Warhammer: Black Emperor

Chapter 889 Old Man Huang's Comfort

The emperor looked down at the audience and said, "I will never disregard the needs of the empire, but I will not ignore the realities of the people's hearts."

"Power is a fickle thing, and psychic energy is especially so; its danger lies in its ability to lead people astray."

"You can fight the enemy, but you cannot resist the dark temptation of psychic energy."

He looked at the Crimson Magnus, “To peer into the darkness and understand the void is a journey of calamity, a realm of deceit, lies, and illusion.”

“Those who seek the truth are deceived; false knowledge is more dangerous than ignorance.”

"I have faced the existence of the Warp and know all the secrets and calamities lurking in the Dark Void."

His eyes gleamed with golden light. "The secret I have already shared is all there is. You should stop here."

"Those who pry into the deepest secrets that should not be known will only face curses and death."

His gaze swept over Sanguis. "I have allowed my sons to overstep their bounds for far too long, and I should not have promised you that you would know of their existence."

The Emperor's gaze finally settled on Nimrod, "The threat of witchcraft must not be allowed to continue to taint Astartes."

He said in a deep voice, "From this day forward, I order all legions to disband their think tanks. All think tanks must immediately return to their combat units and are never to use any psionic power again."

"Those who disregard my warnings and break their promises to me are my enemies."

"Destruction will befall him, and will extend to all his followers and all his subjects, and even to the end of all things."

Nimrod's gaze was indifferent. "[Lyan, Guilliman, Saint Gilles, Chagatai, Corax, Vorkan, Dorn, you must kill at least seven of your loyal offspring.]"

Ruth's wolf cubs also use psionic energy, though he vehemently denies it; Fernus, strictly speaking, also uses it.

*Ding-dong!* Congratulations, Old Man Huang! You can now slaughter all your loyal offspring and claim the title of a lonely ruler.
Although Dorn has always opposed the use of psionic powers, he still had to rely on the think tank to fight against Chaos during the Siege of Terra.

The "Iron Hand's" use of psionic powers has always been focused on technology. Although people who possess both psionic powers and mechanical perception are rare, they do exist.

Although it wasn't until the forty-first millennium that the think tank director, Lindrick, activated the Heartforged Staff like his tech-based psionicist, Miguel Quasta, there were still some think tanks within the "Iron Hand" with average talent.

A gasp of astonishment filled the amphitheater, and the fourteen think tank directors behind Ning Lu to his right lowered their heads.

"No one will be punished for this. The goal of today's meeting is to maintain unity, not to create discord."

The Emperor's gaze lingered for a moment on the two Terran lords, Lauren Visher, the Starfather envoy of the Navigator family, and Barton Drake, the lord commander of the "Sun Auxiliary Army," as well as dozens of noble councilors, before a thought struck him.

Ning Lu suddenly felt a surge of thought directly into his brain. He did not resist it, letting it penetrate his mind.

"Ninglu, I have something to say to you tonight."

He nodded slightly.

boom!
Ninglu looked in the direction of the sound, then turned to look at the fallen Magnus.

He was surrounded by four Temple High Priests, including Ahriman, and Hathor Matt's Scarab Terminator, their faces filled with panic.

"Father, what happened?"

Magnus raised his hand to find the spot where his sacrificed eye had been, refused Hathor's help as he ran over, and got up on his own.

"We should go."

"Where are we going?" Hathor asked.

“We must return to Prospero; we have a lot to do, and time is of the essence.”

Ninglu's gaze swept over Motalian and Leman Russ, who were basking in victory with their heads held high.

They thought they had won, but Magnus was devastated by the old man's verdict.

No one could have imagined that only Magnus foresaw the betrayal of Horus Lupecal, the great wolf god and beloved son of the old man, and his eventual demise in the furnace of chaos.
The Nicaea Conference ended amidst Magnus's hurried footsteps.

Mortarian held his head high, like a mountain goat with its horns held high, and walked away with the wolves.

The noble members of the Terra Council quickly left the room, as if they would be swallowed up by a giant wave of blood if they were any slower.

Ninglu didn't leave. He turned to Lauren, Barton, Pechorella Zowa, and the others beside him and said, "Thank you for your support."

His gaze lingered on the fifteen people he had never seen before. “I will remember them.” Nimrod then approached the thirteen abolished think tank directors; Hathor had already left with Magnus.

He told Tagutei Yesugei and others of the "White Scars," "We have lost a war, but we will not lose forever."

[At least you won't regret speaking up for Magnus later.]
Yesugei gripped the skull scepter tightly. "Lord Ninglu, I must return to the Great Khan immediately and report to him."

He walked up to Thomas, who was bowing his head, raised his right arm, and patted him on the shoulder.

Ericas, the "Dark Angel," bowed in acknowledgment, silently fastened his helmet, and turned to leave.

"The Lord of the Night," Fell Zarost, gazed at Lord Nimrod with vulture-like eyes, bowed low, and leaped backward, disappearing into the dark shadows of the volcano.

Balsa Kuturi of the "Raven Guard" bowed to the Black Emperor like everyone else before leaving.

Yumokin, the "fire salamander," was taller and stronger than any of the think tanks, and he approached Lord Nimrod.

“My lord, we still need the fortress-level energy shield you provided. Father will repay you with a weapon he forged and a salamander, a testament to your friendship.”

Ninglu nodded. He understood what Yumokin meant. The collaboration also included research on the Fabian device, a Saturn-type terminator, in the Korane-far-end system.

This inevitably involves psionic energy.

He smirked. "What's so bad about the 'Nicaea ban'? Even Vokhan doesn't follow it."

“Of course,” Ninglu said with a smile, and walked up to Thomas.

"No need to worry."

Thomas's unclosable "Prying Eyes" could not detect any emotion in the Black Emperor, but he drew strength from the calm expression on his marble statue-like face.

"With Pat and Gül Gül, we wait in the box."

"As ordered."

When Ninglu saw Old Man Huang walk down from the high platform and head towards the mountainside, he stepped forward and walked over.

"Ninhlu, I have appointed Horus as the War Master. What are your thoughts?"

Ninglu felt the old man's eyes filled with golden light, which fell on him.

"I respect your decision, including today."

The emperor nodded in satisfaction, "Some people need praise."

“There are others who must be crowned, honored and given appropriate titles.”

"Some people don't need this, but I understand what you need."

Ninglu looked at Old Man Huang and suddenly felt a little hopeful.

"I know what you need."

"I have prepared a one-of-a-kind ship for you, the Mysterious Ship."

Ning Lu's eyes lit up upon hearing this.

The Mysterious, along with the Mountain Array of Dorne, the End of Typhon, and the "Space Shark" Monster, are all unique warships from the "Dark Ages of Technology".

The Primarchs modified the Glory Queen-class battleships according to their own preferences, but they were all built based on the same template.

The same applies to the Abyss-class warships.

The Mysterious is not more powerful than the Glory Queen-class battleships, but it has its own unique features. Moreover, its casting technology is incomprehensible and cannot be replicated, unlike that of the Mountain Formation, the End, and the Water Monster.

[Old Huang's reassurance? He understands me, doesn't he? Good, I'm quite satisfied.]
"Although the Mysterious Ship has many strange features, it has nothing to do with the subspace."

"I hope you understand that besides psionic energy and the warp, there are many other wonders and mysteries in the world."

“As you wish,” Ninglu replied cooperatively.

As soon as he stepped out of the private room, he saw someone walking out of the private room opposite.

(End of this chapter)