When the Cannon Fodder Male Supporting Role Picks Up the Script - Chapter 67

It’s still more than half a day before the Shen family dinner, yet the guests have already arrived. Although Shen Fu knows everyone has their own motives, he still greets them with a smile. After chatting with the guests in the main hall for a while, he suggests they head to the backyard to enjoy the scenery.

The guests readily agree and are about to head out when a commotion arises at the front gate. A member of the Shen family rushes in with a flustered expression.

Shen Fu’s smile fades as he prepares to scold the child for being rude, but the child urgently reports, “Master, there are several more guests at the front gate. They claim to be the two young masters of the Demonic Star Sect and the Yin Puppet Sect!”

Everyone startles upon hearing this.

Many speculate that the Demonic Path might target the Shen family’s banquet, but no one expects them to appear so openly.

Yun Zhuoran and Weiran, who have been quietly enduring the tedious socializing, suddenly perk up. The dull atmosphere has nearly put them to sleep, but the mention of these two young masters grabs their attention.

Weiran’s eyes brighten with clear interest, while Yun Zhuoran takes one glance before quietly sitting back down.

Shen Fu’s face darkens at the news. He waves his hand and says, “No, send them away.”

The Shen family member who delivers the message looks troubled.

Two prominent young masters from the Demonic Path stand outside—how could he possibly just turn them away?

The guests understand the difficult position the Shen family faces, especially the Tiandao Sect.

Qin Zheng tugs at Qingyang Peak’s acting sect master and stands up, saying, “The two young masters have traveled a long way. I doubt they’ll leave so easily. Master Shen, let’s go and take a look together.”

If it were just ordinary demonic cultivators, turning them away would be simple. But these are the young masters of the two most powerful forces in the Demonic Path. Everyone present knows their visit is anything but simple.

Moreover, the four major sects are currently working together to purge Shengjing, and now the young masters of the Demonic Star Sect and Yin Puppet Sect show up unannounced.

After some discussion, Shen Fu instructs Shen Lingshu to entertain the guests while he heads out with the Tianqing Sect and Lingshan Sect sect masters, the Kunwu Sword Sect elder, Qin Zheng, and the Qingyang Peak Master.

Shen Lingshu initially wants to follow but remembers he’s only recently rebuilt his foundation. Reluctantly, he stays behind. He then glances toward the head seat, only to realize the young island master isn’t there.

In fact, two people are missing from Penglai group’s designated seats.

Shen Lingshu’s heart skips a beat. Where’s the young island master? And why isn’t that other person here either?

While Shen Fu and the others step out to confront the uninvited guests, Yun Zhuoran and Weiran quietly slip away. Weiran has sensed the presence of the demonic cultivator who once attacked him at Yunshan Academy.

At that moment, Weiran spots a figure in the uniform of a Shen family disciple near the hall door. He recalls Yun Zhuoran’s earlier warning, quickly grabs Yun Zhuoran’s hand, and whispers, “Brother, that person’s here!”

When Yun Zhuoran looks over, he catches a glimpse of the person Heart Demon was pointing at just as they turn back to glance inside. The figure hesitates, then quickly retreats.

Suspicious behavior like that is never a good sign.

Taking advantage of the fact that Shen Fu and the others have drawn everyone’s attention, Yun Zhuoran quietly informs the Penglai Immortal and slips out with Heart Demon.

Penglai’s presence at the Shen family banquet isn’t solely for the floating order.

The heart demon, carefree as always, has likely forgotten about the demonic cultivator who once lured him away and tried to kill him at Yunshan Academy. But Yun Zhuoran hasn’t forgotten. For the past few months, he’s had Song Shao and Song Yun keeping an eye on the Shen family. Yet that demonic cultivator has never surfaced—until now.

No one knows why the attacker targeted the heart demon. The fact that they dared to ambush him at Yunshan Academy reveals they’re unlikely to miss an event like the Shen family banquet.

The heart demon, greedy and highly sensitive to demonic energy, heads straight to the backyard after leaving the main hall.

The Shen family banquet has drawn numerous guests, and the corridors are buzzing with lively chatter. Many disciples pause to greet the two Penglai Island masters as they pass. As the two move farther into the backyard, the noise gradually fades.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the faint figure they’ve been following vanishes.

