If you've got the guts, come to Huanyue and duel me.
That one line completely laid bare Bird of Paradise's shamelessness.
Although 'The Number One White Under Heaven' had been deplatformed from Lingdian, many insiders already knew he was still around.
There was no way he'd go to Lianheng, and even less chance he'd go to Huanyue.
Yet Bird of Paradise actually said he should come to Huanyue for a showdown; what else could that be but shameless?
But from Bird of Paradise's point of view, he didn't see it that way. Shameless? So what? If he could provoke this guy into charging into Huanyue, that'd be a huge win. He knew perfectly well that Huanyue had offered a massive price trying to poach 'The Number One White Under Heaven', but hadn't succeeded.
Still, this kind of brazen provocation didn't make Huang Yifan angry.
Instead, when he logged back into Feilong and saw Bird of Paradise's reply, he remained calm and composed.
After everything he'd been through, Huang Yifan could see through this kind of drama.
Even if someone deliberately tried to provoke him, he wouldn't let himself lose his cool.
"I'm at Huanyue. If you've got the guts, come duel me here."
You think I can't take you down just because you're in Huanyue?
Sorry, but you're too naive.
I might not go to Huanyue, but I can still wipe you out.
With that, Huang Yifan immediately made a post:
"I honestly don't know how someone like you, Bird of Paradise, has managed to survive in this industry. If your readers knew what kind of person you really were, would they still read your work? Then again, I've always believed that character doesn't necessarily correlate with writing skill. As despicable as you are, I've long since looked down on you. But you think hiding out at Huanyue means I can't deal with you? Fine, if you're so eager to dig your own grave, let's go to war."
"That said, you're not even worth my time. Feilong friends, anyone interested in continuing a story for me? I've already written the first 20.000 words and laid out the entire outline. All you need to do is continue writing from where I left off. There are no requirements; whether you're a veteran or a newcomer, you can take on the task. Oh, and if I had to name one requirement, it would be this: the completed novel must be posted on Huanyue to go head-to-head with Bird of Paradise. If you're interested, add me on TT. Also, all royalties generated from this work will go to the co-author."
After posting, Huang Yifan opened a new document and began drafting a brand-new story.
Or rather, the beginning of one.
'I'm Just a Scoundrel.'
This was the debut work of a platinum-tier author named Xuehong in his past life, a classic noob-style novel.
Recently, Lingdian had launched a noob-style fiction spotlight. Huang Yifan had seen it too. But it failed to attract readers. In fact, most noob-style works flopped miserably.
Not because the genre was flawed. Not because readers had lost interest.
The real reason was simple: these authors didn't grasp the core of noob-style fiction.
The essence of noob-style wasn't in the prose, but in the plot.
Prose merely serves the plot. If someone thought noob-style meant low-level writing, of course, they'd fail.
Unfortunately, aside from 'Bad Guy', no other noob-style novel had made much impact. Many authors tried to imitate it, but few captured the essence. Huang Yifan believed that writing noob-style was actually easier, so long as you understood what made it work, even a novice could produce a hit.
In fact, many noob-style blockbusters from his previous life had been written by newcomers.
That's why he made no demands on the co-authors in his latest post. Even beginners were welcome.
Without thinking much, Huang Yifan quickly typed out the opening 20.000 words of 'I'm Just a Scoundrel' from memory.
Come to think of it, the reason that the story exploded in popularity wasn't just because it was written by Xuehong, a platinum-tier author. In fact, at the time, 'I'm Just a Scoundrel' was Xuehong's debut. He wasn't famous at all.
The reason it became a hit was just as Huang Yifan had said: it was a textbook example of noob-style fiction.
First of all, the prose.
Noob-style isn't about beautiful writing, but it's still the first thing a reader sees. The prose in 'I'm Just a Scoundrel' was even more "noob" than in 'Bad Guy'. It was simple, full of spoken language, and felt exactly like how people talked in real life, extremely relatable.
Most importantly, it was written in the first person.
That's right, first person, using "I" as the narrator instead of the omniscient third-person viewpoint.
In the early days of web fiction, many stories were written from the first-person perspective. This style made immersion incredibly easy. Readers couldn't help but put themselves in the main character's shoes. Once they identified with the protagonist, everything else fell into place. They were no longer just readers; they were the protagonists, off to conquer the world.
Although this style had long been criticized in his previous life's literary circles, in this world, first-person web fiction was still a rarity.
To Huang Yifan, that meant it might actually have a refreshing impact.
Second, the plot.
Every novel has three essential elements: character, plot, and setting.
As you can see, good storytelling isn't strictly about the writing.
The prose exists to support the plot, the characters, and the world.
Prose is important, but plot is king.
Noob-style fiction lives and dies by its plot.
Or more accurately: by how satisfying that plot is.
Why do people read web fiction?
Because they want that rush. That thrill.
If your story isn't satisfying, no matter how well it's written, few people will stick around.
Dragging the protagonist through endless suffering, humiliation, and beatings, without any counterattack or even the power to fight back, no matter how justified it is, no one wants to read that.
'I'm Just a Scoundrel' was a classic feel-good novel. From beginning to end, it was nonstop satisfaction.
If that kind of story doesn't go viral, then what will?
Heat rushed to his head, and Huang Yifan shut the browser. His hands flew over the keyboard, words flashing rapidly on the screen.
Meanwhile, the thread where Huang Yifan had challenged Bird of Paradise on Feilong exploded.
He wrote the beginning and outline, and left the rest to others. Was this The Number One White Under Heaven going full rampage?
Impressive. Looks like the founder of noob-style fiction is ready to save the genre himself.
A huge moment in the web fiction world, but can The Number One White Under Heaven actually win?
I think he can crush Bird of Paradise easily. With the popularity of 'Bad Guy' alone, it wouldn't be close.
Not necessarily. Sure, if he were writing it himself, maybe. But he's only doing the setup. The rest is up to someone else. Bird of Paradise might not be a legendary author, but he's at least a Level-4 writer. No telling who'll come out on top.
Doesn't matter who wins, this showdown is already blowing my mind.
So hyped for this battle.
Why do I feel like The Number One White Under Heaven is just like some martial arts master from a wuxia novel? Doesn't fight himself, just gives a few pointers and lets others take down the final boss.
Yeah, I feel that too.
Alright, you've won me over again, The Number One White Under Heaven. Even though you scolded me last time, I'm rooting for you this round.
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