I Have the Aura of a Supporting Character in Yuri Novels - Chapter 74

The master and disciple looked at each other, and the perpetually stern master, for the first time ever, looked a little embarrassed. Zhu Yun, in a very thoughtful manner, opened her eyes and lied, “Haha, look at the moon outside, it’s so big and round, like a pancake!”

[No, it’s a crescent moon! Seriously, Little Zhu, can’t you come up with a less pathetic excuse?]

Zhu Yun fell silent. It wasn’t that she was stupid; she was just startled by her master. Her master, a figure as graceful as an immortal, lived a life of leisure, only to suddenly tell her that she was not only married but her husband was a man, the Marquis of Zhongyong, who could eat several pastries in one go. The whole picture was just… completely different!

[The rich expressions on your face are a whole theatrical performance. You’re just thinking that a beautiful flower has been stuck in a pile of cow dung!]

Zhu Yun hesitated. “The Marquis of Zhongyong isn’t that bad, is he?”

[Whether he’s bad or not, you, the disciple, just feel they’re not a good match.]

Zhu Yun pouted. “Whether they’re a good match isn’t important. What matters is that Master likes him.”

Although Zhu Yun felt a tiny bit of discomfort in her heart, she reminded herself that this was something Lu Xianyi herself had agreed to. With that thought, all her disapproval vanished. She respected her master’s choice. What’s more, if they hadn’t gotten married, Zhu Yun would never have met Tang Yihuan.

Zhu Yun looked up at Lu Xianyi and gave her a silly smile. The look on her face was the same mischievous one Lu Xianyi knew so well, but that face itself was one that Lu Xianyi deeply missed.

“Master, just give me a moment, okay? I’ll handle things here right away.”

The courtyard was empty. It was a good thing that Ouyang Jiannan, afraid of his soul-swapping secret getting out, had only a few people with him that day.

Zhu Yun pushed open the window and beckoned to a bird on the eaves. A magpie quickly flew down. As she held the bird in her palm, Ouyang Jiannan, lying on the ground, heard a tremendous boom. It sounded like a firecracker exploding, scattering countless pieces of flesh, one of which landed on him.

Both Zhu Yun and the magpie timidly shrunk their necks. The magpie hid its head in the gaps between Zhu Yun’s fingers. Zhu Yun, feeling her master’s gaze, laughed dryly. “At the time, Master hadn’t shown up yet, so I thought you weren’t here. I just used a talisman to scare Pei Ruxin. I promise I won’t use this method again.”

Lu Xianyi said earnestly, “Little Zhu, I’m not blaming you for using cruel methods. It’s just that…”

“It’s just that Master is a neat freak! I get it!” Zhu Yun answered before she could finish. She carefully eyed the piece of flesh a few steps away from Lu Xianyi, and smiled sheepishly, indicating that she would never do this again.

Lu Xianyi couldn’t help but smile. “Mischievous.”

Zhu Yun stroked the magpie’s head with her finger and urged, “Hurry up and bring that beggar over! I need him urgently.” With that, she released the magpie.

Go, my swift-bird delivery!

This delivery was absolutely faster than any other courier service.

Now, with two of Ouyang Jiannan’s generals dead and wounded, he was left with only a eunuch. He was frozen in place, unable to move, like a fish on a cutting board, waiting to be butchered.

At this moment, he was no longer a prince; he was a prisoner. He was even worse off than his loyal eunuch, who was willing to die to protect him. The eunuch was fearless. But Ouyang Jiannan was terrified of death. Having tasted the life of a royal, a man who had always been praised and never suffered, how could he have any backbone?

Ouyang Jiannan tried desperately to open his mouth to make a sound, but he couldn’t.

Zhu Yun didn’t want to hear these people’s nonsense at all. The freezing spell had turned them into obedient puppets. Since they loved to control other people’s lives, she would let them experience what it felt like to wait for death.

Zhu Yun leaned against the window, audaciously and gossiping, stealing glances at Lu Xianyi.

“Spit it out.”

“Master, why aren’t you and the Marquis of Zhongyong together?”

