Too Advanced

"I don't have anything I want to do. In this godforsaken world, I wouldn't dare look for amusement just anywhere."

Han Mingxuan wasn't talking nonsense. The Eye of Terror was watching, and the four brothers in that cesspit were no joke.

Getting too carried away could easily invite trouble.

Seeing Han Mingxuan's attitude, Curze couldn't say much.

Following Talos's advice, he had originally wanted to arrange for a few people to entertain his father.

Now it seemed his father didn't need them.

Han Mingxuan: You should have said so earlier!

You unfilial son!

Before long, though, Han Mingxuan found something to do next.

After the purges of the past few days, things had quieted down below.

But everyone in the Mid Hive and Upper Hive District had begun to fear for their own safety.

Yes, anyone could see that the old bat and the little bat had finished dealing with all the miscellaneous business.

Now they were going to turn their blades on them.

The nobles had long since learned to be clever.

Under the two bats' rule and the threat they posed, the nobles' old way of thinking-that they took priority in everything-no longer worked.

These nobles intended to use the rules to solve the problem.

Since the two bats liked rules and laws, they would talk rules and laws with them.

How many laws were there in the Nine Laws of the Night Bat?

Could they cover every matter throughout the Hive City clearly and thoroughly?

They all knew the Law of Decimation worked best only during combat.

Besides, that old bat who talked about laws definitely wasn't the sort to use the Nine Laws of the Night Bat to kill people at random whenever he got upset.

Wouldn't he still have to use Imperial law?

He was just a mortal. No matter how good his memory was, could he remember every law in the entire Imperium?

Come on, who were they kidding?

Besides, Imperial law largely protected them.

Once they had thought it through, the nobles and officials of Quintus Hive City dropped all pretense.

They went straight to Han Mingxuan of their own accord.

Early the next morning, just as Han Mingxuan finished breakfast, Curze walked in carrying calling cards and invitations that weighed a good forty kilograms.

"Father, these nobles are even less well-behaved than we thought. They've already started stirring up trouble."

Well, that was nice. Things were lively.

Han Mingxuan didn't even raise his head to look at the invitations in Curze's arms.

"Do the invitations flatter us, then say, directly or indirectly, that now the killing's done, it's time to govern the Hive City?"

"And do they say it should be governed according to Imperial law?"

Curze froze. He had read the invitations.

To protect Han Mingxuan, Curze personally checked everything that had to be handed to him.

So he was certain Han Mingxuan hadn't seen them.

But how did he know?

[Stop guessing. This father of yours possesses far more knowledge than you imagine.

Only with a vast store of knowledge can one foresee the future. To be all-knowing is to be all-powerful.]

Hearing the Xenos in his head, Curze gained a new understanding of just how wise Han Mingxuan was.

"That's exactly what they say. No matter how they word it, they all mean the same thing."

"Tell me the time and place, and burn those things. They'd be too stiff to use as toilet paper."

"Three days from now, in the Tempatio Family's meeting room."

The Tempatio Family?

"Chris Tempatio?"

"Yes."

There was nothing particularly wrong with Chris.

Han Mingxuan remembered him well.

A complete old fox.

He had survived the first bloodbath among the nobles unscathed.

But the surname Tempatio...

Tentatio.

Transliterated from Latin, it was Tentatio, and its precise meaning was temptation.

The High Gothic of this world was inextricably linked to Latin, with changes made to account for the accents of local worlds.

The surname Tempatio, together with the history of the Tempatio Family's rise and its current state, warranted attention.

Han Mingxuan didn't believe they had nothing to do with Slaanesh.

The four peddlers of the Warp were already sitting down to play mahjong, so Han Mingxuan was very cautious about this old man of the Tempatio Family.

He had no choice but to guard against the old man.

"Curze, what do you think?"

"I don't think we should listen to them."

"That's right."

They were the ones who called the shots throughout the Hive City now. They should decide the time and place.

"How are things in the Underhive District and the Underhive District now?"

"Our people now have effective control of the Underhive District and the Underhive District. People from the Mid Hive and Upper Hive District can't get involved."

Most of the Underhive District's population had been cleared out, and the people who remained had gained better jobs and more resources as a result.

The Eternal Night Justiciar Legion's influence throughout the Underhive and the Underhive District was beyond question.

While clearing out the Hive City, Curze had also taken the opportunity to start a recruitment program.

Besides the original five thousand, the various auxiliary forces now numbered in the tens of thousands.

"Have our people build a new facility in the Upper Hive District. We're not going to the Tempatio Family."

Heaven knew whether the family had any connection to Chaos.

If they didn't, fine. If they did, things would get serious. Going to the Tempatio Family would be walking straight to their deaths.

"All right. I'll send someone to take care of it now."

"Mm. Remember to bring some people up from the lower hive and the Underhive."

Curze paused, then understood why Han Mingxuan was doing this.

It was simple.

At the rate they were going, Nostramo's population was bound to decrease drastically.

When that happened, there would be no avoiding a redistribution of resources.

If they gave the people at the bottom of the Hive City hope first, it would be easier to mobilize them later.

It would also slap the noble lords in the face.

Han Mingxuan didn't reply to each of the nobles individually.

Instead, he simply had Curze handle it.

When the nobles heard Han Mingxuan's reply, they knew the old bat had ideas of his own.

But that didn't matter. After this affair, Han Mingxuan had figured out what he wanted to do.

He needed a complete legal system.

The legal system of a feudal society would be more than enough.

In fact, even a feudal society's legal system was a little too advanced for this world.

Once everyone had been notified, Han Mingxuan called Curze in.

"Father."

"We'll need some laws next," Han Mingxuan said.

"Laws? Should we adapt Imperial law?"

Given Nostramo's circumstances, Imperial law wasn't very suitable.

"No, we need laws of our own."

"Laws of our own?"

"Yes."

"Curze, remember this: right now, those lords on this planet are just using Imperial law as a pretext with us."

"In fact, you and I both know that this planet is a highly autonomous and independent world of darkness and savagery."

"If the Adeptus Mechanicus hadn't built good relations with the nobles on this planet, even they might not have been able to get involved."

"To us, the Imperium of Man today is a distant dream, and Imperial law isn't even worth using as toilet paper."