[{"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-178":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},2322746,4544,"Chapter 178","my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-chapter-178",178,"\u003Cp>\"So the priest saw I was different, recommended me to the Godfather, who then hired me, Wei En, as a tutor—really to solve Wei En’s problems?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Neither Carmine nor I could be certain if the Owl Court still watched Wei En. But now it seems our vigilance was right—they still haven’t given up, and they still see Wei En as key to the Wine Project.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Father Daniel sighed and said: \"This generation of the Owl Court is far inferior to the last. They moved too fast, left too many flaws. I lived in that church for decades—I knew every brick and tile.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The ice storm that struck Gotham couldn’t have cracked the church floor so wide—they were controlling Alberto, forcing him to test whether the wine had truly matured.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Looks like the hit you and Batman gave the Owl Court didn’t make them quiet down.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That move was actually very effective,\" Father Daniel paused and said. \"It was the most effective one in decades.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But it still wasn’t enough. Remember when I told you before that neither Carmine nor I knew the answer? That wasn’t just evasion.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Owl Court may be an important piece—but not the whole board. Not even the king or queen.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Carmine and I spent our entire lives without glimpsing the dark truth behind it all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carmine also shook his head; the flame on his cigar faded, plunging the old theater into deeper darkness. He said: \"I told you I never found them, never got the chance—that’s the truth. Behind the Owl Court, there’s definitely something else.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If that true mastermind still exists, no matter how many owls we kill, it won’t matter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I saw in you and Batman the possibility of finding the real culprit.\" Carmine turned to Shiler, his eyes sunk in shadow, dim and unclear. \"That’s why I wanted to form a secret society—but its true purpose isn’t to fight the Owl Court. It’s to fight the darkness behind him—or organizations like him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shiler leaned back, closed his eyes, and said with quiet reflection: \"I know everyone who’s lived in Gotham for decades must have guessed something. But I didn’t expect you to be this persistent.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We don’t care where you came from or what secrets you carry,\" Father Daniel turned to Shiler, his gaze not as sharp as Carmine’s, always calm and gentle. \"If you—or anyone—ever finds the truth, don’t forget—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Many have fought for this city. Most failed. Outsiders will always leave.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Demon God of Martial Arts\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A lawyer friend of mine once told me: you don’t have to reach the end to win.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, our stories are done. Now it’s your turn.\" Father Daniel smiled toward the stage. \"Our play is called 'Easter.' You named yours 'The Joker’s Return.' Any special meaning? Care to explain?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That thing beneath Gotham Cathedral isn’t called the Wine Pool. The substance inside is called the God of Wine Factor. It truly grants immortality.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shiler stunned them. Carmine and Daniel turned to him. Shiler paused, then added: \"But it’s not a cure. It’s poison. The most poisonous poison in the world.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It can forge the craziest madmen on earth. I’d rather call it—Madman’s Blood.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your tone suggests you know it well.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Gotham isn’t the only place with this substance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I almost forgot your record. Have you seen this before elsewhere? You told me you could guarantee Wei En’s safety—don’t tell me you’re lying.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course not, my lord. Don’t rush. This all begins with when Wei En came to me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When he came to me, he seemed tormented by his relationship with his father. I suspected Alberto was about to revive, so I advised him to use certain methods to hide himself in a psychiatric hospital.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I told him it was to show submission, to ease tensions with his father—but really, I wanted to observe him long-term. I needed more concrete evidence.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So you sensed something was wrong back then?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shiler shook his head. \"I had a hunch, but no proof. Wei En showed no abnormalities then—but my instinct told me something was off.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So I got him admitted to Arkham Asylum, where I worked, and put him in a room with a clever fellow.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"After those heavy rains, his behavior must’ve been obvious, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes…\" Shiler’s voice drifted into memory. All three turned to the stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the pitch-black ward, moonlight spilled through the window onto the floor. The metal handrails of the bed glowed faintly. Shiler stood before Wei En’s bed, watching him, as if sensing his emotions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carmine asked Shiler: \"What did you do after confirming that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Actually, I did nothing. I knew he’d slip up. And he did.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The theater’s old curtain closed, then reopened. Dust rose. The stage shifted to Xie Dun’s office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shiler crouched before Xie Dun’s desk, prying open the bottom drawer. Inside lay a stack of tapes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s that?\" Father Daniel asked, curious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"His recordings of my phone calls. He’s dead now—these are useless. Better I take them back.