They’ve reached a remote corner of the Shen family’s backyard, where few people wander. The older corridor creaks faintly in the quiet air, accompanied only by the rustling of the nearby bamboo forest.

The person they were following is gone.

The heart demon scratches his head in confusion. “Strange… I suddenly can’t sense the demonic energy anymore…”

Yun Zhuoran releases his spiritual sense to search, but he can’t find the figure he saw earlier. There’s no one else within several miles except him and Weiran. It seems that whoever lured them out is skilled at hiding. Seeing Weiran sniffing around eagerly, trying to locate the demonic energy, Yun Zhuoran grabs his hand and says, “Forget it for now. You rest here for a while. I’ll go look for them.”

Feeling Yun Zhuoran’s palm squeeze his hand lightly, Weiran looks up and meets his deep gaze. His eyes shift, and he quickly nods. “Okay, brother, come back soon.”

Yun Zhuoran lets go of his hand, watches him retreat a few steps, then slowly turns and leaves.

The tall, slender figure in red gradually disappears into the dense bamboo forest until it’s completely out of sight. Weiran reluctantly looks away, leans against the railing under the corridor, and waits for Yun Zhuoran’s return.

A gust of cool wind sweeps through the corridor. Suddenly, a hand wrapped in demonic energy appears silently behind Weiran and strikes toward the back of his neck with lightning speed!

But in that instant, Weiran’s figure vanishes. The attacker misses and barely manages to stop himself. Just as he turns around alertly, a sharp pain shoots through his back. He groans and is sent flying out of the corridor.

The man tumbles into the overgrown grass before struggling to his feet.

He is wearing the dark green robes of a Shen family disciple. His ordinary face is now pale with pain, twisted into a grimace. Gritting his teeth, he endures the lingering ache in his back and raises his head to glare upward.

Weiran stands on the other side of the railing, looking down with a grin.

“It’s you, the one I half-devoured last time. Tasted pretty good too.”

Weiran isn’t surprised. After devouring the demonic cultivator’s clone, he knows the man suspects his identity. Unfazed, Weiran merely curls his lips into a careless smile.

“I’m not wasting my brain worrying about those people.”

The demonic cultivator doesn’t expect this response and falls silent. This brat has more patience than he imagined. Still, he has leverage now. He knows Shen Fu’s secret—and the young island master’s.

Thinking of this, he sneers up at Weiran. “The little master knows that if your secret gets out, Penglai won’t have it easy. But if you’re willing to cooperate…” The demonic cultivator pauses deliberately, his smile turning sly. “Would you be interested in a deal?”

Weiran eyes him suspiciously. “What deal? Are you going to make another clone for me to eat?”

The demonic cultivator’s face twists in fury at the reminder of his lost cultivation. He takes a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and says in a forced calm tone, “I won’t tell anyone about you. As for why I’m in the Shen family… if you want to know, follow me. I have a companion who wants to meet you. Then, I’ll tell you everything.”

Weiran glances toward the bamboo forest in the distance and hesitates. “Can I wait for Brother to come back first? He told me if I want to eat something outside, I have to let him check it first. Otherwise, I’m not allowed to eat it.”

The demonic cultivator’s fists clenched tightly, his knuckles cracking from the pressure. Is this brat seriously implying he’s food?

“You sure have an appetite,” the demonic cultivator spits. His voice turns cold and warning. “You should think carefully about what you can and can’t swallow.” With that, he turns and leaves, leaving a parting threat. “You may not care about Penglai’s reputation, but I doubt the young island master can afford to be so careless. Of course, you can kill me—but if I die, your secret will be exposed immediately.”

The demonic cultivator storms off, and Weiran glances toward the bamboo forest again.

Yun Zhuoran still hasn’t returned.

With a faint sigh, Weiran jumps off the railing and follows after the demonic cultivator.

Hearing footsteps behind him, the demonic cultivator smirks.

A reckless little devil, wandering out of Penglai without a second thought. Clearly, he has no idea how close he is to losing his life.

Weiran studies the path as they walk. They pass several courtyards nestled among the hills, their walls old and yellowed with age. The demonic cultivator leads him to a secluded courtyard deep in the woods.

A withered tree stands before the entrance, and the ground is strewn with dead leaves.

This isn’t the Shen family’s ancestral hall where Weiran has run around before, yet faint traces of demonic energy linger in the air. The scent is closer to what he smelled at the ancestral hall than the aura of the demonic cultivator himself.

