Chapter 2288: A Quest for Perfection in Craftsmanship Epilogue of Volume Twelve

I believe everyone can see that the name Bai Yu Xia, from its creation, was destined.

However, in my initial conception, he was meant to burn his life to create a scheme in this section and die in an extremely tragic way, shouting the line "Make Jun Bai Yu Wu Xia." Jiang Wang would also then connect with "I am not necessarily Wu Xia," embodying a further "truth" and paving the way for Dong Zhen Wu Di.

But in the concrete deduction of the plot, I found that with the complexity of the times and the confrontations between characters in the drama, this kind of thing couldn't happen perfectly.

A character like Bai Yu Xia wanting to die isn't something you can just set a node for and have him die immediately. He definitely needs to complete some major mission. But in Yueguo at this time, he couldn't complete it.

His strength is limited, his wisdom is certainly not bad, but it's not at the level where he can contend with Gao Zheng. He also lacks sufficient intelligence, and even his perspective isn't high enough. In this situation, hoping for him to kill Ge Fei, who has already become something else, or Wen Jing Xiu, who is equally smart but stronger, or even play a key role in the scheme involving Huang Wei Zhen, is indeed unrealistic.

Jiang Zhen Ren currently has considerable weight, and his strength is sufficient in most places. He is also very emotional and cares deeply for his shopkeeper. I thought of many ways to lure him away, but none felt natural. How could he, with so many regrets already, still be careless? How could he leave so carelessly when Yueguo is not peaceful and Bai Yu Xia is not well?

So Bai Yu Xia ultimately didn't succeed in dying.

This is truly quite regretful. The lines were all well-designed, the scene was well-thought-out, but the character didn't succeed in dying... I can only find an opportunity later.

When planning the Hua Zhang Tian Qiu volume in the beginning, I wanted to write a chapter that felt natural and seamless. After the wanton destruction in the Dànǎo Tiāngōng, perhaps there should be a touch of intentionality in the writing.

But in fact, the story in this volume is all based on earlier groundwork, leaving little room for choice. In other words, its deliberate construction is very heavy, unavoidable.

So when I truly settled on the name and started writing, I wanted to write a chapter that was intricately crafted.

For example, Feng Huang Jiu Lei becoming real, and Huang Wei Zhen returning from fantasy, were foreshadowing already buried in Shan Hai Jing. I specifically made up the names of the four Feng Huang, and at that time I was very proud, saying how good these four names sounded. Of course, during the Shan Hai Jing period, many people also criticized, saying "Are you sick? Writing so many strange beasts and Feng Huang."

Zhu Jiu Yin escaping, Ge Fei being possessed, and Ge Fei extending a whole lineage of Shan Hai creations, finally becoming "Fei," were all planned from that time onwards.

As various positions see, Ge Fei's name is also his destiny. He is the "Fei" sought by the Ge clan – the Ge clan seeks disaster beasts, and seeking disaster brings disaster.

Ge Fei is a character at the center of the vortex.

From the creation lineage, Huang Wei Zhen is pulled in.

From the friendship lineage (Wu Ling), a corner of Chuguo is pulled in. Wu Ling is also intermittently present, being friends with Ge Fei in Shan Hai Jing, then watching the show when Zhong Li Yan attacked Xiang Bei, and thinking of finding Ge Fei.

From the master-disciple and senior brother lineage (Gao Zheng, Wen Jing Xiu), the Yueguo lineage is opened.

For another example, Xiang Fu Ren's jade pendant was initially planned to be used in Gui Ku, playing a role in Dou Zhao's return. That would have been set in A Bi Gui Ku, still called "Wan Gui Ku," which is quite a vulgar name.

The Yin Yang Zhen Sheng, and the foreshadowing of the Yin Yang inheritance, were written in Huo Shui Pian and Wu De Xiao World.

Actually, in the initial design, I wanted to write Dou Zhao's return as a larger scene, wanting to echo Xiang Jiang, Qian Tang, and the Ghost Tide. Later I thought, never mind, he hasn't become a Daoist yet, the scene is too big and not suitable.

