Starry Sky Professional

Xia Long's lips twitched. "Should we... just leave?"

"No way... we're already here."

Fang Xing, though feeling a bit uneasy too, thought they were already here, and besides, it was not him receiving the treatment.

He was quite curious about this senior from Blue Star University.

"Alright, let's go!"

Li Wei went off to arrange the visitation procedures while Fang Xing stayed with Xia Long, observing the patients on the lawn.

Some of them sat there with vacant eyes, others muttered incessantly.

"These people used to be interstellar warriors," Xia Long remarked emotionally. "The corruption from the Dark Gods brings with it mental pollution. The higher the rank, the stronger the mental pollution. The first batch of interstellar warriors who faced the true form of the Alien Dark Gods either fell into madness and died or went completely insane. Even though the human federation developed generations of mind-protecting technology, there are times when people encounter a Dark God's appendage or its projection that's too strong. Their mental defenses are breached, and they fall into madness..."

"Compared to them, my injuries are quite light and fortunate," Xia Long sighed.

"Alright, follow me," at this moment, Li Wei rejoined them. "I've gotten permission to visit, but remember, don't stray too far from me, especially when we enter the depths of the psychiatric hospital. There are mentally ill patients here, some are as strong as External Imagery or even Martial Jindan! If they go berserk and attack, you might die on the spot..."

"I understand the danger," Fang Xing nodded and followed Li Wei into the hospital.

Cold, oppressive...

Although the hospital used various warm-colored materials, Fang Xing couldn't shake off these feelings.

"Let go of me, let go!"

"I can still fight!"

"Ah... who am I? Who are you?"

...

Faint voices drifted from the void.

"These are patients with the courage or External Imagery level... living in the moderate ward. They can't have outings like the mild patients, but their condition is generally controllable, only occasionally flaring up..."

Li Wei carried a fruit basket at the front: "And then there's the basement, the severe ward... where the patients are unpredictable."

"The corruption from the Dark Gods keeps intensifying, potentially affecting the mind and bloodline. In the late stage of real Dark God psychosis, mutations might occur at the genetic level."

Xia Long suddenly spoke: "So... those in the severe ward here might not be mere psychiatric patients but actual Dark Gods' followers?"

Li Wei said nothing and simply entered the elevator, swiping his ID card.

Fang Xing and Xia Long followed, watching as the elevator arrived at the underground floor.

When the elevator doors opened, they saw a series of compartments, with no doors or windows, only smooth, uniform walls.

"Patients here cannot be looked at without the dean's order..."

Li Wei seemed to know his way well, leading Fang Xing to the innermost compartment, swiping his ID card again.

Drip! The smooth metallic wall immediately split open to reveal a grand doorway.

Fang Xing and Xia Long were instantly on alert, their powers at the ready.

Beyond the door lay a pristine white room.

White floors, a white bed, and a white desk...

The cupboard was lined with countless books, all neatly arranged.

The only thing missing was... a person!

“Huh? It seems like Senior isn't here...”

Li Wei scratched his head.

Fang Xing and Xia Long exchanged glances. Is there anything more terrifying than a mental patient on the loose?

“Oh?”

Li Wei stepped forward toward the desk and found a note atop it—‘I've gone to see the director.’

“Turns out Senior went to find the director. Let's go join him," suggested Li Wei, unfazed.

“The director is likely giving him some psychotherapy...”

“Why would anyone write that out?”

Fang Xing felt the corners of his mouth twitching.

“Who can understand the mind of a psychiatric patient? The director here is really a kind soul... I visited her once during a student council task and have been sending medications here frequently ever since,” said Li Wei as he led Fang Xing and Xia Long to the elevator.

After swiping a card, the elevator swiftly ascended.

Soon, the feeling of cold madness vanished completely.

…

The director's office was located on the top floor of Qingshan Psychiatric Hospital.

Windows adorned every wall, offering a spectacular view of the outside.

The corridor was decorated with tasteful paintings and sculptures.

Li Wei arrived at the door of the director's office and knocked politely.

There was no response.

His face showed a hint of puzzlement as he knocked again.

“Wait a moment...”

A gentle and magnetic female voice called out from inside: “Alright... come in.”

The three of them filed in, finding themselves in a spacious office.

A woman in her thirties or forties was sitting in a treatment chair. Though slightly older now, she must have been exceptionally beautiful in her youth, and her charm has hardly waned with time. Her oval face and willow eyebrows showed little evidence of her years, adding instead an air of gentleness and intelligence, further emphasized by a beauty mark at the corner of her lips which only added to her allure.

