Now the Whole City is Immensely Grateful

Psykers…

Listening to Old One-Eye, Zhou Yun couldn't help but look at him with curiosity.

In the underhive, psykers were practically urban legends whispered on the streets, terrifying tales to scare children into sleeping, phantoms and specters that might lurk in the depths, an ominous curse that everyone avoided.

Everyone hated psykers, like they hated a mythical demon, yet who had actually seen one?

But Old One-Eye's tone suggested he had.

"You know about psykers, right?"

Old One-Eye put down the rag he was using to wipe a glass and pulled over a stool, sitting opposite Zhou Yun.

"You're far more knowledgeable than most people in the underhive."

Zhou Yun nodded slightly.

Of course, he knew what psykers were.

Most psykers were actually just a bunch of pitiful souls.

They were naturally linked to the Warp and could wield the power of the empyrean, but in return, their souls were like blazing torches in the Warp, constantly at risk of corruption and erosion, eventually becoming a gateway for daemons to invade the material universe.

Because of this, the Imperium had strict regulations and controls over psykers.

For those who might lose control, their fate was often to become fuel for the Astronomican.

But the Imperium was vast, and some always slipped through the cracks, hiding in the shadows to survive as rogue psykers.

If Old One-Eye was to be believed, the leader of the Ark Gang could indeed be a rogue psyker.

Or perhaps…

Zhou Yun's eyes flickered slightly.

Within the Genestealer hierarchy, beneath the right claw of the Genestealer Patriarch, existed beings known as "Genestealer Bishops."

Genestealer Bishops were powerful psykers, outwardly almost indistinguishable from humans.

They were the Patriarch's proxies, managers of the brood, using their impressive eloquence and rhetorical skills to deceive humans and grow the cult.

Zhou Yun strongly suspected that the so-called leader of the Ark Gang was one of these creatures.

A powerful, thieving psyker.

"Someone came asking about you this morning. I sent them away."

Old One-Eye suddenly spoke, interrupting Zhou Yun's thoughts.

"Asking about me?"

A sense of caution arose in Zhou Yun.

"What reason would anyone have to ask about me?"

Unless the Genestealers had discovered he was the one who killed those mixed-blood new converts.

But… that shouldn't be the case.

He had cleaned up all traces on the ground, and he had used an Air Gun Potion that contained no psychic energy.

Even the Sanctioners among the Genestealers wouldn't be able to track him.

"It was the Ark Gang. Guys in beige robes with stupid ship symbols painted on their faces."

Old One-Eye poured himself a glass of crimson wine.

"Did you offend them?"

Zhou Yun shook his head, indicating he had no connection with them.

Unless they were truly a Genestealer cult, Zhou Yun thought to himself.

"Could it be that they're mad because I sold weapons to the local gangs?" Zhou Yun joked.

"Hard to say. Psykers are a bit unstable mentally," Old One-Eye replied, shaking his head seriously.

"Tell me, what exactly happened last night?" Zhou Yun inquired.

"The Ark Gang raided our sector last night. The local gangs were caught off guard and lost almost half their territory right from the start,"

Old One-Eye downed the crimson liquid, moistening his throat, and continued.

"But the local gangs aren't entirely useless. Relying on their familiarity with the district, they quickly held the line."

"Who knew some bastard saw the tide turning and defected to the Ark Gang, leading them on a flanking maneuver to ambush."

"The Ark Gang advanced like a hot knife through butter, all the way to the doorstep of the local gangs' stronghold."

Old One-Eye smacked his lips, poured himself another glass of wine, and continued.

"The rest is just as you heard."

"With the weapons you provided, the local gangs were holding their own."

"But then the Ark Gang's leader stood alone before the guns, chanting from the Scripture of the Word."

"The local gangs were frozen as if bewitched. At the woman's command, they all obediently laid down their weapons."

As he spoke, Old One-Eye lowered his voice and looked at Zhou Yun.

"The Ark Gang leader claimed to be acting under the Emperor's will, here to save all the beings of Asphodel."

"She also plans to build a giant ark, carrying all the people of Asphodel who joined the Ark Gang, to ascend among the stars and escape the clutches of the daemons."

Listening to Old One-Eye, Zhou Yun's lips twitched slightly: "The entire city's populace must be eternally grateful then."

Old One-Eye shook his head firmly and said: "But the Emperor taught us that psykers are shameless sorcerers, blasphemous corruptions."

Zhou Yun couldn't help but stroke his chin.

The more he heard about this Ark Gang, the more it sounded like the Chicken Thieves. Could these Chicken Thieves have actually found him?

But a strange feeling surfaced in Zhou Yun's heart.

If the Ark Cult was truly a tendril of the Genestealers, and they knew Zhou Yun was the one who took out the Chicken Thieves in the abandoned district, then the Sanctioner should have assassinated Zhou Yun last night, bringing down the Four-Armed Emperor's judgment upon him.

By now, Zhou Yun should have been reunited with the Emperor on the Golden Throne, or perhaps in the Brass Throne, the Six Hells of Slaanesh, or Nurgle's Garden.

Noticing Zhou Yun's expression, Old One-Eye raised an eyebrow.

He tapped the table and asked:

"Do you really have a grudge against the Ark Gang? Are you planning to run? I can arrange something for you."

"Territory from other gangs or the underhive, I have some connections."

He looked at Zhou Yun and said:

"Of course, it'll cost you. The underhive is cheaper, other gangs' territory is a bit more expensive."

Saying that, Old One-Eye took out an Lho-stick from his pocket and lit it.

He then took out another and offered it to Zhou Yun, adopting a business-like demeanor.

"I don't smoke," Zhou Yun refused, extending his hand. "As for running away..."

The mutated faces of Monger and Malkit appeared in Zhou Yun's mind.

"Let's wait a bit longer. There's something I want to confirm."

"Really not smoking?" Old One-Eye waved the Lho-stick in his hand. "My mother said only idiots, babies, and Sanguinius don't smoke Lho-sticks."

"You're clearly not an idiot, nor do you look like a baby. Could you be Sanguinius?"

"Hahahaha!"

Old One-Eye seemed amused by his own joke.

"Alright, perhaps I am an angel incarnate, Sanguinius himself, come to test your loyalty," Zhou Yun said with a smile, shaking his head.

"I really don't smoke," the winged figure in the white light shrugged. "I don't smoke real cigarettes either."

"Khan did try a type of water pipe once, and Russ was eager to try it too."

"Shut up, bird-brain," Zhou Yun glanced at the winged figure in the white light, a smile on his lips. "Show some respect when you're talking to Sanguinius himself!"

"The heavens are upside down!" the winged figure in the white light exclaimed in an exaggerated tone.

Just then, the tavern door behind Zhou Yun was pushed open.

"Finally found you, my friend Zhou Yun!"

A familiar voice rang out.

"Old Rag here has been looking all over for you!"