Chapter 2729: The Judge

Chapter 2151: Wu Guan

Drip!

Fresh blood dripped onto the water's surface, making a clear echo.

On the muddy, foul-smelling pale green water, some tiny, weak shadows instantly gathered, divided, and consumed this drop of fresh blood, then scattered away just as quickly.

Half-submerged in the water, the execution rack's surface was mottled with traces, showing its age. If one quieted their heart, it seemed they could still hear the sounds of wails. The miserable souls it had tortured in the past, in turn, added color to its power, becoming a new form of torture.

Hanging on the execution rack was a person whose face was no longer discernible, slumped there like a clump of dead meat crawling with maggots.

Until a certain moment, the stone bar door above was pushed open, and the rough sound of hinges creaked. The execution rack slowly rose. From the pitch-black, lightless water prison, it ascended into the dim dungeon.

In every sense of the word, it could be called a "promotion room."

The structure of this dungeon was also very peculiar. All four sides were solid walls, completely blocking out external sounds. Only at the very center of the roof was a hole the thickness of a finger left open. A line of sky light streamed down from this hole. That ray of light was particularly hazy in the dim environment… just like that attainable but unreachable freedom and hope.

This single line of sky light alone was unable to combat the darkness, so inside the dungeon, there was actually one wall lamp – within a wall niche, worshipped like a god, was a small orange porcelain bowl. A white wick, like a graceful lady, stood in half a bowl of oil, emitting a bean-sized light.

"Do I need to introduce myself?" A voice suddenly rang out inside the dungeon.

After this voice rang out, the person within the shadows seemed to just solidify into existence.

This was an extremely thin old man with deep wrinkles on his face. His hair was white and dry, simply pinned up with an ebony hairpin. His body was slightly hunched, but his eyes were very bright, and his voice was also very clear, giving people a very orderly feeling.

He wore an ordinary dark gray long gown, his sleeves simply rolled up, revealing a pair of thin, clean hands. His fingers were slender, with a cold, sharp, knife-like edge.

He seemed to have been in this place for a long time, but you couldn't determine when he arrived.

This voice seemed like a switch, awakening this prison room.

Inside the clump of rotten meat hanging on the execution rack, only now did a pair of shaky eyes squeeze out, slowly gathering the scattered light. At this moment, this pitiable prisoner just embodied a bit of human appearance.

His lower body was already swollen and pale from being soaked in sewage. His upper body was a crisscross of wounds already entangled together, making it fundamentally impossible to distinguish which torture tools had caused them.

His face was dark blue, and he opened his mouth with difficulty: "Sang… Sang Xian Shou!"

"It's been several years since I walked outside. I still thought young people nowadays wouldn't recognize me. Since you know me…" Sang Xian Shou clasped his hands together, saying with some satisfaction: "Then it'll be easy to handle."

The prisoner's eyeballs rolled, his scattered gaze sizing up the room, stopping slightly at that bowl of oil lamp.

He naturally recognized corpse oil.

He asked somewhat painfully: "Sang-gong, where in this world is there a reason to torture someone without saying a word after catching them? And torturing for this many days? You should at least interrogate me a few sentences first! What if I confessed?"

Sang Xian Shou shook his head: "Hell No Door has been quite active these past few years. This old man has long heard that the Ten Yama kill people like hemp, each one a ruthless character. Without some means, it's definitely impossible to pry open your mouths."

The prisoner regained some strength, then used this bit of strength to angrily say: "This is prejudice! You haven't even tried inducement, how do you know it won't work?"

"That's too much trouble," Sang Xian Shou smilingly took out a file, flipping through it: "Fourth Hall Wu Guan Wang, veteran of Hell No Door, right? You currently have several identities. Please help me confirm them."

Facing this kind of excessive demand, Wu Guan Wang naturally chose to cooperate, reporting several people in one breath: "Qin Guang Wang Yin Guan, from the 27th city of You Guo Lower City! Turn Wheel King She Di Sheng, a rune genius who defected from Giant City ten years ago! Song Emperor King Kuang Yu Xin, former Grand Commander of Qu Guo! Urban King—"

"Shh…" Sang Xian Shou stopped him, smilingly saying: "Don't jump the gun. I will torture you."

