Evidence? You don't need evidence to quell a rebellion!

The next day.

As Lucien said, it was a nice day.

The Curse Scar that had spread across the Great Rift had faded considerably in color, allowing the warm sunlight to fall upon Hyperion.

However, after yesterday's assassination attempt on two heavyweight figures, the heir of Valshius and the Planetary Governor, by the Dark Eldar, the nobles of Upper-hive were somewhat fearful and uneasy.

Even now, it's unclear whether Valshius's heir is alive or dead. All they know is that yesterday, the Planetary Governor visited Valshius Residence, then emerged with a gloomy expression, and subsequently sent an invitation to all the nobles, big and small, within the Upper-hive.

In name, it is Valshius's responsibility to hold him accountable, and he needs to provide a reasonable explanation from Governor Lucien of the Alert Star and all the nobles.

Even though they knew there was something wrong with the invitation, at this critical juncture, who dared to say no?

Aren't you going?

Very well, then you're just feeling guilty!

Forget about evidence. Rogue Trader never need evidence, and they're often incredibly strong. We're all nobles; everyone knows what you're up to.

In principle, evidence is required, but the problem is that the principle is currently in the hands of "Valshius".

The "Sword of Redemption" Conqueror cruiser arrived in space orbit in the Hyperion Sector yesterday, and the Imperial Navy fleet dared not utter a sound, fearing that it would be affected.

If we can't come up with a result, things might go wrong with their Macrocannon...

Hoping for the Ecclesiarchy and the Styx Eight?

There's no chance. One of them is busy developing followers, and the other is busy mining veins. As long as "Valshius" doesn't provoke them, they won't bother with them.

No noble wanted the Macrocannon to hit them on the head, and besides, they had to obey the orders of the Planetary Governor in name only, so they all went to the Agamemnon family.

Of course, on the way here, many nobles had already secretly discussed how to take advantage of Valshius's questioning to pin all the blame on Agamemnon and make them take the fall!

"Quiet!"

Suddenly, Lucien spoke up.

In the chaotic hall, the gazes of many nobles turned to the current Earl of Agamemnon, and the nominal ruler of the Alert Star, the Planetary Governor: Lucien Agamemnon.

Looking at the group of nobles, whose gazes were a mix of disdain, amusement, and confusion, Lucien calm and composed. "I'm sure you all know what happened yesterday, don't you?"

"Your Excellency, this matter has nothing to do with us." One of the elders chuckled sinisterly, "Speaking of accountability... such a major problem has occurred in your territory; this is a serious dereliction of duty."

Lucien glanced at the other person and confirmed it... that they were on the list, someone secretly infected by the Genestealer. She sneered inwardly, but her face remained expressionless.

She was observing; this was Alvin her.

See clearly who is valuable, who can be used, who is deliberately sowing discord, who is foolish, and who is on Agamemnon's side.

As expected, just as "Lord Alvin" predicted, under the instigation of the nobles infected by the Genestealer, many people quickly emerged, accusing Lucien and Agamemnon of dereliction of duty, forming a joint denunciation, which seemed to have the intention of coercing them.

But there are still a few old nobles who seem to be waiting and observing her reaction.

Those who agreed with her have already been remembered.

In Lucien's mind, these people had to be purged, while those who remained silent could be won over.

"Indeed, I admit... I have failed in my duty as the Planetary Governor, and I have let down His Majesty and the expectations of the Imperium."

Lucien looked at the hall, where the nobles who used to be as annoying as flies and always hindered her were surprisingly calm, seemingly without the slightest bit of annoyance.

She gently tapped the armrest, her voice calm and composed as she spoke, "But what pains me even more is that there is a traitor among us. I have investigated yesterday's assassination attempt thoroughly; it was some of you who secretly contacted the Dark Eldar. This is an act of heresy that the Imperium cannot tolerate!"

The sound fell like a thunderclap!

In an instant, the nobles who were almost indignant and condemning Agamemnon suddenly calmed down and stared at the female governor in disbelief.

Only at this moment did the many pampered and Upper-hive nobles of Shangchao suddenly realize that today's banquet... seemed to be more complicated than it appeared!

Something's not right!

Something's definitely not right!

They knew Agamemnon all too well; it was precisely because he valued face and noble honor so much that he was marginalized by the Ecclesiarchy and the Styx Eight, who gradually eroded his power.

But now, things seem to be different.

"Your Excellency, what... does this mean?"

The nobles who had been making the most noise and commotion were now sweating profusely.

