Chapter 1079: You Look A Bit Tired

After the communication with Mortarion ended, Yingzhou sat in his chair in silence for a long time.

"Jaghatai Khan... corruption... in my past life, wasn't Jaghatai a Loyalist... leaving on a Jetbike..."

Currently, he had the Primarchs growing up with their families to foster brotherhood; he also kept an eye on them, adjusting the Star Alliance's policies to focus more on integration rather than pure destruction.

But today, Mortarion's report made Yingzhou's head ache.

Could a corrupted Primarch appear here?

What did this mean?

Could it be that the structure of reality itself had developed some kind of... loophole?

Jaghatai Khan?

In the original storyline, the Primarch of the White Scars did not fall.

He was loyal, stood by the Emperor's side during the Horus Heresy, and remained a vital pillar of the Imperium for the millennia that followed.

So why, this time, was it specifically a corrupted version of Jaghatai Khan?

Yingzhou felt a wave of a headache.

"System."

There was no response.

This time, faced with the invasion of a corrupted Primarch from a parallel world, the system remained completely unresponsive.

Why?

Did the system judge this not to be a threat? Or was the system... unable to detect such cross-reality events?

Yingzhou shook his head.

Now was not the time for wild thoughts; what was needed now was a response strategy.

He pulled up the Star Alliance's Holographic Star Map, his gaze landing on several key locations.

The border of the core region of the Fengqi Star Alliance, the planet where Mortarion was located. The site where the corrupted Jaghatai appeared.

The Seventh Star Sector, where Guilliman was establishing contact with the Terrami.

The Ninth Star Sector, where Horus had just completed the conquest of Sai-Ke-Shan.

And other star sectors, other Primarchs: Rogal Dorn was building defensive lines, Ferrus Manus was developing new weapons, Volgan was...

Every Primarch was at their respective post, contributing their strength to the great cause of Humanity.

But if any one of them encountered a corrupted version from a parallel world, what would happen?

If Horus met a fallen version of himself and heard those words about the "False Emperor's deception," how would he react?

If Guilliman met a corrupted version of himself and saw that "other Robert" who might have embraced Chaos, what would he think?

"Damn it."

Yingzhou cursed under his breath.

Since his transmigration, this was the first time he had felt a true sense of powerlessness.

Faced with interstellar war and Alien threats, he had Primarchs and Legions; but faced with erosion from other realities and other possibilities, what did he have?

Only vigilance. Only secrets. Only a fear that he could not let anyone know.

The communication alert sounded again, interrupting his thoughts.

It was an encrypted communication request from Guilliman.

Yingzhou adjusted his expression and connected the call.

The holographic projection lit up, and Guilliman's image appeared.

"Father. Apologies for disturbing you again, but regarding the contact with the Terrami, I need to provide you with a final report."

"Speak, Guilliman. What was the result of the negotiations?"

Guilliman began to report in detail.

"After three rounds of formal negotiations and multiple working group meetings, we have reached a draft of the 'Limited Contact and Trade Agreement' with the Terrami Flowing Ring Chamber of Commerce. The main contents include..."

Guilliman pulled up a summary of the agreement text:

"First, establish a chartered contact zone in the GC-7783 Xingxi; the Terrami can only operate within the designated area, and Mother Ship engines must remain shut down unless in an emergency."

"Second, all transactions must undergo a standardized audit process through Star Alliance monitoring stations; private trading is prohibited."

"Third, establish a monthly information exchange mechanism; the Terrami provide a Peripheral Star Sector Situation Briefing, and we provide non-sensitive strategic analysis in exchange."

"Fourth, the Star Alliance will station a 30-person permanent observation team with inspection authority. The number of permanent Terrami personnel shall not exceed 50, all of whom must be registered."

"Fifth, the agreement is valid for five standard years, with a renewal assessment six months before expiration."

Guilliman paused for a moment and added.

"The agreement also includes detailed dispute resolution mechanisms, security clauses, breach penalties, and more. Overall, we hold absolute control, and the Terrami have made significant concessions in exchange for access rights."

Yingzhou nodded.

Guilliman's work was always reassuring.

"Very good, Guilliman. You have done well. This agreement balances openness and security, providing a controllable experimental model for the Star Alliance to explore external contact."

"Thank you for your recognition, Father."

Guilliman said, but instead of moving to the next topic as usual, he carefully scrutinized Yingzhou in the holographic projection.

"What is it, Guilliman?"

Guilliman hesitated for a moment.

"Father, please forgive my presumption... but you look... somewhat tired. Is the Star Alliance's workload too heavy, or is there some other... trouble?"

Yingzhou was startled.

Guilliman was too sharp.

"It is just from handling government affairs for days on end; I am a bit weary. You know, the Star Alliance's expansion speed has exceeded expectations by too much, and every star sector has matters that require my personal decision."

But Guilliman did not seem entirely convinced.

"Father, if you require it, I suggest Brother Horus or other brothers take turns returning..."

"No need."

Yingzhou interrupted Guilliman.

"The front lines need them more. Let us not trouble them with the affairs of the Star Alliance.

Guilliman, I have felt your concern.

But every Primarch has their own duties and mission.

The contact model you established may open up new strategic dimensions for the Star Alliance; Horus's conquest in the Ninth Star Sector has consolidated our territories; Mortarion... you are all making irreplaceable contributions to the great cause of Humanity."

Guilliman nodded, but there was still a trace of doubt in his eyes.

"Father, speaking of Brother Mortarion... I just received a summary of the battle report from the Sixth Star Sector.

The report mentions that Brother Mortarion sustained non-trivial injuries in battle and needs to return to the fleet for treatment."

Guilliman paused, observing Yingzhou's reaction.

"This is somewhat unusual. Given Brother Mortarion's Psionic talent, it is difficult for ordinary enemies to pose a substantial threat to him. The battle report mentioned an 'abnormally powerful Alien Psionic,' but I checked the records of the Fengqi Star Alliance, and they have no known individuals capable of reaching Primarch-class."

Yingzhou felt his heart tighten slightly.

Guilliman's thinking was too meticulous; he would not let a single detail go.

"Every civilization may hide trump cards, Guilliman."

Yingzhou said as naturally as he could.

"The Fengqi Star Alliance has existed for thousands of years; it is not strange for them to have one or two hidden powerhouses. What is important is that Mortarion completed the Task, and the planet has been occupied."

"Yes, of course."

Guilliman agreed, but continued to press.

"I am only worried... if the Fengqi Star Alliance truly has the capability to cultivate powerhouses capable of harming a Primarch, then other star sectors may also face similar threats. We need to re-evaluate the overall strength of Fengqi, and perhaps we need to adjust the troop deployments on the front lines."

This was a reasonable military consideration.

Guilliman's thinking had jumped from an individual case to overall strategy.

Yingzhou took the opportunity to guide him.

"Then do it, Guilliman. Collect data from all star sectors regarding the intensity of Fengqi's resistance and re-evaluate their war potential.

If necessary, we can convene a Primarch strategic meeting to discuss whether a more aggressive strike strategy against the Fengqi Star Alliance is required."

"Understood, Father. I will immediately begin data collection and analysis. Additionally, regarding the implementation of the agreement with the Terrami..."

For the next twenty minutes, Guilliman reported in detail on the various preparations for the agreement's implementation: the selection of personnel for the observation group, the construction progress of the monitoring stations, the review process for the first batch of trade goods, the arrangements for follow-up communication with the Terrami...

Yingzhou listened attentively, offering suggestions or approvals from time to time.