Chapter 974: Persuasion

Chapter 974: Persuasion

Within the confines of Yi Donglai’s office, Li Huowang attempted to explain that what he had witnessed in the past was no delusion, but reality.

"Look, they are not hallucinations I conjured; they are real. If you don't believe me, reach out and touch them."

Yi Donglai picked up his water glass, surveyed the crowd surrounding him, and after a moment of reflection, asked, "Where did you meet these people?"

"Dr. Yi, I told you, they are the Siling from Baiyujing. Have you forgotten? I explained my condition to you before. They are real; there truly is another world."

Hearing this, Yi Donglai scanned the room once more before speaking again. "Who among you is the leader?"

"I am," Zhao Shuangdian replied.

"Do you find it amusing to deceive a mentally ill man? Do you think that because the insane cannot be held accountable for murder, you can use Li Huowang to do whatever you please?" Yi Donglai’s expression grew fierce.

"Let me tell you! No matter what happens, according to the criminal law, you are the primary culprits! Every crime Li Huowang commits will be judged upon your heads!"

"No, they aren't deceiving me!" Li Huowang tried to argue, but Yi Donglai seemed locked into his own set of convictions.

"Li Huowang! My research papers are public; anyone can look them up! They could easily use the records in my papers to fabricate your hallucinations and ultimately achieve their goal of exploiting you!"

"You think he is Qing Wanglai? You are wrong! He is not! He is just a fraud calling himself Qing Wanglai! Qing Wanglai is merely a name; anyone can claim to be him in front of you!"

"No, it's not like that! He really is Qing Wanglai!" Li Huowang felt a headache brewing, at a loss for how to convince him.

"Why all this hesitation? Why must you make him believe you? Just let him get on with the treatment. Does it matter if he believes you or not?"

As Ba Nanxu spoke, she drew a dagger from her waist and slammed it into the desk before Yi Donglai.

Pointing her tattooed finger at Li Huowang’s head, she said, "Cure him, or I will peel the skin from your body!"

Yi Donglai pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and shook his head in silent frustration.

Before he could finish his protest, Ba Nanxu flipped the dagger and smashed the hilt hard against the nail of Yi Donglai’s little finger.

"What are you doing!" Li Huowang jumped up, angrily shoving her aside.

When he looked at the injury, he saw that the nail of Yi Donglai’s little finger had been crushed off, the entire digit bruised a deep purple, with blood still seeping from the nail bed.

Ba Nanxu, having been pushed back a few steps, sneered at Yi Donglai and threatened, "Cure him, or I’ll do the same to every finger and toe you have."

Clutching his finger and gasping in pain, Yi Donglai looked at the scene in disbelief. "You want me to cure him? You exploit his delusions to use him, yet you demand I cure him! Don't you see the contradiction in that?"

"No, it doesn't need to be a complete cure, just a partial one, like last time. As long as you can do it, the clinical fees are not an issue."

A chime sounded—it was Yi Donglai’s phone. When he picked it up and saw the string of zeros, he was too stunned by the sight to speak.

Yi Donglai frowned, scrutinizing the group again. Their attire made no sense for a gathering of people; everything about them reeked of the bizarre.

"Dr. Yi, please help me this once. This is truly of grave importance. I swear to you, everything I am saying right now is the truth!" Li Huowang continued his explanation, but it was clear Yi Donglai remained unconvinced.

"Li Huowang, you are my patient. I know your condition better than anyone. I know everything you have been through; there is no need to repeat it."

"It's different! I wasn't a Siling back then! And the Fusheng Heaven hadn't attacked yet! Compared to before, everything has undergone a cataclysmic change!"

"Is that so? Fine! You want me to believe you? No problem!" Yi Donglai said, raising his phone. "If you repeat these claims to your parents, I will believe you."

Li Huowang’s expression grew agitated. "Why drag them into this? This has nothing to do with them!"

At this, Li Huowang realized something and pulled Yang Na to his side. "Ask her! She knows what I’m saying is true!"

Seeing Yang Na nodding repeatedly, Yi Donglai sighed at the people around him. "You are all too young. There are truly many bad people in this society; please, don't let them use you."

Seeing that Yi Donglai still did not believe them, Zhao Shuangdian finally stepped forward. "Dr. Yi, let us discuss this rationally. If you think we are exploiting Li Huowang’s mental illness for gain, why would we ask you to cure him? Wouldn't it be more useful to us the crazier he becomes?"

"Furthermore, what kind of criminal organization would pay you such a high clinical fee upfront? Doesn't that conflict with your deduction?"

Yi Donglai said nothing to Zhao Shuangdian’s words; clearly, he had no answer. Though doubts remained in his heart, he still refused to be easily swayed.

Seeing this, Zhao Shuangdian stepped back and touched her earlobe.

Immediately after, Ba Nanxu’s voice drew everyone’s attention. "Dr. Yi, this little girl is very important to you, isn't she?"

With a cold sneer, Ba Nanxu extended her forked tongue and slowly licked the picture frame in her hand.

In the photo, a smiling Yi Donglai was holding a young girl of eight or nine, who was clutching a balloon.

"What are you doing!" Seeing her holding the frame, panic appeared on Yi Donglai’s face for the first time.

At that moment, Ba Shengqing, who had remained silent, stepped forward, snatched the phone from Yi Donglai’s hand, and tossed it to his sister.

"Since she is so important to you, I believe it won't be hard to find information about her through your phone, right?"

"Fine! You win! You win! I surrender! What exactly do you want!"

Yi Donglai’s face turned deathly pale, sweat beading on his forehead. Regardless of who these people were, he dared not gamble.

Ba Nanxu tossed the frame aside, and it shattered upon hitting the floor. "Cure this madman for me."

"Alright! I'll cure him!"

Having solved the problem, Ba Nanxu looked at Li Huowang and the others with disdain. "Isn't it easier to be direct? Why waste so much breath? What a nuisance."

Li Huowang felt a deep sense of guilt for threatening Yi Donglai in such a manner, but the situation was critical and there was no time to waste; he had to break free from the influence.

"I am sorry, Dr. Yi. Once this is over, I will come to apologize to you personally."

Li Huowang finished speaking and walked to Yi Donglai’s side, ready to undergo his treatment.