eyes—he sees hope.

Li Jianming, Lu Qi, and the others are concerned that Yun Zhuoran might be upset by the offense of Gu Jinping’s siblings. As soon as he returns, Li Jianming asks if Shen Lingshu gives any explanation.

Yun Zhuoran is a bit confused. It is Gu Jinping who offends him—why is Shen Lingshu involved?

When he looks back subconsciously, Shen Lingshu’s figure is no longer visible in the forest.

Yun Zhuoran’s mind clears. He no longer has a brotherly relationship with Shen Lingshu.

Everything now needs to be properly settled, and any help Shen Lingshu has offered needs to be repaid.

No matter the intentions behind Shen Lingshu’s actions, if he hadn’t refused the Tianqing Sect, Yun Zhuoran would have been taken by them long ago.

Yun Zhuoran dislikes others interfering in his matters and doesn’t like owing anyone.

Li Jianming still thinks Shen Lingshu has something to do with the matter and mutters, “Gu Jinping is Shen Lingshu’s bad peach blossom. If it weren’t for Shen Lingshu, she wouldn’t have come to you causing trouble.”

Hearing this, Shen Xi explodes, “Guo Jinping is the one being delusional. What does it have to do with my brother? It’s not like my brother sent her after you!” After saying this, she frowns at Yun Zhuoran, as if thinking of something, and turns to leave. “Wait here. I’m going to keep an eye on that crazy woman and look for a chance to get revenge for you.”

Seeing her leave, Shen Man doesn’t dare stay near Yun Zhuoran. In a panic, she hurries after her. In her eyes, Yun Zhuoran is a demon—too scheming!

Everyone else, including Li Jianming, is a little surprised, but Yun Zhuoran notices Shen Xi walking a little distance before returning. With a flicker in her eyes, she quickly says, “Don’t overthink it! I just want to repay the favor you did for me when you helped me under Ji Ruo’s hand!”

The others breathe a collective sigh of relief.

Whether Shen Xi truly keeps an eye on Gu Jinping or not, no one cares. After she leaves, the group finds a place to rest after a busy night.

As everyone closes their eyes to nap, Yun Zhuoran quietly rises and makes his way to an isolated forest. There, he releases his heart demon and feeds it several demon pills. The heart demon is especially lively tonight, its entire black form floating in the air.

The brother has finally severed his ties with Shen Lingshu—how could the heart demon not be happy?

Watching the heart demon dance with joy, Yun Zhuoran can’t help but reach out to pinch it. The creature is soft, and it feels very satisfying to touch. If he applies a little more pressure, it leaves a small indent.

Yun Zhuoran quickly withdraws his hand, a flicker of guilt in his expression.

The heart demon actually seems to enjoy being pinched. It restrains itself slightly, circling around Yun Zhuoran with enthusiasm, its voice filled with laughter. “Brother, don’t worry, you’ll find a good Dao companion!”

Yun Zhuoran is confused. He has never mentioned wanting to find a Dao companion.

Then, the heart demon lands on his shoulder, clenches its small claws, and its little black eyes sparkle.

“With Wei Ran around, brother will definitely find the perfect Dao companion!”

Yun Zhuoran’s expression becomes odd. The heart demon actually wants to find a Dao companion for him?

Four hours later, nearly fifty cultivators head toward the direction of the golden light signal, and it is confirmed that the person there is not Shen Lingshu.

The golden light easily reminds people of Tianqing Sect. The Buddhist cultivator who has come from Tianqing Sect this time also has a Nascent Soul stage, which is another formidable force.

Li Jianming hopes there will be a senior from the Sword Sect among them, as he is feeling very lonely.

Yun Zhuoran hears his words and silently takes two steps back, distancing himself from Li Jianming.

At least hundreds of righteous cultivators have entered the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest to train, but now, fewer than half have gathered, and it is uncertain whether the others are still alive. In the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest, all the cultivators know that sticking together is the key to survival.

As they near the location of the golden light signal, Yun Zhuoran becomes more cautious, refraining from releasing any pressure to deter the monsters. However, with the addition of Shen Lingshu, Lu Qi, and others, the journey progresses more slowly, though it remains safe.

It takes a full six hours to cover half the distance. Along the way, many cultivators are exhausted from resisting the monsters, so they rest at a safe mountain ridge they find.

Since the previous night, Shen Lingshu has not actively approached Yun Zhuoran again. Even when they set out, he deliberately avoids Yun Zhuoran, taking the Shen sisters, Luoying, and others with him, though he looks back occasionally.

Yun Zhuoran pays no attention.

Whenever monsters appear along the road, Lu Qi, Song Shao, and even Gu Qiuming surround Yun Zhuoran to protect him, ensuring he doesn’t have to take action. He notices that they hardly pay attention to him, so he doesn’t bother to focus on the resentful glares from a distance.

He has to take the initiative to approach the monsters because—Having reached the peak of the Deity Transformation stage, the spiritual power in his dantian overflows. No matter how much he tries to suppress it, some of it leaks out. Monsters are particularly sensitive to these auras, and sensing that someone is not easy to mess with, they dare not approach. As a result, everyone is attacked by monsters, but no monsters come near Yun Zhuoran. Who would believe that nothing is wrong?

