Chapter 256

The Aeldari fortress was slender and exquisite, like an icicle hanging between thick clouds, falling onto the soft sea of snow, creating a sharp contrast with the Imperial Knights standing beside it.

The Imperial Knights were made of heavy, coarse steel, covered in dark red paint and all sorts of cumbersome heraldry, like a giant iron god of war walking from a primitive era.

The expeditionary force temporarily used the ancient Aeldari fortress guarded by the Blood Angels as a base.

Those Aeldari who claimed to be here to support humanity complained about this incessantly, declaring that humans had occupied something that belonged to them.

But the Harlequin Sylandri Veilwalker and Belisarius Cawl were old acquaintances; it was she who had guided Cawl to Cadia.

This Harlequin mediated, and both the expeditionary force and the Aeldari agreed to hold specific discussions tomorrow.

After all, due to the appearance of some unexpected situations, both the expeditionary force and the Aeldari needed some time to digest.

And the source of this accident was walking inside the Aeldari fortress under the guard of twenty-two Doraemon-selected guards.

Those twenty-two Doraemon-selected guards were the most excellent warriors selected from the Blood Angels, serving as Zhou Yun's guards, carrying a certain number of gadgets.

Due to the rendezvous with Captain Kaelen, the composition of the Doraemon-selected guards had temporarily changed.

Captain Kaelen had also become one of them, with his shoulder pad sprayed metallic blue.

The number of Blood Angels patrolling inside the fortress was not large; only about one company was stationed in the fortress, while the rest of the warriors had already retreated into Zhou Yun's fourth-dimensional pocket before the expeditionary force returned to the fortress.

In the eyes of the expeditionary force, Zhou Yun had only brought one company of Blood Angels, which, counting Captain Kaelen's half-company, totaled about 160 to 170 men.

160 to 170 elite Blood Angels were enough to control the entire fortress.

The voices of mortals were far louder than those of Astartes. Most of the warriors of the 184th Regiment were gang members from the Ashford Hive. Even after receiving Cadian training, some habits still couldn't be changed.

On the battlefield, they were almost the same as Cadians, but off the battlefield, the gang member side of them was exposed. Many people gathered together to smoke Lho sticks, play cards, or hold shooting competitions.

These warriors noticed Zhou Yun walking through the open-air corridor from above and waved at Zhou Yun one after another.

"Boss Zhou Yun! Want to smoke one?"

"Boss! How are Old One-Eye and Old Lage doing?"

"Champion! Want to come down and shoot a few rounds?"

"I don't smoke."

"If I shoot a few rounds, there won't be anything left for you guys, just give me all the prizes."

Zhou Yun shouted to the people downstairs:

"Old One-Eye lost an arm, but he got a prosthetic."

"Old Lage has returned to the Golden Throne."

After speaking, Zhou Yun waved his hand, signaling that he still had something to do.

Belisarius Cawl, Xiang Xiang Leina, Celestine, and Greyfax were waiting for him in a room in the fortress.

"I don't know what means he used to deceive the Blood Angels."

Greyfax's voice came from the door. Zhou Yun had already heard it before he even entered.

"But his profanity is undoubted. The Death-Worshipping Cult is originally a gray area, and that so-called Saint Doraemon Cult of his has not been recognized by the Ecclesiarchy at all; it is a thorough heresy."

"I have recognized it!" Saint Celestine spoke up to refute gently: "I believe the Saint Doraemon Cult is undoubtedly one of the cults within the Ecclesiarchy; its purity and loyalty are beyond doubt."

"I am a Living Saint, and I have the right to recognize another person as a saint."

"You are both false saints!" Greyfax immediately retorted.

"But don't forget, many warriors of the 184th Regiment believe in the Saint Doraemon Cult. Are you going to accuse these loyal warriors who fought against the swarm in the underworld and against the Black Legion on Cadia of being heretics too?"

"They were just deceived! Just like you deceived the Battle Sisters and the Archmagos."

Listening to the quarrel inside the door, he shook his head helplessly.

Could this group of people be a little more harmonious? Like himself, he never used crude methods.

Zhou Yun kicked the door open.

"What are you arguing about?"

He scolded sternly:

"If you keep arguing, get out of my house!"

As he spoke, Zhou Yun stepped into the room. Twenty-two Blood Angel Doraemon-selected guards, equipped with secret gadgets and tall in stature, followed him in, instantly filling the entire room.

Captain Kaelen held the holy relic Hammer of Baal in both hands, guarding Zhou Yun's side with a serious expression.

This place was occupied by the Blood Angels, and the Blood Angels took orders from Sanguinius and Zhou Yun, so there was no problem with Zhou Yun saying this fortress was his home... at least Zhou Yun thought so himself.

And as long as Archmagos Belisarius Cawl's Knights didn't stand in opposition to Zhou Yun, the hundred-plus Blood Angel Astartes currently in the fortress were enough to hold the fort.

However, in reality, there was no need to hold the fort.

Xiang Xiang Leina and Zhou Yun, naturally, didn't need to be mentioned; they were old comrades-in-arms.

Celestine had probably received revelations from the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang and shouldn't stand in opposition to Zhou Yun either.

As for Archmagos Belisarius Cawl...

