When the Cannon Fodder Male Supporting Role Picks Up the Script - Chapter 80

The heart demon still has many things he wants to give Yun Zhuoran—like the white snow tower he picks from the peony garden, the Weizi peony he is rewarded with, and all the other beautiful things. He wants to give them all to Yun Zhuoran.

But before he can, the fox demon, terrified, begins to whimper and cry. “I have a teleportation array! I’ll give it to you! Just don’t touch my tail!”

This is the fox demon’s last tail. When it is still a little fox, it used to chase its tail. The three tails it loses before are the result of years of cultivation. This final tail doesn’t just hold his remaining cultivation—it holds his spiritual root. If it is really pulled out, all those years of cultivation would be destroyed, and he would completely revert to a mere fox!

As long as he can keep this last tail, he has no problem handing over the teleportation array.

The fox demon is afraid that if he delays, the two island masters of Penglai might truly destroy him. He hooks his claws into the tiger demon’s fur and urges anxiously, “Teleportation array… Hurry! Bring out the teleportation array!”

Strands of golden light suddenly light up on the wooden floor behind the two demons, slowly forming a vortex. A heavy and invisible spiritual pressure overflows from the vortex—it really is a teleportation array.

Seeing this, Li Jianming gives a thumbs up to Yun Zhuoran and the others in admiration. “You’re still amazing. You scare the fox into handing over the teleportation array with just two or three words.”

But Yun Zhuoran never means to scare the fox. He just wants the fox’s tail.

Seeing the teleportation array activate, he silently puts away the three fox tails in his hand but doesn’t rush forward like the others to examine it.

Teleportation arrays are high-level formations. They require a large number of spirit stones to operate and maintain. The teleportation array in Shuanglu Pavilion isn’t large—it can carry about 56 people at once. The range of teleportation likely doesn’t exceed the floating city, but it’s still far superior to a one-time-use teleportation talisman.

Although everyone present has already experienced two consecutive trials in Shuanglu Pavilion, they remain cautious. No one is willing to be the first to step into the array, because no one knows where it might lead.

After the tiger demon removes the restriction and releases the teleportation array, he circles around the little fox warily and warns, “This teleportation array can’t take you directly to the City Lord’s Mansion. It only reaches a fixed point nearby. You can choose whether to enter or not…” The tiger demon pauses, then looks carefully and warily at Yun Zhuoran and the heart demon. “I’ve already given you the teleportation array you wanted. It was the City Lord who arranged the trials in Shuanglu Pavilion. We want to eat meat, but the City Lord ordered us not to kill any cultivators. We weren’t planning to attack you, right? Can we go now?”

Jiang Zhibai catches something in his words. “Then does that mean the gatekeepers in other areas also aren’t allowed to harm any cultivator who passes the trial?”

The fox demon has already shrunk under the tiger demon’s belly, desperately trying to hide. The tiger demon, clearly reluctant, answers, “I don’t know about other places. That’s how it is here.”

Upon hearing this, everyone who has been anxious for a long time breathes a sigh of relief.

It seems that they are not likely to face actual life-threatening danger in the floating city.

However, soon most of them remember the punishment Gu Shenshu had mentioned. If the punishment system in the floating city is as severe as hinted, it may be even worse than death. The floating city is still a fearsome place and should not be taken lightly.

Yun Zhuoran looks thoughtfully at the two monsters. “You want to leave? Where to?”

The tiger demon avoids eye contact and doesn’t answer.

They just want Yun Zhuoran and the others to leave so they can close the hall and recover in peace.

After all, once inside the floating city, they can’t roam freely unless ordered by the City Lord.

Yun Zhuoran doesn’t press the issue. “Fine. I just have one question.”

The tiger demon hesitates. “We only know what’s happened in Shuanglu Pavilion…”

The implication is that they’ll only answer questions related to this place.

Everyone looks disappointed. After going through Shuanglu Pavilion twice, no one wants to linger here anymore. They had hoped to ask for tips about the other areas, but now they’ll just have to forget it.

Yun Zhuoran nods easily. “Alright.”

At that, everyone loses interest.

Yun Zhuoran remains calm, glancing toward the fox demon whose ears are the only thing showing under the tiger demon’s belly. The fox demon is immediately frightened and pulls its ears back, terrified he’ll make a move.

“Hu Qingwan. Hu Shanjun?”

The fox demon’s ears twitch violently, and the tiger demon’s eyes widen in shock.

