The Substitute Female Supporting Character Sees the Bullet Screen

Chapter 8

The Cloud Scripture Sect lost its leader, and the elders present in the hall that day suffered heavy casualties. Half of the sect's high-level cultivators were lost overnight, dealing an unprecedented blow to the sect.

Fortunately, three Supreme Elders emerged from their seclusion in time to take charge, temporarily stabilizing the situation.

After learning the full story from Jing Chongshan, the Supreme Elders were extremely disappointed with Sang Wumian's emotional actions that had implicated the sect. However, with the disaster already unfolding, they could only try to minimize the damage.

The Supreme Elders personally reached out to major cultivation sects for aid and erected multiple layers of sealing barriers outside Pill-Forming Peak, determined to trap the demon lord there and prevent him from endangering the world.

During the five days Gu Jiang was unconscious, several layers of sealing barriers descended upon Pill-Forming Peak, completely locking it within. Nie Yinzhi, with only Golden Core cultivation, could do nothing about it.

After hearing her explanation, the demon lord glanced at the barrier above and simply responded: "Oh."

Nie Yinzhi was nearly beside herself with frustration, almost losing her composure and shaking his shoulders, begging him to wake up and learn from Feng Hanying, whose disciple had never given up trying to break through the Demon Sealing Mark during his ten years of imprisonment.

She tried to provoke him, "Don't tell me you can't break through this barrier?"

Gu Jiang lazily sent a tendril of demonic energy to test the barrier. In the blink of an eye, he withdrew his hand and said, "This barrier is indeed formidable."

Every fiber of his being screamed "I'm just humoring you."

Nie Yinzhi had originally hoped that Gu Jiang would live up to his reputation - unpredictable and ruthless, as his notorious name suggested.

Unfortunately, the demon lord only showed his unpredictable nature when disturbed from sleep, and his ruthlessness only emerged when fighting with her over fruits and desserts.

If asked about his future plans, the demon lord had none - he was content to idle away his days.

Nie Yinzhi: ...She had picked the wrong powerful ally to rely on.

That day, another golden cauldron descended upon Pill-Forming Peak, densely inscribed with demon-sealing runes that resonated with each other, flickering in and out of visibility in mid-air, producing Sanskrit chants when the wind blew.

Standing at the highest point of Pill-Forming Peak, Nie Yinzhi looked outward but could only see emptiness - not a single human or even bird in sight. Pill-Forming Peak seemed to have been completely separated from the mortal realm, becoming an isolated place cut off from all sides.

Pill-Forming Peak was only so large, unable to be self-sufficient. After being sealed off, its spiritual energy grew weaker with each passing day.

When Nie Yinzhi attempted to fly beyond Pill-Forming Peak, she was nearly struck senseless by the sealing sword formation. Her jade hairpin shattered, and as she fell, the Sanskrit chants invaded her mind, nearly scattering her three souls and seven spirits with their overwhelming force.

Amidst countless barriers outside Pill-Forming Peak, Nie Yinzhi fell into the No Spirit Realm. The spiritual energy that had made her body feel light instantly vanished, her limbs becoming heavy as lead as she plummeted straight down.

Just as she was about to be smashed into a meat patty, Nie Yinzhi bit her tongue hard, blood seeping from her lips. A tendril of demonic energy, like a dog catching the scent of blood, suddenly swooped in to catch her, pulling her back within Pill-Forming Peak.

Only at times like these would that bone-idle demon lord show such initiative.

Nie Yinzhi spat out blood, feeling a cold sensation slide across her face as the demonic energy clung to her jaw, lingering on her lips, licking away the blood.

"Mmph." Nie Yinzhi bit her lip tightly, refusing to let the demonic energy enter her mouth, her face alternating between red and white as she irritably pushed the energy away.

Enough already!

The cauldron above reacted nervously with a flash of light, demon-sealing runes densely covering the sky, almost blinding in their brightness as they dissolved that tendril of demonic energy.

After nearly killing herself in the attempt, Nie Yinzhi gave up looking for an escape route and listlessly returned to the courtyard.

Under the withered osmanthus tree, she didn't see Gu Jiang. Nie Yinzhi's eyes widened in surprise! The ancestor had finally gotten out of bed! It seemed the demon-sealing runes overhead were truly too much - even a clay figure would eventually show some anger.

She lifted her skirts and hurried into the house.

"Gu Jiang?" She searched everywhere but couldn't find him. Nie Yinzhi panicked and extended her spiritual sense to cover the entire courtyard, finally locating the man enjoying a comfortable bath in the pool.

In the misty steam floated a tray with fresh fruits and pastries - all from Pill-Forming Peak's stores. Before the chef left the mountain, he had made her many delicacies, preserved in freshness-maintaining formations. Now with spiritual energy weakening, Gu Jiang constantly used demonic energy to maintain the formations.

Sensing her spiritual presence, he flicked a water droplet that swept her consciousness out of the bathhouse.