Ever since Zhou Yun walked into this room, that Archmagos had been silently moving his huge body to stand beside Zhou Yun, holding all sorts of strange machines with the mechanical arms extending from his body, not knowing what he was doing.

Zhou Yun looked at Belisarius Cawl, the corners of his eyes twitching slightly.

Just as he was about to speak, Cawl noticed the look Zhou Yun cast and bowed respectfully to Zhou Yun.

"Archmagos." Zhou Yun deliberated on his language and said: "You know, I am not some kind of god or anything."

"Yes, yes, yes, whatever you say is what it is." Cawl nodded repeatedly, then stopped talking, just waving machines around Zhou Yun's side.

"..."

Zhou Yun was silent for a while, feeling that he had better not say too much.

He turned his head and looked at Inquisitor Greyfax.

"Heretic." Greyfax said in a low voice.

"Now only you think I am a heretic." Zhou Yun said somewhat helplessly.

"They were deceived by you." Greyfax insisted.

Then this Inquisitor looked at Xiang Xiang Leina: "Xiang Xiang Leina, can you guarantee his loyalty? Can't you see the traces of profanity on him?"

"Of course I can guarantee Zhou Yun's... uh..."

Xiang Xiang Leina just wanted to say that Zhou Yun was absolutely loyal, but the corners of her eyes couldn't help but twitch, seemingly remembering the not-so-loyal little profane words Zhou Yun had said before, so her voice paused imperceptibly:

"Zhou Yun is absolutely loyal!"

Both Zhou Yun and Greyfax noticed a little hesitation in Xiang Xiang Leina's words.

Greyfax snorted coldly, seemingly taking this as one of the proofs of Zhou Yun's disloyalty.

Zhou Yun couldn't help but frown.

By the Six-Armed Two-Root Spaghetti Hua Hua Hua Di Huang above, someone as loyal as him was actually suspected of being disloyal?

Damn it, how can the Empire be run well with this group of insects!

Zhou Yun took a slight breath and then said: "I don't want to talk to someone whose body is controlled by Necron nanomachines."

"..." Greyfax's face twitched immediately, and she couldn't refute Zhou Yun's words.

If someone else had Necron nanomachines in their body, Greyfax would definitely suspect them too.

"Abaddon called that figure in the flaxen robe that crawled out of your pocket 'Father'!" Greyfax threw out her trump card.

Greyfax had originally expected this sentence to have an effect.

After all, at that time, besides Greyfax, Xiang Xiang Leina, Celestine, and Belisarius Cawl must have all heard it.

It was just that Xiang Xiang Leina didn't know why she had such a casual expression, as if this wasn't the first time she had seen this situation, and the Archmagos seemed not to care at all.

Contrary to Greyfax's expectations, Zhou Yun's expression was also very calm.

"... Fine, then do you want to talk to him yourself and confirm the loyalty of that figure in the flaxen robe?"

Zhou Yun shrugged his shoulders and said calmly:

"As long as you enter my pocket, you can see him."

Hearing this, Greyfax hadn't reacted yet, but Xiang Xiang Leina's expression couldn't hold up first.

In her memory, once inside that pocket of Zhou Yun's, even high-level Tyranid creatures that could theoretically return to the Hive Mind to resurrect would die completely.

He wasn't going to kill the Inquisitor to silence her, was he...

Xiang Xiang Leina hurriedly cast a look at Zhou Yun, indicating that there was really no need to kill to silence her.

Greyfax's suspicion was just suspicion; she couldn't do anything anyway.

On the contrary, if Greyfax didn't come out after going in, it might cause others to suspect Zhou Yun...

"Fine."

But contrary to everyone's expectations, Greyfax actually agreed to Zhou Yun without hesitation:

"I will enter it to confirm the loyalty of that figure in the flaxen robe."

"I don't mind the danger in your pocket. If I die or become corrupted, it will only prove that you are indeed profane."

Greyfax believed it was worth the risk; she couldn't let this opportunity go.

After all, there was only one person who could be called Father by Abaddon. No matter how much risk she took, Greyfax had to confirm if it was him.

"As long as you dare to let me confirm." Greyfax lowered her voice and said: "In the name of the Inquisitor, in the name of the hero Malcador, I will not slander you."

"If you and that figure draped in the flaxen robe are both loyal, then I am willing to become your loyal servant and revere you as a saint."

"Wait." Zhou Yun raised his hand to interrupt Greyfax.

"Are you afraid?" Greyfax asked with a frown.

Zhou Yun shook his head: "It's just that before letting you in, you have to remove some troublesome things first."

As he spoke, before Greyfax could react, Zhou Yun stretched his finger toward her...

Mind-Shackle Scarabs, a type of tiny Necron nanomachine that could be implanted in the victim's body to control the victim's body from a long distance—Trazyn the Infinite, who had once collected Greyfax, used these machines as a means to control his collection.

As Necron machines, there were originally no machine spirits in them, but this didn't affect Zhou Yun's operation.

As long as it was a machine, as long as it was equipment with power, Zhou Yun could control it. He gently awakened a simple and immature machine spirit in the Mind-Shackle Scarabs, and then used this to control these Necron machines.

In Greyfax's stunned gaze and Belisarius Cawl's pious gaze, the Mind-Shackle Scarabs cut a small wound on Greyfax's arm and all crawled out from the Inquisitor's body.

(End of chapter)