Chapter 629: Audience

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"Qingshan Khan?"

The imperial guard soldier spoke.

His voice was calm yet deep and powerful.

It fits people's imagination of the Emperor's guards.

"It's me."

Fu Qinghai slowly stood up and said.

Sid Nora also stood up unconsciously.

"Come with me."

After saying this, the imperial guard turned around and walked out.

Fu Qinghai and Sid Nora looked at each other.

…

The two followed the imperial guard all the way to the surface of the fortress. When they passed by a control panel in the passage, Fu Qinghai raised his hand and touched it seemingly casually. A stream of purple gelatinous liquid flowed out from the gap and sank into his palm.

The steel gates opened to both sides, and the gloomy light outside the fortress shone into the dark passage, along with the light, and the whistling cold wind mixed with ice slag and snowflakes rushed in. The three of them stepped onto the surface, and a dark gold and crimson painted Orion gunboat was already waiting quietly on the apron.

…

The Orion gunship roared through the sky.

Fu Qinghai sat by the window and looked down at the scenery below.

The Imperial Army transport gunboat flew very fast, and it didn't take long for it to reach the Himalayas from the Antarctic continent. Fu Qinghai looked at the city walls from afar, their outlines half-hidden and half-displayed in the hazy morning, and the towering sharp domes shone brilliantly in the snow-covered snow.

The Parapet was fifty kilometers away, but it still dominated the northern horizon, as imposing as the mountains that now formed its foundation, and in the east the sun had risen, its feeble rays trying to penetrate the drifting clouds of smoke, casting faint, dirty spots of light on the steel and adamantine gold.

Fu Qinghai had never looked at the imperial palace from this position. Even when he looked at this holy place from such a long distance, the epic grandeur still made him feel a little dizzy.

The light of the rising sun on Terra illuminates the polluted atmosphere with colorful colors. The onion spires that tower into the clouds are not only a magnificent landscape decoration, but also a signal control center. The multi-level observation decks arranged outside are also equipped with missile launchers for interception. Explosion-proof shields are also erected between the classical Gothic-style buttresses and battlements.

These were the fortifications left behind by the Imperial Fists when they set up defenses at the Terra Palace, and they have not yet been completely dismantled. These cold military facilities combined with the gorgeous decorations of the palace reminded Fu Qinghai that it had not been long since the tragic siege of Terra.

Right now it is 090.M31.

The Imperial Palace is the largest building on the surface of Terra. It is more of an alternative hive than a single building, covering most of the northern hemisphere. Some people call it "an endless dark hive made up of forbidden technology and underground tunnels deep into the surface." As the administrative center of the empire, the Emperor's Sanctuary where the Golden Throne is placed is located here. The entire palace is divided into the Outer Hall and the Inner Hall. It is said that billions of Terran government personnel are consumed just to maintain the normal operation of the Outer Hall area.

Fu Qinghai has never entered the Terra Palace.

Not to mention, the inner temple area of ​​the Terra Palace.

The Orion gunship landed steadily in the square in front of the Eternal Gate. The Eternal Gate is the largest entrance to the palace. In front of this towering and magnificent gate is a mile-long wide avenue, and on both sides of the avenue stand heroes who have made great contributions to the empire. The gunship cannot land directly in the inner palace area and can only stop outside the Eternal Gate.

The three of them walked down the gunboat's cabin one by one.

On both sides of the avenue, there was a golden-armored guard holding a spear at intervals. Their polished golden armor shone brightly in the early morning light, which was completely different from the matte color of the Space Marines' ceramic steel armor, and it looked extremely high-profile and eye-catching. Fu Qinghai didn't know how many people were left in the Ten Thousand Men Corps, but the scale in front of the Eternal Gate was quite large.

"This way, Qingshan Khan."

The leading captain of the imperial guards raised his hand to signal.

His tone was not friendly, but it did not contain any other emotions. In short, it was cold. He kept silent about everything Fu Qinghai asked him. It was difficult for Fu Qinghai to infer from his tone what the purpose of this trip was, and who was summoning him in the palace.

Fu Qinghai followed the imperial guards and walked forward.

In fact, the answer is already obvious, isn't it?

There are only two people in the entire universe who can command the Custodes.

One of them is the commander-in-chief of the imperial guards.

Another person...

The one who sits on the golden throne.

As Fu Qinghai walked, he looked up at the giant and complicated relief on the Gate of Eternity: a giant in golden armor with a white halo behind his head, holding a spear and piercing a scaly dragon. I wonder if that is the legendary Star God Void Dragon?

At the same time, he was silently analyzing in his heart: I don't know the commander of the Imperial Guards, so there is only one answer... But the question is, hasn't the emperor turned into a rotten corpse? Why can he still issue orders to the outside world? How did Lao Deng know me?

The crystal statue of Sanguinius...

Fu Qinghai seemed to have guessed the answer.

