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Chapter 1428: Chapter 1178: Preparation for Release_2

Only “The Legend of the Condor Heroes,” in my opinion, is so perfect.

The greatest chivalry is serving the country and its people. On a grand scale, it has profound depth and vision; on a smaller scale, its characters are richly crafted. Compared to this work, all other Wuxia novels on Blue Star appear petty.

But…

Even though “The Legend of the Condor Heroes” came first, why is it the one considered the best?

I think it’s because of craftsmanship. The latter two books in the trilogy increasingly show the marks of deliberate craftsmanship. The plot is consciously designed to be thrilling and passionate, the martial arts techniques overly complex and flashy purely for spectacle, and the third book’s cliché trope of one man with multiple women made me frown directly.

On second thought, I feel I may be asking for too much.

Even with all my criticism of the latter two books, it doesn’t hide the fact that their quality surpasses every other Wuxia novel on Blue Star.

But the problem is:

Chu Kuang’s new book is still going to be Wuxia. With the level of the latter two books in the Condor trilogy, can he really compete with the returning Lu Yang?

I’m not a fan of Lu Yang.

On the contrary, I prefer Chu Kuang.

I just want to make it clear: Chu Kuang’s three Wuxia novels are a case of constant decline. So-called trilogies that get weaker with each installment. But you can’t really blame him for that.

Because from the moment Chu Kuang wrote “The Legend of the Condor Heroes,” he was already standing at the peak of Wuxia.

Everything afterward was a downward journey.

“The Legend of the Condor Heroes,” as a perfect masterpiece, truly cannot be surpassed!

I’m just puzzled why Chu Kuang’s new book is still Wuxia.

As far as I know, he is also skilled in unexpected genres.

Having already explored all the splendors of the Wuxia world from its peak, wouldn’t switching to another genre be more appealing? After all, at the level of the latter two books in his trilogy, it’s genuinely difficult for him to face Lu Yang, who is in his prime. Unless he grows wings and soars from the mountaintop of Wuxia into the sky beyond.

But then, it wouldn’t be Wuxia anymore.

Such fantastical things are impossible to happen, though.

…

This internet influencer really isn’t a hater.

As he himself stated, he has always liked Chu Kuang.

Even in his past posts, he has repeatedly recommended Chu Kuang’s novels.

Especially “Journey to the West,” which he lauded as an unparalleled classic, enthusiastically promoting it to all readers.

It is precisely for this reason that his current pessimism has both surprised many and sparked much thought.

“That’s really true when you put it like that.”

“The Condor Heroes trilogy is indeed amazing, but it doesn’t hide the fact that the three novels get weaker with each one.”

“Especially ‘Heaven-Reliant Dragon Slayer.’ You can feel that Chu Kuang has completely perfected his craft in Wuxia creation, but there aren’t many plot points that leave you deeply moved or shaken. On the contrary, the first two parts have many memorable moments.”

“So is the old rascal going to lose?”

“Don’t joke around. I’ve been a fan of the old rascal for years. He’s never lost a confrontation.”

“That’s your bias talking. What level were Chu Kuang’s previous opponents, and what level is his opponent now?”

“Now that you mention it, I’m not so sure anymore, but why am I inexplicably looking forward to it?”

“Hahaha, all of you are black fans. The old rascal doesn’t even have normal fans.”

“Makes a lot of sense. I’ve followed the blogger, but I still want to see Chu Kuang’s new Wuxia book.”

“Count me in too.”

“Probably because even if Chu Kuang’s next Wuxia novel isn’t his personal best, we all know no one else on Blue Star can write Wuxia better than he can.”

“Exactly!”

“The old rascal’s lowest standard for Wuxia is the highest standard for Wuxia on Blue Star.”

“You could say that he is both the maker and breaker of Wuxia. It’s like how the old rascal probably won’t be able to surpass the Harry Potter series in children’s literature. A single book ends up writing an entire category to its limit. Wuxia is the same. It’s just that since Chu Kuang continues writing, we’ll keep reading and keep roasting him.”

…

It seems this article resonated with many people.

Because after completing the Condor Heroes trilogy, readers from both Wei Continent and Zhong Continent had similar feelings.

Even early readers from the six continents of Qin, Qi, Chu, Yan, Han, and Zhao have expressed similar sentiments:

After writing “The Legend of the Condor Heroes,”

Chu Kuang went on to create “The Return of the Condor Heroes.”

And then “Heaven-Reliant Dragon Slayer.”

The latter two are considered supplements to the trilogy.

