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

Ye Yong had procured some Qi Powder, and under the puzzled gazes of Ye Wen and the others, he sprinkled a portion over Mei Renxing’s corpse.

The powder quickly began to disperse, forming colored mists around the body.

White was the most prominent; first, he was of the human race, and second, it was humans who had imprisoned and bound him, which was entirely logical. Next came the purple, followed by a very dim black.

The presence of black did not surprise Ye Yong; after all, Mei Renxing had been discovered in the Cave of Evil Spirits, and upon his fall, he had come into contact with malevolent energy. The dimness of the black indicated that, over time, the malevolent energy had significantly dissipated. However, since the discovery and capture had not exceeded twelve hours, some residue remained.

The issue lay with the purple.

Purple signified the presence of demons, more intense than black, indicating that it had been acquired after leaving the Cave of Evil Spirits. While it was not as striking as white, it appeared quite fresh, suggesting that a demon had approached Mei Renxing in the recent past.

This was Ye Yong’s first time using Qi Powder, and he did not dare to make any guarantees, but he believed the truth would not stray far from his findings.

It was highly likely that Mei Renxing had been slain by a demon or a demon beast.

The Great Zhou Dynasty is a realm of humanity; not only the high-ranking officials, but even the guards cannot be demons. Old Gui is a spirit beast, and if he were to act, it would manifest in a yellow hue. However, as the guardian of the dynasty, Old Gui would not need to resort to stealth to eliminate a demonic cultivator.

Who could this demon be? What was the purpose of killing Mei Renxing?

“What do you think?” Seeing Ye Yong’s eyes darting back and forth, Ye Wen asked in a low voice.

Without holding back, Ye Yong revealed the effects of the Argument Powder and his deductions.

“If this powder you used is truly as miraculous as you say, then it is indeed very likely a demon’s doing,” Ye Wen stroked his chin thoughtfully. “I know all the transformation realm experts within the Great Zhou Dynasty; there are only a handful above the fifth level. While they may look down upon demonic cultivators, they would not stoop to such a disgraceful act against the dynasty. And most importantly, if the murderer is a demon, it explains how they could enter and commit murder without a sound. The differences between humans and demons are vast; unless one learns divine abilities, a human cannot change their form. But demons need not learn such skills; some are born capable of transforming into objects, evading human eyes. Not to mention, this demon is at least at the fifth level of transformation; deceiving guards who are at most at the nascent soul level would be far too easy. Unfamiliar with the environment, they need not worry about triggering restrictions; they can simply disguise themselves as items on a guard, allowing the guard to lead them.”

Upon hearing this, the guard who had been leading them suddenly realized, “It must be so! The prison’s restrictions are numerous and hidden; even we dare not move about recklessly. As long as it keeps changing its guide, it can approach the prisoner without activating the restrictions!”

After saying this, the guard quickly covered his mouth; he truly felt unworthy to interject in a conversation with Ye Wen, a transformation realm expert.

Ye Wen was not one to get angry over such trivial matters. He took out a communication stone and informed Zhou Suren of the situation.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Suren was indeed not disappointed in Ye Yong; he immediately gathered his men and rushed to the prison.

The effects of the Argument Powder were still present. Zhou Suren and several ministers carefully observed the purple mist, while one minister took out a treasure for detecting demonic energy, but it showed no residual traces of demonic presence.

After all, during their first inspection, they had thoroughly checked for various auras.

“What is the name of this miraculous powder?” Zhou Suren was not disbelieving of Ye Yong; after all, this matter was of great importance and required rigor.

“I beg your pardon, but I do not know, as it was found in the Black Water Secret Realm. At that time, only a note was left beside it, introducing its effects and usage,” Ye Yong replied, effortlessly shifting the blame. He had long mastered this skill.

The Black Water Secret Realm was the work of a demon clan sage; who knew what it originally was? What treasures lay within?

—

67 The Hidden Hand

As expected, Zhou Suren did not press further. However, without the ability to detect demonic energy, they could not track the murderer, leaving the case still unsolved.

