Chapter 14: Reborn Master Writer 6

After calling home to say she would be returning the next day, she began to tidy up the house, organizing the clothes she had recently taken out due to the fickle, alternating hot and cold weather.

She hung the clothes back up, packed her computer and other belongings into her bag, and gathered some clothes for the trip. The next day, the two of them traveled home by train together—mostly because she had been shaken by her previous car accident, and since there was no direct train to her home county, they had to go to the city first and transfer.

Upon arriving home, Mu Yin was thoroughly inspected by Mother Li, who patted her all over to ensure she was unscathed. This was followed by an outpouring of love and an array of nourishing supplements. It took quite some effort for her to finally return to her room and unpack her things.

She checked her backlog and her current ranking. She was still trailing behind the "New God Ranking," and moving up further would not be easy; the gap in data could not be bridged in a short time. Besides, with the end of the year approaching, the New God Ranking would be cleared by next year. Regardless of whether a work had been on the list for a full year, the ranking only featured works from the current year. If she wanted to surpass the female lead, she would have to aim for other rankings, but she and the female lead were not in the same category—unless there were no other rankings left besides the God Ranking.

In this world, there was no distinction between a solar and lunar calendar; there was only "the year," culminating in the Spring Festival, which was only ten days away. She decided to upload the comic version of her story, for which she had already prepared over a dozen chapters, to boost subscriptions, bookmarks, and tips—the data that the rankings relied upon.

Even if she managed to surpass the female lead, she felt it might not be enough. Although she wouldn't be number one, the female lead would still be considered a "New God," and the effect would essentially be the same. She wondered if there was another way to alter the female lead's main storyline. As long as the main plot changed and the female lead's romantic pairing was dismantled, her goal would be achieved.

As she sent the comic to her editor to ask for their opinion, she pondered other ways to complete her mission. Her editor replied: "Did you draw this yourself? It's so good! Did you study comics?"

"I did. I have a serialized comic on the Myriad Gods Network. Editor, do you think this is usable?" Mu Yin typed back.

The editor responded: "Of course! Who could possibly understand the story better than you, the author? These character designs are perfectly suited to the plot. Each chapter is at least a four-panel comic, and the story is conveyed very clearly. I'm sure the readers will love it. But won't this be a lot of trouble for you?"

Some comic adaptations veered away from the original plot precisely because drawing comics was more laborious than writing text; if they followed the plot exactly, they would have to draw countless frames, which authors were naturally reluctant to do.

But Mu Yin had her comic software. She could place characters like puzzle pieces, so she had no such concerns. "Don't worry about that. Since I dared to draw it this way, I can certainly handle it." She had no intention of releasing the comic software anytime soon.

The editor asked again: "Although your backlog is substantial, can you manage both?"

"Rest assured, since I dared to post it, there will be no problems," Mu Yin replied. She felt quite confident. She had recently been creating sets of character designs, animals, and backgrounds; with those ready, creating the comics was much easier.

The comic software could not only change a character's pose but also automatically display the corresponding folds on their clothing during those movements, as these were evolutions of the poses she had designed herself.

"That's good," the editor said. "I'll go ahead and post this comic to the comic platform linked to your book, and after that, you can upload them yourself."

"Alright, thank you, Editor."

"Even though there's a link, you should still promote it within your text," the editor advised.

"Understood."

She mentioned the comic in her latest chapter, and after some thought, she also dropped a note in her author group. She rarely spoke up in the group—only when she first joined—and had stopped checking the messages because she couldn't find common ground with the male authors there.

They mostly talked about games, or other things she felt disconnected from. Although she had made games before, the process in that other world was different from this one; the games there were built upon a foundation of fantasy, which was much simpler than in this technological world.

Moreover, she hadn't played many games herself. She had been too busy completing missions and cultivating to find the time. Still, she remembered that when she first joined, many had expressed support and checked out her writing, saying they liked it. Now that the comic version was out, it was only right to notify them.

Aside from the editor group, she had also been pulled into a "Great Gods" group after entering the New God Ranking. It was filled with the site's top-tier authors, mid-tier authors, and new gods. The female lead was naturally in the group as well, though the two had no interaction; after all, on the surface, she was a male author.

Fortunately, while this world required real-name registration for the internet, one could use a pen name for writing and hide their gender. Otherwise, if her gender had been exposed, her journey might not have been as smooth; male readers often held biased views toward female authors, assuming their work wouldn't suit their tastes.

Once she posted the news in both the editor group and the Great Gods group, both exploded. First, the editor group:

"Wait, Shen Mu’s *Asking Heaven* actually has a comic now? *Asking Heaven* is only 500,000 words in, right?"

"A comic for *Asking Heaven*? Who did they get to draw it? I hope it didn't ruin the feel."

"I’m going to check it out."

"Me too."

Then the Great Gods group: "Did Shen Mu really sell the comic rights for *Asking Heaven* so quickly?"

"*Asking Heaven* isn't even finished yet, is it?"

"Yeah, I just read the latest update. The protagonist, Cang Yun, is only at the Golden Core stage; it's still early."

"Forget it, I'm going to take a look. If the comic is a disaster, I won't stand for it."

Mu Yin watched the messages on both sides and raised an eyebrow. She hadn't expected to have readers in the group, though it wasn't surprising; many authors entered the industry out of love, and writing didn't stop them from following other stories. Her book was good—even outstanding among cultivation novels—so it wasn't strange that these people would like it.

After a while, the group started buzzing again: "Ahhh, who did Shen Mu get to draw this? This is exactly how I imagined the protagonist."

"The art style is great. The ten chapters of the comic released are perfectly aligned with the text. I wonder which studio this is; I want to hire them too."

"Although it feels a bit slow, it makes it much easier for readers to immerse themselves."

"The art style is amazing. Little Cang Yun is just too cute!" This came from a top author in the female-oriented section.