66 - Divine Mastering Dragon System

Chapter 55: Competing Forces When "Tales of the Sword Immortal" first debuted, it was at the infancy of web novels. Today, it holds a significant place in the web novel landscape. At the time of its creation, the web literature field hadn't yet boomed, and many of the regulations and constraints that came later were almost nonexistent. Authors didn't have to worry about avoiding restricted themes, nor did they fear complaints from dissatisfied readers, allowing for a great deal of freedom in their writing. Xiang Shi Yan lived in a world penned by others, and her understanding of the "main world" could only be enhanced through the system. She had a question: Was this work she was born from a good novel? “Let me put it this way,” the logistics supervisor said with a cold, indifferent tone. “‘Tales of the Sword Immortal’ is a pioneer piece. For a novel that doesn't have much content, to have such recognition and acclaim is mainly because it came out early and started a trend that I personally don't think much of.” The novel is considered the originator of the "cultivator harem" genre in the Bluestar 8020 world, serving as a quintessential prototype for this type of work. But truly, what is notable about it? The logistics department had to read the currently available chapters over forty times to design a scheme suitable for Xiang Shi Yan’s actions. Their conclusion was “Qin Miao is a useless character,” highlighting the flaws of the entire work if even the male protagonist is perceived in such a light. Before "Tales of the Sword Immortal," martial arts novels dominated the market, so this book carries some martial arts elements and set a tone for its imitators. It characterizes the world of immortal cultivation as close to the ordinary, with immortals having loves, hates, and struggles for fame and fortune, much like ordinary people. Without this design, it wouldn't be interesting. Who wants to watch an old man devoid of desires wandering around aimlessly? The target audience prefers to see the journey of an ordinary male protagonist striving for and achieving everything through his own efforts. Only such feel-good stories allow readers to easily project themselves into the protagonist's place. “That’s not to say this approach is bad; inspirational stories are great, but in the broader context of this civilization level, such stories easily lead to the objectification and further marginalization of underrepresented groups.” The absence of a female reader perspective during the creation of "Tales of the Sword Immortal," combined with a lack of moral and regulatory oversight, cemented its flaws. The novel spans more than six million words, with the currently viewable five million plus words featuring 47 named female characters who fall for the male lead, of whom 21 have their affections reciprocated, but only 10 have long-term, stable relationships with him. "Only" 10. It's quite amusing. "It's as if saying I could buy 47 houses, liked 21 of them, but for various reasons, ended up with only 10.” These 10 houses have their respective perks; some come furnished, others with luxury cars. Among them, those that significantly appreciate and enhance Qin Miao’s wealth, allowing him to expand further, include Huai Ye, Xiang Shi Yan, and the Zhu Jia sisters. Such novels are often written as if women are real estate and cars, used as status symbols for the protagonist. A voice from the other end of the line said, "Honestly, ‘Tales of the Sword Immortal' and a series of similar male-oriented novels always give me the impression that all the useful, combat-ready, theme-representing, domain-ruling side characters were set up, and then the author remembered, ah, this world needs women for my son's wives." "Or the entire book’s theme is about the protagonist cultivating and collecting a harem while clearing opponents and advancing maps, so they create a host of women to aid the protagonist's cultivation. This one is a cauldron, that one is a faction's heiress, who lacks leadership skills, and in the future, these factions will fall under the male lead…" “Are you angry?” “Xiang Shi Yan, are you angry?” At dawn, the eastern sky had only a hint of purple, yet Xiang Shi Yan wasn't meditating. She leaned quietly against the windowsill, listening to the words of the unseen stranger in her mind. The flow of time was adjusted to sync with the mission world, leaving only the logistics supervisor on night shift, propping his chin as he sat before the giant screen. As a new human from the ultra-future, he was devoid of gender, making him less tolerant of these issues than colleagues from the olden times. After a long time, the woman on the other end of the communication slowly replied, "Yes, I am furious.” Huai