His tone was so calm, as if this wasn't a threat.

Wu Guan Wang obediently closed his mouth.

"Zhang Jie Fu of Xuan Guo, seventeen years ago to avenge his family, killed Chai City Governor Tong Yu Jiang, exterminated his entire family, and then disappeared. Tan Du Xuan of Wo Guo, from birth he thirsted for human blood. Swallowing milk made him sad, swallowing blood made him happy. His father considered it inauspicious, poured poisoned wine, abandoned him in a chaotic burial mound. Sixteen years later, he returned, killed his mother, murdered his father, and exterminated the Tan family." Sang Xian Shou closed the file: "Which one are you?"

Wu Guan Wang dejectedly raised his head, thinking: "Are their power manifestations all very similar to mine?"

Sang Xian Shou was also very patient: "There are quite a few similar points, and the manifestation of divine powers also has the possibility of growing to resemble yours… Moreover, besides power, their life trajectories all overlap with yours."

Wu Guan Wang smiled with great difficulty, but with great pride: "But they are all not me."

Sang Xian Shou looked at him carefully: "Then it seems the face you have now is actually your true original appearance."

Wu Guan Wang sighed with difficulty: "For over a month, I've changed twenty-seven bodies, all of which you have pulled out. I have nothing left to change. I'm also very despairing… Hell No Door has so many Yama, and I am confident that I am not the slowest runner. Why is it so hard to catch me?"

"Guess?" Sang Xian Shou asked with a smile.

Wu Guan Wang sighed: "I guess you must have also caught several other Yama, but you didn't get any information at all. You understand that they are just knives that can be replaced at any time… so you had to prioritize catching the veteran of the organization, me."

"You guessed correctly," Sang Xian Shou admitted very straightforwardly: "We caught your Song Emperor King and Turn Wheel King."

"Are they still alive?" Wu Guan Wang asked.

"You still care about your colleagues quite a bit. They probably don't care about you," Sang Xian Shou said with a smile: "She Di Sheng's Mohist intelligence can still be squeezed a bit… Kuang Yu Xin is useless."

"Ah!" Wu Guan Wang sighed with great pain: "I hope Song Emperor King can have a complete corpse."

"His corpse… is still considered complete," Sang Xian Shou said, touching his chin.

"Please tell me where he is buried?" Wu Guan Wang said with concern: "If I have the opportunity, I want to go and pay my respects."

Sang Xian Shou laughed again: "You probably won't have that many opportunities, right?"

"Look at what you're saying," Wu Guan Wang was clearly already weak to the point of death, yet his voice became more and more spirited: "Whether there's an opportunity or not still depends on whether you give it, right?"

Sang Xian Shou said: "It also depends on whether you can grasp it."

"I, Wu Guan Wang, have walked the jianghu relying on quick eyes and hands," Wu Guan Wang said fawningly: "If you can untie me a bit and let me rest, I can grasp it more steadily."

Sang Xian Shou didn't comment, leisurely saying: "Since you are not Zhang Jie Fu, and not Tan Du Xuan. Then you are the son of the Huai Cheng County Lieutenant of Zhong Shan Guo, Cui Di."

Wu Guan Wang was startled for a moment, finally grinning, revealing teeth full of blood and filth, and saying with a seep: "Central Heaven Prison, its name is not false. Sang Xian Shou's name is not false!"

"Then I am somewhat strange," Sang Xian Shou seemed to be deep in thought: "You were born into a happy and harmonious family. Your parents loved you, and you never lacked for clothing and food. Your elder brother was benevolent and kind, and your younger brother was sensible and filial. You also had a younger sister, obedient and well-behaved, and she married very well… Why are you like this?"

Mentioning Wu Guan Wang's family was truly pure, without any threatening meaning. For a guy like Wu Guan Wang, there was really no need to hope he had any attachments.

