Volume One: River City Song Chapter 29: Victory Achieved

As soon as Li Ling entered the room, he saw Gu Yuezi holding a small illustrated book of Investiture of the Gods, smiling as he read. Indeed, no matter what others called these books—picture albums or illustrated editions—in his eyes, they were simply small picture books, not quite comics yet.

In fact, Li Ling had originally intended to produce a few comic books, but the process and style were too far removed from the aesthetic tastes of the current era. In the end, they compromised by creating a version resembling the popular illustrated storybooks of the 1970s and 1980s from later times, only slightly larger in size, with artwork leaning more toward meticulous and exquisite brushwork.

"Big brother, you're still reading that? It’s been several days already, just five or six volumes—you must have memorized them by now," Li Ling teased as he approached.

Hearing this, Gu Yuezi placed the book on the table and smiled, saying, "Your idea was truly brilliant. With these vivid illustrations, the characters in the novel immediately come to life. It’s fascinating, and I never tire of looking at them."

"Big brother, you flatter me too much."

"Not at all, not at all. Ask Old Wu, and you’ll know how sincere I am. Since you’ve been home these past few days, you probably didn’t realize that bookstores have been selling these picture books like crazy. No other book has sold as well as Investiture of the Gods this time. The beauty is that anyone can enjoy it—even those who can’t read can glean much just from the pictures. In just a few days, each volume has sold over a thousand copies!"

Even though Li Ling had prepared himself, he was still momentarily stunned by the number. The county only had about forty thousand residents; selling a thousand copies per volume was a record-breaking purchase rate. Then he laughed, "So, big brother, you weren’t really reading the book earlier—you were just hoping to make a big profit, weren’t you?"

"Ha! Both, both," Gu Yuezi chuckled as he sipped his tea and stroked his beard. "This is truly a great harvest, worthy of a proper celebration. Since the opening of the Gu Family Bookstore, no book has ever sold this well. So, I must say, little brother, it’s your talent and ideas that made this possible. By the way, I’ve always been curious—was all this planned from the start? You must have had me prepare the artists and craftsmen early on, even going so far as to add illustrations to those new editions of the scriptures just to give them practice, right?"

Li Ling smiled. "That’s thanks to everyone’s efforts. I only contributed ideas. But you’re right about the last part—without previous experience and trial and error, our picture books wouldn’t have been published so quickly. It’s the old saying: sharpening the axe won’t delay the work."

"Indeed. It seems you have much foresight, far more than I do," Gu Yuezi said sincerely, then suddenly had a thought. Just as he was about to speak, Manager Wu hurried in from outside, his face brimming with joy.

"Master, great news! Great news!"

"Oh? Another sellout of the books?" Gu Yuezi’s spirits lifted immediately.

"No, even better than that," Manager Wu teased before bursting out laughing. "The Wan Family Bookstore has admitted defeat and is leaving!"

"What… what did you say? The Wan Family Bookstore has admitted defeat and is leaving?" Gu Yuezi jumped to his feet, stepping forward and almost grabbing Manager Wu’s hand, asking loudly. When he nodded, Gu Yuezi pinched his own thigh hard, feeling the pain, then burst into laughter. "Good! Wonderful! We’ve finally driven them away!"

In truth, these past few weeks had been a heavy burden on Gu Yuezi’s shoulders. Although everything was moving in a favorable direction—the other bookstores had stopped selling the Wan Family’s books, and their own new editions of the scriptures were selling well—only a few knew that he had been enduring losses, essentially bearing the costs himself to create a buzz. As Wan Ai had said, the new editions sold below cost price, losing money on every copy. The bookstore was only surviving by borrowing five thousand taels of silver.

It wasn’t until the picture books were published and warmly received, selling steadily, that Gu Yuezi finally relaxed. Yet he remained wary, fearing the Wan Family might still have tricks up their sleeves.

Hearing Manager Wu’s news, Gu Yuezi felt a great weight lift from his heart and exhaled deeply, then asked uncertainly, "Are you sure this news is reliable? Could they be using a trick to lull us into complacency?"

"Absolutely certain. Haven’t we had people monitoring the Wan Family all along? Just now, a clerk reported that they’ve packed many books and items onto carts, ready to leave. The Wan brothers seem set to depart today, busy moving things out."

