Chapter 409: Using the Bull-Man on the Emperor

Humans are an incredibly adaptable species.

When Zhou Yun first arrived in the hive, he thought he'd cry like a gretchin with a crushed toe.

But in truth, he adapted to hive life quickly.

The Imperial Truth that humans are destined to rule the galaxy may indeed hold merit—no matter how hostile the planet, humans adapt, reshape worlds, and are reshaped by them.

Sometimes Zhou Yun even missed the cramped, enclosed, skyless hive, the crowded streets giving a strange sense of safety, like a child who loves hiding in a dark, narrow closet.

He also sometimes missed the familiar faces within the hive.

Old Lag is now returned to the Golden Throne, Old One-Eye oversees the selection of suitable Asford refugees for the Cadia 184th on Baal, Leina trains the Buhege Terran Astra Militarum recruits to run laps around the equator.

Oh, and those two Nurgle garden dogs—they're now mixed together with Nurgle spirits in the Nurgle Garden; Zhou Yun doesn't miss them much.

Aside from that, there's Lena. Though he'd known her only a short time, Zhou Yun truly liked the child.

In fact, he liked well-behaved, sensible children—perhaps his true nature was that of a childcare robot.

Since arriving on Terra and hearing of a Holy Maiden among the Battle Sisters, Zhou Yun had suspected the Holy Maiden was Lena.

She was a good child, nearly burned alive by the Emperor on Asford, then remained in a coma ever since.

At the time, Sanguinius believed Lena would be fine; during the Swarm invasion, Zhou Yun entrusted her to the Battle Sisters. He wondered how she was now.

"My lord, this is it." Mo Wen Val stopped before the entrance of a small monastery, bowing her head to Zhou Yun.

Zhou Yun noticed two Battle Sisters standing guard at the monastery's entrance, clad in Exemplar Power Armor.

Each of these massive suits of armor was a sacred relic, its machine-spirit wild and untamable, its weight immense—only the most resolute Battle Sisters could wield them.

Along the way, Zhou Yun had spotted many Battle Sisters hidden in the shadows, keeping watch.

This small monastery lay buried deep within the Primus Monastery of the Battle Sisters.

"We have suffered unexplained assassinations, attacks, and espionage."

Mo Wen Val explained earnestly:

"Many do not wish the Holy Maiden to exist; many are curious about her identity; even among the Battle Sisters, some sisters cannot comprehend the Holy Maiden's sanctity."

Zhou Yun nodded in understanding.

The Ecclesiarchy must surely resent the Battle Sisters' autonomy—the Holy Maiden has never been recognized by the Ecclesiarchy, and the worship of Saint Dora has prickled the Ecclesiarchy's conscience; naturally, they do not want the Holy Maiden to exist.

Moreover, as Guilliman had previously judged, Terra had long been infiltrated—many bureaucrats were likely Alpha or Tzeentch worshippers; they could do anything.

Espionage was even more rampant—even Tiruien had sent spies to probe the Holy Maiden's condition.

These attacks may be one reason why Zhou Yun visits the Holy Maiden, rather than the Holy Maiden visiting him.

After all, the Holy Maiden might be attacked, but no one would be foolish enough to attack Zhou Yun.

Zhou Yun had always kept Dora the Great beside him, and Dora's power—anyone who knew of the battle before the Lion's Gate understood well.

Another reason Zhou Yun came here was.

"My lord, the Holy Maiden's sleep and wakefulness are entirely random. Let me check if she is awake."

Mo Wen Val said apologetically:

"I've prepared copper gongs in the monastery's antechamber—if the Holy Maiden still sleeps, you may—"

"No need. I'll go in directly. Just bring the copper gongs inside." Zhou Yun waved his hand.

Though he had just marveled at human adaptability, Zhou Yun truly could not endure Terra's Fansuo complex rituals and social formalities.

Seeing Zhou Yun say this, Mo Wen Val respectfully bowed and opened the monastery's heavy door.

Zhou Yun, controlling Dora the Great beside him, stepped slowly into the monastery, while Mo Wen Val stood guard at the entrance.

The small monastery was ancient and austere, built entirely of gray stone, its walls carved with intricate flowers and vines; between these patterns knelt rows of Battle Sisters in perfect unison.

But the face of the figure the sisters knelt before had been smashed with a hammer, and curses were carved into his body.

Zhou Yun had heard from Mo Wen Val the history of this monastery—it was originally the first church built by the Battle Sisters on Terra, dedicated to the then-Terran Ecclesiarch Vandel.

Vandel was perhaps the most abstract of all Terra's High Lords—he seized both the position of Interior Minister and Ecclesiarch through political intrigue and murder, even briefly controlling the Astropathic Choir, the Assassinorum, and the Astra Militarum, becoming a de facto dictator.

To cultivate a force loyal solely to himself, Vandel disguised shield generators as Imperial miracles, deceiving the Battle Sisters—who then called themselves "Daughters of the Emperor"—into becoming his "Brides of the Emperor," using them as his private army.

But in his abstract rule, Vandel clearly forgot that above Terra, three feet above the head, stood the Mountain Array.

