When the Cannon Fodder Male Supporting Role Picks Up the Script - Chapter 51

Lu Qi knows that Yun Zhuoran is raising a small spirit pet. Though the creature looks a bit odd, there are indeed similar-looking spirit pets on the market. Most of them, however, are white, while black ones are relatively rare—mainly because these pets are commonly kept by female cultivators, have low cultivation levels, and are mostly kept for their aesthetic appeal rather than their abilities.

u Qi has no objections to how Yun Zhuoran pampers his spirit pet. He has only come out to find someone, and now that he has located Yun Zhuoran, he finally feels at ease.

Without any suspicion, he simply nods and says, “Let’s head back first.”

Yun Zhuoran tucks the heart demon back into his pocket but has no intention of returning with Lu Qi. Penglai Immortal’s old injury has relapsed, and he needs someone to help him heal.

Just then, Gu Qiuming, who has overheard their conversation, rushes over anxiously. “Senior Brother Yun, are you alright? Something happened in the mountain—we need to go back quickly!”

Yun Zhuoran turns to Lu Qi, who remains calm, and asks, “Something happened in the mountain?”

Lu Qi merely grips his sword and says, “We’ve been out for too long. Let’s head back first.”

Even Lu Qi is acting this serious—it’s clear that something major has occurred. Without further delay, Yun Zhuoran follows them back.

He isn’t too worried about Penglai Immortal’s safety. Multiple defensive barriers protect the cave entrance, and despite his injuries, Penglai Immortal’s immense power—cultivated over centuries—is not to be underestimated. He owns a legendary fairy island rumored to be filled with priceless treasures.

Both righteous and demonic cultivators agree on one thing: even if they dare to offend the four great sects, they would never dare to cross Penglai Immortal.

Given the urgency of the situation, Yun Zhuoran decides he can leave for a while without concern.

On the way back, Lu Qi provides a brief explanation, and Yun Zhuoran quickly understands why he is so tense. A disciple from Tianqing Sect has vanished in the mountains—two people have gone missing, and all that remains is a pile of tattered, blood-soaked robes.

This incident immediately alerts Jue Fei, who is overseeing the mountain. Since the missing person is a disciple of Tianqing Sect, Jue Fei suspects that an unknown intruder has slipped inside.

The two young disciples have most likely been devoured by monsters.

Still, Jue Fei has confidence in the protective formation surrounding the mountain. He does not rule out the possibility that the culprit is one of their own.

As Lu Qi and the others search for Yun Zhuoran, every sect present begins conducting investigations.

When it is discovered that Yun Zhuoran is missing, Lu Qi and Gu Qiuming hurry out to find him.

Back at the camp, fires blaze as cultivators anxiously gather, counting heads one by one. Lu Qi leans in and whispers to Yun Zhuoran and Gu Qiuming, “Just say we’ve been together this whole time.”

When the numbers are tallied, Shen Lingshu is nowhere to be found.

The disciples of Tiandao Sect are still in shock, not expecting Lu Qi to have left in the middle of the roll call.

Yun Zhuoran immediately understands—Lu Qi is ensuring that the three of them can vouch for each other’s whereabouts.

Gu Qiuming, expression stern, nods in agreement.

Not long after, Shen Lingshu returns. Seeing that everyone is accounted for, he goes straight to find Jue Fei.

Since no one questions them, Yun Zhuoran and the others sit down quietly. The camp gradually settles, and Shen Lingshu returns, only to be immediately surrounded by anxious junior disciples, who force him to sit by the fire.

Before Yun Zhuoran and the others can approach, Shen Lingshu shakes his head and declares that—for now—this incident has nothing to do with Tiandao Sect.

He is unusually quiet tonight. He simply warns everyone not to wander off alone and to stay in groups. After that, he says nothing more.

His silence makes the atmosphere even more unsettling. But with his face cold and unreadable, no one dares to press him for details.

With nothing else to do, Lu Qi and the others simply sit back down.

At that moment, the firelight flickers in Shen Lingshu’s eyes as he stares at Yun Zhuoran’s thin back. His gaze then shifts to the two people beside him, and his expression grows even colder. But before Lu Qi can notice, he quickly lowers his head, avoiding eye contact, and raises a hand to his forehead, seemingly nervous for no apparent reason.

Lu Qi finds this odd. “Brother Shen seems a little distracted tonight.”