“You—how do you know that?”

That reaction is as good as confirmation.

Yun Zhuoran just shakes his head and says nothing.

The Heart Demon, always obedient at Yun Zhuoran’s side, looks stunned. But noticing how everyone else in Shuanglu Zhai is looking at them in confusion, he remembers the lesson learned back at the Shen family: important things should be whispered. He knows better now and tiptoes up to whisper in Yun Zhuoran’s ear.

“Brother, is it from the Demon Sealing Well?”

“There’s no need to hide it.” Yun Zhuoran speaks frankly under everyone’s gaze. “I’ve encountered many ghosts on the way, and most of them have one thing in common—they resemble the monsters that escaped from the Demon Sealing Well. A combination of a fox demon and a tiger demon isn’t something you see every day…”

The heart demon realizes this is something that can be said aloud and raises his hand excitedly. “I know! I memorized the list of monsters in the Demon Sealing Well distributed by the four major sects. Hu Qingwan and Hu Shanjun are both on it!”

Yun Zhuoran nods approvingly. “Not bad.”

“Could it be… all the demons in the Floating City were captured from the Demon-Sealing Well?” Li Jianming voices what most people are thinking. Then he gives Yun Zhuoran and the Heart Demon a strange look. “Wait… you two actually memorized that list?”

Since the seal of the Demon Sealing Well was broken and all the demons at the bottom escaped, disciples of all the immortal sects had access to the list. But no one memorized it like the two of them did.

Most cultivators only glanced at the list to help catch the escaped demons. But after the seal broke, those demons vanished without a trace—no one expected they would end up in the Floating City.

The Demon Sealing Well broke before the Floating City reappeared. Then came the City Lord’s Decree, throwing Shengjing into chaos and killing countless cultivators. At the time, no one imagined the demons they would encounter in the Floating City were the very ones who had escaped from the Demon Sealing Well.

Looking at it now, everything about the Floating City—from its reappearance to its activation—reeks of strangeness. And now that the truth is known, the very thought sends a chill down everyone’s spine.

Li Jianming sighs. “Good thing my master didn’t come up here. If something really happened, Master would definitely notice and come to save us.”

Shen Lingshu’s face turns pale. “I’m afraid your master wouldn’t notice anything at all.”

His expression is grim. Gu Shenshu is far stronger than Wen Jianxian. Shen Lingshu still can’t accept that the person behind the Floating City is Gu Shenshu. Perhaps it is because Gu Shenshu, now a demon, no longer recognizes him—but that alone is enough to leave him deeply unsettled.

“If the Lord of the Floating City really wants to be ruthless,” Yun Zhuoran says, “do you think we’d still be standing here?”

His words bring everyone back to their senses.

Yes—if the Lord of the Floating City had wanted to kill them, he would’ve done so while they were breaking through the levels.

Yun Zhuoran nods slightly.

Gu Shenshu must have his own reasons for bringing the demons from the Demon Sealing Well into the Floating City. The whole thing—the well, the plan—it is almost unimaginably intricate.

Everyone knows Gu Shenshu died in the chaos at the Demon Sealing Well twenty years ago, his soul scattered. Yet more than two decades later, he somehow returns—alive, and as a demon. He’s gone into hiding, broken the seal, and orchestrated the elaborate scheme that is the Floating City. Absorbing all those demons into the city surely isn’t just because he lacks manpower.

Yun Zhuoran can’t help but wonder—had Gu Shenshu been planning the Floating City since the time of the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest? If back then, he had focused less on luring Gu Shenshu out and instead prioritized obtaining the City Lord’s Decree, would things be different now?

No. Yun Zhuoran quickly dismisses the thought. If Gu Shenshu had truly wanted to take it, there is no way he could’ve kept the decree. The Jade Qilin guarding the decree back then had long since vanished.

And as for why Gu Shenshu has to move the Demon Sealing Well—Yun Zhuoran subconsciously suspects that he’s trying to remind someone of something. Perhaps someone who witnessed his fall back then?

For a moment, Yun Zhuoran feels like he is brushing up against the truth. But when he comes back to himself, he realizes it is all speculation. He needs stronger evidence to truly understand Gu Shenshu’s intentions.

The prolonged silence makes the two demons increasingly nervous.

The fox demon pokes its head out and anxiously says, “We were trapped in the Demon Sealing Well for two hundred years! We only killed a few cultivator disciples who were trying to dig out our demon cores. Isn’t that punishment enough? The City Lord lets us out because he feels sorry for us! He already deals with the really dangerous ones!”

