When the Cannon Fodder Male Supporting Role Picks Up the Script - Chapter 87

Jiang Zhibai doesn’t know yet that Gu Shenshu has resurrected. When he hears Yun Zhuoran mention the name, he subconsciously looks at Shen Lingshu. But seeing that Shen Lingshu doesn’t appear surprised, he realizes that Shen Lingshu must have known all along—after all, Gu Shenshu is his own sect master.

Jiang Zhibai says solemnly, “Junior Brother Yun, what did the sect master do…”

“We’ll talk about that later.”

Yun Zhuoran ignores the pained Young Master Yin, who is trapped in the golden light spell, and says coldly, “If I’m not mistaken, Gu Shenshu approached you on the very first day we arrived at Yuelai Inn—right after you got the paper man. What does he ask you to do? Stir up conflict? Target me? Was his goal to sabotage my chance of passing?”

Though phrased as questions, Yun Zhuoran’s tone is firm, more like statements than inquiries.

Of the nine people present, fewer than half have actually seen the leader of the Tiandao Sect: his true disciple Shen Lingshu, registered disciple Yun Zhuoran, Jiang Zhibai—who has been raised in the sect since birth—and Li Jianming, a disciple of the Lingshan Sect who once came to Tiandao Sect for training as a teenager. 

Although Gu Jinping is related to Gu Shenshu by blood, Gu Shenshu had severed ties with the Gu family long ago, and before his death, they hadn’t dared approach him. As such, Gu Jinping has never seen him in person. Jiang Zhibai also had few opportunities to meet Gu Shenshu, since the man spent years in seclusion. Still, because of the influence of the peak masters and fellow disciples, the sect master holds an irreplaceable place in Jiang Zhibai’s heart. So, aside from Shen Lingshu and Yun Zhuoran, no one else present actually knows Gu Shenshu. They only know he died twenty years ago in the Demon Sealing Well—killed by five demons and Yun Peiran. Who would’ve thought that this strange, enormous floating city would be connected to the long-dead Gu Shenshu?

Even Shen Lingshu wouldn’t have believed it if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes.

Young Master Yin struggles to circulate his spiritual power, trying to resist the cold golden light that seeps into his bloodstream, and cries out, “Young Master, your master has been dead for twenty years! How could I have seen him? I was wrong to suspect you earlier—I just wanted to catch that strange person quickly. Isn’t it because you refuse to hand over the pass key?”

Gu Shenshu is accompanied by evil spirits. Wherever he appears, he leaves traces. Yun Zhuoran uses the golden light spell to force out the lingering remnants of Gu Shenshu’s evil energy from Young Master Yin’s body—how could he possibly believe this denial?

“So, he lured you in with the pass key.”

Young Master Yin freezes—Yun Zhuoran’s guess is spot on.

Just over an hour ago, during the day after their first night at the inn, when he rests alone in his room, a demonic cultivator suddenly appears and chooses him. The cultivator says Yun Zhuoran isn’t unreasonable—he won’t harm anyone as long as their reasoning is sound. All Young Master Yin has to do is subtly mislead Yun Zhuoran, guide him in the opposite direction of the real clearance method. After a month, he’ll be given the pass key, which is actually the floating city’s city lord seal…

Young Master Yin has been tempted—and besides, the demonic cultivator is far too powerful for him to resist.

What he doesn’t expect is for Yun Zhuoran to figure everything out so quickly and act without hesitation! But didn’t that demonic cultivator—suspected to be Gu Shenshu—say Yun Zhuoran wouldn’t make a move lightly?

Then again, Gu Shenshu is Yun Zhuoran’s master, even if only nominally. They’re familiar with each other. He is an outsider. The more he thinks about it, the more he feels like he’s been used by both master and disciple. Still, his expression remains bitter, like someone who’s been wronged.

Regardless of whether he’s used or not, one thing is clear to Young Master Yin—he must not admit it.

The demon suspected to be Gu Shenshu is too powerful. Young Master Yin has a strong hunch that this demon is watching all of them. If he so much as lets a word slip and betrays Gu Shenshu, the consequences will be unthinkable.

