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

Moreover, the impending arrival of the Demon Clan’s Holy Son was an even greater trouble, bound to erupt before the traitor’s time bomb, and far more dangerous.

“Guard against spies, guard against the Demon Clan, internal and external troubles. Perhaps this is the punishment bestowed by the heavens for seizing the protagonist’s fortune,” Ye Yong sighed.

The little magic carpet glided steadily onward. Hours later, just as he was nearing the borders of Tianluo Sect, passing through a thicket of trees, a sudden flash of purple light blocked his path.

A bad premonition.

Ye Yong quickly veered aside, stealthily pulling out the Demon Seeking Compass, discovering three small light points alarmingly close to him.

Could it be Peng Zhang??

Ye Yong hastened the speed of his little magic carpet.

“Hey! Why are you running? Don’t you see my lady is looking for you?” A voice tinged with anger rang out from the side. Ye Yong turned to see it was not Peng Zhang or his subordinates, but rather the feather-adorned maid beside Ye Qingwu.

He recalled her name was Keke, a name that sounded cute, and she was indeed beautiful, but her temperament was explosively irritable. Liang Xiaorou was also quick to anger, but hers stemmed from shyness, resulting in awkwardness.

This Keke, however, was truly volatile, especially when it involved Ye Qingwu; her intelligence dropped to -100, while her rage soared to +10000.

Possessing the bloodline of the Bi Fang bird and at the fourth layer of transformation, her flying speed was far beyond that of the little magic carpet. Ye Yong had no choice but to stop, forcing an awkward yet polite smile: “I’m sorry, I thought I was under attack.”

Ye Yong was puzzled as to how she had found him. The wilderness was vast, and the aura-revealing artifacts were in effect; under normal circumstances, it should have been impossible for her to detect him.

“Hmph, if I truly wanted to attack you, this weak little human bug, would you even notice?” Keke scoffed disdainfully, gesturing for Ye Yong to come down to the ground.

Ye Yong secretly layered several defensive charms upon himself, feeling a slight sense of security as he followed behind and entered a cave nestled within the forest.

Inside the cave, there were no decorations to speak of; the air lingered with a faint, feminine fragrance. Ye Yong surmised that they did not reside here but had chosen this place temporarily. After all, the dwelling of a demon clan’s saintess could not possibly be so rudimentary. Setting aside the gold and jewels, there would surely be flowers and plants aplenty.

A temporary hideout, combined with their ability to track his movements across the vast wilderness, led Ye Yong to reflect on the novel’s content and recent events, slowly piecing together how he had been exposed.

Last time, Long Tian had brought back a strange bead from outside, which was passed to Lu Xiaoxiao, and then to Ye Yong. The moment he touched it, he felt an inexplicable chill; at the time, his body showed no signs of discomfort or poisoning, so he had thought little of it. Now, it seemed he had been imbued with the power of the stars.

Ye Yong had no knowledge of how Long Tian and Ye Qingwu had crossed paths; he only knew that he had inadvertently been caught up in the protagonist’s affairs.

Very well. Ye Yong resolved that next time, he would dig three feet into the ground to seize every opportunity, leaving not a single hair for Long Tian.

The deeper he ventured into the cave, the stronger the feminine fragrance became. Ye Yong did not find it unpleasant, but he felt that such a pleasant scent would lull him into a false sense of security, dulling his instincts. Thus, he chose to hold his breath.

“Hmph…” The figure ahead could clearly sense Ye Yong’s restrained breathing and turned back to glance at him, her gaze carrying a hint of acknowledgment for his self-awareness.

Along the cave walls, spirit lamps hung at intervals, casting a gentle light that dispelled the darkness. Before long, Ye Yong found himself before a curtain, behind which a graceful silhouette flickered in the light.

Another maid, adorned with a wooden hairpin, noticed Ye Yong’s entrance and hurriedly poured him a cup of tea at the stone table, her demeanor flustered.

