Chapter 543: Shattered Secrets

The room suddenly fell into a heavy silence. Han Bing’s face was etched with shock and worry, while in her puzzled eyes, Lu Xin couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed. Instinctively, he turned his gaze to the television, catching his own blurry and strangely familiar expression in its reflection…

In truth, he wasn’t even sure how the words had just slipped out.

It seemed this wasn’t the first time something like this had happened…

……

“Shouldn’t all your attention be on me right now?”

Just then, as Han Bing and Lu Xin exchanged looks of astonishment and confusion, Black Jack’s voice suddenly rang out.

Only then did they react, turning their eyes toward Black Jack.

At that moment, Black Jack’s body had already begun to resemble a melting popsicle.

Unlike ice cream, which emits a sweet aroma as it melts, Black Jack exuded a repulsive stench of decay. His head, seemingly losing all support, slumped awkwardly against the wall.

His voice was weak and halting: “You seem to have many secrets, but I don’t have time to ask…”

“All I can tell you is this…”

“This body is rotting too fast. I don’t have much time left.”

With his head unable to move on its own, he barely managed to lift his eyelids to look at Lu Xin:

“I want to know… how my teammates are faring…”

“……”

Lu Xin glanced at him, closed his eyes briefly, then opened them and murmured, “They passed away without any suffering.”

Black Jack’s eyes dimmed for a moment, and his lips trembled slightly.

He seemed to fight back a deeper sorrow, his lips moving in a feeble murmur:

“Very well.”

“That I suffered in death… it’s only fitting, for it was my burden from the start.”

“……”

Han Bing’s heart skipped a beat as she strangely understood the dying man’s inner confession.

Without a doubt, his death was torturous. No one in this world ever dies slowly from bodily decay. Enduring such excruciating torment before his end, and yet forcing himself to relay what information he had, somehow felt fair—was it because he believed he had wronged his teammates and deserved this punishment?

Lu Xin, however, felt a tinge of regret—because his words were lies…

Black Jack’s teammates weren’t completely free from pain either; but at that moment, comforting someone on the brink of death took precedence.

“I’ve told you all I know…”

In barely audible tones, Black Jack, summoning his fading strength, lifted his eyelids to look at Lu Xin.

“In the end, I hope… you’ll do something for me with this piece of intelligence…”

“……”

“Hm?”

Lu Xin paused, finally understanding why Black Jack had endured such agony to share his words.

Softening his tone, he said, “We’re in this together. No exchange is necessary—I’ll help you out.”

Crack…

Black Jack shook his head; his head suddenly collided with something and could no longer turn. In an almost inaudible whisper, he managed, “After I die, you’ll find a playing card inside my head. I need you to…”

“…deliver it to the Spade Agency…”

“……”

As he uttered his final word, he lay face-down against the wall.

Yet his eyes strained to glance at Lu Xin, even if only peripherally.

Lu Xin, moved by the sight of his struggle, gently cradled Black Jack’s head.

The moment he held it, a loud ‘crack’ resounded as the body fully decayed. With the head now detached, Lu Xin carefully picked it up, nodded solemnly to himself.

“I promise you…”

“……”

The last breath slipped slowly from Black Jack’s lips, his eyes gradually clouding over.

The room descended into an unbearable silence.

Seeing Lu Xin’s sincere vow, Han Bing felt a small measure of solace—and an inexplicable stirring of emotion.

Yet, watching Lu Xin cradle a severed head as he spoke, she couldn’t help but feel numb.

After confirming Black Jack’s death, Lu Xin slowly rose, placing his head on the desk by the bedside. Then, with a gentle sigh, he turned and exchanged a fleeting glance with a visibly disoriented Han Bing.

Han Bing appeared clearly at a loss; Lu Xin, without further questions, simply shook his head and strode toward the bathroom.

Before long, he emerged with a thick towel, meticulously wiping away the sticky black fluid from the floor.

As he wiped, he remarked, “What a stench—Gecko’s still sleeping in this room tonight…”

“?”

Han Bing was utterly dumbfounded. How had she not thought of it?

Only after mopping up the floor bit by bit did Lu Xin straighten up, noticing the entire towel had turned an overpowering shade of black and reeked of decay. Yet the carpet still held a vast, inky smudge. The odor in the room hadn’t dissipated—in fact, it grew even more pungent. Even Lu Xin admitted it was impossible to fully clean up without a mop, detergent, and cloth…

…or perhaps just a new room.

“Since I promised him, I’ve got to see it through.”

Glancing at Han Bing, whose face had turned unnaturally pale, he explained quietly, “Don’t blame him. Although he did try to hurt you when we first met, he wasn’t entirely in control of himself then…”

“I understand, Mr. Lone Soldier…”

Han Bing couldn’t help but interrupt; the rest of her words remained unsaid.

What terrifies me now is—are you really planning to perform a craniotomy on him…?

Lu Xin did indeed proceed with a craniotomy on Black Jack.

Being in a hotel with severely limited tools, Lu Xin opted not to switch rooms. Instead, right there by the desk attached to the bed, he used makeshift instruments to crack open Black Jack’s skull.

After rummaging through, he actually found a black playing card inside his brain…

This card was slightly larger than a standard one, bearing the face of the Jack of Spades.

Its back was adorned with an intricate, mysterious pattern, suggesting some hidden significance. Lu Xin studied it carefully.

Yet he couldn’t decipher anything; the pattern looked just like those on other playing cards.

“How strange…”

Having washed his hands, Lu Xin stepped out and curiously said to Han Bing, “This must be Black Jack’s memento. But if it’s a memento, why aren’t we handing it over to Changhu? Instead, what is this Spade Agency?”

Han Bing, who had been waiting outside the door for ten minutes, paled at the sight of the bloodstains on the card.

