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

At this, Lin Wei fell silent, a laugh escaping her lips. Indeed, compared to the legacies of the ancient sages, this was nothing.

“No wonder he insisted you refine your painting skills; he must have seen your talent. Alas, how did I not notice this in you before? I nearly led you astray.” Her joy was short-lived, replaced by a twinge of fear and guilt.

Ye Yong was at a loss for words. With a mother like this, it was a wonder he hadn’t turned into a spoiled brat. All the good fortune seemed to fall upon him, while the burdens were his to bear alone.

“Alright, Mother, please accept it. This is my heartfelt offering.”

“Hmm…” Lin Wei cradled the painting, her face alight with affection, clearly more intent on cherishing it than using it for practice.

“If you like it, I can paint a few more later.” Thankfully, Ye Yong had a solution: he could simply give her more, diluting the sense of rarity.

“Creating such a spiritual painting must have drained your spirit. There’s no need for more.” Lin Wei tucked the painting into her storage ring and glanced at another piece. “This one, filled with coldness—who is it for?”

“Qin Shimeng.”

Lin Wei had anticipated this. Though she was unaware of how Ye Yong and Qin Shimeng had developed during her seclusion, the fact that Qin Shimeng had sought him out before her retreat indicated their relationship had softened, no longer fraught with the barriers of the past.

As for Qin Shimeng, Lin Wei felt neither fondness nor aversion; as long as her Yong’er was happy, that was enough. “As for your youthful affairs, I shall not meddle. In a couple of days, you can invite her over for a meal. The New Year is approaching, isn’t it?”

It didn’t matter how long she had been in seclusion; Lin Wei remembered the date before her retreat. Coupled with Ye Yong’s mention of four months, it was clear the year was drawing to a close.

“After tonight, I was eager to call you out of seclusion not only to check on your well-being but also to share a reunion dinner with you on New Year’s Eve. As for Father…” He had to mention his absent father, if only symbolically.

“Don’t mind him. He won’t emerge for at least three to five years. If you call for him recklessly, he’ll surely scorn and blame you.” Lin Wei huffed. “A reunion dinner with just the two of us is more than enough.”

“Alright.” Ye Yong nodded.

The relationship between Lin Wei and Ye Qianlang couldn’t be described as poor, but it wasn’t particularly good either. Ye Qianlang was a cultivation fanatic, singularly focused on becoming stronger. Their union had been arranged for the sake of family ties. The Lin family, to which Lin Wei belonged, held a prominent position in the Central Continent.

Once the protagonist had finished his exploits in the Eastern Continent, annihilating the Ye family, and arrived in the Central Continent, the Lin family discovered that the Ye family Lin Wei had married into was no more, and Lin Wei herself had perished. Although Lin Wei held little significance in the Lin family, treated like any other daughter used for alliances, the Lin family, as a prominent clan, had to maintain their dignity. Thus, they found themselves at odds with the protagonist, embarking on a path of self-destruction from which there was no return.

—

Indeed, a cliché worn thin.

But what can be done? After all, the tale of the New Emperor in the Central Continent is an old story, and what seems trite now was once fresh and novel. Readers only feel exhilaration; the current sense of fatigue arises from the sheer number of those who write in such a manner.

Wait. Ye Yong suddenly pondered a grave question. He had always believed that once the protagonist ventured into the Central Continent, the Ye family would be free of entanglements. Yet, upon deeper reflection, he realized that as long as Lin Wei lived, the Lin family lacked a reason to oppose the protagonist. But the protagonist bore the aura of diminished intellect—who could say if the Lin family might not produce a second-generation scion, one who would provoke the protagonist, only to be injured or even killed in retaliation, thus inciting the wrath of the Lin family?

In that case, the Lin family would continue to stand against the protagonist, and once opposition arose, the Ye family, bound by marriage ties, would surely have to take a stance and declare war against the protagonist.

Hiss…

Ye Yong inhaled sharply, so after resolving the troubles of the Ye family, he would also have to assist the Lin family? But then another problem emerged: the Lin family had allied clans. What if one of those allied clans provoked the protagonist, and the Lin family, in turn, declared war against him…

This truly was a Russian nesting doll, layers upon layers, one wave not yet settled before another arose.

The best solution would be to eliminate the source of the problem—yes, to take out the protagonist. But the crux of the matter was that it was not so simple to dispose of the protagonist. How many had clung to such thoughts, only to perish at his hands?

Damn it. What kind of brainless novel has this wretched author penned? Could there not be a little less cliché and a bit more innocence?

Thinking of the painful future ahead, Ye Yong could not help but don a mask of anguish.

—

Return to the Village

“Yong’er, what’s wrong? Are you unwell? Did you catch a chill?”

As soon as Lin Wei glanced over, Ye Yong quickly hid his mask of pain: “No, no, it’s just that I suddenly recalled the events that transpired in the secret realm not long ago. I couldn’t save those people; they had families, yet they can never share another reunion dinner with them.”

“What secret realm?”

Ye Yong steered the conversation toward the Black Water Secret Realm.

After all, Lin Wei would surely hear about it from others later; it was better to speak of it now and forcibly explain the reason behind his mask of anguish.

Upon hearing the account, Lin Wei’s face paled in shock. Even though Ye Yong sat before her, whole and unharmed, her heart raced, fear gripping her: “Truly, it is the blessing of the gods! Thank goodness you are safe, Yong’er. What would your mother do if something happened to you?”

—

“It’s all in the past; the child is at fault for bringing it up.”

“No, please tell me, what else happened while I was in seclusion?”

Thus, Ye Yong naturally recounted some of his recent deeds. As he had anticipated, with the lie of the venerable sage as a foundation, Lin Wei listened without suspicion, only feeling a surge of surprise, realizing that Yong’er had grown up, capable of shouldering great responsibilities.

The mother and son conversed in the pavilion until nightfall; had it not been for Ye Yong’s reminder about the reunion dinner, Lin Wei might have kept him talking all night.

After all, for cultivators, seclusion was a common practice, and their ages far surpassed that of mortals, so their sense of festivity during the Spring Festival was rather muted.

The New Year’s Eve at the Ye family was not particularly lively, much like any other day. If it were a family of mortals, they would have long been gathered around the table for the reunion dinner.

Ye Yong returned to the side courtyard, bringing along Wu Xue and Hua Ningyan, plus two wolves, to Lin Wei’s residence.

Lin Wei urged the servants to hasten the cooking, and she herself used her spiritual energy to perfect a pot of broth.