He traveled back from seven hundred years ago because of the statue that was resurrected in the warp. Now someone suddenly summoned him to the palace, which might also be related to the crystal statue... Could it really be the soul of Sanguinius?

The more Fu Qinghai thought about it, the more he felt it was possible.

Sid Nora wanted to keep up with Fu Qinghai, but was stopped when he approached the Gate of Eternity. The captain of the imperial guards who led the way turned around and raised a palm to block Sid Nora, and said in a cold and unquestionable tone:

"Stop, Grand Master of the Inquisition."

"You are not allowed."

Sid Nora's face choked, but she didn't say anything more, and silently stopped in front of the Gate of Eternity. She looked at Qingshan's back, and he seemed to be immersed in thought, lowering his head and walking straight ahead without paying attention to what was behind him.

Fu Qinghai followed the captain of the Imperial Guards all the way around the palace, passing through layers of security and complex mechanisms, and finally arrived at a mysterious area - the Emperor's Sanctuary. This is the throne room and the heart of the entire palace. This huge room contains the body of the Emperor and the golden throne. Three hundred carefully selected Imperial Guards are responsible for guarding this place.

Fu Qinghai raised his head and subconsciously tried to find the golden throne and the rotten corpse on it, but a taller figure in golden armor blocked his view - the golden armor of this imperial guard had more complex carvings than those of other imperial guards. He was half a head taller than Fu Qinghai, who had undergone a completely new transformation, and he looked down at Fu Qinghai indifferently.

Fu Qinghai stopped.

The imperial guard slowly took off his long-crowned helmet and held it around his waist, then took off his golden human face mask, revealing an old face. His lips and cheeks were covered with gray beard, and there was an undisguised scrutiny in his indifferent eyes.

"I am Ixion Hale."

The tall Imperial Guard said,

"The current commander of the Imperial Guard."

Fu Qinghai looked up at him.

"Hello, Marshal Ixion Hale, I am Qingshan Nayanhan, the commander of the Iron Pagoda Regiment."

Fu Qinghai also introduced himself.

Fu Qinghai only knew two commanders of the Imperial Guard. One was Constantine Valdor, the first commander of the Imperial Guard in 30K, who was said to have disappeared after the rebellion. The other was Trajan Valoris, the 17th commander of the Imperial Guard in 40K, who was also a high lord. As for the commander of the Imperial Guard in front of him, Ixion Hale.

He had never heard of it and didn't know it.

"I don't know why he summoned you."

The commander of the Imperial Guards spoke calmly.

"I'd like to know that, too."

Fu Qinghai said he was also confused.

"But I don't see a trace of awe in your eyes... Those who have been to the Terra Palace, whether they are inquisitors, judicial officers, archbishops or even high lords, no matter what they have in mind, at least when they look at the palace and the Eternal Gate, there is always a trace of fear and reverence in their eyes."

Ixion Hale's tone suddenly became more serious:

"But you are an exception."

"perhaps..."

Fu Qinghai looked left and right.

Then he spread his hands in an innocent manner:

"Is this why I was summoned?"

"snort!"

The commander of the imperial guards snorted coldly.

"You are a little presumptuous, Qingshan Khan."

Ixion Hale curled his lips and said:

"Like your Primarch."

The phrase "just like your Primarch" directly lowered Fu Qinghai's generation status - a fact that many people would overlook: the Emperor first created the Imperial Guards, and then created the Primarchs. If we really want to talk about ethical generations, every Primarch would have to call the first commander of the Imperial Guards, Constantine Valdor, "uncle". The commander of the Imperial Guards in front of him obviously knew Fu Qinghai's Primarch, Chagatai Khan.

"Please, Qingshan Khan."

Ixion Hale stopped making sarcastic remarks and instead stepped aside and pointed forward.

Fu Qinghai took a deep breath, then took a step forward and looked up at the throne.

Before looking up at the golden throne, countless messy thoughts flashed through Fu Qinghai's mind - it is said that the emperor has completely different images in the eyes of different people.

Most accounts of the Great Crusade describe the Emperor as a giant, clad in golden armour, with brown hair, a square jaw and a stern demeanour. He often has an angelic golden halo around his head.

In Belisarius Cawl's eyes, the Emperor was a scientist wearing a lab coat, with brown hair and brown eyes, neither tall nor short, thin but not weak, handsome but not outrageously handsome, and a temperament that was both old and young.

In the eyes of Lion King Lion Elson, the Emperor is a mysterious figure wearing a hood and emerald, gold and silver armor. And the Lion King firmly believes that only what he sees is real, and what other brothers see is false.

During the Webway War, when the Emperor appeared on the battlefield, the human coalition in the Webway described him as "a barbarian born in ancient Eurasia", his skin was "a mixture of bronze and burnt tan", his eyes and hair were black, and he was holding a bolter and a power sword.

