When the Cannon Fodder Male Supporting Role Picks Up the Script - Chapter 62

Shen Lingshu had changed his name a long time ago, but his father, Shen Fu, occasionally calls him by his former name.

Yun Zhuoran hears Shen Fu’s angry voice and knows that the person suffering in the yard is Shen Lingshu.

Yun Zhuoran looks thoughtfully at the young man in his arms, then pushes him away and walks toward the yard. Some people at the gate recognize their Penglai robes and make way for them. Once they enter, they see that the door is wide open, and the room is a mess. Shen Xi and Gu Jinping are pulling each other’s hair, one crying and the other shouting.

Shen Xi’s temper is notorious in Shengjing. Gu Jinping’s delicate bun is disheveled, her cheeks are red and swollen, and her hair is still tightly gripped by Shen Xi. Yet, Gu Jinping doesn’t dare to fight back.

In the courtyard, two servants dressed in Gu family attire are crawling up from the ground, clutching their chests, blood trickling from the corners of their mouths.

Shen Fu ignores Gu Jinping’s cries for help and instructs Shen Man to assist Shen Lingshu. He uses his spiritual power to heal his son. Seeing Shen Lingshu’s bloodstained clothes, Shen Fu’s eyes are full of worry.

For a while, only Shen Xi’s scolding and Gu Jinping’s crying echo in the courtyard.

Yun Zhuoran walks through the crowd and takes in the scene. Silently, he releases the wrist of the heart demon he has been holding onto the entire way. He glances deeply at the heart demon, noting that the evil aura still lingers in the courtyard.

The heart demon is laughing quietly. Sensing his brother’s gaze, he quickly hugs Yun Zhuoran’s arm and whispers, “It was that woman surnamed Gu who ordered people to beat Shen Lingshu. I saw it myself from outside!”

Yun Zhuoran turns his head and looks at Shen Lingshu in the room. With Shen Fu’s cultivation only at the Nascent Soul stage and Gu Jinping’s attackers not intending to kill, Shen Lingshu’s injuries aren’t life-threatening. Sure enough, his face is already looking a little better.

Of course, Yun Zhuoran believes the heart demon wouldn’t attack Shen Lingshu for no reason. This time, he is simply watching from the sidelines and secretly enjoying the chaos.

However, Yun Zhuoran has no intention of stirring things up further, especially with so many people around.

This matter has grown serious. It involves the Shen family, the Gu family, and the Tiandao Sect in Shengjing.

By the time Shen Fu stabilizes Shen Lingshu’s injuries, several family heads who have been meeting at Mingde Hall have already heard the news and arrived.

The head of the Gu family knows that Shen Fu’s daughter has beaten his own daughter. When he rushes into the yard, Gu Jinping’s crying confirms it. Furious, he ignores decorum, shoves Shen Xi aside, and orders his men to help Gu Jinping up.

Gu Jinping has been thoroughly beaten. Her injuries are even worse than Shen Lingshu’s because Shen Xi knows how to target the face. At this moment, Gu Jinping’s face is covered in bruises, leaving no part unscathed.

The head of the Gu family is livid at the sight. He points at Shen Fu and shouts, “Shen Fu, what is the meaning of this? You just stood by while Shen Xi did this to my daughter? Are you two working together to bully my Gu family?”

Shen Fu is already holding back his anger, and he nearly explodes on the spot. He snaps furiously, “Gu Jiannan, how dare you come here to question me? If your daughter hadn’t sent people to hurt my son first, would Shen Xi have hit her?”

Gu Jiannan then notices Shen Lingshu behind Shen Fu. Seeing Shen Lingshu’s bruised and swollen face and his persistent coughing, Gu Jiannan feels a twinge of guilt. However, with so many people watching, he can’t back down. Looking at his still-crying daughter only makes him more determined.

“Shen Lingshu killed my son!” Gu Jiannan declares. “What’s wrong with Jinping avenging her brother? Shen Lingshu was only beaten, but my son didn’t even survive!”

