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

There is a distinction between evil cultivators and demonic cultivators. Although under the perception of the old Immortal, Long Tian had discerned the cultivation level and demonic identity of the fifth elder of the Blood Flame Sect, he could not afford to let slip a word.

“Ignorance is no sin; you bear no fault.” Ye Yong was at a loss for words. Why were you so eager to take the blame at this moment? Were you thinking of repaying a debt? Please, don’t. I’m afraid. Your lack of repayment is the greatest form of gratitude.

“What a fine saying, ‘Ignorance is no sin! Truly a gentleman!” The old Immortal offered a high praise. He was adept at observing the nuances of expression; Ye Yong’s eyes, devoid of pretense, indicated he bore no grudge against Long Tian, even wishing for him not to take it to heart.

As the lofty young master of the Ye family, he maintained humility and courtesy in the face of a small cultivator without background. If this is not a gentleman, then who is?

Long Tian could sense it too; he held a deep respect for Ye Yong. This man was indeed different from the others, worthy of the title of the greatest prodigy of the Eastern Continent.

—

“People can lie, but details cannot.”

Every second spent in contact with Long Tian was a torment for Ye Yong. He asked if Long Tian was injured, forcibly shoved a second-grade perfect healing pill into his hands, and then turned to leave, claiming he had other matters to attend to.

Long Tian did not argue much about who was right or wrong. The so-called friendship of gentlemen is as light as water, marked by mutual tolerance and understanding. He held the pill Ye Yong had given him, watching the retreating figure, and tightened his grip on the vial, feeling for the first time a profound sense of defeat.

“Do not lose heart. The world is vast, and eras change; it is normal for an exceptional prodigy with both talent and mindset to emerge occasionally. As I’ve said, it doesn’t matter that you are at a distance from him now, for your starting points are different. As long as you work hard, you will close that gap in the future.” The old Immortal had faith in Long Tian, as well as in himself. He believed that under his guidance, it would not be a problem for Long Tian to become the strongest in the lower realms, and even if he were to return to the Immortal realm, he could still achieve something.

“I’m not disheartened. Having someone like him ahead as a goal makes me so happy, I can’t even express it.” Long Tian did not deceive the old Immortal; he truly felt he had lost to Ye Yong, but it was merely a loss for now—the future was still ahead.

Watching Ye Yong and the others depart in their flying vessel, Long Tian began to walk towards Ninghai City. He couldn’t afford a flying vessel; even if he could, he wouldn’t want to spend the money. After all, with that spare cash, he would rather buy more herbs to refine pills and improve himself.

Walking was just a slower option. Once he reached the Golden Core stage, he could fly with a sword, and the money for a flying vessel would be saved, wouldn’t it? As a poor beginner, Long Tian was very frugal with his expenditures.

—In the fruit forest;

“Miss, should we follow them?” The maid Mu Chai, named Song Song, asked, glancing at the pale-faced Ye Qingwu, whose injuries had not yet fully healed.

Earlier, before darkness fell, Song Song had noticed movement from the Star-Chasing Stone and immediately informed Ye Qingwu. To her surprise, upon learning the situation, Ye Qingwu insisted on coming over, only to find that Ye Yong had just left.

“There’s a sixth-layer transformation cultivator by his side. Although I can also exert sixth-layer power now and have no fear, he is a relative of Ye Yong. If he harbors hostility towards the demon race, he might attack us without hesitation. Regardless of the outcome, it would leave a rift in Ye Yong’s heart… Never mind, I should focus on healing first.”

Night Qingwu stood at the pinnacle of power, a demon king at the tenth level, stronger than the average cultivator of the same tier. She had investigated the Ye family; their most formidable ancestor was at the tenth level of transformation, yet he was currently in seclusion at Tianluo Sect. The rest of the Ye family elders barely reached the eighth level.

This was a world where strength reigned supreme. Night Qingwu displayed her formidable prowess, and the Ye family elders dared not act recklessly, granting her the time to converse with Ye Yong.

“So I told you, miss, to not worry and focus on healing. With the Star-Tracking Stone, that fellow can’t possibly slip away; there’s no need to rush,” the feathered maid said, her heart aching for her mistress, who had traveled so far, injured, all for a mere Ye Yong, fearing she might miss any opportunity.

