The Side Character Who Wins by Doing Nothing

Ah Ming’s use of the word "again" told Lu Sangjiu everything she needed to know about him.

’He must have done his fair share of stupid things in the past. He’s really not the sharpest tool in the shed.’

She sighed softly and shook her head. "It’s okay. If it weren’t for this, you wouldn’t have met me. When you think about it that way, it’s not such a bad thing."

"...Huh?"

Ah Ming was confused. She had sealed his meridians—how was that not a bad thing?

Seeing his bewildered expression, Lu Sangjiu patted his shoulder. "Ah Ming... don’t you want to find out who’s behind this business of trafficking Demon Cultivators?"

Ah Ming nodded without hesitation. "Of course I do!"

But then his shoulders slumped. "But I don’t have the skills... or the courage."

Honestly, opposing the City Lord and secretly dumping the bodies here had already taken every ounce of courage he had.

He knew it was cowardly, but... he was just so scared!

Lu Sangjiu smiled faintly. "Of course I know you don’t have the skills. But... I do."

"You?" Ah Ming’s face was filled with suspicion. "Putting aside whether you even have the skills," he said doubtfully, "why would you help me?"

"Because I’m a champion of justice!" Lu Sangjiu declared righteously. "When I encounter such an injustice, how can I not step in to help?"

At that, the confusion on Ah Ming’s face deepened. "Huh? But if you’re a champion of justice, shouldn’t you be trying to kill me, a Demon Cultivator, right now?"

Lu Sangjiu was speechless.

She could tell Ah Ming’s confusion was genuine; he wasn’t trying to mock her.

’In other words... in his mind, anyone who called themselves a champion of justice should loathe Demon Cultivators and be calling for their heads.’

His sincere question left Lu Sangjiu silent for a long time.

The smile she’d worn to trick him vanished. She looked at Ah Ming seriously. "That’s not right. Demon Cultivators and champions of justice aren’t necessarily on opposite sides. We’re just from different factions."

"There are good people and bad people in every faction. The good people from both sides should unite to fight the bad people from both sides. That’s what I call justice."

A look of confusion filled Ah Ming’s eyes. He didn’t speak for a long time, and Lu Sangjiu didn’t interrupt his thoughts.

After a long while, he finally said, "Although... what you just said goes against everything I’ve ever known, and I don’t know who’s right..."

"...But... but if you’re really willing to help me catch the people trafficking Demon Cultivators, then I’m willing to believe you!"

Looking into the young man’s clear eyes, Lu Sangjiu smiled gently.

Then she reached out and patted Ah Ming’s head. "Good kid."

She didn’t know what Ah Ming’s relationship with Fa Shan was, but to have so much Ghost Demon Fragrance and use it so freely meant he had to be close to him.

And for someone close to Fa Shan to have grown up to be so simple and kind was proof enough that Fa Shan was still the same man she remembered.

’I don’t know if he had anything to do with my death back then, or if he’s still as loyal to me as he once was.’

’But... just knowing he hasn’t changed... that’s a comfort.’

Perhaps it was a case of "love me, love my dog," because she found herself looking at Ah Ming more fondly now, as if he were one of her own juniors.

Lu Sangjiu then unsealed Ah Ming’s major acupoints. He didn’t run away after regaining his freedom.

This pleased Lu Sangjiu. After a moment’s thought, she took out a few Mid-grade Demon Essence Stones from her storage space and gave them to him.

"Here, take these for now. Don’t let yourself get so gaunt and sallow again. You look like a refugee."

Seeing the Demon Essence Stones, Ah Ming’s eyes filled with astonishment. "How do you have Demon Essence Stones?"

"Normally, Cultivators wouldn’t want to touch these. If they accidentally let Demonic Qi enter their bodies, it could cause them serious harm."

"Even the ones who collect them for other purposes would store them carefully and never dare to touch them so casually."

So, Ah Ming was stunned to see Lu Sangjiu casually pull out a handful of Demon Essence Stones.

Lu Sangjiu gave a vague answer. "Hm, I happened to get them from someone else. They’re not much use to me, so you can have them to tide you over."

"Don’t worry. Once we find the mastermind, I’ll definitely find a way to get you home."

"Really?!" A look of delight flashed in Ah Ming’s eyes. He was so excited that he completely forgot to ask any more questions about the Demon Essence Stones.

Lu Sangjiu smiled faintly. "Of course. I always keep my word."

"However... before we investigate that, I need to solve the problem here in Yuelin City."

Ah Ming nodded eagerly. "Catch that big villain! Those women... they suffered so much before they died. It was just awful."

"Can you tell me the specific location where they commit their crimes?"

Lu Sangjiu would have preferred for Ah Ming to lead them there himself, but as a Demon Cultivator, it was better for him not to be seen. Otherwise, their accusations could be turned back on them.

So, the only option was to have Ah Ming hide and tell them the location. They would find him again after they had dealt with the situation.

Hearing this, Ah Ming looked troubled. "I really want to tell you the exact location, but I can’t really explain it."

Lu Sangjiu found that strange. "Haven’t you been there many times? Why don’t you know where it is?"

"My Earth Escape Skill is very powerful, so I always enter the City Lord Mansion from underground. I navigate purely by smell. I only ever dare to stay underground and eavesdrop on them, then wait for a chance to reach out, pull a body down, and run."

"So I’m not actually sure where they are..."

Lu Sangjiu was at a loss for words.

’Fine. You’re a coward.’

Still, even without his help, Lu Sangjiu had a good idea of where to look.

Xie Ningyuan had mentioned before that only one location in the City Lord Mansion had an extra Barrier set up around it: the City Lord’s Wife’s courtyard.

’So... if there’s a problem anywhere, it has to be there.’

"You said you followed a scent there. What scent was it, exactly?"

"Demon-Attracting Incense... I left some on those people before they were taken. When I went looking for them later, I made sure to leave a bit more of it there."

Ah Ming looked very worried. "But only Demon Cultivators can smell that incense. Even if I tell you, you won’t be able to use it to find the place."

Lu Sangjiu raised an eyebrow. ’What a coincidence,’ she thought. ’Others might not be able to smell it, but I can.’

She just smiled at Ah Ming. "I understand. You’ve already been a great help. Now, go find a place to hide and fatten yourself up a little. I’ll come find you here after I’ve dealt with the City Lord Mansion."

Ah Ming nodded emphatically. "Okay! Then, you have to be careful!"

He paused, then asked, "By the way... I still don’t know your name."

"Hmm... You can call me Ms. Ajiu."