When the Cannon Fodder Male Supporting Role Picks Up the Script - Chapter 91

“What did Shen Fu ask you to do?” In the silence, Yun Zhuoran was the first to speak.

Shen Lingshu hurriedly laughed and said, “Young Island Master, Shen Man isn’t in her right mind. You can’t take her words seriously.”

Yun Zhuoran ignored him and looked directly at Shen Man.

But when Shen Man saw his face, she trembled and shrank behind a pillar. After a moment, however, she giggled and slowly peeked out, revealing only a pair of eyes.

“Shen Fu told me,” Shen Man said, her eyes smiling as she looked toward Shen Lingshu, raising a hand to cover her lips, “that Yun Zhuoran possesses Gu Shenshu’s Emotionless Dao, and told me to find a way to steal it.”  she added. “my brother doesn’t have it.”

Her words left everyone stunned.

Shen Lingshu’s face turned cold on the spot. “Shen Man!”

“That’s what Shen Fu told me!” Shen Man’s high-pitched voice cut through Shen Lingshu’s, and she smiled mockingly. “Shen Lingshu never inherited the Emotionless Dao at all! Daddy and Brother both know that the so-called ‘Emotionless Dao’ he talks about is just a fragment from Gu Shenshu’s book—not the real thing. The one who truly inherited it was Yun Zhuoran, and those idiots at Tiandao Sect actually kicked him out!”

“Shut up!” Shen Lingshu’s shouting was useless. No one stood up for him—not even Shen Xi or Qin Zheng, who had always valued him most. Both looked at him with suspicion. 

A trace of panic crept across Shen Lingshu’s face. “Shen Man’s mind is broken. Are you really going to believe her?”

No one replied. The onlookers only grew more doubtful.

Shen Man ducked behind the pillar again. Seeing the silence around her, she grew puzzled. “Why aren’t you laughing? Wasn’t it funny? Or do none of you believe Man’er? If not, why not have Brother demonstrate his Emotionless Dao? Or make him use it? …Ah, but then he’ll say he hasn’t mastered it yet, that he won’t use it lightly… because if he did, the truth would come out!”

Shen Man sighed. “How could someone who doesn’t even understand the Emotionless Dao be capable of supporting the Tiandao Sect? Brother doesn’t dare say it, and Daddy won’t let him say it either… Brother is like a duck being forced onto the rack. So pitiful.”

No one responded. Everyone silently turned to the Shen siblings. 

In the quiet, Shen Lingshu unconsciously clenched his fists. A bead of sweat slid down his forehead as he stared intently at Shen Man.

Shen Man, amused by her own words, clapped her hands and laughed non-stop. “Brother is such a pitiful man, hahaha…”

Murderous intent flickered in Shen Lingshu’s eyes.

Suddenly, Shen Man’s laughter stopped. Her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed to the ground.

Everyone was startled.

“Miss Shen is tired. Let her rest for a while.” The speaker was Qin Zheng.

He had knocked Shen Man unconscious at a critical moment. Given his relationship with Shen Lingshu, it wasn’t surprising that he would step in.

Qin Zheng’s expression was unusually serious. For once, he took the initiative to speak politely to Yun Zhuoran. “For the sake of the Tiandao Sect—or rather, for the sake of the Sect Master—Young Island Master, please show some mercy. Let’s leave this matter here for now. One day, the Tiandao Sect will investigate the Shen family and give you a proper explanation.”

There was no doubt—Qin Zheng was trying to save Shen Man for Shen Lingshu’s sake.

Yun Zhuoran didn’t reply. He withdrew his thoughtful gaze from Shen Man and looked toward the heart demon beside him. The boy’s face had softened, and the clarity had returned to his eyes. Under Yun Zhuoran’s gaze, the heart demon tilted his head, as if confused.

After a moment, he said in a hoarse voice, “Okay.”

Qin Zheng let out a silent sigh of relief, glanced at Shen Man, signaled his disciples to gather the people, and bowed to Yun Zhuoran. “Thank you, Island Master of Penglai. Farewell.”

