The Side Character Who Wins by Doing Nothing

Lu Sangjiu’s brow furrowed slightly. Cangming’s last few words made her feel inexplicably uncomfortable.

She turned around, staring at Cangming with a hint of vigilance. ”Behave? What do you mean by ’behave’?”

Cangming slowly walked up to Lu Sangjiu and reached out to grasp her chin, but she took a step back, dodging his hand.

Cangming’s hand paused in mid-air before he withdrew it. ”See? This is what I mean by not behaving.”

Lu Sangjiu: ???

’Seriously, is he insane?’

A vague, ominous premonition bloomed in her heart. Unwilling to let Cangming take the lead, she spoke first. ”Breaking a contract causes significant harm to one’s body. You injured me last night, and my wounds haven’t healed yet. Breaking the contract rashly now would cause immense damage.”

”So, give me some time to recuperate. Once I’ve recovered, I’ll have to trouble you, Sect Leader, to invite Sect Master Fa Shan over again. At that time, I will dissolve my contract with the domination map in front of you both.”

”How you divide the domination map afterward is your own business. All I need is for Sect Master Fa Shan to guarantee my safety. That should be a reasonable request, shouldn’t it?”

Cangming nodded. ”Reasonable.”

Lu Sangjiu breathed a sigh of relief. She had finally bought herself a little more time.

’Now that I don’t have to worry about anyone else, I should be able to find a chance to escape on my own.’

’Cangming doesn’t know I have Demonic Qi. Once I escape, I just need to use the Thousand Faces of Life to disguise myself as a Cold Crow Sect disciple. If I’m careful, I should be able to get away with it.’

’In truth, the Thousand Faces of Life has limited effect against a Body Integration Realm cultivator; it can’t hide me completely or allow me to come and go as I please.’

’But as long as I’m careful not to draw any special attention, the chances of going undiscovered while hidden among so many disciples are still high.’

She had already worked out her escape plan, but just then, she heard Cangming speak again, slowly and deliberately. ”What you said is very reasonable. But I refuse.”

Lu Sangjiu: ...?

She froze, looking up at Cangming in utter bewilderment. The same thought surfaced in her mind again: ’He really is insane!’

Cangming, however, seemed to delight in her expression and immediately burst out laughing.

He then turned, sat back down in his seat, and looked down at Lu Sangjiu condescendingly. ”Because I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want your domination map... I want you.”

Lu Sangjiu: ”...”

’Confirmed. He’s completely off his rocker.’

It took all her willpower not to curse him out loud. Instead, she asked uncertainly, ”...’Want me’? What do you mean by that?”

’It can’t be what I think it means, right? Isn’t Ye Zhiyao his beloved?’

’He already took Ye Zhiyao away. The two of them should be developing their relationship by now, so why is he suddenly hitting on me?’

Cangming, however, frowned impatiently. ”I mean it literally. Can’t you understand something so simple?”

”I want you to stay in the Cold Crow Sect from now on, to remain by my side for a long, long time. You must appear whenever I have need of you. Understand now?”

Lu Sangjiu: ”...”

She found it truly difficult to describe her current feelings.

’It’s like if a child you raised yourself suddenly betrayed you. I could probably, barely, accept that.’

’But for him to suddenly start acting like a pervert toward me? That’s completely unacceptable! Hey!’

’And I have to appear whenever you need me? Who do you think I am, your personal bed-warming maid???’

’Didn’t he love Ye Zhiyao enough to stake the entire Cold Crow Sect and his own life on her? So what’s the meaning of saying this stuff to me now?’

’Pah! What a scumbag!’

Lu Sangjiu tried with all her might to restrain herself from leaping up and attacking him.

’No, I have to value my life. No matter how angry I get, I can’t beat Cangming. I have to endure!’

Taking a deep breath, Lu Sangjiu began, ”...My apologies, Sect Leader Cangming. While I don’t know why you’ve suddenly taken an interest in me, I must tell you that I already have someone I love. You can keep my body, but you can never have my heart. Why bother?”

Cangming just looked at her, baffled. ”I only need to keep your body. What would I do with your heart?”

Lu Sangjiu: ”...”

The corner of her mouth twitched as she continued trying to persuade him.

”I just... I have someone I love, so I won’t agree to do... that sort of thing with you. If you insist on forcing me, I would rather...”

Before she could finish, Cangming’s brows furrowed into a knot. ”Stop. What ’that sort of thing’?”

He paused, then seemed to realize what she was implying. His expression stiffened, and he snapped in annoyance, ”What kind of nonsense is going through your head?”

”Someone like you dares to covet my body? In your dreams!”

Lu Sangjiu: ”...”

Her expression was blank. ”But... you just said I had to appear whenever you had need of me...”

”I just want you to stay by my side! As for ’that sort of thing’... Pah! Even if you wanted to, I wouldn’t!”

Lu Sangjiu: ”...”

’I feel kind of insulted.’

’But she couldn’t deny she was relieved. Thank goodness, so she was just overthinking it.’

’Still, from the sound of it... it seems like I’m getting the same treatment as Ye Zhiyao, aren’t I?’

’Have I become a substitute, too?’

’That can’t be right. Don’t they say Ye Zhiyao looks just like his old flame? I don’t think I look anything like Ye Zhiyao, so how could I possibly look like his old flame?’

Lu Sangjiu was completely baffled. She had no choice but to ask tentatively, ”Um, I’d also like to ask... where did my senior sister go? I mean, Senior Sister Ye Zhiyao.”

At the mention of Ye Zhiyao, Cangming’s expression darkened. ”Killed her,” he said impatiently.

Lu Sangjiu: ”...”

’No way, no way, did he really kill her?’

The joy was so great that she momentarily lost any desire to probe deeper. Then she heard Cangming command, ”Someone, take her to a guest room in my personal courtyard.”

He paused, as if remembering something, and added, ”Put her in the room next to Ye Zhiyao’s.”

Lu Sangjiu: ???

’Didn’t he say she was dead? Great. So he was just messing with me. I got happy for nothing!’

Although she found the current turn of events baffling, it... well, to put it simply, the outcome was the same. She still had more time to recuperate and could look for a chance to escape!

However, her optimism faded after she was led to Cangming’s courtyard.

’Holy crap. The courtyard was protected by a Body Integration Realm Great Array, and Cangming himself was in the room just on the other side. Could I really escape from here???’

Although she was dejected, once Lu Sangjiu was locked in the room, she quickly reined in her chaotic thoughts and decided to focus on healing first.

’Besides, I finally made it to the Western Demon Realm. The air here is filled with Demonic Qi. If I don’t seize this chance to absorb it and cultivate, then when will I?’

「Meanwhile」

Luo Linlang and the others had already been brought back to the Divine Tomb Sect by Fa Shan.

He Ming had been waiting anxiously. When he saw them being brought back, he was overjoyed and hurried to greet them, only to realize, ”Wait... where’s Ms. Ajiu?”

At the mention of her name, Fa Shan’s mood soured. He tossed out a single sentence, ”We couldn’t save her.”

Then, ignoring He Ming, he said to Luo Linlang and the others, ”I will now have people escort you to the exit of the Western Demon Realm. Hurry and go home.”