He suspects that the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the two Tianqing Sect disciples are more complicated than they appear—and that the culprit might still be among them. Perhaps that is why Shen Lingshu remains silent. However, what surprises him more is that the moment he speaks, Yun Zhuoran and Gu Qiuming exchange a knowing glance.

Lu Qi, always perceptive, frowns in confusion. “You two know something?”

Yun Zhuoran calmly shakes his head. He is always like this—composed and indifferent. Even those closest to him have rarely seen him display strong emotions. At most, his expressions are limited to slight frowns or faint smiles.

Gu Qiuming, in contrast, is more honest and far less reserved than Yun Zhuoran. Scratching his head, he says, “I’m not sure if this counts… but tonight, Senior Brother Yun and I went out. When we delivered something to Senior Brother Li, we ran into Senior Brother Shen. He misunderstood something and got angry with us…” Seeing that Yun Zhuoran isn’t stopping him, Gu Qiuming continues, “Senior Brother Shen is overthinking things.”

He doesn’t mention that Shen Lingshu has thoughts of forming a Dao companion bond with Yun Zhuoran, and Yun Zhuoran is fine with that. They have indeed encountered Shen Lingshu, who has inexplicably lashed out at them, but there is nothing shameful about it. Since Lu Qi is curious, Yun Zhuoran sees no reason to stop Gu Qiuming from speaking.

Lu Qi pauses, the corners of his lips twitching slightly. “Maybe it’s just because of what happened to Tianqing Sect. The disciples die mysteriously—it looks like the work of a demon beast.”

Yun Zhuoran, realizing that Lu Qi isn’t prying into personal matters, follows up with a question. “Weren’t the demon beasts on the mountain cleared out long ago?”

Lu Qi’s expression darkens. “If it wasn’t a demon beast, then this mountain is even more dangerous than we thought.”

A heavy silence falls over Yun Zhuoran and Gu Qiuming as they grasp the implication. If the culprit isn’t a demon beast, then it has to be one of their own. Yet, Shen Lingshu has appeared calm when he returned—meaning he likely hasn’t found anything.

The most terrifying threats are those lurking unseen in the darkness.

A chill runs down Gu Qiuming’s back. He quietly hugs his arms and changes the subject. “Some of our fellow disciples from Tiandao Sect still haven’t arrived. Senior Brother Cheng Yu is also…”

At this point, Gu Qiuming frowns and trails off.

At least eighty percent of the cultivators who haven’t entered the mountain have likely met with misfortune. Even those who have made it in are starting to realize that this place is far from safe.

Neither Lu Qi nor Yun Zhuoran responds.

Lu Qi feels a tinge of regret but dislikes dwelling on such grim topics. Meanwhile, Yun Zhuoran recalls that he previously allowed Cheng Yu and the others to escape from Ji Wuwang’s grasp. At the time, he didn’t see any signs of death on Cheng Yu, so there is a chance they are still alive. However, none of the cultivators who fled the valley have reappeared in this mountain, leaving their fate uncertain.

A tense, eerie atmosphere settles over the mountain.

It is only now that the cultivators fully understand—entering the mountain doesn’t guarantee safety. As long as they remain in the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest, they are still in danger.

Two hours later, Shen Lingshu rises and leaves. The others, too restless to cultivate, begin visiting neighboring camps to gather information.

Yun Zhuoran silently watches the crowd, his dark eyes glinting as he observes their movements.

After completing a small circulation of energy, Lu Qi opens his eyes as usual. Noticing Yun Zhuoran’s subtle actions, he remarks, “It’s fine to take a walk and clear your mind.”

Yun Zhuoran turns back to him, a trace of surprise flashing through his otherwise cold eyes.

Lu Qi closes his eyes again. “I’m just protecting you, not monitoring you.”

Yun Zhuoran is momentarily stunned before nodding. Holding the heart demon close, he says sincerely, “Thank you.”

Seeing that Lu Qi has already entered meditation, Yun Zhuoran leaves quietly, making his way toward Penglai’s camp.

In reality, the only two people sent into the mountain for training by Penglai Immortal Sect are Song Shao and his junior disciple, Song Yun. However, their camp is occupied by twelve individuals—exquisitely crafted young men and women.

These puppet avatars behave just like the disciples of other sects, running around gathering information, while half of them remain seated, brewing spiritual tea. Surrounded by them, the Song brothers are comfortably surrounded and live in undeniable comfort.

