I Am Supreme

Still, no one spoke.

"Why aren't you all speaking? I've already said my piece. I should be the one who feels the most mortified now, should I not?"

"I thought that I had the world. I rule Yutang - I may even dominate the whole of Tianxuan. The world's lands belong to the emperor, the world's people are the emperor's people. My words are law, my commands are rules. No one dares to disobey me. However, after having all these, I still have to accept such humiliation despite my court of civil and martial ministers being present!"

"Aren't you all usually conspiring and ganging up, alienating the nonconformists, deceiving the superior and cheating the inferior, accepting bribes and bartering ranks, trampling lives and abusing your powers? Aren't you all pretty good at brewing issues? What happened to all of that now? Keeping mum when someone is shaming the whole empire?"

The emperor's choice of words was incredibly sharp and direct. Like a red-hot needle, it stabbed right into the deepest part of the officials.

"Your high rank and handsome stipends, your honorable statuses and powerful authority, your wealth and fame, your lands, your supposed capabilities… what are they before such ravaging martial power? What can they do?"

"The shameless quest for personal gains, your exclusive parties, and sects, that all of you participate so actively in… what are they before such tyrannical martial power? Can your so-called eloquence kill their presence?"

"The longevity that you pursue, the continuation of your lineage, the heritage of your name and reputation - what are they in front of this martial force? Can they prevent you from perishing? Stop the extinction of your heir?"

His Majesty's tone grew icier.

"I have an incredibly uncomfortable feeling, but it is truly in existence. It is now, it is this very instant!"

The emperor stood up to pace back and forth in front of his throne, speaking faintly, "I feel that this so-called world hegemony, this uniting of continent - this absolutely majestic goal to us - to some people, it's like a tiger watching a colony of ants fighting, battling to call themselves king. It is akin to watching the colony of ants kill each other, piling up corpses like mountains!"

"This tiger only watches from the side, in satire, like it's looking at a joke. When a thought strikes the tiger, it'll descend the mountain and dash right into the colony of ants! Among the ants, it only needs to say 'Hail to me - for if you don't, I shall destroy all of you!'."

"As such, the celebrating ants were dumbfounded. They realized that besides submitting to the tiger, there's no second option in this situation!"

"So, these ants that had gone through so many baths of blood and mountains of corpses gave up… They surrendered…"

His Majesty's cold voice sounded like it came from the very depths of hell, bringing with it a piercing cold.

"This is what I feel now. I am but a stronger ant, the leader of the colony," said the emperor depreciatingly, "Now, you and I, the ants - just as we're about to celebrate our victory after going through so much, just as we're about to reach for glory, we meet the tiger."

"The tiger has come!"

"So, all the ants were silenced."

With a finger, the emperor pointed to each and everyone present, speaking resentfully, "A bunch of ants! I, too, am one!"

His finger then went to where his heart thumped in his chest. Pointing to it with a thud, he cried, "All ants!"

Everyone lowered their heads, many ministers were already starting to sob.

Ants!

The word had never plowed into their heart like a huge hammer before today.

Who would have thought that this word would actually be used on them?

Ant - I'm an ant!

I'm actually an ant!

The tension in the hall felt like an approaching storm. All else was quiet.

At this time, a clear voice rang out. "Your Majesty is too humble. The School of Kismet State is rather capable, but no matter what, we're still Your Majesty's subordinates. How dare we cross our boundaries?"

It was still the same voice from yesterday, calm and flat like it held no emotion.

Without exaggeration, however, this voice had resonated in all the officials' mind since yesterday, even when they slept. It felt like the whisper of a devil - oh, how they loathed it to their very core.

Since the founding of the Empire of Yutang, no one, be it an enemy or an opposite party, could gain the simultaneous hate of both the civil and martial parties like this voice had! Even the top opponent of Yutang's military Han Sanhe, or the spiteful nemesis of Shangguan Family of Generals, Empire of Ziyou's late emperor Zi Yicheng, had never received such service! Yet, the owner of this voice had achieved this glorious feat instantly after speaking.

Including the emperor, all the civil and martial officials resented the voice beyond measure!

"You've already come, why are you so fickle in showing yourself off?" His Majesty said glumly, "Are you afraid that we'd seize you, despite our lack of ability?"

The voice chuckled and replied, "This lowly one is never worried about being unable to escape unscathed. Your Majesty is a brilliant ruler who's about to take over the world; as an astounding monarch who's to create an unprecedented achievement, how will Your Majesty even think to banish an uncivilized person like this lowly one and lower your status?"

"The reason this lowly one hasn't presented me before Your Majesty is my self-awareness of my own ugliness. If my hideousness were to offend Your Majesty, that'd be this lowly one's sin."

The emperor spoke lightly, "However, if you insist on not showing yourself, how do I confer something upon you?"

"Confer?" The voice sounded surprised.

His Majesty heaved a long sigh and said, "I've thought all night long. Considering all else, I've come to a conclusion, a realization, despite the lack of alternatives. While we, the Empire of Yutang, are unparalleled right now and would be the up-and-coming winner upon taking over Tianxuan, we lack an overwhelming martial force. It blemishes the so-called illusion of hegemony. The title can hardly live up to the truth."

The voice hummed, evidently interested in and quite moved by what the Emperor of Yutang had to say.

"We'll speak in a straightforward manner. I am not happy with what you did. I believe this will be the same case, even if it were any other emperor or ruler…" His Majesty showed his disdain clearly.

"Your Majesty, we can't help the current situation as well… The grievance is unspeakable. We'll explain it in detail to Your Majesty in the future. We ask for Your Majesty's temporary patience."

The voice was obviously a little impatient. The mention of conferring earlier had attracted all his attention, so it would be his priority to minimize or even extinguish the ruler's resentment.

Although they were powerful and unrivaled in Yutang, they lacked the venerable reputation and an official title. These had been the easiest achievements in the past hegemonies, but this time around, they had bet on the wrong side and lost their stature.