Lu Xianyi said indifferently, “I am a sect leader first, and his wife second. I have my own responsibilities. I told him this, and he had no objections.”

Seeing through the mortal world’s affairs, she gave a faint smile. “Little Zhu, I know I’ve let Yihuan down. I’m sorry to her. The child has long been used to a life without a mother. Please don’t tell her about her father and me.”

“Master, don’t you want to tell Yihuan because you’re afraid she’ll resent you?”

Lu Xianyi nodded.

Zhu Yun touched her own cheek and laughed softly. “Master, Yihuan won’t resent you. But even if she did, she has the right to know the truth about this. You didn’t just come down from the mountain for Sang Gui, did you?”

“There are only a few sorcerers in the world, but I’m as good as a few of them. So don’t worry that your identity will bring them any danger.”

“Your disciple is super amazing!”

Zhu Yun thought for a moment and added, “Of course, as my master, you’re even more amazing!”

Lu Xianyi’s eyes rippled. After a long silence, she raised her hand and patted Zhu Yun’s hair. “I will think carefully about what you said, Little Zhu.”

The master and disciple chatted heart-to-heart, completely ignoring Ouyang Jiannan’s fate. The loyal eunuch stared intently at Zhu Yun. If she dared to lay a hand on Ouyang Jiannan, he would absolutely not let her get away with it.

Zhu Yun was unfazed by this feather-light threat. She deliberately started talking to Lu Xianyi about Tang Yihuan. “Master, I’m sure you know that Yihuan and I used a forbidden technique, right? Once I finish this last task, please protect us so that our souls can swap back.”

“Zhu Yun, this soul-swapping is a forbidden technique. You can’t just perform it on a whim. Your souls must have been damaged this time. You need to rest for a month before you can swap back.”

Zhu Yun wanted to explain, but for safety’s sake, Lu Xianyi insisted that Zhu Yun and Tang Yihuan recuperate for a month before discussing swapping back.

Zhu Yun blinked. She rarely contradicted Lu Xianyi. She might be mischievous at times, but she was an obedient and sensible disciple, which made Lu Xianyi’s life very easy. However, this time, for Tang Yihuan’s sake, she was willing to go against Lu Xianyi’s wishes. She spoke with a bold frankness, “Master, the main reason I’m in a hurry to swap back is that my body causes her a lot of pain. It breaks my heart to see her cough every day. Even though she’s in my body, Yihuan can’t use merit to ease her illness. She can only endure it, there’s no other way.”

Zhu Yun tugged at Lu Xianyi’s sleeve, pleading, “Master, please let us swap back quickly.”

Lu Xianyi was unmoving. She warned Zhu Yun sternly, “I won’t bring up the previous soul swap again. This time, you two must listen to me. Stabilizing your souls is the most crucial thing. What if the success of the first swap was just luck? The second time needs to be a thousand times more careful.”

Lu Xianyi stroked Zhu Yun’s hair again, her throat tightening with a hint of sorrow. “I don’t want anything to happen to either of you. You are both the most precious people to me. How could I bear to let you get hurt?”

Zhu Yun bit her lip, bowed her head in self-reproach, and obediently admitted her mistake. “I’ll listen to Master.”

On one side was her master, on the other was Tang Yihuan. She couldn’t neglect either of them.

“Number 857.”

[What?]

“You mentioned a talisman sale before. Can we change that to a ‘Rejuvenation Pill’ sale? I’ve been working so hard for you and saving up this little bit of credit. Can’t you just give me one for free? My request isn’t big, right? Not five bottles, not even three. As long as you give me ‘buy one get one free,’ I’ll buy all your Rejuvenation Pills.”

A Rejuvenation Pill was 2,500 credits a bottle, which was crazy expensive. A bottle only had five pills, and they’d be gone in two days. Since they couldn’t swap back yet, Zhu Yun felt she needed to stock up on Rejuvenation Pills for Tang Yihuan. She should be able to pop them like candies so Tang Yihuan wouldn’t feel bad about taking them.

