As night deepened, soldiers occasionally galloped back and forth through the Inner City's streets, while rumors began circulating among the common folk:
"Have you heard? Something big happened to the Guo Clan-"
"The Duke of Anguo seems to be a monster. He's spent years staying home supposedly recovering from illness, but he's actually been eating people there..."
"Things in the Capital City might be about to change-"
Because the Unorthodox Dao had spent years persistently spreading rumors linking the Red Witch Cult to the Guo Clan, while the Imperial Court had harshly suppressed such talk, now that the Guo Clan really had been found connected to the cult, most commoners and even officials reacted with sudden understanding. Public opinion swung against Empress Dowager Guo almost instantly.
With Coal Ball slung over his shoulder, Xie Jinhuan accompanied Bu Yuehua, who had slept all day, on a stroll near Parrot Alley. Listening to the jumble of chatter, he thought for a moment and said:
"Those fiends and heretics should still have more moves up their sleeves. The Guo Clan's backyard is on fire now, but with this alone,
"the best they can hope for is forcing Empress Dowager Guo to return power. She's looked after the Young Emperor since childhood. Even if he takes power, he won't let those fiends and heretics manipulate him. This still falls a little short of toppling the Blessing and Sacrifice Faction outright."
Bu Yuehua walked beside him in a water-blue dress, still puzzling over that earlier business of "Master Wanyi's violent sitting." Hearing him, she gathered her wandering thoughts:
"The Yamen didn't get anything out of the interrogations?"
"No. Once things happened at the Guo Clan Manor today, everyone involved fled. Tuoba Zhe only led us to Guo Zihuai, and Guo Zihuai probably knew the whole