So, Yun Zhuoran has no choice but to deliberately bump into the monsters when they aren’t paying attention. Before the monsters can escape, Lu Qi’s sword often arrives, and most of the time, no one else is needed.

In Li Jianming’s words, this road is “won” by Lu Qi without effort.

During the break, a group of five, known for their difficult personalities, form together. Shen Lingshu, Shen Xi, and her sister sit a distance away. The more they watch, the uglier their faces become.

Shen Xi calls her brother several times before Shen Lingshu comes back to his senses. “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing, just a little tired. When can we leave the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest?”

Shen Xi sighs. She knows it will be difficult to leave without breaking the barrier, but as long as she is with Shen Lingshu, she feels confident.

As she speaks, she notices Shen Lingshu seems distracted again, and she can’t help but worry. “Brother, are you tired from killing too many monsters?”

Shen Xi has long noticed that her brother seems cold today, as though he is unhappy.

Shen Lingshu has always been patient and gentle with his sister, but today, listening to her talk makes him feel increasingly irritated.

He understands exactly why he feels this way, so he keeps resisting the urge to vent his frustration on Shen Xi.

At this moment, Gu Qiuming walks alone toward the river in the distance. A gleam of light flashes in Shen Lingshu’s eyes. He casually says something to Shen Xi and then walks over.

Yun Zhuoran, from a distance, also notices the interaction. It isn’t that he is particularly paying attention to Shen Lingshu; rather, he has observed that the purple aura around Gu Qiuming has almost vanished. He guesses that Gu Qiuming’s good luck is running out, so he can’t help but glance over a few more times. As Shen Lingshu approaches Gu Qiuming, the scene enters his view.

Just a casual glance makes Yun Zhuoran look at Shen Lingshu a little longer. If he’s not mistaken, there seems to be a faint aura of death hanging over Shen Lingshu’s forehead…

Drawing from his experience with Ji Chen, Yun Zhuoran can tell from the concentration and thickness of the aura that it won’t result in death—but it will bring bad luck.

And soon enough, Shen Lingshu seems to realize his luck has been a little off recently.

Gu Qiuming simply comes to fetch water. After filling his container, he’s going to head back and make tea for several senior brothers. Although his tea isn’t of the highest quality, the senior brothers don’t mind. However, as he turns to leave, he nearly bumps into Shen Lingshu. He’s startled and stops in time.

“Shen—Senior Brother Shen!”

It’s not the first time Gu Qiuming has been close to Shen Lingshu. On the day of the inner sect assessment, Shen Lingshu even held him in his arms. Thinking about that day, the young man’s fair face turns bright red, and he quickly clasps his hands.

The admiration in Gu Qiuming’s eyes is evident, and Shen Lingshu freezes for a moment. The emotions that have been suppressed in him all day suddenly surge forth. Shen Lingshu smiles slowly, extends his hand to help the boy up, and places his hand on Gu Qiuming’s arm, as though he has no intention of letting go.

“No need to be polite.”

Gu Qiuming, nervous, stutters, “Shen—Senior Brother Shen?” He looks up at Shen Lingshu, his black eyes wide, and the face of Shen Lingshu is clearly reflected in them.

The more he looks at those eyes, the more they remind him of Yun Zhuoran’s eyes. But Yun Zhuoran has never looked at him like this—with such admiration.

Shen Lingshu feels pleased and lets go. His eyes sparkle with a hint of pride. He can’t resist glancing toward Yun Zhuoran in the distance, only to realize that it’s not just him—Lu Qi and the others are also watching them.

Shen Lingshu ignores the others, raises his lips in a faint smile, then turns his gaze back to Gu Qiuming, more and more satisfied with the young man.

Shen Lingshu doesn’t mind showing some favor to a boy who can please him.

Under Yun Zhuoran’s watchful gaze, he smiles and says, “I see that you’ve been in the inner sect for some time, but you haven’t yet become a disciple. Before we entered the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest, several peak masters praised you. I know you’re a promising talent.” He lowers his head, gently staring at Gu Qiuming. “Have you decided who you’d like to become a disciple of? Just tell me, your Senior Brother. Don’t worry, no matter who it is, I’ll make sure to help you.”

It’s not that Shen Lingshu is narcissistic. He can confidently say that most new disciples of Tiandao Sect want to worship him, the future sect master, as their master—preferably as a true disciple. Gu Qiuming would most likely be no exception.

Gu Qiuming’s eyes light up, surprised. “Is it really possible?”

Shen Lingshu smiles with satisfaction. “Of course.”

Gu Qiuming hesitates for a moment, biting his lip. Encouraged by Shen Lingshu’s gaze, he blushes and finally voices his wish, “Then, Senior Brother Shen, do you think… would Brother Yun consider accepting me as his disciple?”

The warm, gentle smile on Shen Lingshu’s face slowly fades. The light in his eyes turns blank, and his whole body seems to freeze. He remains silent for a long while before finally managing to force out a stiff, reluctant smile.

“No, he doesn’t take disciples.”

You can forget about it!