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

The Female Passerby

In the Pine Reclining Sect, a group of high-ranking officials was holding a secret meeting. Upon hearing the news relayed by the undercover agent, and combining it with the description of Ye Yong provided by Jia Bi, who had seen him in person, they immediately began to analyze the situation.

“Ye Wu? He has been here for over a thousand years, yet I have never heard of any top-tier family with the surname Ye in the Eastern Continent. There are no cultivators with the surname Ye on the Great Zhou Dynasty’s list of prodigies who match the crystallization level.”

“A legendary hidden family?”

“That’s what I think too. Generally, the young masters of ordinary families have no vested interest and wouldn’t meddle in such matters. Only those from hidden families, who are inexperienced and come out to hone their skills, would act this way.”

“Could he have touched the key?”

“He shouldn’t have. The key hasn’t been activated; it’s merely an oddly shaped, uniquely crafted ornament. Otherwise, the Grand Elder of the Yilian Sect wouldn’t treat it as just a collectible.”

“What we fear is that someone from the hidden family might catch on. If the existence of the passage is discovered, not only would our years of preparation go to waste, but it would also implicate that side, and we would become eternal sinners.”

“Don’t scare yourself, but we can’t let our guard down either. Have the undercover agent keep a close watch on his movements. As soon as he leaves the Yilian Sect, we will immediately retrieve the key, regardless of whether it leaves traces. The rise of the Xuan De Realm is the most important thing.”

“Agreed.” The high-ranking officials nodded in acknowledgment.

“May the gods bless the Xuan De Realm.” In the end, they even began to pray.

Meanwhile, far away in the Yilian Sect, over a hundred miles away, Ye Yong had just returned to his assigned residence and was preparing to meditate and rest when there was a knock at the door. Upon opening it, he found Li Lanshan standing there.

Her face was flushed, and she didn’t dare to look up, her collar slightly open. In the middle of the night, a solitary woman had come to a solitary man’s room; Ye Yong could guess her intentions—she was certainly here to offer herself.

Li Lanshan closed the door behind her and reached into her slightly open collar. Before Ye Yong could even say, “Please, miss, have some self-respect,” Li Lanshan produced a letter.

After taking it, Ye Yong noticed a faint feminine fragrance emanating from it. The handwriting was elegant, filled with words of gratitude and some of her own speculations. She believed that Ye Yong did not come from the Ye family but rather from the Ye family, though she did not mention any specific names, her implication was clear enough.

Ye Yong set the letter down and looked up at Li Lanshan, initially thinking she intended to use this to threaten him into some sort of entanglement. Suddenly, Li Lanshan deeply cupped her fists and bowed: “Young Master Ye, your great kindness is something I know I can never repay in this lifetime, but I cannot leave it unreturned. If there is ever a time you need me, whether it be to climb a mountain of blades or cross a sea of fire, I will never refuse.”

So I misjudged you? You’re not here to offer yourself, but to form a bond?

Without waiting for Ye Yong to speak, Li Lanshan continued, “Young Master Ye, please don’t misunderstand. I do not wish to entangle you; I only want to express my determination. To better repay you in the future, I will do my utmost to cultivate diligently until I can be of use, swearing to heaven and earth.”

Having said that, fearing rejection, and operating under the mindset that silence meant acceptance, Li Lanshan fled without looking back.

—

Throughout the entire journey, Ye Yong didn’t have the chance to say a single word; what a self-questioning, self-answering, wind-like woman she is.

Ye Yong admitted he had been superficial. Li Lanshan truly deserved her reputation as a kind-hearted passerby; she didn’t just think of repaying kindness with her beauty, but was determined to grow stronger in return.

After folding the letter neatly, Ye Yong chose not to use his spiritual power to shatter and destroy the evidence. Instead, he placed it into his storage ring, for the more he interacted with her, the more he felt that this female passerby had many admirable qualities. Fearing that walls have ears, he chose to express his speculations through the letter. As for the oath he made later, it wouldn’t expose Ye Yong’s identity; even if overheard by outsiders, it wouldn’t matter. Besides, some words are more sincere when spoken aloud. If she weren’t just a passerby, she could very well be considered an excellent supporting character.

But Ye Yong wasn’t sure if he would see her again in the future. After all, as a sacrificial female passerby, Li Lanshan didn’t possess exceptional talent. Unless she encountered some great fortune, it was unlikely she could catch up to the mainstream level centered around the protagonist. By then, her cultivation might be so low that she wouldn’t even have the courage to approach him, let alone repay his kindness. Then again, Ye Yong thought of the saying that those who survive great calamities must have future blessings; perhaps her life would undergo significant changes after her revival, leading to a comeback…

In any case, the future was promising.

Of course, Ye Yong helped others purely out of goodwill, never expecting anything in return. A simple thank you from the other party was already enough. He didn’t believe that a passerby could play any significant role, so he didn’t take Li Lanshan’s oath too seriously.

——

The next day, nearing noon, Ye Yong, having had ample rest, was in good spirits. Just as he was preparing to wrap things up and set off back to Tianluo Sect, he suddenly noticed movement from the Demon Seeking Compass; a light point appeared five kilometers away in the easternmost direction.

The east was indeed the direction of Tianluo Sect.

However, it didn’t linger for long; the light point quickly vanished at the edge.

Ye Yong was not a dull-witted person; he wouldn’t overlook this discovery. If it were merely a passing demon, it wouldn’t matter, but if it was sent by Peng Zhang, then it could be dangerous.

As a villain as steady as a rock, Ye Yong immediately took out his defensive tools. Along with the one he had been carrying, he now had two, capable of defending against six transformations into spirit attacks—equivalent to having six extra lives.

He prepared items to conceal his aura and invisibility talismans, ensuring he felt a sense of security before finally relaxing a bit.

Upon learning that their benefactor was leaving, Yilian Sect held the grandest farewell ceremony, with everyone in the sect seeing Ye Yong off.

This was an excellent opportunity. Ye Yong looked at the Grand Elder and shook a stone piece in his hand: “If you come across any more interesting little trinkets like this in the future, keep them. Perhaps I’ll return to exchange them for magical treasures.”

“Rest assured, Young Master Ye. Even if I die, my descendants will continue to collect them for you,” the Grand Elder replied earnestly.

“There’s no need to go out of your way to search for them. Some things cannot be forced, and if I need them at the moment, there’s no need to hold onto them.” Ye Yong was merely hinting at the news of the stone piece he had taken, not that he genuinely liked collecting interesting little items.

“Let’s leave it at that; there’s no need to see me off.” As he sat on the small magic carpet, Ye Yong began his return journey, flying eastward, while a group of people below looked up, watching until his figure grew smaller.

“Fear brings what it fears; the key was indeed discovered and taken away.” Among the many disciples of Yilian Sect, a few young people exchanged glances, their eyes flickering as they communicated information. One of them quietly slipped away, hiding in the shadows, and took out a communication talisman.

—

—

Tianluo Sect is two thousand miles away from Yilian Sect. At the current flying speed of the little magic carpet, it would take almost two days to arrive.

During this time, Ye Yong kept a close watch on the movements of the Demon Seeking Compass, but no light points appeared for the moment.

Could it be that there really was just a demon passing by? Am I being too paranoid?

Just as Ye Yong was thinking this, the Demon Seeking Compass flickered, and three light points were refreshed.