Warhammer begins in 2026

Huang Feng's flagship turned around and headed back to Terra. During this long journey, in the stone council chamber of the underground palace of Terra, Neos was playing chess with Horus.

On the chessboard, black and white pieces were arranged in an alternating pattern. Horus paused for a moment, holding a white piece, then looked up at Neos beside him and asked softly, "Father, what kind of person was Mother?"

The Imperial Guards who escorted him back in the past often spoke of Huang Feng, their words filled with respect and tenderness. They said she was kind-hearted and possessed unfathomable power, yet she never displayed the slightest arrogance that looked down upon all living beings; she harbored an instinctive tenderness and compassion for all humanity, and in this cold, cruel, and strife-ridden galaxy, she always did her utmost to protect the insignificant human race, hoping wholeheartedly that human civilization could survive peacefully, thrive, and become ever stronger.

Neos looked up at his first foundling, tracing the black piece between his fingers, and commented in a flat tone, "She is a pure idealist."

"Even though he has witnessed countless darknesses in the galaxy, he still retains a glimmer of hope for all things. He holds the power to shake the starry sea, yet he always acts like a fool who doesn't care about the consequences in the eyes of others."

Horus listened quietly, a picture of Huang Feng already forming in his mind. Growing up struggling in the bloody wasteland of Xornia, he had witnessed betrayal, slaughter, greed, and indifference, and never believed in selfless gentleness in the universe. But his father's evaluation and the praises of the Custodians wove together a vivid image—powerful yet gentle, wielding authority yet caring for the common people—a purity and light he had never encountered before.

He became increasingly certain that a person who could stand shoulder to shoulder with someone like his father and be sincerely loved by everyone must be gentle and sincere, and that his father and mother must have a deep and unwavering affection for each other.

Neos saw right through his thoughts, gently shook his head and whispered, "Huang Feng? There is no ordinary romantic love between us. We are just comrades who have shouldered everything together and have conceived twenty children together."

Horus paused slightly, but his expectations for Huang Feng remained undiminished. In his eyes, regardless of love, the fact that Huang Feng was recognized by his cold and stern father, protected by a mother who cared for millions of people, and had a heart for all living beings surpassed everything else in the world.

After a long interstellar voyage, Huang Feng finally returned to the land of Terra. On the way back, she specially prepared a special gift for her eldest son who was the first to return, full of anticipation for their first meeting.

Upon entering the underground palace, Huang Feng immediately spotted Neos seated beside the chessboard, and Horus, tall and composed, standing beside him. Having experienced the endless battles of Xornia and awakened his Primarch's essence, Horus had long since shed his mortal naiveté, his eyes revealing a depth and tranquility far beyond his years.

Huang Feng walked straight forward and reached out to pat the other person. Horus moved and almost instinctively knelt down, his posture respectful and devout. He lowered his head slightly, willingly letting Huang Feng touch the top of his head.

This was an instinct etched into Horus's genes, and the purest reverence from the depths of his heart. He had never felt warmth and protection; from the very beginning, he had been fighting for survival. But the moment he saw Huang Feng, a sense of peace, gentleness, and acceptance enveloped all his unease and resentment. At that moment, he fully understood that this was the source of his bloodline, his innate and only mother in this life.

"Thank you for your hard work. Let's go inside first." Huang Feng gently comforted him, raised his hand and patted Neos's shoulder lightly, then took Horus's wrist and led him inside.

Horus looked down at his mother's hand, which was gently held in her palm. The warmth from her palm was gentle and reassuring, soothing the violence and desolation he had accumulated in the wasteland. He secretly glanced at Neos behind him, a hint of bewildered understanding in his eyes. He remained quiet and silent, obediently following Huang Feng.

The spacious banquet hall was already filled with a sumptuous meal. The three of them took their seats in turn, with Huang Feng deliberately sitting next to Horus. Looking at her eldest son, who had spent half his life in turmoil and grown up amidst bloodshed and betrayal, she felt a pang of tenderness and kept piling various meats, fruits, vegetables, and exquisite dishes onto his plate, trying to make up for all the warmth he had lacked.

Horus sat quietly, his posture upright and docile. In Xenonia, food was the bargaining chip in battles and plunder, the only means of survival; no one ever offered him warmth or special treatment. But now, his mother's every move and word was filled with unreserved pampering and tenderness, slowly melting and softening his heart, which had been frozen for many years.

In his heart, Huang Feng was no longer just a mother defined by cold blood ties, but a light that illuminated his dark life and redeemed his desolate fate. Strong, gentle, and soft-hearted, with the world in her heart yet loving him above all else, she was the only mother goddess he was most worthy of loyalty to, protection from, and worship in this life.

Neos watched this scene quietly, his gaze fixed on Huang Feng, his eyes glued to her hands as she kept serving food to Horus, his aura inexplicably tinged with melancholy.

Huang Feng quickly sensed that the atmosphere was off. He turned to meet Neos's fixed gaze and gestured with his chin toward the empty seat next to him: "You sit here too."

Neos obediently moved to her side, and Huang Feng secretly glared at him, complaining, "I rarely get to bond with my son, and you have to come over and get in my way."

The scene at the table was particularly amusing after that. Huang Feng put a dish of food on Horus's plate, and then casually added a dish for Neos as well. Horus ate his food gently in small bites, cherishing this hard-won warmth; Neos, however, quickly finished his food in a few bites, silently waiting for her to add more dishes, vying for her attention without a word.

Horus had never tasted such a warm and refined meal. During his years in Xornia, he had been eating dried, compressed rations and wartime emergency nutritional pastes, his mouth always filled with the smell of rust and blood. He had never experienced such warmth and comfort. He ate very lightly and steadily, chewing each bite carefully, not wanting to waste a single bit, his posture showing a cautious appreciation, as if afraid that this tenderness was just a fleeting illusion.

Huang Feng noticed his restraint and gently comforted him, "Don't be shy. In Terra, here with me, you don't need to fight or struggle. You'll always have a safe place."

Those few words instantly touched Horus's softest spot. Xornia had taught him the harsh realities of life and the treacherous nature of humanity, but his mother's single sentence had soothed the anxieties of a lifetime of deprivation. He looked up at Huang Feng, his eyes brimming with warmth, and gently nodded in response, "Yes, Mother."

Seeing this, Neos silently slowed down his eating.

Looking at the two people beside him with such extreme contrasts, Huang Feng felt both helpless and amused, secretly wondering: What on earth is Neos going crazy today?