"Why can't I be like this?" Wu Guan Wang's tone was strange: "Does a person have to experience pain, must have some tragic past, to be qualified to be a bad person? Can I not be born bad? Actually, I don't feel I'm bad either. I just have relatively niche hobbies… Is there any essential difference between killing cattle and slaughtering sheep and slaughtering people?"

"I am more and more appreciating you," Sang Xian Shou's face was filled with a thick smile.

"Thank you for your appreciation, sir! Is there a suitable position for me inside Central Heaven Prison? I am hardworking and can endure hardship. I can do any dirty or tiring work," Wu Guan Wang, regardless of injury and fatigue, immediately wanted to compete for a job.

"No hurry," Sang Xian Shou smiled and said: "First, help me find Qin Guang Wang."

Wu Guan Wang still wanted to negotiate: "I walk the jianghu relying on the two words 'righteousness'. Qin Guang Wang and I built Hell No Door together, that's many years of friendship…"

Sang Xian Shou turned and walked towards the shadows.

"With this kind of extremely evil person, what righteousness can you speak of?" Wu Guan Wang said loudly: "Lord Sang doesn't know, the long-distance communication between the Yama within Hell No Door is all handled by me! My secret technique together, he will immediately respond! At that time, you can follow the vine to find the melon. The world will be bright and clear!"

Sang Xian Shou walked back: "You won't deceive me, will you?"

"I, Cui Di, am loyal and devoted to you, willing to be a jailer for Central Heaven Prison!" Wu Guan Wang swore: "Say no more, Lord Sang, just watch my performance! I swear to heaven, I will definitely help you eradicate the tumor of Hell No Door!"

Sang Xian Shou raised his chin.

On Wu Guan Wang's body, eight rust-colored four-inch-long nails slowly withdrew. The iron chains that tightly bound his body, hooping into his flesh, also wandered like spirit snakes. The mottled execution rack also loosened its lock rings, making a faint sound, as if releasing some souls… Wu Guan Wang slid to the ground like a puddle of mud.

Sang Xian Shou stood there quietly, not urging him.

Wu Guan Wang was also very self-aware. He barely recovered some energy, then immediately crawled up and drew array patterns on the ground with his own blood, trembling.

"Need any help?" Sang Xian Shou squatted down and asked.

"No need, I can do it," Wu Guan Wang barely managed to pull the corner of his mouth: "Sir, I am very useful."

"Can you contact that Bian Cheng Wang?" Sang Xian Shou nodded slightly, seemingly expressing approval, his tone gentle: "I heard Song Emperor King say that Bian Cheng Wang also came out this time. This person is very mysterious. Has he not made a move?"

"I'm not sure. Ji Zhen Ren's divine power is invincible, I was killed out early—" Wu Guan Wang hurriedly added: "All the Yama have a single line of contact with Qin Guang Wang. As long as we catch Qin Guang Wang, no one can run!"

Sang Xian Shou nodded: "Good, you get busy."

Wu Guan Wang dragged his dying remnant body, and with the fastest speed, drew the transmission law array. This spirit truly could sing and cry.

Sang Xian Shou always watched from the side, providing considerate company.

"…Allow me to recover some Dao Yuan," Wu Guan Wang said.

Sang Xian Shou raised his hand and pointed, and a surge of Dao Yuan rushed into Wu Guan Wang's Tong Tian Palace: "Enough?"

"Enough to use!" Wu Guan Wang immediately exerted his remnant body, sat cross-legged in front of the transmission law array, clasped his hands together, and suddenly pulled them apart, pulling out a light screen. The light screen was divided into ten grids, all dark at this time, only one of which was flashing. "Contacting… Sir, be prepared to capture this thief's traces! He controls the curse path and is extremely sensitive to entanglements. Sir, you must be careful not to let him escape."

Sang Xian Shou watched silently.

Then he saw this flashing grid… always flashing.

For a long time.

Wu Guan Wang's breath became weaker and weaker. He barely supported the light screen, hoarsely saying: "He might be busy escaping and has no time to pay attention to these."

