Chapter 304: Xiang Gaoqi: What About That Trickster?

Hearing Zhou Yun's words, Xiang Gaoqi's expression grew suddenly serious.

"What are you hinting at?" He asked in a low voice.

Seeing Xiang Gaoqi's expression, Zhou Yun knew He had made the same suspicion as himself.

"Let us revisit the two prophecies concerning Inard: When the last soul of the last Aeldari returns to the Infinite Loop, Inard shall be born from the death of the Aeldari."

"When the five Old Women's Swords are gathered, Inard shall awaken. Is there a possibility these are the same prophecy?"

"Like the Emperor rising from the Golden Throne becoming the Dark King, bringing death to humanity."

"The true nature of the prophecy is this: When the five Old Women's Swords are assembled, and Inard—formed from the pure souls of the Aeldari within the Infinite Loop—is truly born into this world, the Aeldari shall face utter destruction, all their souls flowing into the Infinite Loop, converging within Inard, enabling His ascension."

This was a suspicion Zhou Yun had held for a long time.

The Old Women's Swords themselves originated from the finger bones of Morre-Heg, the Aeldari goddess of souls and fate.

This goddess, who governed souls and destiny, lured Kain into severing her five fingers; the God of Craftsmen, Val, then forged those five fingers into the five Old Women's Swords.

Iphreni believed that by gathering the five Old Women's Swords, Inard could be truly born within the Warp and destroy Slaanesh—without requiring the entire Aeldari race to perish.

But the power of the Old Women's Swords directly came from Morre-Heg, Kain, and Val; two of them were effortlessly devoured by Slaanesh, and one was shattered into fragments—how could their power possibly grant Inard the strength to defeat Slaanesh?

Thus Zhou Yun's suspicion was this: The Old Women's Swords are the condition to awaken Inard; when Inard is awakened and born, he shall, like the Emperor rising from the Throne, bring about the utter destruction of the entire Aeldari race.

At that moment, Inard's power shall pierce through time, and every death of the Aeldari from ancient to present shall become His strength; He is the embodiment of the destruction of this once-great race, and at that time, He may indeed defeat Slaanesh, born from the Aeldari's excesses.

And surely Xiang Gaoqi, before him, harbored this same suspicion and had reservations about Inard.

"That is merely your speculation," Xiang Gaoqi said, his face no longer smiling, his voice low and heavy.

"So I brought this," Zhou Yun revealed the circle and cross before Xiang Gaoqi.

"This is the Truth-Oracle. Whatever it deems correct is undeniably correct."

Zhou Yun spoke slowly:

"When Inard awakens after gathering the five Old Women's Swords, the Aeldari shall all perish, their souls returning to the Infinite Loop."

The instant Zhou Yun finished speaking, the red circle leapt violently into the air, swaying gently a few times, confirming Zhou Yun's statement as correct.

Xiang Gaoqi let out a hollow laugh and retorted, "I know you possess many miraculous artifacts, but relying solely on this unproven, possibly manipulated circle—"

He paused mid-sentence, his expression freezing slightly.

Xiang Gaoqi had always watched over the fate of the Aeldari.

It was a tangled, ever-weakening thread—the final prophecy revealed by the dying Morre-Heg.

For over ten thousand years, that fate had remained unchanged—but at this moment, Xiang Gaoqi saw the tangle suddenly straighten.

Anchored at the present, the fate before Xiang Gaoqi split into two streams.

One stretched onward, once again fracturing into chaotic knots, indistinct and unclear.

The other snapped, dissolved, and was destroyed not far into the future.

Xiang Gaoqi saw it: the second stream, the one ending in destruction, was the future where Inard was born.

In that future, Inard rose amid the wails of all Aeldari; the Infinite Loops of every Ark-World solidified into His body, countless Aeldari souls screaming within the loops.

Then Inard and Slaanesh intertwined—and the Aeldari's future ended abruptly.

Xiang Gaoqi could no longer smile.

"Whatever it deems correct is undeniably correct"—so that's what it meant!

It directly anchors the future, collapsing all possibilities.

It is not that the future must be this way, so it is deemed correct.

It is that because it is deemed correct, the future is forcibly made to be this way.

Such an artifact. Such power. How are you leaving the Lord of Change to cope?!

Xiang Gaoqi once again stilled his smile and turned to Zhou Yun.

"I saw that future. Inard's resurrection will indeed lead the Aeldari to destruction."

"But I had already suspected it. With Inard, the Aeldari still have a chance to perish alongside Slaanesh."

"Don't say that, Jester God," Zhou Yun said, watching Xiang Gaoqi, knowing he had tipped the scales within Him: "I know what your final laugh is. You never intended for Inard to be born, for the Aeldari to perish, to destroy Slaanesh in mutual ruin."

"You planned a bitterly ironic ending: Slaanesh, to prevent Inard's birth, will be forced to protect a portion of the Aeldari, becoming their guardian."

