When the Cannon Fodder Male Supporting Role Picks Up the Script - Chapter 73

The golden light on the floating order gradually fades, then recondenses in the air. A brilliant flash streaks past, and a delicate blue-feathered bird tumbles downward. Yun Zhuoran instinctively raises his hand to catch it.

The moment he does, the cold, hard texture makes him realize—it isn’t a living creature. It’s a small carving made of cold jade. But why does it look exactly like the sparrow from Guanyue Tower?

Turning it over, Yun Zhuoran notices a line of tiny engraved characters on its back:

A small statue of the owner of Guanyue Tower in the Floating City.

Below that is another inscription:

Guanyue Tower Owner’s Tip: Don’t worry too much about this owner.

Yun Zhuoran: ??

So, this is just a miniature model—not the universal pass key hinted at in the announcement.

In other words, a completely useless trinket.

“Gu Shenshu, you’re really stingy,” Yun Zhuoran mutters, his expression unreadable.

Still, he has at least obtained the tail feather of Guanyue Tower’s owner. Weiran will probably like it—it’s quite beautiful. As Yun Zhuoran ponders what to do with it, another line of golden text appears on his floating order:

A warm reminder from Floating City:

 The above announcement has been sent to the floating orders of all cultivators currently in Floating City.

 —My Lord, please be cautious not to let anyone steal the universal pass key from your reward package.

This message is included too.

Yun Zhuoran: “……?”

The last reminder has been broadcast to everyone, making it sound like he has received the universal pass key. But in reality, he hasn’t even seen the so-called key!

It’s obvious that this announcement has been made purely to paint a target on his back. Yun Zhuoran can already foresee waves of cultivators coming after him, hoping to steal the universal key. Whatever he plans to do next will likely be hindered by these people.

This definitely feels like something Gu Shenshu would pull.

But why is Gu Shenshu so determined to make trouble for him? Is it because they are already close?

The more Yun Zhuoran thinks about it, the more convinced he becomes—Gu Shenshu has to be somewhere in Floating City.

Glancing at the gray map on his floating order, Yun Zhuoran begins walking through the streets outside Guanyue Tower. The map is roughly accurate.

Guanyue Tower is positioned at the northern edge of the city, with three streets stretching out from its entrance—one straight ahead, and two branching off to the left and right. The main avenue is wide, sparsely lined with trees and grass, and brimming with spiritual energy. It’s practically a cultivation sanctuary.

In Floating City, the distance between buildings seems to stretch infinitely. Even from ten miles away, Yun Zhuoran can barely make out the silhouette of another structure.

A dim lantern flickers outside its entrance, shrouded in thick black fog, much like Guanyue Tower had been. If the pattern remains consistent, completing the task inside will light up its icon on the map and reveal the surrounding roads.

At the end of the other two streets, there are also buildings blocking the way, equidistant from Guanyue Tower. Yun Zhuoran doesn’t enter them just yet. Instead, he turns back.

The doors of Guanyue Tower can only be opened from within. Yun Zhuoran tests them once and confirms—after completing a task, there is no going back.

For now, his only choice is to pick one of the three roads, open the door at the end, and continue with the tasks according to the floating order’s guidance.

But unlocking Floating City doesn’t seem to interest him much.

Instead, Yun Zhuoran stands in front of Guanyue Tower, holding a three-foot-long jade branch in his arms—waiting.

Waiting for Cui Shen to come out.

When the doors of Guanyue Tower first opened, Cui Shen had been watching from the third floor. The pattern for completing the tasks isn’t difficult to deduce. If Cui Shen has entered, he will eventually have to leave.

Yun Zhuoran doesn’t believe he’ll stay inside forever.

Just then, the sound of footsteps echoes from the street directly opposite Guanyue Tower.

According to the map, no one has cleared the road near Guanyue Tower yet.

The person running toward him has also been in Guanyue Tower before. But it isn’t the sword cultivator from Kunwu Sword Sect, the one who had silently sought Yun Zhuoran’s guidance. Instead, it’s the demonic cultivator from Yin Puppet Sect.

Seeing Yun Zhuoran, the demonic cultivator’s eyes widen in surprise.

“It really is the Young Island Master of Penglai! You haven’t gone anywhere else to start a new task?”

Stopping half a step away, the demonic cultivator’s gaze lands on the jade branch in Yun Zhuoran’s hand, appearing somewhat wary. After a brief hesitation, he forces a sincere smile and says,

“Young Island Master, I saw Cui Shen!”

