Emperor's Bane

Chapter 633: Fun Man, Fun God

If we only consider the style, pomp and numerous trivial pre-meal rituals, the table set by Xigochi, the Eldar God of Laughter, is naturally incomparable to the picnic feast of Aidalad, the Supreme Prophet of Usvi: after all, their identities are worlds apart.

The gap between God and man is not merely in superficial power or authority. What really distinguishes the two is the instinctive reaction of the soul to everything in the world, a truth that is almost barbaric: the cognition of the world, the control of dimensions, the extraction of souls, or the manipulation of the future. These basic codes cannot be changed by the amount of data.

The gap between people is like that between humans and wild animals in nature. Perhaps some beasts are indeed stronger than humans, but no one thinks that beasts are more advanced than humans. On the contrary, some people would rather get along with simpler beasts than drink and chat with more complex humans.

Coincidentally, the Queen of Avalon is such a person.

At least for now, she does.

Compared to a feast with a god, Morgan still missed the Eldar prophet's life of living in the open air in the ancient ruins: after all, the goals of these two guys were equally treacherous, but at least in front of Aidalad, the Gene Mother of Dawnbreaker could still have some composure of a strong man.

But facing Xi Gaoqi, the embarrassment of the weak inadvertently crept up on him.

And Morgan must never show it.

Faced with the pale, creepy face of the Eldar Laughing God, which looked like a patchwork of washed canvas, even the bravest warrior would be frightened for a moment: there are more terrifying things in the galaxy, but they lack one element compared to Xigoqi, and that is the breath of God.

This kind of aura cannot be described in words, but it does exist and is extremely eye-catching: at least Morgan did not sense the chill that made her so fearful in her genetic father and Vashtor at the time. Instead, it was the evil gods who existed on the throne of the warp who showed God's grace in their every move.

In comparison, Xigaoqi's majesty is undoubtedly much weaker: like the difference between a leopard and a tiger in the deep forest.

When it invited the Primarch who missed the banquet to its own kingdom, stood up in the deep cave, and swallowed up the Spider Queen whole with just its shadow with a body three or four times the size of the Primarch, there was indeed a moment of panic in Morgan's heart.

Before the Primarch's facial nerves could feel the surge of the sea of emotions, the absolute rationality that Morgan was proud of tightened the reins of fear, and in just a deep breath, a cool head prevailed again: if one only looked at her facial expression, the Spider Queen's lips had not even had time to purse before she was back to emotionless silence.

In silence, the Primarch tried to move his wrists and ankles. From the moment his body became weightless and he was controlled and pulled by the God of Laughter, Morgan felt something unusual and his long brows quickly frowned.

【Where is my body? 】

“Stay where you are.”

"Don't worry, I won't miss your banquet."

"Let's just talk for a while. Your sons won't be able to sense it."

Xigochi's tone was mixed in with a creepy shrill laugh. Half of the god's body was still hidden in the shadows, and the exposed body was enough to make people dazzled: the torso of the Laughing God was like His patchwork face, as if it was made up of dozens or hundreds of areas. Morgan could clearly see that there was a large piece of nothingness between Xigochi's wrist and arm, with neither flesh nor blood vessels, but instead filled with subspace energy that made Morgan nauseous.

But on the other arm, the breath of the Warp disappeared without a trace, and the complete tendons and flesh formed a real arm: this Eldar's laughing god seemed to exist in a rather strange dimension. He was neither completely isolated from the Sea of Souls like the Star Gods, nor unable to set foot in the real universe like the Chaos Evil God. He belonged to both dimensions at the same time, but in both dimensions he was not the one standing on the mountain.

Comprehensive, but relatively weak.

And they are weak and alone.

Just like the race He protects.

"Then please."

"Miss Deterrence."

Xigoqi was skipping towards Morgan with exaggerated dance steps. He was wearing a tattered patchwork quilt woven with all kinds of disgusting pigments. Half of him looked like a clown in the court, with poems satirizing the king in his tattered pockets, and the other half looked like a juggler in a circus making a living, with matches and trumpets hanging randomly around his waist. These two styles were mixed together indiscriminately on a palette with flashing stage lighting effects.

