Chapter 7

In early April, the city of Tianjin was already being swept by the east wind, and the weather had finally warmed up.

In the afternoon, the sun slanted into the alley, casting one side of the wall in shadow and the other in light. An old yellow dog curled up in the corner, basking in the warmth of spring with its eyes half-closed. Occasionally, when passersby walked by, it would half-open one eye to look, then continue dozing off as if they were not there.

Chengfu Shan, with his sleeves tucked up, walked to the big tree at the entrance of the alley and greeted his neighbor, Master Zhang, saying, "The sun is just right today."

Master Zhang opened the wooden box he was carrying and slowly took out the chess pieces, saying helplessly, "The sun is good, but I'm afraid it won't last long. When General Zhang from the northeast invades, who knows what those soldiers will do to Tianjin."

Chengfu Shan put down a small stool and said, more to reassure himself than to comfort Master Zhang, "This time, General Zhang is aiming to become the President of the Republic. He should know better and won't act recklessly."

"I hope so," Master Zhang sighed, sitting down opposite Chengfu Shan.

The two of them set up the chess pieces and began their game under the big tree at the entrance of the alley.

Soon, a few old men gathered under the tree, standing around to watch. They couldn't just watch quietly; they kept giving advice.

"Hey, Old Fu, you just moved your horse wrong! It's a clear giveaway."

"Move your chariot, move your chariot! You've already taken six steps in the opening and haven't moved your chariot. You'll be trapped in your own base."

"Too late! Oh, first, use the cannon to attack the center, then jump the horse for a checkmate. You didn't see that, you're a lousy player!"

"..."

A true gentleman would not comment on a game, but clearly, there were no gentlemen among these old men. They shouted louder than each other, and eventually, the players and the spectators were arguing.

After some time, a hunched newspaper delivery man hurried over. He carried a heavy mailbag and shouted, "Newspapers, newspapers! Those who subscribed to the evening paper, come and get them!"

Most evening papers were compiled in the morning and printed by two o'clock in the afternoon, then distributed and sold.

Hearing the newspaper delivery man's call, a few old men under the tree immediately turned to look. Chengfu Shan also stood up and said, "Bring me my 'Tianfeng News' and 'New Tianjin Evening News'!"

When Chengfu Shan received his newspapers, an old man watching the game pushed him aside, "Old Shan, go read your newspaper slowly. Let me take over this game."

"Give me back my stool," Chengfu Shan held out his hand.

"Here, you old miser!" The old man kicked the stool away.

Chengfu Shan sat on the stool, leaning against the tree, and slowly read his newspapers. The two newspapers he subscribed to were mostly for entertainment, especially 'Tianfeng News,' which had few news articles and was mostly filled with serialized novels.

Flipping through 'New Tianjin Evening News,' Chengfu Shan went straight to the storytelling section. After finishing that, he moved on to the novel section and suddenly said, "Hey, I haven't heard of this author of 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes.'"

"Write well, though," Second Master Chen at the end of the alley commented.

Chengfu Shan asked, "Are you reading this novel too?"

Second Master Chen boasted, "I read faster than you. I've already read over a thousand words of 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes.'"

Chengfu Shan pursed his lips and ignored the old man, continuing to read on his own.

"Wow, this part is great! Yang Tiexin is truly a great man! A true man should be like this," Second Master Chen suddenly exclaimed, drawing curious glances from the other old men, who wondered what he was up to.

Chengfu Shan's reading speed was a bit slow. His eyesight was poor, and he didn't wear glasses, so he had to hold the newspaper close to his face, reading each word carefully.

By the time he had read about 2,000 words, Second Master Chen had already finished and was enthusiastically narrating the story to the other old men, "Suddenly, they heard the sound of footsteps on the snow from the east. The steps were quick, and when they turned to look, they saw a Taoist. The Taoist wore a bamboo hat and a straw cloak, covered in snow, with a long sword slung diagonally on his back. The yellow silk on the hilt fluttered in the wind. In the snow, he walked with great dignity..."

Chengfu Shan didn't bother to read anymore, closing his eyes and leaning against the tree, listening to Second Master Chen narrate.

Second Master Chen was a scholar from the late Qing dynasty. He had failed the imperial exams for many years and eventually bought a degree. Though he had a nominal title, he never got a real position and ended up doing small business to make a living. His son, however, had studied in Japan and joined Sun Yat-sen's revolution, now holding a position in the southern government.

Second Master Chen continued narrating until the sun was about to set, then he patted his leg and said, "To find out what happens next, stay tuned for the next episode!"

"That's it?"

"Did Yang Tiexin die?"

"What about Qiu Chuji? Will Qiu Chuji come to save the two families?"

"Really suspenseful!"

"..."

Because of the limited space in the newspaper, the first chapter of 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes' was cut off at the most exciting part. The old men were eager to know what would happen next and surrounded Second Master Chen, asking him to continue.

Second Master Chen spread his hands, "That's all there is in the newspaper. If you want to hear more, wait until tomorrow."

He put away the newspaper, walked home with his hands behind his back, and his chest puffed out. Although the Qing dynasty was long gone, he still felt superior among the old men because of his nominal title.

The remaining old men continued discussing the plot, and Chengfu Shan chatted for a while before going home. He was eager to know what would happen next and couldn't wait for the next afternoon to arrive.

After a week of serialization, 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes' finally entered the desert plot, where little Guo Jing was favored by Genghis Khan and learned archery from the skilled archer Zhebie.

As the plot progressed, 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes' began to stand out, presenting a larger scale and a stronger rhythm than contemporary martial arts novels. The story was filled with thrilling moments, making it hard for readers to stop.

The sales of 'New Tianjin Evening News' increased by over a thousand copies in just a few days due to the popularity of this martial arts novel.

In the teahouses of Tianjin, people often discussed Qiu Chuji, the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan, and Guo Jing. 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes' had become a hot topic.

However, it was only popular among the common people. It did not attract much attention in the literary circles of the Republic of China. Progressive young students and scholars looked down on such leisurely reading material.

At this time, Zhang Zuolin finally invaded Tianjin.

Perhaps Zhang Zuolin really wanted to become the President of the Republic. His army did not wreak havoc in the city but left a small detachment to guard it and immediately turned to attack Beijing. This time, Feng Huanchang's army was defeated, and Zhang Zuolin easily occupied the capital.

The whole country was shaken. Most Chinese and foreigners believed that Zhang Zuolin might truly rule China, and his prestige soared.

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