Leng Guang was losing it; through the computer screen, he seemed to feel intense malice coming from Chu Kuang!
To come up with the answer, Leng Guang broad were racked for half an hour!
And yet, after all that thinking, a line in the novel goes-
"Leng Guang is a curly-haired baboon"?
In Leng Guang's mind, apes and curly-haired baboons are all part of the same species.
That's precisely what makes Narrative Trickery despicable!
As the reader, you can curse the author all you want, but you can't deny that the author's explanation is impeccable!
Carter's testimony goes:
No one was seen crossing the lone wooden bridge.
Indeed, no person had crossed the lone wooden bridge.
Leng Guang is an ape, a curly-haired baboon, he is not a person!
And as an ape, Leng Guang can easily reach the other side using a rope.
This is plausible, reasonable, and logical.
No wonder people call Chu Kuang an old rascal!
He really is an old rascal, and he emphasizes it shamelessly!
Moreover, even if Leng Guang wants to forcefully poke holes in the argument, the text provides explanations for everything:
"There is not a single line in the text that refers to the ape as a person, so there is no deception of the reader."
"In addition, there are several hints in the book. Old Leng is seen gnawing on rice grains while naked children play around; these are all indications that they are apes, right?"
"The Leng clan regards outsiders as fierce beasts. Why? It hints at their relationship with humans, which is a human-animal relationship."
Damn Narrative Trickery!
This ending is too simple; it forms a huge pitfall, making any logical deductions pointless!
Leng Guang's frustration was growing.
But Leng Guang is certainly not a person.
He is a curly-haired baboon...
Leng Guang is indeed not alone, as countless readers who have just finished reading "The Fall of the Dondon Bridge" in front of their computers were also going crazy!
"Chu Kuang, the old rascal, has a knack for disgusting his readers!"
"Whoa, Mr. Leng Guang is a monkey, God knows how bewildered I was when I read that line!"
"Narrative Trickery is just fooling the reader! I initially disagreed, but now I agree!"
"Chu Kuang is a serious mind game player!"
"What the hell, does this even qualify as detective fiction?"
"Leng Guang: I feel offended."
"Isn't Chu Kuang being a bit too harsh on Leng Guang? All Leng Guang did was criticize Narrative Trickery a bit."
"What's 'too harsh'? Did he describe himself as harshly as that? He's literally written himself to death in the book, making readers feel that he deserved it!"
"All right, I admit, I lost; Chu Kuang, this little rascal, really knows how to play!""
"When I started reading the latter half, I thought it was a serious detective novel and was earnestly guessing the answer. But then Chu Kuang pulls a fast one and gives us a brainteaser, completely twisting my old waist."
"Unique and endlessly enjoyable."
"Believe me, from this novel onwards, readers who love traditional detective fiction will probably label Chu Kuang as the heresy of the detective genre."
"All right, so it's Chu Kuang who is the real master of Narrative Trickery!"
A fact that the readers don't want to admit but have to accept.
Despite being Narrative Trickery, the murderer is harder to guess than in "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd"!
Some people managed to figure out the former, while the latter wiped out all the readers!
Not long ago, numerous readers were still boasting in the comments that no matter how Chu Kuang utilized Narrative Trickery, they could guess the answer...
But indeed, some readers just couldn't hold themselves back, finding "The Fall of the Dondon Bridge" very boring, and cursed just like Leng Guang did.
At least for today, there were many people who empathized with Leng Guang.
The previous "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" was just controversial.
This time, "The Fall of the Dondon Bridge" led to utter polarization!
Some people saw this as Chu Kuang's "cute work," a game playing on the blind spot of fast-paced brain tests with the readers.
Others thought that the novel was pure boredom, treating detective fiction like child's play.
Being a notorious critic in the detective genre, Leng Guang wasn't someone who could be fooled by Chu Kuang and just laugh it off.
He may not mind being a curly-haired baboon, but he couldn't accept this completely entertaining form of detective fiction!
That's why he lost his temper, and directly issued a long post on the Tribe platform:
"I tolerated 'The Murder of Roger Ackroyd,' where the murderer is the first-person narrative, but what the hell is this about an ape committing a crime? Is this some kind of ghostly narrative?"
"Incredible, an unacceptable form!"
"This is blasphemy against detective fiction. The arrangement of the case was already quite sophisticated; why result in such an entertaining solution?"
"This is a waste of talent and skills!"
"Even genius writers don't need to be this whimsical! If you truly understand detective fiction, please treat it seriously!"
"I, Leng Guang, hereby formally challenge you to a Literary Duel on detective fiction!"
Leng Guang was truly pissed, he actually wanted to engage in a Literary Duel with Chu Kuang!
A Literary Duel is a tradition in Yan Continent's literary circles.
Just as there is sparring in martial arts literature.
That would be a martial arts duel.
If there are martial arts duels, then there are Literary Duels.
And the literary world just happens to have such a thing as a "Literary Duel".
Especially in the literary circles of Blue Star's Yan Continent, writers of the same genre often engage in Literary Duels.
The Yan People admire this form of literary competition.
The idea that literature has no first and martial arts has no second is complete nonsense in the Yan People's concept.
If literary folks despise each other, then they must compete for supremacy!
This is why the Yan People appreciate the Literary Duel.
The form of the Literary Duel is also pretty simple, even somewhat childish; two authors release works of the same genre during the same period and let the public judge their superiority.
Such a form of Literary Duel also has a certain influence on Blue Star.
However, outside of Yan Continent, other regions aren't particularly fond of these literary jousts unless the two writers genuinely dislike each other and would initiate a Literary Duel.
Leng Guang is no Yan person, so he isn't keen on the tradition of the Literary Duel.
This time, Chu Kuang REALLY got under his skin, compelling him to challenge Chu Kuang to a duel!
It's not just about the polarization of the controversy anymore.
Previously, Leng Guang was just a critic, and he hadn't reached the point where he would duel against someone. But now, he's actually challenging Chu Kuang to a duel...
The literary circles were shocked, and the detective fiction lovers were a bit scared too!
Then, they all started cheering.
"Hahaha, will Chu Kuang accept the challenge?"
"If Chu Kuang accepts, it will be interesting!"
"Literary Duels are a tradition in Yan Continent; their authors challenge anyone they're at odds with. Very few authors in other regions of Blue Star engage in Literary Duels. This must be Ol' Leng's first time doing this."
"Leng Guang is truly the pioneer of the anti-unreliable narrator!"
"Actually, I think Leng Guang is overreacting a bit. Don't forget that the author Chu Kuang in the book also scolded Narrative Trickery."
"I support Leng Guang!"
"Hey, don't even mention Leng Guang, I'm a diehard fan of the old rascal Chu Kuang, and now I too want to punch this old rascal in the chest!"
Quite a few people support Leng Guang.
With Leng Guang issuing a challenge for a Literary Duel, everyone couldn't hold back their curiosity; will Chu Kuang accept the challenge?