Chapter 32

Ark Gang stronghold, in a small room on the third floor.

"So, you aren't a bug assassin sent to kill me." The Ark Gang leader, Xiang Xiang Leina, said with a frown.

"So, you aren't a Genestealer cult bishop either?" Zhou Yun looked at Xiang Xiang Leina and raised an eyebrow.

Xiang Xiang Leina, Bishop of the Ark Gang, an illegal psyker.

Zhou Yun sat opposite her, observing her.

There were no traces of madness or mutation on her face, and the light of reason flickered in her eyes, which were tinged with a hint of blue.

On her cheek, a passage of text was tattooed in pale gold ink:

"Rejoice, for I bring you the glorious gospel."

"The God walks among us."

Zhou Yun knew this passage came from the *Book of Lorgar* written by Lorgar; it was the first two sentences of the entire book.

The book written by that traitor Primarch detailed the worship of the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang and the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang's divinity, serving as the cornerstone of the entire Imperial State Church.

Zhou Yun had confirmed with X-ray vision that this Ark Gang leader was indeed a pure human and not a Genestealer cult bishop.

She really was just an illegal psyker who had slipped through the hands of the Black Ships.

But...

She seemed to have some knowledge of the Tyranid Hive Fleet and Genestealers.

"Genestealers..."

Xiang Xiang Leina's eyes flickered slightly.

"A very fitting name; it describes them perfectly. Is that the official Imperial term?"

Facing Xiang Xiang Leina's question, Zhou Yun nodded slightly.

"And what about those that fall from the stars? The ones that arrive in spore pods, falling from living starships?" Xiang Xiang Leina asked, looking at Zhou Yun.

"Tyranids, the Tyranid Leviathan Fleet. They are predators from outside the galaxy, attempting to devour everything they see."

"... They are coming soon..." Xiang Xiang Leina said in an extremely low voice, her tone trembling slightly.

The air in the small room fell silent; the two stared at each other.

Zhou Yun looked Xiang Xiang Leina up and down, his eyes filled with confusion.

"It's one thing that you know about the existence of Genestealers, but how do you even know the Tyranids are about to descend on Ashford?"

"I saw it." Xiang Xiang Leina said, her fingertips gently brushing the *Book of Lorgar* tattoo on her cheek.

A psyker's prophetic ability? Zhou Yun blinked.

Many psykers possessed some degree of prophetic ability, allowing them to see fragmented glimpses of the future.

Of course, what was prophesied wasn't necessarily real.

In the Warp, there was one known as the Changer of Ways; He loved manipulating half-truths and prophecies to lure people into the most treacherous parts of fate.

Xiang Xiang Leina noticed Zhou Yun's gaze.

She placed her hand on her flat chest and said with considerable pride:

"I, Xiang Xiang Leina, have been enlightened by the God-Hua Hua Hua Di Huang."

"He let me see the vision of the future, letting me save more Ashford people!"

"..." Zhou Yun stared fixedly at Xiang Xiang Leina.

How many was this now?

Counting Zhou Yun himself, who was visited in a dream by "Sanguinius,"

the Genestealer Patriarch, the vanguard of the Great Devourer,

plus Meng Ge and Margit, who were suspected of being blessed by "Nurgle,"

and now Xiang Xiang Leina, who claimed to be enlightened by the God-Hua Hua Hua Di Huang—this was already the fifth one.

Were there too many chosen ones in Ashford? Could it be that these big shots were fighting a proxy war in a tiny hive city?

"I really was enlightened by the God-Hua Hua Hua Di Huang!"

Xiang Xiang Leina looked at Zhou Yun's skeptical gaze, widened her eyes, and said:

"I am a devout believer of the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang, and so are my parents. I wasn't tricked by some Warp specter or demon!"

"Every time I see a prophecy, I pray devoutly to the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang, asking Him to protect my mind."

As she spoke, Xiang Xiang Leina wore a devout expression, praising the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang's divinity:

"I pray to the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang, that He may protect my soul from being harmed in the tides of the Empyrean."