But unfortunately, “The Legend of the Condor Heroes” had already reached the peak of form and technique in Wuxia. So while the other two works are classics, they clearly fail to surpass the first.

There were countless comments.

And in the end, the article went completely viral!

It was shared widely across major forums, and even Lin Yuan, who scarcely had time to go online amid writing, came across this essay by accident.

Lin Yuan’s first reaction was:

This internet celebrity makes so much sense!

After all, it’s widely acknowledged that Elder Jin’s Condor trilogy rankings are led by “The Legend of the Condor Heroes.”

However, upon reading the last few lines of the article, Lin Yuan couldn’t help but smile.

“The Condor Heroes” is the peak of Wuxia?

To stand even higher, one would have to grow wings and soar into the sky beyond Wuxia?

What a flag to raise.

Back when Jin Yong finished the Condor trilogy, the outside world probably thought the same thing. But those people ultimately underestimated the upper limits of a true Wuxia master, much as Blue Star now thinks they’ve seen the end of Wuxia after “The Legend of the Condor Heroes.”

Speaking of which—

The Condor trilogy deteriorates with each installment. In that context, without any additional information, most people would likely never guess that Jin Yong could later produce something even beyond perfect scores.

Keep in mind.

When the Celestial Dynasty discusses which of Jin Yong’s works is the most classic, three titles usually come to mind first:

One is “The Smiling, Proud Wanderer.”

One is “The Deer and the Cauldron.”

One is “Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils.”

“The Smiling, Proud Wanderer” is a work of freedom and political commentary.

“The Deer and the Cauldron” is an anti-Wuxia masterpiece born of philosophical elevation.

“Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils” is a magnificent epic rooted in Buddhism with boundless compassion.

Arguments among Jin Yong’s fans over which of these three is superior have raged endlessly.

In such rankings, “The Legend of the Condor Heroes” doesn’t even make it into the top three; it can only sit as an alternate in fourth place.

But in Lin Yuan’s heart,

The number one Wuxia novel is “Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils.”

Of course, Lin Yuan also loves “The Deer and the Cauldron,” but that novel is a Qing-era ponytail drama.

For well-known reasons, Lin Yuan does not like the Qing Dynasty.

The Qing Empire is long dead.

If Lin Yuan were to write “The Deer and the Cauldron” in the future, there is absolutely no doubt the dynasty’s background would be so dramatically altered it would be unrecognizable.

Ni Kuang once said something worth pondering:

Later in life, “The Deer and the Cauldron” became Jin Yong’s best novel.

And “Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils” was Jin Yong’s best Wuxia novel.

From Ni Kuang’s perspective, he no longer even considered “The Deer and the Cauldron” a Wuxia story.

It was anti-Wuxia.

…

Without obsessing over this essay, Lin Yuan held no resentment toward its author. The person was merely expressing their thoughts.

No harm done.

What Lin Yuan needed to do was to quickly produce “Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils” and reignite the flames of Wuxia.

With this in mind,

Lin Yuan stopped resting and returned to writing.

One day.

Two days.

Three days.

Four days.

Before he realized, twenty days had passed.

That night,

Lin Yuan finally reached the finale of “Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils.”

The Jianghu comes to a close;

Xiao Feng spills his blood at Yanmen Pass, ending his life with a fractured arrow;

Zi gouges out her own eyes to return them to Zhuang Juxian and follows him in death;

Lin Yuan tapped out on his keyboard:

[Seven or eight children from the countryside knelt in front of the grave, shouting haphazardly, “Long live the emperor! Long live! Long live forever!” Some shouted while kneeling, some stretched out their hands, crying, “Give me candy! Give me pastries!”

Murong Fu declared, “Rise, my devoted subjects. Now that I’ve restored Great Yan and ascended to the throne, everyone shall receive rewards.”

…]

Lin Yuan ultimately chose not to adopt Elder Jin’s revised version of the story, where Wang Yuyan ends up with Murong Fu.

Perhaps out of nostalgia for the original?

Whatever the reason, in terms of reception, this was also what audiences found most gratifying.

Though Lin Yuan didn’t mind using such a plot to “hurt the readers” a little, it couldn’t be just for the sake of hurting them.

As for logic?

Whether or not Wang Yuyan stays with Murong Fu, both could be reasonably justified. The key likely lies in the characters’ and the audience’s state of mind.

Tap tap tap.

After finishing the final words of the novel, Lin Yuan stretched and sent the document off to Jin Mu.

By now, it was already late October.

Lin Yuan had completed his mission by the scheduled deadline.

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