Since all these rules and superstitions are outdated, what's wrong with me indulging in some me

His gaze was fixed on the ugly, distorted face on the scrap paper—especially the conspicuous black spot on the side of the nose.

Is it a coincidence?

Lu Changsheng's heart pounded heavily in his chest, each contraction squeezing the bulge and bringing a dull, aching pain.

His breathing became increasingly labored, but his brain was racing amidst the dizziness and oxygen deprivation.

Lu Changsheng knew that the hospital was not an absolutely safe place, so he turned on his computer and began writing today's medical records.

In the "Doctor's Recommendations" section, he entered: "Continue outpatient observation, strengthen medication supervision, postpone hospitalization, and closely monitor changes in sensory information."

Save and shut down.

He glanced at the table and put Zhou Ming's employee badge into his pocket.

Lu Changsheng walked out of the consultation room and locked the door. The corridor was empty, with only the pale light illuminating the clean floor.

He went downstairs and walked through the empty lobby. A new nurse at the front desk handed him a blue pill for tomorrow with a sweet smile. Lu Changsheng nodded his thanks and then walked out of the Jinghu Cognitive Therapy Center with the new blue pill.

The midday sun was warm, shining on his sweaty forehead. The tightness and foreign feeling in his chest remained stubborn, but he forced himself to walk steadily toward the direction of the rented house.

Passing by a convenience store, he bought some bread and a small flashlight, and also went to a nearby pharmacy to buy a box of band-aids and disinfectant swabs.

Back in his rented room, he locked the door and drew the curtains. He first used the disinfectant he had bought to treat the wound on his neck, the burning pain making him wince.

Then, he forced himself to eat a few compressed biscuits and drink half a bottle of water to replenish his strength.

After doing all that, he sat on the edge of the bed, his gaze fixed on the deepening night outside the window.

Inpatient Department...

Zhang Ping's fearful description, Dr. Zhou Ming's mysterious transfer, and the administrative assistant's meaningful reminder—all the clues seemed to point to that strictly controlled area.

During the day, the area is heavily guarded, with strict surveillance of people entering and leaving. But what about at night? Are there any gaps in security?

He had to see it for himself.

Lu Changsheng sat cross-legged on the bed, looking at the sketch paper he had drawn of "it" that morning. The image of "it" in his mind gradually overlapped with Zhang Ping's appearance.

Zhang Ping's eyebrows also seem to be slightly raised, and her face shape is also on the longer side.

The drawing on the scrap paper looks like an abstract portrait by Picasso, but the prototype is Zhang Ping herself.

When "it" was around, Zhang Ping's emotions were extreme.

It said it had been to the inpatient department and was afraid of it.

Zhang Ping was extremely afraid of the hospital ward, and her reaction was as if she had experienced it firsthand.

An absurd yet gradually becoming clearer conjecture pierced his consciousness like an icicle:

Could the "it" that Zhang Ping perceives—the one that entangles her, converses with her, and is both hated and feared by her—be actually herself?

Is it a personality in her subconscious?

Is it another personality of hers that was not completely erased by the "yellow pills," a personality that is concerned about her own situation and fear?

But that's not right; there's a problem with that logic.

Lu Changsheng felt his chest burning, but his mind was unusually clear.

If this "it" is Zhang Ping's split second personality, then who is the split personality of Aokiji, who exists as "it"?

Shouldn't the split personality be visible only to the individual?

But why could Aokiji be seen by Zhang Ping, the landlady Aunt Chen, and other unrelated people?

Time passed second by second.

The city lights gradually went out, leaving only the dim yellow glow of the streetlights and the occasional sound of passing vehicles outside the window.

Lu Changsheng's headache and chest tightness became increasingly clear in the silence, and a violent feeling kept churning in his chest.

The scenery before him began to distort slightly, and low, chaotic murmurs echoed in his ears, like countless people whispering in his mind, filled with resentment, anger, and destructive desire. Sweat soaked his back, and he gritted his teeth, trying to suppress it with willpower.

However, the more it is suppressed, the fiercer the rebound becomes.

"Ugh—!"

He finally couldn't help but groan, his body trembling spasmodically from the violent internal throbbing. He abruptly unbuttoned his shirt and looked down.

On his chest, the pale red mark the size of a bowl had now turned a deep purplish-red, as if a large amount of blood had pooled under the skin. And the bulge in the center of the mark was now writhing at a chilling frequency!

It was no longer just throbbing, but rather like something alive was struggling and writhing inside, causing the thin skin to bulge and deflate, with even fine, crack-like lines visible at the edges!

Can't wait any longer!

A talisman appeared in his hand, and he stuck it on his forehead with a "snap".

The cool yellow paper was pressed against his burning forehead, and the talisman glowed with a clear light as it entered his body.

It was he who drew the talisman for purifying the mind.

This is a talisman paper that has the effect of protecting the heart and expelling evil spirits.

The bulge in his chest seemed to have calmed down under the effect of the calming talisman, and Lu Changsheng felt that his breathing was much easier.

"call--"

Lu Changsheng had just breathed a sigh of relief when he pulled out a tissue to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.

however--

The bulge on his chest suddenly swelled up again, his skin instantly stretched to a nearly transparent dark red, and the tangled shadow below twisted wildly, emitting a silent shriek!

The power of the calming talisman did not soothe it; instead, it was like boiling oil poured into a fire, completely igniting its ferocity!

"puff--!"

Lu Changsheng felt as if he had been struck by a heavy blow, and a mouthful of blood choked him.

He felt something inside his chest completely erupt, like a raging, trapped beast, pounding wildly against his heart and bones, each impact bringing excruciating, tearing pain.

No... I can't control it... It's going to get out of control...

Just as his consciousness was on the verge of dissipation—

A cool sensation suddenly and forcefully crashed into his chest!

"Ugh—!"

Lu Changsheng's body suddenly arched, as if he had been struck in the chest by an invisible hammer.

He could clearly sense that just now, a new energy had rushed into his chest, and two forces were engaged in a fierce battle, with his chest cavity as the battlefield!

The war that was taking place inside him was far more brutal and dangerous than any external battle. Every blow landed squarely on his fragile body.

Time is stretched out infinitely in extreme pain.

He didn't know how much time had passed, maybe only half a minute or so, but Lu Changsheng felt as if he had endured an eternity.

The fighting stopped.

Lu Changsheng lay paralyzed on the bed, even his breathing was accompanied by burning pain and blood foam.

He felt as if all the bones in his body had fallen apart, and his chest felt as if it had been hollowed out and then haphazardly stuffed back in.

However, that sense of deadly crisis, like being ripped out of one's chest, has indeed disappeared.

It seems like Aokiji... saved me again...