The item my senior sister gave me was the wedding ring I gave to Lin Han.
...
"How did it end up with you?"
...
As I was busy, there was a knock at the door. I opened it and saw Teacher Wang Ren.
"Why didn't you call ahead? You've already returned all the spare keys. If I wasn't home, you would have wasted a trip."
"You're leaving soon, so you must be home packing."
"Martial Uncle, your foresight is incredible!"
As I spoke, I supported Teacher Wang Ren by her arm and invited her into the South Gate House. I boiled water and brewed a pot of jasmine tea. The jasmine tea was something I bought specifically. I heard that Old Beijingers used to drink jasmine tea, and with this courtyard and these furnishings, I felt it would be a shame not to drink a pot of jasmine tea here.
Boiling water in the iron kettle until it was scorching hot, I poured it into the teapot. The fragrance of the tea permeated the air. With tea half-filled and bowls half-full, I poured a bowl of tea and respectfully handed it to Teacher Wang Ren with both hands. Teacher Wang Ren smiled, took it, and said, "You don't offer gifts without a reason. Tell me, what is it you need?"
I smiled obsequiously and extended one hand. "Martial Uncle, doesn't our sect have a rule? As long as a '封' character is written on the palm, it signifies the end of scheming, and from then on, one will no longer scheme. Could you write one for me?"
Teacher Wang Ren looked at me in surprise. "Teacher Wende retired from scheming at the age of 83. Although I am not as accomplished as him, I am also at retirement age when it comes to ending my scheming. You are so young, what are you doing?"
"Knowing when to stop."
I had a fawning expression, but Teacher Wang Ren shook her head sternly. I grew a little anxious. "Isn't this a matter of personal will? Why is it divided by age? Don't we have a rule that young people are not allowed to end their scheming?"
"No, I cannot end it. It was you, the sect leader, who helped me end my scheming."
"Why? Does only the sect leader have the power to end scheming?"
"My master, Teacher Wende, once said that ending scheming must be decided by the successor. What the elder said is the rule."
"But, Li Jiu wrote a '封' character on my hand?"
Teacher Wang Ren frowned and thought for a moment. "I know about that incident. At the time, Gao Xiaojuan died, and Xiao Jiu was heartbroken and decided to leave the sect. That day, before Xiao Jiu left Wende Courtyard, he was angry with Teacher Wende, saying that if Teacher Wende hadn't ended his scheming, Gao Xiaojuan wouldn't have died. He also said that even if Teacher Wende ended his scheming, he shouldn't refuse to help the dying out of stubborn adherence to rules. After expressing his dissatisfaction, Xiao Jiu declared that he would leave the lineage of The Schemer."
I listened, somewhat confused. "What did Old Mr. Wende say?"
"Master agreed, and he wrote a '封' character on Xiao Jiu's hand, saying that if one day Xiao Jiu changed his mind and passed on his teachings on behalf of the master, he would give this '封' character to the future 56th generation prospective successor of The Schemer."
"What does prospective successor mean?"
"It means Xiao Jiu is the successor chosen by Master, but this prospective successor must be acknowledged by the 55th generation successor of The Schemer to become the 56th generation successor of The Schemer."
...
After hearing what Teacher Wang Ren said, my respect for Old Mr. Wende grew even more profound. He definitely couldn't have predicted me. If he could have guessed that I would meet Old Ghost in Ruili in 2000, then he truly wouldn't be human. Of course, if he had that ability, he wouldn't need to play the game of scheming; he would have achieved immortality.
The reason I admire that old man is because he entrusted the future of The Schemer to his two most capable disciples. He appointed Cao Shi as the 55th generation Schemer, yet he also gave Li Jiu the right to recommend the 56th generation Schemer.
Therefore, to become the 56th generation Schemer, one doesn't necessarily have to learn from Cao Shi, the 55th generation Schemer. One can achieve it by learning from Li Jiu, as long as Li Jiu can write a '封' character on that person's palm.
