I Just Wanted To Live but I Somehow Became Better Than the Protagonist

This wave is not a loss

Competing with Long Tian was the so-called little genius of the Dan Huo Hall, Dian Hua. This Dian Hua was remarkable; at just 20 years old, he had mastered the art of alchemy, achieving a success rate of sixty percent for intermediate second-grade elixirs. If the medicinal materials were of sufficient age, the success rate for high-quality elixirs could reach forty percent.

This was not an achievement that an ordinary second-grade alchemist could attain; it required years of accumulation. Yet, at only 20, Dian Hua’s future was indeed bright. After being noticed by the third elder of the Dan Huo Hall and taken as a disciple, he thrived even more, recently attempting to break through to become a third-grade alchemist.

A 20-year-old third-grade alchemist was rare across the Eastern Continent; if he succeeded, it would undoubtedly be the pinnacle of his life.

Ye Yong looked at the young man in gray clothing, who was fairly good-looking, and silently shook his head.

He hadn’t expected the butterfly effect; Long Tian arrived at the Dan Huo Hall earlier than planned, and there you were, jumping out again. Indeed, the villain is the villain, unable to escape the whirlpool of fate.

Where there are admirers of the protagonist, there will naturally be those who target him, and often, there are many more of the latter.

This little genius, Dian Hua, was one of those targeting the protagonist, dragging his master into it as well. After all, after losing to the protagonist in an alchemy duel, he engaged in a series of “standard operations” to try to regain his reputation and dignity. The result, of course, was that he led those around him to misfortune.

The attention of the audience was focused on the two in the center of the hall, preparing to refine elixirs, and no one noticed Ye Yong standing at the back.

Instead, Ye Gou, whether by chance or some radar-like instinct, who had been watching the show, suddenly turned sharply to the left and right, and upon discovering something, his eyes lit up. He immediately dashed to Ye Yong’s side: “Young Master Yong! You’re here!”

—

“Shh…” Ye Yong gestured for him to keep quiet.

Although keeping Long Tian from drawing attention also made Ye Yong himself more conspicuous, attracting more scrutiny, he was well aware that he couldn’t refine pills. He understood how his genius persona was crafted; without the system’s help, he would probably still be playing in the mud.

Basic alchemy books weren’t expensive; for just 5,000 reversal points, one could acquire the knowledge of a third-grade alchemist. The problem was that Ye Yong had never touched alchemy before, and suddenly displaying such high skill was indeed suspicious.

He could still use his secret practice of martial arts to cover up, but alchemy was different. Alchemy was a form of chemistry, a kind of cultivation chemistry, requiring constant practice and experimentation to achieve success.

Besides talent, becoming an alchemist also required a good family background. Without money to buy herbs for practice, even the most talented would be at a loss.

Long Tian had an excellent mentor in the fallen immortal, which allowed him to avoid many detours, but theoretical knowledge still needed to be practiced personally to be fully understood. Before entering the sect, he lived in Bu Liu Village, very close to Ling You Mountain. He frequently ventured into the mountains, gathering herbs for practice, which led to his current abilities.

Ye Yong had never shown any signs of alchemy; now to suddenly claim he was a genius in it… Ha, he wouldn’t even need the heavens to bring him down; he was digging his own grave.

“Young Master Yong, this Long Tian seems ordinary, yet he hides his talents. Although I haven’t been here long, I’ve heard others say he has already defeated several second-grade alchemists,” Ye Gou whispered, reporting his observations. “Young Master, your insight is remarkable! If this guy grows stronger, he will definitely be formidable. Thankfully, you advised us not to offend him.”

“Don’t offend him, but also don’t get too close.”

“Understood. This Long Tian indeed has abilities, but unfortunately, he lacks a background. Being too conspicuous will only lead to unnecessary enmity if we get too friendly with him.”

Upon hearing this, Ye Yong couldn’t help but glance at Ye Gou. No wonder he was a character who had already died in the novel; in reality, after Ye Yong’s proper intervention, he had successfully extended his life and seemed to have become much smarter in his perspective.

