Tang San felt as if his mind was filled with mud, a sense of confusion overwhelming him.
After listening to the conversation between the two, he had a vague, uneasy feeling, especially about the words he had blurted out earlier, which made him even more vigilant.
Why had he spoken his innermost thoughts so freely, without even a moment's hesitation?
This was completely out of character for him.
Although their conversation was brief, he could sense that something was off.
Unfortunately, it was already too late!
"Judge, this is the newcomer."
As the Judge appeared, the two men both sighed in relief and broke into a cold sweat.
Who knew if the Judge was aware of what had happened earlier?
This "Judge" had thick eyebrows, large eyes, and dark skin.
He was dressed in a dark robe, holding a brush and paper, exuding a scholarly aura that made him seem out of place in such a grim setting.
A scar on his face added to his stern appearance, though it was actually from a fight during his time in Slaughter City.
The "Judge" glanced at the two men and then looked away.
"Hmm."
He nodded slightly and gave them a meaningful look.
The two men understood immediately and slowly retreated to Tang San's side.
They took out a set of shackles from their storage soul tool and prepared to clamp them onto Tang San.
"???"
Seeing this, Tang San was shocked.
If he allowed himself to be restrained, he might very well be doomed here.
But if he resisted, he could end up being killed on the spot!
After all, even a "Meng Po" was a Title Douluo-level powerhouse. How could this "Judge" be any less formidable?
"What crime have I committed to deserve being shackled like this?"
Tang San's right arm flickered, and in an instant, he appeared ten meters away, then spoke.
At that moment, he had no choice but to reveal his soul bone.
To his surprise, the three men in front of him didn't seem interested in the soul bone at all. Instead, they stared at him intently.
"If you are innocent, these shackles are not a restraint. If you are guilty, they will save us a lot of trouble."
The "Judge" spoke expressionlessly, his cold gaze making Tang San feel as if he had been plunged into an icy abyss.
"How can I trust your words here? If I am shackled, whether I am innocent or guilty will be entirely up to you!"
Tang San was no fool. He wasn't about to let himself be slaughtered without a fight.
"You make a good point."
The "Judge" nodded thoughtfully, and Tang San's eyes flickered with surprise.
Had the other side given up so easily?
Impossible. There must be some kind of trick.
Before Tang San could say anything, the "Judge's" next words nearly made him lose his composure.
"But here, the rules of the underworld are the rules!"
The "Judge" didn't say, "My rules are the rules," because these rules weren't set by him.
"If you resist, I will have reason to kill you and send you on a one-way trip to the real underworld."
"I believe there is a real underworld out there. Surely, you don't want to take that trip at such a young age, do you?"
Tang San: "..."
What kind of talk was this? Was he being threatened?
"I have no face to meet the ancestors of the Tang Sect..."
As soon as he said this, Tang San quickly covered his mouth, his eyes wide with disbelief.
What was he saying?
What on earth was he saying?
Unfortunately, covering his mouth didn't seem to help.
"As an outer disciple, I stole the inner sect's secret manuals. The ancestors of the Tang Sect would never forgive me."
Even with his mouth covered, Tang San still managed to blurt out the truth.
At this moment, the most bewildered people were Tang Hao and Tang Xiao, who were hiding in the shadows.
They were utterly stunned, staring at each other in confusion. What was Tang San going on about?
What outer disciple? What Tang Sect?
Tang San had grown up under Tang Hao's watchful eye.
How could Tang Hao not know about such a past?
Had Tang Hao grown so old that he was suffering from dementia?
Tang Xiao was equally baffled. Tang San was Tang Hao's son.
Although he hadn't yet been formally recognized by the clan, he was still a disciple of the Clear Sky Sect.
So what did all this mean?
Had he joined some sect called the Tang Sect, and as an outer disciple, stolen the inner sect's "secret techniques"?
If Tang San was willing to share them, he would be a hero to the Clear Sky Sect. There was nothing wrong with that!
After all, it wasn't the Clear Sky Sect that had suffered any losses.
Hearing this, the "Judge" expressionlessly noted it down on his paper.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, he looked up at Tang San and said, "Name!"
"Tang San!"
Tang San: "..."
This time, Tang San was truly silent. He finally understood what was happening.
No matter what the other side asked, he would answer truthfully!
"It's the Meng Po Soup, it must be the Meng Po Soup!"
Before drinking the soup, everything had been normal. But now, he was completely out of sorts.
He had initially thought the soup was just plain water, with no effect or poison.
He never expected the soup to be so terrifying... so despicable, so shameless!
Everyone had secrets, and this soup stripped them all away.
Whoever invented this thing deserved death!
Tang San roared inwardly, his mind on the verge of collapse.
After writing down "Tang San," the "Judge" looked at him again.
"Although I am the Judge, whether you are guilty or not is not for me to decide. It is up to you."
"So, the key to these shackles lies with you."
"Whether you can remove them depends entirely on yourself."
Tang San was completely numb.
He had heard many stories about the underworld, where Judges could determine the deeds of the deceased and pass judgment on them.
That was because Judges possessed treasures like the Book of Life and Death.
But in this imitation underworld, they used this method of forcing people to speak the truth to learn about the living's past and determine their guilt.
The two methods weren't all that different, except that the former was more detailed, while the latter wasn't as comprehensive.
Realizing this, cold sweat dripped down Tang San's forehead.
There were some things he absolutely could not reveal!
Especially the Mysterious Heaven Record, that was his greatest secret.
"Escape, I must escape!"
If he didn't escape, he might end up revealing the entire Mysterious Heaven Record to them.
With this thought, Tang San no longer hesitated...
"Don't think about running. The underworld is only so big. Where can you run to?"
"When your soul power runs out, you still won't be able to leave the underworld. In the end, you'll have no choice but to come back."
The "Judge" smiled, though his smile was unsettling.
The underworld, once the Slaughter City, was only so large.
Even with his teleportation ability, Tang San couldn't escape indefinitely before his soul power was exhausted.
Using soul bone skills always required soul power. He couldn't keep using them endlessly.
Once his soul power was drained, capturing him would be effortless.
Tang San, who had just activated his soul power to prepare for escape, paused, his expression turning grim.
He was truly caught between a rock and a hard place.
"What should I do?!"