Chapter 122: The Last Noble Family

*Southern Weekly* is a periodical under the Southern Media Group, which has always considered itself an opinion leader in China.

Based on his memories from his previous life, this magazine, belonging to the "Southern Clique," had always leaned toward the democratic and liberal camp, admiring the capitalist world of Europe and America. Of course, Zhang Tan was not entirely sure if this was true or not; he had never been particularly sensitive to politics, falling into the category of those who follow the crowd. When others criticized the government, he would join in; when they praised it, he would do the same.

If Zhang Tan were to be a government official, even a low-level clerk could easily run circles around him. Fortunately, he was self-aware enough not to get involved in any politics. He simply pursued a carefree and spontaneous life: making money, spending money, and enjoying himself. As long as no one provoked him, he would provoke no one.

Since *Southern Weekly* had sent a reporter to interview him exclusively—a great opportunity to make a name for himself—he naturally agreed. After declining questions related to the "Three Musketeers," the interview began to focus on Zhang Tan himself.

The initial questions were not particularly novel. They were nothing more than inquiries about how Zhang Tan became involved with writing novels, how he balanced writing and studies as a high school student, and why his novels were so successful.

"You are sixteen now, but your novels are already bestsellers nationwide, and a large number of people in Southeast Asia have read them. You could say you are famous now. Do you feel any difference between now and before?" the reporter asked.

Zhang Tan recalled for a moment and said, "I suppose life is different now. After all, I've earned some royalties, and my quality of life has improved significantly."

"Was your life very poor before?"

"I wouldn't say it was poor. I had enough to eat and wear, but I didn't have much spare money to buy things beyond the necessities. I was a bit strapped for cash and often envied the children from wealthy families."

"Has your mindset changed after your sudden rise to fame?"

"Not much," Zhang Tan said, grinning. "In reality, perhaps the people around me are a bit more polite. In the past, I was just a young kid in their eyes. Now, I have an additional identity as a writer, which has earned me a lot of recognition. People feel that I have independent thoughts and can plan my own future."

"Then what kind of plan do you have for yourself?"

"I am a person who is very content with whatever life brings. To me, my current life is already quite good. If I earn more money, I'll buy a house and a car to make life even better. I’d like to try my hand at everything—music, chess, calligraphy, painting, storytelling, and comedy—to make life more colorful."

"So you are a person who highly values enjoyment?"

"I suppose so."

"You are truly different from the average young person. You seem to lack a bit of that youthful edge. Have you noticed this yourself?"

Having lived as a man in his thirties, Zhang Tan no longer possessed the impulsive nature of a youth. He smiled and said, "I am a person who thinks a lot. The more I think, the more reserved and introverted I become; I don't express my flamboyance or personality outwardly. Deep inside, I am also a person who likes to dream and wants to climb to the peak. I have simply transformed these dreams into words and let them run wild in my novels."

"You've poured all your spirit and ambition into your books, haven't you? Haha," the reporter chuckled, then added, "You know, you give me the feeling that I am talking to someone of my own age and mindset. When I close my eyes, this feeling is particularly strong."

"Is that so?" Zhang Tan smiled.

"Very much so. But I cannot ignore your appearance. You look very young, and although you have a faint stubble on your upper lip, I know you are just a high school student. Has anyone ever told you that you are mature beyond your years?"

"More than one person. At home, my family treats me like an adult; at school, my teachers respect me and, at the very least, don't view me as an ordinary high school student. When dealing with publishing houses, magazines, and tax matters, I interact with them on a purely professional level. Even I sometimes feel that I have a perspective beyond my peers."

"Perhaps that is your talent—being able to write such brilliant martial arts novels."

"Perhaps."

"Do you feel that you are particularly gifted at writing? *The Four Constables Shocking the East*, *The Four Constables Meet in the Capital*, and *The Legend of the Condor Heroes*—that's three books already."

Zhang Tan did the math: "160,000 words for *Shocking the East*, over 400,000 for *Meet in the Capital*, and *The Legend of the Condor Heroes* is also over 400,000 words now. Adding it all up, that's about a million words. Counting from the start of the school year last year, I’ve been writing for a little over a year. A million words a year isn't actually that much."

