He knew that while this would secure his position on the throne, it was accomplished entirely with Su Ze’s help. This also meant he would be beholden to Su Ze.
But this was a price he was willing to pay. After all, without Su Ze’s help, he would have spent his entire life as just one of Jasim’s many ordinary sons, never having a chance to ascend the throne.
He never imagined that a friend he had casually made and helped out a little would, in less than a year, secure him a throne he had never even dared to dream of.
’Making more friends really pays off!’
"Now, tell your father to come here. I plan to persuade him to abdicate in person," Su Ze said, a faint smile on his lips. "And don’t tell him I’m here beforehand. We wouldn’t want him to get stressed and do something that undermines unity."
"Understood." Atago picked up his phone and stepped out.
Su Ze paid no mind to how Atago was phrasing things to his father; he simply gave Mr. Ya a meaningful look.
Mr. Ya nodded and vanished on the spot.
A moment later, Atago walked back in and said to Su Ze, "My father will be here in a little while."
...
About ten-odd minutes later, the door to Atago’s room opened. Jasim, a man of medium build with graying hair and swarthy skin, strode inside.
Su Ze had already sensed his arrival, along with the probing scan of Spiritual Power that Jasim had sent out ahead of himself. But as long as Su Ze didn’t wish it, Jasim’s Spiritual Power would never be able to find him.
The moment Jasim saw Su Ze in the room, he stopped in his tracks, his expression turning extremely awkward.
He had encountered Su Ze once before, during the discovery of the alien spaceship. Back then, he had been quite unhappy that Su Ze was the first to enter and explore the ship, and he’d always suspected that Su Ze had gained something valuable inside.
As a result, he had treated Su Ze quite poorly at the time.
He never expected that after just a few months, the kid who hadn’t even reached Saint-level back then had now become a powerhouse he could not afford to offend.
Jasim found this reversal of roles very difficult to adjust to.
After a moment’s hesitation, he still offered a slight bow. "Supreme Su Ze."
Su Ze nodded impassively, not bothering to invite Jasim to take a seat.
Jasim shot Atago a questioning look, clearly displeased that his son had concealed Su Ze’s arrival and tricked him into coming.
He began to berate him. "Supreme Su Ze himself is here! How could you not inform me of such a major event? If you have shown the Supreme any disrespect, I will not forgive you!"
On the surface, he was berating Atago, but he was actually probing Su Ze.
He knew Atago was surely acting on Su Ze’s orders. For Su Ze to conceal his own arrival and have Atago summon him... he feared this visit was not a friendly one.
Normally, being berated like this by his father would have made Atago lose his nerve. This time, however, he was exceptionally calm. His expression was fearless as he met his father’s gaze.
His gaze was so calm it made Jasim’s own heart race with unease.
Just then, Su Ze spoke up. "I’m the one who had Atago call you. I came here for one main reason: to have you abdicate the throne."
He didn’t beat around the bush in the slightest, getting straight to the point and declaring his intentions.
Jasim’s face instantly turned grim.
"Why?" he asked, his voice strained.
"Because you’re no longer fit for the role."
Jasim fell silent for a moment before saying, "Supreme Su Ze, you still hold a position in Dongli, do you not? If I remember correctly, you hold no office in the Sovereign Country. You have no right to interfere with the appointment and removal of the Great Desert Kingdom’s King. In fact, according to the laws left by Lin Hua’s Legend, not even the Sovereign himself has the right to meddle in such matters."
"I don’t need anyone to grant me rights. The weak rely on rights given to them by others. The strong seize power for themselves.
"My power comes from myself. I’m not negotiating with you or giving you a choice. I’m simply informing you."
Su Ze’s impassive tone only made Jasim feel more humiliated and despised.
Jasim had to admit that Su Ze had a point. The weak could only rely on the rules established by the strong to obtain "rights," whereas the ones who actually made the rules possessed true "power."
Ultimately, rights could never contend with power.
For instance, the rights bestowed upon him by the laws of the Lin Hua Continent were now being trampled underfoot by Su Ze. His only recourse was to seek help from the authority that had granted him those rights in the first place.
"I’m going to make a call. I want to know the Sovereign Country’s stance on this," Jasim said, his jaw tight.
Su Ze scoffed. "You mean you want to call *him*, don’t you?"
Mr. Ya appeared silently beside him, holding a dripping, severed head in his hands.
Upon recognizing the face of the severed head, Jasim’s own face went pale as ash. The final line of defense in his heart crumbled.
It was the head of the Great Desert Kingdom’s Saint Envoy.
It was precisely because his rival had the support of the Great Desert Saint Envoy that he was able to contend with him.
Not long ago, the Great Desert Saint Envoy had approached him, urging him to join the Alien Party. In return, he was promised the Sovereign’s full support. The Great Desert Kingdom would not have to be partitioned, and he would even receive a reward from the Sovereign.
Jasim had been very tempted, but he hadn’t agreed right away, choosing instead to go home and think it over.
But recently, his rival—the Overlord-level chieftain backed by the Alien Party—had been gaining momentum so rapidly that Jasim was feeling immense pressure.
Furthermore, taking everything into account, he was pessimistic about the future of the Blue Star Human Race. He figured it might be better to throw his lot in with the Nian Race sooner rather than later.
Thus, just before coming here, he had contacted the Great Desert Saint Envoy and expressed his willingness to side with the Alien Party.
That was how Jasim knew for certain that the Great Desert Saint Envoy had been alive just twenty minutes ago.
And by the looks of it, Su Ze had never left Atago’s room during the time the Great Desert Saint Envoy must have been killed. This meant the Saint Envoy likely hadn’t died by Su Ze’s own hand.