After He Qing entered the ward, the nurse politely withdrew with a blush. Seeing He Qing, I asked, "What's going on?"
"Brother, have you forgotten? You were deluded by the Nightmare Saint!"
"Ah, how could that be? What did I do then?"
He Qing looked at my bewildered expression and explained the situation in detail. After listening, I realized I couldn't remember anything. When I tried to recall the incident, my head throbbed.
It seemed these memories were too painful for me. Recalling them made it unbearable.
You know, the brain has a selective memory function. Once a memory causes harm to the body, the brain automatically deletes it to protect the person. This is also why people go crazy; these are actually measures the brain takes to protect the body.
He Qing sat beside me, gently massaging my shoulders and thighs. "Brother, you need to rest well. I will treat you later. I can't let you continue to be controlled by that Nightmare Saint."
"What about his people now?"
"No police dare to approach him. That guy can drag anyone into a strange nightmare at any moment!"
"I suspect some police have already been pulled in, but it just hasn't manifested yet!"
"Hmm... that's really troublesome. There are so many police in the provincial department; I can't protect them all at once!"
"Alas, we can only pray. It would be best if that guy were isolated. He's truly a harmful creature!"
"But if we do that, we won't be able to interrogate him!"
He Qing showed a difficult expression.
I propped up my chin and pondered. Closing my eyes, when I opened them again, I said, "Is there no way to deprive him of such an ability?"
"This, my hypnotic ability is inferior to his."
"What about your friends?"
"Uh, probably not either. I'll go back and study to see if there's a way to deal with the Nightmare Saint."
"Okay, I'm counting on you, He Qing. This matter requires your full effort!"
"Don't worry, brother. I quite like this role of psychological consultant. If it works out, I could get a formal position!"
"Haha, you want to be an official now?"
"Isn't the psychological hospital stable now? I can get someone to help. I'm quite free now!"
"Alright, with your abilities, being a psychologist is a waste of talent. If you were to join our Punishing Sin Squad, you could fully utilize your talents and benefit society."
"Exactly, that's also my ideal!"
"Then it's settled!"
He Qing nodded excitedly. I observed his micro-expressions and found him to be very serious, not at all like he was just playing. My heart relaxed. In the future, I could find him to help with cases involving psychological issues! Hehehe! It was indeed a good choice. For some reason, I felt a bit smug, like Kogoro Mouri at that moment.
I originally thought the Nightmare Saint would never appear again, but after He Qing left, I somehow became groggy and found myself in another world. This was no other place but the Anxi Town Mental Hospital again.
And it was the rooftop. Various scenes flickered before my eyes. Sometimes it was the provincial criminal police office building, and sometimes it was the mental hospital. Seeing this, I quickly realized it was a dream, because the scenes in reality would never be so chaotic.
But dreams are different. Anything can happen in a dream. I stood alone on the rooftop, but not far away, other buildings appeared. These buildings were at the same height as the mental hospital's rooftop and very close. I could cross over with just a single step.
Thus, I somewhat lost control, not knowing why I was doing this. Anyway, I just kept running on the rooftop, repeating this action. In this fantastical and bizarre space, it continued for a very long time until my legs felt like they were collapsing. I didn't stop. In fact, my physical body was nearing its breaking point, but my consciousness forcibly prevented me from stopping.
As I ran, I suddenly felt like I had reached the end of a place. To my surprise, when I looked back, I realized I hadn't moved at all. I was still on the rooftop of the mental hospital. Before me stood a strange figure with tentacles, its back to me, constantly exhaling black gas from its mouth. Below it, more than a dozen furry legs had grown. Its head was sharp, as if a long scythe protruded from its skull. Its shoulders were two dark stones hanging on either side.
Sensing my approach, the figure let out a low, heavy voice: "This is reality!"
"Don't lie to me, this is a nightmare! Only dreams can be this bizarre!"
"Haha, you're wrong. How could it be a dream? Come and pinch me to test!"
"Don't approach me, I won't believe you!"
"It's not a matter of whether you believe it or not. In fact, this truly is reality!"
I didn't want to deal with him, but he approached me from behind and deliberately bumped into me.
I could tell it was Wang Feiwen, the guy who claimed to be the Nightmare Saint within him. He was now appearing before me and claiming this was reality!
With that bump, I truly felt an impact on my body, forcing me to retreat a few steps.
I stared at the scene before me in shock, wondering if this was truly reality.
But how was that possible? I looked around. What kind of world was this? It was all hazy, fragmented, only darkness, stillness, and chaos.
If this was reality, then was the world I inhabited before a dream?
For some reason, at this moment, I began to waver.
Perhaps the Nightmare Saint sensed my thoughts, and he turned around triumphantly. Before my eyes, Wang Feiwen's face appeared. However, his eyes were closed, as if he were still asleep.
His mouth opened mechanically: "Did you see? Have you understood? Haha, I told you, this is reality! Mortals, you are truly foolish to have slept for so long. But it's okay, from today onwards, you will receive the forgiveness of the Nightmare Saint. As long as you are willing to take this step, here you will possess everything in the world!"
I almost believed him, but his last sentence exposed the flaw. How could reality offer everything? That must be a dream. I roared at him, "Shut up! Stop trying to deceive me with such childish tricks!"