I Really Like the Male Supporting Character (Quick Transmigration) - Chapter 30

Ah Luo looked at the puppet without blinking. Then, she hesitantly confirmed it once more, “Master, can I really have this treasure?”

Lu Cang’s expression was as impassive as ever. He answered, “It has already acknowledged you as its master. From now on, it will follow your commands—it’s yours.”

After hearing his confirmation, Ah Luo’s eyes lit up, and a bright smile spread across her face.

She said, “That’s wonderful! Thank you, Master!”

Her delicate face beamed with joy, and her sparkling eyes narrowed into crescents. She tried to suppress her happiness by pressing her lips together, as if she was too embarrassed to show it, yet her excitement overflowed and softened her expression still.

Lu Cang watched her in silence, and an odd impulse welled up within him—an urge to reach out and gently pinch the soft pink cheeks of his little disciple.

He wanted to see if her cheeks were as soft and warm as the downy fur of a little white leopard cat.

Outside the hidden realm, since all the disciples had already entered, the rest of the people there slowly left in groups of twos or threes. Only a few remained to wait for those inside anxiously. 

No one noticed that on the high cloud platform above, the usually aloof Daoist Master Lu Cang had briefly moved his fingers. His thumb and forefinger rubbed together lightly, as if something delicate lingered there.

After her initial excitement, Ah Luo began studying her master’s puppet.

While she exercised reverential restraint around the real Lu Cang, she behaved more relaxedly in front of this puppet. With a closer look, she realized the puppet wasn’t entirely the same as her master. Despite their identical appearance, the differences were unmistakable.

The most significant difference was in cultivation. The real Lu Cang was only a step away from ascending, and his sheer presence exuded an intense aura that few could bear. His icy Dao aura was so strong that he could freeze a person into a statue with just a look if he didn’t hold back. She had even heard of the time he froze a thousand miles of land in his battle against powerful demons.

In contrast, this puppet lacked that commanding aura and appeared merely calm and cool instead of overwhelmingly distant.

Ah Luo believed that he was just a puppet—a sort of crafted device detached from the real Lu Cang. After all, even though he was similar in appearance to the real Lu Cang and all his body parts seemed intact and in good condition, the puppet seemed a bit slow in his speech and behavior. She didn’t realize that Lu Cang was controlling it through his spiritual sense, compressed to fit the puppet body. 

The puppet body could only accommodate the strength of a near-Nascent Soul cultivator, which resulted in the occasional delay or stiffness in its movements.

Lu Cang’s words had inadvertently misled her, and Ah Luo started to treat the puppet as her personal companion—separate from her master.

As a result, she told the puppet some things that she would’ve never said to the real Lu Cang.

“Master, you’ve always looked out for my sister. Every time you gifted her treasures, I’d be so envious. But now you’ve finally seen me and given me such a wonderful treasure. No one can bully me anymore! I’m truly happy.”

As she spoke, she tentatively reached out and poked the puppet’s cheek with a finger.

The puppet felt so lifelike. Its gaze, in particular, held the same serene and distant depth as her master’s.

Even more surprisingly, the puppet responded, “My neglect in the past was an oversight. It will not happen again.” 

His voice, which was cold and precise, resembled Lu Cang’s so closely that it startled her.

Ah Luo kept reminding herself that it was just a puppet—an imitation. However, despite her best efforts, she found herself transfixing her stare at it.

“Can a puppet really look this real? I feel like I’m looking at Master himself,” she mumbled to herself as her fingers touched his jaw, before giving it a gentle poke.

The skin felt soft and smooth. This puppet really was almost indistinguishable from that of a real person.

“Wow…” Ah Luo exclaimed. “It looks really real.”

Lu Cang’s eyes narrowed slightly. When her small hand stretched toward him, he thought about pulling back.

He had realized that Ah Luo had misunderstood. However, he also noticed how relaxed she was with the puppet—a stark contrast to the anxiety she felt around him. If he corrected her now, she would surely revert to her cautious, restrained self. The thought of losing the innocent, delighted smile she wore now stayed his hand.

And so, he stayed silent and allowed her to touch the puppet as she wished.

Seeing that he remained unresponsive to her touch, answered her questions briefly, and behaved mechanically, Ah Luo relaxed even further. She felt reassured that this really was just a puppet that looked like her master.

Her courage grew as she grabbed his hand. His fingers, pale as snow, were cool to the touch, like a piece of jade.

Lu Cang’s expression twitched. He felt, faintly, that something was odd with her and wanted to say something. However, before he could, her warm fingers wrapped around his, and she looked up at him with a gentle, sorrowful expression in her eyes, which resembled the moment when a breeze rippled over a quiet lake. It was faint yet difficult to ignore.

“Did you know… that even if you never looked my way, I’ve always thought of you as the best master in the world?”

