Contradiction

The Tyrant's Gate.

Four warships returned to the Red Corsairs' lair.

The supplies bought on Manros were insufficient for a long Warp voyage, forcing the Ragefang to return.

As Lu Jin disembarked from a transport onto the docks, he spotted Vengar standing on the adjacent landing pad.

The latter stared at him, his expression and gaze utterly frigid.

A few Space Marines loyal to Vengar arrived at the docks and carried a mortal's corpse from a transport.

Vengar finally broke eye contact and looked at his subordinate.

The subordinate approached Vengar and whispered a few words.

After listening for a moment, Vengar's face changed drastically.

A crewman who had come down with Lu Jin looked at the mortal corpse not far away and exclaimed, "That's Jory! He just went to do business with Vengar's men, how could he..."

Lu Jin frowned.

Before the warships docked, transports had traveled between the two vessels. Vengar's mortal crewmen would come aboard the Ragefang to sell things, and some from the Ragefang would go over to sell things.

This was business between mortals, with no Space Marines involved.

Yet, a dead man had appeared in this ordinary exchange of goods.

Lu Jin walked towards Vengar.

Vengar and his subordinates turned to face Lu Jin.

"Your men stole from my ship."

"Buddy, I don't want to offend you, but my ship has its rules, and thieves die."

Vengar blocked Lu Jin's path.

"What did he steal?" Lu Jin asked.

Vengar didn't know and turned to look at his subordinate.

One of them stepped forward. "A Laser Rifle. My men intercepted him outside the armory, and he was holding a Laser Rifle."

Lu Jin looked at the corpse and saw the rifle cradled in its arms.

"The serial number on the rifle will prove he didn't bring it with him. You can have your men check if you don't believe me," the Space Marine said.

"Are there any other witnesses?" Lu Jin asked.

Vengar and the others fell silent.

"There's something wrong with this, Chapter Master!" the crewman approached Lu Jin. "Jory often traded goods. He could do business because he was honest and trustworthy. You can ask the crew; Jory would never steal anything."

"How can you expect me not to suspect you designed his murder?" Lu Jin stared at Vengar and asked. "There isn't even a single witness. Are you just going to say whatever you want about this matter!"

Vengar stood still, while his Space Marines gradually surrounded Lu Jin and the crewman.

"Then what do you want?" Vengar retorted.

"I have my rules here; a life for a life," Lu Jin said. "Whoever killed this crewman will pay with their life. I'll find a psyker to verify your claims..."

Laughter interrupted the latter half of Lu Jin's sentence.

Vengar suppressed a chuckle, while his men burst out laughing.

"One of my battle-brothers killed him, and you want him to pay with his life for this crewman?" a Space Marine stepped forward. "Chapter Master of the Fierce Angels, you are skilled in battle, but how many can you kill? Ten? A hundred? We could annihilate you with ease."

The Fierce Angels, who had arrived at the docks via transport, rushed over upon seeing the situation.

Lu Jin reached behind his back.

Vengar pointed at his helmet. "You aim for..."

Lu Jin swung his hammer fiercely.

Vengar instinctively dodged to the side. When he reacted, the figure of Lu Jin and the person who stopped him from betraying the Crimson Angels overlapped in his vision. It was then he realized Lu Jin had actually intended to kill him!

Even the blood-crazed warriors who worshipped the Blood God never harbored the intent to kill so readily upon disagreement as Lu Jin did.

Just as a bloody conflict was about to erupt between the two sides, a familiar voice rang out.

"You're going to fight to the death over a mortal?"

Huron approached, flanked by Star-Claw Veterans.

Vengar signaled his subordinates to back down with his eyes, then looked at Huron.

Huron drew closer and said, "I've come to welcome you. The Botulism Gang has been completely wiped out... Honestly, I never expected you to achieve such a result."

Lu Jin stared at Vengar, remaining silent.

"Is this the deceased?" Huron lowered his head to look at the mortal corpse, then at Vengar. A smile appeared on his face.

This smile sent a chill down Vengar's spine... It meant Huron already had a guess in mind.

A beast suddenly appeared from nowhere.

The beast seemed to have no fixed form, sometimes resembling a crawling ape, other times a skinned dog.

The beast climbed onto Huron's shoulder and affectionately rubbed against its master's cheek.

"Hadris," Huron gently stroked the beast's head. "Read the minds of everyone present and see the truth of this matter."

The beast named Hadris immediately focused its gaze on everyone, including Lu Jin.

Lu Jin knew this was Huron's pet, possessing psionic abilities. He knew this, but Huron had never summoned Hadris in front of him before.

"Hiss..."

Hadris nudged Huron with its head, conveying a message through this action.

Huron smiled again.

He first looked at Lu Jin, then at Vengar, who was in direct opposition to him, feeling very satisfied with the relationship between the two.

"Pay with your life," Huron said to Vengar. "Let your men pay with their lives for this mortal. Hadris tells me he was killed by one of your subordinates who couldn't stand the Fierce Angels."

"My Lord..."

"What? Do you want to pay with your life in place of your subordinate?"

Huron walked up to Vengar.

The Black Heart King was not wearing armor, nor was his body large.

The renegade Vengar looked down at the Black Heart King, but to others, it felt like a child facing a Space Marine.

Vengar lowered his head and spoke, "My Lord, I pledged my loyalty to you before he did..."

"I know, so what?" Huron shrugged, still maintaining his friendly smile.

"If this matter reaches other ears, the Black Heart King, for the sake of a newcomer..."

Huron gently raised his hand. "No, of course not. Vengar, it's not that I'm doing this for a newcomer, but I am going to punish you for the crime of robbing one of my ships."

Vengar froze for a moment, and his subordinates lowered their heads.

"You were unaware?" Huron examined Vengar's expression.