Shen Lingshu lowered his head, standing stiffly. 

Qin Zheng gave him a deep look, grabbed his arm, and prepared to leave with him.

But just as they took two steps, Yun Zhuoran’s cold voice rang out behind them. “I never studied the Emotionless Dao.”

Qin Zheng froze in place.

“Elder Qin, the feelings between Gu Shenshu and me are not yours to exploit.” The words were laced with warning. 

Qin Zheng’s face burned with shame.

Shen Lingshu suddenly looked up at Yun Zhuoran, a strange expression on his face.

Qin Zheng said no more. He led the Tiandao Sect disciples and the two Shen girls away in a panic. As they left, the crowd at the door made way. But even after they had gone, no one else left.

Yun Zhuoran glanced at them coldly.

The crowd felt as if a wave of frost and snow swept over them. Shivering, they scattered.

Even Ji Wuwang, who was always bold and nosy, merely sighed and muttered, “What a good show,” before storming off with Ji Ruo. In the end, only Tongye—who was not part of Penglai—was left standing stiffly in Yun Zhuoran’s room.

Yun Zhuoran led the Heart Demon outside, not sparing Tong Ye even a glance. Song Shao and Song Yun followed silently behind, also ignoring him. Soon, the room was completely empty.

The upper room on the third floor had been so damaged that even the bed was reduced to wood chips. With no other choice, the Penglai group had to squeeze into the second-floor room shared by Song Shao and Song Yun. 

Sensing the two island masters were in a particularly quiet mood, Song Shao and Song Yun exchanged glances, then stood obediently at the door, backs turned—knowing they’d see everything if they so much as looked back.

The heart demon lowered his eyes, looking listless. Yun Zhuoran let him lie down and rest for a while. 

Yun Zhuoran didn’t understand why the heart demon had been triggered by the devil again. He doesn’t understand why the heart demon’s demonic nature has been triggered again. The Hehuan Incense and Dream Falling Bell don’t have much effect on the heart demon, and he had already taken defensive precautions, yet after just a few words with Shen Man, this demonic nature surged again, clouding his mind. The most troubling part was that this time, it wasn’t lust that has been triggered—it was a desire to kill.

The heart demon lay on the bed with his eyes open, still silent, only clutching tightly at Yun Zhuoran’s sleeve. 

Yun Zhuoran’s expression softened as he reached out to touch the boy’s cold forehead. “What’s wrong?”

“Brother.” The heart demon’s voice was low and weak. The hoarseness in his tone was unlike his usual sobbing—Yun Zhuoran couldn’t place what was different, only that the boy seemed deeply unsettled.

So, Yun Zhuoran gently wrapped his fingers around the hand gripping his sleeve. “Brother is here.”

The heart demon stared at him with a rare seriousness, as if contemplating something deeply. “Brother.”

Yun Zhuoran smiled softly. “What do you want to say?”

The heart demon pressed his lips together without answering. He was suddenly filled with regret. He didn’t want his brother to find a Dao companion—didn’t want to let him go. But if he confessed this now, would his brother think he was a selfish liar?

—

As for Qin Zheng and the others, once they returned to the adjacent room, he had the disciples of Tiandao Sect put down Shen Man and leave, keeping only Shen Lingshu behind. 

Shen Xi, before stepping out, still wore an expression of worry.

She didn’t want to doubt her own brother—but what if?

Once everyone else had left and the door closed behind them, only the unconscious Shen Man, Qin Zheng, and Shen Lingshu remained. 

Qin Zheng clearly saw Shen Lingshu’s once-straight back slump. His gaze was complicated, and finally, he let out a long sigh.

“You never inherited the Emotionless Dao.”

Shen Lingshu lowered his head and spoke in a hoarse voice. “Master left too suddenly back then.”

Qin Zheng had already guessed the truth, but hearing it confirmed still left him disappointed.
“Lingshu… you deceived everyone.”

