[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel":3,"chapter-my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-chapter-177":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","My Life as a Mental Mentor in Marvel",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2322745,4544,"Chapter 177: The Joker","my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-chapter-177",177,"\u003Cp>“Father, you’ve come.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Schiller stood from his seat and walked forward to shake hands with the old priest, who looked around the theater and sighed, “I haven’t been here in so long—I never thought anyone would invite me back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He followed Schiller to the front row, closest to the stage, where another guest had already taken a seat—the Godfather Falcone, seated at the very back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He merely turned his head to glance at the priest and said, “Do you remember? In our day, this place blazed with light. My favorite opera was La Traviata.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My favorite was still Saint Louis. Back then, both plays were wildly popular—every seat filled, tickets impossible to get.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three sat in the empty, decaying theater; thick dust had turned the curtain a blackened crimson, its gold threads dulled, and most of the bulbs along the stage’s edge were dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I still prefer tonight’s play. What should we call it?” Schiller turned to the two. Falcone, holding a cigar, exhaled a plume of smoke as the flame flickered: “Easter. How’s that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think ‘The Joker’s Return’ fits better.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why? A clown? You mean the kind from the circus? Gotham did have circuses perform here once, but that was long ago.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Schiller shook his head without answering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said, “I invited you both here to hear your stories.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Falcone sighed. The old Godfather said, “Let Daniel explain it to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Falcone and Schiller turned to look at the old priest seated between them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old priest smiled and said, “I was once a member of the Owl Court—but that was long ago.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daniel’s voice carried a touch of nostalgia: “I’ve said before—I came to this land when it was alive. I treated people kindly, and so earned some respect among the gangs; many were willing to grant me favors.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then those little birds came to me. They were far weaker than they are today. They told me they would share with me the secret of immortality. I feigned great interest—and joined them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old priest leaned back in his chair, tilting his head upward toward the stage, where moonlight streamed through the windows, bright and clear. His voice carried through the falling light, echoing far away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Back then, they had no assassins—just a gathering of elites. But later, they discovered something very special in Gotham.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The ‘Wine,’ right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Correct. They found a mysterious spring beneath Gotham. Its scent was like wine, intoxicating. Those who breathed it found their wounds healed, even growing younger.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Immortality and undeath—such beautiful words. No one could resist such temptation. So the Owl Court launched a plan: to excavate and unravel the spring’s secrets, harness it, and achieve true immortality.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It was called the Water Source Project.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But the plan progressed poorly. Those who drank the liquid went mad. In desperation, they turned to theology for answers—and came to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I knew from the start they only wanted to use me. But that was fine—I wanted to use them too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old priest made the sign of the cross over his chest: “At the time, I believed I was carrying out the Lord’s will—to save this land with His glory. If ordinary means failed, then another path was justified. The Lord would forgive me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They used those European nobles to build me a church—right above the spring. Then the Owl Court killed them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The estate you live in now? It was left behind by them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So they didn’t move away—they were murdered?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Precisely. The Owl Court claimed they had left. But no one who didn’t help build the church ever left alive. The Owl Court would never risk exposing the secret of immortality.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So I stayed in the church, guarding it, watching Gotham’s people come and go, generation after generation die.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You always beat around the point,” Falcone tapped his cigar. “This isn’t a sermon in church.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t say that, my lord. Today is Easter. Let us have a little patience.” Schiller gestured for him to continue. The old priest smiled and nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Later, I uncovered part of the Wine’s secret—and gained special abilities from it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So when I first came to the church, you noticed I was different?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old priest shook his head: “My abilities weren’t as powerful as you think. Maybe once they were. But now, I’m old. Without the church, without standing above the Wine pool, I’m just a frail old man.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But back then, it was true. When you first came to the church, I was slightly intoxicated—and saw something unusual in you. That’s why I suggested to Falcone that he hire you to tutor his son.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Schiller narrowed his eyes, staring at the stage. The dusty curtain slowly drew open. The old priest stood at center stage, behind him the crucified Christ of the cathedral, beneath him the rippling Wine pool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stood at the church’s heart, the scent of Wine drifting in the air, giving him a faint haze. In the Godfather’s blurred vision, Schiller entered—and merged with the setting sun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The golden rays burned his eyes. When the light vanished, a shadow of the sun remained behind Schiller—but it was the deepest black after sunset.