Chapter 375

Tiruien still felt his heart aching faintly.

This might be an illusion, or perhaps a sequela left by that Blood Angel Chief Librarian when he used his psychic powers to repair Tiruien's heart damage.

"The repaired heart can at least beat steadily for another twenty years or more." That famous Mephiston said so to Tiruien.

Mephiston's face was pale, cold, like a vampire returned from death; just being stared at by him made Tiruien's hair stand on end.

Especially when those cold words came out of his mouth, Tiruien could only force a stiff smile in response.

Old Tiruien, old Tiruien, why did you have to show off and come to the Moon?

Now it's fine, who knows if you'll have to live for another twenty years.

If Mephiston brought Tiruien fear,

then the three truly important ones were oppression, existential oppression.

Just by being near them, Tiruien felt that the power he relied on for survival was dissolved; their intense presence overwhelmed Tiruien, making Tiruien realize in a daze that in front of them, he was just an old, fat man.

Lord Guilliman had a brief conversation with Tiruien.

Tiruien was very nervous, but Guilliman used conversational techniques that made Tiruien marvel when he recalled them.

His words were gentle, reasonable, sometimes earnest, sometimes enthusiastic, and occasionally showed just the right amount of authority. Tiruien felt his will was controlled by his words, and he instinctively opened his mouth, pouring out all the information Guilliman wanted to know.

From the recent situation on Terra, the history of the past ten thousand years, to the habits, preferences, and tendencies of each High Lord—Tiruien said it all in a dizzy state.

The good news was that Guilliman seemed very satisfied with Tiruien; he kindly thanked Tiruien for his dedication and shared with Tiruien the current state of the galaxy and the ins and outs of everything.

Tiruien was able to know the ins and outs of the resurrection of the two Primarchs and the origin of Saint Doraemon.

In the end, Guilliman also whispered to Tiruien that he was writing a monumental work, which would be a great work surpassing the "Codex Astartes." This brand-new work would become a guide for everyone in the entire Empire, from Hive World workers to High Lords; it was an encyclopedia covering everything from politics, production, and economy to military.

Guilliman hoped that Tiruien could join this great work, which made Tiruien feel overwhelmed with joy and honor, and in a daze, he excitedly expressed his willingness to contribute all his wisdom to this monumental work in the rest of his life.

Then there was Sanguinius; he only had a few simple conversations with Tiruien, but these few words made Tiruien's spirit, which was originally full of madness, fatigue, and pain, feel refreshed.

That Archangel did not talk to Tiruien about politics and the Empire, and he didn't even talk to Tiruien first, but sincerely thanked Tiruien's assistant, Jieji.

Thanking Jieji for helping the Empire's excellent Prime Minister get through these painful years, allowing the wisdom of Imperial Prime Minister Tiruien to continue to serve the Empire, the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang, and humanity.

"Yes, I have been watching you all along."

"Everything you have done for the Empire, whether it is me, Guilliman, the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang, or Saint Doraemon, we have all seen it."

"Tiruien, you are one of the best Terra bureaucrats since Malcador; I hope your wisdom and diligence will continue to serve humanity."

Sanguinius's words were as light as feathers, soothing the hearts of Tiruien and Jieji, making them burst into tears, repeatedly expressing that they would dedicate everything in these bodies to the Empire.

And the third one.

On the ship returning to Terra, arranged by Shield-Captain Valerian,

Tiruien sat somewhat awkwardly beside those more massive existences.

Shield-Captain Valerian was whispering to Lord Guilliman.

Living Saint Celestine, Abbess Mo Wen, and Sanguinius seemed to be discussing matters related to faith.

The sages of the Adeptus Mechanicus were communicating with Archmagos Belisarius Doraemon Cawl in binary secret language.

These people were all massive existences, their bodies far different from ordinary people, each one larger than the mutant cockroaches Tiruien had seen in the sewers of Terra when he was a child.

The only one similar in size to Tiruien, seemingly a mortal, was...

"My lord."

Tiruien summoned his courage and spoke to the Warp existence residing in a mortal body sitting beside him:

"Please forgive my previous offense..."

Saint Doraemon, the person who resurrected the two Primarchs Sanguinius and Guilliman, a "god" squeezed into a mortal body.

Facing him, Tiruien was always a bit nervous.

On one hand, he could sensitively perceive what kind of existence was squeezed under this mortal body.

On the other hand, Tiruien was really a bit awkward about accepting faiths other than the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang.

This was mainly because Tiruien climbed up from the bottom bit by bit; he had received the religious propaganda of the Ecclesiarchy since he was a child, rather than the strict education of the nobles.

This also made Tiruien one of the most pious believers in the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang among the upper echelons of the Empire; this piety was even irrational, completely an echo of childhood education.

"Don't be nervous; actually, I am also a pious believer in the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang." Zhou Yun showed a bright smile and said.