The Imperial Fists, unable to tolerate it any longer, launched a purge of the court, besieging the Ecclesiastical Palace with the Black Templars, Soul Drinkers, and Fire Hawks.

Yet by then, the "Brides of the Emperor" had swelled to over ten thousand, and the Ecclesiastical Palace was impregnable; the Astartes could not launch orbital bombardments upon the Imperial Palace.

In the end, the Imperial Guard intervened, bringing the leaders of the "Brides of the Emperor" into the Throne Room to face the Emperor directly—only then did they realize Vandel had deceived them.

The Battle Sisters ultimately slew Vandel themselves, leaving behind his famous last words: "I was too busy to die."

Afterward, all buildings, records, and carvings related to Vandel were destroyed by the Battle Sisters.

Only this small chapel, buried deepest within the Primus Monastery, remained—to forever memorialize that shame and to curse Vandel's soul.

The existence of this chapel was a secret among the Battle Sisters, and its location at the heart of their headquarters ensured exceptional secrecy and security.

Thus, the Battle Sisters had placed the Holy Maiden here.

"The Battle Sisters are the Emperor's brides—then isn't Vandel a bull-man to the Emperor?" Zhou Yun muttered under his breath.

If Mo Wen Val were still beside him, she would surely cry out in blasphemy.

But Zhou Yun had no one beside him—only Dora the Great, his avatar.

Zhou Yun's gaze turned to the far end of the chapel, where a girl knelt devoutly before the Emperor's statue.

From behind, the girl appeared young, no more than a teenager, draped in a lavish silver-white robe embroidered with golden threads depicting lilies symbolizing purity, alongside roses, flames, and eagles—ornate yet exquisitely detailed.

But as Zhou Yun stepped closer, he noticed something amiss.

The girl's skin was not that of an imperial noble raised in luxury—it bore the roughness and yellowing of hive environment.

Yet she bore none of Lena's faint burn scars—the marks left when the Emperor's psychic power flooded Lena's body.

Mortal flesh could not endure the Emperor's psychic energy; even a trace caused irreversible damage.

The girl before him was clearly not Lena. Zhou Yun paused, startled.

Life was the Emperor's currency; the Emperor was a beast.

But when using currency—especially rare currency—he did not waste it.

A vessel capable of bearing the Emperor's power was exceedingly rare; he would not replace one until the first was fully spent.

Hence Zhou Yun had always suspected the Holy Maiden was Lena.

But now—damn it, did the Emperor burn Lena?!

At that moment, the girl kneeling before the Emperor's statue slightly lifted her head, as if hearing Zhou Yun's footsteps.

She scrambled to her feet, turned, and offered Zhou Yun a clumsy Eagle Salute.

Zhou Yun looked at her face.

Though her age matched, she was unmistakably not Lena.

Yet her features resembled those common in Asford hives—and Zhou Yun found her vaguely familiar.

"Lord Lein Rus." The girl bowed, voice trembling with reverence.

Zhou Yun froze—only Asfordians used this name he'd invented.

Then, from memory, he recalled her face.

It was the eve of the Tyranid Hive Fleet's arrival on Asford—he'd met her on the street.

She had been selling Emperor Tarot cards, but because every draw always yielded the same two cards, she had no customers.

Zhou Yun, out of kindness, had patronized her. Oh—the two cards drawn that day were "The Shattered World" and "The Steppe Rider."

At the time, Zhou Yun thought "The Shattered World" foretold impending catastrophe, and "The Steppe Rider" foretold salvation's arrival.

But now, considering he had truly met Chagatai Khan in the Webway—her divination accuracy was absurdly precise.

She looked no different from her Asford days, except she was no longer emaciated—her skin now held a touch of fat.

"You're the Holy Maiden?" Zhou Yun frowned. She did possess some psychic power, but the Holy Maiden seemed too...

"No, no, no, my lord!" The girl waved her hands frantically. "I'm Ye Ruite. I'm just Lena's decoy."

Lena's decoy?

No wonder—she was an Asfordian, with matching accent, build, and age, capable of limited Tarot divination—perfect as a decoy.

But—"This is a dangerous job," Zhou Yun said to Ye Ruite, who served as Lena's decoy.

"It's fine! The Sisters protect us well. No one has ever entered this monastery except for Lady Mo Wen Val."

Ye Ruite spoke sincerely, her voice dry and hoarse—a lingering effect of hive life:

"Even when Lady Mo Wen Val broke in, she understood the Holy Maiden's sanctity immediately."

"And here, we always have enough to eat."

It wasn't necessarily that no one could enter—perhaps they entered but never noticed, Zhou Yun thought silently.

After all, Terra held many things and beings the Battle Sisters could not handle.

But telling this child would only instill needless fear.

So Zhou Yun merely nodded slightly: "If danger comes, pray to me."

He had already learned on Macragge that he could hear prayers within a certain range.

Any prayer strong enough in emotion reached his ears.

"Remember to include your name and address," Zhou Yun added after a moment.

Only then could he know who prayed and respond promptly with a teleport.

Ye Ruite bowed deeply, filled with gratitude.

"How is Lena?" Zhou Yun asked.

"Lena has slept all day without waking," Ye Ruite replied honestly.

"No matter. Take me to her."

(End of chapter)