When the Cannon Fodder Male Supporting Role Picks Up the Script - Chapter 82

Perhaps because the person who isn’t bound by the inn’s rules is Yun Zhuoran, no one pays much attention to the fact that he isn’t wearing any props. Since they’ve entered the inn and received no further hints, everyone understands that the mission at Yuelai Inn is completely different from that of Shuanglu Pavilion.

Apart from the exclusive identity tokens and private rooms, there are no other clues.

Everyone discusses the situation and decides to split up to search for more information.

Yun Zhuoran naturally stays with his heart demon. Instead of heading upstairs to search, they go down to the backyard of the inn.

Yuelai Inn isn’t very large. The front and back yards are divided by a spacious patio, nearly as wide as the lobby. Next to the side door of the front yard is the bunk room door, while the backyard houses the kitchen, firewood shed, and utility room.

The small rear gate is shut tight, just like the main entrance in the lobby. Yun Zhuoran pushes it open and glances outside. As expected, beyond the door lies a dark abyss—there is no exit.

Yun Zhuoran closes the back door, glances toward the kitchen, and gestures for the heart demon to follow him.

A tall cherry tree stands in the courtyard, its canopy nearly filling the yard. As the two walk beneath it, the pink and white petals on the branches sway gently—falling like rain despite the absence of wind, drifting down on the pair.

As they pass through the falling petals, the heart demon brushes the ones off the ground when they reach the kitchen.

Noticing his irritation, Yun Zhuoran reaches out and plucks a few petals from the other’s hair.

“All done.”

The heart demon curls his lips and lightly pats the petals off Yun Zhuoran’s shoulders.

“So annoying.”

Yun Zhuoran shakes his head and turns to open the kitchen door.

With a creak, a cloud of dust billows out—it’s clear the room hasn’t been cleaned in a long time.

The kitchen is spacious and equipped with all the cookware, but there’s no food to be seen. As they look around, they spot a piece of paper held down by a kettle on the stove.

Yun Zhuoran steps inside with his heart demon, moves the kettle, and picks up the paper.

Surprisingly, the paper is brand new and neatly written.

“A letter from the chef,” Yun Zhuoran says, fearing the heart demon might not be able to read it all. He reads aloud, “Guests staying at the inn are advised to remain in their rooms at night if they have nothing urgent to do, in order to avoid being disturbed by strange individuals.”

He hands the letter to the heart demon, murmuring thoughtfully, “Strange ones again.”

Since Yun Zhuoran already read it aloud, Xinmo doesn’t look at it further, but he’s clearly intrigued. “Brother, what kind of strange ones would require inviting a renowned immortal master?”

Yun Zhuoran asks back, “What do you think, Weiran?”

The heart demon’s eyes sparkle with excitement. “A monster? Or a demon? Can I eat it?”

Yun Zhuoran is long used to his heart demon’s gluttonous nature. Shaking his head, he turns toward the door. “Let’s head back to the lobby and see if the others found anything.”

The heart demon nods, glances back at the kitchen, smacks his lips, and follows.

Yuelai Inn isn’t large, so with everyone searching separately, it doesn’t take long for them to turn the place upside down. By the time Yun Zhuoran and Weiran return, the others are also coming down to the lobby one after another.

When they gather in the lobby, the first thing everyone notices is the identical papers in each other’s hands.

Jiang Zhibai can’t help cracking a joke, holding up his own paper. “Don’t go out at night?”

Yun Zhuoran places his own letter on the table. “To avoid being disturbed by strange individuals.”

As soon as he speaks, everyone silently lays down the papers they’ve found. At first glance, they’re exactly the same as Yun Zhuoran’s, except each one is signed by a different person.

Li Jianming scratches his head, confused. “Are they messing with us?”

Ji Ruo stares intently at the sheets, as if trying to burn holes through them with his gaze. He’s already taken off the extremely plain white dress he wore earlier, which now hangs loosely over his arm.

Yun Zhuoran’s eyes linger on the sight before calmly glancing at Weiran.

So, the dress can be taken off.

At first, everyone is a little disappointed to find only a repeat of the same message they saw earlier when they discovered the items in their rooms. But now that every paper says the same thing, it becomes clear that clearing the Yuelai Inn is going to be harder than expected—there are no leads to follow.

“Maybe we have to wait until nightfall,” Gu Qiuming murmurs. “Wait for the strange ones to appear?”

