"Since Sister Teresa has already made her choice," Li Qingwu said to the Archdeacon, "I will naturally support her."
"But, venerable Father, whoever she becomes by your obedience, please remember: she is still a sixteen-year-old girl."
The Archdeacon nodded briefly.
"Don't worry, sir. Her path is quite reasonable. I will teach her until she is thirty, and then I will hand over this temple to her."
"When the day of trial comes, then the God-Emperor Himself will show, whether He will illuminate her with His light. Without any interference, she will manifest the Force."
The Archdeacon's plan was long-term: first, keep Teresa with him and teach her for thirty years, strengthening the foundation of her knowledge, then allow her to manage the temple for ten years, spreading the Gospel of the God-Emperor to gain experience, and in the end – bring her to a theological debate with other orders of the Ecclesiarchy and achieve the title of saint.
The so-called canonization is a common procedure in the church, and often those who truly possess a gift become saints through it.
Li Qingwu thought that this old man was, at least, a reliable person. At least for twenty years, he would keep Teresa close, teaching her.
By then, she would be almost forty – a sufficiently mature age to be responsible for her own destiny.
He nodded and, after a slight pause, added: "Since it's so, let her remain under your guidance, venerable Father."
"Only please, allow Teresa to return home at least once a month. Her parents and brother are waiting for her."
The Archdeacon chuckled.
"Of course! Every nun visits her family once a month. We are not taking daughters away from parents, but merely bringing them closer to the word of the God-Emperor."
He looked Li Qingwu up and down. For convenience, he had put on a corporal's uniform, and the Archdeacon, mistaking him for a soldier of the city garrison, suddenly asked something unexpected:
"Warrior of the God-Emperor, tell me, in which sector of the Hive do you serve?"
The transition was abrupt, and Li Qingwu didn't immediately grasp what it was about.
"In the north of the Hive," he replied. "Did something happen, venerable Father?"
The Archdeacon became serious.
"Warrior of the God-Emperor, tell me frankly: during the battles with the rebels, did you notice any corrupted elements among them?"
Li Qingwu's consciousness instantly tensed. "Corrupted" could only mean one thing – Chaos corruption!
If there was even the slightest trace of such a thing on the planet, it meant that the demons of the Warp had already extended their tentacles to it. Such a planet awaited disaster.
"Why do you ask?" he wondered. "In the north, I saw no signs of corruption. The rebels, whatever sins they committed, remain human."
The Archdeacon insisted: "Are you sure?"
"Warrior of the God-Emperor, I am not accusing. But remember well – have you not encountered among the rebels those whose bodies are grotesquely distorted: with horns, extra arms or legs?"
"Or perhaps, on the walls, you've seen disturbing inscriptions, drawings, symbols?"
Li Qingwu involuntarily remembered the Silent One – that scoundrel who loved to secretly paint Warp patterns on the walls. Apart from that, he hadn't seen such signs.
Seeing a negative nod, the Archdeacon lowered his head and thoughtfully said: "Perhaps your detachments did not go far enough to encounter the true evil of the rebels."
Li Qingwu silently agreed: both the rebels and the POS garrison troops had clearly relaxed. The combat operations did not penetrate deep into their territory – no one really knew what was happening there.
He thought mournfully: I just hope it doesn't start... I just hope, damn it, that the demons of the Warp don't crawl out!
My work has just begun, he thought. Let the Universe not throw Warp abominations at me right now, not ruin what I've created with such difficulty!
At that moment, a sharp system sound rang in his ears.
[Ding!] Ecclesiarchy liaison unlocked – Archdeacon Pious. Sympathy level: 0.
New quest: "Chaos Contamination among Rebels."
Deep within rebel-controlled territory, a suspected outbreak of Chaos contamination is occurring. Archdeacon Pious is concerned and seeks someone brave enough to find the truth.
By completing the Archdeacon's task, Li Qingwu will be able to earn his favor.
He raised his eyebrows – he hadn't expected to have a contact in the Ecclesiarchy now, and immediately accepted the mission, asking a clarifying question:
"Venerable Father, tell me more, what is happening?"
"My POS company is strong enough, we sometimes raid deep into rebel territory. If it's really serious, I'll try to conduct reconnaissance."
The Archdeacon's eyes flashed with admiration.
"Oh, brave warrior of the God-Emperor, may He protect you!"
"Recently, I offered prayers before His greatness, bathing in the Emperor's light, yet the feeling of unease did not leave me."
"Then I dared to resort to the Tarot of the God-Emperor, and the spread was extremely bad."
"What did you see there?" Li Qingwu asked quickly.
The Tarot cards of the God-Emperor are an ancient artifact created by the Emperor Himself. A real deck can truly show destiny if it is held by a psyker-diviner connected by consciousness to His Will.
To an ordinary mortal, such cards will reveal nothing.
But considering that the Archdeacon senses the purity of human souls and the manifestation of the Emperor's power, even his premonition is worth listening to.
He slowly lowered his head, hiding his expression of anxiety.
"I saw a smiling child with a shiny apple in his hand."
"He took a bite – and larvae stirred inside."
"When I turned the card over, the fruit became rotten, and the boy – a living dead."
Li Qingwu's pupils narrowed. An apple, worms, a zombie... Damn it – could it be news of Nurgle?!
Nurgle is one of the four Great Evil Gods of the Warp. The God of suffering, decay, and compassion, who bestows "love" on all living things – even bacteria and viruses.
Under his twisted benevolence, all flesh ceases to die, turning into a decaying but living body.
Rot, decay, plague, and the chaos of life-death are this god's favorite creations.
He is perhaps the most burdensome of all the Evil Gods: where castles and fortresses crumble, his virus penetrates through armor, turning the people inside into zombies who themselves fling open the gates.
Li Qingwu feared encountering Nurgle the most. While other gods require material strength to break through to a planet, this one only sends a virus – and the whole world perishes. There is nowhere to escape from him.