As He walked towards Morgan, the scene was like an ancient painting, and the Spider Queen couldn't help but think of the worst exhibits she could find in Malcador's collection room: in the ancient twentieth or twenty-first century, these masterpieces of painters with various names, such as Fauvism, New Fauvism, Abstraction, Post-abstraction, New Expressionism, Surrealism or Super Avant-garde, etc., took a few random colors and smeared them on the canvas, put a sign on it, and dared to call themselves masterpieces, and sold them for jaw-dropping astronomical prices. After the transaction, at least eighty boxes of the hundred boxes of bills needed this transaction to obtain a legal identity.

I hope you can keep your promise.

After observing for a while, the original body withdrew her disgusted gaze and began to focus on the environment around her. She realized that the strong sense of weightlessness still enveloped her. Her physical body was indeed not here. Now she was more like a wisp of perception or a tentacle of the soul.

"Actually, it's a memory."

Xi Gaoqi's figure kept disappearing and reappearing beside the Spider Queen, floating like a phantom in the water. Sometimes he walked in front of Morgan to lead the way for her, and sometimes he floated above the primarch's head like a feather. When he answered Morgan's questions, the sharp nose of the God of Laughter happened to prick the primarch's earlobe from behind.

Why do these [gods] always like to get close to the back of her neck?
“When the conversation is over, you will naturally [think] of this memory at the banquet.”

"I have extracted a small part of your consciousness to write this story. After all, even I cannot invite you to this independent kingdom [completely]. That is a big event that requires a large number of people to mobilize. When people become serious, comedy loses its original charm."

【That's really sad.】

The Primarch snorted coldly, and she found herself in a pure black space without any feeling. She could not see what existed on the farther horizon, and her hearing and smell seemed to have disappeared. She could only follow the guidance of the laughter and march forward on the invisible road.

But Morgan was certain of one thing.

From the moment the two of them officially began their conversation, Xi Gaoqi guided her onto a staircase, a staircase that seemed to lead to the endless other side. Its color changed between pure gold and light silver, sometimes wide, sometimes narrow, but at least it could accommodate Morgan alone: the Primarch placed his right hand on the handrail of the stairs, and she saw that the carvings on it were ancient and magnificent, enough to make the most magnificent room in the Terra Palace ashamed.

Where does this staircase lead to?

Morgan glanced at Xigaoqi. The God of Laughter was constantly changing his position and size. Sometimes he floated on Morgan's nose like a dwarf, and sometimes he stood in the void outside the stairs like a giant. His eyeball alone was ten times the size of the Primarch. But his voice never changed. It was an indescribable sense of distance, as if it came from another world.

[I can be sure now that I will not like this memory. No one likes the feeling of being attacked and manipulated. I hope that when I recall this memory, Lord Aidalad's banquet will not be affected.]

"I can understand you."

Xi Gaoqi's laughter still exists
"I hope you can understand me too"

"The only way to end the argument is to see each other's hearts, isn't it?"

“As for how you see it: it doesn’t matter.”

【…】

Morgan listened in silence as Xigaoqi's laughter spread farther and farther away.

[Is this why you attacked me? ]

"Always be cautious."

"You won't lose your mind because of this oppressive experience."

【Not really. 】

The primarch shook his head.

[You are a god after all: I am more curious about why you are so insidious? ]

His laughter rose a pitch.

"The one standing before you is the protector of laughter and deception. What I have done is exactly fulfilling my [Righteousness], and it is not easy for me to invite you here, especially because I need to shield those unwelcome guests."

The Primarch heard a rare hint of seriousness in Xigaoqi's laughter.

"After all, it is quite difficult to cover up His senses, even for me. So after I succeed once, I must ensure that you can definitely come to my table. Then this kind of despicable invitation is naturally the most effective. It is my duty to conceal His presence."

"Don't mind. Even your father can only receive this kind of invitation."

"But unfortunately, there is currently no place for him at my table."

【So He didn't know about this conversation?】

"Even God wouldn't notice that a tiny piece of your memory is missing."

