When the Cannon Fodder Male Supporting Role Picks Up the Script - Chapter 9

Just after noon, Jiang Zhibai comes looking for him. The Heart Demon is sleeping soundly, and Yun Zhuoran sets up a barrier before heading downstairs to prevent any malevolent energy from leaking. Unexpectedly, Jiang Zhibai drags him outside, saying it’s an order from the Peak Master for all inner disciples to head to the main peak’s Yaoguang Hall.

Before leaving, Yun Zhuoran glances back at the small building and secretly seals the barrier between the North Mountain Cloud Pool.

On the way, Jiang Zhibai excitedly says, “Let me tell you, Ji Chen has really gotten into trouble this time!”

“What happened to him?” Yun Zhuoran plays along. In fact, he has some guesses—it’s likely that Ji Chen went to complain after being waylaid by him last night. After all, his master is the peak master of Qingyang Peak, who also happens to be the current Peak Master, and he’s quite fond of this disciple. Moreover, from what the wolf demon mentioned, it seems that this matter is quite serious.

“Last night, you know, that guy Ji Chen actually got robbed!” Jiang Zhibai laughs gleefully. “He usually acts so domineering in the sect, but he got robbed right at the foot of the mountain when he came down! What a disgrace for a favored disciple of the Peak Master! And that’s not all—today he almost gets beaten to death!”

Yun Zhuoran is taken aback. “Today?”

Jiang Zhibai rubs his face, almost stiff from laughter, and says with a smile, “At noon, this guy goes to Xianyun Hall to teach the new inner disciples. He’s supposed to review some basics, like how to cultivate Qi into the body, but unexpectedly runs into a tough opponent. One disciple actually fights with him on the spot, and it looks like he’s sustained a pretty serious injury.”

Is there really such a fresh incident today?

Yun Zhuoran says, “After all, he’s in the Golden Core stage; how could he be injured by a new disciple?”

“It’s probably why the Peak Master asked us to come over; I wasn’t there at the time.” Jiang Zhibai also senses something is off. While he loves mocking his rival, he quickly wipes the smile off his face as he talks about it. “This is definitely not a small matter; they even specifically called for you. Be careful later and don’t let Ji Chen take advantage of it.”

As they talk, they arrive at Yaoguang Hall. They aren’t too late; soon all the inner disciples gather, except for those in closed-door training and a few elders. Among the dozen or so inner disciples, more than half are newcomers from the past twenty years, and Yun Zhuoran doesn’t recognize many of them. He also sees Gu Qiuming.

The Peak Master of Qingyang Peak and Shen Lingshu are quietly conversing at the front, while most of the inner disciples have already assembled below. Jiang Zhibai pulls Yun Zhuoran to the front and notices a severely injured youth sitting cross-legged in the center of the hall. The Master of Qingmiao Peak, Miao Zhu, is healing him.

Ji Chen stands behind the Peak Master of Qingyang Peak, looking quite disheveled. The injuries from last night haven’t healed completely, and he seems to have internal injuries as well. His complexion is very poor, but it doesn’t stop him from glaring at Jiang Zhibai and Yun Zhuoran when he sees them enter.

Jiang Zhibai rolls his eyes back at him and leans over to Shen Lingshu, lowering his voice to ask, “Senior Brother Shen, what happened?”

Shen Lingshu’s gaze shifts away from the youth to see Yun Zhuoran. He pauses, warmly calls out “Junior Brother Yun,” and then replies, “I’m not sure yet.”

During their brief conversation, Yun Zhuoran also figures out the situation in the hall; many people are just as confused as they are. The boy being treated by Master Miao Zhu looks unfamiliar, and Yun Zhuoran has no impression of him.

When Shen Lingshu calls him, Yun Zhuoran nods casually and then silently turns his eyes to the young man.

It’s unclear whether it’s a coincidence, but Yun Zhuoran actually sees the same ominous and sinister black cloud on the possessed boy as Ji Chen, and his whole body is enveloped by this black cloud.

Yun Zhuoran glances back at Ji Chen and is taken aback; the black cloud on Ji Chen’s forehead hasn’t dissipated and has gradually turned from a deep gray to pitch black.

Shen Lingshu doesn’t get a response, and his expression dims slightly. He soon turns his attention to the boy, slightly tilting his head toward Jiang Zhibai and Yun Zhuoran, and softly says, “This disciple has been possessed by a demon. He injured quite a few people in Idle Cloud Hall and almost killed Junior Brother Ji. Fortunately, Elder Qingyang and I arrived in time to subdue him, but we were careless for just a moment, allowing the possessing demon to escape.” A hint of guilt crosses Shen Lingshu’s face as he sighs, “Now, it’s uncertain whether this young disciple can survive, and that demon is still within the sect. If it finds someone else to possess again…”

His voice isn’t loud, but the hall is so quiet that all the inner disciples, who at the very least have Foundation Establishment cultivation, hear him. In an instant, everyone’s expression turns serious, including Jiang Zhibai.