Ye Mao, that spirited young man, perhaps because he hadn’t yet reached the novel’s death point, still belonged to the category of a nourishing antagonist. He had lost his judgment in the competition, almost turning against the protagonist. However, in the novel, Ye Mao didn’t make it into the top hundred; it was Ye Yong’s resources and guidance that allowed him to improve and gain another chance to clash with the protagonist… In any case, antagonists would unconsciously cross paths with the protagonist, and Ye Yong’s actions could prevent that, while also inadvertently building connections.

Anyway, Ye Yong didn’t plan to interfere with the antagonists unrelated to the Ye family clashing with the protagonist. Even if he succeeded, he would gain reversal points, but afterward, the other party might still seek trouble with the protagonist. If that led to the protagonist’s dissatisfaction, it would be a loss.

Moreover, most antagonists who were trampled by the protagonist were not good people; they were narrow-minded and brought it upon themselves. As a reader who had seen the novel, Ye Yong naturally didn’t have much fondness for them.

After a while, the medicine boys finally finished preparing the herbs. Just as the two were about to start refining pills, a magnetic voice suddenly rang out from the back of the crowd: “Wait!”

Everyone turned to see who was so bold, only to find it was Ye Tianjiao!

The crowd instinctively parted to make way, whispering among themselves about how Ye Tianjiao ended up here. Ye Yong took advantage of the opening and walked slowly to the front.

Having read the plot, Ye Yong knew what would happen next.

Long Tian and Dian Hua had chosen the same high-difficulty second-grade pill for their competition. After the pills were refined, both produced three high-quality ones, resulting in a tie. However, that was not the whole story; the several second-grade alchemists who had previously lost to Long Tian had tampered with the spiritual plants he used, hoping to make him fail and embarrass himself. That was why the medicine boys had taken so long to prepare.

Yet when the tie was announced, they were all shocked. The unaware Dian Hua was particularly unwilling to accept this outcome, but before he could suggest another round, a slightly older disciple from the Dan Huo Hall, Zhen Li Pu, appeared, stating that the spiritual plants used by Long Tian had lost some efficacy. If the two exchanged materials, Dian Hua could only produce a mid-grade pill.

—

This Zhen Li-Pu, a senior brother, is a genius of the Dan Fire Hall, a direct disciple of the hall master. At 22 years old, he is a third-grade alchemist, with a success rate of 70% for third-grade elixirs, which is quite terrifying. He usually keeps a low profile, dedicating himself to alchemy, rarely engaging in idle chatter, and possesses a strong sense of credibility. With this statement, the outcome of the competition is naturally self-evident.

Afterward, Zhen Li-Pu took a liking to Long Tian, offering him considerable guidance, and over time, he became a companion to the protagonist.

Since Ye Yong cannot showcase his alchemical skills out of thin air, he can start by identifying the essential conditions required for alchemy, focusing on the recognition of spiritual plants. First, he would draw attention, then reduce the benefits brought by Long Tian’s successful show-off.

Having read so many novels, Ye Yong has become quite familiar with the protagonist’s show-off tactics. While the protagonist may flaunt his abilities, he is always aware to hold back, not daring to refine a perfect-grade elixir in front of a large audience. Therefore, Ye Yong believes that when normal spiritual herbs are used later, the elixirs refined by Long Tian will still be of high grade, but the quantity produced will increase by one or two.

At the same level, with a greater quantity, there is no doubt that Long Tian will still emerge victorious. However, compared to using herbs that lose potency to refine high-grade elixirs, using normal herbs and only increasing the quantity by one or two, the impact is clearly reduced by more than half.

Even though this is akin to speaking on behalf of the protagonist and assisting him, it can diminish his show-off benefits without him realizing he’s been tricked… Clearly doing something underhanded, yet in the eyes of others and the parties involved, it appears as a righteous act. Tsk tsk, Ye Yong thinks this move is definitely worth it.