A New Year’s Letter of Gratitude to Our Readers, 2025

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The year 2024, for Brother Xian, was a Dragon Year full of reluctant farewells. Through the Qidian platform, he published "To the Dark Frequency" at the beginning of the year, and "Fiery Wavelength" at the end.

Although Brother Xian's abilities are limited and his novels far from remarkable, he owes all the modest attention they've received to the undeserved affection of his readers. He cherishes this deeply and is immensely grateful.

On this New Year's occasion, to thank his readers, he offers an acrostic poem composed from lines by Tang and Song poets, with the regulated lines drawn from Du Fu. The choice of this peculiar form—compiling lines from various poets—stems from a respectful reluctance to use only Du Fu's verses, lest it seem disrespectful to the loyal Wen Tianxiang, famed for his devotion to Du Fu's poetry.

At the turn of the year, Brother Xian wishes all his readers love and hope—a fresh start for the New Year!

New Year's Greetings:

Serpent's shadow meets true enlightenment – Song, Song Xiang
The dragon's form is long hidden – Tang, Du Fu
When have I delighted in wind and moon – Tang, Yang Juyuan
Already as fond as of fine prose – Tang, Du Fu
A guest, in bloom, can still smile drunkenly – Tang, Rong Yu
Who knows the fragrance of well-aged wine – Tang, Du Fu
Clouds and rosy mists settle on half a wall – Tang, Quan Deyu
In the shared hall, there is radiant light – Tang, Du Fu

With the arrival of the Yi Si Year of the Snake in 2025, allow me to share with fellow readers a special poetic form: the "Adding Legs to a Snake" poem.

It is said that in the Northern Song, the child prodigy Wang Zhu could compose poetry at the age of nine, and wrote of life's four great joys:

Relief from drought with sweet rain,
Meeting a friend in a distant land,
The candlelit bridal chamber,
One's name on the golden list of scholars.

Though a prodigy, his verse, popular for centuries, has a hint of doggerel. In the Ming dynasty, Feng Menglong appended two words to the start of each five-character line, making them seven, and thus unified the poem's rhythm. This became a classic example of the "Adding Legs to a Snake" poem.

In "Stories to Awaken the World," volume twenty:

Plainly, relief from drought with sweet rain,
Surpasses meeting a friend in a distant land,
Don't ask about the bridal chamber's candlelit night,
Just look at the day your name appears on the list.

Normally, Brother Xian would never dare add words to the five-character lines of the poet sage Du Fu, but with the Year of the Snake upon us, what harm in adding legs to a snake? It's the perfect chance to thank readers for the New Year. Besides, readers are not strangers, and if the poem falls short, none will hold it against me.

So Brother Xian boldly adds two words to the start of each line, crafting an acrostic "Adding Legs to a Snake" poem, and wishes:

Fiery Readers, Happy New Year!

New Year's "Adding Legs to a Snake" Version:

Fiery wheel, serpent's shadow meets true enlightenment – Song, Song Xiang
Crackling firecrackers, the dragon's form is long hidden – Tang, Du Fu
Scrolls of books, when have I delighted in wind and moon – Tang, Yang Juyuan
Friendly companions, already as fond as of fine prose – Tang, Du Fu
Springtime guests, in bloom, can still smile drunkenly – Tang, Rong Yu
Festive season, who knows the fragrance of well-aged wine – Tang, Du Fu
Swiftly borrow, clouds and rosy mists settle on half a wall – Tang, Quan Deyu
Joyfully watch as the shared hall shines with radiant light – Tang, Du Fu

&

Preview: On January 2, 2025, at 16:00, the final chapter of this book will be published:
"An Exclusive Preview of Volume Three of 'Nikola Tesla's Rope.'"
You are warmly invited to follow along and not miss it.

Attached: The "Fiery Wavelength" Reader Honor Roll (as of December 31, 2024, 24:00) and Chapter Comment Contributors, in no particular order. Any omissions are inevitable; heartfelt thanks to all! Deepest bows!

Reader Honor Roll:

Reader20231114201214235
Shierwy
chaochaol
ClearBrothNoodlesSSS
Mercury000
LoachSoakedInSeawater
GreenTeaLemon
luckycarol
Reader20241202163531281
BeAnOrdinaryPerson0723
XiaoXiaoRain
ThirtyThousandStones
Polaris007
CheeseRiceCakeLululu
DreamTrue
SevenFootKacha
Reader33021203649247
DeadZero
JingYiErDe
BigBoyWhoLovesReading
BrocadeWind
HengXianQiTian
Reader20230823125341285
Woad
LuckyStar666
YanShuJiu
RemChanSiki
LuoQianYuan
HengWu
PurpleBambooHa
CalmAndPeaceful
HeO
Hu Shengya
ThirtyEmperorsOf遮天
Reader20240406111635287
Ou2Yang
Reader20230706135653864
FengAi
DongQingYang
QingYangNa
PeerlessMasterRen
fischer1979
ColorfulPatternedFabric
DelightedAndRelaxed
LifeIsAToughCultivation
AugustFifteenth
GongShangJueZhiYu007
EmperorWithoutHeavenOrEarth
Code_W
DawnSwordShadow
20230609

