Just as Zhu Youjian was beginning to lose his composure, something happened that made the situation even worse.
From the north, a woman came riding in at speed. She was strikingly beautiful, dressed in a fitted Jianghu outfit that allowed for easy movement, giving her the air of a wandering heroine. Behind her followed a small special operations squad, and trailing them was a large cart carrying a strange object shaped like a door panel.
The rebel leaders, who had been gathered around the hot pot, immediately recognized her and broke into smiles.
"Well, well, the war correspondent is here."
Zhu Youjian, however, had never seen her before. He turned toward the eunuchs beside him, his brows tightening.
"Who is she?"
The eunuchs exchanged glances, then shook their heads in unison.
"No idea, Your Majesty."
The woman dismounted smoothly and approached the group, offering a polite bow that was neither overly humble nor disrespectful.
"Gentlemen, it seems everyone has gathered here today. Even His Majesty is present. This is quite the scene."
As she spoke, she cast a glance toward the capital.
The city walls were packed to the brim. Guards, eunuchs, officials, wealthy merchants, and even civilian militias had all gathered, their figures layered upon one another until the battlements looked ready to overflow.
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
For a journalist, there was nothing better than a moment like this. The larger the spectacle, the more explosive the story.
She pulled out a metal loudspeaker and aimed it toward the southern gate. When she spoke, her voice carried clearly, steady and measured, every word delivered with practiced precision.
"Dear viewers, over the past several days, our channel has been secretly following Liaodong militia commander Wu Sangui, documenting his actions. We have now obtained substantial evidence of his crimes."
The moment her words reached the city, confusion spread instantly.
Zhu Youjian frowned.
"Tracking… filming? What does that even mean?"
The eunuchs could only shake their heads again. None of them had ever heard of such a thing.
The people of the capital were no different. Without any exposure to Gao Family News, they had no frame of reference for what they were hearing. Only a few among the crowd, such as Liang Shixian and Sun Chuanting, exchanged knowing glances but chose to remain silent.
The reporter continued without pause.
"However, the capital currently lacks playback equipment, so these valuable recordings may need to wait…"
Before she could finish, the embroidered figure on her chest suddenly spoke.
"There is no need to wait. My true form has already arrived above the capital. A playback device will be delivered shortly."
The reaction was immediate.
"The Dao Xuan Tianzun has arrived!"
Excitement surged through the crowd like a rising tide.
The older generation from Gao Family Village understood well that the Dao Xuan Tianzun's true form usually operated within a limited range. Whether out of habit or simple laziness, he rarely traveled far from the village, remaining within a broad circular area centered around it.
Beyond that range, his protection weakened, and people had to act with far greater caution. Cheng Xu knew this especially well. The moment he stepped outside that invisible boundary, he would start seeing his great-grandmother hovering above him, a rather unsettling reminder of his situation.
Because of this, most people had assumed that the Dao Xuan Tianzun would never bother coming all the way to the capital.
And yet now, he had.
Far above, unseen by ordinary eyes, Li Daoxuan allowed himself a faint smile. The salvation index had been rising steadily, and the capital had only just entered his field of perception. Since the opportunity had presented itself, he saw no reason not to give the people below a proper demonstration.
The embroidered Dao Xuan Tianzun spoke again.
"Show them the footage as it is. There is no need for editing."
The reporter bowed her head slightly.
"As you command."
---
Outside the sandbox world, Li Daoxuan lifted the lid and carefully lowered a tablet device toward the open space outside the southern gate.
After a brief pause, he adjusted his plan and brought down a second device as well. The two tablets were placed back-to-back, one facing the capital and the other facing the rebel forces, then quickly synchronized so that both would display the same images at the same time.
To the soldiers of the Public Governance faction, the sight of this massive "immortal treasure mirror" descending from the sky felt almost routine.
To the people within the capital, however, it was a completely different story.
Gasps erupted across the walls, followed by a wave of chaos as the crowd reacted in shock.
The reporter raised her loudspeaker once more.
"This object is known as the Immortal Treasure Mirror. It can display scenes from the past and future, preserving all images within it. It is a divine artifact bestowed from the heavens, and you have just witnessed its descent. There is no need to doubt its authenticity."
The effect was immediate and overwhelming.
Officials, soldiers, and commoners alike burst into an uproar. Some trembled where they stood, while others felt their knees weaken, as if they might drop to the ground at any moment.
Seated atop the city wall, Zhu Youjian felt his entire body go numb.
Deep within his mind, a voice screamed uncontrollably.
Great Ancestor Jiajing, if you can hear this, climb out of your grave and take a look. The immortal you spent your entire life searching for is standing right outside the southern gate.
---
The reporter retrieved a storage card from her recording device, its size so large it resembled a small board. With a crisp motion, she inserted it into the tablet, then set up a simple stand and began operating the device with swift, practiced movements.
It did not take long before the footage was ready.
Both synchronized screens lit up at the same time, displaying identical images to the capital and the forces outside.
What appeared first was a small village.
A militia soldier on the wall immediately recognized it.
"That's our Li Village."
Before anyone could react, the scene shifted into motion. Soldiers rushed into the village, looting everything in sight while the villagers cried out in desperation. Their pleas went unanswered, and in a matter of moments, the entire place was stripped clean.
The soldiers returned laughing to their command banner, where the words "Liaodong Militia Commander, Wu Sangui" stood clearly visible.
Unlike the other forces of the Public Governance faction, whose banners all bore titles like "Representative of the People," Wu Sangui's banner was blunt and direct. Just from that alone, it was obvious he was not aligned with the others.
The perspective of the footage drew closer, steadily narrowing in until Wu Sangui's face filled the screen in a clear close-up.
At that moment, the militia soldier who had spoken earlier could no longer hold himself back.
"Damn it, that bastard Wu Sangui looted my village. My uncle and my second uncle were both robbed, and one of those soldiers even kicked my aunt. I swear I'll settle this with him."
Zhu Youjian watched in silence, his expression stiff and unreadable.
He had seen countless memorials reporting that soldiers plundered civilians, but those reports had always been nothing more than cold lines of text, too distant and abstract to leave a real impression.
What he was seeing now was entirely different.
The impact struck directly.
There was no distance left to hide behind.
---
The first clip came to an end, but before the weight of it could settle, another began playing immediately.
This time it was a different village, yet the pattern remained unchanged. Soldiers poured in, stripped the place of everything of value, and left behind only ruin and grief.
Then came another recording.
And then another.
One after another, the scenes unfolded with relentless consistency, as if the entire stretch from Shanhaiguan to the capital had been reduced to a single, continuous trail of plunder, with no exceptions and no mercy.
As the footage continued, the mood within the capital shifted.
Anger began to rise.
For many in the city, these were not distant events happening to strangers. They were reminders of homes lost, families scattered, and lives uprooted. Watching it all replayed so clearly made the pain feel immediate again.
Zhu Youjian's face darkened as fury surged within him.
"These soldiers are nothing but bandits in uniform. Wu Sangui is no better than a thug."
Just as his anger reached its peak, a quiet voice sounded from among the officials behind him.
"Your Majesty, most of our troops behave like this. It is not only Wu Sangui. Many generals are the same."
The words were soft, almost hesitant, but they landed with undeniable weight.
Zhu Youjian froze, then slowly turned his head, his gaze sharp.
"Who said that?"
His eyes swept across the gathered officials.
"Step forward."