I've said before that I wouldn't post standalone announcements lightly, but this matter is important, and I want every reader to see it, so I have no choice but to post a standalone chapter. First off, I owe an apology to those readers who spend money on the book.
I woke up this morning, opened QQ as usual, and saw hundreds of messages. Most were supportive, but quite a few were people cursing me out — same as always. I'm used to it by now.
But today, a lot of the hate was about the flowers. They said I was scamming flowers, that I didn't deserve to write, that I wouldn't update if nobody voted with flowers, and asked why I didn't just go die.
To be honest, ever since I started the flower bonus update event, there have always been people saying these things, questioning me. I've hesitated many times about whether to cancel the flower bonus update activity, and today I've made the official decision: I'm cancelling the flower bonus update activity. The daily guaranteed update will revert to one chapter.
Since the flower activity is cancelled, I won't be asking anyone for flowers anymore. Vote if you want to, don't if you don't. Flowers are just a means of support, but no matter how many you cast, I don't get a single cent from them.
Take a look across the whole site — there are VIP bonus updates, there are seal-stamp bonus updates, all of which are paid bonus update activities. How many authors do flower bonus updates? How many authors ask for free flowers and then give readers extra chapters?
Since I did the flower bonus update in good faith, and so many people not only failed to appreciate it but actually used it against me, I really have no reason to keep going. So the flower bonus update activity is cancelled starting today, and the daily minimum update will be one chapter.
But let me also address one more question: will Martial God Asura stay free?
First, I need everyone to understand one thing — even if Martial God Asura is free, I still get paid. But without a doubt, if Martial God Asura went behind a paywall, I'd definitely earn more.
Don't doubt whether there would be readers if it went paid. Martial God Asura was behind a paywall for one month before, and the results were excellent — lots of paying subscribers. That was also the highest-earning month since I started writing.
Why did it go free again later? Because the website's policy allowed this book to continue being free, so I went free again. I write to make money, but I also want to give back to my readers' support. I think the best way to give back is to keep it free. Since the website allows free access, I'm going to keep it free.
As for now... the book's performance is far better than it was back then. It ranks first in clicks on 17k, with over a million daily visitors. If it went behind a paywall now, there would definitely be even more subscribers, and I'd earn even more.
But what I want to tell everyone is this: as long as the website's policy allows it, I will persist in keeping it off the paywall so that everyone can continue reading the genuine, free version on 17k.
But let me be upfront — if one day the website's policy no longer allows it, then there's nothing I can do. But as long as the policy allows it, I will keep it free.
Finally, I just want to say thank you. Thank you to all the brothers who, when I hit rock bottom, were willing to give me a push from behind with your support. You... are my greatest motivation to keep writing. Thank you.