Chapter 337: Treatment

“Yes, I was dozing off at the time.”

“You know, the weather’s been really warm lately, and I was a bit tired. I was in a deep sleep when I suddenly heard a ‘bang!’”

“Have you ever seen the kind of fireworks people set off during the New Year? He just exploded, red blood and minced flesh sprayed everywhere like fireworks, and I… I was sitting right across from him.”

Hearts 9, covered in blood, stood before the police officer and said seriously, “Do you understand what I’m saying, Officer?”

Seven or eight police officers, dressed in black shirts and trousers, with brown gun holsters strapped to their bodies and batons at their waists, surrounded Hearts 9, scrutinizing him with hostile expressions.

After an unknown period, the lead officer spoke, his expression subtle. “Are you saying… a person, sitting across from you, just suddenly exploded out of nowhere?”

“Yes.”

“Then how do you explain the boning knife in your hand?”

“We have a doctor with us, and he said he needed to perform surgery. He told me to get him a suitable knife as quickly as possible… so here I am.”

“Oh, so you, covered in blood, burst into a convenience store in the middle of the night, holding a boning knife and robbing the owner and his twelve-year-old daughter, all to treat your self-exploding companion?”

“No, I wasn’t robbing them; I was just talking to them…”

“What were you saying at the time?”

“I said I didn’t have any money, but I wanted to buy something.”

“Officer, believe me, I’m truly innocent,” Hearts 9 said gravely, covered in blood, gripping the boning knife in his right hand under the stark white light.

“And the sausage and salted melon seeds you’re holding, are those for treating a medical condition too?”

“Oh, no, these aren’t,” Hearts 9 calmly replied. “I was just craving them.”

The officer stared at him for a long time, then waved his hand to the people behind him. “Cuff him and take him away.”

The seven or eight officers swarmed forward!

Thirty seconds later, Hearts 9, still covered in blood, slowly strolled out of the convenience store, holding a brand new boning knife in one hand and sausage and melon seeds in the other.

He glanced back at the several officers sprawled on the ground, then let out a long sigh. “I told them I’m a law-abiding citizen, why doesn’t anyone believe me…”

“Boss, put it on my tab. Bye-bye.”

He swaggered off down the other street. Occasionally, pedestrians on the street would see him, their faces turning pale with fright, letting out a gasp, and turning to run. Hearts 9 seemed accustomed to this. After walking for four or five minutes, he arrived at the entrance of a humble motel and pushed the door open.

The motel was located on the outskirts of the small town. The storefront was dilapidated, with hardly any guests… and not even anyone at the front desk.

After entering, Hearts 9 whistled and tapped the front desk with one hand. “Good afternoon, boss.”

Beneath the counter, a middle-aged man, tied up completely, suddenly widened his eyes and desperately cowered into the corner, his tape-bound mouth only able to emit muffled whimpers.

Drip, drip—

Drops of fresh blood dripped from the ceiling above, landing right in front of the owner, spreading into a pool that reflected his pale and terrified face. If anyone were to push the door open and enter at that moment, they would find the first-floor ceiling a dark red… The second floor was bleeding through!

Hearts 9 went straight upstairs to the first guest room. The door wasn’t fully closed, so he just pushed it open and walked in.

The floor of the room was soaked with blood, and the central white bedsheet was stained crimson. An unconscious, mangled figure lay on it like a corpse, its abdomen already cut open. Beside the bed, a figure wearing a shirt and a vest sat there, holding a dinner knife in one hand and pressing down on a piece of the bloody figure’s flesh with the other. Their silver-rimmed glasses clearly reflected the crimson on the bed, their movements as elegant as if cutting a medium-rare steak in a Western restaurant.

“Why did you take so long?” Chu Muyun looked up at him.

“It’s not easy to find a suitable knife in this small town… I had to check a few more stores, you know?” Hearts 9 said, while quietly hiding the sausage and salted melon seeds behind his back.

“Where’s the knife? Let me see. This dinner knife is too dull; it’s not easy to work with.”

“Here, is this one okay?”

“A boning knife, huh… Well, it’ll have to do.”

Chu Muyun took the boning knife and temporarily took off his vest. He stood over the heap of flesh on the bed, seemingly gesturing with the boning knife. Hearts 9 munched on melon seeds while watching the spectacle.

“In this state, can they even be saved?”

“If it were an ordinary person, they’d be six feet under by now.” Chu Muyun eyed it for a while, then suddenly plunged the boning knife into a certain part of the flesh. With a forceful cut, the flesh began to tremble continuously, as if quivering in pain. “However, this guy has regenerative abilities no less than Spades 6. Even if organs are gone, they can regrow. It’s not a big problem.”

“Oh,” Hearts 9 spit out a melon seed shell.

“Where are the others?”

“Most of them took the Boundary Train and left. Clubs 8 went to the main city, and as for that one… they’re still waiting next door.”

“Why didn’t you leave?”

“Didn’t you ask me to stay and assist you?”

“Not anymore. If you want to leave, you can go ahead.”

“I’m not in a hurry.” Hearts 9 continued to munch on melon seeds with relish. “I don’t have any urgent tasks anyway, and watching you dismembering this body is actually quite stress-relieving…”

Chu Muyun: …

Chu Muyun, with the boning knife, clattered away all afternoon. He wiped the sweat from his brow before finally emerging from the room. He glanced at Hearts 9, who was still covered in blood, squatting by the wall and playing by counting melon seed shells, and couldn’t help but ask, “It’s been an entire afternoon, why haven’t you showered yet?”

“What? Doesn’t bathing in blood look cool?” Hearts 9, covered in crimson, chuckled. “I think it smells quite nice.”

“…Madman.”

Chu Muyun turned and walked into the bathroom across the hall. Unlike Hearts 9, he felt uncomfortable if he didn’t wash off the blood on his body.

The sound of rushing water echoed through the silent motel. Hearts 9, still covered in blood, yawned and continued counting melon seed shells. After an unknown time, he seemed to sense something, looking up at the blood-soaked bed.

There, a mangled figure slightly moved a finger.

“This regenerative ability… truly monstrous,” Hearts 9 slowly stood up, patted the melon seed shells off his clothes, and walked over to the figure’s side. “You’re awake? The surgery was a great success; you’re a girl now!”

The figure on the bed suddenly stiffened.

“Oops, just kidding. It was just a little dismemberment, that’s all…” Hearts 9 chuckled.

The figure on the bed’s lips parted slightly, as if trying to say something.

“What did you say?” Hearts 9 leaned closer.

“I… want to see… the Red King.”