The restoration of the Han Dynasty began with the Horus Rebellion.

Chapter 37: I am betrayal, I am slaughter, I am end and death

However, Sun Qian's fist stopped before it hit its target.

This wasn't because Sun Qian suddenly showed mercy and held back at the last moment, but because a thin arm easily blocked an iron fist that was bigger than Qi Le's head.

"What a stubborn man."

Qi Le's words were as ethereal as ever, but rather than divine, they sounded more like echoes from the abyss.

"Even now, are you still unwilling to accept the God-Emperor's faith?"

"The problem is, you, the God-Emperor, sit on a golden throne—"

Sun Qian continued to hold Qi Le down with one hand, while drawing the explosive gun from his waist with the other.

"Still the brass throne?"

Just as Sun Qian was about to pull the trigger, Qi Le suddenly arched her body, and then, with her alabaster-like feet, she moved with a speed and power that surpassed that of ordinary people—

It even surpassed the speed of a Space Marine and kicked Sun Qian hard in the face.

That wasn't a soft touch at all; Sun Qian felt as if he had been hit head-on by a thunder hammer.

As he was forced back several steps, Lyman's Ear quickly restored his strength from the severe concussion, but Qile was no longer in his grasp.

"Hehehe, I didn't expect you to find out."

Qile, or rather something that resembled Qile, emitted a chilling, shrill laugh.

"Unlike this woman who is all talk and no action, are you truly one of those favored by the cursed?"

"You don't need any special treatment; I can smell your stench from a mile away."

Sun Qian raised the explosive gun, aimed, and pulled the trigger.

"And you're the one who's cursed, aren't you, demon?"

However, the demon manipulated Qile's body, using her hands and feet in a manner similar to that of a wild beast to move at high speed and evade.

That speed was beyond human capability. The moment Sun Qian's magazine was emptied, she immediately lunged at him with a sinister grin.

"The cursed? No, you're wrong, I am the praised!"

Sun Qian immediately threw away his bomb gun and drew his combat dagger to fight back.

However, the opponent's speed was too light and swift. Sun Qian's blade was easily twisted by an aerial spin, and then the demon took the opportunity to raise his foot and hit Sun Qian's wrist.

Sun Qian felt a numbness in his arm, and the combat dagger slipped from his hand.

But the demon's attack wasn't over yet. Taking advantage of Sun Qian's wide-open defenses, she kicked out with her other foot, striking Sun Qian hard in the chest.

Boom! ! !

Sun Qian was sent flying more than ten meters before coming to a stop. When he looked down at his breastplate, he discovered that the thick ceramic steel plate had been kicked into a spiderweb-like pattern of dents and cracks by those thin, withered legs.

"Gahahaha, you see? This is the immense power that the fervent faith of over 100,000 people on this ship has given me!"

The demon seemed to be enjoying the thrill of the battle; his unrestrained laughter was even more grating than before.

After spitting out a mouthful of blood, Sun Qian endured the pain and stood up once again.

"That's not your belief; you're just a despicable and shameless imposter."

"You have no right to judge me. Aren't these the same methods you've used? Whether it's disguising your identity or exploiting faith... To be honest, maybe we get along quite well."

The demon spoke to Sun Qian in a mocking tone.

"Moreover, these beliefs were rejected by the object itself; I was merely putting something ownerless to use."

Sun Qian's heart sank. He knew that what the other party said was indeed the key to the current terrible situation.

It is indeed possible for demons to manipulate saints and distort their beliefs. According to what Sun Qian knows, in the original historical development, the empire did have more than one "saint" who defected, and even caused a tragedy like the Abyss Expedition.

Logically speaking, those who can be corrupted by demons can only be considered "false saints." True living saints should already be considered psionic beings, or to put it bluntly, "Great Demon E." How could they possibly be controlled by other chaotic demons...?

But this could be seen as the curse of knowledge.

Before Sun Qian spoke with Locke on Judgment Day, he was only worried about Qi Le's actions, but he never doubted Qi Le's stance.

The reason is simple: he knew that Qi Le was a living saint, and he also knew that the emperor was indeed a god.

But he forgot the most crucial point—

The current emperor still rejects himself as a god.

Before he fought Horus and ascended the Golden Throne, the Emperor firmly denied that he was a god. The "miracles" that Qile displayed so far have all come from the power of the collective subconscious of hundreds of millions of people.

This gave the devil an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

"Betrayal, despair, anger, pain, fanaticism... these extreme emotions are so delicious. They yearn for an existence to which they can entrust their spirits. Since that's the case, I'll gladly accept them on behalf of the non-existent false god."

Faith is a breeding ground for chaos and corruption, and Sun Qian understands this more deeply than ever before.

No matter how noble the initial intention, the energy fluctuations projected in the warp by the strong emotions that come with faith are an excellent source of power for demons.

"Of course, this is also thanks to you, Sun Qian."

The demon Qile licked her lips; her eyes had almost completely turned blood red.

"If you hadn't saved these people, if you hadn't shown them your so-called miracles, I wouldn't have been able to possess the power I have now."

"You're right, I do indeed bear an undeniable responsibility."

When attempting to change history, various butterfly effects occur, potentially leading to outcomes even worse than the original historical record.

But Sun Qian will never regret it.

Fortunately, it hasn't reached the point of no return yet.

"So today I'm going to get rid of you, whether for the sake of my loyal brothers or for the sake of Euphrates Kierle."

"Huh? Hahahaha! What a magnificent statement."

Upon hearing Sun Qian's words, the demon Qi Le paused for a moment, then covered her face and laughed wildly.

"Don't worry, most of the people on the ship are my loyal followers, and I will slowly guide them into the embrace of chaos; as for this woman named Qile, although her soul has been scattered, her body is still very useful, and I will definitely take good care of it and make good use of it. As for you—"

Whoosh!

With a terrifying speed that even a Space Marine could hardly see, the demon appeared in front of Sun Qian in an instant and grabbed his neck with both hands.

"Die here as a martyr. I will use your assassination by an abeliever as a pretext to purge the ship of the die-hards who do not accept faith, such as... heh heh, my old acquaintance Gavial Loken."

Even though he was already having difficulty breathing, Sun Qian showed no fear and stared intently at the demon in front of him.

"Who...are you...?"

"Hehehe, then I will grant you my final mercy, so that you may know what a great being you died at the hands of."

The demon seemed to loosen its grip slightly, allowing Sun Qian to finish listening to what it had to say.

"I am the one standing beside you, the one walking behind you, the one whispering in your ear, the embodiment of betrayal and slaughter, the end and death, the last name you heard—uh?!!"

However, at that moment, the demon's expression suddenly changed, and he immediately let go and jumped away as if he had been electrocuted.

Not only that, she also retreated repeatedly, using both her hands and feet, as if she were on guard against something.

"What...what have you done to me! Damn it...my power..."

The demon was no longer as at ease as before; Qi Le's face, which had once belonged to her, was now even paler, and there was even a hint of panic in it.

"So when will you demons change your bad habit of reciting the names of dishes? But then again, if you weren't arrogant and stupid, you wouldn't be demons."

Sun Qian rubbed his neck, which had been marked with finger marks, seemingly unsurprised by the situation.

"Right, Sams?"