[Hmm, it’s not impossible to have this promotion for Little Zhu. I am, after all, the world’s number one system. The price can’t be lower than 2,500, that’s a rule. But ‘buy one get one free’ is possible.]

“A rule?”

“Fine, I’ll be thankful for ‘buy one get one free’.”

“Number 857, give me three bottles!”

Zhu Yun didn’t dare to listen to the sound of her credits being deducted; it would make her heart ache.

She sighed, which made Lu Xianyi shake her head helplessly.

At that moment, Lu Xianyi looked at Ouyang Jiannan lying motionless on the ground. His face was filled with anxiety, no longer calm. It seemed that even a prince was nothing special when his life was no longer his own. A person, no matter how noble, would be reduced to a pathetic beast when he had to beg for his life.

Lu Xianyi tried to calm the hatred in her heart. She could never forget the scene she once saw: Tang Yihuan’s soul blocking a fatal blow for him. Perhaps it was a pre-meditated defense, or perhaps it was Tang Yihuan’s destiny not to die, and so she lived on. With the fatal blow averted, Ouyang Jiannan’s fate changed. He suddenly became the person with the best chance of becoming emperor.

A man protected by the Dragon Qi was nothing but a treacherous villain.

Lu Xianyi was unwilling to see the world fall into the hands of a person like Ouyang Jiannan. Fortunately, she had a glimmer of hope: her disciple, Zhu Yun.

She slowly exhaled a breath of stale air. She would keep this matter to herself. The tribulation was over, and the world would be at peace.

Lu Xianyi looked at Zhu Yun with a loving gaze. She had fine lines around her eyes but was still as beautiful and ethereal as ever. The backlash had made her a little older, but Lu Xianyi had no regrets.

On the roof of the distant Marquis of Zhongyong’s mansion, Tang Yihuan climbed up a ladder. She couldn’t sleep or stay calm. This feeling reminded her of the night when their souls had first swapped. Tang Yihuan sat on the roof, her face filled with worry, while her father, the Marquis of Zhongyong, stood silently on the eaves, keeping her company.

Suddenly, a massive object appeared in Tang Yihuan’s sight. She rubbed her eyes. The thing was still flying in the sky, which meant she wasn’t seeing things. There really was something flying.

Tang Yihuan thought it was a flock of birds, but on closer inspection, it wasn’t a flock of birds at all. It was a group of birds carrying a person.

“Dad… Dad! Look!”

With a light leap, the Marquis of Zhongyong landed on the roof. The scene before him made his eyes gleam. His experience told him that when something unimaginable happened, it must be related to sorcerers.

The Marquis of Zhongyong sat down and turned to Tang Yihuan. Instead of asking about the strange thing in the sky, he brought up Zhu Yun. “Xiao Yi, what’s your take on that girl, Zhu?”

“My take? She’s very important. She saved my life. I care about her a lot.”

“Is your relationship with her just that of a lifesaver?”

Tang Yihuan shook her head without hesitation. “A life-saving grace just brought us closer. There are many ways to repay a life debt; you just have to repay the favor. But… deep down, I’ve always resisted repaying it, afraid that once the debt is gone, she’ll just be the sorcerer Zhu Yun again, and I’ll still be the Marquis’ daughter, with no connection between us. So I really want to know what you did to repay Zhu Yun’s master, so I can have an idea. Ugh, I’m saying so many strange things, I bet you don’t even understand what I’m thinking.”

She shrugged helplessly. “Actually, I don’t know what I’m thinking either. I don’t even understand what this feeling is. In short, if it weren’t for her, there would be no me.”

The Marquis of Zhongyong said nothing, looking at the bright moon in the sky with a blank expression.

After a long time, he showed a rare, serious expression. He patted Tang Yihuan’s shoulder. “Xiao Yi, you…”

Xiao Yi, you’re in trouble. You’re just like your dad back in the day. How could it be that I couldn’t escape a sorcerer, and my daughter is the same!

“What about me?”

The Marquis of Zhongyong said wistfully, “You’ll have to take care of yourself.”