And here comes the most amusing problem. Li Jiu, who betrayed the sect, ultimately took me as his disciple and identified me as the prospective successor of the 56th generation Schemer. Meanwhile, Old Ghost, who always dismissed the title of Schemer with disdain and had a deep friendship with me, never mentioned my becoming a Schemer.
If all of this was the future foreseen by Old Mr. Wende, then I can only say, I am impressed, truly impressed!
...
I looked at my hand and awkwardly withdrew it. "It seems I won't be writing this '封' character today."
Wang Ren smiled and nodded, slowly sipping her tea. "I came to see you today because of Zhu Guang."
"I let him go. Didn't you guarantee he would stay in prison forever?"
"Yes, that's what I'm talking about. I've already spoken with my senior brother. No matter what, I will keep him in prison."
I was quite curious and casually asked, "What did Zhu Guang say?"
"His attitude was casual, he disdained to answer, and simply said he wanted to see you!"
"When?"
"This afternoon. Zhu Guang will be in court tomorrow. Based on the information the police currently possess, Zhu Guang's sentence tomorrow will be either the death penalty or life imprisonment."
I was puzzled. "Zhu Guang won't just accept his fate like this?"
"He has hired a lawyer, but even the best lawyer can only find loopholes in the rules; they cannot change the law. The evidence of Zhu Guang's crimes is irrefutable."
"Alright, I'll go with you to see him this afternoon."
If it were in the past, and Zhu Guang said he wanted to see me, I would have certainly told him, "You want to see me, so I'll see you." But now, I wouldn't. As I was preparing to leave, my heart felt very light. Moreover, this time when I meet Zhu Guang, I will definitely encourage him to escape from prison. That way, I can better maintain the 'Three Kingdoms Strategy' I designed.
...
After meeting Zhu Guang in the afternoon, I was quite surprised. During his time in prison and under investigation, Zhu Guang's mental state had recovered very well. His face was radiant, and he seemed to have gained some weight.
"I heard about your situation from Junior Sister Wang Ren. I feel quite regretful for you, giving up such a magnificent world for a woman."
"Second Martial Uncle, can we skip the useless talk?"
"Isn't this useful? What do you want to hear?"
"Tell me about your escape from prison."
Zhu Guang rubbed his hands and looked at me with calm eyes. "The schedule wasn't originally this tight, and it wouldn't have come to the point of sentencing me. However, I underestimated that girl Cao Qian's abilities. She almost killed you with such a simple method."
"That was the method Zhang Si used against Cao Shi. The simplest tricks often yield great results."
"Exactly, exactly!"
"Please continue!"
"Duan Dongyang, in order to deal with you, left Dongyang Psychiatric Hospital, and thus left my control. After you escaped, he returned to Dongyang Psychiatric Hospital, so my happiness has returned."
I frowned. "You plan to deal with Duan Dongyang?"
"Yes!"
Upon hearing this, I couldn't help but laugh. "You truly underestimate Cao Qian. With my senior sister around, do you think Duan Dongyang will still be under your control?"
Zhu Guang sighed and said to me, "Tang Nan, your understanding of the word 'control' is incorrect. Of course, I don't have the ability to control Duan Dongyang's every word and action, but as long as Duan Dongyang acts according to my ideas, that is considered control."
"What do you want to do?"
"A secret. You must already know quite a bit, right? Look at this."
As Zhu Guang spoke, he lowered his head and let me look. A silver needle was inserted in the middle of his head.
"And here!"
After saying that, Zhu Guang unbuttoned his shirt, revealing a metal point at the location of his heart's gate.
I was stunned. Then I remembered that when I went to Dongyang Psychological Clinic, two people gave me the address. One of them was my senior sister Cao Qian. The other was Qin Sisi, who knew everything about the 'Logical Paradox'.
Qin Sisi had said that Zhu Guang was not that smart. It seems he had 'The Goblin' tamper with him.
This is a secret, which means Zhu Guang definitely knows everything about 'The Goblin'.