March 2nd!
The weather was clear!
The sun was shining brightly, and the temperature was pleasant.
Qingshan Mental Hospital, a top-tier facility, boasted comprehensive equipment and the largest lawn in Yanhai City.
Running on the lawn was considered beneficial for the patients' conditions.
Like wild horses freed from their reins, they could soar freely.
The idea was good.
But reality was cruel.
A pair of patients sat blankly on a wooden bench, staring vacantly into the distance. What they were looking at was unknown, but they had maintained this posture for hours.
One patient stared at the sun, locked in a staring contest with the celestial body.
Another patient strutted around, slipper in hand, held to his ear like a phone, roaring, "Give me more money, throw billions at me! I've researched it; stock '000285' is guaranteed to skyrocket!"
A group of patients huddled in a circle, gazing up at a "general" standing before them, gesticulating wildly and spitting as he spoke.
"'Buck up, everyone! Once we take this city, all the steamed buns inside are ours! Charge with me!'"
"'Kill!'"
"'Charge!'"
Life in the mental hospital was carefree. Even though each patient was confined to this place, they were still busy with their own affairs.
Some pursued dreams.
Some fought for their pride.
Some conducted "research."
In the distance, on a patch of grass...
Two figures were bent over, laying on the ground, staring intently.
"The ants are moving."
"Yes, they are."
Lin Fan and Old Man Zhang had been lying there for almost an hour, watching the ants move. To others, this might seem boring, but to them, it was fascinating.
"Old Zhang, what time is it?" Lin Fan asked.
Old Man Zhang rolled up his sleeve, revealing a million-dollar Rolex. "Ten thirty."
"Oh, we got up at six, got here at six thirty, that's four hours. Half an hour until lunch. I'm going to cultivate for a bit. Wake me up for lunch." Lin Fan wanted to practice his qigong. He hadn't thought about it earlier, but watching the ants triggered the thought.
"Okay." Old Man Zhang, engrossed in the ant activity, looked up and said, "Do you want some acupuncture?"
Lin Fan considered it. "Sure. I feel like my heart beats faster and my body gets warm and comfortable after your acupuncture."
Old Man Zhang surveyed the surroundings. He needed to avoid the orderlies. They were always eyeing their belongings. He had seen many fellow patients have their precious items snatched away by the orderlies.
Like Tony the barber, for example. He wanted to give them haircuts, but as soon as he took out his scissors, those nasty people confiscated them.
It didn't matter if Tony rolled on the ground or cried with snot running down his face; they wouldn't give them back.
So mean.
Old Man Zhang's "Milky Way Rotation Method" was quite something. He pinched the acupuncture needles, searching for the right spots. He didn't follow scientific principles; he just stuck the needles wherever he felt a problem.
Following his intuition was the right way.
"What do you feel?"
"A tingling sensation."
"That's right. It'll be fine soon. I thought about it a lot last night. I feel like the Milky Way Rotation Method can be improved further. I'll let you try my new technique next time."
"Sounds good."
Soon, everything was done.
Old Man Zhang resumed his bent-over position, watching the ants.
Lin Fan sat cross-legged, eyes closed, still and silent.
Qigong cultivation method.
It was a gift from someone, residing in his mind. With a little thought, images appeared, little figures moving. He didn't understand it, but he seemed to know how to do it.
The world was quiet.
Everything became serene.
A faint smile appeared on Lin Fan's face.
His mind wasn't sharp; he lacked a deep understanding of cultivation.
If a normal person, with a profound grasp of cultivation, were to witness this, they would realize how extraordinary this qigong method was.
It was a cultivation technique from another world, with an ancient history.
There were five prohibitions:
Avoid: falsehood, greed, restlessness, boasting, and sexual activity.
The 'heart' needed to merge with nature, to sense the energy particles floating between heaven and earth, absorb them into the body, transform them into qi, and strengthen one's power.
Lin Fan's mind was at peace, as if in deep meditation. Invisible energy particles, floating between heaven and earth, were drawn to him, slowly flowing into his body.
The muscles hidden beneath his clothes trembled slightly. Something unknown moved beneath his skin. The acupuncture needles inserted into his body were pushed out by his muscles, piercing through his clothes and embedding themselves in the ground.
An hour passed.
Old Man Zhang looked up, then back down at the ants.
Two hours passed.
Old Man Zhang looked up again, then returned to the ants.
Yanhai City was bustling; the streets were filled with traffic.
But within the dark, subterranean tunnels, a different scene unfolded.
In the filthy, foul-smelling sewers...
Four figures splashed through the sewage, running from afar.
Three men and one woman.
They wore ordinary sportswear. One held a wooden sword, one carried a long sword on his back, one held Buddhist prayer beads, and the only woman had empty hands but several small wooden bottles hanging from her waist.
"This place is so dirty! Are evil creatures always so messy? It stinks!"
The woman was petite, dressed in a pink Lolita outfit, with pigtails hanging over her shoulders. She had a cute, innocent face.
If a creepy uncle were here, he would definitely exclaim, "What a high-quality Lolita!"
"Amitabha, we tracked the evil dog into here. We shouldn't continue pursuing it, but return and report the situation."
The young man with the prayer beads frowned. He had a bad feeling and suggested they leave.
"Baldy, are you scared? It's just a dog! We beat it up pretty badly just now. What's there to be afraid of?" The Lolita, Xiang Ying, was small but brave. Looking down at her Lolita shoes, now soaked in sewage, she fumed, "My new shoes are dirty! That nasty dog! Luring us here! I'll teach it a lesson!"
The young man with the wooden sword said, "Xiang Ying is right. That mourning dog is only a level two evil creature. There are four level twos among us. What danger could there be?"
The young man from the Maoshan sect gazed adoringly at Xiang Ying.
He agreed with everything she said, willing to protect this goddess. However, she came from a wealthy family, while he was from an ordinary, even poor, background.
They were not a match.
He hoped she would see his good qualities and overlook their social differences, developing feelings for him.
Just then...
A sound came from the depths of the dark sewer.
"The mourning dog is just ahead! Let's go!" Xiang Ying shouted.
The Maoshan youth said, "Xiang Ying, let's hurry, in case it escapes. If we slay it, everyone will look at us with new respect. We'll have slain an evil creature right after arriving in Yanhai City. That's something others can't do."
Then, the Maoshan youth and Xiang Ying ran off.
The Daoist youth and the Buddhist youth exchanged glances. They had no choice but to follow.
Thud, thud!
The dull sound of footsteps gradually faded away.
The dark tunnel swallowed their figures.
Not long after...
"Ah!"