The closest image among the many is perhaps the Sister of Silence, who cannot see the psychic energy emitted by the Emperor due to the Soulless Field. At the end of the Webway War, Sister of Silence Caryl Cassolin saw the true face of the Emperor:

He was just an ordinary middle-aged man, sitting on the golden throne in a perpetual state of pain. He opened his mouth and screamed silently, and his efforts to endure the pain seemed to make his ageless face look very old. He did not have unparalleled majesty, nor did he have any halo behind his head.

Finally, put aside all the distracting thoughts in your mind.

Fu Qinghai looked intently at the throne.

Yes, just as he imagined.

It was just a rotting corpse, lying in the center of the throne.

Sunken eye sockets, shrunken eyeballs, dry and white hair, an open and empty mouth... There was little muscle left in his body, and the leathery skin was tightly attached to his bones. His body was too shrunken and even looked a little thin, but the black veins were still bulging under his skin. Countless mechanical pipes of different sizes and thicknesses were inserted into his body, and these pipes were connected to the golden throne under him.

Fu Qinghai did not wear the psychic goggles of the Ghost Armor, otherwise he would have seen countless psychic energies flowing through these pipes into the rotten corpse. But even without seeing it, he knew how many psychics the human empire had to sacrifice every day to keep this strange device running.

"call..."

Until this moment, Fu Qinghai finally exhaled the breath he had just breathed in. He stared at the golden throne, then slowly knelt on one knee, and the armor touched the cold floor with a crisp "clang" sound. Fu Qinghai lowered his body deeply, and his forehead almost touched the ground.

"Hail, Lord of Mankind."

Fu Qinghai muttered to himself.

Salute you for all the suffering you have endured for humanity.

Suddenly a voice sounded in his mind:

"You have the gene sequence of number five in your body."

Number 5? Who is number 5?

Fu Qinghai didn't react for a moment.

Then he slowly raised his head.

Could it be... Chagatai Khan?

So that's what the Emperor called his offspring.

The fifth Primarch, Chagatai Khan?

The eighteenth Primarch, Vulkan Vulkan?

Fu Qinghai recalled the novel he had read in his previous life, Dark Empire, in which Robert Guilliman went to Terra to meet the Emperor after waking up. According to his recollection, the living Emperor was a cunning being, good at hiding his thoughts just as he was good at reading other people's thoughts. The "remnant" of the Emperor on the throne was so powerful that even Robert Guilliman could not understand it, but it lacked the subtlety that he had when he walked on earth.

When the Emperor walked the earth, He used love to cover His ways. He had His Primarchs call Him Father, He had them call themselves His sons, but the Emperor Himself seldom said these words. Robouti Guilliman realized then that the Emperor was not sincere when He said these words, and faced with the full force of the Emperor's psychic power that was no longer concealed, the veil that had originally covered Robouti Guilliman's eyes was torn away, and everything was finally revealed.

The Emperor actually did not love the Primarchs at all.

The Primarchs were merely his weapons.

That is the whole truth.

Roboute Guilliman described the Emperor's joy and welcome upon seeing him: not like a father welcoming his son, but like a craftsman rediscovering a useful tool he had thought lost, and his behavior was like a prisoner in a cage being handed a file.

Guilliman was not the one who brought the iron file.

He is the iron file itself.

Fu Qinghai now feels the same way as Guilliman.

But unlike the Thirteenth Primarch who was devastated and grief-stricken when faced with the truth, Fu Qinghai had never had any ethical or affectionate expectations of the Emperor, so he was more accustomed to the Emperor's strange way of communicating.

Despite this, he was also in great pain.

The Emperor's will and psychic powers were so powerful that speaking to him was like speaking to a star, using the language of fire and light, and every word burned him.

The Emperor, a locked prisoner, had found a handy tool for escaping prison 10,000 years in advance, but unlike Robert Guilliman, this tool was not the familiar Primarch he created himself, but something else. Fu Qinghai could vaguely feel that his "iron file" made him feel a little puzzled on the throne - the Emperor was not sure how much effect his tool could have.

"I see."

The voice finally left these words.

Fu Qinghai stood up in a daze, with the roaring echoes and burning pain still in his mind. He walked out of the palace under the personal escort of the commander of the imperial guards, Ixion Hale, and came to the outside of the Eternal Gate. Until he saw Sid Nora who had been guarding outside the Eternal Gate.

Fu Qinghai finally came to his senses.

The golden-armored guards lined up outside the gate all disappeared.

The huge gate behind him slowly closed.

Fu Qinghai stared at Sid Nora blankly.

Sid Nora was also looking at Fu Qinghai.

"So, he spoke?"

The Grand Master of the Inquisition finally couldn't help but ask:

"He can talk to the outside world, right?"

Sid Nora's voice was filled with urgency.

"he?"

Fu Qinghai repeated the sentence.

"Could it be 'Him'?"

Sid Nora then asked in return:

"The state religion believes he is a god, but I don't think so. What do you see, Qingshan?"

Fu Qinghai recalled the experience just now.

He frowned and shook his head slowly, saying,

"To be honest, I'm not too sure what that corpse on the throne is."

...…