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Thread: How much could the top wuxia fighters charge for their services?

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    Moderator Ken Cheng's Avatar
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    Default How much could the top wuxia fighters charge for their services?

    With a few exceptions, the elite fighters in wuxia fiction fight only to uphold justice or to prove their superiority. Hardly any of them do it for money. If a fighter had skills on the level of a Kiu Fung, a L/ROCH Great, Cheung 3 Fung, Cheung Mo Gei, or Luk Siu Fung, Chor Lau Heung, Ding Pang, and Lee Chum Foon, then how much would people be willing to pay for their services (protection or killing enemies)?

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    Senior Member CC's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Cheng
    With a few exceptions, the elite fighters in wuxia fiction fight only to uphold justice or to prove their superiority. Hardly any of them do it for money. If a fighter had skills on the level of a Kiu Fung, a L/ROCH Great, Cheung 3 Fung, Cheung Mo Gei, or Luk Siu Fung, Chor Lau Heung, Ding Pang, and Lee Chum Foon, then how much would people be willing to pay for their services (protection or killing enemies)?
    Heck of a lot. Up to a Kingdom's worth! These guys are capable of making and breaking kingdoms.

    Look at how much the Liao Emporer was willing to bestow on Xiao Feng and how much Genghis Khan was willing to give Guo Jing.

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    Moderator Ken Cheng's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by CC
    Heck of a lot. Up to a Kingdom's worth! These guys are capable of making and breaking kingdoms.

    Look at how much the Liao Emporer was willing to bestow on Xiao Feng and how much Genghis Khan was willing to give Guo Jing.
    True, but I was under the impression that Yeh Lut Hung Gei and Genghis Khan were more interested (respectively) in Kiu Fung and Gwok Jing's leadership charisma and valor than their prowess as fighters (although that, of course, was an important consideration).

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    Senior Member CC's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Cheng
    True, but I was under the impression that Yeh Lut Hung Gei and Genghis Khan were more interested (respectively) in Kiu Fung and Gwok Jing's leadership charisma and valor than their prowess as fighters (although that, of course, was an important consideration).
    A large part of that leadership charisma comes from being able to whoop any one hundred of the man under your command....

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    Moderator Ken Cheng's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by CC
    A large part of that leadership charisma comes from being able to whoop any one hundred of the man under your command....
    Fair enough, but Genghis Khan valued Gwok Jing even when he was widely regarded as a martial arts incompetent (i.e. when he was unable to grasp even the Gong Nam 7 Freaks' kung fu).

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    Senior Member Thai guy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by CC
    Heck of a lot. Up to a Kingdom's worth! These guys are capable of making and breaking kingdoms.

    Look at how much the Liao Emporer was willing to bestow on Xiao Feng and how much Genghis Khan was willing to give Guo Jing.
    Yes, also look at how the 4th Prince of Mongol valued GWM.

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    Moderator Ren Wo Xing's Avatar
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    The best example of this probably can come from the later dynasty works, such as Book and Sword. The martial artists in the Qing dynasty were rewarded VERY well for their service; and think about how much better/valuable a Xiao Feng would be to the Qianlong emperor. Bye bye goes the Red Flower Society, or the Heaven and Earth Society, etc. etc. etc.!

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    Senior Member Thai guy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ren Wo Xing
    Bye bye goes the Red Flower Society, or the Heaven and Earth Society, etc. etc. etc.!
    The task of the Red Flower Society would be easily accomplished if this Society had one or two greats from L/ROCH era in the Society.

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    Xiao Feng was being bought by the Liao Emperor. With titles and riches. It wasn't until later that Xiao Feng realized he'd made a mistake and turned his back on it.

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    Senior Member rabadi's Avatar
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    If WXB could be counted as a wuxia fighter, then I guess his service was charged really, really high

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    Senior Member babyblues's Avatar
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    Not exactly on the topic but where do you think these pple earn money from? my family and I always wondered cos they can always travel, stay in inns, order proper food (not just the cheapo noodles or buns), hire horses, carriages etc.

    Maybe they collect protection money?

