Alas, Imperial Truth!

"It's a shame Captain Loken absolutely forbade me from revealing the details of what happened back then."

"Otherwise, I would have definitely written a long poem on the subject, about deception, betrayal, and the eventual doom that awaits."

"However, it wasn't entirely without reward."

"I managed to record the strange script that Erebus had tattooed on his face, and also documented quite a few ancient incantations from the Devon cults."

"It's just that I can't understand a single word. Perhaps I should find a preacher to help me translate and decipher them. I wonder if Old Sinderman has the time to look into these writings."

Huh? The strange script on Erebus's face? Ancient incantations from the Devon cults?

Zhou Yun's eyes twitched slightly, an ominous feeling rising in his heart. He gently flipped to the next page—

Bang!

After a brief glance at the text on the next page, Zhou Yun quickly slammed the notebook shut.

As expected, it was filled with a large number of distorted, abstract Devon hieroglyphs. Just a glimpse made him feel slightly dizzy.

"What's wrong?" Monger noticed Zhou Yun's peculiar actions.

Zhou Yun just shook his head, his expression faltering.

"Indeed, these are the incantations circulated among the warrior cults on Devon," the winged figure in the white light said in a low voice.

His voice carried a hint of disgust and revulsion, as if the writings were something extremely blasphemous and filthy.

Devon, the planet where Horus was corrupted.

The humans on that world were eroded by Chaos, turning into beasts.

These Devon natives formed numerous warrior cults with dark beliefs, where Chaos priests served shadowy secret societies.

And the true objects of worship in those secret sects were the gods in the Warp.

They received many blasphemous secrets belonging to the Warp from these gods.

Ignatius Carkas actually courted death like this, recording the incantations circulated among the cults on the planet Devon.

So close, he almost got this guy killed across ten thousand years.

A bead of sweat trickled down Zhou Yun's forehead.

Who knows, maybe the branch director of this Corpse Guild was corrupted by Chaos precisely because he deciphered some of the incantations in this notebook.

With that thought, Zhou Yun opened the notebook again and, without hesitation, tore out the few yellowish pages filled with Devon hieroglyphs, throwing them to the ground.

The twelve laser rifles he controlled with Telekinesis, hovering beside him, aimed at the papers on the ground and unleashed a volley.

Only after watching the papers, covered in blasphemous incantations, burn to ashes did Zhou Yun breathe a slight sigh of relief.

Watching Zhou Yun's strange behavior, Monger and Malkit on the side exchanged bewildered glances.

"It's nothing, those few pages just had something dirty on them,"

Zhou Yun, catching his breath, looked at Monger and Malkit and shook his head.

"Dirty?" Monger showed some curiosity. "How dirty?"

"Very dirty, like the unofficial histories Leman Russ told Russ about selling bait," Zhou Yun said, glancing at the ashes on the ground with disdain.

Hearing the blasphemous words from Zhou Yun's mouth, Monger's eyes twitched slightly.

How can this guy casually utter such blasphemous words?

Even I, a mutant, feel like sending him to the pyre.

Monger glanced at Malkit beside him and found his Brother also speechless.

The two exchanged a look, and Monger stepped forward, patting Zhou Yun on the shoulder.

"Brother, if you ever can't make it in the upper levels, come down to the underhive."

"My Brother and I have some standing down there."

Zhou Yun gave Monger a strange look. "What are you talking about? I'm not a mutant. Why would I go to the underhive, of all places?"

"But you're a heretic," Monger said earnestly. "Damn, my brother and I combined aren't as heretical as you."

Hearing this, Zhou Yun frowned heavily and reached out to push Monger's hand away. "Don't slander me out of the blue."

"My loyalty to humanity is as clear as the sun and moon. There is only one cold sun in my heart, the Emperor."

Saying this, Zhou Yun looked at Monger and Malkit with righteous indignation:

"I wholeheartedly believe in the following truth: there are no ghosts or gods among the stars, no supernatural phenomena, and no magic or witchcraft. Everything can be explained through scientific means, and humanity, guided by the light of reason, can overcome all. Nothing should be worshipped. A rational Galaxy requires the complete eradication of religion, that backward concept."

Zhou Yun's voice was sonorous and powerful, leaving Malkit and Monger stunned on the spot.

The two exchanged bewildered glances, then couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Your mouth is quite good at telling jokes," Monger couldn't help but shake his head.

Malkit also sighed. "Who came up with this 'truth' full of lies? How blasphemous and heretical!"

"Whether in the Ecclesiarchy or in the secret sects hidden in the shadows, such theories are so foolish they deserve to be burned at the stake."

If there were no gods or ghosts among the stars, then from whence came the Astronomican that illuminated the Galaxy? And what were those great entities in the Warp?

If there are no supernatural phenomena and magic sorcery, then what are the priests, psykers, and heretics wielding?

If everything can be understood by science, then why are the Warp and the material universe covered in dense mysteries?

If the light of human reason can overcome everything, and humans do not need faith and worship, then why does the Ecclesiarchy exist?

Monger and Malkit couldn't help but laugh out loud because every word in this "Imperial Truth" contradicted reality.

"Yeah, who exactly came up with such a shocking lie," Zhou Yun agreed, nodding.

The winged figure in the white light trembled slightly.

"Alas, the Imperial Truth," he sighed with deep resentment.

Monger took a breath, recovering from his laughter, and patted Zhou Yun's shoulder.

"Anyway, be careful not to end up on a pyre."

"If you can't make it out there, come find me in the underhive. We're all brothers."

With that, Monger punched Zhou Yun's shoulder.

Zhou Yun shrugged.

No matter how he thought about it, he wouldn't end up in the underhive.

"I'd rather go to the underhive than this!"

Zhou Yun suppressed the churning in his stomach, clutching his forehead as he squatted by the cargo train, watching Rag and a few gang members move the three hundred assault infantry guns.

After emerging from Old Sector Eight, he parted ways with Monger and Malkit and took a cargo train back to this sector.

It turned out that even without a hangover, this damned train was still torture.

He should have gone with the Malkit brothers to the underhive; at least he wouldn't have to ride this life-threatening train anymore.

"Brother Zhou Yun, shall we go grab a drink at Sharp Spear tonight?" Rag asked with a grin, patting Zhou Yun's back.

Not only had Zhou Yun made a fortune from this batch of assault infantry guns, but Rag had definitely gotten a good cut in the middle.

Zhou Yun almost couldn't hold back a retch. He slapped Rag's hand away and shook his head, saying, "No, I feel like throwing up in your face right now."

He rubbed his temples and stood up. All he wanted now was to go home and get a good night's sleep.