Chapter 591: The Deal with Emperor Palpatine

May I ask, are you Ye Nan...

The single sentence echoed for a long time inside the warship, stirring unease among those who had already surrendered.

“I am Ye Nan, no doubt about it.” Ye Nan faced the Sith Emperor calmly, “But I’m more curious why you chose to serve the Cosmic Emperor.”

At Ye Nan’s words, the Sith Emperor’s expression changed, “The Cosmic Emperor is the master of the galaxy; no one can oppose him.”

“If that were the only reason, you wouldn’t have conspired to rebel, used the dark side of the Force to kill most of the Jedi, and built your own Galactic Empire—you’re a cruel emperor.” Ye Nan smiled lightly, as if speaking to an ordinary stranger, casually.

“Even a cruel emperor must bow before overwhelming power.” The Sith Emperor’s voice was flat, his expression unchanged; from the image alone, nothing could be discerned.

“But a cruel emperor doesn’t submit so willingly.” Ye Nan smiled faintly, the implication clear.

“Power remains.”

“There’s someone above me.”

“He made me a promise.”

“Promises change.”

…

After their exchange, Ye Nan became increasingly certain the Sith Emperor was not willingly kneeling beneath the Cosmic Emperor—he had begun to form new ideas.

The Cosmic Emperor is a mighty being who sweeps across the universe, constantly devouring and destroying galaxies—a terrifying enemy.

Yet the descriptions of the Cosmic Emperor in the plot were so horrifying they exceeded all limits; Ye Nan wanted to know just how strong he truly was.

Based on this thought, Ye Nan created this clone, using it to test the Cosmic Emperor’s power. Whether this clone survives to the end or merely succeeds in transmitting information back, it would indirectly confirm the Cosmic Emperor’s strength.

Now, he had a new idea: he planned to use the Sith Emperor to test the Cosmic Emperor’s power. But he understood the Sith Emperor was no Luke—he wouldn’t sacrifice himself for lofty ideals. To manipulate him would demand a heavy price.

But what did a little cost matter? The Sith Emperor was destined to be merely a pawn—a pawn used to probe the Cosmic Emperor’s strength.

Watching the silent Ye Nan, the Sith Emperor sank into gloom. His visions of the future were rare and scarce; he often needed long periods to decipher the hidden meanings within them.

For instance, he had foreseen his death at the hands of a young man—but at that time, he had no idea who the young man was. He continued his tyranny, searching for him. Years passed, and only then did he realize the young man was Luke. All he could do was laugh bitterly—and laugh bitterly again.

He had foreseen too far ahead—when Luke was just born—and wasted over a decade in needless worry.

Now, he foresaw again: this young man before him. This vision was stronger than any before. But what he saw filled him with disappointment.

The power Ye Nan displayed was greater than what the prophecy had shown—it made him feel the vision had failed. That was why he had asked such a ridiculous question: “Are you really Ye Nan?”

“But how could a prophecy fail?” The Sith Emperor’s mind wavered. Prophecies had no fixed timeline—he could foresee decades, centuries, even millennia ahead. Such visions carried immense uncertainty, yet none had ever been wrong.

“Isn’t a prophecy failing the most normal thing?” Ye Nan suddenly laughed. “Just as you couldn’t foresee the arrival of the Cosmic Emperor.”

At these words, the Sith Emperor fell silent, his expression finally shifting.

Ye Nan had struck a nerve—but not because his prophecy had failed. It was because he simply could not foresee the Cosmic Emperor at all.

In his visions, the dark side of the Force offered only warnings—nothing more. He could not foresee the Cosmic Emperor.

That was why he submitted to the Cosmic Emperor, rather than fighting back.

“My visions didn’t fail—they simply couldn’t perceive the Cosmic Emperor’s existence,” the Sith Emperor hissed. “But I can perceive yours.”

“So you think you’ve got me figured out, do you?” Ye Nan idly twirled a strand of hair. “But you don’t understand my power—or the power of us.”

“What do you mean by ‘my power’ and ‘your power’?” The Sith Emperor’s face changed. As Ye Nan spoke, the dark side of the Force began to churn, urging him to uncover the secret behind it.

“My power and the power of us are beyond your comprehension. I come from Earth—a tiny planet. But I am not alone. Do you understand now?” Ye Nan spoke vaguely, obscurely.

