In the unkempt warehouse, Li Huowang leaned against the wall, his eyes snapping open in shock as he stared at Yi Donglai.
The voice still echoed in his ears, and cold sweat drenched his body. “What did you just say? What did you try to do?”
Li Huowang dared not think about the voice just now. Every ti he did, a strange, intense fear erged from his heart.
His agitation drew the attention of the others, who turned toward the commotion with confused expressions.
With everyone present in the warehouse, Yi Donglai snapped his notebook shut.
“Li Huowang, there’s no need for such a dramatic reaction. I’m treating you. Isn’t this exactly what you asked to do?”
“Is waking up part of the treatnt?”
“What do you an waking you up? I didn’t say anything. Li Huowang, what are you talking about?”
“No, sothing’s not right! Sothing isn’t right! This isn’t the first ti!” Li Huowang ran to the window and looked outside.
He scanned the warehouse, looking at the roof and then the floor. He even touched the ground with his hands.
A deep, irrational fear gripped him, spreading like wildfire through his mind.
Why did he ask to wake up? I am awake. Am I dreaming?
“Huowang, are you alright? What’s wrong? Is sothing happening in the Baiyu Capital?”
Yang Na stepped forward, her concern evident, but Yi Donglai held her back.
“Don’t approach him. It’s fine. Let do it.”
Yi Donglai lifted his glasses before approaching Li Huowang. “You may have heard sothing, but don’t forget about your condition. You have a severe ntal illness. Auditory hallucinations are normal for soone like you. What you heard might not be real.”
“Is it really? I had the sa hallucination twice! Can you even believe what you’re saying? Also, I’m not ill! I’m just temporarily trapped in the cracks between the two worlds!”
Yi Donglai sighed helplessly. “We’ve been over this. Even if what you’re saying is true, you’re still a ntally ill Siming, Li Huowang. Rember when you hallucinated three companions in the White Tower Hospital? You’re genuinely ill—that’s just the truth.
“If you’re ill, you need treatnt. Isn’t that the entire reason you went through the trouble of bringing here?”
Li Huowang was stunned. He had believed himself without doubt, but now he started to waver.
Li Huowang froze. His unwavering belief wavered, and cracks began to show. After glancing at the others, he slowly made his way to a stool and sat down.
There were two possibilities in front of him. Either his mind was playing tricks on him and none of it was real, or that voice he’d heard was real—and if it was, it ant trouble.
Thankfully, Li Huowang had a way to uncover the truth.
“Alright, Dr. Yi. Let’s put this argunt aside for now. I’ll cooperate with your treatnt. But if I’m cured and that voice remains, we’ll know it’s real. And if it’s real, sothing’s very wrong.”
Li Huowang turned to Zhao Shuangdian. “Help check the outside. I’m not afraid of anything, but I suspect that this could be an attack from Fu Shengtian.”
Their common enemy was Fu Shengtian and its Simings. The Heavenly Daos they controlled were very bizarre.
Li Huowang could sense that their ambushes would be very bizarre too. They would always find unconventional angles to strike from, effectively driving their opponents to the brink of madness.
Doubt gnawed at Li Huowang. Was the voice real?
If everything I’ve fought so far is fake, what’s the point of risking my life?
Despair washed over Li Huowang, but he quickly shook his head. No! I can’t think like this! This is not the ti to be thinking about this. Whatever happens, I must rid myself of Fu Shengtian’s influence first. I won’t give up, no matter what.
Li Huowang inhaled deeply, steadying himself. “Everyone, step outside. I need to focus on the treatnt.”
As everyone started to leave, Li Huowang caught Yang Na’s arm. “Nana, stay here.”
There was also another possibility that Yi Donglai was the one who had actually whispered. Maybe Yi Donglai bore resentnt for being kidnapped. While the chance was minuscule, the possibility still existed.
Li Huowang pulled Yang Na to the corner of the room. “Nana, help watch Yi Donglai. If anything’s wrong with him, wake up imdiately.”
“Alright.”
Yag Na nodded and gently touched the handgun behind her back.
Yi Donglai restarted his treatnt once the three of them were alone in the warehouse.
“Li Huowang, close your eyes once more and calm your heart. Now tell what you are feeling.”
Li Huowang complied, closing his eyes and steadying his breath before describing what he felt.
Yi Donglai proceeded, “Picture yourself standing atop a tower, prepared to descend the stairs and reach a grassy plain below. This tower consists of ten levels, and I will guide you step by step as we go down floor by floor. With every floor you descend, you will find yourself entering a deeper state of your dream. Slowly, you will feel your body relaxing and your heart growing calr.”
Li Huowang stood at the top of the tower and slowly made his way down to the grassy plains. He stood on the plain and felt his mood turning better imdiately.
The grassy plain was like a paradise. Li Huowang wanted to stay there longer, but he had to keep moving forward.
He walked for an unknown length of ti until he ca across two paths before him.
One path was larger than the other. The smaller path was shrouded in darkness and had a quiet appearance. The larger path was covered in thorns, yet it appeared much brighter.
Li Huowang hesitated before ultimately choosing the larger path.
After walking for an unknown length of ti, he suddenly encountered a dog. As the dog approached Li Huowang, it shifted into a mask.
The mask was engraved with an expression of pain. It tried to tell Li Huowang sothing, but no voice ca from the hole depicting its mouth.
It grew larger, filling Li Huowang’s vision until nothing else remained.
The grooves of the mask shifted, forming a large dirt road ahead. Li Huowang stepped onto it and continued forward.
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