“Dad, why are you scolding me?” Tang Yihuan’s eyebrows knitted. She didn’t like the sound of that at all.

The Marquis of Zhongyong didn’t explain. He just responded with a long sigh.

Tang Yihuan was even more annoyed. She moved away from him with obvious disdain and muttered, “Dad, you should go down.”

Just looking at you gives me a headache.

The Marquis of Zhongyong stood up and brushed off his clothes. “The girl Zhu’s body is too frail. If it were your body, you would have kicked me by now.”

“Dad! I’m not that crude!”

“Haha, it’s okay for a young lady to be a little rowdy.”

Tang Yihuan picked up a roof tile and weighed it in her hand. Forget it, he’s my dad. No need to argue with him.

She propped her chin in her hand, wrapped tightly in her cloak. “I wonder how Zhu Yun is doing now.”

I’m so worried. She’ll be fine, she has to be.

The massive object flying in the sky was carried by a group of birds into the courtyard. It was a beggar they had picked up at random. He had no worries and didn’t even wake up from the noise. He smacked his lips, sleeping soundly.

The birds unloaded their cargo on the ground and were about to fly away when they heard the magpie’s urgent chirps. They gathered again, picked up the beggar, and shoved him through the window.

“Why didn’t you use the door?”

The magpie tilted its head. They always snuck in through windows to eat. They never used the front door. This little sorcerer is so silly.

Zhu Yun covered her forehead. “Fine, fine, the window is fine.”

Lu Xianyi knelt down to check the beggar’s pulse. Since they were going to swap souls, she had to ensure the person’s life. Lu Xianyi took out a pill, pinched the beggar’s mouth open, and fed it to him.

“Whoa, what is this stuff? It’s so bitter!” The beggar woke up instantly. He had just been dreaming of eating a big pig’s trotter, so why did it suddenly taste so bitter?

As soon as the beggar opened his eyes, he was startled by his surroundings. “Who… who are you?”

Zhu Yun heard that the voice was wrong. She quickly knelt down to look at the beggar’s face and covered her forehead again. “Are you a girl?”

“Yes, I’m the only female beggar at the old City God Temple!”

Zhu Yun saw that she looked quite proud, as if being the “only one” was an honor.

She thought for a moment and asked, “I’ll give you a chance to become a powerful man. Are you willing?”

“A man? A powerful one? Immortal maiden, are you trying to fool me?” The beggar looked at Zhu Yun as if she were talking in her sleep.

Zhu Yun pressed on, “You just need to answer me: yes or no.”

The beggar’s quick eyes darted around. Her dirty face made it hard to see her features, but she keenly noticed Ouyang Jiannan. His clothing and his male body fit Zhu Yun’s description perfectly.

She thought to herself: Is this the person?

The beggar didn’t care if she would become a man or not. She had only one wish: to eat until she was full.

“I am willing. As long as the immortal maiden keeps her word, there’s nothing for me to be afraid of. Anyway, I won’t live past the winter. Whether I die sooner or later, I’m still going to die. Why not take a gamble now?”

Zhu Yun knelt before her and gave a bright smile. “Then you can live through many winters this lifetime.”

She used a hand chop to knock the beggar unconscious. Under Lu Xianyi’s watchful eye, she began the second soul swap.

Ouyang Jiannan broke down in tears. He couldn’t speak, he couldn’t escape. From the moment the long-tailed phoenix butterfly made its move, Ouyang Jiannan was destined for this end.

The eunuch’s eyes were bloodshot as he tried to regain control of his body, but he wouldn’t succeed. He could only watch as his master was reduced to a beggar.

Zhu Yun looked down at him. This was the person who became the winner in the story. Zhu Yun agreed he was ruthless and selfish, but she couldn’t accept that he was the male lead.

“Don’t you want to swap souls?”

“Then I’ll grant you your wish.”

“Ouyang Jiannan, you will be a beggar for the rest of your life.”