A flicker of emotion crossed Shen Lingshu’s face. But he had received a fragment of the inheritance—and using that fragment, he had cultivated to the Nascent Soul stage. Didn’t that still count as practicing the Emotionless Dao?

“You should know,” Qin Zheng said, “what matters isn’t which Daoist path you practice. What matters is you. You are the sect master’s only true disciple. There are many other advanced cultivation methods in the sect, all enough to reach the Ascension stage. Why cling to a mere fragment?”

Qin Zheng sighed. There was no more to say. If he hadn’t inherited the Emotionless Dao, then he hadn’t. All the peak masters of the sect had once received Gu Shenshu’s guidance; the techniques they learned weren’t inferior. With effort, a new sect master could still be nurtured.

“You were once crippled in your cultivation,” Qin Zheng said, “but maybe starting over is a blessing in disguise. Don’t continue practicing that fragment—it’ll only lead you astray.”

At this point, Qin Zheng could no longer call back the long-dead Gu Shenshu to pass on the complete Emotionless Dao. Nor could he abandon the man’s only disciple. Shen Lingshu had been Gu Shenshu’s choice—what they had to do was follow it.

Shen Lingshu stared at Qin Zheng in shock. He hadn’t expected that the secret he’d feared revealing all these years would be so casually dismissed by Qin Zheng. They really didn’t care…

Qin Zheng gave a helpless smile. “Why think so much? You are the sect master’s only disciple.”
As he spoke of Gu Shenshu, the warmth returned to his expression, a visible respect in his gaze. “Your master, Gu Shenshu, was the number one person beneath the heavens. How many in this world can compare? To be his disciple is the greatest fortune of your life.”

These words reached Shen Lingshu’s ears, but his expression turned stiff.

“From now on, just focus on cultivating,” Qin Zheng continued. “The rest will be handled by me and the other peak masters. We will find the best Dao method for you. There’s no need to think about the Emotionless Dao anymore, Lingshu.”

Shen Lingshu’s face turned pale.

He understood what Qin Zheng meant. From beginning to end, Qin Zheng and the others never intended for him to surpass Gu Shenshu. In their eyes, Gu Shenshu was irreplaceable. In Yun Zhuoran’s eyes, Gu Shenshu’s memory alone could make him spare those he despised.

But that supreme Taoist method had once been within his grasp. He had obtained a fragment. How could he be willing to let it go?

Shen Lingshu fell silent. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to endure, then finally lowered his head. “…Yes.”

—

Many years ago, the leader of the Tiandao Sect, dressed in white like snow, had said something similar to him. Shen Lingshu still remembered every word clearly.

Master had said, Yu’er, the world holds thousands of Taoist paths—and most of them exist within your master’s mind.

Back then, Shen Yu—before he changed his name to Shen Lingshu—had looked at his master with anticipation. Since entering the sect, he had been waiting for this day. The unparalleled Emotionless Dao in the world—his master was finally going to teach it to him.

But then Master said again, Yu’er, don’t listen to rumors. The Emotionless Dao is not for you.

After that… he never brought it up again.

Shen Lingshu still remembered following Master to Baiyun Peak to visit Yun Zhuoran. Yun Zhuoran, still a youth back then, always had a chill in his eyes.

Even his sword intent was cold and piercing.

It was after seeing Yun Zhuoran’s sword that Gu Shenshu sighed… with deep sorrow.

“Yu Zhuoran’s temperament is suited for the Emotionless Dao.” 

Maybe Gu Shenshu had been joking, but Shen Lingshu couldn’t forget those words. 

No one in the inn questioned whether Shen Man’s words were true or false, since Shen Man had been locked in the room by Qin Zheng and there was no sign of movement. Qin Zheng’s attitude toward Shen Lingshu remained the same as always—patient, even more gentle than before—as if to tell everyone that Shen Lingshu’s Emotionless Dao was genuine.

As time passed, more than ten hours went by. The waiting period at the inn had ended, and everyone saw Yun Zhuoran and the little island master coming downstairs, relaxed once again. 