That is until Yun Zhuoran arrives.

At his approach, Song Shao straightens his posture and diligently offers him a cup of spiritual tea.

Yun Zhuoran doesn’t exchange many words with him. Instead, he discreetly takes one of the puppet dolls and leaves.

The mountain descends into chaos, yet someone is always keeping an eye on Yun Zhuoran. Perhaps it is due to his striking appearance, or maybe it is his sensitive identity—but since the incident, more and more people have taken notice of him.

After leaving Penglai’s camp, Yun Zhuoran disappears into the woods.

However, within just a few breaths, the handsome young man in white reemerges, walking slowly in the direction of Tiandao Sect’s camp. The golden-bright spiritual lock on his wrist gleams under the light, and those secretly tailing him hurry to keep up.

To many, that radiant lock has become one of Yun Zhuoran’s defining symbols.

What they don’t realize is that in the depths of the forest, another pair of eyes is watching them.

Penglai Immortal is severely injured, and self-healing alone isn’t as effective as external assistance. But with the current turmoil in the mountain, Yun Zhuoran remains more cautious than Yun Peiran. He refuses to leave any loophole that could be used against him, so he simply uses a puppet doll to create a duplicate of himself—to serve as a distraction.

To his surprise, quite a few people take the bait. Among them is a Buddhist cultivator from Tianqing Sect, as well as members of the Gu and Shen families from Shengjing.

Yun Zhuoran frowns in displeasure and decisively makes his way toward the back mountain.

If Song Shao can control seventy-eight puppets at once, it isn’t difficult for Yun Zhuoran to remotely maneuver one. Moreover, the little black orb nestled in his arms has awakened.

Realizing that Yun Zhuoran has brought another puppet, Weiran immediately volunteers to take control. Yun Zhuoran hesitates at first but ultimately hands over control—though only after Weiran swears not to act out of character.

Of course, Yun Zhuoran knows all too well that Weiran’s temperament is the complete opposite of his own. While Yun Zhuoran is calm and composed, Weiran is impulsive and reckless. There is no way his usual persona won’t be compromised tonight.

The only question is how badly. And whether he’ll be able to salvage it later.

Yun Zhuoran sighs inwardly.

Oh well, he’s going to run away soon anyway.

Meanwhile, Weiran nestles excitedly in his robes, fully immersed in controlling the puppet. The puppet has already returned to camp to converse with Lu Qi. So far, Weiran is doing his best to imitate Yun Zhuoran—and hasn’t broken character yet.

Suddenly, Weiran’s eyes snap open in alarm.

“Someone’s here!”

Yun Zhuoran isn’t surprised. He simply pats Weiran’s head to calm him.

Exiting the forest, he notices that the Gu family members have fallen slightly behind. For some reason, they haven’t caught up with the puppet—but they have spotted the real Yun Zhuoran. At this moment, one person has already pursued him halfway.

It is Gu Jinping.

To prevent her from realizing there are two Yun Zhuorans, he leads her away, not giving her time to question it. By the time they reach this point, the camp is already quite a distance away.

He flicks a trace of spiritual light forward and continues walking as if nothing has happened.

Then, behind him, a layer of white mist silently unfurls from the forest.

Gu Jinping’s vision goes completely white, and she loses sight of Yun Zhuoran.

Startled, she momentarily forgets to conceal her presence and bursts out of the half-man-high grass, glancing around in confusion.

There is no sign of Yun Zhuoran ahead of her.

Gu Jinping clenches her teeth in frustration. She is unwilling to let this go. She plans to return and tell everyone that Yun Zhuoran has secretly slipped away—perhaps he has something to do with that man-eating demonic beast! This is the perfect opportunity to get him away from Shen Lingshu!

If she succeeds in removing that eyesore from Shen Lingshu’s side, relations with Tianqing Sect will improve as well. She will be the one who made it happen—the hero of the situation. There will be no reason for Shen Lingshu not to see her in a new light. He will surely realize that she is the most suitable one for him.

Gu Jinping can’t help but laugh as she imagines it.

Yes, she has always believed that Shen Lingshu has simply been hindered by Yun Zhuoran, a troublesome obstacle. And as the proud eldest daughter of the Gu family, she has made up her mind to do what Shen Lingshu could not—remove the threat and secure her place by his side.

