Demonic Tribulations - Chapter 26 preview (Patreon)

Chapter 26 - Xin Gang

The difference between working as a Guardian, sent to watch over the imperial palace and the Lesser Harmonies Palace and Chu Xin Gang’s current work could be summed up simply in one word. Paperwork. As a Guardian, he had unilateral rights to enact justice, arrest and detain any individual who he believed was a danger to the Jade Emperor and the good workings of the court.

As a Special Investigator, Xin Gang was forced to be more circumspect with his accusations and actions. He could not just arrest the magistrate that he believed to be lax in their work, but had to investigate, document and verify his suspicions before taking action. He had to be able to prove that his actions were not motivated by political considerations, in case politics drew him away from his work.

“Guard Qin. What, exactly is this?” Xin Gang held the offending document up by the edge between two fingers, scowling at the chicken scrawl – literally – that was on it. “How exactly is this proof?”

“It’s the markings of the Nine Times Blessed Heavenly Cock,” Qin Lu Ong answered, promptly. “I gave details of how I came to create the divination and my reading of it in the previous page, Inspector Chu.”

Xin Gang could swear there was a glimmer of amusement in the thin, mustached soothsayer’s eyes. He would not bet on it, of course, because gambling was a vice that led to numerous issues; but he would have if he did.

“And you feel that passing on the scratching important enough to include in our report of why Magistrate Yang of Wubien was captured, interrogated and was compelled to reveal his own interactions with the rebels.” Placing the piece of paper on his table amidst the pile of others, Xin Gang leaned forward. “A report that will, most likely, make its way all the way to the Minister of Justice themselves and quite likely the Grand Chancellor.”

“Yes, Inspector Chu.”

A long, slow exhalation. “How are the prisoners?”

“Giving Ah Bu a headache, but quiet for now,” Lu Ong replied. Added, before Xin Gang could ask. “The magistrate and the bandit leaders are complaining about the accommodation. They’re all complaining about Ah Zhu’s cooking. And there’s not enough of us, to watch them fully, without pulling double shifts, not if we can’t use the local guards.” There was good reason for that, since they had no clue how many of the guards had looked the other way on purpose and how many had been ordered. That degree of rot would have to be dug up by another, sadly. Lu Ong shifted on his feet, added. “Any word on our reinforcements?”

“Nothing as yet,” Xin Gang said, angrily. “The messages should have arrived by now, but there has only been silence.” After a moment, he gestured to the side. “Call upon the local militia. Have one of ours watch over each group, but the locals should be fine.”

Lu Ong nodded in agreement. “Do you expect they’ll move once the report arrives?”

“After they’ve debated it, properly.” Xin Gang growled. “In the meantime, others are covering their tracks and we are stuck, babysitting prisoners we’ve already taken.” He huffed out loud. “At least we have time to interrogate them properly.”

Lu Ong nodded genially. They had taken, of course, the more extreme interrogation methods to the Magistrate to get his confession. It was a necessity of their position that they had to do that, though they might have wished a specialist from the Ministry of Justice was on-hand to help. However, their requests had been denied at the highest level, which left them making do.

It did not stop them. All it truly meant was that the pigs ate well and the servants had more work to do as the blood splashed everywhere.

“We will root them all out.” Then, Lu Ong added, softly. “Though I find it disturbing that so many of my divinations have gone awry.”

“You believe they have diviners of their own?”

“There must be. They are muddying the waters of the future, by purposely altering their objectives, by slipping in false leads into the future, by expanding the options and possibilities that I can see.” Lu Ong hesitated, added. “Whoever they have, they are strong.”

“Stronger than you?”

“No. I think I proved that, did I not?” Lu Ong waved his hand downwards, to where the cells lay beneath their feet in this outpost. “When I focus, close on hand, it is simple. But whoever it is, they are too strong at a distance. Such an individual… such an ability, it is unusual.”

“How so?” Xin Gang said, curiously.

“It feels strong, but narrow. Like their abilities are twisted on themselves.”

Now, he understood. “You think it is an Ascendant. One whose utilizing their dao to block you.” It made sense. Within their narrow fields, many Ascendants were stronger than a generalist like Lu Ong, whose strength had come from a general understanding of the Dao and the consumption of immortal peaches and other such cultivating items. They built their base wide, while Ascendants scaled high on a single ladder.

“I have no proof,” Lu Ong said. “Just a feeling.”

“Your feelings means more than most.” Xin Gang sighed. “Add it to the report and our routine requests for aid. Maybe we can have some of the eunuchs who work in the palace do some true work. They can pull the files on all such diviners and we can perhaps pay them a visit.”

Lu Ong nodded, happy now.

“In the meantime, finish your section of the report.” Xin Gang sighed and turned back to the rest of the documents he had to read from his guards. He would have to correct their language and writing, make them rewrite it if there was a mistake. They could not afford to provide a sloppily created report, nor have the entire report dismissed because some fussy bureaucrat two millennia old did not like how it was formatted.

The Jade Empire was powerful, benevolent and gracious. It was also, at times, set in its ways.

It could change, as evidenced by their presence here, on the first level of the heavens. And when roused, the Jade Empire was truly a frightening foe – as the rebels and the corrupt would find out.