56: Human hearts are treacherous; prepare for all eventualities.
Inside the starship, the atmosphere did not become relaxed after Liu Qingtian left; instead, it suddenly became filled with an eerie stagnation and chill.
The young Cultivator who had been saved by Liu Qingtian earlier, his face showing reluctance, watched as Deacon Mo Qiu's face instantly turned cold and shrewd. He could not help but speak up again, his voice trembling: "Deacon Mo Qiu... Senior Tree Venerable just saved all of our lives a moment ago... and now, in the blink of an eye, we are... we are betraying his whereabouts to the Nihility Cult... Is... is this not too much..."
"Too much what?!" Mo Qiu snapped his head around. His gaze, which had previously appeared benevolent, turned sharp as a blade. A wave of pressure from the Late-stage Heaven Enlightenment Realm bore down mercilessly on the young Cultivator, forcibly choking off the rest of his words.
The young Cultivator let out a muffled groan, his face turning deathly pale. Pressed down by the heavy pressure, he could barely stand straight, his eyes filled with fear and confusion.
Mo Qiu stepped closer, his voice as cold as a void turbulence: "Foolish! Such womanly benevolence! Do you think we rely on gratitude when trading in the Void Realm? We rely on assessing the situation—on profit!"
"That Demon Willow is indeed formidable; to be able to slay a Thousand Illusions Jellyfish, his strength must have already reached the Kaishan Realm! But precisely because of that, he is even more dangerous! Did you not hear him asking about the Nihility Cult? He is clearly an enemy of the Cult! If the Cult finds out we accepted his favor today, do you think we will have a good ending? Have you not heard of the methods of the Nihility Cult?!"
Upon hearing this, the young Cultivator's body shook even more violently. He naturally knew the infamous reputation of the Nihility Cult; it was a terrifying organization that would destroy entire realms at the slightest provocation, known for its extreme cruelty.
"But..." he still wanted to argue.
"No 'buts'!" Mo Qiu interrupted sharply. "Furthermore, this is a massive opportunity! A heaven-sent chance to curry favor with the Nihility Cult and offer a tribute! We only need to report his whereabouts, appearance, and the characteristics of his strength, and we can use this to establish a connection with the Cult! In the future, who would dare touch our Star Falcon Merchant Guild while trading in this Star Domain of the Void Realm? It is easier to enjoy the shade under a big tree! Can your pathetic sense of gratitude even compare to the benefits of this?!"
The more he spoke, the more excited he became, his eyes flashing with greed and calculation.
Looking at Mo Qiu's almost twisted face, a deep chill welled up in the young Cultivator's heart. Only then did he realize how insignificant so-called kindness was in the face of true profit and survival.
Watching his dejected appearance, a fierce look flashed in Mo Qiu's eyes. He suddenly grabbed the young man by the collar and sneered: "However, you are right. After all, he saved us; it would be unreasonable not to show some kind of gesture."
The young Cultivator was stunned, not yet understanding.
But he saw Mo Qiu suddenly circulate his Qi, wave his arm, and toss him away like trash, throwing him forcefully out of the starship's not-yet-fully-closed hatch, directly into the Void Realm in the direction Liu Qingtian had left!
"Ah—!" The young Cultivator let out a terrified scream, his body tumbling uncontrollably in the Void Realm, instantly becoming a small black dot in the distance.
Mo Qiu stood at the hatch, watching the direction he had disappeared into with indifference. A cruel smile curled at the corner of his mouth as he muttered to himself: "Now, we have a three-pronged strategy."
He turned around and ordered the crew members behind him, who were trembling in silence and dared not make a sound: "First, immediately use secret channels to report the detailed information, strength assessment, and the direction of departure of that Demon Willow to the Nihility Cult! Tell them we were coerced by him and narrowly escaped, and are hereby reporting his whereabouts, willing to act as dogs and horses for the Cult!"
"Yes... yes!" A trusted crew member hurriedly responded, trembling as he went to operate the communication array.
"Second," Mo Qiu's gaze swept over the crowd, "that idiot from just now harbored ulterior motives and tried to obstruct our loyalty to the Cult, so I have already cleaned up the sect. If that Demon Willow somehow survives and comes looking for us, we can push everything onto the Nihility Cult and claim that the idiot's 'sacrifice' was our secret way of reporting, which might win us a shred of mercy from him."
The crew members felt a chill in their hearts upon hearing this, finally understanding the true purpose of Mo Qiu throwing the young Cultivator out—it was both to silence him and to leave behind a pawn that could potentially be used to smooth things over in the future! His meticulous and ruthless mind was truly terrifying.
"Third," Mo Qiu took a deep breath, his tone becoming even more serious, "immediately use the highest-level Family secret communication to notify all Mo Family Bloodline descendants outside to enter a state of silence, hide their tracks, and not go out unless necessary! This is to prevent either that Demon Willow or the Nihility Cult from venting their anger on us in retaliation afterward!"
"With these three approaches, no matter which side ultimately wins, my Mo Family will have room to maneuver, and may even be able to profit from it!"
A smug smile of someone who has everything under control appeared on Mo Qiu's face, "This is the way to survive in this cruel Void Realm!"
The crew members all lowered their heads in agreement, not daring to have any objections, though in their hearts, they had developed a great fear of this Deacon who usually appeared kind.
Soon, an encrypted message was quietly sent from the starship, shooting into the depths of the Void Realm in the direction of a stronghold belonging to the Nihility Cult.
Another, even more secretive Family message was sent shortly after.
Mo Qiu watched the light of the sent message and nodded with satisfaction, waving his hand: "Full speed ahead, leave this airspace! Go to the Flowing Wind Realm!"
The starship adjusted its course, accelerated, and soon disappeared into the vast Void Realm.
Only the abandoned young Cultivator was left, floating desperately in the cold Void Realm, waiting for an unknown fate. He might be torn apart by void turbulence, he might encounter other dangers, or perhaps... he might be discovered by a returning Liu Qingtian.
Meanwhile, Liu Qingtian was completely unaware of all the conspiracies and schemes happening behind him. He was traveling while studying the core of the Thousand Illusions Jellyfish, trying to comprehend the power of spatial illusion within it, hoping to improve his own concealment abilities.
In the Void Realm, crises were everywhere, coming not only from enemies in the open but also from the hearts of those who appeared friendly but actually harbored evil intentions.
The roles of hunter and prey could switch at any moment.