Yun Zhuoran’s brows furrow.

So, Cui Shen has come out?

The demonic cultivator says, “He came out before me. I followed him all the way. He just entered Feixing Garden at the end. I was afraid there was some trick inside, so I didn’t follow him in. Young Island Master, do you want to go in?”

Yun Zhuoran looks up at the demonic cultivator’s face and notices the expectation written all over it.

The demonic cultivator, intimidated by his gaze, quickly adds, “Young Island Master is very powerful. I believe those checkpoints won’t be difficult for you. I just want to follow behind and be of some use, maybe as a lackey or something, so I can find my young master alive!”

Yun Zhuoran studies him. “Really.”

The demonic cultivator forces a bitter smile, thinks for a moment, then takes off his floating order and hands it to Yun Zhuoran. “My name is Cheng Ruyi, and my cultivation is at the late Nascent Soul stage. I know the Young Island Master is strong and doesn’t need help, but sometimes you can’t avoid running into some unsavory characters. If the Young Island Master doesn’t want to deal with them, Cheng is more than willing to take care of it.”

Cheng Ruyi flatters him, “Young Island Master, I also saw the announcement about you getting the pass key. I’m sure some shady folks will try to come after you. I’m not that talented, but I want to share your burden. My sect leader entrusted me with protecting my Young Master—that’s my real mission, not chasing Floating City’s opportunities.”

Yun Zhuoran raises an eyebrow. “Cheng Ruyi?”

Cheng Ruyi has a somewhat rugged face—not ugly, but not particularly handsome either. Hearing his name spoken, his smile falters slightly, and he rubs his nose. “Young Island Master is wondering if I have a brother named Jixiang, right…?”

Yun Zhuoran continues looking at him in silence, showing no sign of teasing.

Cheng Ruyi sighs and explains, “That’s actually the name my young master gave me… It doesn’t sound very manly. But rest assured, Young Island Master, I’m efficient. If you need me to eliminate someone, I won’t hesitate.”

The name on the floating order indeed matches, and the serial number is seventy-one.

It aligns perfectly with the one Yun Zhuoran sees in Guanyue Tower earlier.

Yun Zhuoran doesn’t refuse Cheng Ruyi’s request to follow him, but he doesn’t answer immediately either.

Cheng Ruyi starts to look uneasy, his posture stiffening.

Suddenly, the floating order in Cheng Ruyi’s hand glows with dazzling golden light. The light condenses into a line of small words in the air—

Yun Weiran, the owner of Penglai Island, has activated the Peony Garden icon and received a small reward package, including but not limited to an immortal-level magic weapon. We hope all cultivators continue to strive forward! Do not slack off!

The golden light appears between them, and Yun Zhuoran naturally sees it clearly. His gaze lingers on the name in the announcement until the glow fades, and a rare light flickers in his eyes.

“He’s grown up.” Yun Zhuoran smiles, genuinely pleased.

Cheng Ruyi, stunned, watches as Yun Zhuoran turns toward the street on the right.

Three buildings stand near Guanyue Tower. Feixing Garden is in front, Star Picking Pavilion is on the left, and Xinglan Bridge is on the right, symbolizing the stars encircling the moon. Yun Zhuoran chooses the rightmost path—Xinglan Bridge.

As the name suggests, Xinglan Bridge is a bridge. No one knows what lies beyond, but it is the fastest route to Peony Garden, located west of the floating city. Once past Xinglan Bridge, all surrounding streets will unlock. However, the map indicates over twenty checkpoints between here and Peony Garden.

The floating city is vast. Even with the distance between each building, there are hundreds of massive structures like Guanyue Tower scattered throughout. And with Guanyue Tower positioned at the city’s northern edge and Peony Garden at the western boundary, there could be as many as three hundred checkpoints between them.

Navigating the floating city is a step-by-step process.

Xinglan Bridge is undoubtedly the fastest route, but its extreme length means passing through more than a dozen difficult trials. Yun Zhuoran estimates its difficulty to be at least ten times that of Guanyue Tower.

Cheng Ruyi’s eyes widen in shock when he realizes Yun Zhuoran intends to take Xinglan Bridge.

But seeing Yun Zhuoran already striding ahead, Cheng Ruyi glances back toward Feixing Garden, hesitates for a moment, then quickly catches up. “Young Island Master, are you going to find the Little Island Master?”