"Is a million words not a lot?"

"Eileen Chang once said that it is best to become famous early; the earlier, the happier. Happiness is built upon the satisfaction of material foundations. Only by becoming famous and earning money can one have the sufficient material foundation to live a happier life. Since I have the ability to write and can make myself famous, why shouldn't I do it? At my current age, there are still many constraints and many pleasures I cannot yet pursue, like getting a driver's license... so I have no choice but to do the preparatory work, accumulate energy, and work hard at writing."

"Mainland martial arts literature is a relatively new group, lagging behind Hong Kong and Taiwan significantly. Many writers from your generation have already begun to emerge. What is your evaluation of them?"

"I think if martial arts culture, especially martial arts novels, can continue for another twenty years without declining, then our batch of mainland authors will have at least a dozen people who can carry on the legacy and leave behind classics. But honestly, I don't think the genre can sustain itself for that long. Martial arts fiction has already begun to decline."

"Do you think martial arts is headed for collapse?"

"I personally think it can only hold on for about another ten years. In those ten years, I will do my best to write as much as I can. Haha," Zhang Tan laughed.

The reporter was invigorated. "Why do you think that?"

Zhang Tan's previous answers had been too polite and "official." Only this topic of the decline of martial arts piqued the reporter's interest. With the current trend in the film and television industry to adapt classic martial arts works, Zhang Tan's belief that the genre would decline was undoubtedly a sensational point.

As someone who had "been there," Zhang Tan had naturally explored the reasons for the decline of the genre. He did not hold back and said casually, "Why are martial arts novels classified as a single genre? What is 'Xia' (chivalry)? Chivalry is an ideal, an objective. What is 'Wu' (martial arts)? Martial arts is a means, a vehicle to achieve the objective of chivalry. Therefore, these novels that use martial arts to achieve chivalry are called 'Wuxia.' It is a literary form with very distinct characteristics."

After a pause, Zhang Tan continued, "Chivalry has existed since ancient times. *Han Feizi* says, 'Establishing integrity to manifest one's name, while violating the prohibitions of the five officials.' The *Records of the Grand Historian* says, 'The greatest of the chivalrous are the assassins... their words must be kept, their actions must be resolute, their promises must be sincere, they do not cherish their own lives, and they rush to the plight of others.' These are all manifestations of chivalry. In modern times, Liang Qichao said, 'The greatest of the chivalrous are those who serve the country and the people.'"

"Looking at Chinese history, the culture of chivalry has a long and deep heritage. But what is worth considering is that the emergence of chivalry is usually accompanied by chaos and the collapse of the social order. That is to say, when the people cannot protect themselves, they call for a hero to punish the wicked and restore peace to the world. Martial arts fiction was never mainstream culture; it is a non-mainstream culture born under specific circumstances."

"Now, the country is gradually becoming stronger, and people's hearts are set on stability. People will gradually stop calling for heroes, so martial arts fiction will sooner or later slide down from mainstream culture and return to its non-mainstream nature. To elaborate, martial arts is a manifestation of altruism. When society is in turmoil, we call for altruism. When society is stable, everyone wants to get rich and live a life superior to others, which turns into egoism. Egoism is contrary to the hero, and we will gradually cease calling for heroes."

"At the same time, our lives are getting better and our horizons are broadening. All kinds of games and entertainment will impact this very thin genre, which belongs to the pursuits of old-time literati."

"Of course, I'm just worrying unnecessarily. I'm just talking casually. At the very least, the books I've written so far are selling very well. I hope that martial arts culture will last for a long time."

Zhang Tan spoke at length, and eventually, the interview with *Southern Weekly* concluded in a harmonious and polite atmosphere.

A few days later, the latest issue of *Southern Weekly* was published. In the middle pages, there was an interview titled "Tan Zhang: I May Be the Last Great Master of Martial Arts." The title was very eye-catching, though the content was undoubtedly just a summary of the conversation during the interview.