Li Jianming and Jiang Zhibai rushed over to find them. Li Jianming, who hadn’t seen them in half a month, said, “I’ve missed the little island master so much!”

Since the heart demon had appeared in human form, it had drawn considerable attention. Yun Zhuoran, however, coldly reminded, “It’s been only a dozen hours, just one day.”

Li Jianming waved it off. “Don’t worry, it’s only been half a month here.”

His expression suggested he wasn’t going to be spoiled by Yun Zhuoran. 

Yun Zhuoran shot him a cold glance. 

Jiang Zhibai, standing behind him, suddenly sighed and said, “Junior Brother Yun, may I borrow a moment of your time?”

The others looked at him in surprise.

Jiang Zhibai shrugged helplessly. “Master Qin Feng asked me to relay some words to you.”

Yun Zhuoran called to the heart demon, “Weiran.”

“Brother, go ahead,” Weiran said with a wave.

Yun Zhuoran hesitated for a moment before looking back at Weiran, confused. 

Weiran sat on the railing under the corridor, swinging his legs, and pointed at Li Jianming and Gu Qiuming beside him. “Brother, don’t worry. I’ll stay with them and won’t go far.”

Yun Zhuoran furrowed his brows slightly and followed Jiang Zhibai, but only went a few steps. He remained less than ten steps away from Weiran and the others, able to see them clearly if he glanced back.

Weiran watched Yun Zhuoran quietly but didn’t speak once he left.

Li Jianming, sensing the silence, asked curiously, “Why are you suddenly so quiet? Is the little island master worried?”

Weiran ignored him at first but then turned to face Li Jianming. “I heard you’re the most popular sword cultivator in Kunwu Sword Sect.”

Gu Qiuming looked at him, bewildered. “Is that true? Senior Brother Li is popular?”

Li Jianming beamed with pride. “Yes, didn’t Yun Zhuoran tell you? I can’t help it. I’m so obedient and cute, everyone in our Kunwu Sword Sect loves to play with me.”

Gu Qiuming hesitated, unsure of what to make of it. From what he knew, Li Jianming was actually the least popular among his peers. Most people found him troublesome and avoided teaming up with him.

The heart demon’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

Li Jianming patted his chest confidently. “Of course! Didn’t you see that my master loves me the most?”

It was true that Wen Jianxian favored his little disciple Li Jianming. This was well-known among the sect.

The heart demon looked at him with skepticism, eyes full of hesitation and struggle. After a long pause, he said, “I… I have a friend who’s a weapon spirit. He’s been very troubled lately. He came to me for advice. He has a very good master who promised to help him find a Dao companion, but recently, my friend regretted it. He feels that the fairies outside aren’t worthy of his master, and he doesn’t want them to get close to him.”

“Weapon spirit? The little island master is really…” Li Jianming suddenly turned sharply, eyes gleaming with curiosity. “Who’s the little island master’s friend? Are they here?”

The heart demon lied, “Song Shao’s puppet.”

Li Jianming’s eyes widened in shock and envy. “His puppet has developed intelligence already?”

The heart demon simply responded, “Why do you care so much? The problem is, what should be done about his spirit now? What if he tells Song Shao he no longer wants  to help him find a Dao companion anymore? Will Song Shao be angry and throw him away?”

Thinking of the exquisite puppets Song Shao had brought with him, Li Jianming eagerly responded, “If he throws it away, tell me! I’ll pick it up!”

The heart demon immediately wore an expressionless face. He realized he’d made a mistake. Li Jianming was entirely unreliable.

Seeing this, Li Jianming quickly shifted his demeanor, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “Hmm, it seems this spirit has a bigger problem. She said everything was fine before, but why is she suddenly rejecting other little fairies getting close to Song Shao? And why did she suddenly regret helping him find a Dao companion? There’s only one explanation.”

The heart demon’s ears twitched slightly, his fingers involuntarily clenching. “What is it?”

Gu Qiuming was equally curious.

Li Jianming smirked, confidently stating, “Because this little spirit wants to take the position herself.”