Li Bai was sitting on his couch, reading a webnovel about an emperor marrying 3000 concubines, before anything, he got very excited and died from a heart attack, without even getting a chance to see the ending of a peak novel.
It felt like he was floating in the void for ages.
When he finally opened his eyes and found himself on the roadside, clad in tattered robes, holding a small dented metal bowl with 2 copper coins in it.
"Junior... You have a once-in-a-lifetime spirit root of heaven grade, would you like to be my disciple?"
That voice? Li Bai turned his head only to see an Old man clad in a celestial robe talking to a young beggar.
But... This beggar looked a little familiar.
Holy shit...
Isn't this the emperor who would find 3000 concubines, in the future?
Just then,
[Ding! Destiny stealing system activated.]
Destiny stealing system?!
Thump! Thump!
He once again had a heart attack from overexcitement.
[Ding!]
[Host's Life force sipping away detected. World setting rejected.]
Li Bai, who had almost died once again, opened his eyes and stood up as if nothing had happened.
The old man and the future emperor were still there, completely ignoring him as if he were merely a side character. To which, he was.
'System... Hurry up, steal Future Emperor's destiny, all 3000 concubines will now belong to me, muahahaha,' Li Bai uttered in his mind.
[Host. You can't steal the original protagonist's destiny at the moment. His destiny value is 10 million, while your destiny value is 10. The difference is like Heaven and Earth. ]
'Nah... I refuse. Aren't you destiny-stealing system? Do something.' Li Bai was about to have a heart attack once again.
[Host. I am useless just like you. I have nothing but my name as a destiny stealing system aside from that I have no features.]
"..."
"Yo, someone refund me... This can't be... Nu uh." He felt his heart beating faster and faster. How come in novels, those useless protagonists get a system that can do anything but he gets a useless clanker.
Hearing him talk to himself, the old man turned his head and stared at Li Bai, and shook his head. Alas, beggar these days suffers from mental illness. He took out his sword.
"Little beggar it will be swift and painless, you don't have to live in misery anymore, this old man shall commit a good deed today," The old man said as he raised his sword.
Li Bai was shocked. What do you mean by it will be swift and painless... "Wait, wait, wait, let me tell you something... Let me tell you something."
[Host, run.]
Li Bai, without hesitation stood up and began to run away. The old man followed him, his sword raised.
"Why are you running!?" he uttered.
"Little beggar, trust me, I will send you on your journey to reincarnation, it will be swift and painless."
"Senior. I don't want to die... Fear karma, fear heavens," Li Bai shouted.
"Little beggar, don't be afraid, trust me in another life you will be reborn as an emperor," The old man uttered.
Li Bai, finally stopped, taking deep breaths. His kidneys were beginning to hurt a lot.
[Ding! Suitable target detected to steal the destiny. Would you like to steal!?]
Eh!? His eyes widened.
[Ding! Please touch the donkey on your left to steal his destiny.]
"..."
His face turned sour. What kind of nonsense is this?! Why would he wanna steal the destiny of a donkey?
"Little beggar, you finally stopped... Otherwise, I was about to use my spell to kill you, it seems the heavens have eyes..." The old man sighed. He turned his head and looked at the donkey and froze right away.
"This donkey... It has an aura of enlightenment in it... This donkey is about to comprehend something profound," The old man added, stroking his long beard.
Li Bai's face immediately turned joyous hearing the donkey had an aura of enlightenment. Hehe, it should definitely be stolen.
He turned his head and saw the donkey, which was looking at the sunset. Li Bai walked towards it and touched it.
[Beep! Destiny stolen.]
[Host's destiny value increased to 110.]
Li Bai's eyes widened.
This donkey's destiny value was 100? That's insane. But why was he looking at the sunset? He must have comprehended something profound. He looked at the sunset and tried to comprehend something profound.
Boom!
A powerful aura erupted from his body, and his mind floated in the white space. There he heard a profound truth.
"When you eat, you will shit."
At that exact time, a donkey pooped on his foot.
Li Bai looked at the donkey, and the donkey looked at him. The donkey was smirking.
"When you eat, you will shit," Li Bai muttered to himself, the profound truth echoing in his mind like a grand bell. "This... this is the Dao of Causality?"
The donkey let out a smug "Hee-haw... Nneiighhhhhh" and trotted away, its tail swishing with an air of superiority.
"Unbelievable!" The old man's eyes were shining as he rushed over, completely ignoring the donkey, and looked at Li Bai.
"Little beggar. You just had an epiphany, didn't you?" The old man grabbed Li Bai's shoulders, his grip iron-tight. "That aura... that sudden clarity... You comprehended the Cycle of Input and Output! To think such a profound Dao hides within the mind of a beggar!"
Li Bai looked down at his foot, where a fresh, steaming pile of 'enlightenment' was currently soaking through his sandal. He wanted to cry. "Senior, I think I just stepped in—"
"Silence!" The old man commanded, trembling with excitement. "Do not belittle your own realization! You have the bearing of a hidden dragon. That donkey... that donkey was clearly a spirit beast guiding you!"
Li Bai froze. Spirit beast? What nonsense is this!?
"Good! Good! Good! I think you are suitable to be a disciple in my sect, would you like to accept me as your master!?"
Li Bai stood frozen, but this was an opportunity. However, should he kneel down and kowtow to this old geezer? But the old man was giving him such an opportunity.
Well, it's worth a try.
"Senior, I am willing..." he cupped his fist and bowed his head.
Daily life in the new world. Just what could go wrong? All he has to do is cultivate diligently and occasionally steal others' destiny.