The Corrupt Governor's Reckoning
"Forgive me! If only we'd subdued them quicker, I could've brought in someone with enough pull to smooth things over even if the inspector general showed up later. But in this frantic mess, it's impossible to contain."
Before that, watching the Sado Gate's forces crumble in real time right before his eyes, Jo Unhyeon trembled with rage.
"Wh-what the hell are you soldiers doing?!"
This shouldn't have blown up this big. The only explanation was that something had gone wrong midway.
Then Jo Unhyeon's gaze caught on a man in a military uniform.
The armband reading Vice Commander wrapped around his right shoulder made it obvious he was military.
"Could that bastard Yugu Su have... betrayed me?"
And that was the only conclusion he could draw from the current situation.
Indeed, if he examined the truth, Yugu Su had betrayed him.
But if he let the uprising rage on unchecked, he'd be on the hook too, so he'd planned to let it drag just enough to pin the blame on Jo Unhyeon before swooping in late.
Clang, clang! Slash!
The intervention of the imperial warriors—whose identities they still didn't know—
the soldiers now following Bijong's lead,
and,
BOOM!
Pang Yujin of the Cannon Division, prodigy of pirate subjugation.
The sight of him at the forefront blasting not the pirates but the Sado Gate warriors with his cannon filled Jo Unhyeon's eyes.
And soon after, even their top fighter, Heuk Ung, vanished without a trace in a blaze of heat that obscured his vision, struck directly by the bombardment.
'Could... all this be that little princess's scheme?'
Even that absurd thought crossed his mind. They'd tried tempting him with offers he wouldn't dare refuse, but he'd shown zero interest, they said.
This doesn't make sense.
His suspicion-filled mind concluded it was entirely possible Yugu Su had been swayed by her too.
"Ugh, stay back!"
Cornered, Jo Unhyeon had only one card left to play.
"Kyaaak!"
A hostage gambit. Of course, even this last desperate flail would soon be crushed—he knew that full well—but he had no other options.
No, before he could even think it, his body moved first.
Grabbing Yurin by the hair, Jo Unhyeon whipped out a dagger from who-knows-where and backed away, threatening Bijong.
"Jo Unhyeon, you bastard!"
"Move, or you wanna see this bitch die right here?"
"Hic, sob."
"Urk."
It just looked like the final spasm of a cornered rat, a gold-plated bureaucrat.
What a pain in the ass. Part of him wanted to just kill the guy outright, but conditions weren't right, and even in his exhausted state, it created way too many headaches.
Still, a man on the verge of losing everything might do something insane, so,
...3, ...2, ...1.
Bang!
When he decided a swift takedown was needed, from the smoke rising in the flames, the flintlock musket he'd hidden spat fire.
Like slow motion, the bullet traced a straight path from Yujin's precise aim straight at Jo Unhyeon.
And,
Splat!
"Argh!"
The round burrowed into the bastard's forearm muscle, nullifying his grip and sending the dagger clattering to the ground.
"Uwaaaah!"
Shaking wildly—unfamiliar with real pain—Jo Unhyeon left an opening, and Bijong pounced without missing a beat.
Thud!
"Guh!"
Crash. His kick sent Jo Unhyeon flying into a wooden wall of the mansion.
Ignoring that, Bijong rushed to Yurin.
"Yurin!"
"...Bijong!"
"You okay? Hurt anywhere?"
"I-it was so scaryyy!"
She threw herself into his arms, sobbing. Only then did he relax.
—I saved those two from the original story's curse.
'Huuu, haa.'
Yeah, I saved them.
Yujin, who'd been in hyper-focus—forgetting even to breathe to avoid mistakes—finally released his tension.
The delayed hand tremors hit, signaling the burden he'd carried. But matching it was fulfillment; he clenched his fists and lifted his head.
Now, the Jiangsu episode reached its finale.
*
The once-arrogant Jiangsu Governor Jo Unhyeon,
now glancing nervously at the murderous glares surrounding him, hunched low and trembled.
"S-sorry! Please, just spare my life!"
Is that what they call a dogeza? First time seeing one, even counting his second-life memories. Guess his own neck was precious.
Seeing him bawl with snot and tears, truly repentant, even we might soften.
I'm human too, after all. That's empathy for ya.
Like a saint possessed by Jesus or Buddha, Yujin's endlessly merciful gaze turned to him.
"I forgive you."
"R-really? Thank you! Lord Yujin!"
Like absolving a sinner, Yujin crossed his arms over the man's shoulders in a blessing.
Bijong's eyes twitched at Yujin's decision, but he bowed his head in the end.
Yeah, no matter how much he wanted to bash the guy's skull in, acting on it was another story.
Especially against one of this era's top power players. Right, as Young Master Yujin said—no need to escalate further.