Li Jianming gives a dry laugh. “I can’t speak for the others, but I do recall why you got thrown in there in the first place. Weren’t you the ones who ate people first?—so of course they wanted to catch you.”

The tiger demon presses the fox’s head back down with a paw, and stares at the group with sharp eyes. “This is the Floating City, not the Demon Sealing Well. If you don’t want to leave Shuanglu Pavilion, fine. Just don’t drag us into it. As for the Demon-Sealing Well—I want no part in it.”

Just as they are about to start arguing, Yun Zhuoran interjects, “So, you’re saying it was indeed the Lord of the Floating City who released you from the Demon Sealing Well?”

Hearing Yun Zhuoran state he wouldn’t get involved, the two demons finally relax, though they still keep a wary eye on Li Jianming and the others. “We don’t know what the City Lord is planning. But the rules of the Floating City aren’t much better than those of the well. It’s only safer on the surface—at its core, it’s still a prison. Without the City Lord’s permission, we can’t leave.”

The fox demon mutters, a bit discontentedly, “That’s not true. If we coax the City Lord well enough, we can go back to our mountain and eat delicious food, drink good wine, right?”

The tiger demon gives him a look. “You’re going to coax the City Lord?”

The fox demon silently lays back down.

Li Jianming chuckles at that. Under the tiger demon’s glare, he raises his empty hands in surrender. “Hey, I was just exposing this fox’s lies. I never said I was going to fight you.”

Although everyone has been surprised to learn the two demons come from the Demon Sealing Well, none of them make a move to recapture them. No one here is naive enough to forget they are standing on Shuanglu Pavilion inside the Floating City—not on the territory of any sect. They aren’t going to act recklessly against the two demons.

Still, the demons eye them warily.

“I’m going to the City Lord’s Mansion,” Yun Zhuoran says.

His words pull everyone’s attention back to the present—the focus now isn’t the fox and tiger demons.

The heart demon grabs Yun Zhuoran’s wrist tightly and says nervously, “I’m going too!”

“Of course,” Yun Zhuoran replies.

The heart demon is still afraid they’ll be separated again. He stares at the teleportation array, determined not to let go of Yun Zhuoran’s hand this time.

Once the two have spoken, Master Yin stands up.

“I’m very curious about this City Lord.” He has heard Shen Lingshu call the City Lord “Master,” and he knows there is a connection between the Lord of the Floating City and the leader of the Tiandao Sect. He isn’t about to pass up this chance to witness the drama of the righteous path and uncover the inner workings of the Floating City.

Of the five people still on the chessboard earlier, four have fallen and don’t know what happens next. Li Jianming and Jiang Zhibai have planned to take their leave—but after hearing about the connection between the Demon Sealing Well and the Floating City, and seeing Master Yin go, they discuss it and choose to follow. Gu Qiuming does the same.

Shen Lingshu remains silent, but he doesn’t back down either. After all, the Lord of the Floating City might really be his master. He has to go.

In the end, all nine people at Shuanglu Pavilion are preparing to enter the teleportation array. Everyone understands Gu Jinping’s reasons, but it is somewhat surprising that Ji Ruo also wants to follow.

Even knowing everyone there is hostile to him, he still insists on going.

But to activate the teleportation array, they still need help from the fox and tiger demons.

After a short rest, the two demons finally move to activate it.

Everyone instinctively forms four groups, just as they had on the fire chessboard—but no one dares to be the first to step into the teleportation array.

Yun Zhuoran has anticipated this. As Li Jianming and Jiang Zhibai are about to step forward, his cold eyes briefly sweep over the two demons guarding the teleportation array, issuing a warning. However, when he turns back, the icy expression on his face softens, and he reaches out to the heart demon.

“Shall we go?”

“Let’s go!” the heart demon replies without hesitation, quickly tightening his grip. Noticing the unease in the heart demon’s gesture, Yun Zhuoran smiles gently, squeezes his hand, and leads him into the teleportation array.

A flash of golden light suddenly engulfs them, momentarily dazzling Yun Zhuoran.

Once the light fades and he regains his bearings, Yun Zhuoran instinctively tightens his fingers, reassuring himself that the person he holds is still there.

The heart demon, also hurriedly opening his eyes, smiles brightly when he sees Yun Zhuoran’s face. Without a word, he rushes over and wraps his arms around Yun Zhuoran’s narrow waist.

