“This is the eye of a Forest Sea Sphinx Moth larva. If you were to look into the eyes of an adult, the sensation of ‘impurity’ would be ten thousand times stronger! You would instantly fall into a pit of self-loathing and suicidal tendencies. Victims claw at themselves like madmen, tearing their flesh, ripping out their hair, gouging out their eyes, and scratching through their throats. They throw themselves against rocks until they finally die in agony…”
Before Professor Lila could even finish her sentence, several students had already succumbed to a wave of self-deprecation.
Prima collapsed to the floor, wailing, “I’m just a disgusting bug… waaah…”
Matcha hugged her knees, curling into a ball as she shivered. She repeated a mantra under her breath: “I’m a filthy rat… I’m just a filthy rat…”
Dorothy writhed on the ground like a worm, her face deathly pale. “I ate something… something unclean…”
“Quickly! Use the One Bowl of Water Method!” Professor Lila barked.
Wang Yue immediately swept her fingertip across the surface of her water. She watched the ripples settle back into a tranquil stillness. The feeling of filth clinging to her skin vanished, replaced by a refreshing sensation—as if she had just stepped out of a hot bath and every pore on her body had opened to breathe.
As for the students who couldn’t steady themselves, Professor Lila went to each of them. She helped them up and manually agitated their water, guiding their focus to the surface to help restore their Sanity.
Once every student had experienced the method, the professor returned to the podium. She snapped the Sealing Box shut and continued her lecture in a calm, melodic voice.
“The One Bowl of Water Method is simple. It isn’t difficult to master, but let us expand our thinking. Adding certain elements to the water can enhance its restorative effects. For example, the moon and the stars.
“When the bright moon hangs high in the sky, reflecting its image in the water and then shattering that reflection provides a far better Sanity boost than pure water alone. The stars are even more effective than the moon. One day, you will venture into the Evernight Realm to explore. If you ever find your Sanity slipping away with no other recourse, a broken clay jar filled with water, a few drops of dew on a leaf, or even a small puddle could save your life.
“Furthermore, do not add tea leaves or ink to your water. We require ‘convergence,’ not ‘diffusion.’”
She paused for a moment before continuing.
“As we all know, Mental Pollution is omnipresent in the Evernight Realm. Upon contact, you will experience varying degrees of psychological and physiological discomfort. In severe cases, it leads to mental collapse and the breakdown of the human form.
“So, are recovery and isolation our only defenses against Mental Pollution?
“Not at all. We can also build resistance. You can increase your mental density through meditation, anchor your spirit through faith, or use ancient relics to stabilize your mind. There are many paths.
“Mental stability is divided into four realms: Purity, Absolute Severance, Stainless, and Divine Vision.
“The first realm, ‘Purity,’ is achieved when one’s mental hue can maintain a solid color without external interference. Whether it is the blood-red of slaughter, the bright yellow of rage, or the deep blue of sorrow—as long as it remains untainted by other colors and stays stable, you have reached this stage.
“The second realm is ‘Absolute Severance.’ The mind becomes transparent, eliminating all stray thoughts. With an indomitable willpower, one cuts through wicked impulses like scything grass. No matter the emotional turbulence, a mere furrow of the brow is enough to set things right and return to one’s true self. This is the perfection of emotional control.
“As for the latter two, ‘Stainless’ and ‘Divine Vision,’ you do not need to understand them at this stage. Neither is a state attainable by mere humans.”
Wang Yue gazed at her bowl of water, which now reflected the faint starlight. She suddenly remembered a quote by Goethe: Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe, the oftener and more steadily we reflect on them: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me.
Perhaps it was because the vast, boundless starry sky and the human internal world overlapped within a single bowl of water that it granted the heart such immense strength.
By the time the One Bowl of Water Method was fully explained, the class was only half over.
Instead of explaining specific meditation techniques to condense the mind, Professor Lila reached for another cloth cover.
Beneath it sat a wooden bucket filled with fist-sized slugs. They were slimy, glistening, and constantly writhing. Each slug was the same size, their backs covered in dense, scale-like patterns. They were plump, soft, and as translucent as white jade. They were actually quite beautiful.
Because they were aesthetically pleasing, the young girls didn’t feel any immediate revulsion.
Professor Lila observed their reactions and smiled.