Nie Yinzhi felt as if she'd been splashed in the face with bathwater. Taking a deep breath, she deliberately stomped in with heavy footsteps, gritting her teeth: "I still have lots of flower petals saved up, would the great Demon Lord like some? How about a flower petal bath?"

Gu Jiang rested his head on the edge of the bath, lifted his eyelids, his gaze falling on her lips, and amenably replied: "Whatever you like."

Nie Yinzhi: "..." Whatever your ghost!

[LOL, it's like I'm watching two different shows - outside it's all troops mobilizing, war drums beating, about to start an epic righteous-versus-demonic battle, then cut to the inside and it's just elderly folks' daily life]

[Those before me must have some misunderstanding about the elderly - old folks get up early every day to exercise]

[I've never seen such a lazy demon lord, watching Nie Yinzhi lose it makes me so happy hahaha]

[The crowd outside might as well go to bed, the demon lord has no interest in destroying the cultivation world]

[The villain's work in this show still depends on Lord Feng, he's the real hardworking employee]

[Another day of hoping the female supporting character dies quickly, don't want to see her]

[TBH, the water's quite clear, if the angle's right... *wolf whistles*]

[Yinzhi, did you rinse your mouth before finding the demon lord? Aren't you afraid he'll grab your waist, pin you against the wall, and suck your blood?]

Prompted by the comments, Nie Yinzhi covered her mouth with both hands and spoke in a muffled voice, "We've been trapped here for half a month now, do you really, really, really not want to leave?"

This was the third time she had asked this question.

Gu Jiang withdrew his gaze and handed her a plate of osmanthus cakes from the tray, "Even if you cover it, the blood scent is still strong."

Nie Yinzhi quickly stuffed one in her mouth, the sweetness covering the taste of blood. "If I hadn't bitten my tongue and bled, I'd be a meat patty by now. Aren't you afraid that if I die, you'll die immediately too?"

Gu Jiang made a gulping sound in his throat, finding this statement as appetizing as a royal feast, making even the cake in his mouth taste bland. "Don't worry, I'm not as weak as you. I won't die immediately - I'll have time to properly arrange your funeral."

Nie Yinzhi: "..." She dared not imagine how he would handle her funeral arrangements.

She stared speechlessly at the demon lord's bobbing Adam's apple and turned to escape, but had barely taken a step before a force pulled her back.

Gu Jiang put on a robe, his wet fingers gripping her chin, forcing her mouth open. Two fingers entered her mouth to grip her tongue, the force suggesting he wanted to pull it out and squeeze more blood from it.

Nie Yinzhi's eyes widened, having no doubt that Gu Jiang would suck blood just as the comments suggested.

She made muffled sounds and quickly pricked his fingertip, holding it up before his eyes.

Gu Jiang shifted his gaze and released her tongue.

Demonic energy wrapped around her fingertip, drilling into the tiny wound, bringing a slight sting.

"So will you lose control one day and eat me?" Nie Yinzhi felt this was quite possible.

Gu Jiang patted her head like a dog, "Rest assured, this lord doesn't like to gorge. Besides, eating too much at once would get even me exorcised."

"..." That wasn't reassuring at all.

Gu Jiang made a puzzled sound, his fingers still gripping her jaw, rubbing all over her face, from her jawbone to behind her ear, then back to her cheek, caressing her features.

"What are you doing?" Nie Yinzhi grabbed his wrist and warned, "Don't go too far."

Gu Jiang chuckled, speaking lazily: "Your soul has been tampered with and nearly possessed, your body has been tampered with - I wouldn't be surprised if you really did get eaten by someone one day."

Nie Yinzhi tilted her head up to stare at him, no longer dodging.

His damp fingertips gently caressed her cheeks, causing a tingling sensation. Whether from the rubbing or something else, her fair skin gradually flushed pink, even her earlobes turning completely red.

Gu Jiang felt around for a long time, so long that Nie Yinzhi maintained her head-tilted position until her neck was almost stiff. "What's wrong? Have you found anything?"

His fingertip finally settled on the tear mole under her eye. Cold demonic energy seeped beneath her skin, causing a subtle sensation under her facial skin. Nie Yinzhi couldn't help but squint, instinctively wanting to retreat, but was pulled back by the force gripping her jaw.

Moments later, a membrane emerged from her face. The membrane contained abundant spiritual energy, floating softly in mid-air, as thin as a cicada's wing, with three-dimensional contours and clear facial features, including a small mole below the eye socket.

Nie Yinzhi had briefly encountered Xiao Ling's soul before and could tell these were Xiao Ling's facial features.

Gu Jiang played with interest with the mask floating in mid-air, "Face mimicry - crafting one this delicate must have taken considerable effort."

Nie Yinzhi turned to look in the mirror. After removing the so-called mimicry mask, her features in the mirror hadn't changed, except for the disappearance of the tear mole under her eye. Her eyes reddened with anger as she rubbed her face forcefully, almost wanting to tear these features off her face.

