Emperor’s Domination

“And what if it’s another me?” He asked.

“Still the boss, so the boss can make all the decisions.” They answered instantly.

He froze momentarily before letting out a sigh. Left and Right weren’t wrong since the other versions were still him, whether it be Splendor, Paragon, or Longevity.

He took a deep breath and was determined not to let anyone change his fate.

“That’s why you can’t just enjoy life while doing nothing.” Li Qiye said.

“Ridiculous.” He smiled wryly and shook his head since his opponents were his other souls.

“You two still want to take me to Heavenrealm?” He asked.

“It is up to you, Boss.” They answered.

“Goddamn it! I claimed this life first so it belongs to me, Splendor Monarch, not Paragon Monarch or Longevity Monarch, and definitely not some bullshit old geezer! It’s mine!” He

“Something always has to give in life but there can be exceptions. There’s a flawless method.” Li Qiye said.

He stared at Li Qiye.

“What method?” Left and Right asked.

“Well, no free lunch though.” Li Qiye stroked his chin.

“What do you want?” They asked.

“It depends on whether you’re willing to pay the price.” Li Qiye said.

“Don’t even think about it, I won’t accept.” He answered before they could.

“Don’t refuse so fast, it’s a good one.” Li Qiye said.

“Boss, we should listen.” The two said innocently, willing to hear Li Qiye out.

“You two have been idiots for too long. Do you know who you’re dealing with? And the unbearable price?” He shouted.

“No.” They answered.

“You’re dealing with a devil who specializes in devouring others raw. There’s no taking advantage of him.” He uttered coldly.

“What a thing to say about the man who is here to sincerely give you all limitless possibilities and a happy ending for everyone. It’s a win-win, no, a win-win-win situation. What could be better?” Li Qiye defended himself.

“Hah, win-win-win?” He said: “Making a deal with you is like bargaining with a tiger over a meal. Only one winner will come out of this and as you said, there is no free lunch. If one does land on my head somehow, I can bet it’s a trap ready to swallow me whole.”

“I thought we’d concluded how selfless I am when I return everything to the world.” Li Qiye said.

“Tch, I’ve learned my lesson. You took everything from the geezer in the past life and now, you want to devour me too? Not a chance.” He said.

“If everyone can walk away happy, what’s wrong with paying a little interest? That’s not too much to ask, is it? In fact, it’s still a great act of kindness.” Li Qiye said.

“That sounds fair.” Left and Right agreed with Li Qiye. They viewed him as a cute child. How could a child have nefarious intentions?

“Yep, very fair. The two of you are so much older and wiser than I am. Convince him.” Li Qiye said.

“He’s right.” They said in unison.

“Your brains aren’t working, he’ll bleed you dry when the time comes.” Splendor Monarch glared at the duo.

“But he has a method that will work, Boss.” Left said.

“Boss, we listen to you but we can’t guarantee that you will be Splendor or Paragon. He can.” Right nodded.

He thought they weren’t wrong. They sought who he used to be, not the current him. The reason they haven’t acted was out of respect. However, the fact remained - he was only one out of three souls, potentially the weakest one.

He would be finished with one catalyst. He was in charge now since he was the first to be born but too much uncertainty remained without any solution.

“Stop trying to poison me.” He was aware of Li Qiye’s ulterior motive but realized the looming threat.

“Fine, I won’t say anything. Your life is in your hands. Of course, if we want to be optimistic, it is still in your hands whether Paragon or Longevity is in charge since they are both you.” Li Qiye said.

“Nonsense, everything changes with the original pursuit. If one can’t find a proper answer, they will turn to the darkness in time.” He shot a disdainful glare.

“But it’s still your life.” Li Qiye smiled.

“A bastard and an asshole.” He said angrily.

“An egg will always roll. When I start rolling away, you’ll lose this opportunity.” Li Qiye said and asked the beauties to feed him more food: “This is nice indeed versus the endless suffering while being all alone.”

“Obviously, that’s why I’m Splendor Monarch.” He said.