Ever since Gu Jiannan became the Gu family’s head, he has fully inherited the traits of his cousin, the previous family head Gu Shenshu — greedy, petty, and utterly shameless. This reputation is well-known throughout Shengjing.

Shen Fu is furious at Gu Jiannan’s self-righteousness. “Don’t you know what kind of person your son was? Everyone knows he was eaten before the beast even appeared. Maybe the beast had been hiding nearby the whole time— it wasn’t my Yu’er who led it there! My Yu’er was just caught off guard and controlled by the beast; he didn’t kill anyone!”

“Oh yes, your son didn’t kill anyone. He only seriously injured several people!”

Gu Jiannan has no intention of holding back. His only son is gone, and if Shen Fu thinks he’ll get away unscathed, he is mistaken. Sarcastically, he sneers, “If you think your son is innocent, go present your case at the Ten Thousand Immortals Conference. See if anyone believes you!”

Shen Fu knows he is still in the wrong. Furious but unable to argue back, he falls silent.

The public argument between the two prominent family heads is a rare spectacle. Curious cultivators watch eagerly, some hoping they’ll reveal even more dirty secrets.

Meanwhile, members of the Tiandao Sect — Qin Zheng, Lu Qi, and Ji Chen — quietly check on Shen Lingshu. Seeing that Shen Fu has already treated his internal injuries, they expect his external wounds will heal soon without leaving any scars.

Qin Zheng carefully feeds Shen Lingshu a few elixirs to speed up his recovery.

At first, Shen Lingshu has been completely bewildered when the beating began. As the two family heads continue their shouting match, he gradually regains his senses. But when he notices at least 340 cultivators from other sects gathered at the courtyard entrance, embarrassment washes over him.

His face burns even hotter when he spots two Penglai Island masters among the crowd.

Shen Lingshu has followed the young master of Penglai Island just to get closer to him. Never does he expect that the young island master would end up witnessing his most humiliating moment…

“Enough! Stop this nonsense!”

Shen Lingshu’s resentment, suppressed for over three months, erupts at that moment. Ignoring his father’s attempts to defend him, he forces down his anger and grits his teeth. “The Ten Thousand Immortals Conference has already started. Everyone just go.”

Shame and frustration consume him. He only wants the crowd to leave — and to stop looking at him…especially the young island master of Penglai.

When Shen Lingshu thinks about how Gu Jinping has caused all this, his hatred for her deepens.

Once his words fall, both Shen Fu and Gu Jiannan fall silent. Shen Fu gives Shen Lingshu face, while Gu Jiannan, feeling victorious, flicks his sleeves, snorts coldly, and prepares to leave with Gu Jinping.

Suddenly, Gu Jinping shoves aside the two maids supporting her and rushes toward Shen Lingshu, her swollen face streaked with tears.

Shen Xi quickly steps in front of Shen Lingshu. “What are you doing?”

Gu Jinping winces in pain but still pleads, “Brother Shen, I really didn’t mean it. This is all a misunderstanding. I didn’t want to hurt you — I was trying to teach…”

She pauses, noticing two red shadows in the crowd. Hesitating for a moment, she looks back at Shen Lingshu with tear-filled eyes.

“Brother Shen, I was wrong,” she says softly. “Please forgive me and let me take care of you… Consider it compensation for what I’ve done, okay?”

Shen Lingshu feels sick at the sight of her. If it weren’t for Gu Jinping, how could he have lost face in front of the young master of Penglai Island? How could he possibly redeem himself in front of such a perfect young master in the future?

Shen Xi also looks disgusted. “Go away! My brother will never accept you!”

Gu Jinping glares at her with resentment but still looks at Shen Lingshu with unwilling eyes.

“Today’s matter ends here…”

Shen Lingshu raises a hand to his forehead, masking the disgust on his face. He has a strong suspicion that Gu Jinping attacked the wrong person. Thinking back to the people who had been in the room before he arrived, it isn’t hard to guess that Gu Jinping intended to target the young master of Penglai Island. He was merely collateral damage.

