Graphic and contains scenes of violence: strong language, maturity, blood, torture, pain, pleasure, sex, graphic content, sex toys and more wonderful tools/genres.

Graphic and contains scenes of violence: strong language, maturity, homosexual content, sex and mild violence.

Du Hang was surprised to hear that pen name - 'Love The Taste Of Rice In Her House.' It was not actually unknown to him. This person's real name was Ke Zheng, a veteran author that Du Hang had been trying to grab hold of, and consult about the inner workings of the voice actor industry.
 Indeed, he was a terrific senior writer, the plump shut-in that he was. He also happened to be the lecher type who would worship every girl who walks past him. In spite of those less-than-pleasant habits, he was an enthusiastic, learned connoisseur of voice acting. The renowned voice actress Zuo Ling Yin happened to be a favorite of his.
In animes that Ayane Sakura gets featured in, bullet screens all over the internet would feature the wordings 'Praise the amazing Sakura!' at least once.[1] Coincidentally, she worked in the same voice acting firm as Shong Gang. If Song Gang was the number one male actor in the firm, Ayane Sakura was undisputedly the number one female voice actor of the firm, even though she had debuted after Song Gang.
In the animation piece titled 'The Strongest King,' Song Gang had worked with Zhao Youyue as they recorded their lines together. He did not pale in comparison to her talent and thus rose to greater heights with her.
Back then, Zhao Youyue did not even get the opportunity to reject Ke Zheng - he did not have the nerves to approach her and ask for a date. Even so, that past Zhao Youyue was a far cry from the current Zhao Youyue - a perfect, well-rounded, unanimously certified goddess.
Ke Zheng had been wise to maintain his distance. He knew of his place, and he knew that intermediate light novelists had very little chance of procuring Zhao Youyue as a date. 
All in all, Du Hang respected Ke Zheng's skills, in spite of his inferior appearance. He would never hesitate to foot the bill whenever eating with his peers. He was a decent human being, as far as humans went - which wasn't exactly far. If anything, his writings were too graphic or explicit at times.
Du Hang understood the necessary evil for this as there was an actual market for it. He had read Ke Zheng's debut work and had been genuinely amazed by the bizarre twists and turns in the plot. Eventually, that work had turned out to be a massive hit. It was a remarkable light novel that soon had its anime adaptation. This also happens to be why he had started attempting to date the voice actresses to the left and right, only to be harshly rejected in return.
In the meantime, Ke Zheng was serializing the novel 'Whole World was In A Deep Sleep Except Myself.' Du Hang had not yet read the novel, but he knew that fans of the genre would absolutely love it.
Ever since Ke Zheng's debut, his readers were mostly made up of males, especially hikikomoris. He did not have a single female reader, so it would come as a surprise if a female actually knew his name. How on earth did this Lady Zhou get to know this fella? 
Du Hang felt pity welling in his heart. Pity for Ke Zheng. Did news of him getting demolished by a rookie voice actor spread among the peers in the field? Du Hang really had no idea how Lady Zhao could have came the pen name - 'Love The Taste Of Rice In Her House.' Was she actually into such heavy, explicit male chauvinistic titles?
Du Hang had always been convinced that Lady Zhao hid her true self behind the thickest of masks. Even so, it was rather absurd to think that her true self would come close to any of those hikikomoris.
Du Hang was not a fan of these pretentious fakers, and he could not care less about their reasons. Lady Zhao was just as fake as anyone else, but after getting to know more of her, he gained a slight respect for her humility, considering how successful she had been as a voice actress. He decided to help the goddess get in contact with Ke Zheng. He briefly talked her through Ke Zheng's best traits - and since this was Du Hang, you knew he truly meant it, and it was likely to be true.
After knowing that Du Hang actually knew the author - 'Love The Taste Of Rice In Her House,' Zhao Youyue patted his shoulder gently, expressing that she was a devoted reader of his, and would like to ask him out for a date.
Naturally, Zhao Youyue employed such a method very frequently. Numerous authors had fallen into her pockets that way. She would never try to actually change their thinking in reality; she merely wanted to tweak some changes, especially when it came to stubborn artists like Du Hang.
Lady Zhao could earn a living with her face alone, but her tongue was far deadlier.
'How do you rate my chances - as a relatively green voice actress - when it comes to dating a light novelist?' Zhao Youyue meekly said, as if she was truly a small fry.
Du Hang's honest mind could never regard Xiao Yu as just another little voice actress. In fact, most light novelists out there would consider Xiao Yu to be the Goddess of strength and beauty.
Ke Zheng would definitely be on the cloud nine if he was to know that the Ah Yu was actually asking for a date with him. Neverthelss, Zuo Lin Ying would still be number one in his heart. Ah Yu was still relatively new to the scene and was not near active enough to be serious.
'Relax, Ke Zheng is not that kind of arrogant, hard-to-get-along-with author. He'll also love having a little sister. He doesn't have one himself, but he's always writing about little sisters in his books.' This was probably Du Hang's attempt of trying to portray Ke Zheng in as bright a picture as possible, not knowing that it actually sounded weird and would probably raise a few eyebrows.
Fortunately, Zhao Youyue was not just any other ordinary girl. She thought that those hikikomoris were naïve and adorable in their own way. The world could do with more of them. She loved being simple and direct, just like Han Leng. Other girls might not welcome the presence of these hikikomoris, or worse, they would outrightly despise them.
The door opened, and He Weiwei strode in. Only Zhao Youyue gave her a nod of approval. The eccentric pairing of Han Leng and Du Hang did not even skip a beat in their incessant chattering. They paid no notice whatsoever to He Weiwei.
They both acknowledged that only Lady Zhao was special - she was the only one who actually understood them. No matter how they explained themselves - nobody would accept them, so there was no point even trying.
Let's cite a sentence by Du Hang –
Assuming that others would understand you after explaining yourself is arrogance in its highest form.
A chance meeting with a kindred spirit is euphoria in its ultimate form.
He Weiwei was not one bit interested in Du Hang. On the other hand, she found Han Leng slightly attractive. If he was not already taken by Lady Zhao, she would have even approached him more proactively.
On the other hand, Han Leng was not even bothered about her. To him, He Weiwei was the type of girl who was every bit as pervasive as the rest of the world. She would have nothing new to offer, nothing new to explore.
And so, the first club activity ended with a rather unceremonious tea ceremony. Zhou Chai had lived up to her word and did not turn up, further cementing on her claims that joining the society was purely for the extra-curricular points.
Translation Note:
[1] Ayane Sakura (佐倉綾音 Sakura Ayane, born January 29, 1994) is a Japanese voice actress from Tokyo. She is affiliated with I'm Enterprise.[1] Some of her major roles are Natsumi Koshigaya in Non Non Biyori, Tsubaki Sawabe in Your Lie in April, Iroha Isshiki in My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected, Suzuka Dairenji in Tokyo Ravens, Ochako Uraraka in My Hero Academia, Cocoa Hoto in Is the Order a Rabbit? and Nao Tomori in Charlotte. She has also performed theme songs and character songs for various series she has appeared in. In 2018, she won the Best Supporting Actress award at the 12th Seiyu Awards.


