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

“Engaged in important discussions? Very well.” Who else could this unexpected visitor be but Qin Shimeng? Yet she harbored no suspicions, nodding slightly before taking a seat in a nearby pavilion, waiting in silence. Little did she know, this wait would stretch on for half the day, from morning until nightfall.

—

The Forbidden Grounds of the Southern District

Several hours prior.

“Indeed, it seems I, Yunqi, have been woefully ignorant. I never imagined Young Master Ye would possess such mastery over the art of tea.” After the eunuchs and maids had departed, Zhou Yunqi watched as Ye Yong brewed a pot of exquisite spirit tea with his intricate techniques, her admiration palpable.

The art of tea was an obscure path, one of considerable difficulty, not unlike alchemy. It was typically pursued by those elderly scholars who found themselves at a standstill, seeking a diversion. Yet here was Ye Yong, young and already adept in this craft—his talent was nothing short of remarkable.

“A mere trifle, hardly worth mentioning.” Ye Yong poured tea for both of them, then began to engage in light conversation.

Ye Yong had a knack for finding topics, and Zhou Yunqi was equally eloquent; their dialogue flowed effortlessly. It was not until midday that Zhou Yunqi realized how swiftly time had passed. As a princess of the dynasty, she could not afford to reveal her intentions too overtly, needing to gauge whether Ye Yong harbored any interest in her as well. Thus, she suggested a stroll outside, a way to extend their time together while also fulfilling her task of familiarizing Ye Yong with the palace.

Ye Yong had just begun to inquire about the Sacred Academy, and with the new female sovereign still a distance away, he readily agreed.

“Shall we not exit through the main gate?” Zhou Yunqi pointed towards the study. “I wish to show you the royal secret passages.”

“Secret passages?” Having read the novels, Ye Yong was well aware, yet he feigned surprise. “I thought only the Emperor’s chambers would possess such things.”

“Every palace has them, for emergencies. Only the royal family and a select few close to them are privy to this knowledge; it has not been shared with outsiders.”

“Is it permissible for you to tell me?”

“My father holds you in high regard and shares a deep friendship with Lord Ye Wen. I believe it should be fine.” Zhou Yunqi’s intention was to foster a sense of belonging for Ye Yong, to make him understand that the Great Zhou Dynasty did not view him as an outsider.

“Please, do not let my presence cause any trouble for you, Princess.”

“Rest assured, Young Master Ye, it will not.”

“Since that is the case, Your Highness need not use honorifics with me; you may simply call me by my name.” The other party sought to bridge the distance, and Ye Yong knew he must respond in kind.

Zhou Yunqi, upon hearing this, was pleasantly surprised, though she maintained her composure, her brows lifting slightly, a smile gracing her lips. “Then you need not use honorifics with me either. I am older than you, so if you don’t mind, just call me Sister Yunqi.”

“Alright.”

No matter the relationship, it all begins with how one addresses the other.

As they conversed, Zhou Yunqi led Ye Yong into the study, activating a mechanism. Soon, a row of bookshelves rumbled, shifting backward to reveal a hidden passage.

Each palace had its own secret passage, though they did not connect; all were of the same design, a curve that led from the ground down below and back up again.

Once the mechanism was activated, the spirit lamps in the passage lit up automatically. One could only say that a dynasty is a dynasty; even the secret passage was adorned, starkly contrasting with Ye Yong’s impression of a crude escape route. Walking side by side, they found the space ample, the exit leading to a rocky garden near the palace.

At this moment, Zhou Yunqi began to explain the layout of the palace facilities to Ye Yong, though he was already well aware.

“Is there anywhere you wish to go? The North Palace is inconvenient, but I could take you around the periphery of the royal treasury, which is a forbidden area.”

The North Palace housed the queen and concubines; unless one was foolish enough to provoke Zhou Suren, Ye Yong would never suggest going there. As for the forbidden treasury, according to the plot, after Zhou Suren was killed by the protagonist Long Tian, the Nineteenth Prince ascended to the throne. The guardian of the Great Zhou Dynasty, that ancient turtle, recognized Long Tian’s extraordinary nature. Since Long Tian did not wipe out the royal family, the Zhou bloodline continued to govern, and thus the turtle did not act against him, even allowing Long Tian to visit the treasury.

The protagonist was the protagonist precisely because he was unlike ordinary people. While supplementing his desired resources, Long Tian inadvertently discovered an ancient token.

What was the purpose of this ancient token? It was meant to unlock a certain ancient secret realm’s restrictions, requiring a total of three tokens.

One from the Great Zhou Dynasty’s treasury, one from the Liang family’s treasury of the Da Luo Dynasty, and one from the restricted library of the Holy Academy on the Eastern Continent.

The difficulty of obtaining them was immense, but the rewards were equally rich.

“Let’s just stroll around the periphery; even if we can’t get close, a distant view is still worthwhile.” In truth, Ye Yong wished to see if he could attract the attention of that ancient turtle. If he could gain its recognition, he would be able to enter and exit the treasury freely without the emperor’s consent.

Otherwise, Ye Yong could hardly fathom how he might obtain a token. Even if Zhou Suren admired him enough to marry the princess to him, it was unlikely he would allow him into the treasury to take a token that the entire dynasty was unaware of its purpose, yet appeared exceedingly rare and valuable.

Ye Yong was not on the protagonist’s path; he could not rely on killing or robbing, but could only resort to cunning and luck.

—Southern District;

As a royal princess, Zhou Yunqi could not delve too deeply into the forbidden areas. That she could bring Ye Yong to walk around the treasury’s periphery was already quite remarkable. If Ye Yong were alone, he would be warned before even approaching; if he continued, the guards would immediately launch an attack.

The accumulated foundation of the Great Zhou Dynasty over millennia was indeed formidable. The treasury occupied a third of the southern district of the palace, gleaming with gold and splendor, resembling a colossal beast adorned in gold, exuding an imposing aura.

“Many first-time visitors to the palace enjoy wandering over here.” Zhou Yunqi explained to Ye Yong the details of the treasure vault’s layout, and even though Ye Yong had not stepped inside, it felt as if he had experienced it firsthand.

As for whether revealing the vault’s intricate layout to outsiders might attract thieves, the Great Zhou Dynasty had never feared such things.

First, the guards were formidable; even the weakest among them were at the mid-stage of the Golden Core, while the strongest had reached the initial stage of the Transformation God. Second, the vault was protected by numerous magical formations and restrictions, allowing the guards to fight above their level. Third, each group of guards had their designated area; from the moment they took their posts to when they left, they would not change, and they were unaware of how the restrictions in other areas operated. Those selected to guard the forbidden grounds were all loyal to the Great Zhou royal family; even if there were a few traitors, they were but one or two, incapable of leaking any useful information. Fourth, the guardian of the Void resided within the forbidden area—who would dare to offend?

Ye Yong listened to Zhou Yunqi’s introduction, nodding occasionally. Once she finished, he pointed to a small bamboo grove beside the glittering treasure vault, which seemed out of place. “What is that place?”

“That is the residence of our Zhou family’s ancestor.” Zhou Yunqi’s voice lowered significantly, her tone filled with profound respect.

Aside from the emperors of past generations, everyone else believed the figure to be the Zhou clan’s ancestor.

“Is that the one from the Void?” Ye Yong also lowered his voice.

“Mm, although I have never seen the ancestor since my birth, not even my mother has, I have heard many tales from my father. It is said that he stepped into the mid-stage of the Void a hundred years ago…”

Mid-stage, what a joke; he hadn’t even taken the final step, merely at the third layer of the Void.