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

Unless the current emperor made a decision that could undermine the very foundation of the dynasty, he would not intervene.

“Understood.” Zhou Yunqi dared not press further, fearing to displease the elder.

“We’ve wandered enough here. Sister Yunqi, why not take me to see another place? How about the East Palace? I’m quite curious about where the princes reside.” As this was their first meeting, Ye Yong could not expect Elder Gui to immediately escort him into the treasury to retrieve ancient tokens. Merely making an acquaintance was a satisfactory outcome; the chances of seeing him again would be greater next time. It was best to keep it brief; forcing a stilted conversation would only tarnish the good impression made.

“Of course.” Zhou Yunqi shared the concern of disturbing the elder.

Soon, the two bid farewell to Elder Gui.

Elder Gui stood rooted, watching Ye Yong’s retreating figure. “Such a young man, so attuned to propriety, is truly rare in my lifetime, and he possesses considerable talent. Though the divine turtle may live long, does it not have its end? If I cannot break through, my time is drawing near as well. Alas.”

Then, recalling the subsequent verses, his furrowed brow eased slightly. “The ebb and flow of time is not solely in the heavens. The blessings of nurturing joy can grant one longevity. As the end approaches, worry is futile; better to relax the mind, perhaps I may live a few more days.”

A gust of wind swept by, and the figures had vanished, even the guards unaware of the old man’s presence and his conversation with Ye Yong.

The forbidden grounds of the southern district remained, as ever, solemn and silent.

—

58 Mourning

Buliu Village

By the time Long Tian returned to the village, it was already afternoon. Every household had hung white cloth at their doors; Uncle Liu had yet to be interred, and the villagers awaited Long Tian to arrange the funeral rites.

Upon entering the house, Long Tian stood by the bedside, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Uncle Liu. If it weren’t for me, you would surely have lived a long life. Rest assured, I will make the hidden hand pay the price, whether it be Bai Song of the Bai family or the sinister Mantis Sect.”

After opening his eyes, Long Tian’s gaze was filled with a fierce killing intent. Yet, upon seeing Liu Bo’s kind face, that intent softened a fraction. He placed the candied nut grass into Liu Bo’s embrace: “I brought you the treats you always said you wanted.”

Kneeling on the ground, Long Tian bowed several times before the corpse: “In this life, I could not repay your great kindness and virtue; in the next life, I shall repay it a hundredfold.”

He shared some heartfelt words with Liu Bo before calling in the village chief and others waiting outside.

Once the village chief and a few elders entered, a spirit medium began to summon souls or perhaps to soothe the departed; Long Tian was not quite sure. To him, the spirit medium resembled a charlatan. Perhaps some of them could indeed commune with spirits, but Long Tian himself was a cultivator—he could not only communicate with spirits but could also exterminate them. He held the spirit medium in contempt.

Though Liu Bo had died an unnatural death, he bore no strong resentment or bitterness before passing. On the contrary, it relieved Long Tian that he would not be a burden, allowing him to depart in peace, leaving no lingering soul behind.

Every village has its customs and traditions. Liu Bo, being a native of Bu Liu Village, should be buried according to its rites. Thus, even though Long Tian found the spirit medium’s efforts to be futile and somewhat bothersome, he acquiesced.

After the spirit medium finished her rituals, the village chief and a few elders who could speak well offered their condolences, and Liu Bo was formally placed in the coffin.

As he watched the coffin slowly close, Long Tian’s emotions were complex, for he knew this was the last time he would see Liu Bo’s visage.

Once the coffin was sealed, several strong young men lifted it to the square, where villagers of all ages gathered to pay their respects. If any elder in the village had passed, it would not have drawn such a crowd, but Liu Bo had raised Long Tian, who had become a cultivator—his status now surpassed even that of the village chief.

The sky was overcast, as if it might rain at any moment. Long Tian donned mourning attire, and the villagers did the same. Together, they listened as the spirit medium recounted Liu Bo’s life story, from birth to death. As night fell, after the medium performed her rites, the village began to feast.

At the dining table, no one spoke or laughed; the atmosphere was heavy.

Long Tian took a bite of food but found it hard to swallow, his appetite gone. He set down his bowl and chopsticks, sitting in silence.

The villagers continued their meals, undisturbed; they ate and drank, never speaking of what should not be said.

“Dong…” Suddenly, Long Tian noticed the wine cup on the table, rippling slightly.

The villagers chatted in half-hearted exchanges, and aside from the cries of a small child, no one seemed to notice anything amiss.

Long Tian initially thought someone had bumped the table, but soon the wine began to ripple again.

“There must be some colossal creature approaching, or perhaps a swarm of them,” the old Immortal of the Fallen Stars remarked, his spiritual sense limited, unable to perceive distant happenings, yet he offered his judgment.

“What could it be? Could it be the people from the Black Mantis Sect?” Long Tian’s expression changed.

“Go check the nearby mountains, and do it quickly.”

Without needing the old Immortal’s stature, Long Tian was already on the move.

The village chief asked where Long Tian was headed, and Long Tian merely replied that he was wandering about, with no fixed plans. He dared not alarm the villagers, especially now that darkness had fallen; to leave the village recklessly could invite an attack from wild beasts.

With swift determination, Long Tian climbed to the peak overlooking Bu Liu Village, gazing into the distance. Soon, he spotted a blaze rising high from Mei Ren Village, several shadowy figures flitting through the flames.

Long Tian produced a scouting talisman, rubbing it against his eyes, pushing his vision to its limits. He was startled to clearly discern the true forms of those shadows—they were magical beasts.

“How can there be magical beasts appearing here?!” Long Tian exclaimed, alarmed. Magical beasts were no trifling matter; they were ferocious and bloodthirsty, more troublesome than even demon beasts.

“Strange, strange indeed. The ley lines here show no anomalies, and we are not far from the kingdom’s city-states. By rights, there shouldn’t be a horde of magical beasts forming.”

“There are people on top of them!” Long Tian noticed several figures riding the beasts.

“Surely they are from some sinister sect that breeds magical beasts, using the flesh and resentment of mortals to strengthen them.”

“They’re so close, and they seem to be heading this way. I must inform the village chief!” Long Tian hurried back to the village, relaying the news of the approaching danger to the villagers and urging them to leave immediately.

In the midst of their feast, upon hearing Long Tian’s warning, the villagers fell into a panic. Long Tian provided the village chief with some communication talismans and life-saving charms that required no spiritual energy to activate, assuring him that he would stay behind to buy them time, while they made their way to the nearest city. If the danger passed, he would notify them to return.

Mortals held a near-blind trust in cultivators; no one doubted Long Tian. They hurriedly departed, some even attempting to return home for their belongings, only to be stopped by the village chief. Fearing that the villagers might end up destitute in the city without money, Long Tian retrieved several precious banknotes and a few low-grade spirit stones from his storage ring, ensuring they would have enough to sustain themselves temporarily.

After the villagers carried Uncle Liu’s coffin away, Long Tian immediately set off toward Mei Ren Village. Uncle Liu had passed away; he could not allow the body to be desecrated, nor did he wish for the villagers connected to him to come to harm.

Of course, Long Tian did not intend to confront the horde of magical beasts head-on. He needed to ascertain their strength first. If they were formidable, he would fight while retreating, leading the beasts away. If they were weak, he would not hesitate to eliminate them, securing a safe environment for Bu Liu Village.