An introverted girl has had enough of the isolation inadvertently formed by her solitary nature. Things changed when she discovers that she has the ability to transverse across the fabric of our universe into the dimensions of multiple storylines. Not only do these storylines leave her with invaluable lessons - they also impart a portion of their power - if she is deserving of it. The time has come for Zhao Youyue to change her fate. Never again, will she remain as a Side-Character!

What a charming evening. The ballroom of the Miyami Kurikawa Hotel in the middle of Tokyo City is full of dazzling crowds. Hundreds of invited guests wore the best clothes and journalists flocked to certain spots to carry out interviews. 

The red carpet stretches from the entrance to the innermost room. There were so many public figures who were special guests. They are actors, actresses, sportsmen, designers, photographers, models, YouTubers, magazine editors, food enthusiasts, bloggers, comic artists, novelists, and many more. However, they are celebrities in their respective fields.

One of the most popular is Renji Isamu. A BL Novelist Sensei and a senior at the publishing company Mayumi who was awarded the prestigious Kikukawa award tonight.

The beautiful women who surrounded him were even more sullen than the reporters. They cling to the scent of various brands of perfume and the latest lipstick colors just to get his attention. In hand, each carrying a novel 1050 pages thick stamped a best seller with a sales rate of 35 reprints throughout 2018.

Really extraordinary indeed. Especially with that handsome look. His golden eyes that gleamed under the lights were even more charming than the actors on the stage there.

Renji Isamu who had stepped off the stage after receiving a sparkling trophy. Its charm flashes like a red rose swarmed by bees far away. Beautiful, but he looked uncomfortable. His smile was fake when he scribbled all the novels with his signature. And every time the reporter asked something, he answered casually. Indifferent, seem indifferent, but everyone still admires.
Haru, his most loyal friend and personal manager politely asks them to stay away. They also protested, but what if the rundown of the event had changed. 

Renji Isamu has to move the panel towards a special celebration session. At another hotel, a party awaits and is organized by the publishing company that houses it.

All novelists in Japan must be jealous these days. Even though they only watch the program on television or stream on social media. Their saliva was probably dripping seeing the man walking out on the red carpet. With the reporters still on chase, the screaming fans, the eager bodyguards separating the crowd and Haru insisting on towing him into the limousine.

The long-bodied luxury car awaits. The door opened one and Renji walked in with a nervous push from Haru. When it was about to close, the fans looked like they were clawing. 

As soon as the wheels were running, Haru took a deep breath. "Oh my God ... today was really tiring," he complained. And when he glanced, Renji was just silent. He looked out the window with empty eyes. The gleaming trophy in his hand looked even more valuable than a junk. "Ren, are you okay?"

Stupid question. 

Haru knew that. 

Renji Isamu. That man. What a million people want, but his heart only wants one woman. 

Jean Liew. The two of them have been in touch for the past 7 years. Precisely since the beginning, he entered undergraduate course.

Unfortunately three days ago the woman dumped him. With one hard throw, the ring on her finger flew down to the riverbed. The beautiful pendant around her neck was pulled roughly. Then stepped under the feet.

"You really are disgusting!" shouted Jean before leaving. Renji has forgotten how it came from. To be sure everything feels like a dream. Those who had endured that long faded away in the end. 

Haru can only be quiet watching all of it. "Ren, let's go home ..." said Haru. But Renji seemed blind and deaf. The man was just silent and picked up the remaining broken locket. Looking at him in the palm without blinking, even Haru hugged him. 

"I know you're hurt. But hold on, okay? The day after tomorrow is a big reward for you."


Dewi Maharani. Gadis desa. Usia 25 tahun. Dia telah merantau ke Kota Jakarta sejak masih SMA. 

Dia sangat mandiri. Selama merantau kerja sebagai Dance Trainer atau Pelatih Tarian koreografi untuk acara panggung di stasiun televisi. 

Pada suatu hari, Dewi telat menuju lokasi gladi resik. Dia membuat para anggota tari bingung karena ban mobilnya bocor di tengah jalan. 

Uring-uringan, Dewi mendadak diklakson seorang pria yang kebetulan lewat dengan menggunakan mobil yang tipenya sama persis dengan miliknya.

"Butuh bantuan...?" tanya pria itu dari dalam mobil. 

Dewi pun meminta tolong untuk menderek mobilnya, sekaligus mengantarkan dirinya ke lokasi gladi resik. 

Saat sampai ke tujuan, pria itu mendadak dikerubungi seluruh murid-murid didikannya.

"Kak Ari! Kak Ari! Kak Ari!" seru mereka.

Ternyata Ari adalah Dance Trainer yang sebelumnya di tempat ini! Dan dia hari ini diundang datang untuk menjadi bintang tamu acara yang mereka bawakan!

Bagaimana bisa Dewi tidak tahu?!

Hello everyone! Thank you for my choosing to read this novel. I am super excited to go on this journey with my readers, but I would like to ask for everyone's patience. This is my first time writing a novel, and I am still a student. I will try my best to keep up consistent updates, but I am also very busy in everyday life. Also, I am not great with my writing technique yet, but I hope you will all be understanding. If you see any parts of the story that seem similar to other stories you have read, please understand that I am not trying to copy any other authors. I fully respect every author and would never purposely steal any ideas. I am just trying to learn the most I can from my favorite novelists. With that said, I would like to remind everyone to leave comments to let me know how I can improve! To add to that, the storyline is not yet set in stone, so feel free to add suggestions on how you would like the story to progress. Thank you all! I'm so excited to share this story with you! If this goes well, I have a few other ideas for other stories. So without further ado, here we go!

"All good things must come to an end."

