Demonic Traces and Shifting Alliances
Inspector General Dohyang arrived in a flash, accompanied by the Surveillance Bureau's censor-inspectors and Zhejiang Province's cavalry units.
For some reason, the unrest in Jiangsu Province—what everyone had expected to erupt into full-blown chaos—had already begun to settle down.
Thanks to that, the feared clash never materialized.
Under the command of Zhejiang's total forces, both the Sado Gate martial artists and the rebel militia were swiftly subdued.
The chaos in Nanjing, which had seemed impossible to sort out easily, was resolved in an instant.
"Criminal, Jiangsu Governor Jo Unhyeon, hear this."
According to the Great Ming Code, rebellions were to be harshly punished—not just the ringleaders, but even the mere participants.
However, judgments weren't entirely rigid; in some cases, the blame fell on the officials rather than the civilians.
Yes, it wasn't common, but it happened in a tiny fraction of cases.
"Your administrative incompetence and tyranny are too blatant to simply cover up. On behalf of the suffering commoners and to restore the imperial family's sullied authority, you must pay for your crimes."
He had been untouchable in normal times—a real heavyweight.
Life in the Surveillance Bureau was always a precarious tightrope without a safety net, but he'd finally carved out a stable, neutral position for himself.
'Guess that's the end of my steady job.'
Now the higher-ups in the Grand Secretariat would start eyeing him with murderous glares.
What could he do? It was bound to blow up eventually, ever since he started in the bureau. Maybe it was just "what had to come, finally came."
Still, he couldn't forgive that bastard Wi Eokgi. Since he was already in Jiangsu, should he swing by Hangzhou and tear into him?
'Sigh, seriously.'
...Of course, that was just a fantasy.
Wi Eokgi was too meticulous to leave any incriminating evidence lying around that could hurt him—especially now that he'd been scratched where it itched.
More importantly, if he earned the hatred of the crown prince faction and Her Highness the Princess on top of that, surviving the icy politics of the capital would be a pipe dream.
Sigh, fine. Just do his job.
"What about our troops' casualties?"
"...Well."
"What do you mean by that?"
Dohyang scowled, wondering if he'd misheard his subordinate's report.
It was an incident between Jiangsu's two largest cities, but it hadn't spread across the entire province.
Yes, if anything, it was more like a small-scale rebellion.
"Actually..."
"What? What? 197 men?"
Nearly 200 regular troops in armor, cut down by peasants with pitchforks in that short time? This wasn't just "heavy losses"—compared to the rebels' scale, it bordered on operational failure. A downright disgrace to the military. There was only one reason for that.
'There must have been someone pulling strings behind the scenes.'
This went beyond simple incompetence in the Jiangsu military. If the response had been slow, casualties should have been lower. That meant skilled fighters had been hidden among the rebels facing off against the troops.
Who? The princess faction? No, the princess's overt involvement in this incident ruled that out.
Such blatant meddling would be too risky for her still-weak faction.
Murim folk, then? Hard to see what profit they'd gain from stirring up something like this.
It didn't fit their ruthlessly profit-driven mindset.
Yes, only one logical answer came to mind.
'...The Demonic Cult, after all.'
That was why he'd been touring the realm as a circuit inspector in the first place.
If true, things were about to get complicated. Dohyang's gaze drifted to the ashes of the governor's office, landing on the man receiving Her Highness's care.
"Your Excellency."
"What is it?"
"Lend me your ear."
Leaning in, he heard confirmation of what he'd suspected from his subordinate.
"Faint but definite traces of demonic qi were found."
"As I thought."
"Moreover, witnesses report multiple rioters with red-glowing eyes."
Demonic cultists who burned people alive or worshipped the flames, engaging in bizarre rituals—their martial arts clearly differed from those of ordinary murim warriors or officials.
And those who used such arts all shared one trait: eyes glowing red.
Yes, that sealed it. They'd minimized casualties more than expected—a stroke of luck.
...But,
"Your Highness, I need to discuss that man with you."
There was something he couldn't overlook.
Standing with the demonic cult-led rebels—even if unwillingly—had to be addressed.
...And above all,
Dohyang's eyes flicked to one side.