Even so, Shen Lingshu can’t forget the humiliation of today. However, now isn’t the time for revenge. He will wait for the right moment.

“You all can leave.”

“Brother Shen!” Gu Jinping’s tear-filled eyes plead with him.

The more Gu Jiannan looks at Gu Jinping, the more irritated he becomes. He waves his hand, ordering the servants to drag her away. He hurries off as well, knowing better than to linger. If the Tiandao Sect pursues the matter, he’ll be forced to pay compensation. His priority is to leave before that happens.

With the Gu family gone, the excitement quickly fades. Without a heated argument to watch, the gathered monks gradually disperse. Yun Zhuoran follows the crowd, leading his heart demon away. Despite his mask, his cold aura is unmistakable. Unbeknownst to him, a pair of eyes trail him foolishly from behind.

The more Shen Lingshu admires the Young Island Master of Penglai, the more he loathes Gu Jinping. He grips the armrest of his chair as if it were Gu Jinping herself, yet no matter how hard he squeezes, he can’t leave a mark on it. A flicker of realization crosses his eyes—his spiritual veins are crippled.

But soon… he’ll be able to restore them.

Since that banquet night, Shen Lingshu has kept the Young Island Master of Penglai in his thoughts. He has decisively given up on Yun Zhuoran, unable to suppress his growing desire to get closer to the Young Island Master.

Shen Lingshu thinks to himself, Junior Brother Yun, don’t blame me. It’s just that the Young Island Master is simply too exceptional.

On the way to Mingde Hall, Yun Zhuoran suddenly feels a chill behind him. He glances back but senses no malicious intent nearby. Instead, he hears a young boy beside him whisper with a smile, “They’re a perfect match!”

Through his mask, Yun Zhuoran gives the red-clad youth a faint look.

The boy in red, wearing a fox mask, grins slyly, his teeth showing. “Shen Lingshu and that Gu Jinping — they’re practically made for each other! I hope they get married soon!”

Yun Zhuoran chuckles. “You’ve become a matchmaker now?”

“Brother,” Weiran chimes in, wrapping an arm around Yun Zhuoran and leaning on his slender frame. With a smile, he adds, “Little Wei Ran and brother are also a perfect match — forever together!”

Yun Zhuoran: “…”

…Fine.

When they arrive at the gate of Mingde Hall, Yun Zhuoran releases Weiran’s hand, motioning for him to behave. Then he quietly leads the group inside from the back.

The solemn hall is silent and imposing. Gu Jiannan has returned a step earlier and sits calmly in the Gu family’s designated seat, appearing as though nothing has happened. He has left his daughter behind to recover from her injuries.

After Gu Jiannan, the two Penglai Island masters arrive without fanfare, quietly taking their seats beside Penglai Immortal.

Following closely behind Yun Zhuoran are Qin Zheng from Tiandao Sect and Shen Fu, the Shen family patriarch. They haven’t brought Shen Lingshu, Shen Xi, or Lu Qi, all of whom are resting and recovering from their injuries.

Although everyone present has already heard about the earlier commotion, no one addresses it. Their curiosity instead centers on why the two Penglai Island masters have arrived late.

The only sound in the hall is the calm yet slightly cold voice of the Kunwu Sword Sect’s sword immortal. His tone is steady, neither hurried nor slow, yet every word carries clearly throughout the hall.

Wen Jianxian is briefly summarizing the recent disturbances in the cultivation world. While he speaks, everyone present is lost in their own thoughts.

Yun Zhuoran, after settling in with his heart demon, discreetly observes the Buddhist cultivator seated across from him.

The prestige of Penglai Immortal Island ensures that Penglai Immortal and his companions are seated at the lower right side closest to the chief seat. The chief seat remains empty since the Dao Alliance has no designated leader; no one can sit there without causing offense, so it is left vacant. Yun Zhuoran and Xinmo, both island masters, hold significant standing as well, so each of the three has their own seat, positioned right next to one another. Below them are the seats for the Tiandao Sect, where Qingyang Peak Master and Qin Zheng are seated with composed expressions.