The moment he speaks, eight pairs of eyes turn to him. As the most inconspicuous person in the group, it takes some courage to speak. Now, under so many gazes, his face quickly turns red and he asks anxiously, “Did I… say something wrong?”

“That’s not it,” Li Jianming says, casually placing a hand on his shoulder and shrugging. “You’re right. Everyone probably guessed that already. Looks like we’ve got no choice but to wait until nightfall.”

Gu Qiuming’s face turns even redder—he’s just stated the obvious.

Fortunately, the group’s attention doesn’t linger on him for long.

“Maybe we don’t have to wait for night.”

Young Master Yin’s sudden remark catches everyone off guard. They think he’s found a clue, but he simply smiles and looks at Yun Zhuoran.

“Since the Young Island Master came out of Guanyue Tower, everyone should have seen the hint on the floating order. You all should know by now—the Young Island Master has a pass key.”

“A pass key!” Li Jianming has long forgotten about the pass key. When Young Master Yin brings it up, he looks at Yun Zhuoran in astonishment, then turns his gaze back to Young Master Yin with suspicion. “What are you trying to do? Planning to use the pass key to get out of here? Young Master Yin, isn’t that a bit shameless? Is this how you play the game?”

Young Master Yin isn’t angry. He simply smiles and says, “I’m just offering a suggestion. If we can use the pass key, we can leave Yuelai Inn without any effort, right?”

Li Jianming sneers. “Even if there is a pass key, it has nothing to do with you.”

Young Master Yin replies smoothly, “That depends on the Young Island Master.”

At those words, everyone turns to look at Yun Zhuoran.

Indeed, the pass key is a great temptation to all the cultivators trapped in the floating city—especially for those who don’t want to take any more risks and simply want to escape.

However, Yun Zhuoran’s cultivation is higher than the others’, and no one dares to forcibly take it from him. That’s why Young Master Yin speaks in such a roundabout way, hinting that Yun Zhuoran should hand over the key—hoping to incite others into pressuring him. What he really wants is for Yun Zhuoran to show the key, so he can look for an opportunity to steal it later.

From the moment Yun Zhuoran obtains the key, Young Master Yin has been eyeing it. The floating city lord even warns Yun Zhuoran to guard it carefully—implying that the key could be taken.

But Young Master Yin knows that using force won’t work, so now he tries to coax the key into the open.

Yun Zhuoran sees through his intentions the moment he brings up the pass key. When he notices everyone looking at him, the heart demon steps forward with a dark expression and stands in front of him.

Perhaps thinking of the Little Island Master’s sharp teeth, everyone’s gaze becomes noticeably more restrained.

In truth, Li Jianming, Jiang Zhibai, Gu Qiuming, and the few others close to Yun Zhuoran are also curious about the pass key, but they realize what Young Master Yin is trying to do. They don’t speak up, worried they’ll be used by someone with ill intent.

In contrast, the expressions of the others are much more transparent.

Especially Young Master Yin and Gu Jinping.

Everyone knows Young Master Yin is up to no good. As for Gu Jinping, no one even bothers to consider her. She’s long ago made herself an enemy of Yun Zhuoran and his group. Though Yun Zhuoran usually ignores her petty tricks, her constant provocations are enough to irritate even a saint.

After being spied on by her over and over again, even Yun Zhuoran’s patience has its limits. If she tries something again, he won’t let her off.

Back in Shuanglu Pavilion, she even tries to push Weiran into the sea of fire.

Yun Zhuoran shoots her a cold look.

Gu Jinping feels a chill run down her spine for no reason. Sensing danger, she shrinks back and hides behind Shen Lingshu, the person she trusts most.

Yun Zhuoran’s gaze passes over her and lands on Young Master Yin.

“You want to see the pass key?”

The question is so unexpected that Young Master Yin’s smile falters for a moment. But he quickly notices something different in Yun Zhuoran’s tone—it sounds less cold than before. If anything, it even has a hint of coaxing.

Young Master Yin knows it might be a trap, but he still can’t help asking, “Can I?”

Yun Zhuoran smiles faintly. “No.”

Young Master Yin has been expecting that answer, but hearing Yun Zhuoran’s blunt rejection still makes his heart sink. Yun Zhuoran has lured him in, only to slam the door shut. His expression changes, and he says mockingly, “Since the Young Island Master refuses, I won’t insist.”

“You can’t insist,” Yun Zhuoran says coldly, “because you’re much weaker than I am.” He sweeps his icy gaze across the room. “If you want the pass key, then try and take it from me. You all know I’ve never cared about my reputation.”