Damn, this woman's gone mad!

Lucien finished speaking, cold sweat broke out on the foreheads of the hundreds of Noble Lords from various families who held Imperium titles!

Everyone realized what was happening by now.

Lucien gathered so many people, ostensibly in the name of the "Valshius" dynasty, but in reality, she intended to attack them!

She actually intends to use this opportunity to seize back Agamemnon's power? Isn't she afraid of the combined pressure from Styx Eight and the Ecclesiarchy afterward?

"Lucien, how dare you!"

Kurs, who was infected by the Genestealer, immediately broke out in a cold sweat. He was truly corrupt. So he jumped out and tried to suppress the governor with "rules".

"Gentlemen, she's clearly trying to pin the blame for Valshius's assassination on us!" he shouted excitedly, immediately drawing the agreement of many nobles, who glared angrily at the governor. "Lucien, you may be the Planetary Governor, but the Alert Star cannot allow you to do as you please!"

"That's right, Lucien, you can't shift the blame onto us. You say there are heretics among us, where's your evidence?"

"That's right! If they can't produce evidence, we're going to unite today and demand an explanation from Agamemnon!"

Even the once-silent old nobles could no longer sit still. If they allowed Lucien to distort the truth, they would likely not fare well either.

"Lucien, you say there are heretics among us, but you should at least provide evidence!" The representative of the old nobles, an elderly man with a white beard, spoke in a voice that overshadowed the others. He looked at the governor with a slightly threatening gaze. "The assassination of Valshius's heir was indeed your dereliction of duty. In my opinion... only by taking responsibility for this can the safety of Alert Star be guaranteed!"

With just a few words, Lucien and the Agamemnon family were made to take responsibility for the assassination.

As long-established nobles, they naturally had the confidence to back it up.

Unfortunately, this time... they walked right into the line of fire. Lucien was just worrying about how to teach these old geezers a lesson when they jumped right into the mess!

Lord Alvin's "Feast at Hongmen" was truly effective!

"Evidence?"

Lucien sat in her chair, her eyes taking in the faces of those people, completely unfazed, even almost amused, and said coldly, "Fine, you want evidence? I'll give you evidence!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the fully armed Astra Militarum burst through the doors of the banquet hall and filed in.

This scene instantly escalated the situation to an even more tense level. All the nobles were stunned; they never expected that Lucien would deviate from the expected course of events!

We're all nobles, why aren't you following the rules?!

"Lucien, what are you doing?!" Kurs, who had instigated the conflict, was horrified. They never expected that Lucien had actually laid an ambush with an army!

"Strip him of his clothes."

Lucien pointed, her eyes filled with murderous intent. "Show them... the evidence!"

"No, you can't do this to me!"

Kurs was clearly panicked. Others might be stupid, but he was a real "heretic." If he were stripped naked, his skin, infected by the Genestealer, would be exposed instantly. At that point, even a thousand mouths wouldn't be enough to clear his name!

"Lucien, what are you planning to do?!"

The old nobleman was shocked and horrified, glaring at her. "Without the Imperium's orders, you executed a nobleman on your own. This is a serious crime. Think carefully about the consequences!"

"As a result of?"

Lucien gave a cold laugh, glaring at the Astra Militarum: "What are you waiting for? Strip him naked and show the evidence to all you loyal subjects of the Imperium!"

"No, don't come any closer!"

Kurs was truly desperate. He looked at the other nobles, hoping they could unite and put pressure on the governor.

However, just as a few nobles were about to speak, they were struck on the forehead with the butt of a rifle. The old nobles who had been so imposing just moments before were kicked to the ground and convulsed by the Astra Militarum.

As it turns out, no matter how sharp a nobleman's tongue is, it can't be harder than a rifle butt. After a few blows with the butt of a rifle, the nobleman will only groan and fall to the ground, pretending to be dead.

What aristocratic colleague?

That's all bullshit! A three-barreled gun will shatter your camaraderie!

Under the violent suppression of the Astra Militarum, Kurs screamed as he was dragged to the hall, where his clothes were stripped off layer by layer in a humiliating manner. When he resisted a few times, he was brutally beaten and kicked by the Astra Militarum with resentment. His face was smashed by the butt of a rifle, and snot and blood gushed out, making him look extremely miserable.

"Lucien, let's see how you get out of this!" The beaten old nobleman roared angrily, "I'm going to complain to the Imperium! To the High Lord! You... you... you..."

