91: Wine Night Talk

The starry sea outside the window sparkled like diamonds, and soft lighting cast a warm glow in the dining room.

Gu Zhixia put down her chopsticks, and her pretty face, usually carrying a hint of coolness and arrogance, was now flushed with rare contentment after a satisfying meal.

She stood up and walked directly to the wine cabinet nearby.

“Wait,”

Her voice carried an unusual ease and a slight hoarseness.

“This moment still lacks something.”

From the depths of the wine cabinet, she retrieved a beautifully packaged bottle of red wine.

In a world where even survival was a luxury, this bottle of wine was priceless.

“Zhi Xia?” Lin Mo was a little surprised.

“A trophy.”

Gu Zhixia's words were concise. With an aesthetically pleasing, practiced motion, she uncorked the bottle and poured half a glass of deep red liquid into Lin Mo's cup.

“Today is worth it.”

The wine swayed gently in the glass, its rich aroma instantly filling the air.

Lin Mo took the wine glass, looking at the girl who had rarely shed her sharp defenses.

Her phoenix eyes, usually as sharp as knives, now shimmered with a rare, soft light under the illumination.

“I want some too! Me too!”

Gu Nianqiu immediately raised her small hand, her eyes sparkling as she looked at the tempting red wine.

“Children can’t drink.” Gu Zhixia refused without a second thought.

“No way! I’m already twenty!” Gu Nianqiu pouted, protesting indignantly.

Lin Mo watched the interaction between the sisters. The cold, murderous aura of controlling gods and slaughtering all beings within him was unknowingly melted by this warmth.

The lines of his mouth softened.

“Pour her a little, just as a celebratory drink.”

“Hmph, Brother Mo is the best!” Gu Nianqiu immediately cheered.

Gu Zhixia gave Lin Mo a helpless glance but still poured her sister a small half glass, warning, “If you get drunk, I’m not taking care of you.”

The three raised their glasses.

“Clink.”

A crisp clinking sound echoed in the dining room, playing a brief and beautiful melody for this hard-won peace.

The red wine entered their mouths, its rich flavor blossoming on their tongues.

The atmosphere was relaxed and warm.

Lin Mo put down his wine glass, the gentleness on his face slowly receding, replaced by a calm as still as an ancient well, and beneath that calm, a depth capable of freezing the starry sea.

“It’s time to talk about the path ahead of us.”

Gu Zhixia immediately noticed the change in his tone; her slightly tipsy phoenix eyes sharpened once more.

“Lan Yue’s warning, and those… potential enemies?”

“Yes.”

Lin Mo nodded.

“Today’s test was just a fireworks display in the beginner village. Once we leave this sea area, we will face true jackals.”

“Then let’s turn them all into cosmic dust!”

Gu Zhixia said without hesitation, her fingertips lightly tracing the rim of her glass, her tone filled with innate confidence and murderous intent.

“Relying only on ourselves, our pace of becoming stronger isn’t fast enough.”

Lin Mo’s gaze seemed to penetrate the ship’s armor, looking out into the endless unknown.

“We need eyes, many, many eyes, to help us watch this world.”

Gu Zhixia raised an eyebrow: “Are you talking about… those guys in the valley today who couldn’t even stand steadily?”

Her tone carried an obvious hint of contempt.

In her opinion, those people weren’t even qualified to be their opponents.

“Ants have their uses.”

Lin Mo’s voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority.

“They can gather intelligence for us, find valuable targets, and even… step into traps we’re too lazy to step into.”

Gu Nianqiu tilted her small head, a little puzzled: “But… would they be willing?”

Lin Mo smiled at her words.

There was no warmth in that smile, only absolute confidence.

“Does it matter if they’re willing?”

He raised his wine glass, gently swirling the red liquid within, as if admiring a handful of congealed blood.

“From today on, this initial sea area will establish a new order.”

“Our order.”

He looked at Gu Zhixia, speaking word by word:

“Issue a ‘Divine Oracle’ to all survivors.”

“They can offer us intelligence on high-value targets.”

“Once the intelligence is adopted, we will go and clear out those targets.”

Gu Zhixia’s eyes lit up; she instantly understood Lin Mo’s intention.

“As for the spoils of war…” she pressed.

“Spoils of war?”

Lin Mo seemed to have heard something amusing. He took a small sip of red wine and said indifferently:

“All spoils of war belong to us.”

“And they…”

The corners of his mouth curved into a cold arc.

“The scraps that slip through our fingers will be their greatest reward.”

This was not cooperation.

This was dominion.

It was an unrefusable iron law issued by a god to mortals.

Gu Zhixia’s breathing hitched slightly.

She looked at Lin Mo before her. This man, who usually seemed somewhat reserved and not good with words, at this moment exuded a dominance of a superior that made even her heart tremble.

She suddenly smiled, her smile bright and captivating, full of appreciation for a worthy opponent.

“I like this idea.”

“Hehe, Brother Mo is so amazing!” Gu Nianqiu, on the other hand, clapped her small hands with an expression of adoration. Although she didn’t quite understand, she knew that Brother Mo must be right!

Just as this warm yet domineering atmosphere settled, Lin Mo’s gaze suddenly sharpened like a knife.

It was a cold, murderous intent, carrying the flames of vengeance.

“And, before we leave here…”

His voice became low and dangerous.

“There’s an old score that needs to be settled.”

Gu Zhixia and Gu Nianqiu’s expressions stiffened simultaneously.

In their minds, the terrifying, sky-obscuring tree canopy and the brutal battle that had almost driven them to despair simultaneously appeared.

The World Tree!

Lin Mo slowly stood up, walked to the porthole, and looked out at the deep starry sea, as if gazing at the colossal entity that had once brought them endless humiliation.

“Before, it was chasing us and attacking us.”

“Now…”

He turned his head, his eyes burning with the flame called “revenge,” his voice like ice.

“It’s our turn to uproot it!”