He passed out. Ouyang Jiannan didn’t know what happened next, but everything that happened that night would haunt him for the rest of his life. He would live every day in regret. Others would laugh at him, calling him a lunatic, a beggar who dreamed of being Prince Yan, Ouyang Jiannan. Who would believe that? It was a real joke!

The cold frost of the night blew in. Zhu Yun, with a killing aura, returned to the Marquis of Zhongyong’s mansion under the moonlight. When she looked up and saw Tang Yihuan wrapped up in a ball, Zhu Yun’s eyes filled with tenderness. She stepped onto the roof and said softly, “Aren’t you scared being up here alone?”

“Zhu Yun, you’re back!”

Tang Yihuan was overjoyed. The surprise in her eyes made Zhu Yun’s heart flutter. Zhu Yun helped her to her feet and said gently, “I promised you I’d come back, so of course I would.”

Tang Yihuan could no longer contain her worry. She threw herself into Zhu Yun’s arms. The warm body with the faint scent of medicine lingering around her was definitely Zhu Yun. This wasn’t a dream.

Zhu Yun hugged her back and wrapped the cloak tightly around her.

“I was so worried about you.”

“I know. That’s why I came back as fast as I could. If I were any slower, I think you’d pull my ears. See? Aren’t I very thoughtful?”

Tang Yihuan bit her lip in frustration. It seems I’m really too mean sometimes.

“Why aren’t you talking?”

Tang Yihuan said dejectedly, “I’m reflecting.”

Zhu Yun rubbed her cheek against Tang Yihuan’s, asking with a smile, “Reflecting on what?”

She explained, embarrassed, “I’m not good to you at all. I don’t have a gentle and demure nature. I’m mean to you. I’m just a burden and nothing else.”

“That’s not true. You’ve never been a burden to me.”

“Really?”

Zhu Yun said seriously, “More real than real gold. I’m a sorcerer. Saving you is my mission. In fact, I should thank myself for having the talent to enter the Mystic Gate, or I would have to ask others for help with your situation. I’d rather take on your debt myself than ask others. After all… hehe.”

At the end, she revealed a sly smile, arousing Tang Yihuan’s curiosity.

Tang Yihuan asked, “After all what?”

“Nothing, nothing.”

“Are you teasing me?”

Zhu Yun nodded candidly. “You’re so smart. Yes, I am teasing you.”

Tang Yihuan’s beautiful eyes were filled with annoyance. Her pale face gained a hint of redness, entirely brought on by Zhu Yun. “You’re so despicable!”

Zhu Yun leaned in with her ear. “Go ahead, I’m just waiting for you to do it.”

Tang Yihuan hit Zhu Yun’s shoulder hard, accidentally losing her balance and almost falling.

Zhu Yun quickly held her, her playful look vanishing instantly. She said in a panic, “So clumsy, you scared me to death!”

Tang Yihuan was nestled in her arms, her eyes tightly shut. Only then did she realize how high up she was. She had been so reckless before, climbing onto the roof like a wild monkey.

“How do we get down?”

“Scared now?”

Zhu Yun laughed at her, then said gently, “Beg me, and I’ll take you down.”

Tang Yihuan opened one eye and saw Zhu Yun’s teasing expression, which had a hint of a tender look that made Tang Yihuan’s heart race. She quickly closed her eyes again and said reluctantly, “I beg you.”

“Mmm, hearing that from a high-born lady like you is so pleasant.”

[Honey, that’s enough. Don’t go too far.]

[You know how to develop discreetly, right?]

Zhu Yun held her in her arms and, as light as a swallow, stepped on the tiles and left the roof. Her smiling, beautiful face drew Tang Yihuan’s gaze, making her quietly clench her clothes, wanting to be closer to her.

“Oh, right. My master said we have to rest for a few months before we can swap back.”

[Didn’t your master say one month? Don’t exaggerate!]

Tang Yihuan’s face lit up, and her smile couldn’t be hidden, but she said, “Oh, that’s such a pity. I thought we could swap back tomorrow.”

Yes! We can be together for a few more months!

Zhu Yun’s master truly is my dad’s lifesaver. What a good person!

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