"...I forgive you."
But Bijong couldn't face his lover Yurin like this; it left him no dignity. Droplets of injustice welled in his eyes. A real man never shows tears, no matter what.
The encircling crowd also began showing they couldn't accept the verdict on their faces,
"But will this pistol forgive you?!"
Bang bang!
"Arrrrgh!"
"!?"
The sudden crack of gunpowder echoed through the hall, startling Bijong and the crowd into looking up.
"You crazy bastard!"
Before his eyes, Jo Unhyeon writhed in agony, oblivious to his gut spilling out in ugliness.
What the hell happened? Glancing at Young Master Yujin, he held a fist-sized metal lump aimed at Jo Unhyeon.
"Y-you shot me, you actually shot me! Ugh, I'm dying!"
So noisy— ...no, what a tragedy. I'd forgiven them in my heart.
But my righteous partner in my bosom, the three-barrel pistol, couldn't forgive this villain. Truly tragic.
Click, clack.
Dare to eye another man's woman? The custom-tailored robe's inner-holstered three-barrel pistol auto-reloaded on its own, barking toward their chests and spitting lead.
Thwuk!
"Argh!"
That won't kill him, the three-barrel pistol seemed to snap. But sadly, reality forced it on a non-martial commoner; I could only smile bitterly. ...Huh, under-oiled? Reloading's stiff.
"Urk, sorry."
"Wh-what kind of psycho shoots a—"
Bang bang!
"Three-barrel, stop!"
"Argh!"
I tried halting it in a pained voice, but the three-barrel had no intention of stopping.
From thigh to shoulder, calf, belly, palms—iron shots from the three-barrel embedded one by one.
"St-stop."
Jo Unhyeon kept begging for his life; no need, since I had no intent to kill.
Anyway, three-barrel, quit it—you'll kill him.
"There, a sting. Sting."
Bang.
"Kieeeek!"
Ignoring that, another shot from the three-barrel plunged between his majestic gut folds.
His massive frame, writhing in pain, finally gave out with a pig-slaughter squeal and slumped.
"Processing complete."
You have ousted Jo Unhyeon, the real power and villain of Jiangsu Province, the Governor.
The Crown Prince faction's influence has diminished. Its impact on the Central Plains power balance remains uncertain.
Your influence over the Southern Military has risen by 15. The people of Jiangsu send you great trust. Fame +100.
The Eunuch Party's hostility toward you has risen by 10. Mind your actions if you lack the means to pay the price.
The elders of the Eastern Grove Party observe your deeds.
At the same time, notifications long silent erupted in a burst, piled up.
Seemed like I'd pissed off the Crown Prince faction or something. Whatever, not my problem now.
Deep down, I wanted to end that trash's life. But reasons aside from practicality,
"That bastard's gonna pay."
"Can't just let him die easy."
Bijong's tragedy was averted, but prior victims existed too, so letting them vent directly could work.
"Gaaaaah!"
As the crowd's beatdown began, his screams echoed everywhere.
Thrilling to punish the game villain who'd pissed me off—no catharsis like it. But next steps mattered.
The once-ferocious mob outside the mansion now watched silently.
"...Tricky."
Yeah, gotta draw a line with the uprising crew somehow, and snatch the provincial seal fragments from the warehouse too—tons to do.
'Huh?'
Suddenly, a familiar face entered his view.
Not just familiar. If he wasn't mistaken, that doll-like figure was the one he loathed most,
'...Moyong Shin!'
Suspected as much. He'd slithered into Jiangsu too.
Leaving him be spelled trouble; probably here to snatch the seal amid the chaos.
Seeing him made Yujin want to raise his cannon and blast, but his body wouldn't obey.
Whether the bastard noticed his stare, he glanced around the hall, clutching an expensive-looking pouch—mission likely accomplished.
And he slipped away fast.
'...Stop!'
Yujin hastily raised the Sage Cannon.
But his body couldn't hold steady and lurched badly.
"Huh?"
His vision blurred; he barely kept from face-planting.
Mind clear, but why? Thinking it over, he knew: flame-resistant, not poison. Too much smoke inhalation hitting late.
Staggering body, spinning head, fading sight,
"Inspector General Dohyang of the Censorate, arriving!"
Bad news reached his ears amid it all.
Shit, one slip and I'm lumped with the uprising—big trouble. Gotta bolt now...
But moving, even standing, was impossible.
"...Lord Gunner, sorry."
As his fogging mind gave out and he collapsed,
"...Yujin."
Thud. What? Instead of impact, something soft caught him.
"...Yujin, good work."
A familiar unnamed flower scent filled his nose, bringing instant relief.
Didn't know what it was, just wanted to pass out like this.
"You did amazing. Thank you."
Wrapped in that warmth, he finally lost consciousness.