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

“Send word down to check if there are any civilian casualties…” Zhou Suren began, but then he saw Ye Yong produce a brand-new, oddly-shaped compass, and he immediately halted: “What is this?”

“Found in the Black Water Secret Realm, the specific name eludes me, but the ancient texts left behind say it can…” Ye Yong rambled on, “I hope it can assist Your Majesty in uncovering the lurking threats.”

Zhou Suren and the others harbored no doubts; the Black Water Secret Realm was teeming with monstrous beasts, perhaps this was what they were sworn to protect. After all, this Demon-Hunting Disk was akin to a mirror for them, no matter how well they hid, their true forms would be laid bare.

“You understand,” Ye Wen said, a smile dancing in his eyes as he regarded Zhou Suren.

“The rewards shall not be scant; do not take me for a miser, will you?” In truth, Zhou Suren felt more indebted to Ye Yong on a spiritual level than for any tangible reward. He believed this was the third time he had benefited from Ye Yong’s fortune.

“There’s truly no need for anything. If we speak of this matter, it is the result of the magic cultivator brought by the younger generation and Seventh Master,” Ye Yong quickly asserted.

“That is a grave misjudgment,” Zhou Suren shook his head. “Your ability to hand over the magic cultivator to me is a testament to your trust in the Great Zhou Dynasty. The failure to keep the magic cultivator in check, allowing it to be slain, is a dereliction of duty on the dynasty’s part. Your repeated ability to present treasures gained through peril is a favor owed to you by the dynasty. Accept it with peace of mind; do not put me in a difficult position, where the magic cultivator is lost and the favor remains unpaid.”

Shen Ao also spoke earnestly, “Young Master Ye, the first time we hunted a demon, it was my oversight. I wasted your good intentions. This time, I shall surely capture the mastermind behind it. Should I fail, I will present my head!”

“The General speaks too heavily; do your utmost, for none can know the true strength of the opponent,” Ye Yong did not believe Shen Ao was jesting. A martial general like him held his reputation in high regard; having failed to capture demons in the imperial city repeatedly, he felt he owed an apology to the title of Guardian General, and it was indeed possible he might take his own life over it.

In the novel, Shen Ao, fully aware that Zhou Suren was trapped in a deadly situation, still charged in without hesitation to save his lord—a true loyal minister and martyr.

“No matter how strong the opponent may be, this time they shall not escape. Your Majesty, please allow me to utilize the Imperial Heaven Array Flags.”

“Granted.” Zhou Suren retrieved six flags radiating a powerful aura from his storage ring.

The Imperial Heaven Array Flags could summon the city’s protective formation; without royal blood, Shen Ao could wield at most two-thirds of their power, yet that was sufficient to confront an enemy at the mid-stage of the Void Realm.

Shen Ao respectfully accepted the Imperial Heaven Array Flags and the Nine-Phase Sun and Moon Demon-Hunting Disk, then swiftly departed.

——

The sky was a murky gray, dawn at five o’clock. As the imperial city, Zhou Yang City was a gathering place for cultivators, essentially a city that never slept, bustling at all hours. The first and second ring roads surrounding the palace were even more vibrant, with lights and revelry, the bustling commercial streets filled with inebriated young nobles.

The demon kings found it all too easy to extract information; unfortunately, many of the young lords they approached were blissfully ignorant. After all, those who drank until dawn were mostly the careless sort, living off their families, waiting for death—how could they possibly know what transpired within the palace?

Yet, Young Master Peng had declared that if they returned without news, it would be impossible for them to go back. Thus, even without success, they had to continue testing their luck.

A demon king, whose true form was that of a tiger, fixed a chilling gaze on the pale, drunken young lords, wishing he could swallow them whole. Literally, devour them whole.

The appetizers were filled with liquor; once bitten, the blood and spirit wine would mix, neither too salty nor too bland, a delightful taste… Just the thought made the tiger demon salivate uncontrollably.

But he remembered Young Master Peng’s orders—no trouble should be stirred. Otherwise, before the humans could act, Young Master Peng would be the first to strike him down.

A Meal Full and Every Meal Full, the Tiger Demon Knows the Difference.

