As you can see, the rumors snowballed into the idea that Abrial was a vengeful, heart-eating ghost demon (and/or possibly an evil goddess) who had come to destroy the Emperor's rule and take over Gongkua. An unease and nervousness spread all throughout the kingdom, along with a hushed excitement. While many guards shook in their boots as the number of guards slaughtered by this terrifying demon increased daily by the dozens and even hundreds, the common people weren't afraid of being harmed. They clearly weren't the target. Instead, they felt that something rare was going to happen. Before their eyes, the Gongkuan dynasty might change. Maybe, great and godly as he was, the Emperor had fallen out of favor with Heaven, and it was time to make way for the next line of rulers. Such things did happen in history, after all. As tragic as it was, who could defy the will of heaven—or the will of a power-hungry goddess?
You can imagine how this went over with the Emperor himself.