"... The Hua Hua Hua Di Huang with how many arms?" Tiruien blurted out almost instinctively.

In this world, those who believe in the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang are not necessarily human; many cults or Genestealers use the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang's faith as their disguise. Tiruien had seen this many times in Imperial records.

Tiruien had even developed an instinct; just by reading written records, he could detect whether a planet had been corrupted by Genestealers or cults.

Tiruien's keen senses also told him that when Zhou Yun said he believed in the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang just now, there was a hint of playfulness in his tone.

"That is naturally six arms, two legs." Zhou Yun's eyes moved slightly and he said.

Six arms? This is even worse than a Genestealer!

Tiruien suddenly felt his heart tighten again.

"My lord." Tiruien revealed a bitter smile: "Rationally speaking, Abbess Mo Wen, the Adeptus Custodes, and the two Primarchs—so many people wiser than me trust you, so I naturally have no need to doubt you."

"I am just, as a pious believer in the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang, a little unaccustomed to you being a god... My faith tells me that only the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang is the God of Mankind."

Hearing this, Zhou Yun's eyes brightened a little: "So you think I am not a god?"

"No, my lord, I..." Tiruien didn't expect Zhou Yun to have this reaction.

"You are right, I am indeed not a god." Zhou Yun looked at Tiruien with a bit more appreciation.

This made Tiruien stunned for a moment, and a scripture from the "Book of Saints" suddenly popped into his mind.

"The Hua Hua Hua Di Huang humbly denies His divinity, but you should know: only those who truly possess divinity will deny their divinity."

"The Hua Hua Hua Di Huang's denial of His own divinity is precisely the evidence of Him being a god."

Tiruien didn't know why he thought of this sentence, and couldn't help but chant it in a low voice in High Gothic.

"Hmm?" Zhou Yun raised his eyelids slightly and looked at Tiruien.

"Just like the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang." Tiruien blurted out.

"No, no, no, I am different from the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang; the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang is truly a god, I am not a god." Zhou Yun shook his head repeatedly.

His repeated denials, instead, made the irrational doubts in Tiruien's heart diminish a little.

Just at this moment, the entire void ship shook slightly; this was the vibration caused by the ship starting to enter the atmosphere.

Zhou Yun nodded slightly to Tiruien, then got up and walked towards the porthole; he seemed to want to take a look at Terra from high altitude.

Not only him, the two Primarchs also ended their conversation and walked to Zhou Yun's side.

"An excellent Prime Minister, pragmatic, loyal, rational, and also has a conscience."

Guilliman showed a smile and couldn't help but say to Zhou Yun:

"Just as you said, he must continue to work for us, for humanity."

He knew that Sanguinius had set up an invisible psychic barrier, and their voices would not leak out.

"His assistant, Lady Jieji, is also equally excellent; Tiruien has taught her. After Tiruien passes away, Jieji will be a good successor to the position of Imperial Prime Minister." Sanguinius nodded in agreement.

"Yes, yes, as virtuous as Cawl, he knows I am not a god." Zhou Yun nodded slightly and said.

Zhou Yun knew Tiruien's ability; being able to work in the position of Imperial Prime Minister for decades was enough to show his talent for overtime.

And in Zhou Yun's impression, in the original timeline, after Tiruien died, his successor was his assistant Jieji.

Tiruien also cultivated Jieji into an excellent Prime Minister, whose talent for overtime was only slightly inferior to Tiruien's.

There are many workhorses in this world, but there are too few workhorses who can be Imperial Prime Ministers.

Like Tiruien, such a high-quality workhorse who can also cultivate small workhorses, there are even fewer. How could Zhou Yun let him retire!

So he told Guilliman and Sanguinius the information about Tiruien in advance.

Then Mephiston took the opportunity to strengthen Tiruien's heart, and Guilliman and Sanguinius took turns to PUA—no, motivate Tiruien.

Just hoping that Tiruien would serve them for at least another twenty years; if necessary, they could use rejuvenation technology or even the Setesh ritual, so it wouldn't be impossible for Tiruien to work overtime for another four or five hundred years.

"It's a pity he is too old, otherwise it would be great to be an Ultramarine." Guilliman couldn't help but say.

"It's also quite long-lived to be stuffed into the iron can of the Setesh ritual, or I'll look for some props that can let such a top-notch workhorse as Tiruien live for a few more years."

At this moment, Tiruien didn't realize at all that his fate had already been quietly arranged.

He was just immersed in the encouragement of the two Primarchs and Zhou Yun's words just now.

Tiruien had even made up his mind in his heart that he must not live up to the expectations of the three lords, and must work harder at corruption, bribery, and graft, striving to serve the Empire more efficiently.

At the same time, outside the porthole, the thick, gray, hazy clouds were suddenly torn apart by the bow of the void ship, and Terra was exposed to the eyes of the two Primarchs and Zhou Yun.

(End of chapter)