Using a Supporting Character to Kill a Supporting Character

"Is that true?" Qin Chuan sprang to his feet, then realized he had overreacted and slowly sat back down.

He had never imagined that someone besides himself could also prompt the Heavenly Dao to act. If what Gu Hao said was true, then his conjecture that the Heavenly Dao could only act against him because he was an outsider was wrong.

Gu Hao did not keep Qin Chuan in suspense. Once Qin Chuan had sat down, he continued, "Brother Qin, I could only say that because I've seen it. That heavenly lightning appeared again today, and I couldn't have been mistaken. It wanted to strike you, didn't it?"

"Yes. Where did you see that heavenly lightning, Brother Gu? Are you certain it was the same kind that wanted to strike me?" Qin Chuan knew there was no point denying it. Gu Hao was not asking him, but telling him.

The heavenly lightning that had struck at Qin Chuan was the work of the Heavenly Dao, different from the heavenly lightning of other tribulations. It looked like the heavenly lightning of divine punishment, but there were subtle differences.

"I'm certain it was the same kind. I also found out that you encountered it in the secret realm not long ago, Brother Qin, and that the Glazed Glass Immortal Venerable struck and dispersed it. I wonder if she can kill the person who unleashed it?" Expectation shone in Gu Hao's eyes as he waited for Qin Chuan to nod.

As for how Gu Hao knew so much about what had happened in the secret realm, money could make ghosts turn a millstone. He came from the Wealth and Peace Merchant Guild and had more spirit stones than anything else.

Besides Yun Yao and the others, several elders had been hidden nearby that day. One of them happened to be an acquaintance of his, and he had spent a few spirit stones to learn everything that had happened.

"I don't know. My master did exchange blows with that 'person,' but neither emerged victorious." Qin Chuan did not want to tell Gu Hao that it was the Heavenly Dao that had acted, so for the moment he referred to it as a person.

"Then he must at least be at Late Tribulation Transcendence. How much do you know about him, Brother Qin?" Gu Hao hurriedly asked.

"I don't know much about him, or why he attacked me. The first time I saw that heavenly lightning was when I wanted to kill Xie An. The second time was when I was going to kill Pei Xuan. Could that person have some connection to the sect master's lineage?" Qin Chuan lied again.

Gu Hao shook his head without hesitation. "No. He didn't act because of the sect master's lineage before, but because of someone who had nothing to do with it."

"May I ask who that person was?" Qin Chuan was eager to know, but he asked at a measured pace.

"Zhuge Tiansheng, the son of the person in charge of the Zhuge Family in the Wealth and Peace Merchant Guild, and the person in charge of the guild in Pill Province." When Gu Hao mentioned Zhuge Tiansheng, a flash of hatred passed through his eyes.

"Could you tell me more about it, Brother Gu?" Qin Chuan wanted to use Gu Hao's story to work out the pattern behind the Heavenly Dao's actions.

"Allow me to explain from the beginning, Brother Qin." Gu Hao slowly began the account he had long prepared in his mind.

"The Gu Family and the Zhuge Family have always been two of the three powers in charge of the Wealth and Peace Merchant Guild..."

"..."

The story was simple enough. It was a grudge from the previous generation of the Wealth and Peace Merchant Guild. Gu Hao's aunt, Gu Xiyue, had competed with Zhuge Tiansheng for the position of the guild's person in charge in Pill Province. Gu Xiyue had successfully laid a trap for Zhuge Tiansheng, but at the crucial moment, the Heavenly Dao had intervened, striking her and the helpers she had brought with heavenly lightning.

Gu Xiyue had barely managed to survive thanks to a powerful protective treasure, but her foundation had been damaged, and she was still a living corpse. Everyone else who had accompanied her had been struck dead by the heavenly lightning.

As for how Gu Hao knew, he had been raised by his aunt, Gu Xiyue. She had wanted to train him, so she had kept nothing from him.

He had been clever from a young age. From subtle clues and by eavesdropping, he had learned that Gu Xiyue intended to ambush Zhuge Tiansheng.

