Chapter 584

"That Tarasin fellow—after I left, he actually used a she-wolf as the most precious exhibit in the human gallery?"

Fu Gen looked at Ji Li Man, whose expression was slightly complex, and said with a teasing tone:

"It seems your role as keeper of galactic history and culture isn't up to par—you couldn't even reunite with your foster mother."

Though Fu Gen's tone held mockery, beneath it lay comfort, and with his naturally compelling voice, it even made Ji Li Man smile slightly, somewhat relieved.

"Maybe this is better—if she saw the galaxy now, I'd feel uneasy," Ji Li Man said, shaking his head.

Seeing Ji Li Man display such an expression, Fu Gen's curiosity flared, and he couldn't help asking: "What? Worried she'd condemn you for turning the Empire into this mess?"

"She wouldn't," Ji Li Man glanced at Fu Gen, his face returning to its usual rational composure: "But she'd worry about you."

"That's how children are—they always want to show their mother only the good side of their achievements, bear the bad alone, hoping to make their mother proud, never wanting her to worry."

Fu Gen's expression twitched.

Ji Li Man's words reminded him of his "father."

Not the Emperor—but Fabius Bael, the clone who made him.

Fabius Bael betrayed Fu Gen to Tarasin, and Fu Gen had always wondered: had he done something wrong? Where had he failed Fabius Bael?

Fu Gen still remembered the disappointment in Fabius Bael's gaze—it had truly pierced him.

"Was I not perfect enough? Not close enough to the real Fugurim?" Fu Gen couldn't help saying.

Ji Li Man stepped back sharply, staring at Fu Gen with a look of faint horror.

"Like," Ji Li Man whispered.

"Then—" A flicker of delight crossed Fu Gen's face.

"Too like," Ji Li Man cut him off: "You're more like Fugurim than Fugurim himself. But that's not a good thing—I almost feel I'm staring at the next Daemon Primarch."

"I won't. I won't let the gods defile my body," Fu Gen firmly shook his head.

Ji Li Man stared at Fu Gen for a moment: "Fugurim, your willpower isn't as strong as you claim."

"I never asked you to resist the gods' corruption forever—you're not Rogal Dorn."

"But what does it mean to be corrupted by picking up a dagger? What happened to your willpower?"

Ji Li Man said helplessly,

Fugurim's fall seemed too casual to him.

The Dagger of Stabbing wasn't some powerful demonic weapon—Ji Li Man himself had been pierced by far more dangerous ritual daggers—but Fu Gen was corrupted merely by holding it? It was absurdly casual, like a woman straying without a second thought!

"That blade held only one demon, right? If this keeps up, will you kneel to the gods the moment you see two? Will you become the chosen of all four the moment you see four?"

"As Regent of the Empire, I really must be wary—you're truly at risk of corruption."

"You don't understand!" Fu Gen snapped back: "You always talk about the gods—but do the gods even exist?"

". h?" Ji Li Man froze.

"When you discuss the gods, you speak as if they're real yet incomprehensible—but how can something real be incomprehensible?"

"The Warp isn't real—it's a reflection of our emotions, a condensation of our desires—a powerful illusion!"

"The gods aren't noble beings responding to our desires—they are our desires themselves. They don't truly exist. They can't fulfill our wishes or make us perfect. They only bring endless illusions and corruption."

"Only the weak, the cowardly, and the filthy seek such illusions—and I, the true Fugurim, reject them!"

Fu Gen made a gesture of disgust and contempt, his face twisted with utter disdain:

"Imagine—those damp, filthy, vile forces, saturated with the cravings and emotions of the lowest beings, pouring into your body. It's revolting. Do the gods even deserve to bless my perfect form?"

". ho taught you this?" Ji Li Man asked, barely holding his composure.

"Fabius," Fu Gen answered honestly.

"First time I've met someone even more stubborn than Bicor, and more mouthy than Zhou Yun," Ji Li Man muttered.

Fu Gen sneered, then heard Tarasin speak.

"The next exhibit we will view is among the rare surviving members of the Phoenix Guard."

"As is well known, the Phoenix Guard was the Terminator Guard of Primarch Fugurim. Their power armor design, I believe, represents the pinnacle of all Primarch guards—and indeed the pinnacle of Terminator design."

Tarasin spoke in his usual icy tone.

Fu Gen's expression shifted slightly.

But at that moment, Zhou Yun shook his head: "We don't have time to visit the next one."

Before Fu Gen could wonder why, his peripheral vision caught a necron glowing with blue light appearing nearby.

"The Silent King consents to speak with you," Anarquel said, his voice stiff.