Every spirit in the hall ground their teeth, and the Judge of Souls was furious:

"Victor Young, you are so shameless, rare in this world!"

"Today you've trespassed into the underworld, disrupting the order of things! Such a heartless and ungrateful man — if I don't teach you a lesson, do you really think the underworld has no laws?"

As soon as the words fell, the ghosts on both sides immediately stepped forward, their chains clanging across my back.

Before I could react, thousands of blades shot up from the ground, piercing me. I fell, spitting blood. Pain lanced through me, but I still raised my head slowly with effort.

Emily Shaw covered her face, feigning reluctance, a slight sneer at her mouth.

"Victor, please go back! Can't we part ways amicably?" Emily's parents pulled her back. "The Judge of Souls is truly wise and fair! He won't let a good person suffer!" I endured the pain of my skin being torn and sneered softly.

"A good person?"

I raised my head with difficulty and stared at the Judge of Souls, my gaze as sharp as a knife.

"Judge of Souls, are you sure Emily Shaw is a good person?"

As soon as I finished speaking, my chest felt tight, and a heavy blow struck me, and I immediately spat out another mouthful of blood.

"How dare you! How dare you question the Judge of Souls?"

"It's recorded in the Book of Deeds — how could it be wrong?"

With a loud thud, the Bull-headed Warden and the Horse-faced Warden swung their iron fork and struck me hard. Instantly, the iron hook tore through my flesh. I screamed and struggled.

Just then, Emily knelt before the Judge of Souls, tears in her eyes.

"Judge, please release Victor! He was only confused for a moment!" Her hypocritical plea moved the surrounding spirits.

"Such a kind girl!"

"He hurt her so badly, yet she still speaks for him!"

I gritted my teeth, trembling all over, and roared coldly with every word:

"Emily Shaw! Do you need to fake kindness now?"

"Do you dare to show everyone your true colors?"

Emily hurried over to me, her eyes a little flustered.

"Victor, please stop making such a fuss! I know you resent me breaking up with you, but I really don't want to see you beaten to death..."

Insults rang out through the hall, everyone calling me ungrateful.

I smiled coldly, hatred burning behind my eyes, my voice flat and cold:

"Emily..."

"Do you dare to bet with me?"

My eyes were bloodshot as I gripped her hand tightly, staring at her intently. Emily started, a flicker of panic and something harder in her expression. She quickly raised her chin and choked out, "What are you betting on?"

The corners of my lips curled into a thin, cold smile.

"I'm betting my life that you're not a good person."

Emily scoffed, "I've accumulated virtue and good deeds for nine lifetimes, and I've been blessed so much. I wouldn't even crush an ant. If I'm not a good person, are you?"

The Shaws also scoffed, "Victor Young, you're holding a grudge just because our daughter broke up with you. You're despicable! How dare you slander her!"

"Do you think the Judge of Souls is a fool?"

They hurried to the Judge, angrily saying, "Judge of Souls, this man is so ungrateful! Our daughter pleaded for him, and he's not even thankful!" "Such a scoundrel harms the balance of the realm by his mere existence! Cross his soul from the register and be done with him!"

The Judge of Souls shook his head, his voice deep and steady:

"No. Although his trespass into the underworld has shortened his life, his time remains recorded in the Book of Life and Death. The laws cannot be violated; we cannot forcibly take him away..."

The Shaws panicked:

“What should we do? The time for reincarnation is approaching. If he keeps pestering us, will our family never be reincarnated?”

Emily Shaw’s lips trembled, her eyes glistening as she stamped her foot in frustration. “Victor Young, what do you want from me? I’ve given you enough! You’ve haunted me long enough. I only broke up with you—I didn’t destroy your family. Do you really hate me this much?”

I stared at her coldly, murderous intent radiating from my gaze. “Let me ask you, Emily… do you dare to gamble?”

The entire hall fell silent. No one expected me to be so ruthless.

Whispers broke out among the assembled spirits:

“Why is he so persistent about Emily Shaw?”

“To risk his life and descend into the underworld… could it really just be for a mere debt?”

“There must be more to this than he’s letting on.”

Even the Judge of Souls, seated on his obsidian throne, stroked his beard and lowered his gaze in thought.

Emily raised her chin, her voice trembling but defiant. “Fine. Let’s bet.”

I turned toward the Past Mirror that loomed in the hall and spoke word by word, my voice cold as steel:

“The truth lies in the mirror. Emily Shaw, you claim to be righteous—then let the mirror show who you really are. If I lose, I will willingly remain in the underworld, condemned to eternal torment. But if you lose, then you and your family will be cast into the eighteenth level of Hell. Do you dare?”

Emily sneered, lifting her head proudly. “A person of integrity fears no shadow. Do you think your baseless accusations will convince anyone?”

I smirked. “Good. Then let’s see your true face.”

She glared at me venomously before stepping toward the Past Mirror. At once, ripples of light spread across its surface, revealing her reflection. The image that appeared was flawless: Emily giving alms, Emily donating her allowance, Emily smiling kindly at her classmates.

Gasps rose from the crowd.

“What a virtuous soul!”

“She’s so kind-hearted… how could she be guilty?”

Emily turned back to me triumphantly. “Do you see? What else do you have to say now?”

Her voice cracked as she burst into tears, looking every bit at the picture of innocence. At once, angry cries filled the hall.

“Victor Young is slandering her!”

“Someone like him deserves punishment!”

“Beat him until his soul shatters!”

At the Judge’s command, the Bull-headed Warden and Horse-faced Warden yanked the chains that bound me. The barbed links tore into my flesh, blood spilling down my arms. Flames erupted from the floor, scorching my bones, and I let out a guttural scream.

But through the searing agony, I roared back: “One vision cannot erase the truth! Have you seen all the past, or only what she wishes you to see?”

The Underworld Clerk adjusted the Book of Deeds, and the Past Mirror rippled again. Another memory appeared—

The day Emily broke up with me. Her twin sister, Nina Shaw, lay sick with leukemia. Emily had insisted on donating bone marrow to save her. I had disagreed, fearing her health, and Emily had stormed away, declaring our relationship over.

The crowd erupted again, moved to tears.

“What a noble sister!”

“She gave up love for family!”

“Victor Young is truly heartless.”

Charles and Julia Shaw stepped forward, glaring at me with venom. Charles spat at the ground. “Victor, you selfish wretch! You never deserved our daughter!”

Julia clasped Emily’s hand protectively, the family united in false harmony.

The sight sickened me.

Through the blood and fire, I laughed hoarsely, my voice laced with scorn: “Judge of Souls… tell me, is this how the underworld works? A place that calls itself just, yet is so easily blinded by false appearances?”

"Even now, you don't even know who the ghost standing before you is. There must be a lot of wrongful convictions in the underworld!"

"Nonsense!" Judge of Souls's patience had completely run out.

"You've trespassed into the underworld and are acting recklessly. Now that you've lost the bet, I will fulfill it, take away your soul, and charge you with the crime of openly defying and disregarding the laws and order of the underworld!" The Bull-headed and Horse-faced Wardens were already rubbing their fists, eager to send me to hell.

But I wasn't afraid at all. I struggled to stand up and pointed a hateful finger at Emily Shaw before me:

"What about the Judge of Souls? They're all blind!"