At this moment, Ye Yong conveniently produced a complementary tool to the Argument Powder, the “Qi Seeking Compass.” Setting the purple mist as the tracking target, he handed the compass to Zhou Suren, who then passed it to a trusted minister. The minister immediately led a team to search for the murderer, following the compass’s guidance.

“Ah, the essence of fate is truly beyond words. Ye Wen, this time it is I who benefits from your Ye family’s fortune.” Zhou Suren could not possibly know that Ye Yong possessed a treasure pouch, nor had he ever considered that ‘fate’ could be coerced through a system. He believed that capturing the demon cultivator and uncovering the murderer was solely due to Ye Yong’s great fortune.

“Spare me the useless flattery; a token of gratitude is the true way.” Ye Wen was always mindful of securing benefits for his dear Yong’er, and as a friend, he felt no need to be polite with Zhou Suren.

“That is certain; I will include it with the bounty for capturing the demon cultivator. You will surely be satisfied.” The Great Zhou Dynasty was steeped in wealth, and Zhou Suren was indeed affluent. Moreover, establishing a good relationship with a promising young man was worth far more than mere material possessions.

“I am unworthy of such praise; I have merely contributed a meager effort.” Ye Yong, however, held little regard for the dynasty’s vast wealth; he only desired the ancient token. Zhou Suren’s favorable attitude was welcome, but it was still far from granting him access to the treasury to choose whatever he wished. If possible, Ye Yong hoped to accumulate the ‘token of gratitude’ until it reached a point where Zhou Suren would feel deeply indebted to him, naturally leading to an opening of the treasury.

“You call this a meager effort? Then what of my ministers and I, if not for naught? Do not worry; I will not shortchange you.”

Yet, no matter how Ye Yong tried to decline, the token of gratitude would be forcefully bestowed upon him. Who could understand his plight? Since his arrival in this world, his storage bags and rings had filled to the brim, and to outsiders, Ye Yong appeared to be swimming in wealth. Yet, in his eyes, none of it compared to the sense of security and stability that a few thousand reversal points provided.

Treasures that he could not use were not treasures at all; Ye Yong estimated he would need to find a time to gift some to the younger generation of the Ye family and those he deemed worthy.

—In the Imperial City;

Upon discovering the murder of Mei Renxing, the Imperial City immediately activated its highest level of alert. A powerful magical formation enveloped the entire city, preventing even a fly from escaping.

In the most prosperous commercial district of the Imperial City, within a top-tier restaurant’s private room on the highest floor.

A young man clad in purple, exuding an extraordinary presence, stood on the balcony, surveying the bustling crowd below with a gaze that dripped with disdain for the masses. He glanced once more at the resplendent palace in the distance, a scoff escaping his lips: “Insignificant human beings, lost in their own debauchery, ignorant of their lowly, raucous existence. Once I seize the throne of the Demon Emperor, I shall tear apart the peace treaty and turn all humans into my slaves, for all eternity.”

“Truly worthy of Young Master Peng!” Several sycophants behind him chimed in eagerly.

Suddenly, a strange, chilling wind swept in from the balcony, and a figure materialized in the room, kneeling on the floor: “As you wished, Young Master, I have successfully tortured and killed the elder of the Blood Flame Sect in a cruel manner.”

The young man known as Young Master Peng turned, nodding with satisfaction: “Well done. This demon cultivator was fortunate to be captured by human cultivators ahead of time. A mere, unheard-of little demon sect dared to harm my woman! I will ensure that all remaining members are found! All will be offered in blood sacrifice!”

“If Miss Ye Qingwu knew of your silent dedication, Young Master, she would surely be moved.”

“Indeed, if it weren’t for the Blood Flame Sect’s rat-like evasion, all scattered, I could have wiped them out myself.”

“Enough of that; they have a tenth-level transformation expert. Miss Ye risked injury to repel them; what can you do?”

What began as a session of flattery quickly devolved into self-praise and mutual mockery.

The reason was simple: everyone wanted to leave a good impression on Young Master Peng.

“Enough. Find one and kill him.” Young Master Peng produced a fifth-grade demon core, tossing it to the kneeling figure: “This is the promised reward; there will be more once we leave this place.”