Chapter 125: Mei Ruohua

“Four Pieces of Brocade, mandarin ducks woven to fly in pairs. The net pitifully ages before its time, white-haired; spring waves and green grass, in the depths of the dawn chill, facing each other, bathing in red robes.” — by Ying Gu.

A single embroidered handkerchief, a brief poem, entwined a twisted fate.

Since its debut, The Legend of the Condor Heroes has swept through half of China, as well as Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia. Alongside the naive Guo Jing and the clever Huang Rong, tales of growth and love have captivated countless readers, who have become utterly engrossed in the story. Meanwhile, the love triangle involving Zhou Botong, Ying Gu, and Master Yideng sparked endless sighs among readers for its melodramatic intensity.

Before the explosive boom of entertainment, melodramatic love stories were the ultimate weapon that could win over everyone.

Unlike other novels where love exists solely between the protagonists, The Legend of the Condor Heroes is filled with love and passion everywhere—various romances that, seen from the future, are undeniably melodramatic. For example, the love and hatred among Wanyan Honglie, Bao Xiruo, and Yang Tiexin; the unyielding devotion of Mei Feng and Chen Xuanfeng despite their villainy; Yang Kang and Mu Nianci’s tragic pairing of bad and infatuated; and now the tangled triangle of Four Pieces of Brocade.

“Why has The Legend of the Condor Heroes sparked such a reading frenzy? First and foremost, it is because of the emotions woven into the story. Every character under Tan Zhang’s pen embodies loyalty—whether to friends or to loved ones. None are mere props; each is multifaceted and palpably real.”

Professor Li Qiru of Renmin University, who has studied martial arts culture for over a decade, now regularly reviews various wuxia novels in the Wuxia Edition of Ancient and Modern Legends, showcasing his scholarship while earning from his writings.

With The Legend of the Condor Heroes now renowned worldwide, Li Qiru naturally seized this momentum to offer more critiques.

Last issue focused on the martial world of The Legend of the Condor Heroes; this issue turns to its romances.

“Bao Xiruo and Wanyan Honglie represent a love entangled with family vengeance and national hatred… The love between Old Mischievous, Ying Gu, and Master Yideng remains unresolved… Today, I will mainly discuss the love between Mei Feng and Chen Xuanfeng.”

“The two, upon their introduction, are a cruel and sinister pair, committing countless atrocities and killing mercilessly, using living people to practice the Nine Yin White Bone Claw and Heart-Shattering Palm. In the martial world, they are known as the Black Wind Twin Devils—one a bronze corpse, the other an iron corpse. They stole Huang Yaoshi’s Nine Yin Manual, betrayed their master, and fled north to the desert.”

“Although they stole the manual, their innate talents limited them from mastering its essence. Returning secretly to Peach Blossom Island, they witnessed their master Huang Yaoshi’s superior skills, which even surpassed the Nine Yin Manual. Yet, they never learned even a fraction of his true abilities. At this point, Mei Feng asked Chen Xuanfeng if he regretted it—if following their master might have led them to great skills one day. Chen Xuanfeng replied, ‘You don’t regret it; neither do I.’”

“At this moment, one almost forgets they are the worst of villains, and upon reflection, the Black Wind Twin Devils reveal themselves as people of genuine temperament. Perhaps readers can sense a tinge of helplessness and sorrow—these two stole the book and fled because they knew their master would never accept them. For love, they had no choice but to become villains…”

If one speaks of classic characters in The Legend of the Condor Heroes, Mei Feng certainly ranks among them.

Snow flies across the sky shooting the white deer; the laughing scholar and divine hero lean on the jade mandarin duck.

Among Jin Yong’s fourteen novels (excluding the abandoned Sword of the Yue Maiden), the two female villains who shine the brightest are Mei Feng and Li Mochou. Of course, in terms of fame, the Eldest Sister Miejue is not far behind.

Mei Feng’s brilliance owes much to the Nine Yin White Bone Claw, but her love with Chen Xuanfeng also contributes greatly. Simply being evil does not leave a lasting impression; she hides affection within her wickedness, like lighting a candle in darkness, making her all the more dazzling.

Li Qiru praised the love story of the Black Wind Twin Devils in his review of The Legend of the Condor Heroes.

Following this review, it immediately won widespread acclaim from readers. The publishing house received countless letters, many of which expressed personal views on the romances within The Legend of the Condor Heroes. Many readers requested the magazine to forward their letters to Tan Zhang himself, as he had not disclosed his contact address.

To accommodate this, the publisher sent an editor who traveled several hours by train, carrying a large bundle of letters to deliver to Tan Zhang.

Some letters were unopened, addressed to be forwarded to Tan Zhang, while others had been opened and sorted by the editors—letters full of substance.

This was not Tan Zhang’s first time receiving fan mail.

He had collected many letters on his two trips to Wuhant.

In that era, letter-writing was still the main form of communication.

The joy of opening mail, however, did not last long.

Many letters contained only admiration and worship, which after a while lost their charm. Among them were a few from female readers enclosing their photos, which left Tan Zhang somewhat speechless. Not yet seeking a relationship, he reluctantly slipped the photos back into their envelopes, observing propriety.

He read the letters selected by the editorial department quite attentively, many of which offered constructive criticism.

As a writer, understanding one’s shortcomings and learning from others’ opinions is the path to improving one’s craft. Though it might sound presumptuous, Tan Zhang hoped to synthesize the martial arts novels of two generations, becoming the great inheritor of wuxia culture in this era.

A writer’s journey must have some aspirations.

...

Time flowed by amid writing, studying, and playing guitar and accordion; soon it was mid-December.

The five volumes of The Legend of the Condor Heroes each averaged sales of 800,000 copies—a near limit for legitimate copies, as much of the readership was diluted by pirated editions. Yet despite this, it remained the bestselling title of Anhui Literary Publishing House this year.

After New Year’s Day, the sixth volume of The Legend of the Condor Heroes was set to hit the shelves.

To capitalize on the book’s popularity, the publisher contacted Tan Zhang to arrange a book signing event in Hefei.

“A book signing,” Tan Zhang said, somewhat dazed.

Magazine features, traditional Chinese editions, news interviews, simplified Chinese editions, media specials, and now a signing event—his journey truly felt like a steady ascent to the peak.

Li Yan smiled brightly. With Tan Zhang’s soaring popularity and impressive sales, her income had risen accordingly. This year promised to be prosperous: “With your current fame, holding a signing event is only natural.”

“Isn’t it a bit rushed? I still feel a bit uncertain. What if no readers show up? That would be embarrassing,” Tan Zhang said with some hesitation.

Though aware of his current fame and international success of The Legend of the Condor Heroes, he had never experienced a signing event before and lacked confidence.

“Don’t worry. We’ll coordinate with Ancient and Modern Legends magazine to publish news about the signing. We’ll also post announcements on popular fan forums like Under the Banyan Tree and Tianya. Hefei Evening News and Jianghuai Morning Post will cover the event too.”

“Everything’s arranged, then. Alright, I agree,” Tan Zhang set aside his small worries and nodded.

A grown man, after all—what could a little storm in a teacup do?

...

A few days later, the news was released.

“January 1st, New Year’s Day. The Legend of the Condor Heroes book signing! Hefei Yuan Yi Times Square, Grand Hall 6. Martial arts master Tan Zhang’s new book signing event for The Legend of the Condor Heroes—join us to ‘Draw the Bow and Shoot the Condor!’”