Chapter 044: Rebirth from the Ashes

Page 1 of 3

Under the impact of the internet culture that would arise in later years, novels had already become a universal reading habit; no matter how dazzling an opening might be, the endless bombardment had rendered everything without distinction. But the year was 2001, and online fiction was still in its infancy. The number of works accessible to the average person was extremely limited, and their quality was even more uneven.

With such meager reading material, whenever a good book appeared, it was cherished as a precious gem.

“The Four Legendary Constables Shock the Northeast” was merely Zhang Tan’s practice piece, and the original work wasn’t of exceptional quality, but for now, Xu Zhiyou was clearly more than satisfied with this novel.

“One man hunting down thirteen experts—exhilarating, truly exhilarating!”

“Wow, so that’s possible too? His presence alone shakes the opponent’s judgment.”

“Danger! The enemy is plotting something.”

“Phew, he managed to resolve it. Deserves the name Cold Blood—so calm!”

“Time for a counterattack.”

“Good kill, so swift and clean—decisive, no fussing about!”

“Careful! He’s trapped in a desperate situation!”

When he saw Cold Blood surrounded by enemies, Xu Zhiyou couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat, deeply worried for him. Yet, he was eager with anticipation, desperate to read on.

But there was nothing more.

Only four words appeared: “To be continued.”

“Ugh!”

Xu Zhiyou was instantly displeased, feeling an unbearable itch all over—just like being interrupted by a sudden call of nature at a crucial moment in life. He felt completely out of sorts.

“No, I’ve got to call and ask—did Cold Blood get killed by those villains?”

Although he vaguely knew that, as the protagonist, Cold Blood wouldn’t die, he couldn’t rest easy. He wanted someone to assure him that Cold Blood was safe. So he walked to the phone booth, opened “Legends of Today and Ancient Times: Story Edition,” found the contact number, inserted a coin, dialed, and called.

“Hello, is this the editorial office of ‘Legends of Today and Ancient Times’? In your latest issue, the story ‘The Four Legendary Constables Shock the Northeast’—I want to ask, did Cold Blood get killed by those villains?”

Page 2 of 3

On the other end of the line, a staff member from the editorial office replied, “Hello, dear reader. If you want to know more, please look out for the next issue of ‘Legends of Today and Ancient Times.’ We’ll provide the answer there.”

“That won’t do—I want to know right now.”

“Well…”

“Please, just tell me if Cold Blood survives. I don’t need too many spoilers.”

“All right, in principle, I shouldn’t reveal the plot ahead of time, but I can assure you, Cold Blood will not die.”

“That’s good, that’s good.” Satisfied with the reply, Xu Zhiyou suddenly remembered something else. “By the way, can you publish more in the next issue? There were too few words this time—just as I started to get into it, it ended. It’s really frustrating.”

The operator replied, “Don’t worry. In the next issue, ‘Legends of Today and Ancient Times’ will launch an additional monthly—‘Legends of Today and Ancient Times: Wuxia Edition.’ The ‘Story Edition’ will include a complimentary trial issue, which will feature a substantial amount of wuxia fiction, including over thirty thousand characters of ‘The Four Legendary Constables Shock the Northeast’ in one go. If readers like it, we’ll serialize even more exciting wuxia stories in the ‘Wuxia Edition.’”

“Really? That’s wonderful! I’ll definitely subscribe and support you!” Xu Zhiyou was overjoyed.

Putting down the phone, he hugged his book and walked home contentedly.

Meanwhile, at the other end, in the editorial office of “Legends of Today and Ancient Times,” the staff member who answered the call recorded the content and remarked to a colleague, “That story, ‘The Four Legendary Constables Shock the Northeast,’ is really good. The response has been overwhelming. Usually, we barely get a few calls a day, but today, so many people have called in just a short while to ask about this novel.”

A colleague asked in curiosity, “Really? Is it that good? I haven’t read it yet.” Editors in the office dealt with manuscripts all day, but since each handled different content, they hadn’t read every submission.

The receptionist nodded. “It’s really good. I finished it recently and even went over to the ‘Wuxia Edition’ to get the later chapters. The writing is impressive, and I heard the author is still in high school. Incredible—a high school student can write such a compelling wuxia story.”

The colleague joked, “Are we seeing another Han Jingming?”

Han Jingming, born in 1982, son of a writer, developed a passion for writing under his father’s influence. In 1999, he won first prize in the National New Concept Composition Competition, dropped out of high school last year, published the novel “Four Gates,” and released the essay collection “Forty Degrees of Heat” this year, topping bestseller lists nationwide.

He was already regarded as a leading figure among writers born in the 1980s.

“If he becomes another Han Jingming, that would be a good thing, especially since he started with us at ‘Legends of Today and Ancient Times.’ I believe Zhang Tan has the talent. I really appreciate his style—it’s plain and unadorned, even more concise than Han Jingming. Han’s novels are filled with the trends of the post-80s generation, but Zhang’s stories feel like an elder telling tales by the fireside—gentle and captivating.”

“Such high praise? I’ll have to go to the ‘Wuxia Edition’ and see whether he really lives up to it.”

“Definitely—every reader has their own taste, and my opinion is just one among many.”

Page 3 of 3

Just as the receptionist finished speaking, another call came in. She answered, “Hello, this is ‘Legends of Today and Ancient Times’… You want to know what happens next in ‘The Four Legendary Constables Shock the Northeast’? In the next ‘Story Edition,’ we’ll include a trial issue of the ‘Wuxia Edition,’ which will carry over thirty thousand characters of the next chapters.”

…

Duan Yin had gone early to the newsstand to buy the latest issue of “Legends of Today and Ancient Times: Story Edition.”

With an attitude of disdain and resentment, he opened “The Four Legendary Constables Shock the Northeast.” At first, his expression was haughty—he simply didn’t believe a high school student could write a wuxia novel worthy of praise. He suspected this was just a publicity stunt by the magazine to create hype.

Clearly, the high schooler with the pen name Zhang Tan had thus been given the chance to push his own story off the trial issue.

Writers have always been critical of one another, and Duan Yin held himself in high regard; the trial issue should have carried his work.

Yet, as the saying goes, an expert’s skill is immediately evident. Once he started reading “The Four Legendary Constables Shock the Northeast,” his expression darkened as the story unfolded.

There was nothing about it that felt like a high schooler’s work—this was the writing of an adult.

Furthermore, the prose was smooth and comfortable, neither forced nor pretentious, but like a master’s casual brushwork—natural, uncontrived, yet every word gleamed with gold.

Comparing his own writing to this, Duan Yin’s heart skipped a beat.

He liked to sprinkle his stories with various flourishes, showing off his command of language or using ornate phrases to make his work appear more dazzling and elegant. But now, he realized that his writing was like a showy golden pheasant, while his rival’s was a phoenix reborn from the ashes—restrained, but radiating heat.

It was a glow that did not blind, yet possessed a powerful appeal.

“Could this really be written by a high school student?”

After finishing the piece, suppressing the urge to read more, Duan Yin clicked his tongue with mixed feelings.

He was still somewhat unwilling to accept it, but his complaints were gone; this wasn’t the magazine stirring up hype, but someone who genuinely wrote a little better than he did.

“Well, just a little better,” Duan Yin silently added to himself.