Good News, I Transmigrated, But What the Heck is a Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Character? - Chapter 23

The night was silent.

Inside the cave.

Sun Da, Sun Er, and Yu Wanwan, the three of them, seemingly sat with their eyes closed in meditation, but in reality, their ears were pricked higher than a rabbit’s, and their divine senses were like invisible spiderwebs, cautiously probing each other’s movements.

The air was filled with an unspoken wariness. Even the crackling of the bonfire seemed especially harsh. No one was truly asleep; they were all waiting for dawn, and also waiting for the other party to reveal a flaw first.

As soon as a sliver of fish-belly white appeared on the horizon, the three of them opened their eyes almost simultaneously.

“Fellow Daoist Yu, let’s go. The Blazing Rift isn’t close,” Sun Da grinned, revealing his yellowed, smoke-stained teeth.

“Thank you, two big brothers, for leading the way.” Yu Wanwan smiled sweetly, her face full of naive innocence, as if completely unaware of the other party’s schemes.

Inwardly, she sneered: Act, keep acting. Let’s see who breaks character first.

“You little brat, you’re still thanking them傻呵呵 (foolishly). Those two guys’ eyes were glowing green last night, practically trying to swallow you alive. Only you have such a big heart!” In her sleeve, Little Gold’s chilling divine sense transmission carried deep disdain. It was coiled on the inner side of Yu Wanwan’s wrist, its scales pressed tightly against her skin, transmitting a hint of coolness, acting as a natural cooler.

Yu Wanwan ignored it.

Their formation for departure was quite interesting.

Sun Da unhesitatingly walked at the very front to “lead the way,” while Sun Er “thoughtfully” brought up the rear, one in front, one behind, firmly sandwiching Yu Wanwan in the middle, like escorting a prisoner.

Their intention was practically blatant.

To prevent her from slipping away.

Yu Wanwan’s expression remained impassive, but she had already started calculating inwardly: “Want to treat me like a caged bird? Heh, let’s see if you have the ability to keep me contained.”

“Hey, stupid girl, see that? Pincer attack, catching a turtle in a jar! Are you sure your big orange cat can handle these two old foxes?” Little Gold started chattering again, its voice tinged with schadenfreude and worry.

“Shut up, just watch the show,” Yu Wanwan retorted irritably in her Sea of Consciousness.

“Both big brothers are highly skilled and experienced. It’s truly my good fortune to travel with you two this time, little sister will definitely learn a lot.” Yu Wanwan continued to play the role of the naive sweetheart, her voice clear, her eyes looking up at Sun Da with admiration.

Sun Da laughed heartily, not even turning his head, his tone carrying an imperceptible hint of contempt: “Fellow Daoist Yu is too polite. We’re just looking out for each other.” What he was thinking, however, was: Stupid girl, buttering me up even when death is at your doorstep. You’ll be crying later.

Sun Er behind him also let out a dry chuckle, but his gaze clung to Yu Wanwan’s slender back like a venomous snake, calculating how to flawlessly take her down later.

He thought of a hundred and eight ways.

A hundred and eight ways!

As they drew closer to the Blazing Rift, the surrounding environment began to change dramatically.

The ground beneath their feet gradually changed from soft soil to hard, porous dark brown rock, as if repeatedly scorched and cooled by earth fire for tens of thousands of years. Stepping on it produced a dull “crunching” sound.

The air was filled with a strong, pungent sulfuric smell, acrid enough to sting the throat, as if countless fine needles were pricking the nasal cavity.

Even more terrifying was the temperature, like being on the edge of a giant furnace. Heatwaves rolled in, distorting vision, and even the inhaled air carried a burning sensation.

Sun Da and Sun Er quickly couldn’t bear it anymore.

Sweat flowed down their bronze skin like small streams, soaking their waistbands.

The two simply ripped off their short jackets, revealing their muscular but sweaty and somewhat scarred torsos. They constantly wiped the sweat from their foreheads and chests with their sleeves, panting heavily, like two fish thrown onto land.

“Damn it, this darn place is roasting me alive!”

Sun Er couldn’t help but curse, taking a long gulp of water from his canteen. The water gurgled as it went down his throat.

“Less nonsense. Bear with it. The good stuff is inside.” Sun Da was also terribly hot. He wiped his face, and the sweat he flung onto the ground made a slight “sizzle,” instantly evaporating.

In contrast, Yu Wanwan, sandwiched between them, though her forehead also had fine beads of sweat and her small face was slightly flushed from the heatwave, her breathing was still steady, and her steps showed no signs of heaviness.

The wisp of Phoenix True Fire within her body was like the most considerate guardian spirit, spontaneously circulating, quietly absorbing and transforming the invading heat, even making her feel a strange comfort.

This anomaly naturally fell into the eyes of Sun Da and Sun Er.

