Chapter 987: Tower

Chapter 987: The Pagoda

Within the chaotic warehouse, Li Huowang pressed his back against the wall, staring at Yi Donglai before him, his heart still racing with lingering terror.

The voice he had just heard echoed in his ears, sending cold sweat cascading down his skin. "What exactly are you trying to do? What on earth did you say!"

He dared not dwell on those words; the mere thought of them stirred an unfathomable dread deep within his soul.

His outburst quickly drew the others inside, and they all gazed at the scene in the room with bewildered expressions.

Yi Donglai glanced at the others and closed the notebook in his hands. "Li Huowang, there is no need for such a reaction. I am treating you; is this not exactly what you asked me to do?"

"Is making me wake up part of the treatment?"

"What do you mean, 'wake up'? I never said that. Li Huowang, what are you talking about?"

"Something is wrong, it is definitely wrong! This is not the first time!" Li Huowang rushed to the window, staring out at the green hills and clear waters beyond.

Panic-stricken, he shifted his gaze back into the room, looking from the ceiling to the floor, even stooping to press his palms firmly against the ground.

The fear in his mind surged uncontrollably. Why tell me to wake up? I am clearly already awake! Could it be that I am dreaming right now?

"Huowang... are you alright? What is it? Did something happen over at White Jade Capital?" Yang Na stepped forward with concern, but Yi Donglai immediately blocked her path. "It is fine, leave this to me."

Yi Donglai adjusted his glasses and walked up to Li Huowang. "Li Huowang, I know you must have heard something, but do not forget that you are ill. You have a severe mental disorder; auditory and visual hallucinations are perfectly normal."

"Whatever you hear or imagine right now is likely false."

"Is that so? Two identical hallucinations? Do you even believe that yourself? And! I am not ill! I am merely trapped for the moment in the cracks between two worlds!" Li Huowang said, thrusting his hand into his robes.

Yi Donglai sighed softly, a look of helplessness crossing his face. After weighing his words, he replied, "I remember telling you this before, but even if what you say is true, you are still a Siling with a mental illness."

"Do you remember the three companions you hallucinated back at the White Pagoda detention center? You are truly ill; there is no doubt about that."

"If you are ill, you need treatment. You went through so much trouble to find me—was that not for the sake of being cured?"

Hearing this, Li Huowang stood frozen, lost in thought, and the absolute certainty in his mind began to waver.

He glanced at the others by the door, then slowly moved from the window to sit back down on the stool.

He was faced with two possibilities: either it was fake—a mere hallucination, which required no further thought—or it was real, in which case the problem was grave indeed.

However, Li Huowang had a way to test the truth of the voice.

"Fine, Doctor Yi, I will set this question aside for now and accept your treatment. If the voice persists after the treatment, then it proves there is something wrong with it!"

With that, Li Huowang turned to Zhao Shuangdian. "Please, help me keep watch outside. I fear nothing else, but I fear this is a trick played by Fusheng Tian."

The only one with a deep vendetta against him was the Siling of Fusheng Tian. The Heavenly Dao they controlled was bizarre, and Li Huowang could not help but suspect this was a conspiracy to drive him mad.

"But if this voice is real, then..." Li Huowang’s expression grew conflicted, his mood turning violently agitated.

"If all of this is fake, then what meaning is there in anything I have done?" An overwhelming sense of powerlessness rose within him.

"No! Steady. I must stay steady. Now is not the time to think of this. No matter what, I must first rid myself of Fusheng Tian’s influence!"

"I will not admit defeat so easily! No matter what I face next!"

Taking several deep breaths to calm himself, Li Huowang spoke: "Everyone else, leave. I need to begin the treatment."

The others left in twos and threes, but just as Yang Na was about to go, Li Huowang stopped her. "Nana, do not leave. Stay here."

There was another possibility: that this was all a ruse by Yi Donglai, who harbored a grudge for being kidnapped.

Though the chance was slim, Li Huowang dared not be careless.

"Nana, keep an eye on Doctor Yi. If he acts strangely, wake me up immediately." Li Huowang pulled Yang Na to a corner of the room and whispered his instructions.

"Understood." Yang Na nodded gently, her hand brushing the pistol at her back.

Once only the three of them remained, Yi Donglai’s treatment resumed. "Li Huowang, close your eyes again. Clear your mind and feel my words with your whole being."

Li Huowang complied, doing his best to settle his nerves as his thoughts followed Yi Donglai’s guidance.

"Now, imagine you are standing on a pagoda, preparing to descend the stairs to the lawn below. There are ten steps. I will guide you down one by one. With each step, you will sink into a deeper state of hypnosis. Your body will feel lighter and more comfortable; your heart will grow more peaceful and serene..."

Li Huowang stood atop the pagoda, descending step by step toward the lawn. When he finally stood upon the sun-drenched green grass, he felt his spirits lift instantly.

The lawn was filled with the scent of flowers and the song of birds; Li Huowang wanted to stay there forever.

Yet, eventually, he began to move, walking forward along the green grass. After an unknown amount of time, two paths appeared before him as he entered a forest.

One was wide, the other narrow. The wide path was covered in thorns, yet it looked brighter in the distance. The narrow path seemed quiet, but the distance appeared dim and dark.

Li Huowang stood at the junction, lingering for a moment before choosing the wider path.

He walked for a long time until he saw a dog, its head and tail joined together. As the creature writhed, it drew closer to Li Huowang, twisting and kneading until it transformed into a massive mask.

The mask wore an expression of profound agony. It struggled to speak, but its hollow mouth emitted no sound.

The face grew larger and larger, until it finally blotted out Li Huowang’s entire field of vision.

The furrows on the face turned into a dirt road, and Li Huowang stepped onto it, continuing his journey forward.