Chapter 008: The Four Legendary Constables Shake the Northeast

Since he had already decided to choose martial arts novels as his first venture to earn money in life, Zhang Tan naturally had to plan carefully. He began to organize the works he could remember, arranging them in order from lowest to highest according to his personal ratings.

As for his debut piece, the choice was clear: “The Four Constables” by Wen Ruian.

The reason was simple—Wen Ruian began writing “The Four Constables Assemble in the Capital” when he was just in his twenties. Wen Ruian’s martial arts novels are all interconnected, with stories and characters weaving into one another. The “Four Constables” series has multiple sequels: “The Four Constables Battle the General (Young Four Constables),” “The Four Constables Shake the Northeast,” “The Four Constables Assemble in the Capital,” “The Four Constables and the Skull Painting,” “The Four Constables in Cold Water,” “The Four Constables Walk the Dragon and Snake,” “The Four Constables Break the Divine Spear,” “The Four Constables Battle Zombies,” “The Four Constables Fight the Heavenly King,” and so forth.

Not only did Wen Ruian himself write many stories about the Four Constables, a host of screenwriters and comic artists also expanded upon their tales, with countless adaptations and illustrated versions.

The entire Four Constables saga could be seen as different stories set in the same universe.

Zhang Tan planned to first write a few short stories based on “The Four Constables,” earn a little money and recognition, and then, once his name was made, move on to the true classics.

One must accumulate fame step by step. To debut with a classic would be far too conspicuous.

“What should I write first? ‘Young Four Constables’ or ‘Assemble in the Capital’?”

There were many film and television adaptations of the “Four Constables.” Zhang Tan was most familiar with the “Four” trilogy directed by Gordon Chan before his rebirth, starring Liu Yifei and Deng Chao. Though the movies were indeed terrible—the character Coldblood was even turned into a woman, a true departure from the original—there was still value in referencing them.

Then there were several Hong Kong and Taiwanese television dramas, as well as four mainland TV series: “The Four Constables Battle the General,” “The Four Constables Shake the Northeast,” “The Four Constables Assemble in the Capital,” and “Young Four Constables.”

“It’s better to start with ‘Shake the Northeast.’ After finishing that, I’ll write ‘Assemble in the Capital.’ That way, the background for the Four Constables is established. The other stories are more independent and fragmented, so I can write them however I want.”

The original novel “The Four Constables Shake the Northeast” is divided into two parts: “Pursuit” and “On the Run.” Together, they total seventy to eighty thousand words—a medium-length work, perfect for submitting to magazines.

The manuscript fees for “Legends of Today and Ancient Times” and “Hot Wind” are about one hundred yuan per thousand characters for average quality, two to three hundred for excellence, and even up to a thousand for well-known authors.

“Let’s start with thirty thousand words and finish ‘Pursuit’ first. If it’s accepted and paid at one hundred per thousand words, that’s three thousand yuan already.”

With his plan settled, Zhang Tan began drafting the background and outlining the structure.

...

By the time the sun was setting in the west, Zhang Tan had finally finished writing the background and the outline.

When he returned to the dormitory, the place was already lively; all the boarding students had arrived. There were twelve people in Dorm 103. Most of these would go on to the science track, while only Zhang Tan, Cao Yuchuan, and Zhou Yu chose the liberal arts, and, much to their chagrin, were not even placed in the same class.

Zhang Tan had ended up in the slower class due to poor performance on the placement exam, while Cao Yuchuan and Zhou Yu were in the advanced class.

“Looking back, this really is a sad story,” Zhang Tan thought to himself as he greeted his former roommates.

With twelve people in the dorm, conversation was endless.

“Zhang Tan, your haircut is pretty cool,” said Liu Yong, one of the three Lius in the dormitory.

Zhang Tan ran his hand over his head—a crew cut less than an inch long, prickly to the touch. “It’s all about the style. You guys know Beckham? Captain of the England national team? This is his cut.”

In 2001, Beckham was at his peak—star player for the mighty Manchester United, the most handsome player, already a winner of the European treble (league, cup, and Champions League), three consecutive league titles—his reputation was unmatched. Even though only Serie A matches were broadcast in the country, Beckham’s name was still famous throughout China.

“Who’s Beckham? Never heard of him,” Liu Yong replied with a sheepish grin. He probably really didn’t know—sports were never his thing.

Cao Yuchuan chimed in, “You look a bit like a recently released convict.”

Zhang Tan shrugged. “Actually, I was just released.”

With his sharp style that stood out in this era and a hint of world-weariness in his eyes, he did look intimidating when he put on a stern face. Liu Yong and Cao Yuchuan immediately became half-convinced.

“Zhang Tan, you didn’t really do time, did you?” asked Liu Kun, the chubby one. His expression made it clear he was already ninety percent convinced.

Students back then were still quite innocent.

“Was it for fighting?” Cao Yuchuan asked.

Liu Yong was skeptical, but couldn’t help believing a little, “Are you serious?”

Zhang Tan glanced at Liu Yong, tempted to tease them, but decided to tell the truth. “Just kidding. I’ve always been a good student.”

He was afraid that if he went too far, they’d really believe he was a delinquent. These students were just so naive.

Being seen as a troublemaker wasn’t necessarily a bad thing—it could keep others from messing with him. But then Zhang Tan remembered that, in those days, Liu Yong had almost become his brother-in-law. He didn’t know if fate would bring them together again, but in front of a “potential brother-in-law,” it was best to keep a low profile.

After he denied being an ex-convict, the atmosphere relaxed again. They were all young boys—soon enough, they were chatting away without a care.

Yet, in this pure and joyful atmosphere, Zhang Tan felt somewhat out of place. He should have been the most sociable among them, but the mundane topics failed to interest him.

After all, what common ground could a thirty-year-old man have with high school freshmen?

“If they were girls, maybe I could talk for hours.”

Yawning, Zhang Tan picked up his washbasin and towel, stripped down to his underwear, and stepped out.

The bathroom and washroom were part of the same building, at the end of a row of tile-roofed houses. The inner room was the toilet; the outer, the wash area—a row of faucets along the wall, the old-fashioned kind.

“My body’s too skinny. I’ll have to eat more fatty meat from now on.”

Looking at his scrawny physique, Zhang Tan was dissatisfied. Thin arms, thin legs—he’d barely withstand two punches.

Splash.

A basin of cold water poured from head to toe—utterly refreshing. In his previous life, once he had a water heater, it had been years since he’d bathed like this.

A quick rinse, a bit of soap, a good scrub—five minutes, and he was done.

Back in the dorm, he crawled under the mosquito net and formally began writing “The Four Constables Shake the Northeast.”

“The Four Constables Shake the Northeast, author… Tan Zhang… Reversing my name, that’ll be my pen name,” Zhang Tan mused. He really lacked creativity.

“Part One: Pursuit.”

“Chapter One: Thirteen Wolves in the Forest.”

“He once shattered the seventy-six marauding riders of the Wind and Sand in the boundless desert; in the bitter cold of the Black Dragon River, he captured the murderous King Xue You.”

“He had lain in ambush for a day and a night in a place so hot you could fry eggs on the ground; he’d crossed a thousand leagues through the fearsome Kamanragalevia Valley.”

“He was once an official before whom even a governor of seven provinces would bow; as an undercover agent, he’d worked as a butcher in the marketplace.”

“He had killed; he had also saved lives.”

“Now, he willingly serves under the person he admires most…”