All-rounder Artist

Chapter 1437: Chapter 1183: A Hard Scripture to Read

Lin Yuan was very satisfied with the influence caused by this little Easter egg, as the topic of the chapter titles quickly surged to the hot searches.

Yi An successfully checked in with “Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils.”

Actually, there’s an interesting anecdote about “Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils.”

It is said that when Mr. Jin Yong was setting up the characters for “Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils,” Duan Yu was the only male protagonist.

The novel attempted to portray the myriad aspects of the world through Duan Yu’s experiences and perspective, depicting the joys and sorrows of the mortal world. However, once Qiao Feng appeared in chapter fourteen, not only was Duan Yu struck by him, but even the author was captivated by Qiao Feng’s bold spirit. As a result, as the story progressed, the focus gradually shifted towards him, leading to major scenes being dominated by Qiao Feng!

From the transformation at Apricot Forest to Xiao Feng’s great battle at Wisdom Village.

“Though tens of thousands stand against me, I shall forge ahead,” truly embodies unparalleled majesty.

No wonder in the Tianlong TV series, people often joke about Xiao Feng coming out with a boombox again.

No one can defeat him with his background music.

That’s indeed the case, as he, accompanied by Zhu, can take on myriad heroes.

In his mighty and indomitable moments, his heroic aura surges, stirring the viewers’ blood.

This epic battle also won Qiao Feng the confidante Zhu.

On this, some netizens remarked:

This duo somewhat resembles Guo Jing and Huang Rong.

The male is a great hero, while the female is a charming and quirky beauty.

However, the first major tragedy of the book originates from this very source.

Whether the novel’s three protagonists were Jin Yong’s original intent is now unverifiable.

…

And when it came to the third day, most readers had basically finished reading “Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils.”

That honorary professor from a certain university, who previously criticized Chu Kuang’s “Legend of the Condor Heroes” trilogy as progressively worsening, was silenced after being won over by Tianlong.

It wasn’t until that morning that he finally posted a book review, albeit late.

This book review was titled “A World Seemingly Full of Brightness, Yet Hiding Monsters and Demons Every Corner.”

He found being proven wrong quite thrilling.

At the beginning of the article, this person self-deprecatingly chuckled, “getting slapped in the face by the old rascal”:

“Honestly, there’s nothing embarrassing about it, after all, it’s not the first or second time the old rascal has slapped readers in the face. Though there’s a bitterness in my heart, witnessing the birth of such a book is a genuinely delightful thing.

Speaking of this book, ‘Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils.’

My conclusion is that this is Chu Kuang’s and even Blue Star’s best martial arts work, incomparable to the “Legend of the Condor Heroes” trilogy.

As the title suggests, the world in the book is a bright realm, yet it’s filled with hidden monsters and demons; it’s indeed a breathtakingly beautiful, chaotic world.

However.

The characters, plot, and world are all shrouded in the immense transcendence of Buddhist philosophy behind them.

Occasionally revealed in the text, it articulates the suffering of sentient beings, albeit helplessly, and once again showcases the compassion of ‘pity for my fellow man, with endless troubles.’

If one were to discuss the imagination of “Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils,” it can only be described as ‘astonishing.’

However, there is one person who is worth mentioning.

That would be the Sweeping Monk who appears only in the later stages of “Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils.”

A similar character appears in “Heaven-Reliant Dragon Slayer,” who ultimately gave rise to Zhang Sanfeng and Guo Xiang, namely Master Jueyuan.

The Sweeping Monk, like him, is a monk solely focused on cultivation, pursuing ultimate liberation.

If there’s any difference, Jueyuan learned unparalleled martial skills without understanding their essence;

Whereas the Sweeping Monk does so intentionally with a strategic foresight.

Did Jueyuan participate in the Duel Atop Mount Hua?

No.

Did the Sweeping Monk ever aspire to dominate the martial world?

No.

The Sweeping Monk didn’t even have the ambition to become the abbot of Shaolin, or else how could it be someone else’s role?

They have seen through all worldly achievements; they are merely phases of creation, existence, decay, and emptiness.

And martial skills are only ancillary learnings on their path of cultivation, or perhaps just a detour, a node, but certainly not their ultimate goal.

Why could the Sweeping Monk stand by while Xiao Yuanshan and Murong Bo stealthily learned martial skills from the library at Shaolin without intervening?

Because, in his view, martial skills are a small path, and learning them without a mind seeking the truth has inherently limited achievements.

Of course, this limitation is only significant for a peerless master like the Sweeping Monk.

It wasn’t until each of the two men achieved something and fought bitterly against each other that he came out to enlighten them, finally leading them to let go of their attachment to martial skills, to hatred, and to the kingdom, achieving complete enlightenment.

In fact, I believe that once people reach a certain level, they will all return to the consideration and exploration of ultimate concerns.

It’s just that a very few, like Jueyuan and the Sweeping Monk, head straight towards the ultimate issue and achieve something noteworthy among the vast populace. For us who can’t see through the mortal world, we can only admire them in awe.

“No one is without grievances; all sentient beings are guilty.”

This can be said to all living beings.

But it does not apply to those who like the Sweeping Monk, transcend the mundane.

As the novel’s immune survivor of various tragedies, I think the existence of the Sweeping Monk itself might also be Chu Kuang’s way of telling us:

Tianlong is not a dark world devoid of light.

How your life ends up depends on how you want to live it.

Additionally, I want to talk about a more mundane topic:

Is the Sweeping Monk the peak of martial power in Chu Kuang’s martial arts world?

