Authors Tidbit: Seo Ran, Buk Hyang-hwa, and Yuan Li

Since I've created a blog and all, I'm thinking of posting at least once a week.

The posts will mostly be about tidbits which won't appear in the actual novel.

For now, let's talk about a tidbit regarding Seo Ran, Buk Hyang-hwa, and Yuan Li.

I chose this topic because many readers might be curious why Seo Ran's name sounds feminine.

The hidden truth is that, during the novel's conception, Seo Ran was actually a female character.

And even the name wasn't 'Seo Ran'. It was Baek Ran (백란白蘭: a Korean name for Yulan magnolia) - a disciple from the Black Ghost Valley who was expelled, honed her skills in the Black Castle for vengeance, and eventually became a slaughterer who led the massacre in the Heaven-Treading Desert.

(Note: 'Baek Ran' is the "White Orchid" from the White Orchid Blessing Incantation)

As you might've guessed, at that time, Buk Hyang-hwa, Seo Ran, and Yuan Li were all the same person.

This being who was Yuan Li, Seo Ran, and Buk Hyang-hwa at the same time, was planned to give the protagonist water in the desert and fall in love with him. She was a tragic figure who couldn't let go of her vengeance towards the Black Ghost Valley, committed massacre, and ultimately met her demise at the hands of the protagonist, but...

In the end, I was worried that the story would become too complicated.

I assigned the Black Ghost Valley part to Seo Ran,

the romance part to Buk Hyang-hwa,

and the main perpetrator of the massacre was made to be Yuan Li.

At that time, I thought this was a good idea...

Looking back, though, I wonder if sticking to the original setup would've been better for Buk Hyang-hwa's popularity.

But then again, my skill in creating female characters was practically non-existent at the time, so the original narrative probably would have suffered in viewership anyway.

(Note: The author talks about the viewership here because a lot of Korean readers were fed up with Yuan Li's constant revivals at the time, which took a toll on the viewership.)

And if I had gone with that character setting, my most painstakingly crafted Episode 131 probably wouldn't exist.

(Note: Episode 131 in the Korean version is Episode 129 in the We Tried TL version - the last chapter of the 10th regression)

Hu hu...

Buk Hyang-hwa had a tragic story, and some may refer to her as a cursed beast(...), but she is my most beloved character who symbolizes the Head Realm saga along with Yuan Li.

(Note: 'Cursed beast' is a Korean community meme that originates from the gacha game Princess Connect! Re:Dive. Some people in the Korean RTC community call Buk Hyang-hwa 'cursed beast' for the memes, because she was loosely associated with the whole Yuan Li zombie tendency in the 10th regression.)

Even though the character Baek Ran has vanished to the other side of fate, her name still accompanies Seo Eun-hyun through the White Orchid Blessing Incantation. I believe the absent(?) Baek Ran would be satisfied(?).

That's all for today's Tidbit.

Have a pleasant night.

TranslatingNovice: This is a translation of the author’s tidbit made by our fellow member of the discord Resnut! He’s someone I ask for help quite a bit when it comes to terms (as he’s fully caught up in the raws) and he helps pointing out any vague parts or inaccuracies in the translation, contributing to the accuracy and quality. Let’s all give a round of applause to Resnut!