Prologue, beneath Mount Lao

Occasionally, a faint cold white light emanates from that window, which only serves to make this house appear even more desolate. Although it is already mid-April, and many places in the south can be considered to have entered summer, this shaded area of the mountain shows no sign of warmth, and the sound of chirping insects is completely absent. If it were not for the intermittent rumbling, it would seem utterly lifeless.

The noise of the hospital building gradually subsided, and even a patient who claimed to be immune to all poisons could not stir up any waves under the calming effect. The intervals between the cars whizzing by on Xixi Road grew longer, and it had been a long time since one was seen. In the quiet of the late night, the faint sound of insects chirping on Laoheshan Mountain could be heard. The sky gradually brightened, and dawn arrived as if washed clean.

According to the diagnosis, Zhang Dadao has suffered immense trauma since witnessing his parents' fatal car accident at the age of 7, resulting in a series of disorders including schizophrenia, dissociative identity disorder, and delusional disorder. Fortunately, due to the absence of aggressive behavior, he has not been transferred to the intensive care unit

Although Zhang Dadao claims to be indifferent, he still feels a tinge of envy in his heart. If the disciples of Longhu Mountain were to come and see him, it would surely be a splendid sight. Of course, Zhang Dadao is well aware that if this matter were to be conveyed to Longhu Mountain, the contemporary Zhang Tianshi would undoubtedly consider him insane. In fact, apart from a few patients, everyone in the entire Seventh Courtyard thinks he is mad.

Zhang Dadao, a senior patient at Hangzhou Seventh Hospital. He was admitted at the age of seven, and it has now been eight years, making him arguably more experienced than most doctors at the Seventh Hospital. Since the car accident he suffered at the age of seven, Zhang Dadao first entered the Children's Psychological Research Room, then the Psychological Rehabilitation Center, and finally transferred to the Psychiatry Department. Having stayed in this hospital for eight years, he can be considered a treasure of the institution.

Of course, Old Man Han does not care about this. However, many patients who have been deceived by the old man into believing they are cured often come back to visit him. They affectionately call him "teacher" with great warmth

Suddenly, a strange howl emanated from within the building, shattering the silence. Following that, several windows lit up, and the entire building seemed to come to life. One by one, the dark windows glowed with white light, and the cold atmosphere vanished in an instant. However, the cacophony of shouts, cries, curses, and bizarre calls only added to the building's eerie aura. A silver sports car roared in, abruptly stopping outside the wall. A young man with short, spiky hair resembling a hedgehog stepped out of the car, holding a can of beer. He opened the other side of the car door and pulled out a drunken girl with heavy eye makeup, pouring a mouthful of alcohol into her mouth while pointing at the building and saying:

In the western part of Hangzhou, Jiangnan, between Tianmushan Road and Xixi Road at the foot of Laohe Mountain, the roaring sound of engines reverberates under the hazy night, with headlights twisting by like phantoms in a fleeting rush. This roar makes the shadowy Laohe Mountain appear as a giant beast. Since the incidents of the 70 km/h speed limit and a series of nationwide shocking drunk driving cases a few years ago, the second-generation youth in Hangzhou have moved their street racing activities to more remote locations. Although Xixi Road is not as wide and bright as the neighboring Tianmushan Road, it is favored for its seclusion, fewer people, and limited surveillance. This makes it particularly suitable for engaging in such reckless activities in the dead of night.

Psychiatrists becoming mentally ill themselves, or even being manipulated by patients to the point of suicide, has never been uncommon. Of course, such bizarre cases of patients are not the norm. Most patients are likely still manageable

Damn it! Look at this, this is the Seventh Institute, these lunatics, not even sleeping in the middle of the night!

Mental illness, often referred to in folklore as a form of madness, has always been characterized by its elusive nature. Even professional doctors find it challenging to predict the behavioral patterns of individuals with mental disorders, as they belong to a group whose values and worldviews are entirely different from those of the general populace. Consequently, psychiatrists have always been considered to work in a high-risk profession. This is not merely due to the potential for patients' aggression to cause harm, but also because individuals with slightly fragile psychological states may encounter issues when confronted with such divergent value systems and worldviews.

Compared to Zhang Dadao's self-identification as the reincarnation of the third-generation Celestial Master, this old man is, in an abnormal sense, far superior. Although the old man looks like a retired bureaucrat and appears more like an expert than several of the old specialists in the institute, it does not change the fact that he is mentally ill. Even his children, who only visit during the holidays, have not come to see him at all in the past two years.

This independent building, the Third Ward Building, is not only the inpatient department of the Seventh Hospital, but the upper three floors, with their thick steel bars on the windows, are the intensive care unit that is dreaded by everyone in the hospital, from doctors and nurses to security guards and cleaners

Aside from Zhang Dadao, who remained unaffected after coming into contact with the old man, he was still allowed to approach the old man, while other patients were restricted from getting close to him. In the words of the doctor, Old Han was treating the hospital as a nursing home, and he was the only patient in the Seventh Hospital who had been there longer than Zhang Dadao, having stopped his medication for several years.

What is even more remarkable is that in the vicinity of this stretch of road, there are no large residential complexes. After nightfall, pedestrians are extremely scarce. In the deep of night, apart from the occasional roar of luxury cars passing by, it is particularly tranquil. Those who enjoy driving are active, and naturally, those who repair cars are also busy, leading to the presence of numerous repair shops along Xixi Road. Directly opposite the car repair shop on Xixi Road are several somewhat isolated buildings, separated by high walls, making the lightless structures appear somewhat eerie. The blackened windows on the white exterior walls, under the dim light of Xixi Road, resemble ghostly eyes that devour light. Directly opposite the car repair shop on Xixi Road are several somewhat isolated buildings, separated by high walls, making the lightless structures appear somewhat eerie. The blackened windows on the white exterior walls, under the dim light of Xixi Road, resemble ghostly eyes that devour light.

This peculiar building is quite renowned in the city of Hangzhou, along with several other buildings that are somewhat distant from it. This place, known as Hangzhou Seventh Hospital, is often mentioned when locals resort to insults. As a specialized tertiary hospital for the treatment of mental and psychological disorders, the Seventh Hospital, colloquially referred to as the "mental hospital" by the public, naturally finds its way into the lexicon of insults.

The intoxicated young woman squinted her eyes, as if the light from the window was somewhat blinding. The woman murmured indistinctly a few times, and the young man laughed heartily, giving her a loud "pop" on the face, then he shoved her into the car, and they continued to roar towards the damp area in the west.

In the eyes of most newly admitted doctors, this little shaman is quite a peculiar individual. Although they certainly do not believe that this young child claims to be the reincarnation of the thirteenth generation of celestial masters, nor could they possibly provide him with cinnabar, talisman paper, or peach wood swords to prove himself. However, the fact that certain patients are swayed by Zhang Dadao is something that even many chief specialists find hard to believe. In the end, the doctors can only attribute the reason to: patients have more common language among themselves. This peculiar reason.

Apart from Zhang Dadao, this Seventh Hospital also has several treasures of the town, the most notable of which is the old mental patient known as Han Lao, revered by everyone from the hospital director to the cleaning staff. This old man is quite a character; compared to Zhang Dadao, he is even more of a legend within the hospital. It is said that many patients with severe conditions miraculously recovered and were discharged after conversing with him a few times. However, ever since he exacerbated the conditions of a few patients and caused his own attending physician to become one of his fellow patients, the hospital strictly prohibited him from interacting with other patients.