Ye’s celestial body, even if not cultivating, would naturally draw in spiritual energy, enhancing her cultivation slowly yet quickly clogging up; although dual cultivation with someone could suppress this, the hard-earned spiritual energy would end up in someone else’s body, serving merely as a spiritual energy converter. Since the author did not need this character, more talented than the protagonist, to constantly exert presence, or a woman with high demands on her partner to constantly restrain the protagonist, Huai Ye only needed to die after her usefulness was exhausted. Du Ruo appeared to comfort the male lead over Huai Ye’s death, her main role to betray her kind to open doors for a perpetrator of massacres, before being killed off to introduce the main antagonist. Was the torturous cauldron constitution of the Zhu Jia sisters also created for Qin Miao’s sake? Did Senior Sister Qi Wei marry Zhu Cheng solely because “the plot demanded it”? The snake venom of the Black Scale tribe's leader couldn't kill her back then, but a few simple words had her succumb to a difficult labor death? And what of herself? Stuck at the Nascent Soul stage due to her racial traits, was her existence as a fox spirit, needing to consume others’ emotions to cultivate, pre-designed by the author? Was she meant to accept the male protagonist's “love” to advance to the Great Ascension stage, thus showcasing Qin Miao’s contribution to her? Xiang Shi Yan dressed slowly and steadily, raising her hand to let the small snake coiled on the table slip into her sleeve. Let the original storyline perish. I am the true protagonist. She adjusted her attire, striding confidently out the door. Zhu Cheng hadn't expected Xiang Shi Yan to approach him the very next day. Xiang Shi Yan’s attitude was unwavering. She insisted on taking the two sisters, which made Zhu Cheng feel something was amiss. This woman hadn’t even met the twins or assessed their potential. Although he had some inkling of Xiang Shi Yan’s intent for her visit, her approach still felt too abrupt. After all, he had started connecting his elder daughter with the major families not just a day or two ago; it was odd that rumors had already spread. Just the other night, he came across Xu Lao Er, who, given time, might also pass on information to Yu Cang Mountain, considering his daughter was also cultivating there and ties existed. What an opportunity this was, what excellent offspring and resources it could bring to the family! That loud-mouth bunch of fools surely couldn’t keep a secret… Zhu Cheng mentally sifted through his memories, trying to identify the idiot who might have leaked information, all while humorously responding to Xiang Shi Yan’s request, “Why does Junior Sister suddenly say such a thing?” “Just thinking the sisters are about the right age. I’ve heard that Lord Zhu has yet to have them cultivate?” “The two sisters are naturally frail, and I fear early cultivation might harm their meridians. Hence, I’ve delayed it until now. You needn't worry, Junior Sister. I had planned to let one of our esteemed elders guide them.” The two exchanged a brief but intense gaze. From Xiang Shi Yan's eyes, Zhu Cheng read a kind of clarity that troubled him; suddenly, he realized she might know more than he anticipated. Zhu Cheng silently clicked his tongue, finding himself needing double the patience and attention to handle this unexpected visitor: “Does Junior Sister have any other purpose for this visit? If it’s such a trivial matter, a letter would have sufficed. You know it’s a difficult time for the Zhu family; Yu Cang Mountain shouldn’t get involved.” His implication was clear: he knew Xiang Shi Yan didn’t likely travel such a distance for a trivial matter, and his statement was both a demand for Xiang Shi Yan to prove she wasn’t colluding with enemy forces against the Zhu family, and a warning that if Yu Cang Mountain didn’t want to be tied to the struggling Zhu family, she should stop inquiring about the twins. Xiang Shi Yan tilted her head slightly: “How is this a trivial matter? Senior Sister Qi Wei was like a sister to me, and I should naturally care for her daughters as if they were my own.” Her words seemed benign, yet decisively distanced herself from Zhu Cheng, making it clear she was here for her senior sister’s daughters, not Zhu family heirs. Additionally, an outsider showed more concern for his daughters than he did; how could a father call this a trivial matter? Sensing that Xiang Shi Yan subtly blamed him for not raising the twins as his own, Zhu Cheng's eye twitched. He swallowed, feeling an unsteady pressure. He certainly wouldn't educate the twins as heirs of the Zhu family, as the outside world might speculate. Eventually, the sisters were meant to marry into other