"Yes..."

"Then do you intend to die along with your subordinates for this act of robbery?"

Huron's tone remained amicable throughout the conversation.

But in his heart, it was a cold calculation of profit.

Lu Jin and Vengar were not particularly close to him, but the issue was that both were "members" of the Red Corsairs, and the former was particularly troublesome.

The Fierce Angels had less than twenty people, while Vengar had over a thousand – Space Marines alone.

But numbers held no value in Huron's eyes, as he knew very well how those Space Marines were united by himself or other warlords within the Red Corsairs.

Huron felt confident: as long as he was willing to help Lu Jin, coupled with Lu Jin's own capabilities, he would have more men than Vengar and could serve as a check on other subordinate factions within the Red Corsairs.

So, without waiting for Vengar's reply, Huron signaled with his eyes.

Amanius behind him raised his arm, and the muzzle on his vambrace blasted the upper body of the Space Marine who had killed the crew member to pieces.

With a plop, the corpse knelt.

Amanius looked at his former Chapter Master.

The latter said nothing and showed no reaction, his face still maintaining that graceful smile and composure.

The long years spent fighting for the Imperium and then against it had forged their tacit understanding.

Amanius raised his hand and fired again.

The second person fell, then the third.

It wasn't until Amanius aimed at the fourth person that his Chapter Master spoke.

"Renegade. As your master, I have a question... which is..." Huron paused mid-sentence, his smile vanishing, his brow furrowing, his tone laced with deep confusion. "What exactly did I do to give you the impression that I am very patient?"

"Forgive me, my Lord, I should not have haggled," Vengar knelt on one knee. "Thank you for your mercy..."

Huron nodded in satisfaction, gently patted Vengar's helmet, followed by a moment of silence.

This sudden silence made Vengar and his followers nervous.

And as Huron remained silent, a "thoughtful" look in his eyes, this tension washed over Vengar and his followers like a flood, making the atmosphere even heavier.

They had to guess: what was the capricious Black Heart King thinking?

Perhaps he had suddenly changed his mind and no longer intended to maintain superficial unity and hierarchy with Vengar, and was about to order the execution of Vengar and some of his key followers.

Or perhaps it was the opposite; he felt he should offer some compensation and would directly bestow a warship or a Chapter that had just pledged allegiance to the Red Corsairs upon Vengar.

Experience told them that what the Black Heart King said after a sudden silence could be their doom, or it could be something they had only dreamed of.

His heart was unreadable, his might immeasurable.

However, Huron hadn't actually been thinking of anything; he'd simply fallen silent and was enjoying the other's tension, as it was one of his ways of having fun.

"Follow me." Huron had had his fill and patted Vengar's helmet again before turning to Lu Jin. "I have something to show you."

Vengar and his followers let out a collective sigh of relief.

Lu Jin slung his Power Hammer onto his back. "Fine."

"You should say, 'Yes, my Lord'," Huron chuckled. "Perhaps you won't say it sincerely in the future, but that's alright. I'll get the sincerity I deserve from you."

The two first went to see Aels.

Aels' memories had already returned to the time when he and Huron fought side-by-side in the Maelstrom, consolidating various warbands.

Soon, he would recall what he had experienced aboard the Ragefang.

Huron then took Lu Jin to the arena.

In this place where he had once fought, Lu Jin and Huron stood side-by-side on the stands, looking down at the battle unfolding within.

A Space Marine with skull tattoos was engaging in a melee with a chainaxe.

"This is the sole survivor among the Slayers."

Huron pointed below.

The survivor and three other Space Marines formed the same arena team, with ten mortal soldiers behind them. Their opponents were of the same number.

The survivor was a skilled fighter. After he led the others to win the battle, his teammates urged him to harvest the skulls of their defeated mortal foes.

"Hmm..." The survivor grunted impatiently, as if tormented by something. "I won't collect mortal skulls to make up the numbers."

"The Blood God doesn't care where the skulls come from! If you don't go, you won't be joining us."

"Then I won't join you. I'll kill you!"

The Slayer warband survivor suddenly attacked, swinging his chainaxe at his teammates.

"He's a World Eater," Huron said. "A warrior who came to the Maelstrom from the Eye of Terror. Ten thousand years ago, he fought in the defense of Terra alongside his Primarch, Angron."

Lu Jin finally showed some interest.

Angron was the twelfth Primarch, the antithesis of the thirteenth, Roboute Guilliman.

And the World Eaters, Angron's sons, were exceptionally bloodthirsty and cruel.

They also implanted a device called the "Butcher's Nails," which caused pain when activated, a pain that could only be alleviated by killing.

"Guess why I brought you here."

"I don't know."

Lu Jin had no interest in watching the arena fights; he was preoccupied with Aels' situation.

"My Apothecary has studied your Gene-seed..." Huron said. "It shares seventy percent similarity with that of the World Eaters."

Lu Jin suddenly looked at the World Eater in the arena.

"And the other thirty percent?" Lu Jin asked.

"It's identical to the Gene-seed of the Ultramarines." Huron suddenly burst out laughing. "Whoever had the sudden inspiration to create the Fierce Angels was a true genius..."

The World Eater, who had once joined the Slayer warband, killed his teammates and raised his chainaxe, looking up at the stands amidst the cheers.

He met Lu Jin's gaze and raised both arms.

Lu Jin didn't know what the other was thinking, nor did he try to guess.

In any case, he had already figured out how to deal with Aels, that ticking time bomb who occasionally went off.

He would deal with Vengar along with him.

Huron had already resolved the matter of his crew being killed, but Lu Jin still wanted to deal with Vengar. This was because he knew very well that for a warband, face and grudges were the paths to consolidating their unity. Vengar would surely seek revenge on him.