“The method I just taught is not some profound technique, but it excels in practicality. It works in most situations and is particularly suited for beginners in mental cultivation. Now, I will teach you another practical way to restore Sanity. It is called—the Snuggle Method.”
Below the podium, the girls stared at the professor with bright, curious eyes.
“The Snuggle Method is simple. By being close to someone you like, your mood improves and your Sanity rises. If you embrace, the effect is even stronger. In the long, cold night, huddling together provides a shield not just against the chill, but against despair, pain, and sorrow. The person you like doesn’t have to be a lover; they can be a relative, a friend, someone beautiful, or someone you admire. It can even be a life-sized doll you cherish, a large pillow, or a pet.”
The girls began to whisper among themselves, and the atmosphere in the room turned a bit strange.
Someone I like… Dorothy subconsciously turned her head to look at Wang Yue, who was sitting peacefully on her mat.
She quickly looked away, her heart thumping against her ribs.
In the back of the classroom, Lilith knit her brows, looking troubled.
Someone I like? She could think of plenty of people she hated—practically everyone she looked at annoyed her.
Suddenly, her eyes lit up as she realized something important. The person I like most is myself!
Lilith pulled out a small mirror to gaze at her own soft, exquisite face. She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and tidied her appearance. Immediately, she felt much better. Her Sanity was skyrocketing!
The classroom buzzed with the soft murmurs of the young girls, sounding like a meadow full of bees in spring. Each had her own private thoughts, their eyes darting back and forth while they tried to maintain a facade of composure. They hid their blushing faces, acting as if they were harboring some monumental secret.
Something this embarrassing… I definitely can’t let anyone else know. Especially her.
Professor Lila’s voice rang out from the podium again.
“In this bucket are White Jade Slugs. They live high in the treetops and feed on dew and moss. By holding one, you can determine if your Sanity is rising or falling. It grows warm when it rises and turns cold when it drops. Quite thoughtful, isn’t it? Like a man drinking water, only he knows if it is cold or warm.”
With a wave of Lila’s wand, the slugs tumbled through the air, landing gently in the palms of each student.
Wang Yue caught her slug. It was cold and soft, feeling like a piece of ice cream that was just beginning to melt.
Interesting. Can this really be used to gauge Sanity trends?
She traced her finger across her small bowl, watching the water settle. Since her Sanity was currently in a state of recovery, a warmth soon radiated from her palm.
“It actually works.”
From the look of it, the White Jade Slug was a powerful tool for exploring the Evernight Realm—essentially a Sanity alarm.
Wait, if being close to others restores Sanity, doesn’t that make people here like the Pigmen from Don’t Starve?
Wang Yue stifled a laugh at the thought.
Professor Lila clapped her hands. “Alright, feel free to move around. You may use the slugs to confirm your feelings and see which of your classmates you truly get along with.”
Dorothy immediately scrambled over to Wang Yue’s side, slug in hand. She thrust her hand forward, her voice urgent. “Touch it! Feel it!”
“No.”
“Just a touch!”
“…”
“I’m not asking you to pet my head, just touch the slug!”
Reluctantly, Wang Yue reached out. Her hand hovered for a moment before she gripped the girl’s slug. It was warm and soft, burning against her palm like a heating pad.
“It’s hot, isn’t it?” Dorothy’s cheeks were flushed crimson, her eyes sparkling.
“Yeah…”
“I like Master the most!” Dorothy announced loudly, causing the other students to turn and stare.
Hearing those words, Wang Yue’s heart gave a sudden lurch. She felt a wave of bashfulness wash over her and pushed the girl away. “Don’t talk nonsense.”
“It’s true!”
Like a weighted roly-poly toy, Dorothy swayed right back toward her. The two of them were suddenly very close.
With their shoulders pressed together, Wang Yue could feel the warmth radiating through their clothes and catch the faint, milky scent lingering on the girl.
Wang Yue froze like a startled animal, her body stiff and her breath held tight. After a moment, her eyes stole a glance sideways at her little maid’s profile.
Dorothy’s lilac eyes were half-lidded, her lashes casting soft shadows. She looked utterly immersed in happiness, her expression peaceful and full of joy.
Her lips looked as soft as silicone, slightly parted to reveal small white teeth and the pink tip of her tongue. It made one feel an uncontrollable urge to…
