Timeless Assassin

(Holding Cell, Su Yang's POV)

Once left alone, Su Yang dejectedly placed a call to his father, Su Tang, and relayed the demands that Leo had set forth.

"What? Has the Cult gone insane? To even suggest that the great Su Clan should become subservient to them? Have they completely lost their minds?" Su Tang roared, his voice carrying the weight of centuries of pride, as his blood boiled at the mere thought of such a humiliating deal.

"But what else can we do, father?" Su Yang pressed, his tone carrying both frustration and resignation. "They clearly believe they can capture planet Nemo, and the other worlds we are abandoning, without us conceding them willingly.

They think they can turn our turmoil into their opportunity, carving out territorial gains for themselves regardless of what we offer.

So tell me, if they already believe that, then why would they ever risk joining us in a dangerous alliance? What's in it for them?"

At those words, Su Tang fell into deathly silence, the fury that had moments ago burned so brightly now tempered by the heavy truth his second son had laid bare.

"B-but, T-that…. But we are the Su Clan…." He spoke with a deflated tone, as if realizing mid-way through the sentence, that the 'Su' name no longer carried as much weight across the universe as it did before.

So what if they were the Su Clan, Without Su Ren, they were nothing.

"I-I won't be able to justify the Su Clan becoming subservient to the Cult to the rest of the clan members.

There are a few hardliners amongst our ranks who would rather face annihilation than joining hands with the Cult.

Under such a political environment, it's going to be impossible.

I'm afraid we can't accept this offer…." Su Tang concluded, as Su Yang shook his head in understanding.

The last few days had forced him to mature far faster than he ever imagined, as he had gone from being one of the universe's most privileged heirs to suddenly becoming one of its most burdened.

Only now did he realize that although his father held the title of Patriarch, much of his authority had always stemmed from being the son of Su Ren, and with his grandfather gone, that absolute power had vanished, leaving his father in a position, where he was forced to consult others before deciding the clan's future.

"I understand father….. I'll decline the Cult and head back." Su Yang said, as he disconnected the call.

—---------------

(Meanwhile, Leo and Veyr, a few meters away from the holding cell door)

"This is genius, cuz! If we manage to subdue the Su Clan, then we will have the beginnings of a genuine resistance movement against the Universal Government. I'm very impressed by your strategy," Veyr said, as Leo simply shook his head in dismissal.

"It's highly unlikely that they will accept our deal. An organization as prideful as the Su Clan cannot bend the knee so quickly. But that was never my true goal.

My purpose today was only to plant a seed of doubt in their minds— the idea that there is still a way out of this mess, if only they bow," Leo said, as Veyr tilted his head, raising a brow in confusion.

"Imagine it this way. You're a wealthy merchant with a net worth of billions of MP. With that wealth, you've grown used to a certain lifestyle, a standard of living that defines you. Now, if tragedy struck and you were suddenly forced to live as a minimum-wage worker, the change would be unbearable.

But imagine instead that you are a slave, one who has never known freedom or income, suddenly promoted to that same minimum-wage job.

To you, the soft bed you sleep on, the food you buy with your own earnings, all of it would feel like luxuries you could never have imagined.

So the same job, which feels like an insult and a demotion to the billionaire, feels like a dream come true to the slave," Leo explained, as Veyr still looked at him, puzzled but listening intently.

"The Su Clan are like the billionaire in this example. They have only just begun to lose what they once had, so to them our offer feels beneath their dignity.

But when they hit rock bottom… when they see their brothers, mothers, and children slaughtered, when they watch their worlds conquered and plundered, when their influence shrinks into nothing, that same deal they scorn today will become to them the sweetest honey."

Leo's voice trailed with quiet certainty, and this time Veyr's eyes brightened, the weight of his cousin's words finally sinking in.

"When we walk back into that room, Su Yang is most likely going to reject us.

But that's okay, as that's probably for the best.

However, before he leaves, we will throw him a line of hope. Tell him that if, in the future, the Su Clan is ever ready to accept this proposal, and bend the knee for two hundred years, they have only to call on this private communication crystal, and the Cult will respond at once to their call for help."

Leo explained, as Veyr finally understood the endgame. For now, they were only placing the bait, while the time to reel in the big fish would come later.

"And in the meantime, while we wait for that call to come… we can also conquer planet Nemo and other abandoned worlds for ourselves," Veyr suggested, finally catching on, as Leo smiled and gave him a double thumbs up.

"Bingo."

Veyr leaned back slightly, his grin widening as the full picture settled in his mind. "So either way, we win. If they reject us, we still grow stronger through conquest. If they come crawling back, we don't just gain planets, we gain the Su Clan under our heel."

"Exactly," Leo said, his tone calm, almost casual, though his eyes gleamed with cold clarity. "It doesn't matter if they spit in our faces today. Tomorrow, when their walls are burning and their pride is ash, they'll remember this deal we offered. And then… they'll come to us on their knees."

Veyr chuckled darkly, folding his arms with satisfaction. "You really are dangerous, cousin. I would never want to be on the wrong side of you in a war…."