Morgan did not speak, but nodded silently, the last bit of grudge in his heart also disappeared at this moment: this is the embarrassing situation of the Primarchs. Even the weakest of them, Lorgar, is a demigod who can look down on everything in the world, but even the strongest Primarch is far away from the real god.

Even their father is like this.

If Xigao Qi wanted to, he naturally had the ability and means to invite the reluctant Lord of Humanity here: as for what consequences such an approach would lead to, it was beyond the control of the Eldar's God of Laughter, and this was also the reason why Morgan came here at this time.

[So, what does the Laughing God of the Eldar want to discuss with a human like me? ]

"This calls for a more serious occasion."

After he finished speaking, Xi Gaoqi finally stood in front of Morgan, his figure became no different from the Primarch. Behind him was the end of the endless stairs, a heavy door with a charred black crystal surface and leaves and patterns outlined on it. The Primarch could not see the top of the door even when he raised his head.

"please."

The Laughing God pushed open the door in front of the Primarch like a gentleman: the space behind the door was dim and huge. Morgan guessed that it could accommodate at least a few Queens of Glory, but she could not see clearly. Only two lanterns could illuminate a little of the space under her feet.

But just as the Primarch made up his mind and stepped into the towering building, at the moment when the space intersected, Morgan felt a dazzling light coming from behind her and from the positions of her left and right hands: Following her instinct, the Spider Queen took a quick glance and found that the endless darkness that had obscured her senses had completely faded away at this moment, and she could finally see clearly what kind of place she had been walking in before.

She is in a...

In the cave?
……

What a huge cave...passage?

Morgan hesitated instinctively, because the scene she left behind was indeed quite strange. The Primarch was sure that she was indoors at this moment, neither in the deep void nor on the surface of any world or space station: she was standing in a place with a ceiling.

Room? Passage? Cave?
Morgan wasn't so sure.

But this place is terrifyingly huge.

With only a rough estimate, the Spider Queen could not help but marvel at the size of this world: it was big enough to accommodate the most spectacular and crowded hive in human history, or even several or even dozens of steel behemoths larger than the Queen of Glory class battleships. This building could not exist in the real universe, but Morgan did not smell any subspace smell on the grass and trees here. A giant passage that existed outside the real universe and the subspace...

As she said this, the Spider Queen thought of the answer: She looked at the Laughing God in front of her with some disbelief.

You're the emperor.

What have you been doing for me?
Is this still the real universe?

[Where is this? ]

"Garden of Eden."

Xigaoqi giggled.

"The Garden of Eden that every galactic emperor desires."

"And there..."

He then pointed to the depths in front of Morgan that were still unclear.

"That is the Tower of Babel that every destiny seeker desires."

[A person who...seeks after destiny? ]

Morgan frowned, the word made her feel uncomfortable.

"Yes."

Xi Gaoqi guided the Primarch, moving slowly forward in the darkness under the lamplight.

"I work here, so I have to put up with the annoyance they bring from time to time."

"Especially a little guy who is destined to arrive here. He is really annoying, but still interesting. Ah, you should have known him: he is destined to bring his Grey Knights to bother me, and he keeps talking about how to let these knights return to the human world."

[Grey Knight?]

Morgan chewed the word.

[Gray: Does it refer to the color?]

"No, it's the inside."

The distortion on Xigochi's face told Morgan that this must be a joke.

"Inside their armor: Inside~"

After saying that, its laughter disappeared into the darkness further away. Morgan had no choice but to keep up and call upon the psychic fire to illuminate the passages in front and behind her: so that she could finally see clearly what was around her.

She seemed to be in a library that was so huge that it seemed like a myth.

A library shrouded in darkness.

The architecture here reminded Morgan of the Eldar Craftworld that her profane brothers had enslaved during the [Randan War]: though that alien homeworld was long dead, the remains that remained bore some resemblance to the scene before her, the flowing elegance of ancient Eldar architecture unmistakably on display.

