musicians of old

Final remarks
The final few chapters were actually finished a little earlier than the release date. After typing the last three lines, I began to pack up my writing supplies almost as if I were escaping: chair, lumbar support, desk lamp, support stand, and my broken computer that couldn't even run games. I planned to leave that cramped study, a place I could hardly remember.

This felt almost unlike anything I'd ever experienced before, except for that afternoon during my college graduation season when I was packing up the dorm room I'd lived in for four years, almost as if I were escaping.

Back then, like most people at that time, I felt that things should be as they are in the world, that things should remain forever, that what is missing is only missing temporarily, and that what is regrettable is only regrettable temporarily. Of course, life eventually showed me what the world is really like.

"The Musicians of the Past" was published in April 2022 and written until the last day of 2025, totaling 307 million words and taking 3 years and 8 months. If we include the time spent on the initial conception and the detours taken in signing the contract, the time span should be a little over four years.

I think it can still be called a "time period," both for the writer and for the reader.

The ninth volume is not long, and it is planned in the same way as the eighth volume, with 36 chapters. Of course, the final word count is slightly more, at 100,000 words. The tone is the same as Mahler's "Das Lied von der Erde" and "Symphony No. 9", which is determined to be "quiet departure".

After Fanning's blessing to the new world in Book 8, the beginning of this book is dedicated to everyday life. When I first started writing, the word "everyday life" felt a bit unfamiliar. It seemed that since Book 5, I had gradually lost that concept. However, I slowly rediscovered that feeling later.

If it weren't for the fact that the purpose of "writing daily life" is still to "find anomalies" and to lay the groundwork for "quietly leaving," perhaps the daily life section could have been written a bit more. This book hasn't been padded out much from beginning to end, and if the last 10 or 20 chapters were padded out, readers would probably be able to accept it.

However, Fanning is already at a very high level in Volume 9. He only has concerns but no rivals. No matter where he goes or what he does, it only presents a feeling of "teleportation". The sense of space and realism of the journey is not enough, which means that the occasions and key points he experiences can only be shown at a high frequency. As a result, forcibly slowing down the pace seems a bit deliberate.

So the last 4-plus words of "daily life" might be just right, and it has some memorable points that are worth remembering and smiling about, all the way up to "Das Lied von der Erde" and "Ninth", all the way up to "the parts of the music begin to exit one by one".

In fact, the attention and influence of the premiere of "Das Lied von der Erde" were certainly no less than that of "Tristan und Isolde" at the time, but the atmosphere of celebration and spiritual explosion would never be the same again. This is the last musical performance described in the book, just to create a grand occasion as the beginning of the "voice withdrawal", to give Fanning an opportunity for a "curtain call" and "shaking hands with each other".

After the curtain falls, the perspective shifts again, from the symphony hall (a large audience) to interviews in the performance corridor (a small audience), then to the backstage dressing room (only those close by), out into the harsh winter (no one left), gradually ascending to the dwelling (abandoning the world), and finally to the "gathering point." Even the later discussions and arrangements are all conducted in a secret rehearsal room, with no external scenes remaining.
When I was planning this storyline four years ago, it might have been a kind of hidden prophecy that I wasn't aware of at the time.

The characters in the book, like the people outside the book who accompany you to the end, gradually decrease, gradually withdraw, and finally, quietly depart.

I wonder what everyone thinks of the ending of Volume 9? How does it compare to the "IF route" of Volume 5 mentioned earlier? The difference between 3 million words and 2.4 million words, I think the number of people who prefer it is probably split in half?
In short, if we were to use the quote from 2 Timothy in the summary of the "Thousand People" volume, it would be: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith, I have filled the pits."

This could be considered a kind of "uniqueness" of the book; you should think of it this way—

If you're looking for a book better than this one, there are plenty. If you're looking for something worse, it's probably been canceled or indefinitely delayed. But there shouldn't be many books that are poorly written and not canceled, right?
The above section is the "Summary at the End of the Volume".

Like each previous volume, it is likely that the summary is presented from the perspective of one author.

But as for the "Author's Closing Remarks," I think I can finally express my feelings as a reader again.

I'm just an ordinary online novel reader. I've been reading since the early 4s and 4s. I've had a few MP4 players confiscated in class, dropped a few in the toilet, and worn out a few from pressing the page-turning button so many times. I've used several Qidian accounts and left outrageous comments in multiple comment sections, including some from trainee readers (you wouldn't recognize me anyway) (doge)

Actually, I think that even if we don't actually go to the point of writing a book, anyone who has ever had a strong desire to start a book must have something "missing" deep down.

And when does this thought tend to become stronger? It's when, on some day, at some moment, you suddenly realize that, based on the various reasons of "being an ordinary person" and "being born into reality," "these 'deficiencies' of mine are probably unlikely to be made up for any day."

Note that I used the word "missing" rather than "dream" in the above statement.

A "dream" is something you can reach out and grab; it's something you set for yourself, a high-level goal. If you can't achieve your dream, the corresponding result is "regret," and it's also possible that the people around you will feel "regret" for you.

But “absence” is not.

In today's world where basic survival needs are largely met, some people cannot experience this "lack," while others may only understand it as a kind of "material emptiness" or "spiritual emptiness." Only those who have truly experienced a "lack" can understand what I am talking about.

