Chapter One: Breaking the Engagement.
This was the opening chapter of Huang Yifan's new book.
The "golden three chapters" theory from 'The School Belle's Bodyguard' had long been considered the ultimate opening formula.
But was it truly the best?
If 'Battle Through the Heavens' had never existed, then perhaps yes.
But once 'Battle Through the Heavens' appeared, that method suddenly seemed dull in comparison.
Its rise began with a single moment, breaking the engagement.
…
White Jade Hall Fan Group.
"It's been three years… has White Boss appeared yet?"
One fan asked in the public chat.
"No."
"I haven't seen him online once since I joined."
"It feels like he doesn't even log into TT anymore."
"Yeah… will he ever come back?"
"I don't know."
"I feel like he's abandoned us."
"I feel like he's gone for good…"
The chat was filled with crying and sad emojis.
Then someone suddenly asked:
"Are we… still waiting?"
Everyone froze.
Should they still wait?
Many had never really thought about it.
At first, they believed he had only stepped away for a while.
Just like before, after finishing 'How a Bad Guy Is Made', he returned with 'The School Belle's Bodyguard' in just two months.
But this time…
It had been three years.
Three whole years.
How many three years does a person have?
Normally, if an author disappears for even three months, they're gone for good.
So… should they stop waiting?
But the moment that thought appeared, another voice in their hearts shouted it down.
"Have you forgotten how White Boss risked everything just to finish 'How a Bad Guy Is Made'?"
"Have you forgotten his words, 'You give me a peach, I return you jade'?"
"Have you forgotten he told us to wait for him?"
The moment those words surfaced, the entire group stiffened.
"Wait."
"We keep waiting."
"He said he'd come back. I believe him."
"So do I. He would never abandon White Jade Hall."
"A person who could say 'You give me a peach, I return you jade' would never disappear forever."
"Where are the three thousand disciples of White Jade Hall?"
"White Jade Hall Miaomiao reporting."
"White Jade Hall Hongmeng reporting."
"White Jade Hall Qianyi reporting."
"All three thousand disciples are still here. We won't leave. White Boss, we're waiting for you."
…
Feilong Forum.
'The Five Whites of the Central Plains Rise, Yet the Number One White Is Nowhere to Be Seen'
This post has recently become one of the hottest topics.
It detailed the development of web novels over the past three years, highlighting the most outstanding authors.
The "Five Whites of the Central Plains" referred to five platinum authors who had risen on Lingdian.
Because their writing style was all "white" and they achieved great success, they were collectively called the Five Whites.
But the most talked-about part of the post wasn't them.
It was the final line:
"The world no longer sees the Number One White."
Who was the Number One White?
If you asked, people would tell you:
He was a legend.
His full pen name was The Number One White Under Heaven.
Even the Five Whites had risen by following the path he pioneered.
Yet at the height of his glory, he vanished completely.
And thus, he became a legend.
The post struck a chord with countless Feilong veterans, quickly gathering thousands of replies.
"Back then, Feilong mocked The Number One White Under Heaven endlessly. But three years later, time has proven he was right, and Feilong was wrong."
"Yeah, I remember when he said noob-style novels had huge potential. Everyone here laughed at him. Now look, those who mastered it are all top-tier authors."
"You say the world no longer sees him? Look at the Mobile Reading rankings. His book is still number one. Even after three years, no one has surpassed him."
"And that's exactly why he's become a legend."
"I wonder if his fans are crazy. It's been three years, and they're still waiting."
"Careful what you say about his fans."
"Why?"
"Say that again, I dare you. White Jade Hall Mingming is here."
"Think we're gone? White Jade Hall is still here."
"Back them up. Anyone talking nonsense gets called out."
"To be honest, I finally understand why he became a legend. With fans like that… I'm jealous."
"Same here. But he's probably never coming back."
"Yeah. Even if he never writes another word, he's probably made over 30 million in the past three years. Writing web novels is exhausting. If it were me, I'd quit and enjoy life."
"Fair point."
…
Aspiring Writers Group.
"Thirty-Two, have you been studying Xuanhuan lately? I want to write one."
Jiangcheng South asked.
"Are you crazy? Stick to urban novels."
"Urban doesn't have adaptation rights. Hard to publish, can't turn into games. Even with 3.000 subscribers, you barely get by. But Xuanhuan authors can sell rights for over a million. It's frustrating."
"Stop being jealous. If you hadn't listened to White Boss back then and switched to noob-style, you'd have flopped already. You've got 3.000 subscribers now, be satisfied. And anyway, Xuanhuan is tough right now. Even top authors only get 500 subscriptions after release."
"Yeah, don't do it. The genre's oversaturated. Everyone copied the formula, now everything feels the same. Even big authors are flopping."
"Alright, I was just thinking out loud. Honestly, I don't dare write xuanhuan. Look at White Boss, even he disappeared after trying it. If he couldn't handle it, what chance do I have?"
"Yeah… I wonder where he went."
"No idea. But I don't think he's left writing."
"Why?"
"I don't know. Just a feeling. Someone who would risk his life just to finish a story… wouldn't give up that easily."
"I think so too."
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