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NineOrchids
Reader20180627123752815
LittleFishInTheDesert
PanguBioFloor495BZone6
PlumIsGood
U_ser928_43
RestingGourdBaby
KunwuPeak
OrangeGreenYangYangSheep
Reader20240814104148652
SoFortunateSingToExpressAspiration
PleaseLetMeBeParu
BeforeBed
DianDian灬
Reader20230306155439159
InnocentSoul
WindFlowerTale
TrueFanSneaks2andHalfMinutes
WindAndRainSail
GraveAndWood
HardToChangeNickname
StillWaterRunsDeep
BlessedByLuck
Sophie
DDLWarrior
SpiderChrollo
MistEchoesStarsReturn
SummerLovesWatermelon
DreamAcrossAThousandAutumns
AntPincerIsAntPincer
CoffeeMadame
Washlikawang
PenAndDust
Emilia☆
ClearConscience
Don'tKnowHowToName
YouthKnowsNotTheWorld
WuShanRainLu
Koala'sGrayGlove
DreamDrawsMajesty
Zheng2007
001Empty
RoyalTreeCutter
DoomedYouth
FallingLeavesTransform
250DaysSinceForgettingYou
WindShuttleBrokenMoonSoul

(The above list is based on the "Fiery Wavelength" Reader Honor Roll as of December 31, 2024, 24:00)

&

Special thanks to Chapter Comment Contributors:

BigEaredTutu
DreamTrue
fischer1979
BrocadeWind
EmperorWithoutHeavenOrEarth
DelightedAndRelaxed
PeerlessMasterRen
GuestInTheWorldWishesYouSmileLikeSpring
ThirtyThousandStones
BaldMonkDaresToFightForAbbot0
Woad
NightmareTwelve
PurpleBambooHa
WindKingDragon
RemChanSiki
BeforeBed
ReadingClassicPoetryWithYouAmidRedDust
Reader20240406111635287
848418347
WhiteDragonIsWhite
OnceYoungDidNotKnowWorldSorrow
TeacherZhangsLittleBookHouse
PlatinumApostle
BlessedByLuck
TrulyCan'tAffordToRead
DeadZero
IWantToWinGFH
IAlsoDon'tUnderstand
BoredToDeath1
ColorfulPatternedFabric
DukeAnHan
InnocentSoul
ABookworm
CloudDwellsOnPeak
Reader20210301104135804978
EatAndWaitToDie2
EastWind23
JunMoXiao18
AugustFifteenth
NightBeforeDawn
AnFKnowsMyMind
SpringAndAutumnTurn
ProsperityAndWealth18
ArcherOfBuddhism
WindAndFarewellSong

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RenKeHtt
ImmortalQiTian
Heaven's Remnant
ImmortalCat
BigBoyWhoLovesReading
PlumIsGood
DreamAcrossAThousandAutumns
BambooAdmiringFrost
HengWu
GongShangJueZhiYu007
PriestOfRites
668866
FallingDown
MurderousAura008
WhereIsMyHometown
GraveAndWood
MikuYuYin
Wind's Edge
Hu Shengya
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YanShuJiu
LifelongLuck
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LifelongLuck666
WhiteDragonNotBlack
ColdPoisonTasteless
HotchpotchBookworm
AncientFirstMadDemonChenMo
RestingGourdBaby
LonelySoundShadow
PangPangIsSafe
PeaceAndJoyForLife
OldSaltedFishEatingAndWaiting
OldShepherd
PeaceAndJoyForLife666
Lolitalice
TinyLittleMillet
TeacherLiSaid
YearsLikeWaterTimeLikeSong
GreatDaoOneTail
VictoryImmortalQiTian
DefiantPurpleFeather
OwoTownShrimp
MyBabyPamPam
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DreamlikeStars
SailChasingDreams
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SleepEarlyTonightOvo
FatedToMeet
SpiderChrollo
Butterfly
Reader20240420141353979
TreeOak
Reader20210209231503519
MorningBreeze001
SnowyRedBeanPaste
StepByStepFather
Chen Wu
DreamsAreHardToRecall
SnakeSkinMachineOne
WindFlowerTale
SoulWordsHuny
SuperOnion
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