"Then you must be an Imperial-certified legal psyker, right?" Zhou Yun tapped the table and asked.

There was a great silence in the small room.

"... I have received the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang's guidance to save more Ashford people; I cannot leave with the Black Ships." Xiang Xiang Leina shook her head firmly.

"Then you have received the God-Hua Hua Hua Di Huang's enlightenment; you must be able to hear His voice, right?" Zhou Yun asked again.

"... When one is enlightened, do they hear voices?" Xiang Xiang Leina blinked blankly.

"Are you someone chosen by the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang?" Zhou Yun asked, his mouth twitching.

"I think I am!" Xiang Xiang Leina straightened her back and said quite firmly.

"... There are no traces of Chaos corruption on her." The winged figure in the white light at the corner of Zhou Yun's eye whispered.

Zhou Yun glanced at him and shook his head.

Either Xiang Xiang Leina had simply seen some prophecies from the Warp,

or both she and this guy glowing with white light at the corner of his eye were part of Tzeentch's grand plan.

"And you, what is your background!"

Xiang Xiang Leina suddenly raised her voice, asking Zhou Yun with the voice of seduction.

Zhou Yun had no reaction.

"I'm already immune to that trick of yours." He said flatly.

The bit of will Xiang Xiang Leina projected into his mind was not worth mentioning compared to the winged figure glowing with brilliant white light.

The moment it was injected into Zhou Yun's mind, it was diluted into the dazzling white light.

Xiang Xiang Leina immediately deflated, leaning back in her chair and complaining in a low voice:

"I thought that while you were letting your guard down, using my full consciousness to release the voice of seduction would be a little useful."

"Who are you exactly? Why are you sneaking around me wearing Luo Ge's appearance? And why did you suddenly attack me?"

"I suddenly attacked you?" Zhou Yun raised an eyebrow: "Who told you to suddenly start shouting?"

"I thought you were a Genestealer assassin! I've been ambushed by them several times." Xiang Xiang Leina snorted.

"You thought... are you an Ork? You just 'thought'!"

"I even thought you were a Genestealer bishop; your propaganda and the Genestealers have the same style, and you suddenly arranged for someone to find me..."

"Find you?" Xiang Xiang Leina paused, blinking.

Then she suddenly realized, slapping her forehead and saying:

"You are... Zhou Yun, right?"

"You... ahhhhh!"

Xiang Xiang Leina rubbed her hair fiercely:

"So it was you! My finding you has nothing to do with the Genestealers!"

"Luo Ge told me you were very good at exploring the ruins and needed work recently."

"If there was work like exploring the ruins, I could find you."

"I happened to have some, so I let him go call you over."

"Luo Ge told me you were the one looking for me." Zhou Yun's eye twitched slightly.

It turned out that Luo Ge was lying to both sides, probably wanting to reap benefits from the middle...

"That Luo Ge..." Zhou Yun rubbed his brow with a headache.

Zhou Yun even suspected in his heart that Luo Ge had been corrupted by Tzeentch...

But that shouldn't be; believing in Tzeentch required a certain level of intelligence.

The Changer of Ways corrupting Luo Ge would be worse than finding an Ogryn who could only count to ten to corrupt.

"Damn it, I'm docking his pay." Xiang Xiang Leina also slammed the table in anger.

"So why were you looking for me?" Zhou Yun leaned back in his chair and asked, looking at Xiang Xiang Leina.

"The Tyranids are coming, and I have an idea to save more people."

Xiang Xiang Leina looked at Zhou Yun with a serious face:

"I want to build a ship, load it with more people, and run away in advance."

"..."

Zhou Yun was too shocked to speak.

He was certain now:

Xiang Xiang Leina might have been deceived by Tzeentch, but she definitely hadn't been corrupted by Tzeentch.

With this world-shaking wisdom, even a Nurgling would shake its head, and Magnus would give a thumbs up and call her an expert.

(End of chapter)