Jiang Zhibai asks in surprise, “What kind of demon?”

Shen Lingshu shakes his head. “Its strength is at least above the Deity Transformation Stage.”

Everyone becomes alarmed, forgetting that the two peak masters and Shen Lingshu are present, and they start discussing in hushed tones.

While a few are speaking, the injured youth suddenly stiffens, lets out a cry, and coughs up black blood before collapsing. Master Miao Zhu quickly catches the boy and checks his pulse. Her elegant brows furrow instantly, and she slowly lays the boy down. It’s at this moment that everyone realizes the boy has already passed away.

Master Miao Zhu sighs softly, “His soul has been mostly devoured; he can’t be saved.”

The once-boisterous hall falls silent, like a cold cicada. A demon above the Transformation Stage, capable of devouring souls and possessing cultivators, has actually infiltrated the Tian Dao Sect…

The Peak Master of Qingyang Peak sighs, “It’s fate; take him away.”

Two disciples step forward silently, lifting the boy’s corpse to take it away for handling.

Jiang Zhibai, who had come in eager to see Ji Chen make a fool of himself, can no longer find any humor in the situation. However, from the corner of his eye, he notices that Yun Zhuoran is still staring at the young disciple being carried out of the hall. Jiang Zhibai discreetly tugs at his sleeve, and only then does Yun Zhuoran turn his head back, slightly shaking it to indicate he’s fine.

As the boy is taken away, Yun Zhuoran sees the dense black aura surrounding the youth vanish, as if blown away by the wind, taking his vitality with it.

In a daze, Yun Zhuoran has a thought: Could this black cloud symbolize death?

Once a mortal embarks on the path of cultivation, after establishing their foundation, the originally predetermined fate undergoes countless changes, becoming unpredictable and difficult to calculate. 

Even those reaching the Great Ascension stage, or being half a step away from ascending, find it challenging to discern the fates of others.

Yun Zhuoran glances at Ji Chen again, but as soon as he does, Ji Chen catches him on the spot. 

Under the gaze of those clear, cold eyes, Ji Chen first freezes in surprise, then quickly turns cold, glaring with wide eyes, looking very displeased.

Losing interest, Yun Zhuoran withdraws his gaze and focuses on the conversation between the Peak Master of Qingyang Peak and Shen Lingshu. 

However, the two of them have only encountered the boy possessed by the demon once; they haven’t truly engaged with him and have no idea where the demon could have escaped to. After discussing for a while, they only instruct the inner disciples to strengthen their defenses and arrange for patrols and searches for the demon.

In the end, the Peak Master of Qingyang Peak tells everyone to disperse. Just as Jiang Zhibai is about to pull Yun Zhuoran away, the Peak Master suddenly says, “Any disciples who have gone down the mountain during this time should stay behind. Yun Zhuoran, you stay too.”

Jiang Zhibai becomes anxious, looking very worried.

Yun Zhuoran is the only one singled out, so he has no choice but to comply and stay behind. 

He pats Jiang Zhibai on the shoulder, signaling him to leave quickly. Jiang Zhibai glances at Ji Chen behind the Peak Master of Qingyang Peak, then looks back at Yun Zhuoran. Finally, he quietly calls out, “Senior Brother Shen,” in a low voice, which makes Shen Lingshu look at him.

Shen Lingshu follows his line of sight and sees Yun Zhuoran, then nods slightly. 

Only then does Jiang Zhibai leave.

Yun Zhuoran notices this and doesn’t know what to say. However, Shen Lingshu silently approaches him, leaning down slightly to say, “Don’t worry.”

Yun Zhuoran pauses for a moment and then slowly nods.

In just a moment, only seven or eight inner disciples remain in the hall. Ji Chen steps out from behind his master and says sharply, “Our Tian Dao Sect has two major formations protecting the mountain both inside and outside. The only way a demon could infiltrate the Tian Dao Sect is by relying on our disciples. I ask you all, what have you been doing down the mountain recently?”

The remaining disciples feel somewhat dissatisfied with this question. Yun Zhuoran understands why Ji Chen has also stayed behind, as he has gone down the mountain recently as well. But hasn’t Ji Chen done the same?

Sure enough, someone counters, “Senior Brother Ji, it seems like you also went down the mountain yesterday, right?”

Mentioning this makes Ji Chen’s face turn green with anger, but with his master present, he doesn’t dare to explode in public. Instead, he grits his teeth and says, “I was assigned a task to catch a demon at the foot of the mountain. I reported it; what about you?”

The disciple is momentarily taken aback and has to sullenly explain his whereabouts.

The remaining few sense the doubt in Ji Chen’s question and also feel displeased, but in order to clear their own names, they honestly report their activities. In the end, everyone turns to Yun Zhuoran—some recognize him while others don’t—but their gazes clearly urge him to explain himself quickly.

The Peak Master of Qingyang Peak, who respects Gu Shenshu the most and dislikes Yun Zhuoran, speaks up again.