The heart demon exclaims in surprise, eyes wide, and follows the demonic cultivator inside.

A barrier surrounds the yard, but the demonic cultivator doesn’t bother to warn him. Yet, to his astonishment, the heart demon passes through the barrier without a hitch. The barrier doesn’t react at all, leaving the demonic cultivator stunned. It seems Shen Fu hasn’t lied after all.

Could this little ghost really bypass the barrier so easily?

The demonic cultivator knows this little master of Penglai Island isn’t weak, but he doesn’t expect him to be this powerful.

Still, strength is a good thing.

A flicker of malice crosses the demonic cultivator’s eyes. He snorts and leads the heart demon to the door.

As they walk, the heart demon asks, “What’s inside? Is your friend human?”

The demonic cultivator pauses, then pushes open the door with a grim expression and steps inside first. “You ask too many questions. You’ll know when you see for yourself. Don’t tell me you’re scared now.”

The heart demon, irritated by the man’s poor attitude, pouts and follows him in.

The room is spacious but dimly lit. The faint glow barely reveals a shrine at the far end of the room, with a blood-red jar placed atop it. From a distance, it resembles a wine jar, faintly exuding demonic energy.

As the heart demon follows the demonic cultivator closer, the scent from the jar grows stronger. To him, it’s like something that has spoiled over time—a musty, unpleasant odor.

The heart demon wrinkles his nose and stops about half a meter away. The demonic cultivator urges him forward, but he stands still.

“Where’s your friend? Why can’t I see them?” Disappointed that the alluring scent he’d followed turns out to be something foul, Heart Demon feels cheated. He’s about to turn back. “Are you trying to—”

While speaking, Heart Demon glances down at the floor.

The room’s windows are covered with black cloth, explaining why it’s as dark as night inside. But the door is still open, and sunlight streams in, illuminating the area near the entrance.

The heart demon’s eyes widen as he spots a shadow stretching toward him—a blackened hand extending from the floor. His body instinctively ducks just before his mind processes what’s happening.

The demonic cultivator’s hand, laced with demonic energy, narrowly misses him.

Before the heart demon can react, something coils around his waist, pulling him backward. A flash of red sweeps past, and the heart demon finds himself a foot away from where he’d been.

Both the heart demon and the demonic cultivator turn to see a red-clad figure who has just intervened.

The heart demon beams with joy, while the demonic cultivator’s face darkens as he retreats to the shrine.

“Young Master of Penglai Island!”

Yun Zhuoran’s gaze is cold as he ruffles the heart demon’s hair and helps him up.

The heart demon grins smugly. “Brother, the fish took the bait.”

The demonic cultivator’s expression twists in disbelief. “You planned this! You pretended to separate and trick me, but you were never far away!”

Yun Zhuoran’s voice is calm yet sharp. “You’re the one who lured Weiran away from Yunshan Academy, aren’t you?”

The demonic cultivator knows what Yun Zhuoran is referring to—the unsettling incident with the Penglai Little Master. But that doesn’t matter. Leaning against the shrine to steady himself, he says, “So what if I am? Your Penglai Little Master isn’t human, and I’m sure the esteemed Young Master knows that. Or perhaps… both the Little Master and Young Master are actually demons!” The demonic cultivator grins, thinking he’s struck a nerve.

Yun Zhuoran’s expression darkens. “That’s no concern of yours.”

With a flick of his sleeve, Yun Zhuoran summons a spirit sword. The three-foot blade hovers in the air, glowing with golden-red spiritual energy, pointed directly at the demonic cultivator.

“You dared to attack him,” Yun Zhuoran says icily. “You should’ve been prepared to die for it.”

The demonic cultivator swallows hard, one hand discreetly slipping behind his back.

“I didn’t mean to provoke you,” he says hastily. “Besides, your little island master is unharmed, and I’m the one injured here. Why let this go any further?”

Yun Zhuoran chuckles softly—a chilling, ice-cold sound brimming with killing intent.

“You failed to kill him and got hurt instead. That’s the lesson he gave you. But since you dared to touch him at all, you’ve angered me as well. Should I not respond?”

The demonic cultivator has no answer. He knows the one who attacks first always looks worse. It’s his own misstep.