Rumors said the demonic cult revered dogs as sacred.
It was a confirmed fact, and some hid their identities with dog-shaped masks.
The man's mask, charred but vaguely retaining its canine form, fit the description.
Yes, it was too obvious. Still, the facts demanded scrutiny.
That was his duty as a Surveillance Bureau circuit inspector.
*
The hulking man slumped, caught by the censor-commander's aid.
He'd tried hiding his identity with a grotesque, meaningless mask over his face—now scorched beyond recognition.
But that massive build, firing a cannon? Impossible to conceal.
Joo Hyejin stared, a mix of absurdity and exasperation bringing a smirk, then a soft sigh. Worried it might discomfort him, she carefully removed the soot-caked mask.
"... "
Watching the boy she'd recruited lose consciousness in her arms, Hyejin's mind raced.
'You fool...'
She'd been too complacent.
Even if the fool caused trouble, she'd figured one fierce clash with that gold-embroidery bastard would suffice, then leverage his merits to smooth it over.
Just like how she'd covered up the bastard's men trespassing the yamen.
Their deal wasn't pure charity on her part.
But she'd never imagined he'd escalate beyond her wildest expectations.
/He imposed crushing taxes on the people and lusted after another man's woman—standing with the masses to punish the governor./
Her head spun at the cleanup ahead, yet reviewing the full story, she might have done the same.
Inevitably, she sighed deeply. No choice, then. Her faction was still weak, but she'd endure the clash.
"P-Princess! Big trouble!"
"...What now?"
Shed just dealt with one crisis—how bad could this be to warrant such panic?
"The Donglim Party elders are mobilizing!"
"...Donglim?"
Donglim—the faction ousted in political struggles against Eunuch Wi and his ilk.
Led by Grand Secretary Wi Gong of the Grand Secretariat, they'd risen against his tyranny and moral failings.
But they'd lost the faction war, felt mortal threats, and withdrawn from court. Supposedly living quietly in their hometowns now—and they were moving?
This was no small matter. Provincial powers in hiding mobilizing en masse? Monumental. A real big deal.
But why now?
"...They seem to interpret Young Master Yujin's actions as Your Highness's will. Not everyone has spoken yet, but former Minister of Personnel Ye Bu-ja, Lord Go, and former Hanlin Academy Lecturer Yang Hak-sa have already quietly pledged support."
"What? What?"
All heavyweights.
After faction defeats, they'd quit court before demotion—men whose value soared post-office.
Respected in hometowns, they manipulated local gentry effortlessly with their immense prestige.
-We can no longer tolerate the nation tilting toward that Wi-ga scum and his overreaching gang.
-Executing promising talents without chance, echoing Empress Wu's infamy, is utterly tragic.
-If the era calls, even a woman can uphold justice and righteousness.
-Change demands blood, but we're prepared to sacrifice—if there's will.
These stuffy, tradition-bound old scholars supporting her? Baffling.
Caught between legitimate lineage and womanhood's drawbacks, they'd finally chosen the latter.
'You fool, what have you done?'
Of all ways to screw up, he'd done it perfectly.
It didn't look engineered. How could a fresh dispatch single-handedly control and steer such a massive vortex?
Yet examining the events and flow, everything hinged on Yujin's consistency.
"...Ugh, gotta... work out..."
Even collapsed from exhaustion, muttering nonsense—
Amid her bewilderment, his sight brought an involuntary chuckle.
"Can't rein you in at all."
Still, tension eased. Yes, the first choice was hard; once decided, pushing forward was simple.
The army or not, a real rebellion was at hand.
As a leader, drawing blades on her people felt profoundly wrong—she'd agonized inwardly, but now her heart lightened.
'Handle it decisively.'
She resolved. Full war was premature, but with Donglim watching her back, the court wouldn't act rashly.
The circuit inspector from this incident approached Hyejin.
"Your Highness—or should I say General of Zhejiang?"
"Call me as you like."
"Then, Your Highness, I have matters to discuss regarding this incident."
What to tackle first? Best leave it to the expert inspector.
As Hyejin pondered, Dohyang opened with the unforeseen.
"To determine if you bear responsibility for this as well."