Chapter 59

"Are you sure you want to ask this question?" Before reading a novel, making preconceived judgments about the characters can ruin the pleasure of reading, so Liu Jingtong had this issue, "You're not an editor anymore."

"It's just a professional habit. If you don't answer, it means you agree. Also, this Jade Demoness appears at such a young age; I'm afraid readers will criticize you for always creating inexplicable prodigy girls."

"That's a tough one. Do you think it would be better if she appeared at fifty? As I said, it's because they are special that we chose them as the main characters. In such a vast world, can't there be two geniuses?"

"Authors always have their reasons. I won't argue with you. I really like how the Jade Demoness makes her entrance, radiant and eye-catching. And the setting where she always greets with a smile before taking action is quite unique."

When Liu Jingtong first read this novel, he was once captivated by the "the more she smiles, the more deadly she is" White-Haired Demoness, to the point where he even imitated this personality, laughing before fighting with his friends, who then took the opportunity to ambush him...

"That's right."

"When will you send me the next chapter?"

"Hmm? The next chapter? I've already promised your mother..."

"Get lost, you dare not send it!"

"Hu Xiaomi, it's your first time in senior high school, you don't know how hard it is. Wait until after the college entrance exam to read extracurricular books. Besides, I don't want to be a hypocrite."

"Don't give me that."

"Even if I take a step back, as an author, not focusing on writing and spending all day flirting with a beautiful editor seems unprofessional. Readers will criticize me."

"Stop talking nonsense. Who's flirting with you? If you don't send it, I won't talk to you for a month."

Liu Jingtong thought for a few seconds and replied, "If your mother finds out I'm such an untrustworthy person, it will be even harder to play with you in the future. Do you understand?"

"I promise, once the book is published, I'll give you the first copy, and it will have my signature."

Mi Hu didn't respond. A few minutes later, Liu Jingtong opened the document, and Mi Hu sent a web link. It turned out to be the list of winners for the "Legendary Cup" writing contest. "The Sword of the Yue Maiden" unexpectedly only won third prize. The grand prize went to a member of the Writers' Association for a long poem titled "Ode to Culture."

"I often think, if these poets weren't allowed to use words like 'vicissitudes,' 'glory,' and 'fame,' what would they do?" Liu Jingtong replied.

Mi Hu still didn't respond and sent another link, which was a microblog by internet celebrity Luotou. Luotou won the first prize in the contest but wrote in his blog, "I feel my work is far inferior to 'The Sword of the Yue Maiden,' and I dare not accept this award. Also, I read the factual 'Ode to Culture,' hehe."

Then Mi Hu sent a link to a post and a video. The post was from the Hainan Forum, stating that although "The Sword of the Yue Maiden" only won third prize, it was the undisputed king without a crown. The video was of Xue Muliang and Beihetang participating in a TV interview.

This was Xue Muliang's usual tactic to promote his authors. As a publisher, using his resources to pave the way for his authors was a normal thing for a boss to do, but the title of this video was not friendly: Xue Muliang criticizes Gu Yusheng's novels as unreadable.

"Clickbait..." Liu Jingtong replied.

"15 minutes and 36 seconds."

Liu Jingtong opened the video and dragged it to the time point Mi Hu gave. Sure enough, he heard Xue Muliang talking about Gu Yusheng's works: "I read a few chapters and felt the writing style was rather old-fashioned, out of touch with current trends."

Xue Muliang's tone was gentle, and his words were very cautious. Beihetang, on the other hand, seemed more agitated and continued, "The worst thing for a literary creator is to be stuck in the past, clinging to outdated conventions. The 'zhi hu zhe ye' style is already outdated. Authors deliberately avoid modern vocabulary, making the sentences neither classical nor modern, awkward to read, and forcing readers to abandon the book."

Liu Jingtong couldn't help but laugh and muttered to himself, "You used two idioms and still called others outdated?"

"Brother Ting, what are you watching?" Yu Xiaoshu heard the sound and asked.

"A video."

"Xue Muliang?" Yu Xiaoshu walked over to Liu Jingtong and, seeing Xue Muliang on the screen, was somewhat surprised, "Brother Ting actually likes Xue Muliang?"

Liu Jingtong hadn't had time to answer when Yu Xiaoshu suddenly said, "I get it. Xue Muliang's fans are mostly girls. Brother Ting, who can charm senior girls, of course needs to understand Xue Muliang."

Liu Jingtong was about to come up with other reasons, but this made it easier, so he shrugged and said, "That's right."

Yu Xiaoshu thought for a moment and said, "I still prefer Han Shuo's sharpness, but to get a girlfriend, I guess I need to learn from Brother Ting."

Liu Jingtong smiled and nodded, then closed the video. At that moment, Zhao Kan came in, out of breath, carrying a bag, and said, "Mom, you don't have to worry about my military training anymore."

"Did you apply to drop out?" Yu Xiaoshu asked with a smile.

"How could I be a deserter?" Zhao Kan said with a mysterious smile, patting the bag, "I've prepared a secret weapon."

"What weapon?"

"If I tell you, it wouldn't be a secret anymore."

Yu Xiaoshu didn't press further and casually mentioned the earlier question, "Old Zhao, do you like Han Shuo or Xue Muliang?"

Zhao Kan squatted down with difficulty, stuffed the bag into the cabinet, and then stood up to look at Yu Xiaoshu, asking, "I don't like boys. Why not Yi Shui'an or Shen You?"

"We're talking about literature. Can you not be so shallow?" Yu Xiaoshu said seriously.

"I don't think beauty is more shallow than literature."

"Okay, let me rephrase. Which one do you think is cooler, Han Shuo or Xue Muliang?"

