Tokyo Sword Saint Online Dealing

Today I'll add a few words about some of the most discussed questions in the book review section.

Let me preface this by saying that this isn't my first time writing a novel. I know that those who raised questions have probably already been driven away by my writing. The remaining people should be able to accept my articles. One man's meat is another man's poison, I understand that principle. I know that all I'm saying is probably pointless. It's okay, just consider it a chat.

First of all, I admit that the main character is a scumbag.

Putting aside the fact that I'm bad at romance, strictly speaking, unless it's a story with only one female lead or no female lead, isn't the protagonist a scumbag?

Many readers compare my books to those of Hai Di, which is an insult to me. There are two authors on Qidian who I have subscribed to all of their books: one is Gou Hai Di, and the other is San Zha. They are in different fields, but both are considered top-tier authors.

The character development and daily life descriptions in the underwater world are truly impressive, but even so, Kitahara-sensei's "One Life, One Love 2.5" still got heavily criticized for being a scumbag. My skill level is far inferior to his, so it's perfectly normal for me to be criticized.

You can criticize me, and I can write something. I already said in the first few chapters that it's not a single female lead, so this isn't fraud.

By the way, Rinma is not Yuki's character design.

I saw a post in a forum saying that it's unrealistic for Kyoko, a top student, to be bullied, especially at her new school. I don't know if it's realistic or not, since I'm not Japanese, but this kind of plot isn't new in movies and TV shows. Being bullied has little to do with academic performance; it depends on interpersonal skills and personality. As for whether her new school would take this seriously, let's not even talk about the fact that student autonomy is very important in Japanese schools, and schools don't have that much oversight. Bullying isn't just physical violence; who can control verbal and emotional abuse? Besides, with her timid and submissive personality, even if she were bullied, would she report it to a teacher? I don't think this plot point is particularly problematic.

Then there's the scene where Ryunosuke Akutagawa first appears. Perhaps my description is a bit off-topic. My original intention was for Akutagawa to disguise himself as a police inspector to test the protagonist's personality and abilities, but he failed. In the end, he openly reveals a corner of the extraordinary world and extends an invitation to the protagonist.

Some readers said that this attitude doesn't seem like that of someone inviting others, but I think that when you're recruiting people, you can't just rely on hearsay. It's still necessary to go and check things out yourself. Maybe I went too far in my description earlier and didn't lay the groundwork well enough, making the atmosphere a bit tense? I'll revise this part properly when I have time, but I don't have time right now.

The concept of a persona is truly subjective and easily influenced by one's own imagination.

I read a book review before that said that when Kamiizumi Hidekawa threatened Akutagawa Ryunosuke, he didn't seem like a highly respected swordsman at all.

I suspect that this "highly respected" title isn't entirely something you made up.

When did I add this persona?

I've mentioned before that when Kamiizumi Hidekawa was young, he was also a playboy. As a young man, he wielded a sword with high spirits, made friends from all walks of life, and was quick to settle scores. Challenging other schools was as common as eating and drinking. He didn't have a good temper. Later, he had a family and became much more stable. He also became good at managing his network of connections, but his core nature is not so easy to change.

When his daughter was in danger, this man rushed straight into the Dream World, disregarding everything and drawing his sword to strike.

This guy is very protective of his own. You messed with his heir, and he was already being restrained by not drawing his sword and killing you directly. You expect him to speak to you calmly and respectfully?

Gee.

Hard to bear.

Some book reviews said I had too much dialogue and the plot dragged on a bit, which I also noticed myself.

I used to write fanfiction. Fanfiction doesn't require character development, and the plot is clear. It's completely different from this book. So I was a bit hesitant when I wrote it. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to explain things clearly, and I was also afraid that the character development wouldn't be clear enough, so it became a bit wordy. I also felt a bit inadequate in controlling the original plot. I'll try my best to learn and revise. Anyway, as a newbie, it's normal to write a bad book to practice. I'll just consider it tuition.

As for filler content, it's really not that bad. What's the point of filler content if it's not published? I don't think I've ever written any plot that's completely unrelated to the main storyline. In fact, I've planted foreshadowing in many places.

Well, the idea that Izumi Rin's abilities have no limits isn't something I came up with on a whim, nor is it something I made up out of idiocy. Her father only mentioned her abilities; the statement that they have no limits was made by her herself. That's all for now; there will be further explanation later.

Not every demon soul that appears is female; they are all eventually added to the harem. The female protagonists have all made their appearances, just with varying degrees of attention, and some haven't even started to become active yet.

As for the last few couples, I'm not lying, I really haven't decided yet.