The spiritual sword hovers steadily, glowing with intense spiritual power that blocks every possible escape route. The pressure weighs down on him like an invisible wall.

Realizing he has no way out, the demonic cultivator glares at Yun Zhuoran and the heart demon, his face twisted in frustration.

“Fine…” As soon as the words leave his mouth, the demonic cultivator suddenly swings a black blade at the two people opposite him.

This is his life magic weapon, and he hopes to strike first and land a heavy blow.

Unfortunately, his cultivation is lacking, and every move is riddled with flaws in Yun Zhuoran’s eyes. The demonic weapon, brimming with dark energy, hasn’t even reached its target before Yun Zhuoran’s spiritual power intercepts it mid-air, sending it flying aside.

With a flick of his wrist, Yun Zhuoran’s long-awaited spiritual sword shoots forward, stabbing directly at the demonic cultivator.

The demonic cultivator feels a sharp pain in his chest as the backlash from his damaged life magic weapon strikes him. The taste of blood rises in his throat, and whatever slim hope he holds onto crumbles—his opponent’s strength is far superior.

The gap in their cultivation is immense; Yun Zhuoran could crush him with a mere flick of his finger.

Before the demonic cultivator can fully grasp his disadvantage, the spiritual sword is already inches away, carrying a powerful pressure and murderous intent. He instinctively tries to retreat, only to find the shrine blocking his path.

Just then, the blood-red jar on the shrine glows brightly and shoots in front of the demonic cultivator. Surprised, Yun Zhuoran swiftly forms a hand seal, pouring more spiritual power into his sword. The jar erupts with a surge of demonic energy.

There’s a faint sound of shattering porcelain, followed by thick black fog rapidly filling the room.

The black fog blinds Yun Zhuoran’s vision. Ignoring his scattered spirit sword, he instinctively reaches out and grabs hold of someone.

“Is it Weiran?”

“Brother.”

The heart demon’s voice answers from beside him, and at the same time, he takes Yun Zhuoran’s hand in his own.

The room has grown too quiet, yet the heart demon can sense his brother’s rapid heartbeat gradually steadying.

The black fog disperses as quickly as it appears. Yun Zhuoran sweeps his hand, guiding the remaining fog out the door. The demonic cultivator is gone, and the strange jar has vanished as well. Only some bloody fragments of porcelain remain on the floor, along with a strong stench of blood and decay.

The heart demon wrinkles his nose in disgust. “It stinks.”

Yun Zhuoran leads the heart demon to the shrine, examining the floor. The bloodstains are dark red and black, with only a few scattered spots. Among the porcelain debris are other grim remnants.

It’s bloody. Thick and congealed.

It looks like minced meat.

Yun Zhuoran’s face shows a rare expression of distaste.

The thing in the jar may have been alive—and not weak at that.

The heart demon crouches beside him, pinching his nose as he examines the remains.

“So gross… disgusting.” Even the heart demon, who is fond of demonic energy, finds this lingering aura repulsive. He tugs at Yun Zhuoran’s arm, muffling his voice to avoid breathing in the stench. “Brother, let’s go.”

Yun Zhuoran is more than willing to leave. The room is unbearable.

The two are about to step outside when Yun Zhuoran pauses, noticing the heart demon suddenly frozen in place.

“You feel it too?”

The heart demon nods blankly.

Yun Zhuoran’s expression turns serious. He quickens his pace out the door, the heart demon following closely.

Once outside, both look to the sky. They can feel a surge of powerful spiritual energy approaching.

The heart demon is highly sensitive to all kinds of energy, whether demonic or spiritual. This particular surge of spiritual energy is extremely pure — the same kind that appeared with the Floating Order before.

As expected, a streak of light shoots across the sky like a comet, dragging a long tail behind it.

It descends rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, it hovers above the Shen family estate. The next moment, the light bursts in the air like fireworks, with its brightest core descending toward the Shen family’s front yard.

“It’s the floating order,” Yun Zhuoran says darkly, grabbing the heart demon’s hand.

“Let’s go!”

Before long, they arrive back at the front yard reception room.

As expected, the fourth batch of floating orders has appeared there. More demonic cultivators than Yun Zhuoran anticipates are engaged in a chaotic brawl with righteous sect disciples, turning the yard into a battlefield.

However, there aren’t many floating orders this time. Before long, only two or three remain drifting in the air. Everyone swarms around them, fighting fiercely to claim them.

