The wind in Northeast China in March couldn't be called merely cool; it was bone-chillingly cold. The driver dropped me off on a desolate road, and as he rolled down the window, the icy gust jolted me awake.
Pushing myself up, I caught a glimpse of the driver's face in the rearview mirror.
"It's you. I knew you weren't dead back then."
The driver, Old Ghost, looked less portly now, his complexion much improved. He smiled at my remark, said nothing, and pressed the button to roll up the window.
"Leave it open, it's quite invigorating."
"You're tipsy, I'm not. I'm freezing!"
I said nothing, watching him in the mirror, and asked with a smile, "It's that time again for Monkey King to suffer, and here you are, Bodhisattva Guanyin, descending from the heavens."
"Nonsense. Who's your Bodhisattva Guanyin? I suffered for so many years, and finally escaped. Why would I meddle? The problem is you. If your heart is heavy, why not go drink somewhere else instead of coming to my place?"
"Your place?"
"Yes, Ghostly Manor Private Kitchen is my restaurant. That chef is my wife. People don't always marry for love; sometimes it's out of love for their stomachs. If my wife hadn't cooked such good food, I wouldn't have married her."
"Stop bragging. Sister-in-law isn't here, but I know you. Be grateful anyone wants you, don't be so picky."
Hearing this, Old Ghost let out his usual chuckle and casually asked, "You're not in good shape. What's wrong?"
"You really don't know?"
"How would I know? I'm not some ancient immortal who can divine the past and future with a snap of his fingers."
"I always thought you were."
"Then you were always wrong."
I thought for a moment and told him about Wang Ren. Old Ghost fell silent for a while, then said seriously, "Senior Sister is going further and further down the wrong path. People haven't committed a crime yet; how can you condemn them in advance? Psychology is a good study, but it can't predict the future."
"Wang Ren is just like that now."
Old Ghost sighed. "Actually, in our disputes, Senior Sister never played the role of the villain. All along, she was the most down-to-earth sister in our big family."
"And now?"
"Fate is a strange thing; you can't really say. One step leads to another, and you just keep walking. It's not just us; even our master, old man Wen De, was powerless against the fate of his disciples fighting among themselves."
"Let it go then."
"If it were me, I'd let it go. Even if Senior Sister committed murder, I wouldn't interfere. That was my attitude back then, but Li Jiu insisted on getting involved."
"Back then?"
"It was the starting point of Senior Sister's path. Do you know the Fortune Teller?"
"Yes."
The Fortune Teller was Mr. Wen De's lover. Even Old Ghost didn't know her real name. Around the 1960s, she came to this country, hoping to spend her twilight years with Mr. Wen De.
However, at that time, Mr. Wen De was still an ex-soldier, and due to social pressures, he couldn't marry her. The Fortune Teller was heartbroken but didn't return to her homeland. Instead, she went to Yunnan and, through her fortune-telling skills, disguised herself as a genuine Chinese person.
...
Although the two never ended up together, their affection remained deep. They treated each other like family and maintained regular contact. After China's reform and opening up in the 1980s, Mr. Wen De even partnered with the Fortune Teller to establish a foreign trade company.
"China Style?"
I interrupted to ask.
Old Ghost nodded. "Yes, China Style Jade Rough Trading Co., Ltd."
The company, adhering to the principle of integrity first, established trade relations with renowned jade sales companies in Guangzhou, Beijing, and other cities, growing steadily and becoming increasingly successful.
The company's significant equity was composed of two major shareholders and local wealthy investors. These two main shareholders were the Fortune Teller and Mr. Wen De. However, in 1989, Mr. Wen De foresaw the impending crisis of his disciples fighting amongst themselves and altered his equity arrangements. He transferred the savings deposit book for his income from China Style to Wang Ren's name.
China Style was Wang Ren's primary source of income. In Mr. Wen De's words, since Wang Ren was destined to have no fortune, he would raise her like a daughter for the rest of his life.
...
After Wang Ren took over the company, her interactions with the Fortune Teller increased. They always got along very well. The Fortune Teller could read fortunes, and in essence, she was a woman who could see into people's minds. Like minds attract, and though the Fortune Teller and Mr. Wen De didn't end up together, judging by Mr. Wen De's feelings for her, it was clear she was an extraordinary and exceptionally intelligent foreign woman.
...
