Afterword (2/2)

Translator’s Afterword:

Three years ago, in the May of 2015, Binggo and friends began to translate Way of Choices, introducing it and its characters to the English-speaking world, and to me. I remember reading those translations for the first time and falling in love with the characters, the poetic descriptions, the sedate pace that took the time to appreciate the beauty of the world in which the characters lived. Over the years, Way of Choices was in the hands of multiple translators, and I would like to thank all of them: Binggo and friends for first taking up this wonderful novel, bbkgs for stepping in when Binggo dropped it, and Pipipingu for bringing the novel to Gravity Tales. I would also like to thank Michyrr, who was the faithful editor of Way of Choices for the great majority of the novel, and who was never afraid to give his opinion when my prose was ambiguous or off. Of course, I also have to thank Mao Ni for writing this work and the readers for enjoying this work with me.

I suppose I’ll mimic Mao Ni and write out my thoughts in a list:

1. I intentionally didn’t put any footnotes in the last few chapters so as to not detract from the reading experience, so I’ll just put those footnotes here. Chen Changsheng’s final attack is based on the Guardians of the Four Directions: The White Tiger in the West, the Azure Dragon of the East, the Vermillion Bird of the South, and the Black Turtle of the North. Chen Changsheng seems to have omitted the Black Turtle, however. Prince Chen Liu’s last conversation with Chen Changsheng was a reference to how Prince Chen Liu is based on Li Longji. Historically, Li Longji was Emperor Xuanzong, who is often praised as presiding over a golden age of Chinese history. The Man in the Iron Mask refers to the famous prisoner who was rumored to be the twin of French King Louis XIV. Cardinal Richelieu was a powerful minister under the French King Louis XIII. I suppose this would put the Sacred Light Continent as 17th Century Europe?

2. I found it amusing that Mao Ni poked fun at his own choice of an open ending for Way of Choices while ending Black Robe’s story.

3. I once saw a comment when I posted one of the title poems for Way of Choices that wondered why someone would quote the words of a monster like Mao Zedong. After some thought, I realized that the life of Mao Zedong is actually a very appropriate example for this book: an old man who was once a young man with ideals. While he was a hero in the early stages, he was a monster in his later life, perhaps like the old Demon Lord? In short, he’s a stark example of what happens when the old remain in power for too long, when one begins to focus on the ends and not the means.

4. My favorite character was the Divine Empress, so I’m happy to see that she’s back in goat form. I wonder what she was doing outside Xuelao City though? Was she going to come to the rescue if Chen Changsheng was in danger? The world may never know.

Lastly, I would like to thank all of you once again for accompanying me on this journey. May all your choices follow your heart.

Sincerely,

Hypersheep

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Editor’s Note:

Thanks for coming on this journey with us.

–Michy