families for alliances. His interest in them was mainly to monitor their development, ensuring their quality before finalizing his ongoing product. The numerous concubines Zhu Cheng maintained in his household were all for the chance to try for a boy, wasn’t it? Reflecting on this, Zhu Cheng couldn't help but blame Gong Ning, who had died in childbirth years ago. If only she had been more resilient and given him a son... Regardless of his private thoughts, to most unaware onlookers, Zhu Cheng’s constant presence beside his elder daughter, with an attitude of utmost attention, told the whole story. Zhu Cheng wasn’t averse to telling a little lie: “Since Junior Sister Xiang insists, I will speak the truth.” “I had considered letting the two sisters go to Yu Cang Mountain to train, but as you know, the Zhu family is currently beset with internal and external pressures, strong enemies lurking outside and internal factions eyeing the throne. I've designated Yun Er as my successor, but the clan has opposed this, pressuring me to adopt a male heir from a distant branch instead. All I can do is keep Yun Er close and teach her as much as possible. But if Yun Er leaves the center of Zhu family power now...” As he spoke, Zhu Cheng even dabbed his eye with his sleeve, a mix of skill and genuine sentiment in his voice, giving the impression that Xiang Shi Yan's insistence on taking the sisters away was obstructing Zhu Yun’s path to leadership. Just as Xiang Shi Yan was about to speak again, an elderly voice came from a distance: “Why has the Moonlight Daoist come to Huaihai City without informing us?” Before long, the speaker traversed the distance in a flash to stand before Xiang Shi Yan. Truthfully, Xiang Shi Yan had no idea who this old man was, but she could tell his cultivation and age surpassed hers, so she offered a respectful, albeit polite, bow: “Greetings, Senior.” Shortly after, several other figures appeared before Xiang Shi Yan. They took their seats without a word, all eyes on the first old man as if he were their leader. Even Zhu Cheng bowed respectfully to him: “Greetings to Third Uncle.” Surprised, he then asked, “Third Uncle, and Uncles, why have you suddenly come? Have I done something wrong?” This statement was an attempt to distance himself from any blame. Had Xiang Shi Yan not known from the system that Zhu Cheng had urgently convened the Zhu clan's key figures in Huaihai City, she might have been deceived. In future memories, Xiang Shi Yan was slowly coaxed into abandoning her plan to take both sisters away. Fortunately, Zhu Yu insisted on leaving with her, or else she might really have been persuaded by the Zhu family’s emotional appeals into believing that Zhu Yu was merely being childish. Luckily, Xiang Shi Yan valued children more than adults. The boundaries of the Zhu family were clear. Losing Zhu Yu was a cost they could bear. Raised in seclusion within the estate, Zhu Yu knew nothing about its affairs, making her an ideal buffer. If Xiang Shi Yan didn’t persist, the Zhu family would take a firmer stance, keeping both sisters there; if she did insist, they would allow her to take Zhu Yu, hoping she would relent on taking Zhu Yun as well. This time, however, Xiang Shi Yan had no intention of letting them play such petty tricks. Her purpose was to take both twins back to Yu Cang Mountain, intact and without alerting anyone. If the relationship between Yu Cang Mountain and the Zhu family soured, it was secondary to Zhu Yun and Zhu Yu's safety. After all, such a despicable quagmire wasn’t worth Yu Cang Mountain’s involvement, regardless of the Zhu family's willingness to release them. The Zhu family elders took their seats in the hall, eyes on the unfamiliar woman at the center. Zhu Cheng relinquished his place of honor, taking a stand beside “Third Uncle,” his demeanor humble with no hint of the satisfaction he felt, occasionally casting anxious glances at her. He had already coordinated with these clan relatives. Despite past disputes, he assured them that keeping the sisters within the estate would greatly benefit the Zhu family. He was eager to see what tricks Xiang Shi Yan might deploy. Author's Note: Thank you to the angels who cast overlord tickets or watered with nutrient solutions during the period from 17:24:01 on March 4, 2022, to 20:38:19 on March 5, 2022~ Thank you to the angels who cast rockets: 45352759 (2); Thank you to the angels who cast land mines: I guarantee this product won't disappoint tonight, 45352759 (1); Thank you to the angels for watering with nutrient solutions: 45352759, Crane Group Administrator, White Dolphin Sashimi (10 bottles); freedom (5 bottles); I sincerely appreciate all your support, I'll continue working hard! This site has no pop-up ads, permanent domain (xbanxia.com)