Resuming Updates and Update Notice

Starting today, updates will officially resume.

In this round of revisions, I’ve cut over 150,000 words, leaving behind only what I felt was truly essential. If I were to trim any more, later plot developments would lose their connections. Many carefully crafted elements will unfold in the chapters ahead; some foreshadowing lies buried deep and may not reveal its true nature until after five hundred thousand, or even a million, words. I hope you’ll be patient.

I should also mention that during this period, I wasn’t able to draft new chapters; my revisions were sporadic, which is why the update has been delayed until now. One major reason is that I took on an enormous project: part of the planning, interviews, and writing for the large-scale coverage commemorating the 70th anniversary of the victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan. This has consumed a great deal of my energy, and I couldn’t set aside my regular work either.

So please accept my apologies—my updates likely won’t return to their usual pace until after September 4th, as I can only find scattered moments to write. To make matters worse, I’m a slow and clumsy typist…

Still, I will do my best to keep the updates coming.

The good news is that I’ve come to terms with things. I now see this book as an exercise in writing—it’s no longer about chasing a publishing contract or making money. The outline for this novel is, I believe, quite complete, and the subsequent storylines are well planned and clear in my mind.

In the end, I repeat what I’ve always said: I will finish this novel with care and tell this story well.

Thank you to the hundreds of readers who have supported me. Even though this number is just a fraction of what an average author might garner, you are the source of my confidence and a treasure I find hard to part with.

Thank you.