It feels even someone like Dugu Qiubai is a bit lacking in the realm of mental cultivation.”

…

The ranking of martial prowess is unavoidable in martial arts fiction.

This topic is both mundane and likely to spark public discussion.

Indeed.

This person’s being slapped in the face by the old rascal is no longer the focal point.

The debate began on whether the Sweeping Monk is truly the peak of strength in Chu Kuang’s martial arts world.

“The Sweeping Monk is indeed invincible, but have you forgotten the frequently mentioned Bodhidharma in the novel?”

“The combat capability of Bodhidharma is no longer verifiable, but judging by the esteem the characters in the book have for him, he should surpass the Sweeping Monk.”

“Bodhidharma Patriarch hardly even participates in the plot, his presence is not as strong as the Invincible East.”

“Even if we don’t mention Bodhidharma Patriarch, are the Carefree Sect folks any worse off?”

“I feel like while others are practicing martial arts, the Carefree Sect folks have started cultivation.”

“The Carefree Sect also has a patriarch, probably an exceptional figure too.”

“When it comes to patriarchs, the author of the Nine Yin Manual, Huang Shang, is also top-tier.”

“What about Zhang Sanfeng?”

“What about Wang Chongyang?”

“In the old rascal’s martial arts novels, there are many big shots, but many are from different times.”

“Among the main characters, I feel Qiao Feng is the strongest.”

“Zhang Wuji isn’t weak either, and Xu Bamboo’s martial skills are unimaginable, but he doesn’t know how to use them well. Even in the original text, Qiao Feng laments this multiple times.”

“Guo Jing objects!”

“If only these folks could all be in the same era, and have a Duel Atop Mount Hua.”

Alright.

Perhaps this is why the celestial dynasty’s various Jin Yong legends exist in the previous life.

…

What surprised Lin Yuan was:

In the midst of the lively discussions, a whole bunch of people ran to Xian Yu’s blog comment section:

“Fish Papa should get to work!”

“Why isn’t Chu Kuang’s Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils being adapted right away?”

“Chu Kuang’s wuxia fits perfectly for Xian Yu to shoot.”

“I’m looking forward to the drama too, but I’m even more excited for the soundtrack by Fish Papa.”

“For sure.”

“The songs Fish Papa wrote for The Legend of the Condor Heroes trilogy match the plot so well.”

“Filming the drama takes time, why not release some songs as promotion first?”

“Waiting for the song release!”

“The public’s demands, Fish Papa, aren’t you going to respond?”

“Respond how? In Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, there’s the setting of South Murong and North Qiao Feng, don’t you think that setting resembles South Xian Yu and North Chu Kuang?”

“Pfft!”

“The old rascal is hinting at being Qiao Feng, subtly implying Fish Papa is Murong Fu?”

“Chu Kuang, the old rascal, is so domineering, it’s quite likely he sees himself as Qiao Feng; Fish Papa is a gentleman, similar to Murong Fu in a sense, as both occupy the southern role, are you two not getting along?”

“Hahahaha, not getting along?”

“So Qiao Feng’s line, ‘How could a great man like me share a name with a scoundrel like you,’ was aimed at Xian Yu by Chu Kuang?”

“Very possible.”

“I’ve been wondering why Chu Kuang’s new book is so popular, yet Fish Papa hasn’t said a word; there must be something going on here (dogface).”

…

Lin Yuan was dumbfounded.

Could it be that Xian Yu and Chu Kuang aren’t getting along?

This generation of netizens has an even wilder imagination than the last.

But when you think about it, there’s a bit of truth to it; the novel’s “South Murong North Qiao Feng” setting is too magical.

It seems like Chu Kuang wrote this book by copying the real-world “South Xian Yu North Chu Kuang” setting.

So:

South Murong = South Xian Yu?

North Qiao Feng = North Chu Kuang?

Could the old rascal Chu Kuang really be taking a jab at my dear Xian Yu?

Bah bah bah.

I almost got led astray by these netizens.

It’s clearly just a coincidence.

Lin Yuan rolled his eyes, logged into Xian Yu’s blog account, and typed: “A song about Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils will be released tomorrow night.”

To prevent the netizens from over-guessing.

Lin Yuan thought it necessary for Xian Yu to write a song for Chu Kuang’s new book to prove their camaraderie.

As for which song to choose?

There are many great songs about Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils actually.

But the most classic one has to be Emil Chau’s A Hard Scripture to Read.

This song uses a Buddhist perspective, combined with the novel’s core theme, and Emil Chau’s unique voice perfectly interprets the concept of “the tree wants to stand still, but the wind won’t stop.”

There’s always this sense that fate is predetermined in the shadows.

It feels like pursuing that perfect world is just a step away, yet in reality, it’s an unattainable emotional sentiment.

As for wuxia songs, this combination with Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils is a model for a novel-adapted drama theme song.

Full of philosophy.

In fact, this song did become very popular with the airing of the drama.

Lin Yuan planned to produce this song first.

So.

After posting his status, Lin Yuan got up and headed to the company’s recording studio, planning to sing it himself.

Even though the song is quite challenging, only a few in the Chinese music scene dare to cover it, and those who do usually fail.

For instance…

But Lin Yuan is confident he can handle it.

And as Lin Yuan went to record the song.

His post had already attracted the attention of countless people.

——————————

ps: Thanks to [Boundless] for another two Alliance Hierarch rewards, offering my knees to the big shot▄█▀█●, may the boss have a prosperous new year, live long and wish you well, and may you live as long as the southern mountains, I’m off to write the next chapter and also recommend a friend’s book below.

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