~ Chapter 1 ~

        Wen Kaixin used to be so happy.
        Back then, she was that chubby little girl who could make the whole neighborhood laugh at her silly antics.
        Sometimes, she would strut around in front of their house wearing her mother's stilettos with a thick make up on her face. The old grandmas would have a good laugh while watching the cute little girl act like a mature adult, which was really hilarious to look at.
        But gone are those days of her blissful life.
        Now, at the age of 29, the previous bubbly little girl had become one of the successful web novelists out there.
        Having written quite a number of outstanding works, it could be said that Wen Kaixin had already built a name for herself.
        Her works mainly revolved in romance, and most of them have happy endings.
        However, a month ago, Wen Kaixin's readers caused a great commotion on the forums.
        All of them were asking for their beloved author's whereabouts!
        A few months had passed already and yet, there was still no news about her!
        Her readers thought that she was just busy in real life that's why she was not able to do her daily updates.
        But after the few days of waiting turned into months, they started to have some doubts in their hearts.
        Did something happen to Author Wen?
        Unbeknownst to them, the writer they had been waiting for would never come back.
        Wen Kaixin would never be back again.
        ...
        The woman being talked about was lying on her king size bed, staring blankly at the bare white ceiling of her room. 
        Countless story drafts and notes were strewn across the floor of her bedroom, not leaving a single space unoccupied.
        The woman appeared to be lost in thought as her eyes were not fully focused. The hand which was holding her phone by her side had also visibly tensed up.
        Unknowingly, another bout of tears streamed down her face as a painful sob escaped her lips.
        Wen Kaixin remembered another happy memory she had of her husband who had died a few months back.
        He was not only her husband, he was her editor, her confidante, her best friend, her mentor, her business partner...
        He was her everything.
        After losing her parents at such a young age of 9 and taken in by her distant relatives until she turned 18, Wen Kaixin thought that she would never find the solace of home and family.
        Although her distant relatives were good to her, it was only because she had inherited the money of her parents. She lived in their house as though she was nothing but a tenant who monthly pays for her food and lodging.
        As for why they did not think of forcefully taking away the money, it had something to do with Wen Kaixin herself.
        At such a young age, although others viewed her as a mischievous chubby little girl, Wen Kaixin was actually being trained by her father about business matters.
        Their business had something to do with publication. The Little Kaixin was very much interested in books that she would often follow her father to their company to have a look at how these books were being made. Of course, she would also beg her father to let her read the yet to be released books. 
        Father Wen always relented, but in return, Little Kaixin should be willing to learn business with him.
        Little Kaixin was caught in a dilemma. 
        She only wanted to read and was not willing to use her reading time to learn some business that only adults do.
        But her love for books overpowered her unwillingness.
        Thus, Little Kaixin learned business from Father Wen so she could read the books in the company.
        However, a tragedy happened.
        The publication company that their family owned was caught in a huge fire! Every single thing had turned into ashes. Many of the company workers had died, including the president, Wen Shuji, and his wife, Xue Yun.
        As if a work of fate, the Little Kaixin was out on her school trip and was thus spared from this incident.
        With no other descendants, Wen Shuji's and Xue Yun's assets were given to their only child, Wen Kaixin.
        But because of her young age, it would not be possible for her to live by herself and so, Wen Kaixin decided to live with her distant Aunt from her mother's side, Xue Yu.
        With the knowledge passed down by her father, Wen Kaixin was not in a rush to spend the money she got. Instead, she planned on how to make it grow by means of investments.
        Dealing with her Auntie Xue Yu was easy. She only had to give her 'enough' money and her Auntie would not really care much about what she would do.
        Living like that for almost a decade, after she had turned 18, Wen Kaixin left that household and decided to live by herself.
        The projects she had invested into had considerably profited and it was also at this time that she finished her studies.
        After graduating with an MBA degree, Wen Kaixin decided to remake her father's business. But with the recent advancement in technology and the rise of globalization, she opted to follow the trend.
        Wen Kaixin invested in web-based publication.
        It was also then that she met Jun Yiran, her late husband, who was her business partner then.
        Memories after memories of how they started their business, of how they spent most of their time together, of how they realized their feelings for each other... all came flooding into her, almost drowning her in sorrow.
        Wen Kaixin became a writer because of him. He told her that he loved to read her stories so much. This pushed Wen Kaixin to start her journey to becoming one of the successful web novelists in the present times.
        It could be said that there won't be an "Author Wen" today if not for Jun Yiran.
        But now that Jun Yiran left, Author Wen had also departed the scene...
        Never to be seen again.

