SOD/SPW plot hole
 

I've been re-reading the Smiling Proud Wanderer story (Lanny Lin's translation) while waiting for a translation update (hint.. hint :) ). Gosh, this story is so long and while reading it the second time I noticed an inconsistency in the story.

1. Chapter 3 , where Yilin described how LHC fought with TBG to rescue her. They're inside a cave so dark that both TBG and Yilin did not even recognize LHC; hence LHC pretended to be Lao Denuo.

2. Chapter 4: The idea that TBG and Yilin did not recognize LHC in the cave was reinforced. Only at the restaurant that TBG realized LHC was the guy that he fought with and not LDN.

3. Chapter 7: LHC was telling the story how he escaped the first fight with TBG. He tricked TBG into believing that TBG's kungfu style originated from HuaShan and even showed some made up move. This event implied that TBG MUST be able to see LHC to view the moves. LHC wasn't mentioned to be wearing mask or anything. So TBG should recognize LHC right then and there.

Is this plot hole caused by JY revising his novel (I believe Lanny Lin's translation is the 2nd ed. rite??) or is it already there in the 1st edition?? It's just a small nuisance in an otherwise beautiful masterpiece.

Perhaps, TBG wasn't able to see LHC's facial features but he was able to see at least the arms and legs...otherwise, wouldn't he be fighting blindly? And plus LHC was using a sword so I guess his face just wasn't visable in the dark for TBG to know who LHC is?

I don't know whether this is inconsistency or not. Anyway, here it goes, from 1st draft of Chapter 20:

At first Xiang Wentian seemed to want to leave. But then:

He wanted to stay.

Now, based on the adaptations, I figure Xiang Wentian wanted to stay, so the first statement he said above might just be a pretense. But it seems a bit inconsistent to me nevertheless.

Um the entire time Xiang Wentian was at the Plum Manor, it was all part of his plot to free Ren Woxing. He long knew that LHC could defeat all 4 of the brothers and that their greed would force them to try to use RWX in gaining the goods that Xiang Wentian held with him. He was merely being sarcastic claiming he wanted to leave, taking the paintings, calligraphy, music with him just to draw the 4 brothers in further so they would have no doubts at all that nothing fishy would happen. XWT wanted to make sure the 4 brothers INSISTED he stayed so it wouldn't seem as if there was a plot behind meeting RWX. But since the 4 brothers were adamant in not letting another person attend the match, XWT finall had to concede in leaving it all in the hands of LHC. Because XWT conceded and didn't stay, the 4 brothers felt that they had piece of mind now and let their guards down.

This incident at Plum Manor in which XWT uses human greed to lure and plan the freeing on RWX is definitely one of the better plots in JY. :)

I think the statement in the first quote is a bit unnecessary. Even if XWT left with the goods, if LHC agreed to the match, the Four Fellows will have LHC as a hostage, now that they knew LHC had *no* internal energy. I'm not saying the Four Fellows would resort to that kind of trick, they seemed to be well beyond it, but it's a possibility. XWT and LHC were already on their way to leave the Manor when they were called back anyway. So I think if the statement in the first quote is removed, it would be fine IMHO. I think XWT should have insisted on staying in the first place, just like what he did in the second quote.

Yeah, like bliss explained, he was only pretending he wanted to leave. Because if he left, he would've taken all the precious treasures with him, and that was something the 4 Masters could not allow; if he left, the entire duel w/LHC and RWX would've been pointless.

I figured. I still think it is a bit unnecessary, though :D

Just seconds earlier XWT said he had to take care something right away, and then he insisted to stay. It may or may not make the Four Fellows suspicious.

I think you're just not the kind of person to be conniving. XWT clearly intended that comment for the ears of the playfellows.

He wanted to them to have the impression that he really doesn't care to put them off-guard. If the playfellows thought that XWT had an inkling of the idea that RWX was there, they'd never let LHC in.

Hence the pretense of "Oh I really don't care".

At least that's my impression.


Furthermore, I also feel that he wanted to give the impression that he's being cautious since he "doesn't know" about another grandmaster.

Well, I guess it's not inconsistency then, just merely a matter of different impression.

I would like to ask a question related to the dungeon in which RWX was imprisoned, but I guess I'd better start a new thread for that.