Also, I remember some readers complaining that there was a part in the early chapters where the plot twisted too frequently, which was a bit annoying to read. I specifically mentioned this in the endnote of the first volume.

Let me explain briefly.

At that time, my book was almost 100,000 words long, but it hadn't been tested for promotion yet. Some readers may not know what this means. If a book doesn't have a test promotion, then it can only be quickly put on the shelves to earn a minimum income. Without recommendations, traffic, or readers, you can only write 4,000 words a day to make ends meet and hastily finish the book.

The most important thing for a book is its recommendation slot, without exception. Quality is secondary. Of course, quality books will generally receive more recommendations.

When I didn't get any recommendations after 100,000 words, I felt a chill in my heart and thought this book was definitely going to flop. I figured I should just quickly work out the setting, cut some side stories, write another 500,000 or 600,000 words, and that would be the end of it. At least I'd finish it properly and not abandon it. Then I could start anew with my next book.

So I've compiled a list of some settings that I'll gradually work out later.

Unexpectedly, after writing only a few chapters, it was released as a trial.

My feelings at the time were very complicated and hard to describe.

Since the editors have already given it a recommendation, I can't just work casually like this anymore, so I had to forcefully steer the plot back on track.

I'm not saying this to make excuses, but simply to apologize. I think it must have really affected the reading experience. Those who have persevered this far are true fans, and I thank you all for your understanding.

There's something else I wanted to say, but I can't remember it right now. I'll talk about it another time. Originally, these things were supposed to be written in the endnotes of Volume Two, but as expected, Volume Two will probably not be finished until after it's published. So I'm saying it in advance. Whether the person who raised the question sees it or not is not my business, but whether I say it or not is my attitude.

Regarding the update: 5,000 words a day is not a small amount. I'm not a full-time writer. I get home around 7 or 8 pm every day, eat dinner around 9 pm, and start writing without doing anything else. If I can finish two chapters by 11 pm, I'm considered fast. Recently, I also have to accumulate manuscripts. Since I started writing this book, I haven't touched Onmyoji: The Card Game for two months. I've collected all the SSR Suzuka Gozens, but I haven't had a chance to try it out.

Of course, there will be a lot of updates once it's released.

Finally, I'd like to create a book club group. I wonder if anyone would like to join. If so, please leave a message here. I'll check the number of messages. If there are too few, I won't create it. It would be too embarrassing if no one joined.

That's all for now. I'm sleepy, going to bed.

Okay. Finally, thank you all for your support. Please rest assured, this book will definitely not be delayed. I can't promise much, but I can definitely do this.

Chapter 88 Yuanming Mirror

The Shosoin is a warehouse located in Nara, northwest of the Great Buddha Hall of Todai-ji Temple. During the Nara period, the emperors, who were devout Buddhists, entrusted their daily necessities and treasured items to Todai-ji Temple for safekeeping. Over time, it developed into the prototype of a treasure trove.

Since the treasury of the Collectors' Association dares to be called "Shosoin," it must contain something of value. Given the nature of the Collectors' Association, the collection in Shosoin is probably not ordinary.

To be honest, Uesugi Kiyoshi was a little curious. He had read a lot of books and knew a lot of miscellaneous knowledge, but he had really never seen anything extraordinary.

I've killed quite a few extraordinary ghosts, but I haven't seen them drop any equipment or anything.

While pondering, Kudo Yuu stood up, gave Uesugi Kiyoshi a look, and gestured for him to come with him first.

The two left the conference room one after the other.

After walking several dozen meters down the corridor with mirrored floors, Kudo Yuichi stopped in front of the third door on his right.

He randomly pressed a few buttons on the combination lock, placed his palm on it, and a few seconds later, a green light flashed, and the sliding door, with its modern, mechanical feel, opened automatically.

With a gesture of invitation, Kudo Yuichi stepped into the room first.

"This is the [cloakroom], a place for investigators and collectors to access their equipment."

Kudo Yuichi stretched out his arms, spun around as if dancing a waltz, and proudly showed this place to Uesugi Kiyoshi.

The surrounding area was filled with luxurious clothes racks, displaying all kinds of gorgeous clothes.

"Including you, the Tokyo Collectors Association has a total of seventeen investigators and four collectors. You have the authority to access the items here."

"Just pick one, I can't say anything about your taste. I've never seen you wear anything other than sportswear."

"I'll pick one out for you, don't move!"

Kudo Yuichi took a few steps back, looked Uesugi Kiyoshi up and down with a rather ambiguous gaze, and said with some emotion, "Hmm, you have a great figure, you'd make a clothes hanger."