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sitting in the chair closest to the stage, the office light glinted off Shiler’s glasses. He rose from the desk, took a tape recorder from the cabinet, found a blank tape, and recorded his own voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Their No. 9 plantation shipment follows old Wilkin’s route—through three streets in the East District. Their volume’s too big, so they deliver underground at a nightclub. If you need, I can give him a heads-up…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re worried about this? No need. As far as I know, that underground chemical plant in the West District is also Carmine’s…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shiler crouched again, slipped the tape into the side of the upper drawer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing his name, Carmine chuckled. \"Don’t tell me you’re trying to scare off the cops with this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Exactly the opposite. Cops might be scared by the Godfather’s name—but one man won’t be. I’m going out of my way to give him clues.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shiler stared at the stage: \"I waited a long time before Alberto finally slipped. Maybe he grew impatient with Xie Dun’s indecision—or thought he’d won and wanted to silence him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alberto must’ve found an excuse to meet Xie Dun alone, then pushed him down during their conversation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But he still wasn’t thorough enough. If I hadn’t cleaned up after him, even the police could’ve found something.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Onstage, Victor pulled open the corridor window, looked down, saw Xie Dun’s body, and rushed down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if he’d looked up, he’d have seen Shiler’s busy figure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"One thing he did well: he had Xie Dun call Victor ahead of time, then timed it perfectly so Victor became the eyewitness—and got himself implicated—to confuse the police.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I didn’t know Victor was coming. If I’d known he’d call me, I wouldn’t have gone back to the asylum. I’d have waited beside the admin building.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The asylum is far from Gotham University. How did you run back and forth in minutes?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It doesn’t matter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Shiler wouldn’t answer, Carmine dropped the question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Later, during police questioning, I had to suggest another possibility—to distract them, keep them out of the way. After all, Batman’s turn was coming.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When patients went mad, did you guess it was the wine’s effect?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No.\" Shiler denied it. \"Before I personally encountered the substance, I never jumped to conclusions.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But Alberto sent me a little gift—confirmed the substance matched the patients’ blood. Then I knew what it was.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So what did you do?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shiler shrugged, dismissive. \"I gave him an Easter present.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moonlight spilled through the theater windows onto the old curtain. As it slowly closed, then reopened, the stage widened. A rich wine scent drifted from Gotham Cathedral.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Batman glanced left and right. From nearby dark alleys came wild howls—as if singing hymns for a rebirth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the mad laughter, Batman saw a figure climbing from the green pool. He grinned wildly, like a demon born from hell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Batman tensed. He knew the explosion had been strong enough to kill Alberto. Now he’d risen from the pool—meaning the green liquid was tainted. Something monstrous had been born.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alberto emerged, wet golden hair plastered to his forehead, face pale, mouth twisted in a grin, his green eyes utterly consumed by madness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Batman pulled out his batarang, chambered a round in his pistol—prepared for a brutal fight. But things still surpassed his expectations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the wine scent spread, wild laughter erupted across the streets around the church. One after another, mad figures gathered around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Batman looked left and right. At least a hundred of them. Each grinned like Alberto, shambling forward like walking corpses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I said,\" Alberto’s voice rasped like a blade sawing wood: \"I’ve returned—and I’ll live forever…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Batman stared silently, another familiar voice spoke behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Any special feeling, Batman?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Batman turned. As expected, it was Shiler Rodriguez—the psychology professor who insisted he was ordinary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Batman exhaled sharply. \"Don’t tell me this is you again…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Answer my question first. What do you think of him?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Batman turned back to Alberto. \"What do you mean, 'what do I think'?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm… do you remember his laugh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No. What’s that supposed to mean?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then he’s not your chosen one,\" Shiler said, disappointed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\" Batman turned to Shiler, who stood beside him. \"If you feel nothing when facing him, he’s not your destined opponent.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Batman,\" Shiler’s voice grew low: \"If one day, mad laughter echoes inside your heart—that’s when you’ve found him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And this one…\" Shiler studied Alberto.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He ruined my Easter gift. Now—beat him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1572,"2026-06-20T16:39:12.484Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","2947495f40d3ae443227128ca8fa187538935c7bb0a24708d85d9b7a7049c47f","my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-chapter-179","my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-chapter-177",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmy-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-cover.jpg"]