“Brother! Brother!” he exclaims.

Yun Zhuoran can’t help but laugh. It seems his adopted “little clucking female” isn’t as timid as he has thought.

The heart demon doesn’t care. He happily nuzzles his head against Yun Zhuoran’s shoulder, clearly satisfied.

“Alright, what is this place?” Yun Zhuoran asks, patting the heart demon on the shoulder and signaling for him to stand.

The heart demon grabs Yun Zhuoran’s hand and stands up with a blush, his hair a complete mess—an unkempt sight that is hard to look at. Yun Zhuoran glances around, confirming there is no immediate danger, then helps him fix his hair into a neat bun.

The sight of the handsome, vibrant boy in red, now sporting a tidy bun, seems to bring a new energy to the room. Yun Zhuoran’s dark eyes gleam with satisfaction as he observes him.

The two have just stepped through the teleportation array and find themselves in a bright room. The layout, simple yet clean, suggests it is likely the upper room of an inn. There is nothing but an odd snow-colored bundle placed on the bed. Apart from the bundle, the room appears entirely vacant. After waiting a while, neither of them sees any sign of the others.

It seems the others have been teleported to different locations. The worst-case scenario would be that the fox demon and the tiger demon have regretted their decision to help, but at this point, it is out of their control.

Since they entered the room, the heart demon has been curiously wandering around, eager to explore. When he attempts to open the door, a thick, long-lost black fog greets them from the other side.

Both Yun Zhuoran and the heart demon have experienced such things before and quickly understand that something needs to be done to activate the task, unlocking the path outside.

Just then, the floating order emits a brilliant light. They think it is a prompt for a task, but when Yun Zhuoran picks it up, he sees that it is a public notice announcing who has cleared the levels and where. Among the names are Tong Ye, Qin Zheng, and Ji Wuwang.

All three have received special rewards upon clearing the levels.

The heart demon sighs, his curiosity piqued. “Brother, what’s the special reward?”

“I don’t know,” Yun Zhuoran replies, tucking the floating order away as he opens the peculiar bundle with ease.

The bundle is made of snow-colored satin with dark patterns. The material is smooth and feels extraordinary, but what really catches their attention is what lies inside.

It is a delicate, bright red dress that shimmers with rainbow-colored starlight as sunlight filters through the window.

The heart demon’s eyes light up. “Wow, it looks good!”

Yun Zhuoran raises an eyebrow and sets the dress aside. Beneath it, he finds a note with only two lines of text:

“Apologies—due to frequent disturbances by strange individuals at night, the innkeeper fell ill from anger and has returned to his hometown to recover. The staff pooled together money last night and departed immediately. A renowned cultivator will be invited in about a month to exorcise the evil. In the meantime, guests are advised to take care of themselves. —Yuelai Inn.”

The heart demon reads the note aloud, his eyes lighting up again. “Brother, are we here to catch monsters?”

Yun Zhuoran shakes his head. “Not quite.”

If a renowned cultivator had been invited, they wouldn’t be locked in an inn room.

Suddenly, two white streams of light shoot out from the red dress at high speed, heading straight for their door. Yun Zhuoran instinctively raises his hand to catch one, while the other lands in the heart demon’s hands.

It turns out to be two exquisite bamboo carvings, each decorated with a long blue-and-white tassel. Beautiful, but as Yun Zhuoran holds one, he feels a sudden, intense heat in his palm. He nearly drops it but notices two blood-red characters etched into the bamboo—

“Courtesan Yun.”

Yun Zhuoran freezes.

The heart demon, feeling the strange heat, hurriedly drops the sign, his palm now burned red. As he turns to playfully lean into Yun Zhuoran, he sees the two characters and frowns.

“Huh?”

The heart demon ponders for a moment, then climbs onto the bed and retrieves the crescent-colored bamboo sign that he had tossed there earlier.

“Mine has three characters!”

He hands the bamboo sign to Yun Zhuoran, pride shining in his eyes.

Yun Zhuoran glances at the bamboo sign, his mouth opening to speak. But seeing the heart demon’s innocent smile, Yun Zhuoran’s expression shifts multiple times. His white brows slowly furrow, and in the end, he says nothing.

He has no idea what the heart demon finds so amusing.

Indeed, there are additional words on the heart demon’s sign.

—”Courtesan Yun’s Maidservant.”