His words made little sense—unless one knew what Earth—or Earth-0—was.

“I don’t understand.” The Sith Emperor shook his head. At this moment, he looked like a student awaiting his teacher’s guidance—though in truth, he only wanted to uncover the secret. The dark side of the Force was intensely curious about Ye Nan’s mystery.

Seeing the Sith Emperor’s expectant face, Ye Nan suddenly felt like playing a trick on him. “Then don’t bother understanding.”

The Sith Emperor flew into rage. He had shown that look of anticipation—and Ye Nan gave him this? His fury could not be contained.

Light and lightning swirled inside the starship; the vessel trembled violently, instruments malfunctioned, and computers flickered erratically.

“My patience has limits.”

“No wonder you’re a tyrant—I was just joking.” Ye Nan quickly corrected himself, seeing he’d gone too far. “Harris and Beth and I all come from the same place. We came here to test.”

The light faded, the lightning vanished. The Sith Emperor returned to his half-dead posture, his head lolling as if it might drop off at any moment.

“I’m just a dying ordinary man. Call me a tyrant—I won’t deny it.”

“Then tell me why I should reveal any secrets to you.” Ye Nan spoke lazily. “You seem deeply interested in my secrets. Let’s exchange—swap secrets.”

“What do you want to know?” The Sith Emperor asked with interest. “You’re the first person ever to speak to me like this.”

“The Cosmic Emperor is pitiful—ignored by you like this.” Ye Nan wore an expression of genuine sympathy, as if truly mourning the Cosmic Emperor.

The Sith Emperor’s face stiffened, then returned to normal. “Indeed, I’ve ignored the Cosmic Emperor. I avoid remembering the past—so I habitually overlook him. I suppose I’ve been fooling myself.”

The Sith Emperor’s blunt admission left Ye Nan speechless.

His original intent was to provoke the Sith Emperor, to anger him, to chip away at his mental defenses. But the Sith Emperor had simply admitted it outright—leaving Ye Nan with no opening.

His mental power operated silently and invisibly—but only if it was allowed to diffuse. Only then could it become truly undetectable.

But the consequence was that it could not directly trigger emotion—it could only amplify existing feelings. So when the Sith Emperor admitted his fault so cleanly, Ye Nan held back.

After all, the Sith Emperor cultivated the Force, and cultivators of the Force had heightened perception. Ye Nan had no confidence he could inject his mental power into the Sith Emperor while he remained calm.

“Then this.” Ye Nan devised a plan. “I’ll tell you something you’re interested in. Then you fulfill my request. How about that?”

“Depends on the value of your secret.” The Sith Emperor’s face remained expressionless, disappointing Ye Nan, who had been watching his every micro-expression.

“The Hive Sovereign Harris is going to ally with me.”

Ye Nan’s words stunned the Sith Emperor, shattering his composure. “Who is the target?”

“Shouldn’t we agree on the price first?” Ye Nan smiled faintly. One glance suggested he was smiling; another revealed he wasn’t smiling at all—ambiguous, elusive.

“Fair enough.” The Sith Emperor quickly regained his calm. “Speak. State your demand.”

Despite his efforts to conceal it, Ye Nan detected a faint tremor in his voice.

“Kill Princess Leia.” Ye Nan uttered the demand.

In his original plan, he had intended to resolve everything within the planet. But Obi-Wan Kenobi had held back a final card—he planned to entrust Luke to Master Yoda, forcing Ye Nan to continue this game of double-dealing.

Yet he had one flaw: Princess Leia. He had approached Luke under the guise of being her attendant. Given his closeness to Luke, Luke would inevitably ask Leia for information—and tell her his own secrets.

The consequence would be Ye Nan’s exposure. But it didn’t matter—he still had time. He knew Leia was in the hands of Darth Vader. Kill her and destroy her homeworld, and his secret would remain hidden—for now. As for the future: Luke would have no future.

“Kill Princess Leia and her homeworld. I know you can do it, Sith Emperor.”

“Give me a reason.” The Sith Emperor paused, thought, then asked directly.

“Because I dislike her. Is that reason enough?” Ye Nan smiled faintly, watching the Sith Emperor with a half-smile.

“Enough.” (To be continued.)