“Young Master…” Young Master Yin forces a bitter smile. “Your cultivation level is high—you could crush me with just a flick of your finger. I naively thought you wouldn’t act harshly in front of your fellow disciples and old friends. I’m wrong… But I still don’t understand. You’ve already admitted you’re the strange person. So why can’t we pass?”

“Young Master Yin’s silence means he agrees.” Yun Zhuoran trusts his own judgment, completely unmoved by Young Master Yin’s pitiful act. He doesn’t care if others are swayed by it. “That said, he’s right about one thing. The most important thing now is figuring out how to pass this level.”

“Then how do we get out?” Ji Ruo, who’s been confused this entire time, finally finds a chance to interrupt. His injuries are serious. If he doesn’t recover during the day, by nightfall he’ll be in just as much pain. Having never suffered this much before, Ji Ruo can barely speak—he only knows he can’t take much more. He doesn’t care about Gu Shenshu. He just wants to leave this place now.

Jiang Zhibai, too, has been waiting patiently for Yun Zhuoran’s explanation. Looking at the gravely ill Gu Qiuming beside him, he asks, “Junior Brother Yun, have you figured out a way to pass the level?”

“It’s not going to be easy,” Yun Zhuoran replies.

Hearing this, Li Jianming looks surprised. “You’ve got a method? Then tell us already!”

Compared to Gu Shenshu, everyone is more concerned with how to escape Yuelai Inn. No one pays any attention to Young Master Yin’s cries of injustice anymore. At this point, everyone subconsciously begins looking to Yun Zhuoran as their pillar of support—

For one simple reason: Yun Zhuoran is strong.

Everyone here is mentally tough—even Gu Jinping, who hates Yun Zhuoran, has to admit his strength. As long as he’s here, there’s hope of getting out of Yuelai Inn.

Under the watchful gazes of the group, Yun Zhuoran turns to the red-clothed youth beside him, who holds a little blue sparrow. “Weiran once reminds me—almost everything in Yuelai Inn is dead. Only the nine of us are alive. From the floating city’s perspective… could it be that we, the nine of us, are considered the ‘strange person’ in its eyes?”

The heart demon points to himself, mouth slightly agape, looking both confused and a little proud.

Yun Zhuoran’s words spark a realization. Shen Lingshu’s eyes light up, but then he hesitates. “So we might all be strange persons—but who are those strange persons that show up to attack us at midnight every day?”

Li Jianming scratches his head. “Yeah, that part doesn’t make sense.”

“The strange persons who appear at midnight and attack the inn’s guests… might actually be us.”

The young man’s hoarse voice isn’t loud, but it startles everyone—because the one who speaks is Gu Qiuming.

Under everyone’s gaze, Gu Qiuming’s pale face slowly flushes red. “I just wonder… what if those strange persons we can’t see in the inn are actually just like us? What if they can’t see us either? Maybe in their eyes, we’re the strange persons…”

He trails off, lowers his head, and mutters awkwardly, “It’s just an immature idea. Maybe I’m just overthinking…”

Li Jianming shakes his head, still confused. “The more you say, the more it sounds like a ghost story.”

Ji Ruo has almost grasped something, but Li Jianming’s comment ruins the atmosphere. Ji Ruo snaps, annoyed, “You’re a cultivator, and you’re scared of ghosts?”

Just then, Shen Lingshu suddenly raises his head and stares intently at Yun Zhuoran.

“Is it a space array?”

Yun Zhuoran pulls his gaze away from Gu Qiuming. There’s a hint of surprise in his eyes—because Gu Qiuming’s theory aligns exactly with his own thoughts. This proves that Gu Qiuming isn’t stupid; he just doesn’t like to show off or is too shy. No wonder the storybook describes how he repeatedly advises and reminds Shen Lingshu on how to solve the problem…

The heart demon is still confused, but when Shen Lingshu looks over, it instinctively steps in front of Yun Zhuoran to shield him.