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    Quote Originally Posted by babyblues
    Not exactly on the topic but where do you think these pple earn money from? my family and I always wondered cos they can always travel, stay in inns, order proper food (not just the cheapo noodles or buns), hire horses, carriages etc.

    Maybe they collect protection money?
    For the big clans, yes. You offer them protection from other gangs. They're really organized gangs. So far as the Taoist Temples and Shaolin Temples go, they collect money from worshippers.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Cheng
    .....how much would people be willing to pay for their services (protection or killing enemies)?
    There is currently a US$25 million (or has it been doubled to US$50 million?) reward for the head of Osama. That is one guide.

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    Senior Member TuToo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dennis Chen
    Xiao Feng was being bought by the Liao Emperor. With titles and riches. It wasn't until later that Xiao Feng realized he'd made a mistake and turned his back on it.
    awww, this is so not true. XF careless about money and power, he was with the Liao Emperor because he wanted to be with his people, stay with his people and take care of his people. Also by taking care of his people, he also takes care of the Han people at Nhan Mon Quan because he restrains the Liao soldier from robing them and killing them. He doesnt care about riches, he doesnt care about titles, he cares about people. He didnt turn his back on any1 because his death is the peace treaty between the two countries and with his death, he saves thousand of lives.
    Last edited by TuToo; 12-07-04 at 05:10 AM.
    i.am.2too.

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    Moderator Ken Cheng's Avatar
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    I agree with TuToo. Although I'm sure the wealth and creature comforts offered by Yeh Lut Hung Gei did not turn Kiu Fung off, I don't think it's possible to "buy" a man like Kiu Fung with any promises of wealth and power if he did not feel that he was doing the right thing. Kiu Fung had finally accepted that he was a Khitan, not a Han. He learned to love his native culture, but he also never lost his love for his adopted culture. Becoming Yeh Lut Hung Gei's right hand man, in Kiu Fung's view, was an opportunity to find ways to bring peace between the two civilizations. This, and a sense of filial loyalty towards the sworn brother who had been so kind to him, compelled him to accept the position that Yeh Lut offered him.

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    Moderator Ken Cheng's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dennis Chen
    For the big clans, yes. You offer them protection from other gangs. They're really organized gangs. So far as the Taoist Temples and Shaolin Temples go, they collect money from worshippers.
    The larger clans also had considerable real estate holdings, and ordinary people were often their tenants. Collecting the rent probably kept the coffers pretty full, and the tenants probably weren't too unhappy with the arrangement because the clans' martial artists provided them protection in return.

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    Senior Member rabadi's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Cheng
    The larger clans also had considerable real estate holdings, and ordinary people were often their tenants.
    Maybe what puzzles is how those clans could have considerable real estate holdings in the first place?

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    Quote Originally Posted by rabadi
    Maybe what puzzles is how those clans could have considerable real estate holdings in the first place?
    There was more unclaimed land in those days, but like today, I guess it's done by beating heckalota people up. Those guys didn't practice martial arts for show.

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    Senior Member rabadi's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Cheng
    There was more unclaimed land in those days, but like today, I guess it's done by beating heckalota people up. Those guys didn't practice martial arts for show.
    Hmm... make sense, but I just can't picture a bunch of Shaolin monks beating people up to get land for their temple

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    Senior Member Zhuge Liang's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rabadi
    Hmm... make sense, but I just can't picture a bunch of Shaolin monks beating people up to get land for their temple
    Alot of the shaolin monks are pretty nasty ppl. Even the so-called Holy Monks are often petty and narrow-minded. Nevermind the ones at the bottom of the barrel who don't see a crime being comitted but rush and attack anyone who happens nearby. Then they systematically get their asses whooped and they run back for help.

    ------------

    The best way is when you don't have to pay at all. Huang Rong managed to secure LiMochou's services for a while when their interests coincided. TSTL got XZ to protect her for free, though she later had to use some means to keep him around and willingly rewarded him.
    Last edited by Zhuge Liang; 12-09-04 at 12:24 PM.
    TristeCoeur on Lady Yang: Someone needs 2 tell her that when u want 2 save people from being killed, u need to hurry the hell up, not play bull#### music & dance around. Her mission failed big time

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