“Ugh…”

She rushed into the bathroom across the hall and began vomiting.

When she returned, her face remained ghostly white as she forced herself not to look at the card. Instead, she addressed Lu Xin, “I’m not entirely sure, but if Black Jack’s codename is tied to this card, then perhaps he was originally connected to that Spade Agency.”

“There have always been some strange, mysterious organizations in this world.”

“Many of these groups wield power formidable enough to rival High-wall City.”

“After all, the Special Cleaning Department in the various High-wall Cities exists solely to combat unusual pollution. Yet many mysterious organizations pursue arcane power, leading to different approaches and control over enigmatic forces.”

“……”

“Alright then…”

Lu Xin slipped the playing card Black Jack had left into his black bag, then picked up a plastic bag from the corner.

“What’s this…?”

Han Bing instinctively glanced over and saw the plastic bag bulging, as if liquid were seeping out.

Lu Xin smiled and said, “It’s…”

“Don’t say it…”

Han Bing suddenly reacted, quickly reaching out to stop him. After a few seconds of silence, she rushed back to the bathroom.

“Ugh…”

A moment later, harsh retching sounds echoed from inside.

“Her mental fortitude is just too weak…”

Lu Xin shook his head regretfully. If circumstances allowed, he would’ve handled it alone.

This time, Han Bing’s vomiting lasted longer.

Perhaps willpower and resilience can only be eroded so many times?

Under normal circumstances, the professionally trained Han Bing wouldn’t lose control over something like this.

But after surviving a life-and-death crisis, then plunging into the Abyss, enduring the long-term assault of Black Jack’s putrid stench, and finally witnessing Lu Xin aiding him, she seemed even more fragile than most.

Lu Xin understood her well and patiently waited in the corridor.

He lit a cigarette, exhaling thick plumes of smoke as he gingerly prodded his ear in mild dismay.

How peculiar…

Just moments ago, he had unconsciously answered the questions posed by Han Bing and Black Jack—a rather odd response indeed.

Ever since Doll’s initial experiment with the Heaven’s Kingdom Plan, it felt as if something had begun to change.

Lu Xin realized that he, too, was undergoing a transformation.

Earlier, Han Bing was astonished that she had casually mentioned something about that creature which could only have come from the Abyss.

But what she didn’t know was that upon hearing of that creature, thoughts of similar situations flooded her mind—accompanied by an unspeakable mix of disgust and loathing…

Images of confusion and bizarre thoughts continuously disrupted her brain.

It was like a malfunctioning television spewing distorted images, forcing her to try to comprehend things, yet all she saw was a chaotic snowstorm of static.

What on earth is happening?

As Lu Xin pondered, he silently smoked, gradually arriving at an answer…

Perhaps it’s because his position has risen, broadening his perspective.

A broader view might also inflate one’s temper?

That’s a reasonable thought…

……

……

When his cigarette finally burned out, the corridor’s light seemed to dim further.

Lu Xin turned and saw Father, Sister, and Mom standing there, silently watching him.

With a smile, he greeted, “Are things all settled?”

Without waiting for an answer, he chuckled, “I really troubled you all this time; I’m truly sorry.”

Before Sister could speak, she fell silent, her eyes cautiously fixed on him.

Lu Xin didn’t look at Sister but directly at Mom, saying with a smile, “I just heard something interesting: that the Mental Monster in Heichao City actually emerged from the Abyss. I always wondered why things in the Abyss were so peculiar.”

“When it severed its connection with Black Jack, it vanished right before my eyes—leaving me with no chance to chase after it.”

“Now I understand that it returned to reality while I was left behind in the Abyss, separated from it.”

“……”

This seemed like a mundane issue, and Lu Xin’s tone was equally so.

Yet both Father and Sister’s expressions shifted noticeably as they turned to look at Mom.

After a brief pause, Mom softly said, “It isn’t just that…”

“There are always those who refuse to listen…”

“You know, don’t you, that the ultimate forms representing thirteen types of Mental Entities are all influencing reality to some degree?”

“……”

“Thirteen ultimate Mental Entities…”

Lu Xin’s eyes seemed to glaze over as he repeated the words slowly.

“Yes…”

In a gentle voice, Mom continued, “The Dark Queen, the Staff-Hider, the Life-Seer, the Crowned Clown, the Night Prisoner, the Abyssal Worm, the Sword Bearer, God’s Nightmare, the Pale Hand, the Fire Thief, and the most tragic one from the deepest Abyss…”

As she recited the names while gazing at Lu Xin, her voice grew even softer:

“They’ve long ceased to be obedient…”

“Some have even clandestinely slipped into reality; others, harnessing the power of fleeting cracks, have already found their spokespersons, while some are plotting in the Abyss. Isn’t this the natural order of things?”

“……”

Hearing these names, Lu Xin’s face bore an expression that was both familiar and foreign.

After a brief silence, he suddenly looked up and laughed, “Actually, I’m not interested in any of that.”

“But since it’s come to this, we might as well see what happens, right?”

“……”

Mom’s expression shifted ever so slightly. Raising her eyes, she asked softly, “Are you planning to eliminate it?”

“……”

At that, both Father and Sister appeared alarmed, their eyes flitting between Lu Xin and Mom.

Lu Xin banged his head heavily, producing a hollow sound as he admitted, “I suppose I am a bit angry about this…”

“But I don’t think ‘eliminate’ accurately describes it.”

“……”

He pondered for a moment, trying to find the right word from his gut feeling.

Then he slowly looked up at Mom and said, “If we call it an ‘execution’…”

A smile suddenly spread across his face, “Wouldn’t that be more fitting?”

PS: I’d like to recommend an imaginative book called ‘Hidden Head’ by Today’s Fire Thief. It seems another split has occurred.