Chapter Sixteen: Turmoil of the Divine Archer

Panting and out of breath, Gou Ye and Yun Niang arrived at the city gate, where Gu Shen had been waiting for quite some time. Seeing their hurried expressions, he assumed something was amiss and rushed over to inquire. After listening to Yun Niang’s explanation and understanding the situation, he finally relaxed, bursting into hearty laughter along the way and teasing Gou Ye for becoming a celebrity. In his heart, he found himself admiring Gou Ye all the more.

The three made their way to the candied haw shop, where Cai Sheng hurried out to greet them. Everything went far more smoothly than Gou Ye had imagined—nothing unexpected occurred. Gou Ye handed over thirty taels to Cai Sheng, who in turn gave him the deed to the shop, sealing the transaction without a hitch.

“Master—no, Shopkeeper,” Cai Sheng asked, pocketing the silver, “May I ask when we’ll open for business? What kind of trade will the shop pursue? I’d like to prepare in advance.”

“For now, continue with your usual business. Save the earnings for the time being. I’ll need a few days to make preparations, and when everything is ready, I’ll let you know. Since we’re opening, let’s make it grand—let everyone in the county hear of us.”

Gou Ye’s words filled Cai Sheng with reassurance. He touched the silver in his pocket, recalling his family’s support the previous night, and suddenly all seemed solid and dependable.

Without warning, Gou Ye had become a proprietor. Standing before the little shop, his thoughts turned not just to business, but to his true ambition: to achieve renown as an author. The success of the shop was inseparable from his writing, and today’s events were precisely what he had long dreamed of. His heart blazed with fervor, and he wished nothing more than to return to the village and begin writing at once.

Shortly after noon, Gou Ye and Yun Niang enjoyed a sumptuous meal thanks to Gu Shen’s hospitality. During the meal, Gu Shen handed Gou Ye twenty taels as capital for their joint venture. Gou Ye accepted without hesitation, delighted.

Soon after, it was once again the two of them atop a donkey on the country road.

“Oh, Brother Gou Ye, must you always tease me?”

“Yun Niang, the dirt road is just so bumpy.”

“Brother Gou Ye, could you not hold my waist?”

“Yun Niang, I would rather not, but I’m afraid of heights.”

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Upon returning to Tumen Village, Gou Ye was too impatient to visit Yun Niang’s home for a meal and rushed straight back to his own. The events of the day had stirred his restless heart, and in his determination to meet the demands of his eager readers, Gou Ye resolved to give his all.

For several days, Gou Ye locked himself in his room, writing furiously. Except for brief respites when Yun Niang brought him meals, he scarcely paused, even hiring a reliable villager to deliver his manuscripts to the county, saving precious time.

“Yun Niang, I haven’t left my room for days.”

While washing a square towel, Yun Niang replied, “Brother Gou Ye, you haven’t stepped outside in seven days.”

“Seven days? Time passes so swiftly.” Gou Ye stood and stretched languidly, then continued, “We ought to go out today. Surely Boss Hu and Cai Sheng have gathered a fair bit of silver for us. There’s also the matter of the shop and Auntie’s garment business to arrange. I have enough manuscripts to last five or six days.” With that, he took Yun Niang by the arm and led her outside.

The sky was cloudless, the air exceptionally fresh. Having been cooped up for days, Gou Ye breathed deeply, relishing the outdoors. “The world outside is truly more exciting.”

Despite Gou Ye’s enthusiastic persuasion and gentle coaxing, Yun Niang, remembering their last experience, steadfastly refused to ride the donkey to the county again. Left with no other choice, Gou Ye hired an ox cart.

As soon as Gou Ye and Yun Niang entered the town, they noticed everyone seemed to be engrossed in a small booklet, heads bowed and silent—a scene reminiscent of modern times, where each person is absorbed in their phone. Some were so captivated that they mimed actions from the book.

To Gou Ye’s surprise, in just a few days, the book had sold remarkably well, and most astonishing was the effect it had produced—something he had never anticipated.

The scene at the bookstore was even more dramatic. Gou Ye wiped his eyes in disbelief; had it not been for Yun Niang at his side, he might have thought he had stumbled into the headquarters of the Quanzhen Sect. People sat cross-legged on the ground, some with swords at their waists, others with sticks for lack of proper weapons, each clutching a copy of “The Legend of the Heroic Archer,” as if cultivating some supreme martial art.

Gou Ye and Yun Niang tiptoed into the bookstore, afraid to disturb the book lovers in their “meditation.” Unexpectedly, a clerk spotted Gou Ye and shouted, “Shopkeeper, Young Master Gou is here!”

The shout was loud enough to echo through every street and alley, rousing the “meditating” crowd outside. Young Master Gou—anyone reading “The Legend of the Heroic Archer” knew his name. And no wonder; Boss Hu had insisted on printing Gou Ye’s name prominently on every copy.

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Before Gou Ye could react, the crowd surrounded them, as if greeting long-lost kin. Their excitement and reverence were palpable.

Suddenly, a young man knelt before Gou Ye, exclaiming, “Master Gou, teach me martial arts!”

Gou Ye was speechless. The young man was so absorbed in the story that he believed Gou Ye must possess martial arts skills to write so vividly.

Others asked about Guo Jing’s whereabouts, where Huang Rong might be, whether Gou Ye had mastered Hong Qigong’s Dragon Subduing Palm. These readers truly were obsessed, unable to distinguish fantasy from reality.

Thanks to Boss Hu’s repeated persuasion and the efforts of three clerks to hold back the crowd, Gou Ye and Yun Niang finally found a gap and hurried to the back room, drenched in cold sweat.

Such influence was terrifying—Gou Ye had never imagined people could be so captivated by a book. Boss Hu, too, struggled to reach the back room, where the three exchanged bewildered glances before erupting in laughter.

Boss Hu entered the rear chamber, lugging a chest. Laughing, he said, “Young Master Gou, you are now a celebrity in our county! Mention your name and everyone knows you. Here, this is your payment for the recent days—three hundred and fifteen taels. Please count it. The account books will be brought shortly.”

“Three hundred and fifteen? How is there so much?”

Boss Hu set the chest on the table and chuckled, “You may not know, but as soon as ‘Legend of the Heroic Archer’ was published, it sold out instantly. After the first five hundred copies, I doubled the price for each new batch. Now we’ve printed two thousand copies, yet demand still exceeds supply!”

“Well, well, well—Boss Hu is truly shrewd in business. I can’t compare.” Gou Ye said aloud, but inwardly he thought, “Good heavens, in just a few days, the old fellow has doubled the price! Sixty coins for a novel—that’s expensive even in the capital. He gives me three hundred and fifteen taels, but he must have earned far more. I’d better start saving up, open my own bookstore, write and publish myself—keep all the profits! Wouldn’t that be grand?” What Gou Ye didn’t know was that sixty coins per copy was not yet Boss Hu’s final price.