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

The guards stood rigidly, hastily responding, “It was Xia Zhi!”

“Blind man?”

“No, no, he’s surnamed Xia, given name Zhi.”

“Where is Xia Zhi now?”

“He’s currently under investigation by the Ministry of Punishment; all the colleagues on duty have gone there.”

Ye Yong nodded, understanding that it was only natural for the guards on duty to be the first ones questioned after such an incident.

“Do you know the last time Mei Renxing was seen alive?”

“I heard it was during the Hai hour. We check on the prisoners every hour, and we found him dead at the Zi hour.”

The Hai hour was just past nine in the evening, a time when Ye Yong had been brewing tea and chatting idly with Qin Shidream. The Zi hour was eleven at night, when he had been engaged in “friendly exchanges” with her.

He quickly shook his head, dismissing the errant thoughts, as the grim reaper’s theme continued to play in his mind, attempting to don the hat of a detective: “So, the incident occurred between the Hai and Zi hours. Was there anything unusual during that time? Like someone suddenly fainting, drawing the guards’ attention?”

“None that I know of.”

As Ye Yong questioned, Ye Wen was surveying the room. He had never entered before; upon receiving the news, the first thing he did was rush to Ye Yong’s residence. Setting aside the fact that Mei Renxing was already cold, even if he hadn’t died, if he had been attacked, Ye Wen would still prioritize Ye Yong’s safety above all else.

The secret chamber was located underground, surrounded by reinforced earth. Even if someone were adept in earth evasion techniques, they would trigger the prohibitions. To enter silently without damaging any walls, one could only come through the main door, but unlocking the prison gate required overcoming numerous restrictions. With so many guards present, not a single one had noticed anything unusual, nor had there been any casualties… this was highly illogical.

As a cultivator, Qin Shidream was not the type to scream at the sight of a corpse; she too was observing her surroundings, deep in thought.

“So, after the body was discovered, there were no signs that the restrictions on the prison door had been undone, correct?”

“Exactly.”

66 Clue

Ye Yong finished his question and fell into silence.

This was truly a complete sealed chamber. If it were in a tale of a grim reaper’s elementary school, any criminal attempting to lock the door with a fishhook or feigning a locked door, only to twist it open while crashing against it, would find such tricks utterly futile.

In the world of cultivation, one could search souls; no secret could remain hidden. Thus, it was impossible for the guards to be in collusion with the crime.

But to be stabbed eighty-one times—one could hardly claim that Mei Renxing had taken his own life, could they?

Ye Yong pondered deeply, considering that if a human could not achieve this, then perhaps it was the work of spirit beasts, demons, or other supernatural entities?

He opened the system shop and began to search for items, quickly locating something called “Breath Discerning Powder.” After skimming the description, he learned it could identify scents not older than twelve hours, no matter how well they were concealed.

Humans would emit a white aura, spirit beasts an orange one, demons a purple hue, and ghosts a black shadow.

Zhou Suren and the others believed this was likely the work of a demonic cultivator silencing someone or a public official with a grudge against Mei Renxing, seeking revenge through abuse of power. Yet, as a transmigrator, Ye Yong’s thoughts were more expansive.

The Breath Discerning Powder was quite expensive; a small pouch cost a thousand reversal points, indicating it was a high-grade item.

“I wish to examine the body; I may need to use some magical tools. That should be acceptable, right?”

“This is not something a mere commoner can decide.” The guard glanced at Ye Wen, who was pacing and lost in thought, his meaning clear. As a close ally of the Emperor, Ye Wen held considerable power: “The tools for scent tracking and soul summoning have all been employed by the Ministry of Justice. This demonic cultivator’s soul was directly torn apart, bleeding out slowly until death, leaving no suspicious traces behind.”

The guard offered a reminder, not wanting Ye Yong to waste his efforts.

“I see.” Ye Yong nodded. To tear apart the soul of a third-tier transformation cultivator without raising any alarm—no wonder it was said that the assailant’s cultivation must be at least fifth-tier or higher.

But items produced by the system were guaranteed to be of high quality; the steep price of the Breath Discerning Powder surely had its reasons.

“Seventh Master, inform His Majesty that I wish to use a small item on this corpse.”

“Oh?” Ye Wen, lost in thought, pulled himself back, casting a curious glance at Ye Yong, but he did not press for details. Instead, he directly used a communication stone to contact Zhou Suren.

This, indeed, is the immeasurable trust that the villainous elder places in the younger generation.

If it were the protagonist, Long Tian, a swarm of elders would surely emerge from the shadows, mocking and deriding him, claiming he was oblivious to the vastness of the heavens and the earth, foolishly attempting to uncover clues that even the mighty transformation masters could not. This would inevitably lead to a series of pointless, ostentatious face-slapping incidents.

—Imperial Study;

Zhou Suren was seething with rage over the murder of Mei Renxing, summoning the relevant ministers for a scathing reprimand. Upon hearing that Ye Yong wished to try his hand at the investigation, his mood suddenly lightened considerably.

It is somewhat amusing; he had personally examined Mei Renxing’s corpse with a group of experienced subordinates, yet found no useful information… and yet, for some reason, it was only Ye Yong, with his crystallized cultivation, who expressed a desire to attempt it, creating an illusion that he might uncover a breakthrough.

“The dead demon cultivator holds little value now; let him proceed without worry,” Zhou Suren affirmed, pocketing the communication stone and resuming his seat on the dragon throne.

In the center of the Imperial Study stood over a dozen ministers, trembling with anxiety. The sudden cessation of the emperor’s wrath left them curious, yet none dared to inquire. Thus, they waited in a thick atmosphere of tension, their hearts racing.

Zhou Suren could only hope that Ye Yong would work a miracle. If the murderer was not apprehended, the face of the Great Zhou Dynasty would be utterly lost. Of course, he would not rush to the dungeons just yet; if Ye Yong failed to find any leads, it would undoubtedly weigh heavily on him. After all, he was young, eager to help, and the disappointment of not meeting expectations could be crushing.

Moreover, it was already commendable for Ye Yong to step forward and take a chance. In stark contrast, his own princes remained silent, seemingly afraid of attracting trouble, which greatly displeased Zhou Suren.

In truth, the princes did not lack the desire to achieve merit before their father; they simply lacked the courage and ability. Unlike Ye Yong, who whimsically indulged in his detective fantasies without concern for the outcome, the princes understood that their every action bore significant consequences. Without absolute certainty, they would not act recklessly. They were not idle, however; each was gathering intelligence in their own quarters, seeking to understand the situation.

Regardless, the exceptional always seemed to belong to others. In the presence of Ye Yong, a mere wallflower, the princes found themselves at a disadvantage.

—Dungeons;