Before entering the floating city, Cheng Ruyi hears that the two masters of Penglai Island are blood relatives. Now, witnessing Yun Zhuoran choosing this dangerous path just to reach the Little Island Master faster, he truly understands the depth of their bond.

But Yun Zhuoran is strong. Cheng Ruyi is certain that following him is the right choice.

One incense stick’s time earlier.

West of the floating city, Peony Garden.

West of the floating city, Peony Garden.

The heart demon sits alone in front of the Peony Garden gate while Li Jianming and the others receive a task notification. The floating order informs them that the garden’s owner is a wealthy businessman with a deep love for peonies. While traveling, he finds two plates of top-quality peonies and hires people to transport them back from afar. However, less than a day after their arrival, the flowers are stolen. Their task is to find Wei Zi and uncover the reason for the theft.

Yao Huang, Wei Zi, Zhao Fen, and Bai Xue Tower are all rare and precious varieties of peonies.

With the task issued, the barrier between them and the garden’s inhabitants lifts. The people inside can now see and interact with them.

Thus, everyone disperses to search for the missing peonies.

The heart demon sits quietly on the stone steps, watching the others rush about. Yun Zhuoran isn’t here, and none of them interest him.

With a sigh, the heart demon pulls out a snow-white peony he picks from a small building in the backyard. Carefully, he begins counting its petals. An odd number means his brother will come to see him, while an even number means he won’t…

As he counts for the third time, Gu Jinping, who is passing by, pauses and reaches out to take the flower.

The heart demon, head lowered but seemingly aware of everything, swaps the peony with a thorn just before she can touch it, pressing it into Gu Jinping’s palm.

Gu Jinping clenches her hand around the thorn and instantly lets out a scream.”Ah! It hurts!”

Hearing the commotion, several people turn to look.

Gu Jinping flings the thorn away, her face twisted in pain. “You’re vicious! How dare you hurt me?”

Li Jianming and Jiang Zhibai haven’t gone far. Noticing the situation, they rush back, with Jiang Zhibai stepping in front of the heart demon protectively.

Li Jianming glances at the thorn on the ground and lets out a chuckle. “Come on, Miss Gu, you’re a Golden Core stage cultivator, and you’re crying over a thorn? Shouldn’t your hand be tougher than that?”

Ordinary thorns would be one thing, but this one comes from the heart demon—grown on Penglai Island and imbued with spiritual energy. Not only is it extremely sharp, but it will also leave a lingering numbness and pain for at least an hour.

The heart demon calmly picks up the thorn and presses it against his own fingertip. A faint white mark appears before quickly fading. He turns his palm toward them, unscathed, as if to say, “See? It’s nothing.” Then, he speaks plainly. “I didn’t hurt her. She grabbed it herself.”

More cultivators gather, drawn by the spectacle. The heart demon adds, “She tried to steal my flower.”

Jiang Zhibai’s expression darkens. He glares at Gu Jinping.

“Miss Gu, we all know what kind of person you are. The Little Island Master is just a child. Are you really going to frame him?”

Li Jianming’s tone turns frosty. “If you pull something like this again, don’t blame me for being rude.”

Gu Jinping’s palm throbs with pain, cold sweat beading on her forehead. It feels as though her hand is being pressed against a board of needles. Yet no one sympathizes with her—Jiang Zhibai and Li Jianming are firmly on the little island master’s side.

Hatred and frustration well up inside her. She bites her lip and, catching sight of Shen Lingshu approaching, immediately puts on an aggrieved expression. “Brother Shen, they’re all bullying me!”

Shen Lingshu pauses, glances toward a distant flower hall, then turns and walks away.

Gu Jinping is stunned, then furious. She shoots a glare at the heart demon and hastily argues, “He’s hiding a flower! I only wanted to check if it was one of the stolen peonies!”

Hearing this, Shen Lingshu stops and turns back.

The heart demon notices everyone’s gazes shifting to him and instinctively cradles the peony in his arms. “This is for my brother!”

If they dare to take it, the heart demon thinks warily, he will eat them!

The crowd exchanges knowing looks.

Senior Sister Fei speaks coolly. “The flower in the young island master’s hands is indeed a peony, but it’s not Wei Zi. It’s Bai Xue Tower, also known as Yu Lou Chun. Miss Gu, as someone from a distinguished family, surely you can tell the difference?”

(Translator’s Notes: Yu Lou Chun (玉楼春) can be translated as “Spring in the Jade Tower” or “Jade Pavilion Spring.”)