Weiran dislikes the peak masters of Tiandao Sect, so he squeezes himself between Yun Zhuoran and Penglai Immortal. Penglai Immortal doesn’t argue and quietly shifts to the side, demonstrating that the two island masters’ status is no less than his own.

This surprises the attendees, making it clear that the two island masters hold considerable influence.

On the left side of the chief’s seat, Kunwu Sword Sect occupies the first position, followed by Tianqing Sect. These rankings are well-founded. Wen Jianxian of Kunwu Sword Sect is already a half-step Ascension cultivator, the foremost figure in the righteous path aside from Penglai Immortal. Meanwhile, the Buddhist disciple from Tianqing Sect is still in the late Integration stage, placing Tianqing Sect one seat behind.

Yun Zhuoran’s gaze falls on the Buddhist disciple of Tianqing Sect sitting diagonally across from him.

His Dharma name is Tongye. He is fair-skinned and handsome, with a golden swastika seal on his forehead.

Tongye wears a plain white monk’s robe. His eyelids are slightly lowered, and his expression is cold and indifferent. He seems quiet and detached, with a minimal presence, as though his only focus is his Dharma. Yet despite this, he seems particularly attentive to Yun Peiran’s affairs. It is Tongye who first brought Yun Peiran back to Tianqing Sect and imprisoned him under the pagoda. It is also Tongye who insists on taking Yun Zhuoran from Tiandao Sect to Tianqing Sect and making him his disciple.

He resembles a crystal of ice, with vacant, distant eyes.

Truthfully, this is Yun Zhuoran’s first time meeting Tongye. Rumor has it that Tongye has been in seclusion at Tianqing Sect for many years, and it took significant effort to persuade him to appear this time.

Yun Peiran has once remarked that Tongye is a dull person.

Yun Zhuoran is quite young at the time, but he can tell that Yun Peiran doesn’t genuinely resent Tongye. This intrigues him. Despite being imprisoned by Tongye, Yun Peiran holds no complaints against him.

Since Gu Shenshu’s death, Yun Zhuoran faces countless accusations from Tianqing Sect and Gu Shenshu’s supporters. In recent years, Tianqing Sect repeatedly demands his return, even sending a Mingguang Lock, which only fuels Yun Zhuoran’s displeasure toward them.

The Mingguang Lock is no ordinary magic weapon. Tianqing Sect possesses only a few of them, yet they send one specifically for Yun Zhuoran, a clear sign of their wariness.

For this reason, Yun Zhuoran sets Tongye—Tianqing Sect’s highest-level cultivator—as his target, dedicating himself to his cultivation.

Now that he is finally meeting Tongye, Yun Zhuoran feels unexpectedly disappointed.

Tongye’s calm reaction shows he can’t detect the heart demon. While this is reassuring, it also leaves Yun Zhuoran unimpressed.

Is this all a Buddhist disciple can do?

Despite his disappointment, Yun Zhuoran remains vigilant toward Tongye.

The boy beside him secretly grabs his hand under the table, threading his fingers between Yun Zhuoran’s.

Yun Zhuoran turns his head, his gaze helpless. Yet in that moment, he catches a glimpse of someone across from him seemingly watching him. He immediately looks up.

Tongye, however, still has his eyes lowered, quietly turning the prayer beads in his hand.

Yun Zhuoran is certain he hasn’t imagined it. A flicker of interest stirs within him.

Seeing Yun Zhuoran ignoring him, the heart demon pouts and shakes his hand playfully.

By now, Wen Jianxian has shifted the conversation to the floating city—an intriguing topic. Everyone is listening attentively. Yun Zhuoran simply tightens his grip on Weiran’s hand to stop his fidgeting.

Weiran, noting his brother’s firm grasp, finally calms down.

Wen Jianxian is not particularly skilled at leading such assemblies, and had it not been for Penglai Immortal’s preference, this task wouldn’t have fallen to him. But since Wen Jianxian’s cultivation is second only to Penglai Immortal’s, he is well-suited to command the room’s attention.