The Primarch walked in such a maze, with only Xigochi's laughter to guide her. She passed through all kinds of jagged, ever-changing rooms and passages. Ancient castles and obelisks hung upside down in the dome above her forehead, and on the walls were incomprehensible runes and countless statues engraved with ancient deeds.

But all of these, whether rooms or passages, castles or statues, are just supporting roles in this world. The real protagonists are the astonishing number of books, which are endless at a glance, and their number may exceed that of the planets ruled by the human empire.

The Primarch marveled: the vast amount of books, scrolls, codes, articles and works were carefully arranged on long shelves, stacked in tapestries, and wandering between still water gardens and exquisite silk veils. It seemed that each book contained a huge secret and a strange story that could shake the entire galaxy.

They wander here, as if they are everything in this universe.

Countless times, the Spider Queen wanted to reach out and pick up a book. She was sure that even if she only took the most ordinary work among them, as long as it was a book, plus the news of the existence of this place, it would be enough to make some of her brothers and even her genetic father remember the Spider Queen's achievements.

But the Primarch ultimately did not take any action, because the voice of the Laughing God was always calling her from the front.

“Don’t stop.”

He shouted.

"Don't waste your time on these third-rate works on the outermost level."

"follow me."

Morgan thought for a moment and then quickened his pace, but Xi Gaoqi's patience was obviously even less than that of the Primarch: before the Spider Queen took a few steps, a brand new door suddenly appeared on the wall to her right, covering the original relief, which depicted a luxurious banquet scene of the ancient Eldar Empire.

The Primarch pushed her away, and the black library was thrown far away in an instant, left behind her: after bypassing layers of misty gardens and three-way intersections, the real void courtyard was displayed in front of Morgan, and she finally walked to a place with light, although it was just an extremely fake distant starlight in layers of rune barriers.

Xi Gaoqi was waiting for her here.

The Eldar's Laughing God was standing in the middle of countless treasures at this time, playing with some ancient spirits that looked like gems out of boredom. Following the warm wind that blew from nowhere, Morgan could hear the wails of countless Warp demons among these gems.

She noticed the insane wealth in this room, some of which were so important that the Emperor would even consider launching an expedition himself: but all of these treasures were thrown casually at the feet of the Laughing God, and only one treasure was carefully guarded by Him.

A crystal tome bound by chains of light was placed on an obsidian pedestal, its surface decorated with countless gems like the kind that Xi Gaoqi was playing with. Various glowing runes surrounded it like planets, and each one made Morgan frown: But what really interested the Spider Queen was the way that the Laughing God Xi Gaoqi opened the book in front of her.

Even gods have to use their own blood and the whispers of their souls to open this crucial book: Morgan noticed that every word in this book was constantly changing, as if telling the future, countless futures, or just casually recording some boring and crazy words from Xi Gaoqi's mouth, that was all.

“It’s the only book I have.”

Xi Gaoqi stroked the crystal book as if he were caressing his own child.

"It tells the last joke I leave for the world."

"Even the gods will laugh at it."

“This is about us…”

Xi Gaoqi looked at Morgan.

"At the same time, it's also about you."

"Now, sit down."

The Laughing God pointed to the side: before Morgan noticed, countless valuable books had formed a chair. The Primarch sat on it obediently, then casually glanced at the armrests under his palms: the ancient books recorded countless long-forgotten psychic techniques and the history of ancient races, and one of them was even about the Necrontyr.

The title looked familiar to Morgan...

Ah, she remembered.

Wasn't this the greatest collection of Necrontyr art that Trazyn the Endless had once, in her presence, sighed and offered to exchange for his life and the last bit of his soul that might have existed? Was it thrown away carelessly in the Eldar library?

This is so sad...

Morgan noticed that he was smiling.

She looked up and found that Xi Gaoqi was sitting right opposite her, slowly spreading out the crystal book in his hand.

He picked up a pen.

"Okay, Miss Deterrence."

"Now, let's start recording your story."

“This will be a brand new legend.”

"So, which chapter do you want to hear first?"

"It's about your brother killing your other brother..."

【I have heard this before.】

"Ah, not that."

Xi Gaoqi shook his head.