Her voice was soft, almost as if she was merely talking to herself.

To Lu Cang, her voice was like a gentle spring breeze. It carried a trace of floral scent that drifted into the silent emptiness of his heart.

He closed his eyes and subtly shifted his fingers but ultimately left them as they were.

After a while, Ah Luo’s initial thrill and excitement faded. 

The puppet was dull and obedient—so obedient that he would do whatever was asked of him. Though he wouldn’t respond every time, and his responses were generally short and cold, he would still respond to her most of the time.

Ah Luo felt satisfied by it. With such a puppet by her side, she thought, she could do whatever she wanted in this hidden realm.

She had nothing to be afraid of. There weren’t even that many Void Return realm cultivators in this world, and Guiyuan Sect only had around a dozen or so of them.

Receiving such a gift didn’t mean that Ah Luo would forget about her main business here. 

She returned her attention to the scarlet lantern flower, with its soft light that was pulsing invitingly. She steadied herself and prepared to wade in and pick the flower.

Just then, Lu Cang’s voice sounded, “Disciple Luoyin, come back.”

Ah Luo turned her head in surprise. “Hmm? Master?” 

“That flower is deceptive. The pool is not as it appears. Stand back—I’ll pick it for you.”

The scarlet lantern flower had an inherent allure, with its illusion acting as a defense.

Without hesitation, Ah Luo stepped back. She fully trusted the puppet’s words, as if they were truly her master’s words. Lu Cang made a subtle gesture, and the flower swayed as though it had been cut by an invisible force, drifting slowly toward them.

Once the scarlet lantern flower landed safely, the once-clear pool transformed into a dark, ominous shade of black. The water now radiated an ominous aura.

Ah Luo  patted her chest in relief and said, “You’ve saved me again, Master!”

With his usual calm, Lu Cang caught the flower and held it out to her. “This flower won’t be much use to you. You can take it out and trade it with someone for something more suitable.”

Ah Luo nodded and took the scarlet lantern flower with a smile on her face. “Thank you, Master. I have my reasons for keeping it.”

With the flower safely in hand, Ah Luo left the cave with Lu Cang, and they emerged into a thick forest. The endless plains that had been outside the cave earlier had disappeared.

The forest was lush and filled with rare spiritual plants and fruits. Initially, Ah Luo had only planned to retrieve the flower and then find a safe place to lay low, given her low cultivation level. 

However, with her master’s puppet by her side, her courage swelled, and she felt an urge to explore.

The world of cultivation held boundless wonders and sights. Now that she had come to this world, she had the rare chance to see these wonders and sights. Staying cooped up on Wandao Peak simply wouldn’t do; at the very least, she should see the scenery in this hidden realm.

With a new resolve, Ah Luo looked to the puppet.

She eagerly asked, “Master, you’ll protect me, right?” 

She didn’t wait for his answer before grabbing his long sleeves with both hands and gripping them tightly. “I won’t fight with Sister for your attention. The real Master can protect her… and you can stay with me. How about that?”

She raised her small face and showed her eyes, which showed an innocent longing and sadness to him. She had never told him about her grievances before, but her expression now tugged at his heart, and he couldn’t fight the instinct to comfort her with a gentle pat rising within his heart.

Lu Cang thought, perhaps he did owe her this much. Today, he would make amends to her.

The puppet raised his hand and gently brushed her soft hair with it while saying, “Alright.”

Ah Luo stared up at him in surprise. His movement was so sudden she hadn’t had time to react, and though he quickly withdrew his hand, it had left her in awe. This confirmed it—this puppet couldn’t possibly be her master.

The real Lu Cang, who was always so aloof and indifferent, would never pat her head.

All her lingering doubts vanished, and she broke into a sweet smile. She held onto the puppet’s sleeve and happily skipped along. She said, “Alright, let’s go explore together!”

What should have been a treacherous journey through the Linjin Hidden Realm felt more like a leisurely stroll with her master in puppet form by her side. No matter where she went or how fierce the beasts they encountered, a mere gesture from him dispatched all threats.

With him at her side, Ah Luo felt as if she’d effortlessly conquered the realm. By the end of the day, she had explored nearly half the first level and filled her storage bag with various treasures. She even managed to avoid the male protagonist, Gu Xingjue, whom she had spotted from afar and promptly evaded to avoid any unnecessary drama.

When she grew tired of walking, she stopped by a field of pink blossoms.

The expanse of pink stretched for miles. It resembled a carpet of soft petals spread across the ground.

“It’s so beautiful,” Ah Luo sighed. “I want to roll around and take a nap right there.”

Lu Cang’s icy voice broke through her thoughts. “Those are dream flowers. Inhaling too much of their pollen will give you hallucinations. Don’t get too close.”