All-rounder Artist

Chapter 1618: Chapter 1302: Ling Kong’s First Strike, Who Is Chu Kuang? (Part 2)

“Almost a total wipeout.”

“Killing and arson are pardoned.”

“The metaphor of this story is quite deep.”

“Strangely, no one is making a fuss, everyone seems accustomed to the old rascal’s way of handling things; the old rascal has successfully pua’d us readers.”

Indeed.

Even with such an ending, no one is criticizing Chu Kuang; instead, it has prompted readers to praise him, which is truly odd.

The same goes for this ending.

The characters that elicit the most reflection are primarily focused on two individuals.

One is Song Jiang;

The other is Lu Zhishen.

The former is the leader who betrayed his brothers.

The latter is widely considered by readers as the most qualified person to be called a “hero.”

“The tide of the Qiantang River rises, today I finally know who I am.”

This phrase is from the one hundred and nineteenth chapter of “Water Margin.”

It is a verse by Lu Zhishen before his meditative death at Liuhe Temple in Hangzhou, the full text is:

“In this life, I did not cultivate good karma, only loved killing and arson. Suddenly, the golden cord loosens, here the jade lock breaks. Oh! The tide of the Qiantang River comes, today I finally know who I am.”

At the intersection of life and death.

Lu Zhishen gained a sudden enlightenment.

Not sure how much the readers understood, but many couldn’t help but murmur when reading this:

The tide of the Qiantang River comes, today I finally know who I am.

…

The third day.

Multiple media outlets published reviews of “Water Margin,” and interestingly enough, they managed to avoid overlapping topics, focusing on entirely different aspects.

Some discussed Song Jiang killing Yan Poxi;

Some lamented Yang Zhi selling his sword out of necessity;

Others talked about the Seven Star gathering; The story of Wu Yong cunningly acquiring the birthday gifts.

Song Jiang meeting Dai Zong, the dragon diving into the sea; Li Kui fighting Zhang Shun, recognizing through combat.

Like the scene of Wu Song fighting the tiger, which naturally became a focal point for discussion.

Among the numerous reviews, professors and literary experts from universities displayed their diversity of skills:

“Through this book, you first see a hero, but his small actions make you doubt he is a thief, stepping back, you suddenly see an even taller thief behind him, at this point the lens zooms out, showing boundless wilderness and open sky.

The book has a vulgar realism, yet also a crude artistry.

It lacks pretentiousness, clearly Chu Kuang’s writing could be more glamorous.

Yet through the simplest words, he can turn scabies into a bloom on the skin, turn wild grass into an exquisite plant in a botanical garden.

The matters of the streets are described so simply yet vividly, with no lack of fate’s intricacies, and in the most brutal places, there is no embellishment, all leading to Mount Liang.

After Mount Liang?

This world becomes increasingly mad, even Li Kui can become a judge, until the last two pages, Chu Kuang finally gives the readers an outlet for expression and space for ascension:

The tide of the Qiantang River comes, today I finally understand who I am.

In the absurd face of life, killing and arson is not easy either, when Lu Zhishen achieved enlightenment, I wonder if the other one hundred and seven also understood, or died knowing.”

After all, it’s the foremost among the four great classical novels of the Ming Dynasty.

This book is so down to earth that everyone can find their favorite aspects in it.

Popular literature, popular literature, this book achieves a certain pinnacle in both literary and popular qualities.

Others took unconventional routes, analyzing the book from unusual perspectives.

The most bizarre is a reviewer who conducted a population census in the world of Water Margin:

“The book contains more than six hundred characters. It portrays seventy-six female figures, of which twenty-nine are merely mentioned without detailed description, among the forty-seven detailed depictions, including four heroic figures, eighteen positive characters, twenty-two negative figures, and three fairy figures. It also portrays thirteen characters with magical powers and over forty different bureaucratic figures. Among the one hundred and eight heroes, there are nearly fifty different occupational backgrounds, with seventy-seven surnames (the Li surname being the most common, with seven people); places of origin involving fourteen present-day provinces and cities; thirty-six underwent lawsuits and suffered wrongful imprisonment; characters such as Shi Jin, Lin Chong, among sixteen Mount Liang heroes announced their age upon appearance, with an average age of twenty-eight…”

Not knowing how to write reviews, he plays with this?

But this statistical survey does prove Silver Blue Books’ promotion correct.

This book is indeed the most exaggerated polyphony in history.

As for the prior promotion stating “Water Margin” as a panoramic military literature, this person also did a statistic:

The book records sixty-four battles, thirty-two in the first seventy-one chapters, with the largest battles deploying two to three hundred thousand soldiers on each side.

It details the Mount Liang army, the imperial forces, Great Liao, Tian Hu, Wang Qing, Fang La, and several other combat command units.

It records nine magical duels, twenty-six espionage battles.

It describes over thirty types of weaponry, including blades and firearms.

Mount Liang Marsh had six seating arrangements.

Water Margin not only reflects a world within realms but also reflects an animal world closely connected with humans.

Describes forty-four types of animals, eleven in detailed portrayal. Among the one hundred and eight nicknames of Mount Liang heroes, thirty-four use seventeen animal names.

How long did this take to count?

Is this guy a reviewer or an accountant?

…

Amid the book’s soaring popularity, Lin Yuan suddenly received a call from the chairman.

The other side went straight to the point: “I think the plot of Water Margin is very suitable for adaptation into a TV series!”

The chairman’s instincts are always so sharp.

Lin Yuan certainly agrees; he has this intention without needing the other party to mention it, “Water Margin” is indeed highly suitable for TV adaptation.