Another example is the opening chapter writing about Ping Deng Guo, which was prepared to be received in the ending. Li Mao (Bo Lu) is from the Wen Zhong lineage in Yueguo, and Wang Wei (Jing Li) is from the Taizi lineage in Chuguo. Bo Lu established Tiangong City, and Ping Deng Guo first stepped onto the stage.

Within this lineage, the story of Jiao Wu Mountain between Ping Deng Guo and Chuguo should have been written in more detail, so that readers would have more expectations for Tiangong City. But there was no place to put this plot, so I could only mention it briefly, creating an implicit connection.

Tiangong City itself should also have had more descriptions, but after much thought, I still only described Bo Lu in the concluding chapter of the volume. This is because the overall focus was still the supernormal struggle, and the key descriptive touch was still Jiang Wang going to Lu Shuang He to fulfill a childhood promise.

Furthermore, there is still Bai Yu Xia, Bai Yu Wu Xia, Yu Bei Dou's ten-year plan, and the conclusion of every single line, all in the initial conception.

Writing this summary up to here, I suddenly feel sleepy again.

These past few days, several times I've opened my computer, only to suddenly fall into this sleepy, headachey state where I just want to lie down.

I must admit, because I encountered some things, I was extremely depressed during the latter half of writing Hua Zhang Tian Qiu. Some readers may know, some may not know, the things have all passed, and there's no need to investigate further.

It's just that in those days, I often slept at four or five o'clock, my whole body was tense, telling myself not to lose, absolutely not to stop updating.

I thought that after solving this matter, I would recover my state and write healthily.

But reality is not like that. After that tension relaxed, I felt more tired, even more tired. I only wanted to lie down, do nothing, sleep well for several days and nights, and clear my mind.

But I have no way to stop and lie down. I must update, must write, must complete the concluding volume, and it's a concluding volume with so many interwoven lines, so high in difficulty.

My requirement for myself is to completely fill the pits. For a novel of over seven million characters written in the later stages, completely filling the pits is the biggest writing ethic.

When this volume is finished, the outlines of Yu Yuan and Yin Xian Lin, the last two absolute ground pieces in the world, have also been drawn. There are actually not many remaining pits in this book.

But under normal circumstances, my pursuit is absolutely not just "completely filling the pits."

I know that what I say is meaningless.

Absolutely no one can empathize.

Even people who have experienced these things firsthand, who know the truth and understand how much you have suffered, can still laugh and joke about it.

Because outsiders won't feel the pain! Except for yourself.

I just want to tell the readers of Chi Xin Xun Tian that I have indeed exhausted all my strength. I have done everything I can in my current state.

Perhaps there are still many places I haven't considered, and many regrettable strokes.

But with emotion and fighting spirit, energy, and ability, I can only do this much.

The people in the book are naturally formed.

I, outside the book, am like a broken willow branch.

...

...

The writing of the entire twelfth volume basically achieved its purpose, the plot advanced, the clues converged, and everything conformed to the design. But the intersection of these lines, in my conception, should have been more rounded. Although it was a work of meticulous craftsmanship, I wanted it to approach naturalness.

But the reality is that my emotions and life and work are all very much not rounded.

Just like Zhu Ge Yi Xian's three-layer design, under normal circumstances I would carefully ponder and confirm that it could convince readers before presenting it. Under extreme conditions, I can only say that I thought of one point and immediately diverged and interwoven, because I didn't have time to think about the next point.

Sometimes I will think about a problem: Which of these two types of serialized writers has more professional ethics?

One type is no matter what they encounter, no matter how they collapse, they persist in not stopping the update, grit their teeth and endure, and strive to do their best in their current state.

The other type is, when they should rest, they rest, when they should stop, they stop, wait until they are in their best state, and then come out and write a bit, so that they always maintain a relatively peak state.

I don't know.

Maintaining updates of over four thousand words every day, with no weekends or holidays, and writing for several years, is not a healthy way to write for work. Because people are not machines, there are definitely fluctuations in state, there are definitely times of depression, sadness, not wanting to write, and being unable to write. Sometimes, in order to submit the manuscript, you can only produce a relatively not so bad chapter, not the best chapter.

