Emperor's Domination

“Rumble!” A middle-aged man in full armor looked rather dominant. However, his action didn’t match his impressive appearance.

He carried a wolf’s fang cudgel on his shoulder and had a stalk of grass in his mouth, portraying a warrior who fears no one.

He walked to a stall and smashed the ground with both hands while shouting ferociously: “Time to pay the protection fee!”

The vendor ignored him causing him to open his eyes even wider: “Did you hear that? Time to pay up!”

“What fee?” The vendor finally glanced at him: “What protection fee?”

The man took out a small book and flipped the pages before shouting: “Your stall has been under my protection for 38,860 periods, time to pay up.”

“Put it on credit.” The vendor casually responded.

“Fine, 38,861 periods then, you better pay next time or I’ll smash your stand.” The man agreed before moving onward.

“Bam!” He raised his cudgel and threatened another stall owner: “Old man, time to pay the protection fee.”

“I haven’t opened yet, I’ll pay afterward.” This stall owner wasn’t afraid.

“Remember, pay me first when you get some money.” The man said before moving on.

“Time to pay the protection fee…” He went to all the stalls.

The owners agreed to pay but gave reasons to delay the actual payment. He didn’t seem to mind and continued to play the role of a violent thug.

“Do you believe in the light?” As for the group, they were interrupted by a passerby.

He was dressed in plain clothes and had a distinctive bowl haircut, looking like a wandering ascetic.

He placed his palms together and they became resplendent.

“No.” Li Qiye smiled and shook his head.

“The light is everywhere. Believe and you shall be granted eternal life.” The ascetic handed out leaflets to the group, even to True Bear and the tiger.

The leaflets were written with luminous runes shimmering with mysterious profundities.

Li Zhitian couldn’t believe the level of cultivation required to write the runes. Who else in the upper continent could write something like this?

“Believe and you shall be granted eternal life.” The ascetic bowed humbly while speaking. The power of the light exuded from his chest, seemingly granting him everlasting life.

“...” The old servant was startled too. He was reminded of the founder of Heaven Alliance - Light-dragon Conqueror. However, this ascetic seemed to be on a higher level.

“You might not live forever.” Li Qiye said.

“Light is a cycle of life and death, death and life, but as long as the heart is willing, the light shall always be there.” The ascetic responded.

“Hard to say. Only the dead truly knows. Understanding the principle is one thing but whether the dao heart will persevere before falling into the darkness is unknown.” Li Qiye said.

“Trust in the light and be eternal.” The ascetic didn’t argue or concede.

“Fine, I suppose it’s a good thing for one to be fulfilled in their wishes, whether it be in life or death.” Li Qiye said.

“Bam!” Someone suddenly patted the ascetic on the shoulder and said: “Missionary, you have been preaching every day on my street, you owe me a protection fee as well.”

“Trust in the light.” The ascetic handed him a leaflet and said: “Please accept the payment.”

“Tch, keep it for yourself, who believes in your light? Pah, only fools.” The middle-aged thug glared and said: “Don’t try this nonsense again, pay the fee or I’ll smash you with my cudgel.”

“We are brothers under the light, whether it be times of happiness or tribulation. May the light illuminate your barbaric heart…” The ascetic bowed and started chanting.

“Enough.” The man waved his hand as if he was chasing a fly away: “Always blabbering about the light, trying to sell it like merchandise. Well, there’s no light left here.”

“The light forgives the vulgar and lowly.” The ascetic said: “Accept the light and let it infuse you with noble intentions…”

“I will smash you if you don’t leave.” The man got a headache and raised his cudgel.

The ascetic feared not and turned toward Li Qiye’s group: “Believe in the light and you and I shall ascend to paradise together to witness the eternal radiance…”

“How about this, come back and enlighten me once your light is eternal.” Li Qiye answered for the group.

“Wonderful.” The ascetic was delighted to hear this: “I shall meet you again when that happens.”

With that, he left to pass out more leaflets regarding the light.

“Gentlemen, you must be outsiders.” The man took a look at the group and his eyes lit up akin to a wolf staring at several fat sheep.

“Outsiders or insiders, is the distinction what makes us humans or otherwise? Does it matter here?” Li Qiye asked.

“Hmm, I suppose not. None are humans either way.” The man said, amused by Li Qiye’s response. He slapped his thigh and said: “Very well, I’ll give you a fifty percent discount on the protection fee.”

“Such a big discount?” Li Qiye smiled.

“In this city, as long as you pay my protection fee, you can freely roam everywhere. Just say my name and everyone will know to back off. How do you want to pay?” The man said.

“Since we’re not humans, we can’t pay yet. Just put it on credit, I’ll pay when I have money.” Li Qiye said.

“Credit again? I got a family to feed with this small protection business, I can’t do this all the time.” The man said.

“Well, since I don’t have money, I don’t need your protection, then why should I pay?” Li Qiye shook his head.

“Okay, okay, it’ll be on credit, just remember to pay it back next time. This is the only exception, okay?” The man was afraid of losing a customer.

“Yes, there won’t be a next time.” Li Qiye smiled.

“Good, you can feel free to roam the city now. There’s nothing to worry about since you’re under my protection.” The man tapped Li Qiye’s shoulder.

Li Zhitian and the others were astonished. How could there be such an easy-going thug in this world? If all of them were like this, the world would be a harmonious place.

“I’m off to collect more fees.” The man wrote down Li Qiye’s debt and left.

“Seems like a terribly-ran racket.” Li Zhitian said.

“The fee doesn’t matter, he just wants to be an elegant villain, similar to how you want to open a small shop.” Li Qiye said.

“So this is his inner self.” The old servant understood.