His speech is concise and clear, skipping past earlier incidents and diving directly into the matter of the floating city.

The floating city is a known legend among the major sects and families when its news leaks. With rising public pressure, monopolizing it is no longer feasible. Wen Jianxian simply proposes sharing it.

“This is most likely the floating city that mysteriously vanished hundreds of years ago. It is expected to appear in about three months. However, whether it is truly the floating city or a potential danger remains to be seen.”

This is the truth. If it is a trap laid by demons, walking into it would be like sending people to their deaths.

But if it is indeed the lost floating city, no one present would pass up such an opportunity.

Since Wen Jianxian has delivered the news, no one objects.

Finally, Wen Jianxian concludes, “If nothing unexpected happens, we’ll wait for three months…”

Just then, a disciple of Kunwu Sword Sect enters Mingde Hall requesting an audience.

Wen Jianxian doesn’t let anyone in at first. After all, such a significant occasion isn’t the time for minor disputes. However, he soon notices a commotion at the door. A figure enters—it is the son of the Gu family, the hosts of the meeting.

The Gu family head looks embarrassed. His nephew bows to the crowd and says, “I have no choice but to disturb you, seniors, but some strange things have suddenly appeared at Yunshan College, causing many fellow cultivators to fight over them. It’s a mess outside.”

The Gu family, who hosts the meeting, has failed to stabilize the situation, and now his own family member has come to complain. What is this? Gu Jiannan, who always values appearances, feels humiliated and waves his hand dismissively. “What? Fine, go back down. I’ll send someone to take a look.”

But before the Gu family’s nephew can leave, Pei Heng from the Kunwu Sword Sect follows in and presents a small jade talisman, about two inches long, with both hands. The talisman displays golden and red numbers and a name flashing across its surface.

“Master, a batch of jade talismans marked with the Floating City’s insignia has appeared at the academy.”

At these words, everyone’s attention sharpens. Even Wen Jianxian stands up. He raises his hand, and the jade talisman flies into his palm.

Yun Zhuoran glances at it and sees the inscription clearly. There is only a number and a name—1 + 4, Li Jianming.

Like Yun Zhuoran, everyone who sees the jade talisman is baffled.

Wen Jianxian rubs the circular mark engraved with the words “Floating City” at the bottom of the jade talisman. A stream of spiritual energy gathers in the air, forming a line of small words:

September 17, Floating City Meeting.

Everyone is stunned.

“What does this mean?” someone asks.

Yun Zhuoran pauses, then turns to ask Penglai Immortal, “What day is it today?”

Penglai Immortal hesitates, and Song Shao behind him quickly answers, “June 7th.”

At the same time, someone further away exclaims, “September 17th… That’s three months from now!”

The timing is far too coincidental—exactly when Wen Jianxian and the Buddhist disciple have predicted the Floating City would open. This only makes everyone more curious.

The name on the jade talisman in Wen Jianxian’s hand remains “Li Jianming.”

Wen Jianxian probes it with his spiritual sense but finds nothing unusual.

Pei Heng explains further, “These jade talismans suddenly appeared at the academy, and about a dozen Daoist friends obtained them. Initially, the talismans were blank, but when one fell into Junior Brother Li’s hands, his name suddenly appeared—and it hasn’t changed since.”

Even Tongye, who has been sitting quietly until now, looks up at this.

No one can sit still anymore. They are about to rush out to check if their disciples have received a jade talisman when Tongye calmly and firmly says, “It’s an invitation letter from the Floating City.”

Yun Zhuoran turns to him. “To enter the Floating City, you must have an invitation?”

Upon hearing this, everyone hurries to their feet.

Before long, most of the cultivators in Mingde Hall have left, leaving behind only a few—Wen Jianxian, Tongye, and some members of Penglai.

It isn’t that Yun Zhuoran isn’t concerned; it’s simply that all the members of Penglai are already present. Any cultivators outside — the ones who have a chance to receive a jade token — are unrelated to them.