But if there wasn't the pressure of daily updates, a slacker like me might not even write three hundred thousand words in a year.

So it's very hard to say the pros and cons of this.

But for a professional writer, writing undisturbed is what he should do. His resistance to pressure is also a reflection of his comprehensive ability.

Mindset is my short board in comprehensive ability.

I will try to adjust it well.

I attended an annual meeting in Singapore these past few days, met many people, gained many insights, and learned a lot. This is the first time I have come into contact with so many peers and industry big bosses. I suddenly realized that many things are not worth bothering about.

The emotional experiences you have are also experienced by many people. What you feel is unbearable is endured by many people.

There is no need to pressure yourself and consume your spirit over some irrelevant people and things.

Work itself is the only important thing.

...

...

It's a habit to summarize the results of the novel.

Hua Zhang Tian Qiu finished its serialization, with an average subscription of 67183 and a follow-up subscription of 73432.

The results are steadily rising, all thanks to the tolerance of the readers.

At a moment that I felt was very important, I originally wanted to say a very cool sentence. But walking to the microphone, I only blurted out one sentence:

Thank you to all the readers who support me, allowing me to write freely according to my own ideas.

This is the greatest power I have felt during these years of serialization, my greatest reliance.

...

...

Very early on, Chi Xin had a rule of adding updates for rewards in order to rush the list.

I originally wanted to stop after paying off the debt.

Unexpectedly, the more I rolled, the more I paid, the more I had. Just for Yan Ge, I updated 78 chapters. The readers' support was like a mountain flood, while the author's repayment was like a cup of water.

Now that Chi Xin is in the later stages, I don't want to finish writing with all the debts unpaid. That way, even after the whole book ends, my heart will still be heavy, and the pressure will be very great. At the same time, I also think that the quality of the work is more important than the amount of updates.

So, from this volume onwards, there will be no extra updates for rewards.

The updates owed before this, I will definitely pay off before the end. If I don't pay them off by the end, I will pay them off by writing side stories.

The second thing is still about resting for the concluding volume.

I want to ask everyone for a few more days off to adjust my state well, calm my mood, and stabilize this long, major chapter.

Let me report to everyone what I have been doing these past few days.

On the evening of the 25th, I went to Shanghai. On the morning of the 26th, I got up at six-thirty to gather and took a six-hour flight to Singapore to attend the annual meeting. The grand ceremony started on the evening of the 27th. Today, the 28th, is free time. I haven't gone out to play temporarily. I'm lying down properly in my room. I finally have some energy to write this summary. In the afternoon, I will go for a stroll with friends.

Tomorrow, the 29th, I will take another six-hour flight back to Shanghai (economy class, very cramped, the air is turbulent, no way to write). I will arrive in Shanghai at midnight, and the next day, the 30th, I will transfer flights from Shanghai to go home.

On the 31st, I plan to take my parents for a full body checkup at the end of the year, and then take them shopping, buy some stylish clothes, and prepare for the New Year.

This brings us to February 1st.

On February 1st and 2nd, I will sort out the outline and start writing and saving manuscripts. On February 3rd, I will open the next volume and resume updating.

From January 24th, when the concluding volume finished, to February 3rd, when I resume updating.

This is the longest period of stopping updates since writing Chi Xin, a total of nine days, during which I didn't write for seven days.

I am seeking writing state, writing passion, and writing power.

I hope that on February 3rd, I can see a recovered self and lead so many readers to a good ending of the story.

...

...

Thank you to all the readers who have supported me along the way.

Apologies to all the readers who feel disappointed.

Thank you to all the readers who love the world of this novel and have dedicated their enthusiasm to it.

Apologies to all the readers who care about me.

Living in my own world for a long time has made everyone worry. I really shouldn't have.

Finally -

"The weight of the human heart sinking down is a burden that those who walk up must bear."

This is a sentence from the main text of Chi Xin Xun Tian, sent to all those who are seriously struggling and making an effort to move forward.

Wishing everyone a beginning and an end.

Wishing we do not let each other down.

February 3rd, 2024, we meet again.