At that moment, a group of elite soldiers clad in dark golden armor passed by.

The Tiger Demon couldn’t help but sneer within. Just with you weaklings of the Golden Core human race, you think you can capture us, the demon kings?

The elite soldiers halted near the Tiger Demon, inquiring of passersby if they had seen any suspicious figures.

Suddenly, a golden figure appeared within the Tiger Demon’s line of sight. The Tiger Demon narrowed his eyes slightly; among the humans he had encountered in Central City, this general was the one who posed the greatest threat.

Like Liu Xu, the Tiger Demon was at the fifth level of demon kings. Although he was much stronger in direct confrontation than Liu Xu, facing a battle-hardened human general still made him feel a twinge of unease. But it mattered not; the other party could never discover his identity. The Tiger Demon brushed past Shen Ao.

Unexpectedly, Shen Ao erupted, launching a fierce attack. The Tiger Demon was caught off guard, spitting out a mouthful of blood, and was about to flee. Little did he know, the elite soldiers who had been questioning the passersby were merely feigning ignorance; they had already formed a formation in the shadows.

If it were a formation of ordinary people, the Tiger Demon would have no fear—one would eat one—but this formation was linked to the city’s protective array, extraordinarily powerful, leaving the Tiger Demon unable to find a breakthrough.

“Have you all gone mad? I’m just an ordinary cultivator! Harming my own kind, what are your intentions?” The Tiger Demon still refused to believe he had been exposed, clinging to a sliver of hope.

“With your kind, you dare to claim kinship with us?” Shen Ao snorted coldly, unleashing all his strength, swiftly subduing the Tiger Demon in a matter of moments.

Then, employing the same tactics, he took advantage of the demon kings’ overconfidence, unaware of their exposure, to lay his plans in secret. Even when encountering demon kings of higher cultivation, with the aid of the city’s protective array, Shen Ao successfully completed the capture.

At six o’clock, dawn broke, and the Nine Directions Sun and Moon Compass indicated that only one remained.

—

71 A Good Emperor

“General Shen, those demon kings refuse to reveal their identities or their purpose for entering the imperial city,” the Minister of Justice reported briefly on the interrogation results.

“Counting the deceased Wood Demon and those yet to be captured, a total of nine demons have appeared within the city… From my observation of their cultivation, the highest is merely at the eighth level of demon kings, and during the capture, no powerful magical artifact energy was used to slay the Wood Demon. Clearly, the last demon is their leader; capturing him may unravel all our doubts.”

Though Shen Ao was a martial general, he was not a fool. Based on the imperial city map and the demon-seeking compass, he could roughly deduce that the last demon was hiding in the “Drunken Immortal Pavilion,” the very tavern where the Wood Demon was first discovered.

Knowing the location, the reason for not immediately launching a capture was the consideration of the other party’s strength; a comprehensive plan must be in place.

Those who venture to the Drunken Immortal Pavilion are either wealthy or noble, and the surrounding buildings are owned by many esteemed families. If that demon were to resist fiercely, without proper preparations, it could lead to significant losses.

Though capturing demons is a means to eliminate hidden dangers, the noble families dare not voice complaints afterward. Yet, with the task entrusted to him by His Majesty, Shen Ao naturally strives to do his utmost, seeking to minimize losses as much as possible.

The Minister of Justice is a clever man, aware of Shen Ao’s concerns, and thus proposes, “What if we escort those demons to the training grounds, claiming we intend to execute them, luring the enemy into a trap?”

Shen Ao ponders for a moment, then shakes his head. “The enemy is decisive in their actions; if they sense danger, they will not hesitate to kill the wooden demon. They could just as easily allow those demons to be executed. Perhaps we won’t even need to intervene; before those demons can divulge any useful information, the enemy might start silencing them.”

“Silencing them indicates they wish to conceal their identities… Could they be from a certain demon clan?”

“Not without possibility; we must tread carefully.” After a moment of thought, Shen Ao reveals his strategy. “Rather than luring them into a trap, it would be better for us to take the initiative. They have not acted yet, likely unaware that we have captured all their subordinates. Here’s the plan: you and I will remain hidden for now, let…”

—Drunken Immortal Pavilion;