"Is it possible that he fundamentally doesn't trust you?" Sang Xian Shou asked.

"Absolutely impossible!" Wu Guan Wang was firm and resolute: "Sir, you don't know. The entire Hell No Door, only I and Chu Jiang Wang have been with him from the beginning until now. Every other hall's Yama has changed people more or less. He trusts me the most! Every action is planned with me along the way. This Central Heaven Prison was also scouted out."

Without waiting for Sang Xian Shou to speak, he said again: "When Qin Guang Wang stabilizes, he will definitely take the initiative to contact me. I cannot continue to look for him now, otherwise he will become suspicious."

He clasped his hands together, and the light screen disappeared.

Sang Xian Shou looked at him expressionlessly.

Wu Guan Wang knelt on the ground: "Sir! If you kill me now, you will only get a corpse. But if you keep me, you will have the opportunity to catch Qin Guang Wang. The Grand Da Jing imperial family was actually stabbed by a thief. How can we in Central Heaven Prison let the murderer go!?"

"Well said," Sang Xian Shou said: "An assassin is just a knife in the end. Breaking is breaking, but what is more hateful is the person who ordered it behind the scenes. Who ordered it, and who provided you with intelligence? As a veteran of Hell No Door, perhaps you can provide me with some clues?"

"This…" Wu Guan Wang opened his mouth with difficulty: "These things are all the responsibility of Qin Guang Wang himself. The rest of us Yama usually only need to make a move and kill people."

"No exceptions?"

"Chu Jiang Wang might be a little exception. She is responsible for planning the action route and has preparations before and after. She needs to have a better grasp of the intelligence."

"Everything you are saying others can also tell me. Song Emperor King and Turn Wheel King all said these things," Sang Xian Shou sighed regretfully: "I don't know what value you actually have."

Wu Guan Wang said: "I understand Qin Guang Wang very well. I know clearly which secret methods he is good at! With me, he will have no secrets in Central Heaven Prison!"

Sang Xian Shou said: "To us, he doesn't have too many secrets now anyway… And for this kind of genius cultivator, combat power and intelligence are the most unstable because they are still in a rapid growth period. All past intelligence is outdated."

Wu Guan Wang raised his hand and said: "I know several places where Qin Guang Wang often goes. I request to lead a team to capture him!"

"The places you know, do you think he will still go?" Sang Xian Shou said faintly: "The food in Central Heaven Prison may not be as good as you imagine."

"I still have a way!" Wu Guan Wang's mind was working urgently. At this moment, his thoughts were colliding so fast they sparked: "Sir, you can release the news of my capture, but not in Jing Guo, it can be in small places like Rong Guo or Wo Guo. Qin Guang Wang will get the news and, seeing an opportunity, will definitely come to save me! At that time, we can set up an ambush and capture him!"

"Oh?" Sang Xian Shou said: "How can you be so sure that a person like him will take risks for you?"

"He definitely will! Our feelings are deep, not something ordinary people can imagine!" Wu Guan Wang became more and more excited as he spoke, his face overflowing with emotion: "We have shared weal and woe, eaten and lived together for how many years. We are always inseparable, life and death together. When we first founded Hell No Door, I told him that where he is, I am; where he goes, I go—"

"Ah?" Even Sang Xian Shou, who managed Central Heaven Prison and had seen a lot, felt more and more absurd the more he listened.

"Yes!" Wu Guan Wang generously and excitedly said this, actually becoming a little shy: "We are that kind of relationship…"

"Urgh…"

In a secluded mountain valley, Yin Guan suddenly opened his mouth and spat out a large pool of fresh blood, among which swam several black insect particles.

Chu Jiang Wang looked at him worriedly: "You've been spitting for a long time. If this continues, it will be very troublesome."

"It doesn't matter," Yin Guan raised his hand: "I don't know why, my injury was originally stable, but suddenly I felt nauseous again."

Thank you to book friend "Mao Bu Yi" for becoming the alliance leader of this book! Is this the 653rd alliance for Red Heart Patrol Heaven?