Everyone’s faces change. No one says a word. Young Master Yin’s face has gone pale.

“Don’t harbor any bad thoughts—unless…” Yun Zhuoran turns to Gu Jinping and Ji Ruo. “You want to become my enemies.”

Gu Jinping lowers her head and bites her lip, not daring to speak. It’s like trying to cover her ears while ringing a bell—useless and obvious.

Ji Ruo looks confused and stunned for a long time. Then he points at himself in disbelief.

“You mean me?”

Yun Zhuoran gives him a look—one that only he would understand—then turns to head upstairs with the heart demon.

The warning is clear. Whether it’s about the pass key or something else, if anyone lays a hand on Yun Zhuoran, they’ll die.

Ji Ruo grits his teeth and shouts after them, furious: “I never said I wanted your damn pass key! Yun Zhuoran, don’t frame me! Don’t pin something on me that I never even thought of!”

But by now, it doesn’t matter whether Ji Ruo has actually thought about stealing the key.

What matters is that Yun Zhuoran has already put him on the blacklist.

Young Master Yin, the infamous heir of the Demonic Path, is already marked—how innocent can Ji Ruo be?

Yun Zhuoran and the heart demon disappear upstairs, leaving the others in the lobby staring at one another in uneasy silence.

Some know the warning is aimed at them—like Young Master Yin and Gu Jinping, both practically called out by name. Their faces are the ugliest among the group. They’ve never been so publicly humiliated before.

But the truth is undeniable: they aren’t strong enough to do anything about it.

After they return to their room, Yun Zhuoran notices the heart demon staring at him with a fiery gaze. The intensity makes him hesitate before closing the door.

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Brother is so handsome!”

The heart demon clasps his hands in front of his chest, his slightly reddish black eyes shining with surprising brightness.

Yun Zhuoran raises an eyebrow. He thinks the heart demon will say he looks fierce.

Could it be that he usually lacks presence, so even when he tries to be intimidating, it doesn’t work?

If the heart demon’s gaze can take physical form, Yun Zhuoran is already buried under a mountain of hearts. But he can’t understand the joy and affection in those eyes.

He sighs softly and pulls a spare robe from his storage ring.

“Weiran, change into this. The clothes underneath are all burned.”

The heart demon subconsciously looks down.

The hole on the left shoulder exposes a small patch of fair skin. The irregular, charred opening resembles a flower shape if you look long enough. The contrast between the scorched edges and the brilliant red fabric makes the pale skin especially striking—so much so it’s hard to look away.

Yun Zhuoran can’t bear to keep looking. When the heart demon doesn’t move, he places the robe down and starts unfastening the buttons for him.

The scarlet robe’s buttons are hidden along the side and tightly secured. Yun Zhuoran doesn’t know how the heart demon managed to put it on so easily and quickly. It takes him a while to undo them all. He finally exhales in relief and stuffs the new robe into the heart demon’s arms.

“Go change.”

The heart demon looks at the dress placed on the table. “Aren’t you going to keep that?”

Yun Zhuoran asks, “Do you want it?”

The heart demon blinks and imagines how his brother would look in the dress… But it doesn’t matter. If he wears it, he’d look like his brother. It’s a shame he’s been too busy earlier to look in the mirror.

“Hmm…” The heart demon asks, “What if you need it next time we go out? I’ll hold onto it for now?”

Looking at those blinking eyes, Yun Zhuoran finally lets out a quiet sigh.

“Alright.” He doesn’t know whether Weiran has truly matured and is thinking ahead, or if he just likes the dress and wants to stash it away… In any case, Yun Zhuoran doesn’t deny Weiran something he wants.

In fact, after Weiran changes clothes behind the screen, he discreetly places the dress into his storage bracelet. He can’t see his brother wearing it, but… Weiran figures, it doesn’t take up space anyway.

Weiran’s new robe is custom-made by Penglai Xian: white with red floral accents—perfectly suited to Yun Zhuoran’s cold temperament. Once Weiran puts it on, the robe resizes itself to fit him. The white base softens his evil aura, and the magic pattern between his brows even seems to take on a touch of righteousness.

In Yun Zhuoran’s eyes, Weiran now resembles a tall and vigorous young man.

As time passes, the heart demon starts to feel hungry. Fortunately, Yun Zhuoran anticipates this before entering the floating city and prepares plenty of demon cores. Among all the strange things Weiran eats, demon cores look the cleanest and most normal—and they’re also easy to carry.