Night Qingwu had sustained serious internal injuries while repelling the many elders of the Blood Flame Sect. More than ten days had passed, and she had yet to fully heal. The fact that she had recovered more than half was solely due to her demon lineage and high-grade elixirs. The Blood Flame Sect, however, lacked such favorable conditions; even after all this time, Elder Wu remained gravely injured, easily captured, unable to muster even a whimper.

“If I could receive his response sooner, I could find peace of mind. I was indeed too hasty this time; let’s head back.” In truth, Night Qingwu felt no regret about this outing, for she believed she had come to understand Ye Yong a little better.

As a gifted cultivator, she could easily regard mortals as mere ants, yet Ye Yong’s demeanor remained gentle, devoid of any airs. At Lingyou Mountain, he had treated the spirit fox with kindness; if he had ulterior motives, it would be normal for him to show a bit more favor. But with mortals, there was no benefit to be gained, no need to waste time.

People may lie, but details do not.

Night Qingwu believed Ye Yong to be a true gentleman, and her desire to win his favor deepened.

Silently, her affection increased by five points as she departed with her two maids.

——

The Star-Tracking Stone was a powerful tracking artifact, harnessing the power of the stars, undetectable by ordinary means, and Ye Yong was no exception. Of course, if he encountered Night Qingwu too often, as a man who had read the novel, he would eventually catch on and use the artifact to dispel the starry energy clinging to him.

Unfortunately, Night Qingwu and her companions arrived late, and with their artifact masking their presence, Ye Yong remained oblivious to their proximity, only puzzled when the system suddenly indicated an increase of five affection points.

In truth, Ye Yong’s fear of Long Tian was not unfounded. Even if Seventh Master hadn’t come along this time, Night Qingwu and her companions would still have saved Long Tian.

The Son of Heaven was not merely a title; even in a seemingly fatal situation, the heavens would leave a sliver of hope for Long Tian to escape.

In just one night, he had encountered Long Tian three times, leaving Ye Yong feeling quite unsettled, especially after their recent interaction.

But it was as it was; he could change nothing. He wished to return home and pet a fox to calm his nerves, only to hear Ye Wen say he intended to take Elder Wu of the Blood Flame Sect to the Great Zhou Dynasty for a bounty. Ye Yong worried that yet another strange “great achievement” might leak out, so he decided to accompany Ye Wen, determined to keep any potential accusations within a bearable range.

The Great Zhou Dynasty boasted three major cities.

Chengying City, Ninghai City, and Zhouyang City.

Chengying City lay to the south, Ninghai City to the west, and Zhouyang City to the east, the latter being the imperial city of the Great Zhou Dynasty. It may not be as vast as Chengying City or as economically prosperous as Ninghai City, but it was the very foundation of the Great Zhou, teeming with powerful figures.

As for why Ye Wen chose to go to Zhouyang City instead of the nearby Ninghai City, it was because he believed that capturing a demon cultivator at the transformation level would be safest if handed over to the imperial city.

The governor of Ninghai City was merely at the sixth layer of the Transformation stage. The demonic sect valued its reputation; if this demon cultivator happened to be a guardian elder of their sect, it would be troublesome if the entire sect launched an assault on Ninghai City to snatch him away.

Though Ninghai City boasted a formidable defensive array, surrounded by various righteous sects ready to lend support, under normal circumstances, the demonic sect would find it nearly impossible to breach. Yet, why not avoid trouble if it could be avoided?

Zhouyang City was under the watch of a powerful Void-penetrating expert from the Great Zhou Dynasty. Any schemes the demon cultivators might entertain would require careful consideration; they would not dare act recklessly.

The Ye family, while indeed the antagonists in the novel, was also a legitimate righteous family. Ye Wen would naturally take Ninghai City’s safety into account.

On the small flying boat heading to Zhouyang City, Ye Yong brewed a pot of tea, sitting beside Qin Shidream, while Ye Wen sat opposite them. Three people—no, three people and a pig—sipped tea together.

Ye Wen’s flying pig spirit pet possessed the cultivation of the Nascent Soul stage and was no fool; it could not be treated differently.

“Yong’er, you truly are remarkable! To brew such fine tea! If Fifth Brother knew, he would surely pester you for guidance,” Ye Wen remarked, taking a sip and clicking his tongue in admiration.

The flying pig spirit pet also sipped its hot tea, then nodded at Ye Yong in appreciation.