“According to everyone’s votes, Miss Mixian Shirt is an innocent lamb, but since she has been brought here, there must be a reason sufficient for conviction.” Justice spoke to himself, then undid the shackle on Lu Shan’s side and forcefully pinned her hand to the table.
A sharp claw quietly extended from her struggling fingertip under the stunned gazes of the crowd.
It wasn’t long, but it carried enough threat—because such an ability to change could only exist in one kind of being.
[Strange Person!]
“I can’t believe I was actually arguing with a Strange Person before! Mr. Justice, please don’t let her out, the situation is completely different if Strange Persons are involved.”
“Good thing I saw her here—who knows what would have happened otherwise.”
As the viewers in the Live Broadcast Room voiced their unease, public opinion instantly flipped to the other extreme.
No matter how frail her appearance, matched with the identity of a Strange Person, it all became an insidious deception.
“Look at those terrifying claws. Just a single press, and these savage traits came crawling out of her. It’s as if I’m pinning down a wild beast—a beast that will devour anyone it can find.” Justice spoke with exaggerated effort, while in the unseen shadows, he fiercely pinched the back of Lu Shan’s neck.
The sudden, intense pain forced a shrill scream from her lips, adding even more suspicion to her, and causing fear to grow in everyone’s hearts.
Only one person felt immeasurable worry: Su Mu.
She knew well the prejudice Strange Persons faced.
For most, the bloody rumors weren’t fabricated, but for Lu Shan, they were pure bias.
Lu Shan had never done anything out of line—at least, never truly harmed anyone in a real sense.
But with Strange Persons’ terrible reputation, no one would listen to a so-called villain’s plea, let alone when Lu Shan herself was being suppressed and couldn’t even speak.
She was being forced to transform before everyone, revealing her most humiliating form.
Most crucially, her identity was now exposed, meaning all that awaited her would be endless ostracism.
She would lose everything in her life—her family, her friends would be dragged into disaster.
Yet Su Mu could still recall that Lu Shan was once a happy child with a loving family…
Su Mu clenched her fists, nails digging deep into her palms.
Sweat beaded across her forehead without her realizing, as she glared at that shadowy figure lurking in the darkness.
‘What is that bastard thinking, saying such things? It’s clearly a Strange Person too—one of the truly vile ones.’
Yet now, hidden and using the broadcast, it could stand on screen, parading itself as Justice incarnate, trading in disgusting acts for attention and support.
‘Disgusting—utterly revolting.’
“At this point, even without further voting, you must all have your answer.” Justice spoke in a low voice, the rasp lodged in his throat growing thicker, as if his vocal cords were being ripped apart by a nearly broken, rusty saw, sending chills down the spine.
[Guilty!]
[Unforgivable!]
“I can’t tolerate it. Just thinking about someone like this hiding among us with such a harmless look makes my skin crawl.”
“Is that so? In that case, it’s time for the execution…”
In the shadows beyond the reach of candlelight, that horrifying goat’s head still wore its bizarre, emotionless, yellow square eyes, its long-haired lips stretching into a grotesquely exaggerated grin.
Its mouth, so different from a human’s, opened just a little, emerging into the light—whether by accident or deliberate provocation, it was impossible to tell.
“Well then, please wait a moment, and let’s see what today’s theme will be.”
Justice stepped back.
In the Live Broadcast Room, a heavy silence dragged on, an agonizing stretch of time—at least for Su Mu.
Those passionate or indignant words were all equally unbearable to Su Mu’s ears.
The prejudice toward Lu Shan, toward Strange Persons—wasn’t it the same toward her?
And this was more than mere prejudice.
It was murder in their hearts, loathing—like the medieval witch hunts, where people blamed all their misfortune on the Strange Persons.
Economic downturn?
Strange Persons caused the chaos.
Scheming capitalists?
Strange Persons’ conspiracy.
Your boss scolded you today?
Strange Persons are to blame.
Maybe in the past, when Strange Persons ran rampant, that made some sense but now that they were “contained” in B City, there was little connection.
Of course, the murderous, arsonist Strange Persons were still unforgivable.
But Lu Shan shouldn’t be made a scapegoat.
“Today’s punishment is—the Lamb on the Branding Iron.”
That immense shadow appeared on screen again, this time pushing a giant cart with a faint red glow.
On closer look, the red glow came from heated steel; just looking at it made your eyes burn.
The air was distorted with heat waves.
Not only Su Mu, but many others could hear a sizzling noise in their minds.
It was the sound of grilling—one that might have whetted appetites at another time, but when you realized it was that delicate, black-haired girl about to be placed on the burning rack, some felt pity, but more were zealots.
[Burn her! Roast her to a crisp, inside and out!]
“No rush, your wish will be granted. May I ask, do you prefer pepper salt, or spicy? As for me, I still like…”
Justice set down a can of hot oil mixed with chilies, releasing a pungent fragrance as bubbles boiled at the surface.
“Soul Juice.”
As Lu Shan was dragged bit by bit toward the burning iron plate, Su Mu felt a sharp pain nearly tear through her chest, threatening to rip her apart from inside out.
But she couldn’t call out—not even move.
‘No!’ The next moment, Su Mu shot up from bed, flinging the still-sleeping Ye Wanqing onto the floor.
“What are you doing—ow…” Ye Wanqing rubbed her sleepy eyes and bumped head, grumbling with annoyance, but Su Mu, drenched in cold sweat from the nightmare, paid her no mind and walked straight out the door.
It was only when she saw her reflection in the mirror that she slowly came back to herself.
‘Another dream.’
Just like before, the nightmare came out of nowhere—but this time, it was different.
She remembered every detail, even the time, crystal clear.
Su Mu picked up her phone.
The strange wax seal appeared on the side at just the right moment, and she instinctively tapped it.
[There are 17 hours left until the next live broadcast.]