As he gnaws on the demon cores, the heart demon doesn’t forget to ask about the pass key.

When it’s mentioned in the lobby earlier, he’s particularly curious. But he’s learned from experience—he won’t question Yun Zhuoran in front of others anymore, only in private.

When Yun Zhuoran brings up the key, he can’t help but sneer—it’s nothing but a trap.

“There’s something else!” The heart demon asks eagerly, “What’s the Guanyue Tower like? Did anyone bully you when I wasn’t there? Brother, I missed you so much.”

He can’t help acting spoiled toward Yun Zhuoran. Counting on his fingers, he says, “You’ve been gone a long time—one day? Two days? Anyway, I clear a bunch of levels waiting for you.”

Yun Zhuoran doesn’t know how much time has passed either. Since Weiran is curious about the Guanyue Tower, he tells him what he can.

Although only a few sentences, the heart demon listens with great interest, then says angrily, “The demon cultivator who escaped was Cui Shen? Brother, is he still in the Guanyue Tower?”

“I don’t know.”

Yun Zhuoran plans to wait for Cui Shen, but doesn’t expect the one who comes out to be Gu Shenshu disguised as Cheng Ruyi. Now, he can’t return to the Guanyue Tower—Gu Shenshu is more important than Cui Shen.

The heart demon only half-understands. All he needs to know is that his brother is looking for Gu Shenshu.

“As for the so-called pass key…” Yun Zhuoran is about to tell Weiran it doesn’t actually exist, but suddenly notices the room has dimmed. He raises his finger and conjures a flicker of light, lighting the candle on the table.

With a puff, the gentle candlelight drives away the creeping darkness in the room.

Yun Zhuoran suddenly realizes, “It’s night.”

Weiran is surprised. “So fast!”

Only a quarter of an hour should have passed since they went upstairs.

“Time here can’t be measured by common sense.” Yun Zhuoran stands. “Let’s go downstairs and see if that strange individual has appeared.”

At the mention of the strange individual, Weiran clenches his fists and trots after him excitedly. He’s only eaten three demon cores and isn’t full yet!

As the two open their door, another door on the third floor also opens.

Across the corridor, they run into Li Jianming. As expected, he has changed out of his bizarre outfit and into a normal Taoist robe.

“It’s dark!” Li Jianming says urgently the moment he sees them. “There’s movement upstairs!” He rushes over with his spirit sword in hand and looks at the two with a complex expression. “Just now… didn’t you already go down?”

Yun Zhuoran has also heard footsteps earlier, and asks Li Jianming, “Wasn’t it you?”

Since only two rooms are occupied on the third floor, Yun Zhuoran naturally assumes the noise comes from Li Jianming.

Li Jianming shakes his head quickly. “It wasn’t me! I thought it was you. I heard a door open next door, then footsteps heading downstairs… I wanted to follow, but when I opened my door, you and the little island master had just come out! But only two upper rooms on this floor are occupied!”

Yun Zhuoran doesn’t reply.

The heart demon nods, instantly catching the key detail that makes Li Jianming panic.

“Then who went downstairs just now?”

Li Jianming suddenly grips his sword tighter, eyes scanning the dark corridor warily.

There are indeed only two rooms on the third floor, but for some reason, all three of them now share a strange feeling—what if other hidden rooms exist in the darkness? What if someone else lives there?

Now that they think about it, the visible space on the third floor does seem smaller than it should’ve been.

Yun Zhuoran says calmly, “Let’s go downstairs.”

Li Jianming is about to nod when his entire body stiffens. His eyes widen as he stares at Yun Zhuoran—and at the same time, Yun Zhuoran’s gaze rises behind him, the heart demon grabbing his sleeve in alarm.

Everyone falls silent.

A sudden flurry of quick, clear footsteps echoes down the third-floor corridor, heading straight downstairs. In that instant, it feels as if many people have brushed past them, running downward.

Li Jianming even feels as if someone is standing directly behind him.

He can feel a faint breath brush past his ear.

His ears twitch violently, and he bites his lip, looking at Yun Zhuoran for help.

But in Yun Zhuoran and Weiran’s eyes, there are only three people on the third floor.

Still, they all hear the sounds—and all feel someone beside Li Jianming.

Yun Zhuoran’s expression turns cold. He steps forward, pulling Weiran along with him.

“Go downstairs!”

Li Jianming watches their figures disappear quickly into the darkness, eyes widening in disbelief.

“Hey! At least help me first!”