“Yun Zhuoran, you left the sect without permission a few days ago. What did you go to do?”

Shen Lingshu quickly smiles and says, “Peak Master, Zhuoran didn’t do anything wrong. He’s just been in seclusion on the mountain for too long and felt a bit restless, so he went out to relax.”

Yun Zhuoran can’t help but glance at him.

However, the Peak Master of Qingyang Peak shakes his head while looking at Shen Lingshu, stubbornly keeping his gaze fixed on Yun Zhuoran. The oppressive aura from his cultivation at the Out-of-Body stage quietly descends upon him.

“Yun Zhuoran!”

Yun Zhuoran’s face pales. He closes his eyes to suppress his displeasure and raises his left hand in front of everyone, rolling up his snow-white sleeve to reveal a section of his forearm. “Peak Master, after seeing this, do you still doubt me?”

On his wrist, the golden runes of the Mingguang Lock occasionally emit a cold energy.

Shen Lingshu reacts quickly, explaining to the others, “The Mingguang Lock is a treasure of the Tianqing Sect, embodying righteous energy. Ordinary demons and evildoers cannot approach it; otherwise, they might be scorched by the golden light or, in severe cases, directly annihilated.”

The Peak Master of Qingyang Peak looks at the Mingguang Lock on Yun Zhuoran’s wrist and, in the end, reluctantly closes his mouth. The others also have nothing to say, as all the explanations provided by the remaining disciples hold little weight compared to the significance of the Mingguang Lock.

It’s indeed too difficult to determine how the demon infiltrated, so the Peak Master of Qingyang Peak has no choice but to send the disciples back for the time being, including Ji Chen, who is also called back to recover from his injuries.

As Yun Zhuoran leaves, Shen Lingshu specifically says something to reassure him. 

Yun Zhuoran pauses for a moment and nods in acknowledgment.

After walking out of the main hall, Yun Zhuoran finally no longer feels the pressure of the Peak Master of Qingyang Peak. He lets out a silent sigh of relief as he gently strokes the Mingguang Lock on his wrist. Thankfully, he had been mindful enough to wear this thing before going out.

As soon as he leaves the palace, Yun Zhuoran meets the other three peak masters who have arrived late.

To his surprise, the elegant and handsome Peak Master of Qinghe, Qin Zheng, even smiles at him. Yun Zhuoran feels flattered and hurriedly returns the gesture. 

After that, he sees Jiang Zhibai being reprimanded from a distance by a male and female cultivator at the foot of the moon platform.

Sensing Yun Zhuoran’s gaze, the two peak masters from Qingjing Peak and Qingxu Peak look over and nod coolly at him. Without waiting for Yun Zhuoran to return the gesture, they walk side by side into the Yaoguang Hall. Behind them, two deep purple threads connect to Jiang Zhibai, and there is also a deep red thread between the two masters.

Yun Zhuoran blinks thoughtfully.

Only then does Jiang Zhibai rush over, holding his head and mumbling about how his parents are nagging him again for not focusing on his cultivation and fooling around all day. But when he sees Yun Zhuoran staring quietly at him, he freezes and asks, “What’s wrong with you?”

Yun Zhuoran replies, “You really are their biological child.”

Jiang Zhibai is confused, “What do you mean?”

Yun Zhuoran doesn’t explain and steps down the stairs first, a hint of deep meaning flickering in his eyes.

The two peak masters are Dao Companions, so the red thread between them represents their romantic bond. The purple threads connecting them to their only child, Jiang Zhibai, indicate familial ties. When the young man was about to die, he was covered in a black cloud. The black cloud must represent the energy of death…

Thinking of this, Yun Zhuoran feels a sense of lightness in both body and mind, finally understanding what these things represent. As for the golden light on Shen Lingshu, which cannot be verified, it’s probably related to his extraordinary luck.

Ji Chen limps out and, upon hearing their conversation, sneers sarcastically, “They don’t even want to pay attention to you; after all, your thigh isn’t as thick as Senior Brother Shen’s.”

Jiang Zhibai finds Ji Chen’s provocative tone extremely irritating and wants to refute him but is held back. Yun Zhuoran gazes at the dense black aura on Ji Chen’s forehead and calmly says, “Brother Ji, you’d better take care of yourself.”

Ji Chen always feels there is something meaningful in Yun Zhuoran’s gaze. However, Yun Zhuoran’s eyes are always so cold that every time Ji Chen is looked at like that, he can’t help but feel a shiver run down his spine. This is truly damaging to his pride!

“Mind your own business!” Ji Chen scoffs, bouncing down the steps first. Perhaps it’s just his bad luck, but after just a few steps, he trips and falls. Before anyone else can react, his face turns dark.

Jiang Zhibai laughs out loud after realizing it and deliberately teases Yun Zhuoran, “With such a miserable look, I wondered who it could be; turns out it’s our Brother Ji!”

Yun Zhuoran shows a rare smile, replying, “Yes.”