The sight of the young boy standing firmly in front of him makes Yun Zhuoran chuckle. He pats the heart demon’s shoulder reassuringly and explains: “There are countless restrictions within the inn—even I can’t see through them all. But I do know that the footsteps I heard on the first night are real. The feeling of someone nearby is also real. As you said, there may be a space array in Yuelai Inn. And we may not be the only ones trapped here. You saw it too—some people have Blood Devil Vine seeds, some know the Golden Light Spell, and others possess a sword intent equal to the Nascent Soul stage. These people aren’t in the space we can see—but they are in this inn.”

The Heart Demon tilts his head in partial understanding, picks up the little blue sparrow, and asks, “Did brother say it right?”

Everyone is speechless at the sight.

The little island master of Penglai is, as usual, still as straightforward and crude as ever. But is he really expecting a useful answer by asking the Guanyue Tower’s master like that?

What they don’t know is that the little blue sparrow always has a terrifying premonition that this red-clad boy is going to eat him alive. He trembles violently in his hands. Within the range of what it is allowed to say, the sparrow naturally spills whatever is asked.

“The strange persons are in the inn, which is consistent with the facts…”

It isn’t exactly confirmation, but it echoes the earlier clues. To everyone else, that’s enough to confirm they’re on the right track.

Many eyes turn to the little blue sparrow, silently hinting that the little island master should try threatening it again, maybe even ask directly how to clear the level. Unfortunately, the heart demon isn’t reading the room and just plucks a few of the bird’s colorful tail feathers before stuffing it back into his pocket.

Yun Zhuoran observes quietly and doesn’t stop him. He simply says, “If there really is a space array in Yuelai Inn, then those strange persons exist in a different space, though still inside the inn. At midnight, the spaces may overlap—only then do the strange persons appear.”

He tries to explain it simply to the heart demon, but when the latter still looks confused, Yun Zhuoran sighs and lays out his proposed solution:

“To break it, we must find the core that connects the various subspaces—the formation’s eye. That’s not too difficult. The cherry blossom tree in the courtyard is the only living thing in the inn aside from us. A tree that thrives in a place filled with death—it’s very likely to be the formation’s eye. But we alone can’t break it.”

Few among them have heard of spatial formations, let alone understood them. Yun Zhuoran himself isn’t well-versed in formations, but he is certain there is something unusual about the cherry blossom tree.

Last night, while examining the courtyard with the Heart Demon, he used his spiritual sense to inspect the tree—only to find it shrouded in an impenetrable black mist.

Everyone looks stunned and turns to reexamine the cherry blossom tree standing behind them.

They have all suspected something is off about it—it is too special. The Heart Demon isn’t the first to notice that it is the only other living thing in the inn besides the nine of them. But they have all tried investigating it before and found nothing, eventually giving up.

Now Yun Zhuoran is saying it is the center of the formation. Though they have all tried, they can’t break through it…

Jiang Zhibai suddenly realizes something. “We need to contact the other people trapped here. Only if we work together can we break the space array?”

Everyone falls silent.

Young Master Yin, whose face has been frostbitten by the Golden Light Spell, endures the pain and voices everyone’s concern. “That’s just Yun Zhuoran’s claim. Do you all really believe him?”

Yun Zhuoran says calmly, “Believe what you like.”

Young Master Yin sneers. “See? Even he won’t guarantee it!”

Yun Zhuoran’s ambiguous tone leaves everyone unsure of what to do.

Jiang Zhibai hesitates, then decides to ask directly, “Junior Brother Yun, do you really believe those unseen strange persons are other cultivators trapped here like us?”

Yun Zhuoran waves his hand, and the paper figure in Young Master Yin’s possession suddenly flies into his palm.

“This is a paper doll from Song Shao or Song Yun. The one who used the Golden Light Spell last night was Tongye.”

All Tianqing Sect disciples know the Golden Light Spell—but only a few can master it to this degree. Of the Buddhist cultivators from Tianqing Sect who entered this place, only Tong Ye is above the Integration Stage.

So after last night’s skirmish, Yun Zhuoran is sure that Tong Ye is here too.

The heart demon tenses up inexplicably at the mention of the name, his pretty face drawn tight.

Jiang Zhibai looks at Yun Zhuoran, then sighs. “I believe in Junior Brother Yun. If you say the Buddha’s Son is here, then he must be. But… how do we contact him?”