The unexpected appearance of the mysterious jade talismans renders the Ten Thousand Immortals Conference meaningless. If the Floating City truly chooses its own entrants, then everything depends on fate. Holding a meeting to try and monopolize the Floating City is pointless.

After Tong Ye speaks, he continues to sit quietly. Yun Zhuoran waits for a while, finds the silence dull, and then stands up to leave with the Penglai members. As he passes Wen Jianxian and his apprentice, he unexpectedly takes the initiative to speak.

“Getting the jade talisman may not be a blessing. Don’t you agree, Wen Jianxian?”

Wen Jianxian seems lost in thought. His face is grim, and without a word, he hurriedly leaves with Pei Heng.

The heart demon is puzzled. He grabs Yun Zhuoran’s arm and asks, “What do you mean, brother?”

Yun Zhuoran shakes his head. “Let’s go back.”

Penglai Immortal is just as confused, but Song Shao seems to be deep in thought.

The appearance of the mysterious jade talisman disrupts the Ten Thousand Immortals Conference. After confirming that the spiritual energy on the jade talisman is pure and likely linked to the Floating City, it is temporarily named the Floating Order.

Rumor has it that those who obtain a Floating Order will gain entry to the Floating City in three months.

There are also whispers that the Floating City is an immortal relic comparable to Penglai Immortal Island. These rumors drive countless cultivators to obsess over the Floating Orders, but each order recognizes only its first holder, making it impossible to steal or claim afterward.

Judging by the numerical sequence of the Floating Orders that have appeared at Yunshan College, there seem to be nearly thirty in total. Yet those who obtain them keep silent, hoping to quietly reap the rewards.

None of the Penglai disciples obtain a Floating Order before returning to the inn. Yun Zhuoran and his companions aren’t overly concerned. After all, anxiety won’t change anything—they have to carry on as usual.

Besides, Yun Zhuoran knows that the reappearance of the Floating City is connected to Gu Shenshu. He suspects that this batch of Floating Orders is Gu Shenshu’s doing, likely to draw attention and spread news of the Floating City.

No one can truly guess Gu Shenshu’s intentions, but Yun Zhuoran has a feeling—
This won’t be the only batch of Floating Orders, and Gu Shenshu won’t let him obtain one so easily. Gu Shenshu clearly isn’t interested in playing fair.

But one thing Yun Zhuoran is sure of—possessing a Floating Order won’t be a good thing. As for why, he still can’t say.

Dusk is falling.

Gu Qiuming carries a bowl of freshly boiled medicine to Cheng Yu. His senior brother has survived the beast tide by sheer luck but is still badly injured. Gu Qiuming has been caring for him throughout his recovery.

As he approaches the courtyard gate, Gu Qiuming pauses. He has been thinking that while Cheng Yu’s injuries aren’t as severe as Senior Brother Shen’s, he will still need about a year to fully recover.

Just then, a white shadow drifts out of nowhere, blocking Gu Qiuming’s path. Startled, Gu Qiuming nearly spills the medicine. He steps back, but the white shadow follows.

Calming himself, Gu Qiuming realizes it is a small, delicate jade talisman.

The jade talisman floats around his hand as if it possesses a will of its own, stubbornly urging him to take it.

Almost without thinking, Gu Qiuming reaches out and grasps the jade talisman. Instantly, it flares with a dazzling golden light, forcing him to close his eyes. When he opens them again, his name is inscribed on the talisman.

Then, a line of glowing characters appears in the air:

“September 17, Floating City Meeting.”

Gu Qiuming reads the words aloud in a daze, still trying to make sense of what has happened.

“Junior Brother Gu, what are you standing around for?” Cheng Yu’s voice calls from the courtyard.

Startled, Gu Qiuming hastily stuffs the jade talisman into his sleeve like a guilty thief. He responds quickly and hurries inside with the medicine.

His mind spins. What exactly do the words on the jade talisman mean?