Gu Jinping, of course, knows the difference. She has only caused trouble because she dislikes the young island master of Penglai. But Fei Lingxue’s words leave her no room to maneuver—she can’t even pretend ignorance. Seeing the way everyone now regards her, with expressions that all but label her ‘troublemaker,’ she clenches her fists. Even Shen Lingshu is looking at her that way.

She can endure it no longer.

She suddenly points at the heart demon, her expression filled with grievance. “Brother Shen, the person I wanted to teach a lesson that day was him! He must have tricked you! We were all played by him!”

What day is that?

Everyone is momentarily stunned before quickly reacting. They look at Shen Lingshu, then at Gu Jinping. Their expressions vary, but amusement flickers in their eyes.

The news that Gu Jinping sent people to attack Shen Lingshu at Yunshan College has long since spread.

Before she acted, no one expected her to go that far. The outside world speculates that she did it to avenge her brother, who died in the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest.

The cultivators present don’t know the full truth, but they have heard the rumors. So, rather than leaving, they stay, eager to see how this drama will unfold.

The accused heart demon, however, doesn’t care about Gu Jinping at all. He simply holds the White Snow Tower Peony tightly in his arms, retreating warily as if afraid they might snatch away the flower meant for his brother.

Seeing his reaction, everyone thinks the same thing—Relax, we’re not going to take it! We’re not Gu Jinping!

Meanwhile, the incident of Shen Lingshu being beaten at the Ten Thousand Immortals Conference has become a long-standing joke. Now that it is being brought up again, his face darkens. He initially chose to overlook it out of consideration for the Gu family, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t furious. He is already fed up with Gu Jinping. He has exercised as much patience as he can, choosing to ignore her so long as she stays away from him. But this time, she brings it up in front of so many people…

Shen Lingshu, who values his pride above all, feels a murderous urge rise within him.

Just how much does Gu Jinping hate him? Is it necessary to keep exposing his past humiliation in front of everyone?

At this moment, he wishes he could erase the memories of everyone present.

Clenching his fists, he struggles to contain his anger. But when he looks at Gu Jinping’s pitiful face, his expression turns ice-cold—his gaze sharp, almost a warning.

“I no longer care about what happened that day. Please stay away from me, Miss Gu!”

With that, Shen Lingshu turns and leaves immediately, afraid that if he stays any longer, he won’t be able to stop himself from hitting someone.

Gu Jinping watches his retreating figure in disbelief, stunned. Then, she turns her glare on the heart demon—only to see him open his mouth slightly, baring his teeth, his gaze chillingly cold.

A shiver runs down Gu Jinping’s spine. Terrified, she turns and flees.

Once the two have left, Li Jianming and Jiang Zhibai crouch down beside the heart demon to reassure him.

“Don’t bother with her. She’s not very smart,” Li Jianming says.

Jiang Zhibai nods in agreement. “She only ends up harming herself. Gu Jinping won’t be smug for long.”

Senior Sister Fei, standing nearby, also nods knowingly—clearly, she has been on the receiving end of Gu Jinping’s antics before.

But the heart demon doesn’t give Gu Jinping a second thought. His mind is filled only with thoughts of his brother. He has no time for anything else.

In the past, if he had been in a good mood, Gu Jinping wouldn’t have walked away with just a thorn prick.

Brother… Brother…

The heart demon calls out silently in his heart. Brother will come find him, right?

As if responding to fate itself, the floating order hanging from his waist suddenly lights up, as do the ones carried by Li Jianming and the others.

Listlessly, the heart demon picks up the floating order. But the next moment, his dark eyes brighten with surprise, and he springs up from the stone steps.

“Brother! It’s Brother!”

The notification of Yun Zhuoran’s first-clearance victory has been sent to every floating order.

The heart demon isn’t the only one shocked—everyone else is equally taken aback, filled with awe and admiration. Yun Zhuoran has obtained the universal pass key…

They exchange looks.

They are supposed to be in the same generation as Yun Zhuoran, yet now, the gap between them feels immense.

But the heart demon doesn’t care what anyone else thinks.

Seeing the announcement, he suddenly feels as though he has regained his purpose in life. He hurriedly opens the floating city map, searching for Guanyue Tower’s location.

…A bit far.

But that doesn’t matter.

Putting away the floating order, the heart demon’s eyes shine with determination.

“I want to find my brother!”