Young Master Yin’s eyes widen in disbelief. He doesn’t think Yun Zhuoran is lying—but if Yun Zhuoran knew the Buddha’s Son was here last night, why hadn’t he said anything sooner? Why let him waste so much effort?

Young Master Yin stares at Yun Zhuoran with a complicated expression. “You’re clever, Young Island Master. But I’d advise you to be careful. Floating City Lord isn’t stupid. Don’t outsmart yourself and make a fatal mistake.”

Yun Zhuoran’s expression sharpens slightly. “What do you mean by that?”

Young Master Yin fails to stir up trouble and ends up trapped. Realizing Yun Zhuoran has no intention of letting him out, he simply lifts his robe, sits down, closes his eyes, and begins to meditate, trying to resist the extremely cold Golden Light Spell.

Yun Zhuoran seems to be deep in thought. He doesn’t rush to question Yin, but instead turns to the others.

“The time of Zi is approaching.”

(Translator’s Notes: Zi – 11:00 PM to 1:00 AM)

“Of course I believe you,” Li Jianming immediately raises his hand to show his stance, though he looks a bit embarrassed. “But how are we supposed to notify the others? Write a letter? Hand it to them like a paper doll?”

Yun Zhuoran says, “The paper mannequins of Song Shao and Song Yun had special markings, but this one doesn’t. However, the material is indeed from Penglai.”

The implication is clear—the mark might have been erased by the inn’s restrictions.

Now everyone faces a new problem. Some still don’t fully believe Yun Zhuoran’s so-called spatial array theory, especially since he has only given the conclusion without explaining his reasoning. Still, they have no choice but to think about how to communicate with their companions—if those companions even exist in another subspace…

It is truly a difficult problem.

Even the well-read Shen Lingshu can’t come up with a solution for the moment.

“How about… we try writing a letter?” Gu Qiuming suggests timidly, drawing everyone’s attention. He averts his gaze, still shy. “If the spatial array theory is correct, and several spaces overlap at midnight, allowing us to sense or even touch each other… then maybe they can also see the things around us?”

Yun Zhuoran looks at Gu Qiuming again, his calm eyes now tinged with appreciation.

This kid has good intuition…

But that has nothing to do with him.

Yun Zhuoran turns away expressionlessly. The heart demon is silently plucking the feathers of the little blue sparrow, his head lowered, visibly unhappy.

“What’s on your mind?”

The heart demon lifts his slightly red-tinged black eyes to look at him, presses his lips together, and then lowers his head again. His voice is soft and muffled, tinged with grievance.

“Brother, I don’t understand.”

Yun Zhuoran is quiet for a moment, then finally smiles and says, “It’s okay. You’ll grow up.”

The heart demon sighs gloomily at the mention of growing up again and tugs at the little blue sparrow’s tail feathers with his fingertips.

The little blue sparrow yelps in pain, quickly covers its rear with its wings, and dares not make a sound.

Yun Zhuoran doesn’t get too involved in the following discussion. Gu Qiuming’s suggestion makes sense, and since no one else has come up with anything better, they decide to go with it, treating it like a last resort.

Li Jianming volunteers to go to the lobby to find pen and paper at the front desk. But no matter what he writes in the account book, the words vanish in the blink of an eye. It puzzles him. Whether he writes in the ledger or carves into the table, the traces disappear instantly.

After a brief commotion, he and his friends return to the patio, frustrated. The heart demon is still crouched under the tree, brooding.

Yun Zhuoran stands behind him, occasionally glancing at Young Master Yin, who is still trapped within the Golden Light Spell. The young master is smart—he knows to meditate and resist the cold aura—but his complexion is gradually turning pale. It’s clear he can’t hold out for long, and Gu Shenshu shows no intention of rescuing him.

Shen Lingshu, Gu Jinping, and Ji Ruo don’t join Li Jianming’s attempt. Instead, they wait in the courtyard for midnight. According to the inn’s rules, where time compresses to one hour per day, the interval between nightfall and midnight is no more than half a cup of tea.

When Li Jianming and his friends return empty-handed, their disappointed expressions make the outcome obvious.

