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

Hidden Side Quest

Without any obstruction, Ye Yong entered the secret chamber, and the golden core dry corpse showed no reaction, merely staring at him with its hollow eye sockets.

In the center of the chamber stood a third-tier玄品丹炉, which could be used to refine third and fourth-tier elixirs. Previously, in the century-old secret realm, Ye Yong had obtained a yellow-grade one. Naturally, the Son of Heaven would encounter what he needed during his growth, but unfortunately, it had been snatched away by Ye.

Aside from the elixir furnace, there were numerous spiritual plants, elixirs, talismans, and a piece of earth-grade treasure clothing.

The dead could no longer make use of these resources. If it didn’t turn into a spirit, once the last remnant of its soul disappeared, that golden core senior would truly be dead in every sense. Although it was already much like being dead and in great pain, it was clear that some regret kept it from reincarnating.

Ye Yong felt no resentment; the other party wasn’t developing into a vengeful spirit. It could be inferred that it wasn’t hatred towards the heavens for being unfair, preventing a breakthrough, but rather a more ordinary unfulfilled wish. What could it be?

The novel only mentioned that Long Tian suppressed and killed the dry corpse, obtaining treasures and turning the tables on those assassins, without elaborating much on the original identity of the dry corpse, only stating that he was an elder of a certain mid-tier sect…

“Is all of this for me?” Ye Yong asked tentatively, and the dry corpse creaked and nodded.

So kind-hearted?

Half in doubt, Ye Yong packed the items into his storage bag, his attention never straying from the dry corpse for even a moment. Yet the corpse showed no signs of movement, not even when he finished collecting everything.

As he had anticipated, the corpse did not suddenly spring to life and launch a surprise attack. Ye Yong left the secret chamber, closed the stone door securely, and returned to stand before the corpse. “Thank you, senior, for the gift. Is there anything I can do for you? Perhaps something like a proper burial?”

At that moment, the corpse stirred slightly, dust cascading from its clothing, and then an old, yellowed letter fell to the ground.

The letter landed just beneath the corpse. Without using spiritual power, he would have to bend down to pick it up, positioning his back and head toward the corpse… Was it finally going to attack?

Out of politeness, Ye Yong indeed bent down to retrieve it. He felt no concern; not to mention the items that could withstand divine transformation attacks, the treasures given by the elders of the Ye family were more than enough to fend off golden core attacks.

Unfortunately, things did not unfold as he had imagined. The corpse was surprisingly docile, so much so that it left him feeling incredulous.

“Is the senior asking me to help deliver a letter?” Having missed several opportunities for a surprise attack, Ye Yong felt as if he had misjudged the corpse.

The corpse shook its head and moved its fingers, as if signaling Ye Yong to read the letter.

A novel cannot cover every detail, while reality is composed of specifics that can reveal what the novel does not mention.

Ye Yong opened the old letter, the handwriting preserved well, written in some kind of spiritual ink. After reading the contents, he gained a deeper understanding of the corpse’s identity.

It turned out he was named Bu Xiangsi, an elder of the Yilian Sect. Due to conflicts with fellow elders, he had resolved to leave the sect. After breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage, he intended to return and make a statement, but after over a hundred years of absence, he had not achieved his wish.

This letter was written just days before his life was to end. He planned to make a desperate attempt to ignite a life-extending lamp and borrow a bit of lifespan from the heavens, but unfortunately, he failed and suffered a backlash, hastening his demise. The sandalwood and surrounding spiritual candles confirmed that a life-extending lamp ritual had indeed taken place here.

Bu Xiangsi’s wish was for a fated person to bring his remains back to the Yilian Sect, and the treasures in the secret chamber were a token of gratitude.

Ye Yong’s brow twitched. Goodness, it turned out to be a hidden side quest.

If the character Long Tian in the novel hadn’t shattered the corpse, he would surely have helped with the task. Moreover, this Yilian Sect… Ye Yong had some recollection of it.

Though it was merely a mid-tier sect, its treasury held a key capable of opening a certain mysterious door.

“Rest assured, senior, I will safely return your remains.”

Upon receiving Ye Yong’s response, some energy dissipated from the corpse, and soon it truly became just a dry corpse, motionless.

“It really proves that saying: the protagonist walks the path of fighting and killing, while the antagonist takes the peaceful route.” Although resolving issues through direct combat was more convenient, Ye Yong could not bring himself to take the items and ignore the wishes of a deceased person. Some karmic ties had been formed, and they had to be fulfilled.

—

After searching through the storage bag for a while, Ye Yong found a piece of high-quality silk, wrapped the corpse carefully, and then placed it back into the storage bag.

Having learned from the last lesson of heavenly compensation, Ye Yong was not so easily inclined to leave this time. He released his spiritual sense, digging three feet into the ground to search for any other hidden chambers. Only after confirming there were no oversights did he leave with satisfaction.

Otherwise, what was clearly a medium-sized opportunity could be judged as a small one simply because he missed taking some items, resulting in a direct halving of the reversal points. How frustrating that would be.

As for those traps and formations, Ye Yong didn’t bother to repair them. If he deliberately maintained them as they were, when the protagonist entered and found nothing, it would surely increase their confusion. Once or twice wouldn’t matter, but after multiple times, the protagonist would definitely suspect that someone was secretly plotting against them.

Stepping out of the cave, leaving the river path behind, Ye Yong donned the fox mask again, opened the electronic map, and flew towards the Yilian Sect on his small magic carpet.

The Yilian Sect was still quite far from here. At the current speed of the small magic carpet, it was expected to take three hours to arrive. Along the way, Ye Yong examined the legacy left by Bu Xiangsi. For an ordinary crystallization cultivator, it was quite a bounty, undoubtedly the best gift for breaking through to the Golden Core stage. But for Ye Yong, it merely meant an increase in the junk in his backpack.

His focus was always on the reversal points. This time, with no oversights, the system would be unreasonable not to grant him at least a hundred to two hundred thousand reversal points.

Ye Yong thought happily, stowing away the storage bag and closing his eyes to cultivate.

Three hours passed quickly, and Ye Yong withdrew his aura tools, flying down to the foot of the Yilian Sect’s mountain gate.

It seemed something had happened at the Yilian Sect; the mountain gate was heavily guarded. Although the guards were merely some Foundation Establishment and crystallization cultivators, not everyone was from the Ye family or Tianluo Sect. Such cultivation levels were already considered quite impressive in the secular world.

The leading crystallization cultivator, a middle-aged man, halted Ye Yong, and everyone warily scrutinized him from head to toe.

Unable to discern his cultivation level, they noted that although his clothing was relatively understated, the fabric was of high quality, and the aura he exuded was not something an ordinary person possessed. The exquisite fox mask added a considerable air of mystery.

“May I ask who the visitor is?” The middle-aged man inquired, a mix of reverence and authority in his tone.

“Let’s not mention names. I have come to settle a karmic debt.” Ye Yong controlled the small magic carpet to descend slowly. He did not immediately take out the Golden Core corpse; it would be impolite to expose the body in public. Ye Yong didn’t know how others would act, but he still valued etiquette.