After saying "you" three times, he couldn't speak anymore.

Because, after his clothes were stripped off, Kurs revealed his purple skin, which had been hidden in every way, as well as a third tentacle under his armpit, leaving the old nobleman speechless.

"Do you see clearly? You all claim to be loyal to the Imperium, but I feel... it's not quite like that, is it?" Lucien a hand to her cheek, staring mockingly at the dumbfounded nobles below, as if they had been choked. "You see? The Xenos power has infiltrated us, Alert Star is rotting..."

She turned her gaze to the old nobleman from before and sneered, "You've seen the evidence. Do you have anything else to say?"

The fact that the nobleman was clearly infected and mutated was like a bombshell exploding in the hearts of the remaining nobles, silencing everyone.

"I... I..."

The old aristocrat was immediately drenched in sweat, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. He hadn't expected... there really was a heretic!

"Uncle Mars, I remember... you were just about to complain to the Imperium?" Lucien's lips curled into a sarcastic smile as she said calmly, "You're defending heretics... how are you going to explain that?"

"No, you misheard, Your Excellency Lucien." The old nobleman Mars immediately bowed his head, his forehead covered in cold sweat. "It's... it's because I'm too old, that I was deceived by heretics and dared to question your decision. This... please forgive me!"

Lucien glanced down at the Astra Militarum's questioning gazes and said calmly, "Since they are heretics, there's no need to waste time. Execute them here."

Bang!

A gunshot rang out, and Kurs' life ended.

But the gunshot struck the hearts of the remaining nobles like a heavy hammer, filling them with terror.

Looking at the terrified nobles, Lucien felt a sense of satisfaction she had never experienced before, a smile curving her lips, "Now, does anyone still question my decision?"

Evidence?

Hilarious! Corruption requires evidence, but suppressing a rebellion doesn't; all you need is latitude and longitude!

The hall was silent.

No one dared to question her anymore; the heretic's corpse was the unmistakable evidence!

"Very good, since no one is questioning it anymore..."

Lucien gave a cruel smile, as if looking at a flock of lambs to the slaughter. "Then it's my turn. He-Man, Miller, Carrel, Hossman... all of you are heretics!"

A long string of names, like the King of Hell calling out a roll, came out of Lucien's mouth. The last four words were like a thunderclap, exploding with rolling aftershocks!

"No! No! This is slander!!!"

"I have shed blood for the Imperium! I have rendered service to the Imperium!"

"No, Lucien, you're slandering me! I'm loyal to His Majesty! Help me!"

Unfortunately for them, the Astra Militarum had long disliked these nobles. With a sinister grin, they rushed forward and dragged out every noble whose name they called out from the crowd.

"It's too noisy, tell them to be quiet."

Lucien's eyes were cold, revealing a hint of disgust.

Bang bang bang bang...

In an instant, every punch landed squarely!

The piercing screams echoed through the magnificent hall. The remaining nobles trembled as they watched the nobles being brutally beaten by the Astra Militarum.

What unity? What pressure?

At that moment, all they could think about was, "Please don't call my name!" and they couldn't stop trembling in their legs.

What can they do?

Even if she were to appeal to the Imperium, with so much evidence, the Inquisitor would have to give Lucien a thumbs up and praise her for doing a great job; she might even be awarded a medal!

The old nobleman Mars closed his eyes in anguish.

He had already foreseen the outcome; today... would be a day of bloodshed and carnage, and the entire situation on Alert Star would be completely overturned!

But he couldn't understand who... had guided Agamemnon? Knowing Agamemnon as he did, he would never have done such a thing without the guidance of a "demon"!

Cool!

That was awesome!

Sitting in her chair, Lucien looked at the group of trembling nobles kneeling on the ground with their knees buckling, and felt an unprecedented pleasure, as if her whole being had been elevated!

"Tell Vennidar that every family mentioned today must be completely wiped out before sunset... I don't want to hear another name associated with them after sunset!"

Vennidar covered his face; he never imagined that one day he would be ransacking homes until he was sick of it.

Looking at that list, there were at least a hundred more names. How long would it take to search every single one of them?

Forget about sunset, next month will be a struggle!

Then, he went completely berserk, grabbed the phone, and Upper-hive, "Bring me the 35th Regiment, the 47th Armored Regiment, and the 103rd Infantry Regiment! No survivors, just bombard them with heavy artillery!!!"

Here comes a 4,000-word chapter! Ten thousand words a day, isn't it too much to ask for some monthly votes?