"She's alright looking, but those squinty eyes are a bit of a letdown."

Kudo Yuichi's look of great regret made Uesugi Kiyoshi roll his eyes in exasperation.

"You have no right to say that to me!"

The reason for this吐槽 (tu cao, a Chinese internet slang term for sarcastic or critical comments) is that Uesugi Kiyoshi's friend has squinty eyes just like him, and the two are evenly matched, making it difficult to determine who is better.

"This...this and this."

"Hmm, you're tall enough to pull off this kind of outfit, not bad, not bad at all. Go change and let me see!"

Kudo Yuichi didn't respond to Uesugi Kiyoshi's words. Instead, he wandered through the clothes racks and quickly picked out an outfit, which he then tossed to Uesugi Kiyoshi with some disdain.

"There's a changing room over there. You should throw away that tracksuit of yours right now; it makes you look cheap!"

Uesugi Kiyoshi was too lazy to argue with Kudo Yuichi, so he grabbed his clothes and squeezed into the changing room in the corner of the room.

Two minutes later, the curtain of the changing room was pulled open, and a brand new Uesugi Kiyoshi appeared in front of Kudo Yuichi.

The black, slim-fitting riding breeches clung to his long, slender legs, ending ten centimeters below the knees, where they were stopped by a pair of exquisite leather knee-high riding boots, giving him an overall air of dashing seriousness.

He wore a simple, pure white shirt on his upper body. Uesugi Kiyoshi adjusted the cuffs of the shirt slightly, looked up and met Kudo Yu's gaze, and looked somewhat satisfied.

He just looked in the mirror, and it's true that clothes make the man. This expensive-looking outfit has elevated his temperament and appearance even further.

Kudo Yuichi nodded in agreement.

"Sure, sure. With your looks, you could probably get accepted into a host club without even having to take the test. If you're a little sweeter with your words, becoming the top host wouldn't be a problem."

"Hmm, we're still missing one last thing."

Taking a few steps forward and getting closer to Uesugi Kiyoshi, Kudo Yuichi opened a dark black box and took out a pair of exquisite vintage gold-rimmed glasses—along with a gold eyeglass chain.

This is a non-reflective mirror.

Kudo Yuichi placed the gold-rimmed glasses on Uesugi Kiyoshi's nose, clapped his hands sharply, took a step back, and admired his masterpiece.

For some unknown reason, even though it was just a non-prescription lens, Uesugi Kiyoshi's eyes appeared larger, making his squinty eyes look much more normal.

"Alright, this is our standard equipment."

"Wait and get another set to take home as a spare. Wear this on missions from now on."

Uesugi Kiyoshi pushed up his glasses with a hint of helplessness. He had worn glasses in his previous life, so he wasn't particularly averse to them. However, he asked with some confusion, "You want me to go chop people up while wearing glasses?"

Kudo Yuichi looked at Uesugi Kiyoshi with a very subtle expression.

"Can't you just take it off when you're fighting? You can just put it in any pocket. It looks delicate, but it's actually very sturdy and won't break."

"All your clothes, pants, and shoes aren't worth as much as these glasses, you know that?"

"Those clothes are standard equipment, mass-produced. But this [Yuanming Mirror] is made by a skilled craftsman among the prophets. It's a pure handmade product. If you put it at an auction, it would be priceless. Neither Heian-kyo nor the Shinsengumi have this kind of technology. In Tokyo, our association is the only one."

"."

Looking at Uesugi Kiyoshi's somewhat dismissive expression, Kudo Yuichi said with a strange expression, "You don't actually think these are just ordinary pieces of equipment, do you?"

"Don't be silly, these are [Spirit Gathering] equipment that the association's researchers have worked hard to improve and modify. They're not just decorative items in those specialty stores."

"Try channeling your spiritual energy into this!"

Uesugi Kiyoshi frowned silently.

He doesn't have any "spiritual power".

Seeing Uesugi Kiyoshi's reaction, Kudo Yuichi suddenly realized what was going on.

"Oh, right, you swordsmen are cultivators, so it shouldn't be called spiritual power."

"What demons possess is called demonic energy, what gods possess is called divine power, what Onmyoji possess is called spiritual power, what Linkers possess is called soul power, and what you swordsmen should call 'qi'?"

"I'm used to calling it spiritual power."

"They're all the same thing anyway, just terms used to describe extraordinary power."

"The reason why extraordinary individuals are significantly different from ordinary people is that their inspiration is high enough and their souls are strong enough that they can use their will to drive the extraordinary powers that exist in this world and make them their own."

"Try putting air into these clothes and glasses!"