Ye Yong couldn’t help but steal a few glances at her. A rare wood spirit named Song Song, like Ke Ke, had little narrative presence in the novel, merely serving as a maid who sacrificed herself during the mid-stage Demon Emperor War to protect her mistress.

He had encountered her once at Lingyou Mountain, but she had been heavily cloaked, her face obscured. Now, dressed normally and with her face revealed, she appeared entirely different.

Especially since the novel made no mention of this wood spirit, Song Song, being a pure and lovely girl with ample curves.

Of course, Ye Yong held no strange intentions; he simply found it novel and quickly averted his gaze, taking a seat to face the enchanting figure behind the curtain.

“Last time, I was interrupted by some irrelevant individuals, and I have yet to inquire about the esteemed name of the Demon King.” Ye Yong’s expression remained calm and composed, showing no signs of fear or hesitation despite the presence of three demon kings, nor did he mention the trouble he had caused them.

Within the curtain, Ye Qingwu reclined gracefully on a soft couch. Ye Yong’s natural demeanor pleased her; had it been any other human, not to mention a mere crystallization, even a divine transformation before her would likely stammer nervously.

After a period of recuperation, Ye Qingwu’s injuries had nearly healed. A few days prior, she had sensed the stirring of the star power attached to Ye Yong, reigniting her desire to engage with him. Thus, based on the direction indicated by the star compass, she had intercepted him midway.

“Nightingale Clan, Ye Qingwu.”

“Nightingale Clan? Could it be from Fengming Forest…?”

“Oh? You actually know of Fengming Forest?”

02 So Able to Lick

“May I ask what brings you, Night Senior?” From their first encounter as adversaries, to a second meeting where they spoke calmly, and now this third time, where she openly sought to know him, Ye Yong had begun to piece together the intentions of Ye Qingwu.

As the saintess of the Nightingale clan, Ye Qingwu was far from a mindless or inept individual; she was a formidable candidate for the title of Demon Emperor. In the tale, the Black Water Secret Realm was inadvertently destroyed by Long Tian, losing countless potential beastly followers, yet she still managed to hold her own against other saints in the mid-stages, a testament to her exceptional nature. Ye Yong suspected that Ye Qingwu wished for him to become her subordinate, to aid her ascent to the throne of the Demon Emperor.

“It is nothing of great importance; I merely wish to have a chat,” Ye Qingwu replied, knowing she could not dive straight into the heart of the matter. The paths of humans and demons diverged; Ye Yong had a bright future ahead, and without mutual understanding, she doubted he would willingly serve her.

Controlling Ye Yong through special means was not out of the question, but Ye Qingwu despised such tactics. She desired his counsel to come willingly, not out of fear, for should the opportunity arise, he might very well turn against her, a risk not worth taking.

Moreover, she believed that with Ye Yong’s intelligence, he would grasp her meaning without her needing to elaborate excessively.

“What does Night Senior wish to discuss? As for matters of the human realm, I am but a minor figure, knowing no more than you. And regarding the demon realm, I am even less informed,” Ye Yong feigned ignorance, deliberately teasing her to gauge her reaction.

Indeed, though Ye Qingwu’s face was hidden from view, she paused behind the curtain, caught off guard by his shift from casual conversation to the affairs of their two races. It left her momentarily at a loss for words, until she finally managed, “I do not wish to pry into human secrets, rest assured.”

“Then perhaps you wish to inquire why I find myself in the Black Water Secret Realm?”

This was a fine opening for discussion, and since Ye Qingwu was genuinely curious, she answered without hesitation.

Unbeknownst to her, while she believed she was gaining Ye Yong’s trust and favor through their conversation, it was Ye Yong who was steering the dialogue, guiding it toward his own advantage.

As the exchange continued, even Keke, who had harbored significant reservations about Ye Yong, found her biases beginning to fade. The more straightforward-minded wood spirit, Song Song, was completely led along.

Ye Yong was preparing to mention Peng Zhang, hinting to Ye Qingwu to keep an eye on him, to prevent him from targeting her for no reason, when suddenly, Ye Qingwu instructed her maid to bring Ye Yong behind the curtain.