Chapter 3

It’s finally up, so I’ll make a statement.

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Alright! First of all, congratulations to "The Intern Taoist," this not-so-great novel, which has finally been published after dragging on for over 800,000 words.

Here, I, on behalf of the author Balí, would like to express my gratitude. Let me find the list of thanks.

Alright!

Thank you, Big QD! Thank you, dear editor Lieshou. Most of all, thank you to the friends and family who have quietly supported Balí:

The generous and decisive brother, the insightful Muyu Xi, the persistent Mo Xi who always demands that Brother Wu appear, the young Zhu Ye (reminder: study hard!), the low-key tycoon Prince Dan (unfortunately, I never had the chance to chat with this tycoon), and then An Tian Shi, An Xing Xue Yue, and many, many more (though your names are not only hard to type but also very difficult to write. They are all rare characters!).

Thank you all for your strong support! Thanks, Ssimida! (Aren’t they friends? How did they become ghosts?)

So, here’s the exclusive interview with author Balí, with applause.

Time: Year XX, Month XX, Day XX, in the Underworld.

Interviewer: The most unpopular supporting character, An Kang (You’re the one who’s unpopular! I’m a thousand-mile horse, understand? Only a person of Bo Le’s level can appreciate me, got it?)

Interview content as follows:

An Kang: What do you have to say about "The Intern Taoist" being published?

Balí: Hmm, do I have to write a statement just because it’s published?

An Kang: Sweat:－D!

An Kang: It’s a trend, a fashion. Writing it means you’re already a VIP-level figure!

Balí: Oh.

An Kang: Which character in "The Intern Taoist" do you think is the most successfully designed? (A basic question, I feel like asking this is brain-dead! And answering that you like them all is even more brain-dead!)

Mo Xi, Interrupting (raising hand wildly): I’ll say! I’ll say! Of course it’s Brother Wu!

Sweat!!!

An Kang: What was the reason for writing "The Intern Taoist" after "The Old Shop" flopped?

Balí (blushing and lowering head): This (hard to say)

Muyu, Interrupting (with a fierce look, very scary!): Because I scolded him!

Scary!!! (Sister, you’re really not to be messed with!)

An Kang: What do you personally think of "The Intern Taoist"?

Balí (without hesitation): Well, except for the plot, everything else is worthless!

An Kang: What?

Privately reminded: (This is an interview, change it! I’ve never seen someone expose their own flaws like this!)

Balí (after reflection): The descriptions are not deep enough, the characters are not well-developed, and I often make typos.

An Kang (angrily): Then how dare you publish it?

Balí: What does this have to do with publishing?

An Kang (even angrier): You think it’s bad, and you still dare to continue writing? Still dare to publish?

Balí: Hey! I said it’s not good enough, not that it’s bad! "Bad" and "not good" are two different levels of adjectives, okay? I have to explain this from first grade, no, kindergarten Chinese knowledge, like "bad" is one character, "not good" is two characters.

(Tang僧 mode activated)

An Kang (with a black line on his head): Let’s continue talking about the novel! What do you think "The Intern Taoist" should be like?

Balí: This question is too difficult, I can’t answer.

An Kang: For example, is it an infinite flow, or...

Balí: Too professional, I don’t understand!

An Kang (with a murderous look, how did I end up with this author, no wonder I’m so unpopular!): How did you write "The Intern Taoist" into the supernatural genre? Don’t you even understand the genre?

Balí: It’s very simple! Because supernatural books are easier to sign contracts!

An Kang (helplessly): How naive are you!

An Kang: Editor, can I report that this person is not suitable for writing novels?

Balí: Alright! I won’t tease you anymore!

An Kang: Can you tell me what mindset you had when writing "The Intern Taoist"?

Balí: Do you know Uncle Ying?

An Kang: Yes! Lin Zhengying!

Balí: And Teacher Wu Ma? No mistake, the novel has many characters.

An Kang: Must know!

Balí: Uncle Ying’s zombie movies and Teacher Wu Ma’s "A Chinese Ghost Story." These are the types of supernatural stories I like.

An Kang: Oh? Then what does this have to do with writing "The Intern Taoist"?

Balí: I am a very ordinary person. Like many boys, I once aspired to be a hero. But as I grew older, experienced life and death, and experienced partings and reunions, I began to understand what life is.

An Kang: What is life?

Balí: When I was young, I loved the heroic spirit in Jin Yong’s novels, the tender emotions in Gu Long’s stories, the passionate and true love in Liang Yusheng’s "Lian Nishang," and the boundless imagination in Ni Kung’s "Wei Si Li." Of course, there was also Huang Yi’s "Seeking Qin" and many others. At that time, I thought the spirit of martial arts was the essence of life.

When I went to school, especially in high school, it was a world dominated by fantasy. The power to destroy the heavens and the earth, the stillness of a thousand years in a single thought. That feeling was even more amazing.

But later, when I calmed down and thought seriously, I realized that "heroes," "passion," and "power" were not the life I aspired to.

By chance, I read Xiao Ding’s "Jade Dynasty" and then "Journey to the West" which I had bought but never read. I remember the feeling it gave me: deep emotion, tears in my heart.

I suddenly realized that life is about living to the end, no matter how rich, powerful, or passionate you were, in the end, you only yearn for one thing.

An Kang: Which one?

Balí: Only emotion.

An Kang: Too profound! I don’t understand!

Balí: You will understand in the future! Because Lin Fei is such a person!

An Kang: In the book, there are many things we can’t understand: for example, why didn’t Lin Fei kill Qiu Wen? He was so terrifying! What do you think of the relationship between Lin Fei and Qiu Wen?

Balí: This question starts with the definition of "friend." In my classes, I’ve discussed with my students what a friend is. Many say a close friend, a like-minded friend, a handsome friend, and so on, all kinds of things! But in my view, a friend is just two words: "feeling."

My requirements for a friend are very simple: as long as you don’t have ulterior motives! Even if you’re a bit stingy, a bit greedy, a bit domineering, or have a bad temper, it’s fine as long as your heart is good! Friends need understanding and tolerance. Lin Fei and Qiu Wen are in a state of "neither friend nor enemy." Imagine if you were Qiu Wen, would you choose the same way to seek revenge, even if it means involving others? I think I might, and even Lin Fei might.

An Kang: The last question, about Lin Fei? Many people actually don’t like Lin Fei, but they like many supporting characters. What do you think of this?

Balí: Whether it’s the main character or supporting characters, they are all my children. Whichever one you like, I like too! (Not being pretentious, really!) But I still need to clear Lin Fei’s name. After all, Jiang Wu said at the beginning, "Lin Fei is a child, a child with many flaws." He is a bit selfish, a bit greedy, a bit pretentious. These are common mistakes young people make. As long as his heart is not bad, he should be given more time to grow.

An Kang: Can I ask one more question?

Balí: Wasn’t that the last one already?

An Kang (pleading): Just one more.

Balí: Alright.

An Kang: "The Intern Taoist" is now in its fourth volume. But I notice the story seems far from over, as if it’s just beginning. How much of the plot have you conceived in your mind?

Balí: A lot!

An Kang: Can you reveal it?

Balí: The current four volumes are just a fraction.

An Kang: What fraction?

Balí: Can’t say!

An Kang: Pretentious!

Alright! Thank you for watching today’s exclusive pretentious interview with Balí. I am An Kang! I hope more friends will click, collect, recommend, and continue to support "The Intern Taoist."

I sincerely hope that "The Intern Taoist" will, as mentioned today, be far from over.

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