"That's better, much more refined. At this stage, we definitely lean more towards Han Shuo, admiring his sharpness and personality. When I grow up, I might admire Xue Muliang more, he's so damn rich!"

"Vulgar."

Zhao Kan waved his hand and said, "Don't talk nonsense. Making money legally isn't vulgar. Besides, I've recently found a new favorite, a martial arts novel called 'Seven Swords Descend from Mount Tian.' It's really exciting."

"Gu Yusheng, who doesn't know him?" Yu Xiaoshu boasted.

"Wow, it sounds like you've had dinner with him."

Liu Jingtong couldn't help but laugh and said, "Is having dinner with Gu Yusheng so impressive?"

Zhao Kan sneered, "You young people, you only look up to your idols. I can tell you, in three years, Gu Yusheng's fame will rival Han Shuo and Xue Muliang. Even if there's a gap, it won't be much."

Liu Jingtong suddenly realized, "Oh, so I should check it out too."

As they were chatting, Sun Xinyang suddenly entered the room. They were about to greet him but noticed he had tear marks on his face and sat on the bed, looking lost, as if he hadn't seen anyone.

The three of them looked at each other, and Yu Xiaoshu mouthed, "Heartbroken."

Liu Jingtong carefully asked, "Old Sun, what's wrong?"

Sun Xinyang shook his head without answering. Liu Jingtong didn't press further. The three of them exchanged glances and quietly dispersed.

...

Mi Hu indeed didn't say anything more. Liu Jingtong closed the video, logged out of the chat, took a deep breath, and then his fingers flew over the keyboard:

[Shocking Beijing, the Cudgel Incident. Turmoil in the palace, a mysterious night encounter.]

[The Jade Demoness scolded, "What a shame, a high-ranking official with a heart smaller than a mustard seed." She patted Zhuo Zhonglian twice, and he slowly regained consciousness...]

Liu Jingtong was focused, his hands moving as his mind dictated. The words on the document appeared in paragraphs. Liu Jingtong was once again immersed in that world, with Zhuo Yihang, palace conspiracies, and the historically recorded "Cudgel Incident"...

In less than an hour and a half, Liu Jingtong had typed out the second chapter. After saving it, he stretched his arms and neck, turned to look at his roommates. Zhao Kan had one foot on the bed, flipping through a magazine; Yu Xiaoshu was sitting on the bed with a laptop in front of him and a phone in his hand; Sun Xinyang was lying quietly on the bed, covered in a blanket. Liu Jingtong sensed that whatever could make such a person cry must be more serious than a fight with his girlfriend.

Liu Jingtong shook his hands, took a sip of water, and then returned to the keyboard. Whether it was the influence of Xue Muliang and Beihetang's words, the results of the "Legendary Cup" writing contest, or Hu Mom's attitude that angered him, he now only wanted to complete the novel as quickly as possible.

"Tap, tap, tap..."

Despite Liu Jingtong's efforts to reduce the force of his keystrokes, the speed was so fast that a crisp sound still echoed. For a writer, this sound was undoubtedly beautiful music. Conversely, when facing a blank screen, it was a nightmare, a writer's worst fear.

The story reached the third chapter, a very classic part of "The White-Haired Demoness." It was where Zhuo Yihang and Lian Nishang had their romantic encounter:

[Brothers in arms, the palace sword clash, enmity unresolved, a strange bond in the ancient cave.]

This kind of "strange bond in the ancient cave" was already a cliché when Liu Jingtong started reading martial arts novels, but in the era of the White-Haired Demoness, it still captivated countless young hearts.

[The young girl lowered her head and said, "You're right. How can you be like an old friend to me? Hey, what's your name? I haven't asked you yet." Zhuo Yihang gave his name and asked the girl, who replied, "I'm surnamed Lian. I don't have a name. Can you give me one?" The rain outside gradually stopped, and a gust of wind blew in, making the girl's clothes flutter beautifully. Zhuo Yihang suddenly thought of the phrase "Nishang Feather Dress" and blurted out, "Nishang, wouldn't that be perfect?"]

This was the origin of the demoness "Lian Nishang." The countless joys and sorrows, the love and hate, and the unprecedented tragedy of her hair turning white overnight, all stemmed from this name.

By the time the third chapter was finished, it was nearly midnight. The streetlights outside were already off, and the three roommates were asleep. Zhao Kan's snoring filled the room. Liu Jingtong saved the document, rubbed his temples, stretched his arms, did a few flying swallow exercises, turned off the computer, and went to bed.

...

The next morning, Liu Jingtong groggily got out of bed, groggily went to the playground with everyone, and groggily followed the instructor to learn the designated movements. Just as Liu Jingtong was lamenting his state of mind, a miraculous event completely woke him up:

Today they were learning to march in step. Zhao Kan, being overweight, looked like a clumsy Japanese soldier in a comedy film when he marched, his large body swaying from side to side, his hands swinging up to his chin. The instructor couldn't bear to watch and pulled him out to demonstrate in front of everyone.

Facing three battalions of comrades, Zhao Kan, possibly too nervous, kicked out his right foot with too much force, and his military shoe flew off. Before anyone could laugh, they saw the flying shoe, like a satellite separating, split into a white object—clearly a sanitary pad!

The entire training ground was stunned. Both boys and girls were shocked by the scene.

Liu Jingtong and Yu Xiaoshu blurted out, "Secret weapon!"

The instructor, with a dark face, walked up to the bewildered Zhao Kan and coldly asked, "What's going on?"

Zhao Kan stammered, "Because, because my feet, blisters, so, to prevent..."

"Blisters on your feet? Do they also appear once a month?" The instructor asked, seemingly very experienced.