He had only been around ten at the time, at the age when he teased cats and dogs and even had to taste a turd to see if it was salty. He had decided to sneak a look and happened to witness what took place.

His beloved aunt had been injured by the heavenly lightning, so Gu Hao naturally wanted to find the enemy and take revenge. He also needed to understand why that person had protected Zhuge Tiansheng, or he would never be able to defeat the Zhuge Family.

After learning that Qin Chuan had nearly been struck by heavenly lightning, he had not thought for long before choosing to go all in on Qin Chuan.

"That's everything that happened to me, Brother Qin."

After hearing Gu Hao's story, Qin Chuan could not quite understand why the Heavenly Dao had not acted against him. Since he had a question, he had to ask it. "Brother Gu, why didn't that heavenly lightning strike you? Why didn't that 'person' kill you too?"

Gu Hao knitted his brows in thought. After pondering for a long time, he shook his head. "I don't know either."

Then he looked at Qin Chuan and shared what he knew. "I can't understand why that person is protecting Senior Brother Pei Xuan and his two fellow disciples, either. They have no connection to Zhuge Tiansheng. The Zhuge Family has always been on excellent terms with the Myriad Laws Sect, while the Myriad Laws Sect and the Pure Void Sect have always been at odds. There's no way the Zhuge Family would also befriend Pei Xuan and the others."

The most powerful forces on the Origin Spirit Continent were one school, one sect, and one gate. The school was the Pure Void Sect, the sect was the Myriad Laws Sect, and the gate was the Tribulation Deliverance Gate. Below them were the four families.

Qin Chuan said nothing. He seemed to have an idea: the Heavenly Dao could act against Gu Xiyue, but had not acted against Gu Hao.

Jin Pang... no, Jin Feng had destroyed a remnant soul that was the female lead's cheat. That remnant soul also counted as a supporting character, yet the Heavenly Dao had done nothing. And last time, when Shen Qingyuan had exchanged blows with the Heavenly Dao, it had also withdrawn quickly.

He and Gu Xiyue had one thing in common: they were not characters in the plot.

Gu Hao, Jin Feng, and Shen Qingyuan also had one thing in common: they were characters in the plot.

The Heavenly Dao could not act against characters in the plot. No, that was not right. It had exchanged blows with Shen Qingyuan, but had not caused her any substantial harm.

So acting against characters in the plot came at a huge cost to the Heavenly Dao, a cost so great that it would rather let a supporting character die than pay it.

Qin Chuan had another conjecture. If he used a supporting character of equal standing to kill another supporting character, would the Heavenly Dao then be afraid to act? He still needed to test it, though.

Seeing that Qin Chuan was thinking, Gu Hao did not disturb him. He quietly poured Qin Chuan some tea and took out a storage bag he had prepared beforehand. It contained five hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones, his gift to Qin Chuan on their first meeting.

Qin Chuan did not think for long. Once he had settled the matter, he opened his eyes and looked at Gu Hao with greater warmth.

"Brother Gu, I can't think of a reason why that person is targeting me, or why he's protecting Pei Xuan and his two fellow disciples. This matter requires careful consideration, and you and I will need to keep each other informed."

"You're right, Brother Qin. If I hear anything about that person or see that heavenly lightning again, I'll contact you immediately."

As Gu Hao spoke, he pushed the storage bag over to Qin Chuan. "This is my gift to you as my ally, Brother Qin. You mustn't refuse, or I'll have no reason to ask you to help me with things in the future."

"Many thanks, Brother Gu." Qin Chuan readily accepted the storage bag. After chatting with Gu Hao for a while longer, he took his leave. Naturally, he took the two golden scale fruits with him as well; Gu Hao had prepared them for him long ago.

Gu Hao personally escorted Qin Chuan out of the cave abode and continued seeing him off. Finally, at Qin Chuan's insistence, he stopped and said, "Take care, Brother Qin."

Only when Qin Chuan's figure had completely disappeared from sight did he turn and return to his cave abode.