Jiang Zhibai chuckles. “The road outside is still blocked. But my guess is, once we complete the task, it will open.” He crosses his arms, looking pleased. “I always knew Junior Brother Yun was exceptional.”

Li Jianming nods confidently. “I told you—Yun Zhuoran is a hidden talent!”

But regardless of how much they admire Yun Zhuoran, they still have to finish their task and leave the Peony Garden first.

The heart demon, finally paying attention to his surroundings, turns to Jiang Zhibai and asks, “What’s our task again?”

Jiang Zhibai is momentarily stunned.

Does the young island master really not care about the task they’ve been doing all this time?

But one look at his genuinely confused face tells him that, yes, the young island master truly has no clue.

Suppressing a sigh, Jiang Zhibai’s lips twitch, but he patiently explains, “The owner of the Peony Garden sent people to retrieve two pots of rare peonies, but they were stolen less than a day after arrival. The only person who touched them was the gardener’s apprentice. The young masters and young ladies are interrogating him inside right now.”

The gardener’s young apprentice is the boy in plain clothes who was beaten when the heart demon arrived.

“Looking for flowers?” The heart demon scratches his head.

Jiang Zhibai nods. “Yes. But the apprentice said he only stepped away briefly after the flowers were returned. When he came back, a thief dressed in black had already stolen them. He insists he didn’t hide them.”

The heart demon glances toward the flower hall in the distance.

It is still bustling. The interrogation inside has ended, and the young masters and ladies of the Peony Garden have clearly gotten nowhere. Now, they are taking out their frustration by beating the apprentice in the open space before the hall.

The boy in plain clothes has blood on his back, his face streaked with dirt and tears as he cries out for justice.

Curious, the heart demon walks over and crouches in front of him. He sniffs the air but doesn’t catch the scent of blood, meaning the people in the Peony Garden aren’t real.

He doesn’t mind these illusions. The gardener’s apprentice, however, is clearly suffering. After being struck, he cries out in injustice, frantically scooting backward in a pitiful state.

Jiang Zhibai and Li Jianming, who have followed him, find the scene amusing. Li Jianming explains, “These people act like we don’t exist. Unless we ask them something, they won’t acknowledge us.”

The heart demon nods in understanding.

At that moment, Senior Sister Fei, who is friendly with Jiang Zhibai, approaches. Perhaps intrigued by the group’s discussion, she remarks gently, “This entire garden is filled with rare peonies, yet there isn’t a single Wei Zi among them.”

Li Jianming waves his hand dismissively. “No rush. I’ll dig through this apprentice’s room and see what I find.”

Jiang Zhibai scoffs. “You’re even more unreliable than Gu Jinping. Why would the flowers be buried underground?” Glancing at the miserable apprentice, he sighs. “He seems innocent. He’s been beaten far too harshly.”

Just then, Shen Lingshu, having seen the latest update on the floating order, notices the heart demon surrounded by a small crowd. He walks over and remarks, “That apprentice already said everything during his interrogation in the flower hall.”

The heart demon, pretending not to hear him, simply sighs at the crying apprentice.

“You’re really pitiful.”

“I—I’ve been wronged!” the apprentice wails. “I didn’t steal the flowers! I was watching them earlier today, but I drank too much water and had to step away for a moment. When I came back, I saw a man in black stealing them!”

Sure enough, no matter how anyone questions him, his answer remains the same.

Jiang Zhibai spreads his hands helplessly. “We’ve asked in every way possible, and that’s all he says.”

The heart demon nods, then casually asks, “What’s your name?”

Everyone assumes the apprentice will only repeat his cries of injustice.

But instead, he responds crisply, “Master loves flowers, especially peonies. He named all of us after them. He took me in, so he named me Wei Zi!”

The heart demon hums absentmindedly, thinking, You sound rather proud of that, don’t you?

But before anyone can react, the floating order in his hand suddenly lights up with a red circle.

At the same time, behind them, the vermilion gates of the Peony Garden slowly creak open.

The people in the garden freeze mid-movement, and the entire scene goes still.

The floating orders in everyone’s hands light up as a new announcement appears:

— Congratulations to Penglai Island Master Yun Weiran for successfully lighting up the Peony Garden icon!

The onlookers: “?!?!”

What does this mean? So they’ve been searching for the flowers for half a day… for nothing?

The heart demon blinks in confusion. “…Did I do something?”

Under the gaze of his wide, innocent eyes, everyone falls silent.

Oh, come on, Pretend. Just keep pretending.