In her mind, she can already envision the near future, where she and Shen Lingshu will become Dao companions. Eager to expose Yun Zhuoran’s true nature, she rushes back, ready to tell everyone that he is just as treacherous as his brother.

She hasn’t considered, at that moment, that she will wander the forest for hours and never find her way out.

Two hours later, Gu Jinping is still lost in the woods. The idea of a bright future with Shen Lingshu now seems like a distant dream.

This forest can’t be that big. This hill is only so large!

Gu Jinping is on the verge of breaking down. In the first half hour, she suspects she has taken the wrong path, but as time drags on, the forest seems to stretch on endlessly. She realizes now that she is likely trapped in a maze.

Her initial suspicion is that Yun Zhuoran is somehow responsible, but then she quickly dismisses the thought. Yun Zhuoran has only recently formed his Golden Core, so it is impossible for him to have quietly tricked her—an advanced Golden Core cultivator—into the maze without her noticing, right?

In truth, he absolutely could.

And until he leaves the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest, Yun Zhuoran has no intention of letting Gu Jinping out.

First, Gu Jinping has always harbored an inexplicable hostility toward him, which is annoying. Second, who knows if she has seen two Yun Zhuorans at the same time?

To be safe, Yun Zhuoran decides to trap Miss Gu and continue to lock her in the maze.

Unaware of this, Gu Jinping quickly rules out Yun Zhuoran as a possibility. Instead, her thoughts turn to the two disciples who died mysteriously just a few hours ago. A chill crawls up her spine, making her hesitate.

A wave of terror seizes her. She doesn’t dare take another step forward. Her whole body trembles, and in her panic, she stumbles backward, falling beneath a tangle of vines. Surrounded by the eerie shadows of the trees, she holds her breath, too afraid to make a sound. Hugging her knees tightly, she curls up, trying to disappear into the darkness.

She thinks Shen Lingshu will come to save her.

She remembers clearly that before leaving, she instructed her younger brother to follow Shen Lingshu. Once they realize she is missing, they will surely come to rescue her!

However, far in the opposite direction, Shen Lingshu, whom Gu Jinping regards as her only savior, has no idea. His body is stiff as he stands before a demonic vine.

In front of him, a massive beast, hidden in the darkness, holds a young boy in its jaws. It bites down fiercely, crushing his bones with a sickening crunch, the sound echoing through the air.

A pile of cloth strips lay scattered across the grass, one of which is embroidered with the family emblem of the Gu family.

If Gu Jinping were there, she would recognize the severed head that rolls out of the beast’s mouth—it is her brother, Gu Qi, the very person she sent to follow Shen Lingshu.

But Shen Lingshu remains motionless, watching as his companion is devoured by the beast.

If you look closely, you will see that Shen Lingshu’s eyes, growing darker with each passing moment, occasionally flash with a brief, golden light—an indication that he is still struggling. Yet, in the end, he cannot resist the pull of the darkness. His body grows stiffer, and his face becomes increasingly blank.

After devouring Gu Qi’s body, the beast stomps on his bloody head, casting a disdainful glance at Shen Lingshu. Its demonic eyes gleam with a greedy hunger.

Meanwhile, Yun Zhuoran has returned to the cave with his heart demon, tending to Penglai Immortal’s wounds.

It is during this time that Penglai Immortal, recovering from his injuries, notices the remarkable level of Yun Zhuoran’s cultivation—he has reached half-step fusion.

Penglai Immortal looks at Yun Zhuoran with burning admiration and pride, his chest swelling with satisfaction.

He is truly worthy of being the young master of Penglai!

With Yun Zhuoran’s help, two hours later, the Penglai Immortal has recovered about seventy percent of his strength. His skin, once pale, now has a flush of vitality. He no longer needs Yun Zhuoran’s assistance and allows the young man to rest. Yun Zhuoran finally relaxes and takes a moment to catch his breath, sitting down in a meditative posture across from the Immortal.

If anything were to happen to the Penglai Immortal, he would not know how to explain it when Yun Peiran returns.

Yun Zhuoran had planned to leave the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest once Penglai Immortal was better, but he doesn’t expect that the opportunity will come sooner than he thinks.

Suddenly, his heart demon, who has been playing with the puppet, screeches in alarm. It quickly pokes its head out from under Yun Zhuoran’s clothes and says with surprise, “Brother! Lu Qi’s been attacked!”