"The irony of your final laugh lies not only in Slaanesh protecting the Aeldari, but in the fact that Xiang Gaoqi—the being in this galaxy who hates Slaanesh most—cannot bear to sacrifice the Aeldari to avenge himself."

"In your heart, the Aeldari matter more than vengeance. As long as the Aeldari survive—even if they are merely kept as Slaanesh's livestock, utterly deprived of a future—you are willing to abandon total revenge."

This is the core contradiction between Xiang Gaoqi and Inard.

Inard yearns to be born, to kill Slaanesh and avenge Himself; the destruction of the Aeldari is acceptable to Him. He is closer to the embodiment of the Aeldari's vengeance and destructive desire.

Xiang Gaoqi is the opposite: He sees Inard only as a deterrent against Slaanesh. In His heart, the survival of the Aeldari matters more than vengeance. He is, in truth, the embodiment of the Aeldari's will to endure and their longing for survival.

Their conflict is inevitable—yet for now, they merely cooperate reluctantly.

Thinking of this, Zhou Yun extended his hand and smiled.

"Xiang Gaoqi, you call yourself the Jester and the Actor, feigning levity—but I know you are one of the few Aeldari worthy of respect."

"If humanity is to ally with the Aeldari, I believe working with you is better. Of course, that depends on whether you are willing to choose a better future."

"A future better than the one you planned for your final laugh."

"That depends on your offer," Xiang Gaoqi's lips curled into a smile.

He faintly saw, in the future where Inard was never born, at the end of the tangled thread, the Aeldari bathed in some kind of radiant protection.

Xiang Gaoqi was ready to wield his power as the God of Deception, to secure greater benefits for the Aeldari.

As the most eloquent among the Aeldari gods, Xiang Gaoqi was the finest negotiator in the entire race.

This was His advantage—Zhou Yun seemed to possess no authority or symbolism related to negotiation or deception.

"Let us discuss the details of our cooperation," Xiang Gaoqi said, smiling confidently.

Zhou Yun nodded slightly, then placed his hand on the Gate of Anywhere and gently pushed it open.

On the other side of the Gate stood Robert Guilliman, buried beneath piles of documents; he noticed the opening Gate and lifted his weary face.

"So it's my turn?" He rose, stepped through the Gate, and stood before Xiang Gaoqi.

"This is my negotiator," Zhou Yun said, gently pointing at Guilliman with a smile.

The confidence in Xiang Gaoqi's smile faded.

If there was anyone in the galaxy whom Xiang Gaoqi feared as a negotiator, it was Robert Guilliman, standing beside Zhou Yun.

Watching Xiang Gaoqi haggle with Guilliman over every tiny cost the Aeldari must pay, Zhou Yun grew bored.

Professional matters should be left to professionals—negotiation, indeed all governance, was Guilliman's specialty.

Zhou Yun entrusted the negotiation with Xiang Gaoqi entirely to Guilliman, and, with nothing else to do, wandered through the Black Library with Saint Guilliman.

Xiang Gaoqi granted them partial access; in truth, as He himself admitted, He did not fully control this treasure trove of Aeldari knowledge.

"The power of the Aeldari Pantheon still lingers here—including the barriers set by Asuryan. These residual forces refuse to accept me," Xiang Gaoqi warned Zhou Yun and Saint Guilliman, urging them not to touch the sealed books.

Zhou Yun replied he would try his best.

"You two seem to get along quite well," Saint Guilliman said with a smile as they walked among the labyrinthine shelves.

"With Xiang Gaoqi?" Zhou Yun couldn't help shaking his head: "How did you figure that out?"

"He seems to know something about you," Saint Guilliman said, lowering his head in thought. "That's unusual. Perhaps you haven't noticed, but the Emperor has obscured much of humanity's third millennium's history; only those granted His permission may access information about Doraemon."

Hearing this, Zhou Yun frowned.

The Emperor had obscured the history of the third millennium? He had blocked Doraemon-related information in the Warp?

Yet Xiang Gaoqi seemed to know something about Doraemon—though not much.

"Do you think the Emperor sent Xiang Gaoqi some information?" Zhou Yun asked, stroking his chin.

"Most likely it was Him," Saint Guilliman said, still thinking. "But to know the truth, you must go to Terra and ask Him yourself."

Zhou Yun nodded slightly.

Guilliman had been resurrected; after completing the reconquest of Ultramar, the three of them would need to consider traveling to Terra.

"Let's not think about that now," Saint Guilliman said softly. "This is the Black Library—the galaxy's treasury of knowledge. Let's find something valuable to take with us."

Saying this, Saint Guilliman, as if guided by his psychic intuition, reached out and pulled a book from a nearby shelf, handing it to Zhou Yun.

Zhou Yun glanced at the cover—the script was unreadable to him—so he casually slipped it into his Fourth-Dimensional Pocket.

"Item Name: Book of Magnus (Copy)."

(End of Chapter)