Gu Jiang hadn't been paying attention to her at first, but when he saw she was about to scratch her face bloody, he stepped out of the bath and caught her hands from behind, staring at her reflection in the mirror: "Face mimicry has strict conditions. The mimic and the mimicked must have similar underlying features. You possess spirit bones - the mimicry can't change your bone structure, only your outer appearance. After removing the mimicry, you'll return to your original appearance in time."

Nie Yinzhi quieted down before the mirror, cut a small wound on her wrist, and raised it to his mouth.

She had always been proud since childhood - when wronged, she had to take revenge; when shown kindness, she had to repay it, never wanting to owe anyone favors. Gu Jiang had helped her greatly, and as a powerful demon cultivator who wanted for nothing, he only liked her blood.

Right now, this blood was all Nie Yinzhi had to offer in return.

Fresh blood seeped out, intertwining with the black shadowy branches on her wrist.

Gu Jiang understood her intention. His demonic energy wrapped around her wrist, consuming the blood and healing the wound with a lick. He said with some amusement, "I've never met anyone as foolish as you."

Nie Yinzhi glared at him angrily, "Don't think you can belittle me just because you helped me."

Gu Jiang raised his hands and stepped back, "My apologies for speaking out of turn. However, if you're afraid of being eaten by me, you'd better not keep tempting me with blood. Appetites can grow, and it's hard to go from luxury back to frugality."

"I know that!" Nie Yinzhi glanced at his disheveled appearance and stomped out of the washroom in a huff.

Even though they were bound by a symbiotic contract, the face mimicry actually couldn't affect Gu Jiang. Feeling indebted to him, Nie Yinzhi behaved herself for two days.

During these two days, Gu Jiang barely moved from his spot. Nie Yinzhi would check on him periodically to see if he was awake, crouching by his bed to watch him. The great demon lord kept sleeping without any alertness.

After two days, Nie Yinzhi finally couldn't resist starting to meddle.

Still somewhat afraid of Gu Jiang's morning temper, she kept her distance, wearing all available defensive magical artifacts. Hiding behind the Multi-Treasure Pavilion, she used spiritual energy to control some foxtail grass plucked from the garden to tickle his face.

Gu Jiang finally turned over, raising both hands to hug his head, his sleeves covering his face completely, then went still again.

Nie Yinzhi: "..."

She walked out dejectedly, went to the study, pulled out books on magic arts, found the control techniques, and studied hard for half the afternoon. By evening, Nie Yinzhi was crouching in the garden, spreading her divine sense through the bushes, selecting three to five hungry mosquitoes.

Nie Yinzhi formed hand seals, quite satisfied with her impromptu learning results.

Those mosquitoes were controlled to fearlessly cross the formation at the edge of the eaves, entering the main house through the window. Nie Yinzhi watched from far away.

The first two mosquitoes didn't even get close to Gu Jiang before gloriously sacrificing themselves, dying of fright. The remaining braver ones buzzed around his ears. Gu Jiang scratched at them half-asleep, killing two.

Only one little brave one remained. Nie Yinzhi concentrated fully as the little warrior nimbly found its way to Gu Jiang's neck. Even though it was the bravest, it still didn't dare bite the demon lord. Nie Yinzhi forced it against its nature, controlling it to bite his collarbone.

The mosquito would bite once and move to a new spot. After quite a while, Gu Jiang was finally awakened by the bites.

Seeing his eyelashes flutter, Nie Yinzhi quickly gestured, sending the only surviving mosquito back to the garden, then pretended to read innocently.

After a moment, rustling sounds came from the inner chamber as the ancestor finally got up and walked out.

"You're awake?" Nie Yinzhi opened her eyes wide, looking completely innocent, acting quite convincingly while secretly glancing at his collar, spotting four or five red bumps around his collarbone.

Gu Jiang scratched himself and sat beside her.

A buzzing sound of wings came from the garden, and suddenly a huge black shadow swooped toward the house. Nie Yinzhi jumped up in fright, forming sword seals with her hands.

The shadow grew closer, flying into the lamplight - it was a giant mosquito as big as two palms.

Nie Yinzhi: "..." It must be the little brave one, now turned into a big brave one.

She never imagined that Gu Jiang's blood could make a mosquito grow so large. Its wings were sharp as blades, its mouth parts like a steel needle, its abdomen ringed with black and white patterns - it had completely transformed into a fierce demon beast.

One bite would definitely drain a person into a mummy.

"Did you raise this?" Gu Jiang scratched his collarbone.

Nie Yinzhi shook her head frantically - was she crazy to raise something like this? She should have completely erased the spiritual energy from the mosquito.

"That's good then. When it comes to blood-sucking creatures, having just me is enough for you." Gu Jiang turned to smile at her, still drowsy, and right in front of her used his demonic energy to break the giant brave one's wings, snap its proboscis, and slowly crushed the huge mosquito to death.

Nie Yinzhi: This was definitely killing a mosquito to warn her.