Chiba would definitely listen to whatever Kimura said.
To be honest, she was not very familiar with the industry of light novels. Typically, one needed to understand everything about the profession they were getting themselves into when they decided to join it. Some would even mingle in various group chats created solely for light novelists. However, Chiba only joined one chat group since the beginning. That group was formed by Yuriko and her.
The main reason was that Chiba was only writing light novels as a hobby. A high school student in the junior year was expected to prioritize her studies, not her hobby. Hence, Chiba never replied to all the private messages from the group "Let's Be A Light Novelist."
She had been thinking about contacting them after she had finished this story. She never expected that Kimura would take the initiative to meet her.
She had heard about Seikisha before, naturally. The company had contacted her previously, but she did not bother about it.
After that, Kimura showed Chiba the Vision Spell before they went to Chiyoda District. They arrived at the main entrance of Seikisha in a short while. They gained a lot of attention from the others as both of them were teenagers wearing school uniforms. Soon enough, Kimura was recognized by them. After all, it had only been two days since the Jade Dragon Flag Competition. Although the competition had ended, the buzz around it had yet to fade.
The crowd did not disturb him despite having recognized him.
However, some of them wondered if Kimura had some relationship with Seikisha. After all, Kimura's reputation had benefited from the Peak Kendo Showdown that was held by Seikisha at Akihabara Square back then. His performance was recorded and uploaded to the internet as the first part of the marketing publicity stunt for "The Sword Saga."
The publicity campaign for "The Sword Saga" had ended. "The Sword Saga" would be out in July, two weeks, with many people looking forward to this new animation. The company was preparing for the release with great pains as Seikisha would be in trouble if 'The Sword Saga' garnered negative reviews from the public.
Soon, Kimura and Chiba went to the front desk and stated their reason for visiting. The director, Muraoka Hiroshi, walking briskly, came over in five minutes. His
eyes beamed with happiness, and he said with a big smile on his face, "How are you, Kimura-Kun..." Then, he looked at Chiba and was surprised. He thought to himself, 'What a beautiful young girl.' He then realized that she was here together with Kimura, he could not help but laud Kimura mentally...
He was struck by a thought soon after. His expression changed slightly, and he asked carefully, surprised, "Are you... Miss Gentera?"
She's so young!
It's known that reality is different from light novels. Many young boys and girls are considered to be popular light novelists in the slice of life anime, but the readers know that it's all fake...Most light novelists are above 20 years old when they reach their fame. It's sporadic to find a young light novelist who had many talents like Chiba, who looked like a female high school student.
High school students have to attend classes and join social activities, some of them need to go for tuition too. How is it possible for her to find the time to write novels?
Mr. Hiroshi quickly brought them to his office to talk business. He was the manager of the marketing department and the director, holding a powerful position in the company. Usually, he was not the one responsible for discussing contracts with light novelists. The editor from the editorial department would often be the one in charge. However, since he was close to Kimura, it would not affect him a bit as long as he passed the contract to the editor after he had settled it.
However, he did not know much about the signing of contracts with light novelists. Thus, he called the editorial department and asked for an editor's input over at his office. 
"I never expected that Miss Gentera would be so young," Muraiko exclaimed, hanging up the phone. He was a fan of "Loading File Of Tokyo," but the writing style was so proficient that he never expected the writer to be a high school student.
However, he felt relieved when he thought about Kimura's extraordinary sword style. The people around him were undoubtedly remarkable as well.
Chiba sat on the sofa and gave a reserved smile. She locked her eyes on Kimura. Muraoka realized then that the results of today's meeting would be dependant on Kimura-Kun.
Kimura gave him a smile, asking, "Mr. Muraoka, July is only two weeks away from now. 'The Sword Saga' should be ready by now, right?"
Muraoka Hiroshi was briefly taken aback as he didn't realize the relevance of the question... But he saw the light soon and replied, "It's ready, especially for the voice actors. Most of the voice actors for "The Sword Saga" are relatively new in this industry, but their basic foundations are genuinely amazing. There's a very high possibility that 'The Sword Saga' will become the top anime in July."
Kimura nodded and said, "I'm relieved to hear that."
It seems like Fuyuno has joined the voice acting team of "The Sword Saga," she should have completed her current stage of life as well.
If that was the case, both Harunaka's and Fuyuno's wishes were fulfilled. He was not in a hurry now since only Akino's and Natsui's wishes were left.
Chiba was curious, but she did not make any further inquiry. All in all, she was just an ordinary young girl despite her talents, who needed Kimura's help for this meeting.
Before long, someone knocked on the door while they were chatting.
A female editor entered the office upon receiving Muraoka Hiroshi's reply. Unfortunately, she almost fell down upon entering the room. She held on to the doorknob to stabilize herself. However, either because the doorknob was broken or in otherwise lousy shape, it was torn off by her... At the next moment, a thump was heard as she fell on the ground.
All this happened within a matter of a few seconds. Chiba was bewildered when she witnessed it on the sofa. She moved towards Kimura unconsciously. But then she saw something that made her face turned pale...there was a little ghost on the female editor's shoulder! She was able to see it as Kimura had just performed the Vision Spell on her.
Chiba stared into her eyes out at the wraith, looking at it curiously, excitedly. She had not encountered a wraith since witnessing the demon at Akichi High School. She did not expect to see one here.
The little ghost had dark red skin and creepy blue eyes. It was pulling Ayumi Murakami's hairs with its thin arms and squatting on her left shoulder. It gave an eerie smile when it saw her fall to the floor.
Kimura had obviously noticed it too. He looked at it emotionlessly, with an odd look in his eyes.
There's no peculiar smell.
Apparently, it was a demon, but it did not have any peculiar smell. Apart from that, it had not even reached the First Foundation State to which he concluded that the reason the female editor fell was not the demon's fault...
Muraoka Hiroshi's turned ghastly pale. He understood that her fall was just an accident, but it might give Kimura-Kun and Miss Gentera a lousy impression about Seikisha.
When he laid his eyes on Ayumi Murakami, who was sitting on the floor and gasping for air after she fell, he said emotionlessly, "Editor Murakami, you don't have to be so excited even if you are a fan of Miss Gentera."


Time travelling from the majestic era after the Recuperation of Reiki, he became Kimura Kazuki, a 16-year-old high school student in Japan, one year before the Reiki Recuperation.

Tentatively, he set out to hone himself to the bone, burning candles at both ends to stockpile resources in preparation for the imminent Recuperation of Reiki. His goal was to be many steps ahead of all humanity when the time comes.

However, it seemed like fate had decided to play a cruel trick on him.

One year later, the Recuperation of Reiki... did not happen as expected.

