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

Though Ye Yong felt no particular issue with the situation, if circumstances allowed, he would have preferred to challenge everyone alone. Yet, the recent stir had grown too loud; a calm was needed, lest the heavens conspire against him, leading to dire consequences.

Ye Yong’s intention was to find a few strong allies, those who could perform well throughout and secure a high ranking.

Casting a glance at Ye Mao, he seemed quite suitable. Ye Gou was a bit lacking; if he could grow stronger, he might just make the cut.

In response to Ye Yong’s request for a joint effort, the younger members of the Ye family exchanged glances, hesitating to act.

“Are you aware of the collaborative segment in the joint competition?” Ye Yong inquired.

“Of course we know, what’s the matter, Young Master Yong?” Ye Gou and the others had never considered teaming up with Ye Yong, subconsciously believing that such a prodigy would surely align with other exceptional talents to form an invincible team, leaving no room for them.

“I plan to select a few from among those of you who perform well.”

At his words, the younger members of the Ye family instantly buzzed with excitement; they had not dared to bring this up with Ye Yong, yet he had taken the initiative.

“Enough chit-chat; let me see how well you can cooperate.” Facing one person against more than ten capable cultivators, it was fortunate that a concealment array surrounded them; otherwise, this matter would surely be blown out of proportion.

—

06 What is Pain

In battle, having more participants does not necessarily equate to better outcomes. Without synchronized training, it can lead to restricted actions. Faced with the chaotic assaults of the younger Ye family members, Ye Yong felt no pressure at all, easily defeating them.

“Truly worthy of Young Master Ye!”

“Brother Yong is so strong!”

After receiving so much praise, Ye Yong felt numb. After several hours of guidance and interaction, he had roughly gauged each person’s abilities: “The collaborative segment requires six participants. With Shi Meng and me taking two spots, I need to select four from among you.”

Ye Yong intended to field three men and three women, maintaining gender balance. Ye Mao was a definite choice; Ye Gou was rather average, but among the other male juniors, he stood out—like a general among the short. He was the only option. On the female side, there were several who surpassed Ye Gou.

However, the number of female cultivators in the Ye family was not large, making up less than a third of the total. They were Ye Yong’s cousins, both paternal and maternal. As Ye Yong was the sole heir of his line, and since they did not share the same grandfather, they had surpassed the bounds of three generations. Thus, these cousins were exceptionally warm towards Ye Yong. In the world of cultivation, even within three generations, familial ties could not hinder them; beyond that, especially among cousins, there was no blood relation at all.

Yet, Ye Yong felt no attraction towards them. Firstly, in the novels, the female members of the Ye family were often portrayed as sharp-tongued and troublesome, likely to bring him trouble.

—

The number of female leads is quite substantial; even in these early stages, several have already emerged. Ye Yong finds it impossible to divert his thoughts to women who are not the leads. No one understands the allure of the female leads better than he, who has seen the script. Moreover, after traversing the Abyss of Black Water, Ye Yong has established a clear conviction: to win the heart of a female lead, he must wholeheartedly invest in her, for mutual devotion with a lead is never a loss.

Ultimately, the female leads possess a tenacity for survival, blessed with great fortune, able to escape the jaws of death. In contrast, the fates of those who are not leads are fraught with uncertainty. Ye Yong wishes to avoid the pain of loss, thus he has never truly gained, and therefore cannot speak of losing.

Thus, he regards these cousins with a frosty demeanor; after all, if he did not, they would surely flock to him.

As Ye Yong’s gaze fell upon them, the cousins all tidied their hair, striving to present their most charming smiles.

Ye Yong’s eyes were deep, devoid of any emotional hue, as he scanned them one by one. To select two from the six, if handled poorly, it could lead to infighting. The younger generation of the Ye family is more united than ever, and Ye Yong has no desire to shatter that bond.

Considering their relationships and various factors, a pair of sisters was chosen—daughters of the second master and the third son, one a year older than Ye Yong, the other a year younger.

Their abilities rank in the middle among the six; there are cousins stronger than them, but choosing from the direct line is certainly preferable to selecting from the collateral branches. Ye Yong aims to maintain unity, and the first step is to avoid choosing those of weaker family status, lest the more powerful feel discontent and conspire against them.

Just like Ye Mao, who, during the Foundation Establishment stage, was far inferior in cultivation to Ye Gou and others, yet who would dare to oppose him? Such is the advantage of family status.

Middle-tier strength, direct lineage, and conveniently, they are a pair of sisters—sufficiently in sync. Ye Yong believes they are the best choice, balancing the emotions of the group while also considering the potential for good results in the competition.

“Brother Yong, I refuse to accept this! Ye Yufen and Ye Wenfang clearly cannot match me; why choose them and not me?” spoke the older cousin, two years Ye Yong’s senior.

She is the granddaughter of the eldest master, Ye Mao’s own cousin.

As Ye Yong had anticipated, due to her status, only this cousin dared to voice her feelings, while the other three remained silent, their eyes betraying their support for her.

“Because your attacks are too domineering; once a fight breaks out, it’s hard to consider your companions…” Ye Yong had indeed contemplated this cousin, but it was precisely because of weighing the pros and cons that he had not selected her.

Upon hearing Ye Yong articulate her shortcomings, the cousin fell silent for a moment. “I can challenge the enemy one-on-one. You say they have synergy and can cooperate; fine, then I’ll swap out Ye Mao.”

“On what grounds!?” Ye Mao had not intended to get involved, but now that he was, it felt unjust.

“On the grounds that my cultivation is higher than yours, that I am stronger, and I am your elder sister!”

Were it not for her being two years older than Ye Mao, this cousin would undoubtedly be hailed as a genius of the Ye family. Yet age is a measure of a cultivator, and for now, her accumulated experience merely places her above Ye Mao. In time, that may change.

Ye Mao was left speechless. The younger generation around him showed him utmost respect, but among the same branch of the eldest master, cousins would not hold back.

It was Ye Yong who smoothed things over, persuading the cousin that they could form teams based on each person’s fighting style, participating together, but with the condition that everyone must achieve good results in the upcoming sect competition to have a chance at the joint trials.

Upon hearing this, the younger members of the Ye family realized they should focus on the impending sect competition, thus training even more diligently and earnestly.

—

——

By the time Ye Yong returned to the Sound and Picture Hall, night had already fallen. What should have been a leisurely day of teasing the little cutie and playing with the little fox had slipped away, half gone. Of course, Ye Yong didn’t consider spending time with Ye Mao and the others a waste; as long as they behaved themselves and didn’t provoke the main character, their future contributions to the Ye family’s development would still be quite beneficial.

“Master, didn’t you say you’d be back after delivering some things? Why did it take so long? Did you go to Sister Shi Meng’s place?” Wu Xue pouted like a forlorn little wife left alone in an empty house.

After all, Ye Yong had been in seclusion for a month, and now that he was out, he had dashed off to the outside realm. It felt like ages since she had spent time with the master.