“Oh? Fellow Daoist Yu, you don’t seem to be very afraid of the heat?” Sun Da asked, feigning casualness as he turned his head, his eyes full of probing.

These two brothers had lived a life of constant danger and were tough as nails, yet they were sweating like pigs. How was this little girl, who looked so delicate, acting like nothing was wrong?

A slight alarm went off in Yu Wanwan’s mind, but her face showed a timely hint of fragility and relief: “Ah? Really? Maybe the cultivation technique I practice leans towards the cold attribute, and I’ve never been very afraid of heat since childhood. But it’s still so hot, I feel like I can barely breathe.”

As she spoke, she even fanned her face with her hand, feigning an expression of enduring discomfort.

“Tsk tsk, your acting is improving, stupid girl.” Little Gold snake’s commentary arrived late, but it arrived.

Sun Da and Sun Er looked at each other, half-believing, half-doubting. They didn’t delve deeper. Finding the treasure was more important.

The three cautiously ventured deeper into the rift.

On both sides were jagged, chisel-like black cliff walls, towering into the clouds, emitting a cold, metallic luster, like massive iron blocks.

The bottom of the valley was narrow and rugged, with strange-shaped rocks. From time to time, dark red magma could be seen slowly flowing in the deep fissures of the rocks, emitting an even more terrifying heat that scorched and warped the air above. Hot air currents rolled along the ground, blurring vision.

While vigilantly observing their surroundings, they picked fire-attribute spiritual herbs growing in the rock crevices along the way.

Scarlet Sun Grass swayed like flames, Earth Fire Flowers bloomed in orange-red, and Molten Heart Fruits hung like miniature hearts on the scorching rocks, emitting dense fire spiritual energy.

These were mostly Tier 1 spiritual herbs, all fire-attribute spiritual herbs, and their prices were not low.

All three had their gains.

Along the way, they also encountered a few Tier 1 demonic beasts attracted by the heatwaves and spiritual herbs: Red Fire Lizards with sparks all over their bodies, and Lava Scorpions that spat poisonous smoke.

These minor characters didn’t even require Yu Wanwan to act. Sun Da and Sun Er, eager to “show off” their strength in front of her and incidentally intimidate her, dealt with them cleanly and efficiently, leaving behind a few charred beast corpses.

Sun Er even specifically cut off a Lava Scorpion’s tail barb and dangled it in front of Yu Wanwan: “Junior Sister Yu, don’t be afraid. With us here, these little things can’t hurt you.”

Yu Wanwan nodded “gratefully,” but inwardly she was calculating: It saved me effort, that’s good.

Time passed bit by bit. The sun climbed higher and higher, and the temperature inside the rift peaked.

Sweat flowed like small streams down Sun Da and Sun Er’s dark backs, leaving streaks of white salt. They had to frequently stop to drink water, replenishing their fluids and stamina.

Sun Er even took out a small porcelain bottle, poured out two pale red pills, swallowed one himself, and handed the other to Sun Da.

“Big Brother, Qi Replenishing Pill, take it for a bit,” Sun Er panted.

Sun Da took the pill and threw it into his mouth. He chewed a few times and swallowed. A faint warm current spread through his body, slightly alleviating the heat and fatigue.

He glanced at Yu Wanwan, who was still “in good condition,” and his eyes grew even more sinister.

“That Thousand-Year Earth Core Fruit is a treasure that can cleanse meridians and marrow, and help people break through bottlenecks,” Sun Da whispered to Sun Er with his divine sense, wiping sweat with his sleeve, his tone carrying unconcealed greed. “What’s the employer’s fifty thousand spirit stones? If we get that fruit, we brothers each take half. Maybe we can even aim for the Foundation Establishment stage! Who needs to look at anyone’s face then?”

“Big Brother is right!” Sun Er’s eyes glinted fiercely. “But this darn place is so big. We’ve been searching for almost a day, and haven’t seen a single thing. If we keep this up, we’ll just waste stamina for nothing. That little girl is also a hassle.”

“What’s the rush?” Sun Da licked his chapped lips, his gaze coldly sweeping over Yu Wanwan, who was bending over to pick a Molten Heart Fruit not far ahead. “Things that are hard to find are all the more precious. As for that girl, hehe, isn’t she the best bait? The employer only said they wanted her dead, but didn’t say we couldn’t make use of her first. All spiritual heavenly materials and earthly treasures prefer pure spiritual energy and blood qi. This girl is delicate and tender, and she’s a cultivator…”

Sun Er instantly understood his big brother’s meaning, and a cruel and excited smile appeared on his face: “Big Brother is brilliant! Use her as bait to lure out that Earth Core Fruit! Killing two birds with one stone!”

The two exchanged knowing glances again. Their gazes at Yu Wanwan’s back were now undisguised, like hungry wolves staring at their prey, just waiting for the optimal moment.

“Killing intent! So thick it’s almost solidifying!”