At the moment, her face was flushed with excitement as she tidied her white lab coat. "Li Wei, is it?"

With her coat in order, she calmly put her hands in her pockets, assuming the air of a true expert. "Are you here to see Xu Sanyang? He's just next door..."

“Okay, Dean.”

Li Wei, slightly self-conscious, carried a basket of fruit, leading Fang Xing and the others next door.

Xu Sanyang was sitting on the sofa watching the news, with a glass of juice by his side. He had a well-defined face that wouldn’t be considered unattractive, but his blue and white striped patient gown, unruly hair resembling a bird's nest, and the heavy circles and bags under his eyes considerably diminished his looks.

“Oh? You're here, junior... have a seat.”

Upon spotting Li Wei, Xu Sanyang greeted him with a smile, then noticed Fang Xing and Xia Long. "And friends... wait, you're unwell!"

He fixed his seemingly empty gaze on Xia Long. "Psychic exhaustion of a Lunar deity's follower?"

“Exactly, is there any way to treat it?”

Fang Xing inquired.

“Well...”

Xu Sanyang’s eyes glazed over as he muttered strange vocabulary.

A golden light flashed, instantly overwhelming the power fields of Fang Xing and Xia Long.

When they regained their senses, they found themselves outside, on a grassy lawn.

Amidst the picturesque landscape, Xu Sanyang had begun munching on an apple from the fruit basket. "A Golden Core? Perhaps even above Golden Core?"

Xia Long was taken aback. "How can such a dangerous psychiatric patient not have any form of restraint?"

“Of course there are. Typically, patients like him wouldn’t even be able to leave their ward... but Senior Xu is an exception.”

Li Wei replied with a hint of pride, but quickly lowered his head, looking rather dejected. "I just didn’t expect... Dean Ye Lingxin to be like this. For a psychologist, sleeping with her own patient is quite unethical..."

Fang Xing quickly searched and discovered that Ye Lingxin was a renowned expert in the mental field, even a visiting professor at both the psychology and pharmacology departments of Blue Star University!

“I think... Dean Ye seems nice, maybe she can take a look at me...”

Xia Long compared his options, feeling that Ye Lingxin seemed more reliable.

“She's not suitable. She's not specialized in that area, unless you want to be kept here for long-term treatment...”

Xu Sanyang, still chewing on an apple, finally focused his gaze. "Also... why is it that she slept with me, and not I who... no, wasn’t I treating her?"

“Huh?”

Li Wei felt a chill creeping up his spine. "Dean Ye Lingxin also has psychological issues?"

“Heh... not surprising at all. Most veterans returning from the battlefield carry some psychological burdens. I just occasionally help her release some of her sorrow...”

Xu Sanyang glanced at the distant scenery, then turned to Xia Long and asked, "Well? Are you going to undergo treatment? I must warn you in advance... I've had patients die on me before. Otherwise, why do you think I'd be here?"

"You've actually had patients die?"

Fang Xing looked at Xia Long, suggesting it was best for Xia Long to decide for himself. "Teacher Xia Long, it's up to you!"

Xia Long, lost in his thoughts, suddenly chuckled with a hint of resignation. "I always felt I should have died long ago... Alright, let you have a go. After all, even if I continue teaching for decades, it's uncertain if I would encounter another like Fang Xing."

"This isn’t your true desire; it’s the mental exhaustion you're experiencing that’s conjuring these despairing thoughts..."

Xu Sanyang interjected, "But I'll take that as you agreeing."

He emanated an intense aura, enveloping the trio in a golden core field. In a flash, they vanished from sight.

Upon reappearing, they found themselves inside a traditional-looking apothecary.

On each compartment, the names of various herbs could be seen, exuding a distinct herbal fragrance—Ailanthus, Gastrodia, Angelica sinensis, Atractylodes...

"The pollution affecting you isn’t severe and rather recent. Two doses should make you well again."

Xu Sanyang swiftly leapt onto the counter, his gaze turning hazy and manic. "Gather herbs, gather herbs..."

His voice became increasingly obscure, as if chanting an ancient incantation, with his movements growing more bizarre.

It appeared less like gathering herbs, more like performing an odd dance.

With every motion, it seemed as though some mysterious entities were drawn in from the void, swirling around him. "First brings the year's breath, do not disturb the harmony... Let the qi come!"