If you insist that "lack of money is also a deficiency," then you're right. If authors don't receive a penny in royalties when writing books, they can't continue. But many other "deficiencies" lack a realistic or moral basis. They are either difficult to talk about, or they are illusory. Or, even if you want to try to "talk about" them, you don't know how to explain them clearly. They are like the keys used to pass through doors, a certain self, a certain other, a certain landscape, a set of images, a piece of music, an epiphany, a certain emotion, a certain feat, a certain kind of revelation, a set of entanglements, a moment of ecstasy, or a solace.

In her acceptance speech after reaching the top in Book 5, Fanning also expressed a similar idea about "absence." When Fanning and Roy discussed "synchronicity" in Book 6, they also pointed to its significance in fulfilling "absence."

In general, "absence" is not something a person sets for themselves, nor does it know how it came to be in a person. It cannot be attributed to the influence of certain specific circumstances after birth. It is likely something innate, only becoming slightly more concrete and corresponding to different circumstances later in life. Unless one is a protagonist in an online novel like Fan Ning, "absence" usually does not possess power. If "absence" persists, it will not have any impact on others; it will only become a gloomy and unhappy spiritual black hole within oneself.

This is the topic I most want to "reflect on". I think it was from the beginning of writing the sixth volume that I kept reminding myself, "If there is anything 'missing' that I haven't written, I should make some preparations in advance so that I can add it in later, otherwise I won't be able to write it when the book is completely finished."

What I reminded myself of was this kind of thing, rather than "what plot holes haven't been filled yet." Of course, it also played a role in helping to fill in the plot holes, because readers who can read up to volume six or later will definitely find some commonalities in their own "deficiencies" within it.

This continued until Volume Nine, when I asked myself the same question again, and the answer was, "Not for the time being."

Then it can end.

No matter how poorly this book performs or how much criticism it faces, as long as I fill in all the holes I dug, I should have done right by the readers. As long as it tells the story of what I wanted to tell and express in the first thirty years of my life, I should have done right by myself.

So now I can confidently ask the editor to complete the book.

Thank you for the past four years. These past few days, I've been going back and looking through the comments I've accumulated before that I wanted to read but didn't dare to (mainly because I'm sensitive and was afraid it would affect my writing). I'm trying to remember every familiar or unfamiliar ID. I know there will probably be some lurkers. If possible, please show your face at the end, or leave a post in the book review section to chat. I want to remember more people in the end.

The third part is the postscript.

Regarding what happened afterward, regarding questions asked by others, and some other random thoughts.

The program list and related works have been updated: Symphony No. 8 in E-flat major, Lied von der Erde, Symphony No. 9 in D major, and the first movement of Symphony No. 10 in F-sharp major (unfinished). You can listen to them now.

As for what I've been doing lately, besides tidying up my study, my fellow book lovers in the group probably know that I worked overtime during the New Year's Day holiday, which didn't stop until the very last day.

After finishing overtime, I reinstalled the mobile games I'd deleted two or three years ago, Honor of Kings and Hearthstone, on my phone. After playing a few games, I realized my tenosynovitis was about to flare up. After pressing the basic attack button with my thumb for a while, I couldn't even play the piano anymore. However, after getting used to Hearthstone again, I was able to continue playing. Hmm.

As for what I plan to do next, of course I'll continue working (crossed out).

I will take some time to quickly read through the entire book, revise any inappropriate statements from the beginning, and correct any errors. This will not involve any changes to the plot.

I don't know if anyone will watch it a second time, but it's good to finish what you start. Typos are mistakes, so it's better to correct them.

Around the Lunar New Year, I'll spend some time choosing a new computer. This old laptop I use for typing is so outdated that it even lags when playing Plants vs. Zombies.

I'll chat in the group when I have time. Now that everyone's finished following the updates, I'll slightly adjust the theme and call it a classical music discussion group (hopefully?).

I'll finish reading a few books I was following, and then it'll be the second week of my fitness plan. I've basically achieved my weight loss goals from last year, so now it's time to start lifting weights. We young guys need to try to outlive the old guys. I went downstairs for a walk yesterday and was grateful that the gym in the mall next to my neighborhood hasn't run away with my money despite all the years of delayed updates.

Most importantly, I need to speed up the practice of the pieces I haven't finished yet. All my previous plans were delayed because of writing. I didn't finish the whole Schubert D.960 until November. Next, I need to practice it intensively. I've only practiced up to the 14th variation of the Goldberg Variations. I haven't even started practicing Chopin's Scherzo 2 yet.
I might take on two or three more students, for piano lessons, music theory tutoring, civil service exams, or postgraduate entrance exams in politics and professional subjects, depending on the situation. I have a little more time now.

Hmm, so many plans.

Regarding whether there will be a next book, I have indeed had some other ideas during the writing process over the past few years. If, and I mean if, there is, it will probably still be related to music and art. Currently, I have two ideas: one leans towards a light-hearted Japanese romance style, and the other leans towards a cyberpunk style. The difference lies in whether or not to introduce extraordinary elements, and in the level of abstraction of my own mental state (a cyber musician?) (just kidding).

However, if the current work environment and pace remain unchanged, it's unlikely that a new book will be published; otherwise, it would be utterly selfless and designed to exploit others.
I'm not sure if there will be any side stories. I might write a little bit. If people are still interested, it depends on what everyone wants to see. Leave a comment if you have any ideas or suggestions.

The worldview of "Noon" actually has a lot of room for development in the side stories; anyone can come up with the power of secret history to challenge the author.

So if I cancel, you can always write your own reviews in the book review section or group chat (?).

That's pretty much it for my reflections.

It was a wonderful encounter.

Happy New Year everyone.