Gu Yuezi rubbed his hands excitedly, pacing back and forth. "Good, good! We’ve finally won, securing the Gu Family Bookstore’s foothold in Jiangcheng! Little brother, this is all thanks to you. I thank you deeply!" He bowed in gratitude, nearly prostrating himself.

Li Ling, somewhat dazed as well, felt joy at hearing they had driven out the Wan Family so quickly. Seeing Gu Yuezi almost bowing to thank him, he quickly stopped him. "Big brother, no need for such formalities between us—we’re brothers."

"Right, we are brothers, one family!" Gu Yuezi murmured several times before regaining composure, though the smile never left his face. He clasped Li Ling’s hand. "From now on, there’s no distinction between us. If you need anything, just ask—I’ll do my best to provide. By the way, this time the bookstore made a great profit, and you must get your share—thirty percent, thirty percent is yours!"

Li Ling could tell Gu Yuezi was overwhelmed by the good news, speaking more casually and eagerly than usual, not thinking it through, so he smiled and nodded. "I appreciate your kindness."

Manager Wu didn’t argue, but smiled, "Master, while Mr. Li deserves chief credit, everyone in the shop contributed. Shouldn’t we show some appreciation?"

"Of course. Everyone who has followed me through this has suffered and been scared. Now, with this great victory, we should all celebrate together! You prepare the money—two taels of silver for every person involved, and an extra one tael for those who worked on the picture books."

"Master is generous. I’ll make the arrangements right away." Manager Wu smiled and hurried off to prepare the rewards. Li Ling only smiled quietly. To him, this victory was expected—he had anticipated this outcome when planning against the Wan Family. It was just a matter of timing.

He didn’t dampen their joy, though, just smiled and said, "Since the matter is settled, I’ll focus on finishing Investiture of the Gods. The new book has been delayed too long because of the bookstore affairs."

"Good, then write with peace of mind. Money is no problem. By the way, the fifteenth of the ninth month is the anniversary of my mother’s passing. If you don’t mind, come to my home for a small gathering—just a few close friends. It’ll be a celebration of our victory. Also, bring Yue’er along. My wife has been wanting to meet her."

Li Ling thought briefly and agreed, "Since it’s such a good day and you’ve invited me so sincerely, I’ll definitely bring Yue’er."

"Then we’ll look forward to it!"

As Li Ling left the bookstore, a burst of cheers erupted behind him, bringing a joyful smile to his face. He knew Manager Wu had spread the news of the Wan Family’s departure and the forthcoming rewards, lifting everyone’s spirits in the bookstore.

"Next, I should consider what I can do for myself. I can’t just be a literary copyist every time I travel through time. But whatever I do, it must be done thoroughly—first, finish Investiture of the Gods, then make further plans," Li Ling thought, striding down the street, still pondering without conclusion.

…

"Bang!" The last bundle was loaded onto the cart. With a slight nod from Wan Ai, his men shut the Wan Family Bookstore’s doors and locked them securely.

In stark contrast to the joyous celebrations at the Gu Family Bookstore, the Wan Family Bookstore stood cold and oppressive, everyone’s faces pale, full of resentment and anxiety.

They had come full of confidence, certain they’d dominate the Jiangcheng book market within months as they had elsewhere. But months passed, and now they were leaving in disgrace—a bitter pill to swallow.

Especially Wan Rong, who still refused to accept defeat. "Brother, are we really leaving just like this? How do we explain this to our family? Maybe staying here and fighting is still possible."

"Impossible. There’s no chance left. The Gu Family Bookstore has completely taken over Jiangcheng’s book market. No matter how much money we have, we can’t compete. Continuing would only waste resources. Better to cut our losses and leave decisively."

"But..."

"Business is war. This is just our first setback. We’ll have chances to turn the tide. No point in pointless struggles. Let’s go." Wan Ai pulled Wan Rong onto the large carriage. With a whip crack, the horses trotted as the carriage slowly moved toward the city gate.

Only after passing through the gate, with the city growing distant behind them, did Wan Ai glance back, eyes fixed on the fading small county. He murmured softly, "Li Ling... I lost to you today through my own carelessness and incompetence, but don’t be too proud. One day, I will personally win a victory over you!" Before leaving, he had learned through his contacts exactly who had defeated him—that seemingly ordinary young man writing Investiture of the Gods.