The Side Character Who Wins by Doing Nothing

He Ming noticed that his master’s reaction was a bit off, and for a moment, he didn’t understand why.

”Master... what’s wrong?”

Fa Shan snapped back to his senses, but his hand was still trembling. He couldn’t help but grab He Ming’s wrist.

The force was so great that He Ming’s face scrunched up. ”Hiss... Master, what are you doing? What’s going on?”

He tried to break free but couldn’t. Fa Shan, who had always doted on his disciple, didn’t lessen his grip. He only pulled He Ming closer, his tone urgent. ”What did you say her name was?”

This was the first time He Ming had ever seen his master lose his composure like this. He hesitated, not daring to ask any more questions, and just obediently repeated, ”...Lu Sangjiu.”

”Lu Sangjiu...” Fa Shan repeated, then pressed, ”Which characters make up her name?”

He Ming looked troubled. ”I don’t know. I didn’t ask.”

Fa Shan was a little disappointed, but he didn’t give up and continued to press, ”Tell me everything that happened after you met her. Be quick, be thorough, and don’t leave anything out!”

He Ming had a vague feeling his master’s reaction was strange. ’It’s almost as if... he’s run into an acquaintance.’

’But that can’t be right. Lu Sangjiu is so young. How could she possibly be an acquaintance of Master’s?’

Nevertheless, He Ming recounted everything from start to finish, meticulously, without a single omission.

”...So, she knew about the Ghost Demon Fragrance and wasn’t affected by it. She also showed you goodwill from the start and genuinely helped the Demon Cultivators.”

Fa Shan’s voice was a little hoarse. The almost absurd thought circled endlessly in his mind. ’Perhaps it’s just a coincidence, but... what if?’

Seeing him dazed, He Ming thought for a moment and added, ”Master, her bone age wasn’t faked. At such a young age... I don’t think she could be someone you know, right?”

Fa Shan didn’t speak, but in his heart, he refuted it. ’If she hadn’t died, she must have had some kind of fortuitous encounter. Perhaps... possession? Or something else?’

’In any case, there are too many possibilities. Even if the hope is slim, I don’t want to ignore this ”what if”.’

Taking a deep breath, Fa Shan stood up and said, ”I will go to the Cold Crow Sect now. You wait here for news.”

He Ming immediately grew anxious. ”Master, can I go with you?”

He was really worried about Lu Sangjiu’s safety. Waiting here would be torture.

But Fa Shan shook his head, his expression more solemn than ever before. ”This matter... I must go alone.”

After speaking, without giving He Ming another chance to talk, Fa Shan had already vanished into the distance.

He Ming opened his mouth, but in the end could only murmur to the empty sky, ”...You have to be alright.”

So much had happened that night. By the time Fa Shan arrived at the Cold Crow Sect, it was already the next morning.

He appeared so suddenly at the main gate that he startled the numerous guards, until someone recognized him. ”...The Sect Master of the Divine Tomb Sect?!”

The voice was filled with surprise and disbelief.

Everyone knew that while the Divine Tomb Sect and the Cold Crow Sect seemed to coexist peacefully, each ruling their own domain, their leaders did not get along.

Some even believed the two hadn’t met in years because they were afraid they wouldn’t be able to resist fighting if they ever crossed paths.

A fight between two Body Integration Realm Great Powers would be a world-destroying spectacle. The two of them were practically contributing to world peace by avoiding each other.

However, today, it seemed the Sect Master of the Divine Tomb Sect was no longer prepared to make that contribution... ’Is he planning to take everyone down with him?’

For a moment, panic and unease filled everyone’s faces. Fa Shan, however, didn’t even glance at them. His gaze seemed to pass over the pavilions and towers, fixing on a distant point.

His voice was calm, his words aimed directly at Cangming. ”Aren’t you going to invite me in for a seat?”

The guards were dumbfounded. For a moment, they dared not speak, much less make way, until a voice—one they were all too familiar with—drifted from the distance.

”Let him in.”

”It’s the Sect Leader!”

The guards all recognized Cangming’s voice. They exchanged glances, and though still nervous, they obediently cleared a path.

Only then did Fa Shan raise his head to look at the gate. In truth, not much else had changed from the past; the magnificent sign that once read ”Moon Palace” had simply been replaced with one that said ”Cold Crow Sect.”

The change of name alone was enough to evoke a desolate feeling that things were no longer as they once were.

This place, after all, was no longer the one she had built with her own hands—the one that had brought hope back to the chaotic and disorderly Western Demon Realm.

Over the years, Fa Shan had actually come to terms with it, but now he couldn’t help but wonder... ’If she has really returned, what will she feel upon seeing all this?’

’Disappointment in us? Hatred? Or will she want to take it all back?’

’It would have to be the latter. Her temperament was always the fiercest and wildest; how could she be willing to stand by and watch the foundation she built be occupied by others?’

With these chaotic thoughts running through his mind, Fa Shan stepped into the Cold Crow Sect.

The guards barely got a clear look. They only sensed him take one step inside, and in the next instant, his figure was already far away. Then, with another step, he vanished completely.

”This...” The guards grew instinctively worried and wanted to say something more.

But the guard captain next to them, who had recognized Fa Shan, was clearly more sensible. ”Don’t worry. The Sect Leader is here, so nothing will go wrong. Just get back to guarding the gate.”

After reassuring the others, he couldn’t help but cast another long glance in the direction of the Sect Leader’s courtyard, his expression complex.

’I have a feeling... The Western Demon Realm has been peaceful for hundreds of years, but it’s probably about to fall into chaos again.’

’But these kinds of things have always been decided by the great powers that be. A small fry like me doesn’t need to worry about things beyond my control. All I need to do is guard the gate.’

When Fa Shan arrived in Cangming’s courtyard, he found him watering flowers.

The plants of the Western Demon Realm were different from those outside. Plants outside grew with Spiritual Energy, but the flowers of the Western Demon Realm required Demonic Qi.

As a result, the plants weren’t very charming. The pot Cangming was watering had a small, dark green stem and dark green leaves, topped with a dark red, unopened bud.

It looked fairly normal, but when Cangming’s water touched it, the flower bud suddenly split open, like a gaping, bloody maw opening to the sky. It even seemed to have fine teeth inside.

Like a fledgling chick crying for food, it opened its mouth wide to receive its master’s watering, swallowing every last drop before smacking its lips in satisfaction and returning to its quiet state.

Cangming, however, watched with a calm expression, even saying with a hint of doting affection, ”You like it that much? I’ll have someone prepare more for you next time.”

The whole scene... was just utterly bizarre.

Fa Shan’s mouth twitched slightly, and a phrase involuntarily popped into his mind: a clumsy imitation.