Exorcist's Self-Cultivation

Humanity's oldest and most intense emotion is fear.

And the oldest and most intense fear is that of the unknown.

Only by accepting your own sins and passing through that black abyss will you find eternal wonder and glory awaiting you.

—Excerpt from: Howard Phillips Lovecraft

...

May 15, Friday, 18:08.

North Brook District, private psychological counseling clinic.

A sharpened pencil was held by a slender hand, pausing on the form on the paper.

Du Wei lifted his head to look at the pale and haggard Caucasian woman sitting across from him.

"Ms. Aisha, now you may continue with the topic we were discussing."

"Okay... okay, Dr. Du Wei."

Aisha closed her eyes, sinking into her memories, "You know, my job is programming, and I need to deal with some work matters even after hours, so recently I entrusted an agency in hopes of finding a relatively remote and quiet house."

"Half a month ago, the agency told me there was a suitable house available, and the price was relatively low as well. Its only issue was that it appeared a bit rundown due to long vacancy."

"I have significant expenses, so I quickly signed the lease."

"Yet after living there for a week, I found something off about the house."

"Every night at twelve o'clock, the lights would ominously dim, almost to the point where you couldn't see people's faces."

"The taps in the bathroom often turned on mysteriously as well."

"The TV would suddenly change channels, and I couldn't even watch my favorite 'Survival in the Wild' series."

"And yesterday, these problems got worse."

...

"Dr. Du Wei? Are you listening?"

"Hmm? Yes! I am listening."

As Du Wei wrote down notes on the form that said, "Suspected auditory hallucinations, signs of schizophrenia, etc.," he nodded to indicate for her to continue.

Meanwhile, he shifted his gaze away from Aisha's hair.

Well... Not much hair indeed.

Aisha was somewhat nervous, pausing momentarily before she resumed speaking, "I feel like... there might be something... something in my room."

When speaking of something, her tone was tortured, as if she was fearful yet resisting something.

"Dr. Du Wei, do you believe in ghosts, I mean... evil spirits in this world?"

Du Wei stopped writing and calmly met Aisha's gaze as he countered, "Ms. Aisha, do you know why there is light in the world?"

"Um... why?"

"Because the sun is primarily composed of hydrogen, which accounts for over 70% of its mass. Under high temperature and pressure conditions within the sun, hydrogen atoms undergo nuclear fusion reactions, thereby emitting a large amount of light and heat."

Aisha: ???

...

"I'm a psychologist, and I can only tell you that this might be a sickness."

"This is terrible, Dr. Du Wei, you don't know what has happened to me, you can't deny my experiences. I have definitely encountered an evil spirit."

"But I'm just a private psychologist. If you have indeed encountered an evil spirit, you should be seeking out a priest, not me."

"But... but I can't be sure."

Hearing this, Du Wei helplessly said, "So I actually can't provide the solution you're looking for. In my view, the lights dimming might be due to the recent hot weather, causing unstable voltage due to the neighbors' air conditioning."

"As for the bathroom faucet mysteriously turning on, maybe you forgot to shut it off. After all, you are a programmer who works overtime until two or three in the morning, so being somewhat mentally out of it is normal."

"Regarding the TV changing channels, you could call customer service for repairs, or you could try the method of us Easterners — give the TV a solid smack. If that doesn't work, then I suggest you simply get a new one."

Du Wei placed the pencil down and spread his hands in a calm gesture, looking at Aisha.

She clearly was unable to accept this and said angrily, "Dr. Du Wei, I know many people wouldn't believe what I've been through, which is why I only told you!"

Du Wei glanced at her and said indifferently, "So I can't solve your problem, can I?"

With that, he tore the piece of paper off and handed it to her.

The form on the paper read as follows:

Name: Aisha Kleeman

Age: 26 years old

Gender: Female

Occupation: Programmer

Condition: Auditory hallucinations and uncontrollable visual hallucinations due to split personality

Recommended medication: Risperidone, Olanzapine, Quetiapine

Personal suggestion: Increase the dosage

...

Clearly, Aisha could not accept this result.

Clutching the paper, her face haggard, she whispered low, "I shouldn't have come to you, you're just a psychologist, you have no personal experience, you don't understand what I've been through at all, in that house, there's definitely something special, perhaps I really should pay a visit to the church."

Du Wei nodded in agreement, "I think so too, of course, you could also go to a psychiatric hospital to register, they might give you a different answer."

Aisha left…

And after Du Wei saw her off, the sky had already grown dark. Based on past experience, no other clients would come, so he directly closed the door of the psychological counseling clinic and went back to his room upstairs.

The house he rented was the most suitable nearby, with reasonable space and a decent flow of people.

The first floor had been transformed into a clinic, and the second floor was a place to rest.

He pulled out a thick case history book from the bookshelf, and on the latest page, Du Wei filled in Aisha's information and symptoms.

He didn't know if it was an illusion, but since he had opened this psychological counseling clinic, those who came for consultation or treatment all seemed to have some peculiarities.

Each one believed they had encountered something unclean, whether it was ghosts, Evil Spirits, or demons.

To Westerners, should these all be one and the same?

Having finished recording Ella's symptoms and about to close the case history book, it seemed as if he remembered something and flipped the pages back to the first one.

...

January 12, Sunday, 10:12 AM.

Name: Mia

Age: 25 years old

...(Gender, occupation omitted)

Condition: Paranoia caused by fear of dolls, with a tendency for self-harm—specifically manifested as claiming to have discovered a doll named Annabelle at home, unable to discard or destroy it, tormented mentally and physically every night; also, showed palm-shaped bruises on lower limbs with her family's support.

Recommendation: Immediate hospitalization

...

February 17, Friday, 1:23 PM.

Name: Reagan

Age: 12 years old

Condition: Severe split personality—specifically manifested as feeling like a man named Hoddy, who appeared to the little girl after playing a Spirit Summoning game, an imaginary companion, as per her parents' narration.

Recommended medication: None

Personal suggestion: Parents should spend more time with the child, give more love and attention to a child left behind.

...

February 28, Tuesday, 2:09 PM.

Name: Billy

Age: 16 years old

Condition: Coulrophobia—specifically manifested as believing that a clown-like creature devoured his missing younger brother, constantly living in fear and anxiety.

Recommended medication: Nitrazepam

Personal suggestion: File a police report directly

...

...