Chapter 94

Mengmeng's Xiao Qiandai said, "But didn't anyone notice that the 'Selected Tang Poems' is clearly 'Liancheng Sword Technique'?"

This bombshell of news brought out countless lurkers, including Lin Mu.

With a slight smile, Lin Mu typed.

One Page Book: "How did you figure that out?"

Mengmeng's Xiao Qiandai said smugly, "It's obvious!"

"The 'Liancheng Sword Technique' is all numbers. The first character is 'four,' the second character is 'fifty,' the third character is 'thirty-three,' the fourth character is 'fifty-three.'"

"Numbers, the fourth character of one poem, the fiftieth character of another poem... Do I need to say more? Hehe, come on, praise me! Oh, you're One Page Book..."

Everyone was stunned.

It turned out that she had been boasting for so long without realizing she had brought out the author himself!

Lin Mu typed a big laugh emoji: "Pat on the head, Xiao Qiandai is amazing, you guessed right, but no reward!"

This spoiler wasn't a big deal; any reader who read the book carefully would have noticed.

Yizhan Qianji: "Book, do you have a detailed outline of martial arts settings? Can you send me a copy?"

This comment stirred up a huge wave.

Lan Se Liuyi: "I want one too!"

Meng Nanxi: "Book, I urgently need it! Before, I didn't realize it, but now with the internal energy, writing without a martial arts setting is impossible!"

Even Wen Dao, who had the highest status in 'Wuxia Story,' sent a private message.

Wen Dao: "Can I also get a copy? Although I'll retire in a few years, I can't bear to be idle in the face of this year's redefining battle in the wuxia world!"

Lin Mu had a dispute with 'Wuxia Story' before, but he still respected this master of old-school short wuxia stories.

Respect was one thing, but he couldn't fulfill the request.

The setting of internal energy had long become something that could only be understood intuitively, not explained. How could it be truly ranked?

For example, when Qiao Feng saw Duan Yu force wine out of his fingers at Crane Tower, he was shocked, thinking he couldn't do it either.

But in 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes,' Qiu Chuji and the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan once demonstrated the skill of forcing wine out with internal energy.

There were countless such examples, and the differences in internal energy in different eras and books couldn't be compared.

Even in wuxia online novels, the settings of "non-grade, third-rate, second-rate, first-rate, innate, human list, earth list, heaven list, god-level" experts seemed too crude and data-driven, full of bugs when scrutinized.

Moreover, setting it up wouldn't be a good thing.

Although Jin Daxia dominated, there were still many excellent works before and after, like Gu Long's works, 'The Emperor's Legend,' 'The风云,' and 'Dragon Tiger Gate.'

If he really set up a detailed framework, it would stifle the creativity of many authors, which wouldn't be good.

One Page Book: "Sorry, I don't have that. It can only be understood intuitively, not explained. And even in my own settings, there are many bugs. Just don't criticize me when you see them."

Aimei's Fox: "You guys are so practical, always asking for settings. Haven't you noticed 'The侠客行'? Brother One Page Book, are you going to torture the protagonist again? Just make the main character called 'Dog Bastard,' I feel sorry for the little beggar."

Mengmeng's Xiao Qiandai: "Exactly, the little beggar is so pitiful. His mother doesn't love him at all, treating him like a punching bag. He only has a big yellow dog as a friend, so pitiful..."

Wen Dao, after being refused, didn't get angry but also chimed in.

Wen Dao: "The two of you are right. Xiao Lin, think carefully. No one has ever dared to call the protagonist 'Dog Bastard.' If readers feel uncomfortable with the immersion, it would be counterproductive."

Other group members also chimed in, expressing their doubts.

After all, from old-school wuxia to new-school wuxia, over a hundred years, there were also stories that tortured the protagonist.

But what happened to those authors who dared to torture the protagonist?

They thought they were expressing the complexity of human nature, but readers didn't buy it, and sales were so low that it made people cry.

Lin Mu remembered a wuxia novel from his previous life, the name of which he forgot. The protagonist, Bai Mengxiong, was disfigured at the beginning, causing a wave of criticism from readers. Later, the author, unable to withstand the pressure, made the protagonist wear a handsome man's mask to seduce women, which slightly calmed the readers' anger.

He really didn't know if, when the poor Bai Mengxiong and his so-called red-haired friends, who claimed to love him for who he was, not his status or skills, were in the bridal chamber, if the mask suddenly fell off, would they castrate him and make him a eunuch?

'The Liancheng Sword Technique' had already created a miracle.

Despite torturing the protagonist from start to finish, it didn't affect readers' love for the book. Instead, they felt even more sorrow and wished for the weary Di Yun in the cruel world of martial arts.

This was one of the reasons many authors admired Lin Mu. If it were them, they would have been cursed to death and abandoned by readers long ago.

But 'The Liancheng Sword Technique' was different. Not only did its sales not drop, but they soared, becoming even more popular.

Therefore, many fans of 'The Liancheng Sword Technique,' including Wen Dao, didn't want Lin Mu to go down the wrong path, thinking that torturing the protagonist would win readers' favor, and continue to torture the protagonist in 'The侠客行.'

Lin Mu understood and appreciated their concern.

Lin Mu: "Thank you all for your concern, but neither 'The Liancheng Sword Technique' nor 'The侠客行' is about torturing the protagonist for the sake of it. In 'The Liancheng Sword Technique,' Di Yun's tragic life is based on real events. There's no need to elaborate."

"As for the little beggar being called 'Dog Bastard,' I have a hidden meaning."

"The little beggar grew up on a desolate mountain, living with a mother who didn't love him, even abusing him."

"He didn't understand the difference between you and me, or human affairs. After filling his stomach each day, he befriended dogs and wild birds, with no ulterior motives."

"He didn't seek help from others, had no greed, and was naturally pure, like a flawless jade."

"Such a person, in my view, would be affected by any mundane name given to him, which would impact his natural and pure nature."

As the book describes:

The little beggar shook his head and said, "I never beg. If people give me something, I take it. Sometimes, if they don't give it to me, I take it when they're not looking and run away."

Xie Yanke smiled faintly and said, "Then you're not a little beggar, you're a little thief!"

The little beggar asked, "What's a little thief?"

Xie Yanke said, "Do you really not understand, or are you pretending?"

The little beggar said, "Of course I don't understand, that's why I'm asking you. What's pretending?"