[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-rising-in-1979":3,"chapter-rising-in-1979-rising-in-1979-chapter-51":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Rising in 1979",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2260759,4412,"Chapter 51: A New Fairy Tale, the Whole Big Project","rising-in-1979-chapter-51",51,"\u003Cp>Of all Peking University, the Chinese Department knew Wei Ming best—almost everyone recognized him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone was delighted to see Wei Ming walk in with his backpack, except Liang Zuo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Can’t shake me off, huh? Tired. Just destroy me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girls all wanted him to sit with them, but Wei Ming didn’t want them distracted in class, so he randomly picked a boy to sit beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, you must be Liang Zuo—I’ve heard Sister Chen talk about you often.” Wei Ming greeted the chubby boy beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liang Zuo: “Oh, I’ve… I’ve heard my mom mention you too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing he was still shy and quiet, Wei Ming said nothing more, and first organized his notes from the previous English class.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Professor Qu entered, ending the break, glanced at the students, and noticed a few fewer than last class.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She sighed lightly, then spotted Wei Ming glowing brightly in the crowd—and immediately perked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little Wei, you’re here too!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming stood and smiled: “Yeah, just auditing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Professor Qu smiled and told him to sit: “Come to my office after class—the photos are ready. Oh, and Liang Zuo, you too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liang Zuo: “...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just moments ago, Liang Zuo had considered skipping class entirely—it wasn’t required anyway, and Professor Qu’s voice sounded strained, plus there was Little Ming Shu sitting right next to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now that Professor Qu had called his name, he couldn’t leave—sigh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This course was newly offered this year, and students had no textbook, so she could teach whatever she liked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Ming Dynasty was an era when supernatural fiction flourished—countless Daoist adepts, demons, spirits, gods, immortals, monks, scholars, and laypeople all played their roles; the variety and sheer volume were magnificent...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To accommodate Wei Ming as a “newcomer,” Professor Qu repeated her introduction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Last class we covered the highly representative ‘Investiture of the Gods.’ Many of you have seen ‘Nezha Conquers the Sea.’ This class, we’ll discuss ‘The Pacification of the Demons,’ a lesser-known work—but its author is immensely famous.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She then wrote “Three Sui” above “The Pacification of the Demons,” and beneath “Three Sui,” wrote “Luo Guanzhong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“‘The Three Sui Pacify the Demons’ is the precursor to ‘The Pacification of the Demons,’ compiled by Luo Guanzhong in the Ming Dynasty, adapted from a real rebellion during Emperor Renzong’s reign in the Northern Song. Does anyone know which rebellion?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Professor Qu valued interaction—it let her speak less.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the students glanced at each other, clueless about this obscure history; wasn’t Emperor Renzong’s reign known for its great ministers? Could there even have been a rebellion?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing everyone confused, Wei Ming raised his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Professor Qu’s heart leapt: “Little Wei, tell us—no need to stand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming said: “It was led by Wang Ze and Hu Yong’er.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Professor Qu smiled and asked: “Excellent. Do you know who suppressed the rebellion?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “Wen Yanbo?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Correct!” Professor Qu was even happier. “And who are the Three Sui?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “Ma Sui, Li Sui, and Zhuge Suizhi.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perfectly right!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Other students—including Liang Zuo—lowered their heads. They knew none of these obscure details, yet Wei Ming knew them inside out. Was he Professor Qu’s plant?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Professor Qu herself was curious: “‘The Three Sui Pacify the Demons’ isn’t well-known. How do you know so much about it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “I know an old man—he had many picture books. I read a Ming-era children’s version of ‘The Three Sui Pacify the Demons.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That old man was, of course, Liu Rulong’s grandfather.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your reading is indeed extensive. But when you mentioned Wen Yanbo, you seemed hesitant.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because these romanticized tales often ignore historical facts. I worried the author invented it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah! Reading with thought—excellent, excellent!” Professor Qu praised him enthusiastically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others bowed their heads even lower, making excuses: Only a few years have passed since the Gaokao drained all their energy—how could they find time for idle reading? And where would they even find so many idle books?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Professor Qu continued her lecture. Stimulated by Wei Ming, the others now paid closer attention, determined not to be outshone by him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The ‘demons’ naturally refer to Wang Ze and Yong’er, the rebel leaders. It’s understandable that Ming literati demonized rebels. But another famous Ming writer, Feng Menglong, dug deeper into the word ‘demon,’ explaining the source of their magical powers. Building on Luo Guanzhong’s twenty chapters of ‘The Three Sui Pacify the Demons,’ he added twenty more as a prequel—making forty chapters total: the complete ‘The Pacification of the Demons.’” As she spoke, Professor Qu wrote “Feng Menglong” beneath “The Pacification of the Demons.