Well, what can I say? I’ve been writing this book for nearly half a year now, yet I rarely post single-chapter announcements or set up a fan group. Do you all find me mysterious, elusive, perhaps even a little charming because of it?

Heh.

Let’s start from the very beginning of this book’s genesis. The concept first took shape years ago, back when I was still writing that Three Kingdoms novel—yes, the one I utterly botched. At that time, I had this vague, hazy idea, but I didn't pay it much mind.

Later, due to some personal matters, I stepped away from the scene. Though I still went online often, I hadn't written a single word since.

Last year, that’s right, just last year, I made my return. I was thinking of starting a new book then, primarily, of course, to earn some money. My initial thought was to pick a theme that was easy to handle, just to shake off the rust of writing.

The Godfather of Soccer was born...

The reception of that book wasn't great, but it wasn't a total flop either. It earned just enough to scrape by, allowing me to stay on this path.

Once the old book ended, it was time for a new one. At this point... yep, you guessed it—given my personality, I naturally cooked up a concept so earth-shattering, so breathtakingly grand that it would shock the heavens and move the spirits. However, that concept was immediately shot down by Guo Nu (the prototype for Elder Guo in this book): “Too wicked, too... well, you know—readers won’t accept it!” So, that idea was summarily PA’d.

Then, I finally remembered this other concept that I had almost tossed into the dusty corner—I’d mentioned this idea to a few friends during idle moments over the years, and it had gradually been refined. (Here’s a little behind-the-scenes scoop: I actually tried to pass this idea off to Guo Nu, Bu Ru Ti Qiu, and Luan Shi Kuang Dao, but without exception, they all refused... Go regret it, you all!)

And then, this book was born.

The first half-month was pure agony. Those of you who started reading early will remember: the initial popularity was dismal. Collection points and recommendations were scraping the bottom; I was so discouraged I could barely hold my head up. During those days, I didn't dare show my face in the author groups, fearing ridicule.

Then, clinging to a sliver of hope, I applied for a Sanjiang feature. I have to thank the Sanjiang editor for giving me a lifeline. To be honest, if the momentum from those first two weeks had continued, I probably would have pulled the plug on this book before long. After all, I need this to make a living.

After that, the performance gradually improved. When it was time for the strong recommendation and going VIP, the editor asked me: “Do you want to wait until next month?” I thought about it and decided against it.

In all the books I’ve written, I’ve never chased the Monthly Pass rankings. That whole concept is incredibly foreign to me.

BUT, you folks managed to push this book into the top ten for new releases in just half a month, even though we missed the double monthly pass period at the beginning of the month. For me, that felt like a dream.

At that time, I secretly resolved to write this book to completion at a pace of ten thousand words every single day. Yes, I decided to treat what felt like an explosive burst of writing as my normal daily update schedule, writing at that pace until the very end—I don’t know if I can maintain it, but hey, I’ve stuck with it for two months now; I can hardly believe it myself.

The price I’ve paid for this commitment is: double my previous writing hours, being glued to the computer all day, which has led to consecutive issues with my spinal column and shoulder/back fascia. These last few days, I’ve even dreaded going to sleep because I keep waking up from the pain, rather than waking up naturally from sleep.

I don’t want to say everything is worth it for all of you—that sounds too hollow. I know that if I want good results, I just have to grit my teeth and push through. So, I’m sticking to the ten-thousand-word update schedule, purely to get more subscriptions. That’s the reality: I need to earn a living, I need to make money, so I must keep going.

Speaking of subscriptions, this book's performance has far exceeded my initial expectations. To those of you who have VIP accounts but haven't subscribed yet, please do me a favor: subscribe to the very first chapter of this book, Chapter 84, the one titled "A Certain Inn." We’re only about a hundred subscriptions shy of the five-person goal needed to let me have that little taste of success!

Finally, if you have Monthly Passes, please contribute them. Also, a little heads-up: if nothing unexpected happens, the first volume will conclude before the end of the month. As for the second volume... hehehehehe... you’ll find out when you get there.