When Mr. Wen De passed away that year, Gao Ji's performance provoked Wang Ze Yi. Wang Ze Yi, in league with a righteous and indignant local official, formed "Justice." Later, "Justice" dissolved, and some of the more radical members left Beijing for the south, forming a new criminal organization called the "Yi Zi Jun" (Righteous Army).
...
While Wang Ze Yi's "Zheng Qi" (Uprightness) was still striving for criminals beyond the reach of the law, the "Yi Zi Jun" had completely degenerated. Ostensibly, they parted ways due to the trolley problem ideology, but in reality, the people who became the "Yi Zi Jun" were extremely selfish.
Wang Ze Yi told Wang Ren about this, and Wang Ren inadvertently mentioned it to the Fortune Teller. Upon hearing this, the Fortune Teller smiled calmly and told Wang Ren that she would help resolve the issue.
Shortly after, the Fortune Teller established a "Schemer" training program in Yunnan, nurturing several outstanding talents and attracting the attention of the "Yi Zi Jun." The "Yi Zi Jun" found the Fortune Teller, who, seizing the opportunity, presented them with a plan that would elevate them to prominence.
...
Hearing this, my hangover had mostly subsided.
"Ao Xuan?"
"Yes, Ao Xuan."
"Who won?"
"No one won. Senior Sister acted in secret, triggering a butterfly effect. They turned on each other, and in the end, a few who realized what was happening also fell victim to Senior Sister's machinations."
"Wang Ren killed all of the Yi Zi Jun by herself and became a demon?"
"That's the rumor in the martial world, but it's not the reality. Li Jiu was also involved in that battle; he designed several crucial gambits."
"So, Li Jiu wasn't investigating the Southern Sect? He was helping."
"'Southern Sect' was Senior Sister's concept. She never intended to betray the sect and respected Master's decisions. Therefore, even as her skills grew, she had no intention of seizing the successor of the Schemers. She merely established a branch as a disciple of old man Wen De."
"No wonder Ye Qingcheng said there was no 'Southern Sect' before she died."
"Precisely. There was no 'Southern Sect.' Those in the 'Yi Zi Jun' died long ago. The current 'Southern Sect' is just a rabble. They can't even be considered Schemers; they're just her pawns."
"Since you knew all this, why didn't you stop her?"
"Senior Sister is old."
"What do you mean?"
"Keeping up with the times. Society and civilization are progressing. In the old days, old man Wen De, let alone punishing bad people, would scheme against anyone he disliked; he was a thorough devil. In our generation, when you were still young, some people were involved in organized crime and violence. Because the laws were not yet sound, they exploited loopholes and harmed people. Eliminating them was considered ridding the public of harm. But with the peace and prosperity reaching your generation, it's completely different. Justice has already formed a basic law in your hearts. Violating the law arbitrarily is a crime. Punishing criminals privately is an inappropriate act."
"Yes, that's exactly what I think."
"What you did back then, you should stop now. If you still can't stop, it doesn't mean you're a bad person, but rather that age brings stubbornness, and old habits are hard to let go of."
I was surprised by Old Ghost's interpretation of Wang Ren. I looked at him, puzzled. Old Ghost smiled slightly. "Do you know why the all-powerful Gao Ji lost?"
"Wasn't it because of you?"
"Of course not. If I could have defeated him, I would have done so long ago, why wait until he was old? What era is this? Gao Ji is still dreaming of being an emperor. His descendants are equally intelligent, but they will never become him."
"Why?"
"Gao Ji leaving Britain wasn't because he wanted to be Chinese. Gao Zi Yan grew up in Hong Kong; she considers herself Chinese. Based on this alone, the Gao family will be an asset to the country in the future, not a tumor. Tang Nan, everything returns to its origin. These experts who can see the past and future did not lose to anyone; they lost to the times. Do you remember me teaching you about scheming? The first thing a schemer must do is to go with the will of heaven. What is heaven? The trend of future development is heaven. The times are progressing, our civilization is progressing, our lives are progressing. The 'heaven' of today is the prosperity of the nation and the moral progress of the common people. Senior Sister, if she continues to err, there will be no good resolution. Zhang Si is dead, Zhu Guang is dead, Li Jiu is dead. Of old man Wen De's five disciples, only the two of us remain. I don't want to see her end up in disgrace."
"Are you going to try and persuade her?"
"No. You are."
"Me?"
Old Ghost turned around, his face beaming with a smile. "I'll give you a gift, and then you can go persuade Senior Sister. It will be my final lesson to you after my rebirth."