Space Odyssey from Abandoned Mining Space Station

”To hold those people back, the Fifth Legion is obviously already short-handed around those four Star Systems.”

”And there’s another problem: who can guarantee there aren’t people inside the Fifth Legion already influenced by Zuo Jing Psychics?”

”You and the Psychics in our Association are among the very few I can trust one hundred percent right now, so I’m telling you in advance—when the time comes, your fleet might actually be able to do something.”

The President felt an intense headache facing the current chaos in Cai Mo, and even across the whole Empire, but he still had to do his best.

”In short, after the assassination incident and under the influence of that Zuo Jing Psychic, the internal contradictions inside the Fifth Legion have already started piling up. Overall they’re in a half‑mad state, so try not to provoke them.”

”As for the others... it’s the usual crowd anyway.”

”The neighboring Star Realms all seem to be thinking about sticking a foot in. After all, it’s Cai Mo that takes the losses here, but the gains might end up in their pockets. Even some companies are planning to come over and fish in troubled waters.”

”This might be Zuo Jing’s influence, or it might just be what they wanted to do in the first place.”

”The only good news now is that although that Zuo Jing Psychic has probably already brainwashed a lot of people in the Empire, there will always be some with firm will, and his Spiritual Power is absolutely not enough to keep all the people he’s influenced under full control.”

Hearing this, Chen Ming couldn’t help saying, ”I’ve got a question. Wasn’t the Fifth Legion sent here in accordance with the Empire’s wishes to deal with Cai Mo’s mess?”

”Those fleets brazenly surrounding the Star Systems—no matter who they belong to—can’t they just be ordered to withdraw? Worst case, use force. Do these people really dare resist?”

The President explained, ”Force is off the table at the moment, because most of the Fifth Legion’s fleets were previously tied up enforcing the Star Realm blockade.”

”Even though we’ve now fully tightened the net around the Star Systems, it’s going to take time to shift all that combat power over.”

”If we start a fight right now, it’ll cause unnecessary losses, and there’s even a chance it’ll give Zuo Jing’s people an opportunity to slip out of the Star Systems.”

”As for simply issuing a hard order... that brings me to the other matter I was just about to tell you.”

”Inside the Cai Mo Star Realm, several Star Zones that originally belonged to Cai Mo have jointly put out a statement.”

”They say they oppose the so‑called blockade carried out in the Cai Mo Star Realm by the Fifth Legion and its allies, calling it de facto partition, and they condemn the Fifth Legion’s actions for causing massive damage to the Star Realm.”

”Some former members of the Fifth Legion have even stepped out to support them.”

”Huh?”

Chen Ming was completely stunned by that. He’d only been on the ship for a few hours—how had so much happened outside already?

He checked again, a bit uncertain, ”They’re calling the Fifth Legion’s actions ’partition’?”

The President answered firmly, ”Yes.”

”Then isn’t that basically outright rebellion?”

”And that ’rebellion’ is tying up some of the Fifth Legion’s attention, so those guys gathering around the four Star Systems are probably people who rushed over after hearing the news—nothing but fence‑sitters going whichever way the wind blows, right?”

”They show up the moment they smell profit, and scatter the instant things start to look bad.”

”This has Zuo Jing written all over it. What’s the Empire’s stance?”

”’Rebellion’ isn’t a word you can throw around casually.”

The President agreed with Chen Ming’s view, then answered his last question with a question of his own: ”What do you think?”

Chen Ming instantly jumped to the worst, and also the most likely, scenario: ”We’re headed for a civil war?”

”More or less. The scale shouldn’t be too big, limited to the Cai Mo Star Realm.”

”Psychics are still constrained by their Spiritual Power—it’s hard for them to create that many brainwashed people elsewhere. But if that Zuo Jing Psychic succeeds, who knows what the situation will look like.”

To be honest, Chen Ming didn’t even dare picture just how bad things would get if Zuo Jing really pulled it off.

So even for his own sake, he had to take Zuo Jing down.

”I’ve actually noticed something on my end too—Star System Government ships have attacked my fleet. Since everyone’s already calling it rebellion, the Empire should be taking action against this kind of behavior, right?”

The President hesitated a little. After all, Chen Ming’s question was very blunt.

After thinking it over, he still decided to say, ”What I’m about to do is tied directly to all these things happening. Just know it—don’t talk about it.”

”Now that Cai Mo has blown up like this, it’s definitely going to go through a major purge.”

”And before the purge, there’s absolutely going to be a lot of bloodshed.”

”We’re definitely going to have to fight this civil war. Even if we don’t win it outright, we at least need to hold things down so others can focus on dealing with Zuo Jing.”

Listening to the President, Chen Ming suddenly realized the most absurd part of all this.

Up to this moment, people on the Empire’s side didn’t even know who the enemy in the coming civil war actually was.

No one knew who would suddenly be exposed as brainwashed by Zuo Jing at the next second, turning their guns on their former comrades.

”Zuo Jing, huh...”

Chen Ming muttered, a note of emotion in his voice, then instinctively checked the location of that cloaked man.

His perception of the target was still as blurry as before, but at least he could confirm that the cloaked man was still somewhere inside the Cai Mo Star Realm, roughly in the area around the four Star Systems the President had identified earlier.