In the chaos, the heart demon spots the brightest streak of light—the one he’s been watching earlier. It’s drifting toward a raised platform in front of the reception room steps, where only Shen Lingshu stands.

The heart demon hurriedly grabs Yun Zhuoran’s sleeve and reminds him, “Brother, there!”

When Yun Zhuoran spots the brightest spiritual light, he notices that two others have their eyes on it as well—the young masters of the Demonic Star Sect and the Yin Puppet Sect.

Seeing Yun Zhuoran approaching with the heart demon, the two young masters immediately abandon their fight and rush toward him, attempting to team up and block his path. Without even glancing their way, Yun Zhuoran casually waves his hand, forcing them back. However, the demonic cultivators following those young masters quickly fill the gap, blocking the way.

Seeing that the spiritual light is about to fall in front of Shen Lingshu, Yun Zhuoran’s face darkens.

Before he can make a move, a sudden surge of pressure suppresses the demonic cultivators.

Startled, Yun Zhuoran turns to see Penglai Immortal waving at him from under the eaves opposite. Penglai Immortal points at Shen Lingshu, signaling Yun Zhuoran to rush over and grab the floating order. Yun Zhuoran nods and takes the heart demon with him.

In just a few breaths, the other floating orders are already claimed, leaving only the unusually bright spiritual light hovering before Shen Lingshu. The lingering light attracts a swarm of demonic cultivators.

Shen Lingshu stands alone on the platform, shocked to see so many people charging toward him. As a foundation-building cultivator, he knows he can’t fend off so many opponents. Yet despite his fear, a sense of pride swells within him.

Out of all the powerful cultivators vying for the floating order, fate has chosen him.

Smiling confidently, Shen Lingshu looks up at the glowing spiritual light about to fall before him.

He wants to claim this floating order, right in front of everyone.

Compared to the demonic cultivators encircling Shen Lingshu, Yun Zhuoran and the heart demon are farther away. Seeing the spiritual light about to land, Yun Zhuoran unleashes his spiritual pressure, overwhelming the crowd with his sheer dominance. Under the crushing force, the other cultivators struggle to move.

But while the pressure can suppress the others, it can’t stop the floating order from drifting into Shen Lingshu’s grasp.

Knowing this, Yun Zhuoran seizes the heart demon’s wrist and flies swiftly toward the reception room platform.

Suddenly, a powerful demonic attack shoots toward them from behind—its strength reaching the peak of the Deity Transformation Stage. It has to be from one of the demonic cultivators brought by the two young masters!

Yun Zhuoran can’t afford to ignore it. His gaze turns icy as he swiftly spins away from the attack, pushing the heart demon aside with a gentle palm strike on his shoulder.

By now, the spiritual light has nearly reached Shen Lingshu’s hand.

Meanwhile, soft golden-red spiritual energy carries the heart demon to the platform. In an instant, his distance to the floating order shortens until he’s nearly side by side with Shen Lingshu—the floating order is right in front of him!

For a moment, the heart demon freezes in surprise. Then, just as Shen Lingshu raises his hand, the heart demon lunges forward.

His fingers close tightly around the struggling jade talisman.

Behind him, Shen Lingshu’s outstretched hand falters in midair, destined to return empty. There’s no doubt—the heart demon has claimed the final unclaimed floating order.

The entire courtyard falls silent. No one moves.

The heart demon clutches the floating order tightly, turning to look at Yun Zhuoran.

“Brother! I got it!”

Yun Zhuoran’s cold gaze shifts from the failed ambush to the heart demon. Slowly, he begins to walk forward.

Beside the heart demon, Shen Lingshu stares blankly at his hand. The floating order that had seemed destined to be his… gone, just like that?

The heart demon jumps down from the stone steps, proudly raising the floating order above his head as he runs toward Yun Zhuoran.

“Brother, it’s your name!”

Yun Zhuoran pauses, and the smile that had begun to form in his eyes quickly turns to wariness and caution.

Not far behind the heart demon, Shen Lingshu catches a glimpse of the name engraved on the floating order. He freezes again, blurting out in shock, “Yun Zhuoran?”

The words ring out, and the surrounding cultivators all turn their eyes toward the floating order in the heart demon’s hand—

Yun Zhuoran, Serial Number: 1.