Young, poor Michael Henchard feels trapped by his wife 
and child and one night gets drunk at a fair and sells 
them to a stranger called Newson. Horrified by what 
he has done, he swears not to touch alcohol for twenty 
years. Eighteen years later he is the mayor of Casterbridge 
and a successful businessman. Believing Newson is dead, 
his wife, Susan, and daughter, Elizabeth-Jane, arrive in 
Casterbridge to find Henchard because she has no money. 
He marries her again and they have a short happy life 
together. Farfrae, a young man with modern business 
ideas, arrives at the same time and becomes Henchard's 
farm manager. Susan dies, and Henchard learns that 
Elizabeth-Jane is really Newson's daughter. Henchard falls 
out with Farfrae, who sets up a rival business, and soon 
outdoes him. A woman from Henchard's past, Lucetta, 
comes to Casterbridge. Henchard now wants to marry 
her, but she and Farfrae fall in love. Henchard's business 
fails and he loses his house so he starts drinking again. 
Lucetta dies of shock after the local people make fun of 
her and Henchard in public. He sees that he will now 
lose his 'daughter' as well as everything else. He leaves 
Casterbridge on foot. He is penniless and has lost his 
family – just as at the beginning of the story. Elizabeth-
Jane remains loyal to Henchard, but he dies before she can 
find him.
Chapter 1: Henchard, a farm worker aged twenty, has a 
family, no job and no home. He gets drunk and sells his 
wife and child for five guineas to a sailor named Newson 
at a fair. Devastated at what he has done, he looks for 
them without success. Henchard makes a solemn promise 
not to touch alcohol for twenty years. 
Chapter 2: Susan, widowed and poor, and her eighteen-
year-old daughter, Elizabeth-Jane arrive in Casterbridge to 
find Henchard. She is relieved to find he is now the Mayor 
and a businessman who needs a corn manager for his 
growing business.
Chapter 3: Henchard employs Farfrae, a handsome 
innovative Scotsman as corn manager and the business 
improves. He also meets Susan and devises a plan so 
that the townspeople do not find their marriage strange. 
He draws closer to Farfrae and tells him about his past; 
including a woman in Jersey he promised to marry. 
Chapter 4: Henchard marries Susan, but she is reluctant 
to have her daughter's last name changed. He and Farfrae 
disagree publicly over a worker. Henchard is jealous and 
organises a rival entertainment day to Farfrae's, but it fails. 
Farfrae leaves him and sets up a rival business. Susan dies 
but leaves a letter with the truth about her daughter.
Chapter 5: Henchard tells Elizabeth-Jane what happened 
at the fair twenty years ago but reads in Susan's letter that 
she is really Newson's daughter. He begins to treat her 
coldly, and even encourages Farfrae to see her. Elizabeth-
Jane meets a woman at her mother's grave who is friendly 
and offers her to share her house. : Lucetta, the woman from Jersey, has inherited 
property in Casterbridge and has employed Elizabeth-Jane 
as a housekeeper. Henchard tries to see her but they fail to 
meet. Farfrae calls in to see Elizabeth-Jane, who is out. He 
likes Lucetta and she loses interest in Henchard.
Chapter 7: Henchard goes bankrupt because of the 
weather and his own impatience while Farfrae's business 
succeeds. Henchard realises he and Farfrae compete for 
Lucetta's love, so he threatens her with making their past 
public so that she accepts his proposal of marriage.
Chapter 8: Henchard agrees to postpone their wedding 
if Lucetta helps him buy some time to repay a debt to 
Grower. She can't because she has secretly married Farfrae 
and Grower acted as witness. 
Chapter 9: Henchard claims the letters from his safe, and 
reads them out to Farfrae without disclosing the sender. 
He promises Lucetta to give tham back to her and asks 
Jopp to deliver them.
Chapter 10: Jopp asks Lucetta to help him become her 
husband's manager but she refuses. In a pub, he reads out 
the letters to two women and they plan a skimmity-ride in 
town to scorn Lucetta and Henchard. 
Chapter 11: A member of the Royal family visits the 
town but Henchard is not allowed to greet him. Hurt, 
Henchard fights Farfrae in a barn but cannot bring himself 
to kill him.
Chapter 12: Henchard is back in town to see the ride. 
Farfrae does not see the ride because he is lured away from 
town but Lucetta dies of the shock.
Chapter 13: Henchard and Elizabeth-Jane live 
together happily. Elizabeth-Jane and Farfrae renew their 
relationship and get married. Newson returns and tells his 
daughter the truth, which makes her very happy.
Henchard leaves the town.
Chapter 14: Elizabeth-Jane marries Farfrae and tries to 
find her father to take care of him but he dies before she 
can find him. 
The original text
The novel first appeared serially, in twenty instalments, 
in 1886 in The Graphic, an English periodical and 
simultaneously in the United States. The book appeared 
as soon as the serial publication was complete but it differs 
a lot from the serial novel. It has been adapted for TV as a 
miniseries.
Background and themes
Where the story came from: Hardy claims the story 
was inspired by three actual events: the sale of a wife 
by her husband reported in a local newspaper, the 
uncertain harvests and the visit of Prince Albert, Queen 
Victoria's husband, to Dorchester, the town upon which 
Casterbridge is based, in 1849. 
Fight with self: The main theme of the book is 
Henchard's fight against two things: his own character 
and chance. As he fights with himself, his actions and 
decisions affect other people's lives, usually badly. He 
often allows negative feelings to overwhelm him – at the 
beginning when things seem so bad he sells his wife. He is 
always honest in business, but not always kind; he is often 
impatient and quick to anger, but he is capable of great 
love and great loneliness. His complex character creates 
uncertainty in the reader – should we feel sorry for him or 
does he deserve everything that happens to him?
Chance: Chance plays an important part throughout the 
story: the chance appearance of Newson in the tent when 
Henchard is trying to sell his wife; the rain that spoils 
Henchard's fair; the August weather that ruins Henchard's 
business; the chance meeting between Farfrae and Lucetta 
when they fall in love. Hardy believes that although 
Henchard is a powerful character, he is never fully in 
control of his life.
Alcohol also has a role here. Henchard's life improves 
when he stops drinking; as he devotes himself to work, 
builds a successful business and eventually becomes mayor. 
Once he starts again, he loses his pride and his judgement. 
Traditional versus modern: The two men represent 
contrasting ways of life in the country. Henchard is 
traditional and old-fashioned. Farfrae is young and 
modern. Hardy was always fascinated by country customs 
and ways. He often includes strange country rituals like 
the skimmity-ride in his novels. They make useful plot 
devices and allow him to paint pictures of colourful but 
less important characters. He also uses them to reveal the 
conservative side of society, which can be very cruel to 
people who fall outside its strict rules of moral behaviour. 
Lucetta dies because of the skimmity joke. This breaking 
of the moral code becomes a very important theme in 
Hardy's later novels, which shocked the reading public 
and ended Hardy's novel-writing career. What has Providence done to Mr Hardy 
that he should rise up in the arable land of 
Wessex and shake his fist at his Creator?
So wrote Hardy's friend Edmund Gosse at 
the end of a review of Jude the Obscure. 
It's a fair question. What made Hardy see 
the world as such a dark and unforgiving 
place? He grew up in a loving family, 
studied and worked at a job he enjoyed, 
lived in a part of the country he loved, 
went on to make his living as a writer, and 
became (and remains) one of the greatest 
English novelists. His life had its tragedies 
– the suicide of a close friend, a childless 
and ultimately unhappy marriage – as well 
as its philosophical darknesses (he found 
the conventional notion of a benevolent 
God impossible). But surely these are not 
sufficient to explain an almost malevolentlydisinterested Fate that wreaks its heedless 
damage upon the central characters of 
his books. For Hardy, coincidences are not 
merely plot devices: they are the wheels 
of a Juggernaut that will crush everything 
that has any association with it; and to 
which the characters seem tied by virtue 
of their flawed human-ness. 
Hardy was compulsively interested in 
how people's characteristics shaped their 
lives; in local history; and in recognising 
the social shifts that were changing the 
landscape, workscape, philosophy and 
very tenor of the world he knew. As a 
writer, he bridged the span between the 
high Victorian of the 1860s and the era 
of Modernism in the 1920s. Around him, 
the rigorous certainties of the former gave 
way to the intellectual and spiritual doubtsof the latter, and the shift was registered 
everywhere, from the literary cliques 
of London to the labourers in Dorset – 
everything was undergoing a profound 
upheaval. And Hardy was caught between 
the two extremes.
He was born to a builder and master 
stonemason in Bockhampton, Dorset, and 
although educated at home until he was 
eight, he was a capable student and by 
the time he was 13 was learning French 
and Latin. He was also a lover of music, 
something he shared with his father, 
playing the violin and joining the choir. 
But his family's social status and lack of 
funds meant any further education was 
out of the question, so at 16 he went 
to study under the architect John Hicks, 
and at about the same time, met Horatio 
(Horace) Moule. For the next 15 years or 
so, Moule was to be a friend and mentor, 
introducing Hardy to the contemporary 
authors and the Greek writers, whose 
sense of the tragic was to be echoed in 
much of Hardy's work. Moule was a man 
of profound charm, charisma, intellect 
and personality, blighted with melancholia 
and a tendency to alcohol. He eventually 
committed suicide in 1873. There is no 
evidence to suggest a sexual element to 
their closeness, but Moule's life (and death) 
had the same depth of effect on Thomas 
Hardy as Arthur Hallam's had on Tennyson 
– something at the very root of life was 
expressed by the friendship; something 
crushingly destroyed by the death.
Before that tragedy, however, Hardy 
was making a living as an architect, and 
in 1862 he took a post in a practice in 
London. Here his pained sensitivity to 
the niceties of the English class system 
and his belief that reform in all areas of 
English social life (philosophical, religious 
and political) was necessary were honed 
by his exposure to wider culture and to 
other writers and philosophers. But his 
health was never strong; and the urge to 
live in the countryside he loved so much 
meant he returned to Dorset five years 
later. He had been writing poetry for some 
time, but it was felt that the publishers 
wanted prose. So he started writing 
novels, though at first the publishers didn't 
want them, either. He destroyed his first 
one, but was persuaded to carry on, and 
between 1872 (Under the GreenwoodTree) and 1898 (The Well-Beloved) he 
wrote 18 novels, including six or seven of 
the greatest works in English fiction. These 
are tragedies that bring together strong 
characters and an implacable Fate (often 
one that seems to pass judgement on the 
basis of conventional morality) in an area 
of south-west England that Hardy knew, 
loved, understood – and mythologised as 
Wessex. One of these was The Mayor of 
Casterbridge.
It explores many of his core themes: 
the traps of convention; the ramifications 
of character; class and social structure; the 
conflicts between love and loyalty, self and 
the greater good; fate; religion; and many 
other issues, all laced within a story that 
– for all its apparent improbability – has 
its starting point in fact. Hardy collected 
items that matched his view of the way 
life treated people, and incorporated them 
in his works; and he noticed a story in a 
local paper about a man selling his wife at 
a fair. It seemed a perfect springboard for 
the characters he had in mind. Henchard 
is not just a victim of circumstance – his 
fate is rooted in his inherent characteristics 
and the decisions he makes are based on 
his nature. The same is true of Farfrae, 
Elizabeth-Jane (although she was 
somewhat softened in later editions, which 
rather reduced her strength of character) 
and even Susan and Newson. This is why 
the novel has the subtitle A Story of a 
Man of Character (although which man is 
meant by this is not completely clear). The 
lives that are played out are not merely at 
the whim of fate, God or even, to some 
extent, the novelist. They are the natural 
extensions of the characters themselves.
The novel was serialised in the Graphic
with some trepidation, since Hardy was 
developing a reputation for controversy 
that would only grow over the remaining 
10 years of his life as a novelist. His 
opposition to many of the standard mores 
put him at odds with the establishment, 
and the reception afforded his later works 
– one Bishop actually burned a copy of 
Jude the Obscure and, as Hardy pointed 
out, that was probably only because he 
couldn't burn the novelist – decided him 
to give up the form altogether and return 
to his first love, poetry.
Between 1898 and the end of his 
life, Hardy published no more novels, butconcentrated on poems and epic verse. He 
was awarded the Order of Merit in 1910, 
having earlier refused a knighthood, and a 
major edition of his works was published 
in 1912. But the same year, his wife – from 
whom he had been essentially estranged 
for almost two decades – died; and her 
death proved a wellspring of profound 
emotion and inspiration as he remembered 
their earlier happiness. He married his 
secretary Florence Dugdale two years 
later, and continued to publish verse and 
autobiography until his death in 1928. 
So what had Providence done to Mr 
Hardy? Nothing of itself, perhaps. It was 
his fate to be gifted with a sense of the 
effects of character on life, of the capacity 
for unhappiness, of the shifts undermining 
the social world; his fate to have a poetic 
imagination, a deep understanding of 
irony and a mind that could not accept a 
conventional theology. And it was his fate 
to act upon these inherent gifts and flaws, 
just as his heroes and heroines did....!!!!

