Chapter 1277: You Disappoint Me

**By Sanjiu Yinyu****Word Count: 1273**

“Damn it!!”“How could this happen…”

On the edge of the South Sea Territory, inside a derelict steel factory, a figure draped in a tattered crimson opera robe sat on a rusty staircase.

The pattering rain fell onto the uneven muddy ground, gathering into small puddles. Pu Jianyue stared at his reflection, a stranger with a face full of scars, and an indescribable sense of unease welled up within him.

He couldn’t understand why, in the heat of the moment while being hunted by the King of Silver, he had impulsively sought out the Queen of Clubs for help.

Looking back, it was undoubtedly a foolish decision. Although he had escaped, he had directly exposed the whereabouts of the Queen of Clubs and her group. The Red King, lurking in the shadows, might no longer be able to act according to plan…

Pu Jianyue didn't know what was wrong with him. He just felt that the former “Heart 6” shouldn't be like this.

Pu Jianyue felt as if he had split into two people: one calm, decisive, and ruthless, capable of manipulating even demigods like the King of Silver; the other cowardly, brainless, and unable to tolerate even a hint of stench on his clothes, like a pampered, good-for-nothing young master…

“This isn’t me… I should be the formidable Heart 6… Damn it… What on earth is going on?!”“I… I…”“Which one is the real me?!”“King of Silver, what did you do to me!!!”

Bang—!!

Pu Jianyue’s eyes were bloodshot, negative emotions pouring out. He slammed his fist heavily onto the stair railing beside him, directly shattering an entire section of the steel factory’s handrail into debris that clattered to the ground.

The metal shards bounced lightly on the ground like silver sand. Outside the factory, amidst the grey, misty rain, a figure slowly walked towards them.

Perhaps his footsteps were masked by the falling debris, or perhaps he made no sound at all as he walked, like a red-robed ghost. It wasn’t until he was almost in front of Pu Jianyue that the latter suddenly reacted, looking up…

The next moment, he froze.

It was a figure also draped in a grand crimson opera robe.

The vibrant, magnificent vermilion robe, in the fine rain, resembled an enchanting blood-flower in bloom. The moment he appeared, all surrounding colors faded into insignificance. The intense visual impact seemed to sting one’s eyes, making one instinctively look away… Yet, those scarlet eyes and that nearly perfect face could irresistibly fix one's gaze upon him.

Composed yet mad; calm yet eerie… Contradictory sensations merged in one person, like some addictive drug, simultaneously inspiring fear and a desire to draw closer.

For some reason, the moment he appeared, a thought inexplicably arose in Pu Jianyue’s mind:

Only such a being deserved the name “Heart 6.”

“You…”

Pu Jianyue stared blankly at him, his chapped lips trembling, unable to speak.

The vermilion-robed figure stood before Pu Jianyue, those scarlet eyes looking down upon the disheveled young man with the indifference of an iceberg:

“You disappoint me.”

At that moment, a strong sense of defeat welled up in Pu Jianyue’s heart.

This feeling was difficult to describe, like an elaborate performance meant to emulate a character one could only look up to. But when the person himself stood before you, you suddenly realized you could never become him… not even measure up to a single strand of his hair.

All his strenuous efforts seemed clumsy and laughable.

Pu Jianyue realized he was just a failed imitation. He stared blankly at Chen Ling for a long time, trembling all over. Then, he let out a hysterical roar, reaching out to grab Chen Ling’s collar:

“It’s you!! Are you controlling me?!”“Give me back my memories… Give me back myself!!!”

The figure in red, like a ghost in the rain, simply stepped back slightly, and Pu Jianyue clutched at empty air.

Pu Jianyue’s eyes were bloodshot, defeat, anger, and shame burning his mind. Wearing a tattered imitation opera robe, he lunged at Chen Ling again and again in the rain, like a frantic madman.

But he couldn't even touch Chen Ling’s sleeve.

A crimson earring swayed gently in the wind. Chen Ling watched the frenzied Pu Jianyue with indifference, calmly dodging while speaking:

“From the beginning, I shouldn’t have had any expectations for you… This was my misjudgment.”“It’s too difficult for you to portray Heart 6…”“You, just be a tool.”

Dense streams of ink flew from around Pu Jianyue, weaving together to form a colossal, intricate "hand," reaching out to grasp Chen Ling’s figure… But as Chen Ling lightly raised his sleeve, a scarlet giant hand woven from red paper nearly obscured the sky.

If Pu Jianyue’s hand was roughly the size of a three-story building, then Chen Ling’s "hand" was half a skyscraper.

An imitation, after all, was just an imitation.

In Pu Jianyue’s startled and terrified eyes, the giant red paper hand directly crushed all the ink around him. The red paper swirling everywhere obscured Pu Jianyue’s vision. Before he could even react, a palm pressed firmly onto his head!

Bang—!!

Pu Jianyue felt everything go black and completely fainted.

The swirling red paper vanished into Chen Ling’s robes. He casually glanced at the unconscious Pu Jianyue, then grabbed his collar with a tentacle-like hand. His other hand pressed onto the ruins of the steel factory, and sparks of reshaping electricity flashed, creating something the size of a fist. He then opened Pu Jianyue’s abdomen and inserted it inside…

After doing all this, Chen Ling slowly stood up, dragging the unconscious imitation "Heart 6," and walked step by step under the gloomy sky.

***

“How is it? Did you find Chen Ling’s whereabouts?”“No, that hole is too deep. Our people searched inside, but found no other exit… He must have sealed it himself.”“Did he just get away like that??”

Outside the prison, which was almost reduced to ruins, several members of the Pu family sighed helplessly, looking at the dark hole.

“Why sigh… Not finding him is good. Otherwise, who among you could defeat Taunting Disaster?”“Shhh, keep your voice down, we still have to put on a show.”“But what exactly does this Chen Ling want? He exposed those two fusionists himself, and then went to all that trouble to rescue them…”“Who knows? Wasn’t Taunting Disaster known for his twisted sense of humor? Maybe this is just another one of his pranks.”“I don’t get it… I really don’t.”“What about that officer?”“The family head suppressed him. The fourth and sixth siblings are escorting him back to the Pu family now. He probably won’t be out again anytime soon… Things have gotten so big, we might even have another Alliance Council meeting just to discuss him.”“You know, he really is something. Chunshu gave him an out, but he just wouldn’t take it… Did he have to go this far?”