The Side Character Who Wins by Doing Nothing

"They’re my friends. We’re all here to help you."

Lu Sangjiu gave Ah Ming a reassuring smile and reached out to pat his head. "I haven’t seen you for a few days. You look much more energetic than before."

Last time, Lu Sangjiu had given Ah Ming some Demon Essence Stones. After replenishing his Demonic Qi, he no longer had that sallow and gaunt appearance.

He looked like an ordinary fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy, with a rosy complexion and a hint of baby fat on his cheeks, making him look quite handsome.

Perhaps because it had been so long since he’d left the Western Demon Realm, and Lu Sangjiu was the first person to show him kindness, Ah Ming seemed to trust her implicitly.

As she patted his head, his cheeks couldn’t help but flush a little, and much of his wariness and defensiveness melted away.

"I must thank you, Ms. Ajiu."

Although Lu Sangjiu hadn’t instructed him, Ah Ming was sharp. He didn’t mention her giving him the Demon Essence Stones in front of everyone, only offering this ambiguous word of thanks.

Lu Sangjiu was also very pleased with his discretion. Seeing him relax, she introduced the others to him one by one.

It was the first time anyone present had seen a real Demon Cultivator, so they were naturally curious.

The others tried to be at least a little subtle, but Luo Linlang didn’t bother with such pretenses. She stared at him unabashedly, sizing him up and clicking her tongue in wonder.

"So this is a Demon Cultivator? He looks... well, he doesn’t seem all that different from us, does he?"

Ah Ming was very skilled at Concealing his Aura. At this moment, there wasn’t the slightest fluctuation of Demonic Qi from him; he truly looked like an ordinary mortal.

Luo Linlang’s words were born of pure curiosity and surprise, but to Ah Ming’s ears, they sounded rather grating.

He couldn’t help but snort coldly. "Demon Cultivators and Immortal Cultivators both start as mortals who’ve simply chosen different paths of cultivation. What difference could there be? Don’t tell me you disciples of the Immortal Gates also think all of us Demon Cultivators are green-faced, long-fanged monsters?"

He said this, of course, because he had heard such talk far too often lately.

He hadn’t dared to jump out and refute it then, so he could only fume inwardly.

Now that they all knew he was a Demon Cultivator, he found he couldn’t control his temper and retorted.

Rebuffed, Luo Linlang rubbed her nose. "You’re quite the hot-tempered kid. Not cute at all!"

Despite her words, Luo Linlang’s tendency to speak her mind and engage in a bit of bickering actually helped close the distance between them.

In his heart, Ah Ming didn’t dislike Luo Linlang. But Yan Zui... she remained silent the whole time. When Lu Sangjiu introduced them, she had only given a cold nod.

Although she said nothing, Ah Ming could sensitively perceive that she did not like him.

It wasn’t directed at him personally, but at Demon Cultivators as a group.

Ah Ming couldn’t help but purse his lips. ’Looks like not all of Ms. Ajiu’s friends are likable after all.’

Just as Ah Ming could sense Yan Zui’s aversion to him, Yan Zui could naturally sense his defensiveness toward her.

But it didn’t matter. As she had said, she wasn’t here to help him, but simply to root out the cancer among the Immortal Cultivators. His attitude toward her was irrelevant.

"Alright, it’s getting late. Let’s head into the city and find an inn to stay for the night. We can discuss what to do next after First Brother and Feng Dao You arrive."

Ah Ming’s own Magic Technique for Concealing his Aura was very impressive, which saved Lu Sangjiu and the others the trouble of figuring out another way. They took him directly into the city.

Along the way, Lu Sangjiu made sure to instruct Ah Ming specifically, "You don’t need to worry about your safety while we’re around. So unless I say you can use your Demonic Qi, you must not reveal yourself, understand?"

Ah Ming nodded obediently. "I understand, Ms. Ajiu!"

His goofy look reminded her a bit of Shen Yuzhao. Lu Sangjiu thought the two of them might get along well.

Upon entering the city, Lu Sangjiu discovered it was very different from just a few days ago.

The commotion at the City Lord Mansion had likely left people on edge. There were few pedestrians on the streets, and many patrols from the City Lord Mansion were about.

Although the former City Lord’s confidants had all died with him, not everyone in the City Lord Mansion was cut from the same cloth; some knew nothing at all.

They hadn’t been placed under a Divine Soul Restriction, so they were naturally still alive. After an investigation by the Joyful Union Sect, they were allowed to continue their duties.

However, perhaps having learned a lesson from the past, the Joyful Union Sect decided to take direct control of the area this time. The new City Lord was a Nascent Soul Cultivator from within the sect, and he had brought a group of Outer Disciples with him to fill the vacant positions in the city.

A new broom sweeps clean, so management of the city was now considerably stricter.

Since they didn’t want to alert the higher-ups to what they were doing, Yan Zui also kept a low profile to avoid being recognized by disciples from her sect.

The group arrived safely at an inn and were finally able to relax for the time being.

For safety, Lu Sangjiu wanted Xie Ningyuan to share a room with Ah Ming, so he could respond immediately if anything happened.

But before Xie Ningyuan could say anything, Ah Ming protested.

"I... I don’t want to share a room with him."

He then grabbed Shen Yuzhao. "I’ll room with him!"

There were only two men in the group. If he didn’t room with Xie Ningyuan, there really was no other choice.

Lu Sangjiu could only look at Shen Yuzhao. "Third Brother, it looks like we’ll have to trouble you."

Shen Yuzhao gave a shy smile. "It’s no problem. I’ll protect him."

Once inside the room, Ah Ming immediately said, "My Demonic Qi might leak out uncontrollably after I fall asleep. You might get hurt if we sleep in the same room. I’ll take the outer room."

Shen Yuzhao was troubled. "But if we’re too far apart, what if there’s danger..."

"Why would there be danger out of nowhere?" Ah Ming said, settling the matter. "It’s decided. I’m going to sleep."

Shen Yuzhao had a soft personality. Seeing him insist, he didn’t press the issue and let him have his way.

As a result, not long after Shen Yuzhao lay down, his head grew groggy for some reason, and he quickly fell asleep.

"Hey, are you asleep?"

Ah Ming tested the waters, but Shen Yuzhao didn’t answer. He could only hear the sound of his long, steady breaths.

Seeing this, Ah Ming extinguished the burning Ghost Demon Fragrance. Then, he nimbly climbed out of bed and quietly left the inn.

Just after exiting the inn, he immediately used the Earth Escape Skill. A moment later, he tunneled back up to the surface in a small alley far enough from the inn.

"Come out."

As soon as he spoke, a tall figure emerged from the darkness.

The person was dressed all in black, even wearing a pitch-black mask that made him almost one with the shadows.

He made a standard Demon Cultivator saluting gesture toward Ah Ming and then asked, "Young Master, must you truly associate with those Immortal Cultivators?"

"The Sect Master is very worried about you. It would be best to return to the Western Demon Realm with this subordinate as soon as possible."

A mature expression, at odds with his youthful face, appeared on Ah Ming. He shook his head. "Not yet."

"They’ve already promised to help me find the people who are buying and selling Demon Cultivators."

"This group is quite capable. With their help, we might get results soon."

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