We have to get at the truth of the matter.
Mary isn’t the type of person who gossips.
People lost faith in banks.
She will defeat them.
I was delighted at the news of her success.
They laughed at my idea.
Alex had a fear that he would fall down.
She tried to restrain her anger.
Don’t underestimate your own strength.
Samuel has a good side and an evil side...!!!

Greetings everyone! DaisukiDayoSenpai here!
I never thought I'd live to see the way where I'd get my third contract from Webnovel. It wasn't as special as my first book where I was scouted from a different writing platform, nor was it as special as my second book, which won the 2020 year-end Cultivation Genre WPC albeit being in third place. This book was just a side book that I was writing because I thought of a pretty complex plot and I badly wanted to write it ASAP. Of course, I joined the Spirity Contest but I don't know if I have the chance to win it. I just joined for the experience and to improve my writing while writing this third novel.
But to my surprise, I received a Contract after publishing 10 chapters of this novel, approximately 15k words. I didn't know why I received a contract but I know receiving a contract is special. It might be normal for novelists here who've been writing for a long time now but this was still a special occasion for me.
That's why, to those few readers who added this book to their collection, I'm really grateful. This book is slow-paced at the start since I focused on character building and world-building but it might get fast-paced in the later chapters. With the third mystery murder out, I think things are bound to take a turn for the better as you readers get immersed in the world of Lucid Dreams, and the ever-changing reality, that is, the world we live in.
To further put some context into the story, I will summarize the plot here:
.....
Circumstances happened, which made Sakurai Yuuta blind. And his best friend, Shiki, felt great guilt eating away at him every time he sees the current state of his friend. Because of his disability, Yuuta did all he could to adapt to his new lifestyle and with the help of his family and best friend, he was able to assimilate back to the world once again.
One day, he was recruited as a beta tester for a game despite being blind. As it turned out, a famous neurologist found out how to access the hippocampus and in the process, he was able to access dreams, or the dream world. As someone who discovered it, he decided to tap into it and run some tests on it. Together, with the help of a popular game creator, they created what's called the Lucid Dream Server— a VRMMORPG that you can play in your mind, specifically, in your lucid dream.
Year 2044, the year wherein the world had discovered another fabric of reality, lucid dreams. But, is this reality just as simple as reality itself?
.....

As always, thank you all so much for reading this book. If you managed to read this far in this auxiliary chapter, then I commend you, and I formally welcome you into Lucid Dream Server, the world and the reality of lucid dreams :)

Sincerely,
DaisukiDayoSenpai

Spirity 2021 Contestant.

lucid dreams- dreams where you can do anything and be anyone! It's a dream come true for most people who wants to experience life in the realm of fantasy. 

But in 2044, Lucid Dreams became another fabric of reality when a famous VR game developer invents what's called the Lucid Dream Server— a Server that can tap into anyone's head and enable them to play a VRMMORPG in their lucid dreams! 

Sakurai Yuuta, who has been blind for two years, was given a chance to be a beta tester of the game. But when 'game bugs' started to appear and mess with the game and the real world, The fine line between dreams and reality became muddled, and it's up to him to discover the secrets that lies behind the Lucid Dream Server.