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Guanzhong and Feng Menglong were the authors of this ‘The Pacification of the Demons.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Guanzhong was the author of ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms’—his authorship of the Four Great Classical Novels is nearly undisputed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Menglong shouldn’t be unfamiliar either; most students had heard of him. His famous ‘Three Words and Two Slaps’—the ‘Three Words’ being ‘Stories to Enlighten the World,’ ‘Stories to Awaken the World,’ and ‘Stories to Caution the World’—were all his works.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next, Professor Qu briefly summarized the first twenty chapters Feng Menglong added to ‘The Pacification of the Demons.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she mentioned the White-Armed White Ape, the Egg Monk, the Old Fox Saint Auntie, the Female Fox Hu Meier, and the Lame Fox Zuo Chu, Wei Ming’s head suddenly went “buzz.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He suddenly knew what to write next!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A fire burned in Wei Ming’s chest—if he turned this story into something, it would be a massive project!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So from then on, Wei Ming multitasked: listening to Professor Qu’s academic analysis of the Ming Dynasty’s first long supernatural novel, while mentally recalling the animated film’s details.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After class ended, a girl behind him passed him a note: “It’s my turn to treat you to lunch today—I’ll wait for you downstairs.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming nodded back, then stepped forward to help Professor Qu carry her lesson materials; Liang Zuo trailed behind, sluggish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the way, Wei Ming continued discussing today’s class with Professor Qu: “I only knew ‘The Three Sui Pacify the Demons’ before—I knew little about Feng Menglong’s twenty-chapter prequel. Today was truly enlightening. Too bad I missed your lectures on ‘Investiture of the Gods’ because I was in English class. What a pity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Professor Qu was delighted by his flattery: “I’ll give you my schedule. If you’re free, come anytime—you liven up the class so much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s perfect! Do you have a copy of ‘The Pacification of the Demons’? I’d like to read it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course I do—I have one right in my office. Take it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, Professor Qu!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At her office, besides stacks of books, Professor Qu’s desk held two bright red persimmons. She pointed to them: “I should thank you too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, they were sent by Anping Shu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Professor Qu first took out the photos—one set for Liang Zuo, one for Wei Ming, each about ten pictures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Professor Qu smiled: “After looking through them all, yours are clearly the best, Little Wei.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming’s envelope contained one photo of the two professors taken by him, the rest were photos of him with them, plus two solo shots of Wei Ming—his first ever color photographs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liang Zuo took his photos and left. Professor Qu then handed Wei Ming ‘The Pacification of the Demons.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming opened it: World Book Publishing, full traditional characters, vertical format.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wow, this book’s got some age!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course. No wonder students don’t know ‘The Pacification of the Demons’—you can’t find it anywhere outside. National classical literature publishing has just resumed, and they’ll prioritize the Four Great Novels, then ‘Investiture of the Gods’ and ‘Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio’—‘The Pacification of the Demons’ won’t get a simplified edition for years.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming received this ancient book with solemn care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Professor Qu added: “Your short story has drawn strong social response—you should prepare for fame.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh? Really? I haven’t felt it,” Wei Ming replied honestly. Aside from Anping Shu, everyone else still mostly talked to him about ‘The Ideal.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Professor Qu didn’t elaborate further. “Any new writing plans?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming shook the ‘The Pacification of the Demons’ in his hand: “Today’s class inspired me—I plan to write a children’s story based on ‘The Pacification of the Demons.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Professor Qu was surprised. ‘The Pacification of the Demons’ was certainly not for children—it contained rebellion, magical battles, and some risqué content. Yet Wei Ming wanted to adapt it into a children’s book.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can’t imagine what you’ll make of it—but I’m already eager to see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Professor Qu had long seen Wei Ming’s talent. She encouraged him further, saying he could always come to her with questions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After going downstairs, Wei Ming had a free lunch with a Chinese Department girl, offering her some emotional value, then returned to his dorm to rest—he had an afternoon shift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, Wei Ming had ridden his Flying Pigeon the whole time—walking across campus was too tiring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the south gate, he saw Mei Wenhua at the guard post, excited: “Big Ming, Brother Feng found you a secondhand car—come take a look!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1511,"2026-06-19T16:30:57.111Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","eaa0f370b8b566ecb771266e4959314ceaad5d71f2b5301fc9b58ea78a4d3c43","rising-in-1979-chapter-52","rising-in-1979-chapter-50",509,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frising-in-1979-cover.jpg"]