Xia Long felt an inexplicable sensation as if something from within him was being extracted, his face changing abruptly. "This..."

"Isn't this akin to a cult ritual? Should we stop him?"

Fang Xing queried Li Wei beside him.

"Absolutely not, this is just Senior Xu preparing a prescription..."

Li Wei replied with a wry smile, speaking in hushed tones. "Senior Xu's expertise is somewhat obscure; it delves into ancient medical divination. In ancient times, if medicine failed, divination was consulted... He has achieved great success in this field and is a martial arts golden core master. Yet, on the battlefield, he encountered the whispers of an evil god... and went a bit mad. Still, he pioneered a new profession—'Shaman-Healer.' Quite formidable, he's cured many rare illnesses, though he unintentionally caused a few deaths too, which landed him here... Originally, this shamanic healing was going to be included in university curriculums."

"This 'Shaman-Healer' practice seems akin to the 'Sword Saint’s' teachings, involving a great deal from outside entities..."

Fang Xing realized, confirming that this 'herb gathering' was indeed a unique 'ritual'!

At this moment, Xu Sanyang wasn't just a healer but also a priest, engaged in various exchanges and transformations between the spiritual and physical.

Once he regained his composure, Xu Sanyang had already prepared two packets of herbs. "Take these in two doses, boil three bowls of water down to one, and swallow using centipede ash as the catalyst... That's it."

"I... I'll give it a try!"

Though Xia Long's face had turned a bit green, he still went out to find centipedes.

"Is this place also within the Qing Mountain Asylum?"

Fang Xing wondered, turning to Li Wei.

"Yes, the director specifically set up this apothecary for Senior Xu... allowing him to treat patients when he's in a good mood."

Li Wei spoke with a trace of disillusionment; he initially believed Ye Lingxin thought highly of Xu Sanyang. Yet no one realized the complex stories behind it all.

He felt his not-so-young heart was somewhat tainted.

Whether it was doctors resting patients or patients resting doctors, it simply couldn’t... or at least shouldn’t...

Before long, Xia Long returned with a centipede, and with a mere thought, a flame materialized, reducing the creature to ashes as he began brewing the potion.

He drank the dark concoction, his face contorting with various expressions, surprisingly comedic.

Then, Xia Long opened his eyes, slightly astonished, "Hmm?"

Fang Xing gave a gentle nod, sensing Xia Long's aura growing stronger.

This was a sign of improvement!

“Ha ha, thank you, Doctor! When should I drink the next pack?”

Xia Long carefully secured the second sachet of herbs.

“Whenever you like, just finish it within three days.”

Xu Sanyang lazily resumed his demeanor, “You don't seem like a wealthy man, so I'll only charge you thirty million Star Yuan.”

“Thirty million? Done!”

Xia Long agreed immediately.

Though he spent money freely and didn't have much in savings, he would even borrow from Lu Guangming to pay promptly.

Meeting such a doctor was like gaining an extra life.

“Sigh, it's a good medicine, just a pity...”

Xia Long seemed to remember something, letting out a sigh.

He was well aware this formula was tailored just for him; giving it to another warrior with mind decay might result in adverse effects.

If it wasn't Xu Sanyang preparing the medicine but someone else, the properties might change, even become poisonous!

Because the crucial element wasn't the ingredients but the ritual! And the one conducting it!

Otherwise, if this potion could be widely distributed, who knows how many interstellar warriors would benefit?

“With such skills, do you really kill people?”

Xia Long clenched his fist, eyes narrowing slightly, “Could it be... sabotage?”

“Oh, nothing, I did it on purpose!”

Xu Sanyang chuckled, “A few idiots from some consortiums spoke nonsense, trying to boss me around... so I poisoned them all.

Even though my background is solid and my cultivation is high, I still need to lay low for a bit, so I had Dean Ye issue me a certificate of insanity. Retirement here is pretty nice...

After all, it’s not illegal to kill if you're insane!”

Fang Xing couldn't help but nod in agreement.

Who would trust medicine from a madman?

This senior from Blue Star University truly was a talent!

Then, he saw Xu Sanyang suddenly drop to the ground and start barking like a dog...

“Woof woof woof...”

Xia Long was dumbfounded, looking towards Li Wei.

“It must be a lapse from the senior; no big deal, just take him back to his room.”

Li Wei seemed unfazed, as if it was nothing out of the ordinary.

(End of Chapter)