Disclaimer: Photo used in the cover is a no royalty photo, I do not own the photo whatsoever but all edits are mine.

She rode the bicycle before stopping far away. The woman on the bicycle wore many clothes, wrapping herself tightly and only exposing her eyes. However, upon closer inspection, one could notice a pair of extremely beautiful eyes. No matter how much the world has changed, the brilliance in her eyes remained the same even after two lifetimes.
Had she changed? Actually, she had never.
She walked to the back of the team and started queueing up. Lu Yi walked to the front and also queued at the back of the line. However, his eyes were constantly on her. She was holding her handphone and playing with it occasionally, without being too distracted.
She bought a basket of buns and when she returned to her bicycle, she immediately took one out and ate it. The bun was the tastiest when it was still warm, especially just as it came out of the steamer. 
She took a bite and it almost burnt her lips. However, that was the way of savoring it. She pushed her bicycle and ate as she walked. The buns would probably be finished before she reached home. Hmm, I should've bought two baskets of it. Should I go back to buy another basket of it? Forget about it. She sighed. The buns might be sold out when she arrive. I'll just come again tomorrow.
However, she did not know that a man had been trailing behind her. She was busy thinking to herself, so she did not realize the long shadow cast under the bright streetlights.
When Lu Yi returned, it was already 8 pm in the evening. He took his handphone and with a light tap of his finger. His ticket for tomorrow's morning flight was canceled. Then, he set it aside and walked toward the hotel's French window. He could almost see the entire River Xun City from there. He lived there for about two years, after all.
Yan Huan parked her bicycle at the doorway and opened the door before going out. She thought that she would come back anymore, but in the end, she relented. Compared to Sea City, it was more peaceful here and she really needed this peace of mind. Perhaps, she would return again before long.
"There's an endorsement for you, do you want to accept it?"
In the phone, Luo Lin lamented, "You are the International Best Actress, yet you did not shoot any films, dramas, or movies. It's a waste of your nickname as a box office elixir."
"Wasn't my name so tarnished that I was kicked out of the entertainment industry?" Yan Huan had not been paying attention to the news for quite some time. Since she was revealed to have an extramarital affair, her reputation had drastically plummeted. Even some of her endorsements had been substituted. Unexpectedly, there were still people looking for her to film a commercial now. Was the product a rat poison or pesticide?
"Your name is cleared." Luo Lin's voice obviously sounded like she was gnashing her teeth in anger, saying, "Your reputation is finally restored after so much struggle, it was almost completely ruined. Yan Huan, do you think that the entertainment industry is a place that you can leave easily and simply enter as your wish?"
Yan Huan moved her handphone away from her ear, as Luo Lin had been hot-tempered recently. She was afraid to answer her call every time. Usually, her call would last for an hour and Yan Huan's ear would hurt after being bombarded with endless nagging.
After she put down the phone, she would feel that her brain was buzzing, as if there was a bee flying inside, and have a severe migraine.
However, what was Luo Lin saying? I'm successfully absolved?
I'm absolved, but why don't I know about it?
She walked to a side and took out her laptop. She wanted to browse the internet. After pressing buttons for a long time, the laptop still did not respond. She frowned and pondered to herself. Is it spoiled?
Forget it. She did not want to try again. She never knew how to fix a computer anyway, she would rather just send it and let others repair it tomorrow.
She took out her handphone, leaning on the headboard of her bed and started to snoop around.
She wanted to find out about the dirty secrets of Yan Huan's affair.
'Best actress Yan Huan donated blood to save someone's life, giving almost one-fifth of all her blood.' 
'It was not adultery but a blessing.'
She pursed her red lips tightly and had no idea who wrote these. There were a few photos of her in the hospital. Actually, there should not be too much news about her.
However, these seemed like they had existed for a very long time. To be honest, she disliked it when her name existed in these domains for so long. The entertainment industry was a place that one could be forgotten easily. The latest news was constantly churned out while the old news would disappear in a flash and turned into dust.
The latest news was updated endlessly as things happened every day.
She noticed after she stopped filming, there were many artists who became famous. As for the seniors like her, they would be replaced and forgotten eventually.
A few of the rookies discovered by Linlang became famous and they were considered as Linlang's most successful roster. Till now, Yan Huan had lived to the age of her last life, so she could not do anything for Linlang anymore. She had to make her own path in the future. Anyway, she had years of experience under her belt, so she was very stable and determined now. She could even compete with the top domestic entertainment companies.
Then, she put down her handphone. She was still in doubt that her name was cleared. Although it did not matter if she was absolved or not, it was better to have her name cleared. At least, she would not be scolded every day. No one sane would want to be scolded, after all.
As for the endorsement, she did not plan to accept it. She was not overly ambitious, as she had received the prizes that she wanted. From now on, she wanted to lead an ordinary life, without having to cover herself up like a bear and be afraid of revealing her face while going out.
On the next day, she woke up early in the morning and brought her laptop to the shopping mall. She bought the laptop here and she did not want to search for after-sales services. 
The computer maintenance staff started to check her laptop. After quite some time, he realized that it was the problem of the laptop's graphic card, so it had to be changed. The graphic card was in stock and after being changed and adjusted, she brought the laptop and walked back home. As she kept lowering her head to ponder over something, she did not notice that a person brushed against her. That person stopped, but she kept going forward without pausing.
Lu Yi stared at her back view for very long until she vanished from his sight. Then, he turned around and walked forward. It seemed that she had been living well in this city, everything was simple and peaceful for her. 
He put his laptop on the table. 
"The graphic card is damaged."
Before going out, he had checked his laptop and knew that it was the graphic card's problem. Thus, he immediately came here today to change the graphic card. 
The computer maintenance staff took his laptop and as expected, it was similar to the previous laptop he repaired. Both of their graphic cards were damaged.


For his sake, she was willing to abandon her career as the best actress and be his wife. With her own network, money and unscrupulous methods, she helped him rise to the top of the world. He, on the other hand, held another woman in his embrace and kicked her away with no mercy. It turned out that all he ever wanted was her rare blood type, her six-month-old child's cord blood. It was her life... When she opened her eyes again, she returned to her 20-year-old self. Time repeated and her life rewound. In this life, she would live well.

Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Is Abbot Fangzheng here?" A voice sounded outside the monastery.
Monkey opened the door and saw a man standing by the door with a dejected look. When he saw Monkey, he pressed his palms together and said, "Hello, Venerable Jingzhen."
Monkey pressed his palms together. "Patron, is there something?"
"Venerable Jingzhen, can I meet Abbot Fangzheng? I… I'm plagued by some matters…" The man lowered his head, looking depressed. His eyes were filled with confusion.
Monkey said, "I'll ask Master. I'll check to see if he's asleep."
"There's no need to. I have time. Patron, please come in and have a seat." Fangzheng's voice sounded.
The man nodded gratefully and walked in.
Monkey did not close the door. This was also the monastery's rule. When visitors came, the door could not be closed.
The moon hung high in the sky, the stars shining brightly. Under the moonlight, the bodhi tree swayed in the wind, emitting rustling sounds. Through the gate of the courtyard, one could see the Heavenly Dragon Pond, which looked like the starry sky, as well as the ancient bell and drum towers.
In the monastery, Fangzheng and the man sat opposite each other under the bodhi tree.
Monkey brought over two cups of tea before sitting by the side without another word.
Fangzheng had been observing the man in front of him. The man looked to be in his twenties. He had delicate features, but his brows were tightly knitted. It was as though there was a knot in his heart that could not be resolved.
However, what truly surprised Fangzheng was the man's attire.
The man was dressed in a suit. It was obvious that he had just bought a new suit. It was very new and very fitting. The workmanship was very particular, and one could tell that it was from a famous brand.
There was a red flower in front of the man's chest. A tiny ear of wheat was hung under the red flower, and there was a red note on it. On it was the word: "Bridegroom!"
There were some confetti on the man's head. His hair was waxed, but it still couldn't maintain his tidy hairstyle. Instead, he looked especially disheveled.
Upon seeing this, Fangzheng had some guesses. However, Fangzheng did not say a word and just sat there quietly.
The man did not say anything. His eyes were filled with chaos, as if his mind was in a mess. He had a lot of words to say, but he did not know where to start.
The two of them sat there in silence. Perhaps they could sense the calmness of the monk opposite them as he looked at Fangzheng.
Looking into Fangzheng's eyes that were as calm as the starry sky, the slight smile was like the warmth of the sun. Feeling the faint warmth, the man's heart finally calmed down…
An hour later, the man sighed and said, "My name is Yu Nian. I'm 29 years old this year. I'm a web novelist. Master, do you know what a web novelist is?"
Fangzheng thought for a moment before shaking his head. "I don't know."
Yu Nian smiled bitterly. "Indeed… Master, have you read web novels?"
Fangzheng said in surprise, "You wrote web novels?"
Yu Nian nodded. "Yes."
Fangzheng was immediately intrigued as he said with a smile, "This Penniless Monk admires people like you. Your imagination is just too fantastic. Furthermore, the speed at which you write is shocking."
After being praised by Fangzheng, Yu Nian's mood improved.
After all, this person in front of him was Abbot Fangzheng; he was famous across the entire country! It was not an exaggeration to say that he was a famous celebrity. Few people would not remain unfazed after receiving his praise.
Yu Nian said, "It's still okay. For this job, I have to think of the plot all day, even in my sleep. As for speed, after writing millions of words a year, anyone can become fast. It's why we call ourselves 'Writing Dogs.'"
"You're being humble."
Yu Nian shook his head and said, "This industry of ours is very difficult. We have to face the computer almost all day. We have to think about the plot while eating, sleeping, and using the toilet. Once we come up with a plot, we have to quickly jot it down or start writing. The only thing that is worth being gratified is that I'm the few that managed to survive. My income is not bad. I can rely on writing to make a living…"
Fangzheng asked in surprise, "Is your profession very profitable?"
Yu Nian shook his head and said, "How should I put it… I've been writing for ten years. Last year, my monthly royalties were 1,200 yuan. After deducting the taxes, it was slightly more than a thousand yuan."
Fangzheng said, "How is that possible? Hasn't the tax been raised?"
Yu Nian continued to shake his head and said, "It's different. Writers usually don't earn money, so it starts from 800. It's all thanks to the Internet. Otherwise, for a traditional writer in the past, it's already very impressive to be able to get about a hundred yuan every month. Even now, I know that many traditional writers don't earn money from their creations. Occasionally, they would send it out, and they would only earn five to ten yuan for their manuscripts.
"The advantage of web novelists is that we can sell them on the Internet and earn money. Therefore, our days are better than them…
"However, the requirements for online writers are too low. As long as one wants to write, they can write with a computer.
"So, the number of web novelists is frightening. It's almost reaching eight million!"
Fangzheng jumped in fright when he heard that. "Eight million? That many? But… Why does This Penniless Monk feel that there aren't many web novelists?"
Yu Nian said, "The barrier of entry for web novelists is too low. As long as they post their books on online literature websites, they are counted. But among the eight million people, there might be about five to six million people who wrote on a whim. After writing a few chapters, they would no longer write or be irregular in their posting. These people don't earn a single cent, and they basically wasted their time. Furthermore, they don't have readers. It's basically a flop.
"Who would announce to the world that their books were a flop? So they will usually hide."
Fangzheng fell silent and continued asking, "What about the rest?"
Yu Nian said, "Out of the remaining two plus million people, two million are probably unable to sign a contract. It's like they make products, but the supermarket doesn't allow them to sell them."
Fangzheng instantly understood…
Yu Nian said, "The remaining few hundred thousand people can sign a contract, but signing the contract doesn't mean that they can monetize it. Those who can actually have their work monetized are even fewer. Others may not know, but most of the authors that I know can't get their works monetized. Even if I overestimate it at 200,000 people monetizing their work, out of these 200,000 people, another 100,000+ people are unable to earn much from monetization. For example, I earned 900-1000 yuan per month. Then the remaining tens of thousands will be able to earn a few thousand yuan. A few thousand people can earn tens of thousands every month. Not more than a thousand people can earn 100,000 a month. Probably less than a hundred can earn hundreds of thousands and more."
After Fangzheng heard that, he was left speechless. "This… isn't the probability too low?"
Yu Nian said, "That's right, the chance of success is too low. The value that the entire online literature industry creates every year might not even be as much as a variety show… So, the web novelist doesn't have much influence on this world. The world doesn't pay too much attention to us. We are considered the kind of people that are often forgotten."


In the rural northeastern mountainous regions stands a tiny Buddhist temple, named One Finger Temple. It isn't a large one but it is extremely miraculous.

The temple has rice that emanates an aromatic fragrance.

The temple has sweet and refreshing water that rivals ambrosia.

The temple has Buddhas that grant wishes to the sincere.

The temple isn't large but it has everything. The temple isn't large but it has flourishing incense offerings that far exceed all temples. The temple isn't large but it attracts both citizens and foreigners that line up overnight…

The temple has a bald but handsome monk. Every day, he would bawl, "I want to renounce asceticism! I want to marry a chick that's not too pretty, have a cute baby, and lead a stable life!"

This book is a casual novel that introduces various Chinese traditional customs, as well as Buddhist ones. It strives to be a positive book, allowing people to reflect on how they should live their lives and treat others.

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