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ai Yue Shuxiang\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Schiller smiled and lowered his head: “I’ve always wondered—why did Lord Falcone hire me, a dangerous element, to tutor your son? Anyone who sees my record would never let me near their child.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You mean your hunt for serial killers? Even without Daniel’s recommendation, I didn’t care. Such things are common in Gotham. This city has every kind of madman. I’d rather have a madman than a fool.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tell me about Yin Wensi. To be honest, when he came to me, I was already worried—he felt… off.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Falcone sighed: “I think you realized he had two personalities.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To be frank,” Schiller looked at Priest Daniel, “before Yin Wensi came to me this time, I had no idea he had a second personality. How did you know?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because at the time, Alberto was truly dead—only Yin Wensi remained. Of course you felt nothing. The personality you sensed later? That was Alberto, resurrected.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you think Alberto was the first personality?” The Godfather asked, then answered himself: “No. Yin Wensi was always the first. He is my son.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Godfather sighed again. He felt he’d sighed too much lately—but he continued: “When Yin Wensi was six, his mother died. I was lost in grief, neglecting him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One night, he slipped out alone to play. When he returned, he was no longer himself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...The Owl Court did this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How do you think the Owl Court became what it is today?” Falcone countered. “Just their cult doctrine? Not everyone buys that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They lure the children of the elite, erase their personalities, wipe their memories, and implant a new, more extreme one—loyal to them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That was Alberto?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Precisely. My child vanished, turned into the Owl Court’s claw. But unlike those ignorant fools, I didn’t mistake this change for teenage rebellion.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s their standard trick. No parent suspects their child has been replaced. They only think the child has grown.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Owl Court had one fatal flaw, Falcone drew another puff of his cigar and said: “They crafted a perfect personality—a perfect candidate to become Godfather.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand what they wanted. They prepared a flawless heir. Once he took the throne, Falcone and the Twelve Families would be theirs. They were confident—Alberto would satisfy me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But that’s exactly what made me suspicious. Before, Yin Wensi resembled his mother—not me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sounds absurd, doesn’t it?” The Godfather flexed his fingers. “I thought I was insane—even considering my own son had been replaced...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When he raised the knife to stab me, I finally lost all hope.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I suffered terribly, with no proof. Scientifically, I couldn’t explain it. So I turned to faith.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then came Priest Daniel’s voice: “When Carmine came to the church, I saw a broken father. As he spoke of his pain, I knew it wasn’t a joke.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daniel sighed, his tone heavy with guilt: “The method of erasing memory and replacing personality came from the spring beneath the church. I discovered it. To achieve my goal, I gave it to the Court.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But when I saw Carmine, I knew—I had made a terrible mistake.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All those excuses about spreading the Lord’s glory? Just lies I told myself to justify my hunger for immortality.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When a desperate father stood before me...” Daniel’s voice trembled. “The Father saw His Son nailed to the cross, blood pooling on the ground—and I became the accomplice, the man holding the silver purse, Judas...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I knew I couldn’t let this continue. I had to stop it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you used the same method to erase Alberto’s personality and restore Yin Wensi’s?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Wine has another use: resurrection. I didn’t restore Yin Wensi’s personality—I brought him back to life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alberto was resurrected too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Remember the Water Source Project I mentioned?” Priest Daniel turned to Schiller. “It’s more than that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Over the years, the Owl Court contaminated Gotham’s water and rain, spreading trace amounts of Wine through people’s blood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The heavy rains a few days ago awakened them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why activate the Water Source Project now? The rain did drive some mad—but not enough to shake this city.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They must have another plan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And one more question—what about the funeral? If it was just personality replacement, why make such a spectacle?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That was my idea,” Priest Daniel said. “I know the Owl Court’s methods. They possess a special metal that resists the Wine’s effects.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I advised Carmine to sabotage their raw material shipments—delay the delivery so many people wouldn’t get the effective umbrellas.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You wanted to trick the Court?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No. We knew faking a brother’s identity could fool ordinary people—but not the Owl Court.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was warning them,” Carmine said, gripping his cigar. “I know their tricks. I’m not afraid to kill. If they push too hard, we’ll burn this city down together.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If they dare touch my son again, I’ll turn Gotham into an empty shell.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Godfather’s tone, Schiller heard the ferocity of Gotham’s underworld king from its golden age—and the unyielding resolve of a father.\u003C\u002Fp>",1689,"2026-06-20T16:39:12.484Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","dc6361bf8a440f0c150dd060fca403b18bc9d8ca90a9f2bc0615c71706a60175","my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-chapter-178","my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-chapter-176",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmy-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-cover.jpg"]