An emperor in his later years is summoned by his sister to save the nation's fate.

At the same time, the four people who were forcibly teleported to the center of the stage suddenly found themselves holding a dark yellow script that felt like human skin.

The script was written in undried blood, and it reeked of blood.

This is not just a script, but also the murder pattern set by this terrifying and bizarre creature.

The four quickly flipped through the script, but what they saw made these four battle-hardened top investigators' expressions turn slightly cold, and a hint of chill flashed in their eyes.

The script is set in the "Dali Temple Court," a scene depicting a trial. Xu Tianming plays "Ink Pattern Judge," the presiding judge of the Dali Temple. In this scene, he must judge the character played by Su Qingyuan and execute her in public.

Yan Tu plays the "Blue-faced Demon," an executioner in the Dali Temple, while Su Qingyuan plays the "Red-faced Fierce Woman," a valiant woman from a military family who was executed along with her entire family. After escaping, she is captured and brought back to the Dali Temple, where she faces execution.

However, the script's subplot reveals that she actually deliberately got caught, only to return and seek revenge on the corrupt official who presided over the trial.

As for Chu Jin's role as the "Golden-Faced Protector," he is a golden-sword guard responsible for protecting Judge Xu Tianming in the courtroom.

The four of them compared the plot of the script with each other, and their expressions grew increasingly grim.

"This isn't acting; it's clearly a show where we're made to kill each other on stage."

Su Qingyuan's voice carried a hint of coldness. If they were to actually use their supernatural powers to fight on stage, they would inevitably suffer heavy losses.

"Whatever that crappy script is!" Yan Tu tightened his grip on his axe and transmitted his voice with a fierce look in his eyes: "Captain Xu, although this thing has a strong sense of oppression, its true form is definitely hidden around here."

"Why don't I just open the Ghost Gate and withstand the pressure, while you take out the Soul-Summoning Banner and forcibly summon the ghost to descend, leveling it completely!"

Xu Tianming shook his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over the hundreds of onlookers and ghost slaves staring intently at them below the stage. He calmly said, "That's not advisable. The source of the A+ level anomaly is extremely cunning. If we forcefully overturn the table now, it might just disappear and make us waste a summoning opportunity. To be on the safe side, let's make this a real show."

"Is this a real charade?" Chu Jin asked, pressing the thousand-faced Nuo mask on his face.

"Yes." Xu Tianming looked at Su Qingyuan: "Qingyuan's Shadow Cat has special abilities to substitute for death and transfer damage. We will act out a scene according to the script. During the performance, we will not use any strange powers. In the end, Yan Tu will carry out the execution, successfully judging Qingyuan and making her fake her death."

A glint of light flashed in Xu Tianming's eyes: "As long as this play is completed according to the rules, the entity that controls this drama will inevitably appear to take its final bow or to assess the results."

"Only when it lowers its guard will I be able to use the Soul-Summoning Banner to achieve a truly fatal blow!"

After a quick internal deliberation, the group finalized their plan to lure the snake out of its hole.

"when--!"

The piercing sound of the gong rang out again, and the dark red mist on the stage began to churn. In the blink of an eye, the surrounding scenery actually twisted and transformed into a gloomy and ancient Dali Temple courtroom.

The show is about to begin.

Xu Tianming lifted the hem of his theatrical costume and sat down behind the dark judge's table on the high platform, slamming the gavel down heavily.

"Snapped!"

"You audacious traitor, do you know your crime!" Xu Tianming recited lines from the script, his voice echoing in the empty theater. He listed the numerous crimes of the character played by Su Qingyuan, and finally slammed the gavel down, declaring, "Execute immediately!"

Just then, as the script was unfolding, Su Qingyuan, who was kneeling in the hall, suddenly jumped up.

Relying solely on her agility as a top-level investigator, she drew the dagger hidden in her sleeve and thrust it straight at Xu Tianming on the platform like a bolt of lightning.

"Protect the adults!"

Chu Jin immediately got into character, his figure flashed, and the golden sword was drawn. The blade and the dagger collided fiercely in mid-air, sparks flying.

The two engaged in a fight in the courtroom, relying purely on physical skills and techniques.

The audience of the demon slaves below the stage seemed to be attracted by this "wonderful" martial arts performance. The hundreds of demon slaves, who were incomplete and had their heads hanging around their necks, actually raised their pale hands and began to applaud.

"good!"

"Well played!"

Accompanied by enthusiastic cheers and applause, the atmosphere in the theater reached its peak.

Finally, Chu Jin seized the opportunity and struck Su Qingyuan on the back of the knee with the back of his blade, forcing her to kneel down.

"Where is the executioner? Execute him!" Xu Tianming shouted. Yan Tu, carrying a heavy axe, strode up behind Su Qingyuan.

He glanced at Su Qingyuan, who nodded almost imperceptibly in the shadows.

"Pfft!"

Even without the aid of supernatural powers, Yan Tu's physical strength was enough to split stone tablets and shatter rocks.

The axe drew a cold arc, and Su Qingyuan's head flew into the air instantly, blood splattering across the courtroom like a fountain.

"it is good."

The demon slaves below the stage erupted in thunderous cheers, and some were so excited that they tore off their own heads and threw them onto the stage.

Just as Su Qingyuan was being "beheaded" and the audience was cheering, a soft clapping sound finally came from behind the curtain of the stage.

"Slap, slap, slap..."

A figure dressed in an exquisitely made-up theatrical costume slowly emerged from the shadows.

It has no facial features; its face is just a blank mask drawn with oil paint.

It walked with cloud-like steps to the center of the stage, seemingly satisfied with the bloody drama.

The true form of the demon has finally revealed itself!

In that instant, the shadow of the "headless female corpse" on the stage suddenly twisted eerily, and the supernatural fluctuations flashed by in an instant. The Shadow Cat's substitution rule was activated!

The corpse lying on the ground turned into a black shadow, while Su Qingyuan herself was unharmed and re-formed at the edge of the stage.

"Let's do it!"

Xu Tianming roared and hurled the soul-summoning banner he had been holding into the air!

Xu Tianming immediately poured all the supernatural power within his body into the banner.

"Waaaaah—"

In an instant, the temperature inside the entire theater plummeted, and the banners billowed in the wind, obscuring the sky and the sun.

A dark, otherworldly mist surged forth from the banner. Within the mist, the clanging of chains grew louder as it approached. A phantom materialized within the mist—it was none other than the Bull-Headed Demon from the underworld legends, the one who snatches souls and takes lives!

Since the Soul-Summoning Banner currently only summons a projection of a Yin God from the underworld, its power is suppressed by the world's rules to the level equivalent to A-grade.

Even so, its terrifying appearance—standing three zhang tall, with muscles bulging like hills, and exhaling ghostly air from its nostrils—still made the entire stage tremble.

"Moo—!"

The bull-headed phantom let out a soul-shattering roar, and the huge three-pronged steel fork burning with ghostly green flames in its hand, with earth-shattering power, slashed down fiercely at the phantom's true form!