Li Jianming sighs, “It’s too hard. Everything here is bizarre. No matter how you try to leave a mark or destroy something, the moment you blink, it’s gone, and everything resets.”

Yun Zhuoran watches the heart demon, who is curled up quietly. “No hurry.”

He is always so calm, and under his influence, even Li Jianming doesn’t feel anxious. He looks at the heart demon, who is plucking petals, and quietly asks, “What’s wrong with the little island master? Is he upset?”

It’s not a big deal. The heart demon is just frustrated with his own lack of intelligence.

But even when he’s dumb, the heart demon is adorable. Yun Zhuoran can’t say it aloud, nor does he understand why the heart demon is so desperate to grow up and become smart.

After thinking for a moment, he walks over and squats beside him.

The heart demon is arranging flower petals on the ground to spell a word—“Brother.”

Yun Zhuoran chuckles. “Not upset anymore?”

The heart demon knows he is beside him. His brother’s scent is strong and sweet here. Hearing his voice, the heart demon pauses, then turns to Yun Zhuoran with a bright smile. “I’m not upset. Weiran’s just playing. Brother, do you want to play with me?”

Li Jianming squats down on the other side, joining the mood like an older sibling humoring a child. “Can I play too?”

The heart demon doesn’t even look at him. “No.”

Li Jianming is bluntly rejected but just smiles. “Don’t be so heartless.”

The heart demon ignores him, picks up a handful of pink and white petals, and gently places them in Yun Zhuoran’s hand. Then, he carefully shapes a heart behind the petal-word “Brother” and smiles contentedly. “Brother, can you write my name too?”

He points to a spot next to the petal heart. “Brother, put it here!”

Yun Zhuoran can’t understand the Heart Demon’s childish idea, but he complies, picking up a petal, intending to arrange the Heart Demon’s name in the same way. Though he doesn’t know the point of it, seeing the Heart Demon’s eager eyes makes him willing to waste a little time and play along.

However, just as he manages to form one character of the name, a light breeze suddenly blows across the empty space, lifting the petals scattered on the ground. The breeze rearranges the petals near the Heart Demon’s carefully arranged characters, spelling two new ones—

Yun Zhuoran freezes mid-action, and the smile vanishes from the Heart Demon’s face.

Li Jianming, who has seen the three new characters, suddenly lets out a frightened cry. “Who did this?”

“Ji Rou”

In the courtyard of the Yuelai Inn, Ji Wuwang stands under the shade of a tree, looking at the two characters on the ground beside the name Ji Ruo that he has added himself. A faint smile of anticipation slowly curves his lips. The people hiding in the distance shudder when they see his smile, as if a chill runs down their spines.

Ji Wuwang suddenly clicks his tongue in surprise.

This is because, beneath those characters, a new line of words has appeared, pieced together from petals:

Tomorrow night at midnight. Cherry blossom tree.

Break the formation.

At the same time, the others, drawn by Li Jianming’s loud cry, arrive one after another. When they see the words forming on the ground without any wind, Ji Ruo—who has been ready to curse—closes his mouth without a word.

“Ah! There’s more!” Li Jianming points at the latest and longer message.

Yun Zhuoran stares at the words for a long time. The final sentence isn’t formed by him, but by someone on the other side—someone he can sense but not see. That means someone else has discovered the existence of the space array and even thought of a method to break it. But the means of contact… have actually been found by the heart demon?

The heart demon, who is now being watched by everyone, stares gloomily at the new message surrounding the word “brother.” Why do these words have to appear now of all times? Why do they have to steal attention from him and his brother?

A flash of blood glints in the heart demon’s eyes. So annoying.

Yun Zhuoran gently puts down the petals in his hand, brushes his palms together, and looks at the heart demon with eyes as deep and bright as stars.

“Weiran, you’re so clever.”

Whether it’s coincidence or not, this is Yun Zhuoran’s chance to comfort the self-doubting heart demon.

Bathed in Yun Zhuoran’s gaze—full of praise and warmth—the heart demon purses his lips, revealing a shy and obedient smile. He changes expressions faster than flipping a page in a book.

“It’s all thanks to Brother’s good teaching.”