Smiling Proud Wanderer

[Bloodflowers]

@RongYingMin: At least we should be thankful that Jin Yong doesn't make the reader (and its characters) suffer as much as Gu Long does.

[eliza bennet]

Hmmmm I'm thinking and thinking and can't find a character who suffered more than Yang Guo did and for that long a time.

Returning to LHC - I think his fault is to get stuck in the past, he is severly suffering from "first love" syndrome.

The way I think is if a person really loves someone, he/she will want that person to be happy, with or without him. He actually thinks that YLS will forgive him for breaking her up with her love and then will warm up to him. Maybe he is not even wrong thinking it will happen because it may well be but thinking like that right at the start makes me doubt the depth of his love.
I think he associates his happy teen years with his feelings for YLS and wants to have them both again.

[Pacifian]

Many people think LHC was being just plain stupid and delusional, he did not recognise RYY's feelings for him and wanted to return to YLS and YBQ, who obviously don't want him anymore.

But IMO, you can't really blame LHC. Honestly if you were in his shoes, the first thing you want to do is to pinch yourself until all your skin has started peeling, trying desperately to wake yourself up. It was like a nightmare--a horrible one. He used to be Huashan's favourite, adored and cared by his master who behaved like a father, had a mother (Ning Zhong Ze) and a childhood playmate who occupied most of his life. To him, he had everything, he was living in a world of bliss and peace when suddenly somebody turned off his fortune. His only "family" deserted him, disowned him, and suddenly he was all alone, except those people trying desperately to kill his life.

Even though he can sense RYY's affection and concern for him, still she appeared during his nightmare, so no matter what consolation RYY might bring to him, he would rather have the past where he wasn't caught between the war between good and evil.

Honestly, I find him quite a strong-willed person. Many would break down when their life changed that badly. I mean this is even worse than going bankrupt when you are living comfortably, or even if your family were all killed. Financial stuff is nowhere compared to the "home" he once had, and the fact that his "family" disowned him was nagging at him. If one's loved ones die, it is very tragic, but at least you are still related to the deceased, and you can seek solace in that fact that you are alone physically but not spirtually. But in LHC's case, he tried to cling unto the connection, but the other party holding onto the connection had left him, in a way he is alone both physically and spiritually. Moreover, to him, there is a slight possibility of reconciliation, while it gave him hope, it gave him a sense of uncertainty.

He isn't heartless, neither is he dumb.

If he was to readily accept RYY, there would be zero chances of reconciliation with his long-lost family. It will be like forsaking a blissful home for some mutual feelings between two sexes. I do not deny there is chemistry between him and the girl, but let's face it, it was short, and it doesn't take a genius to compare both situations and come out with the "better" one.

As we want to face reality, we must also consider how much we would lose as we face the painful truth. Indeed, life must keep going on, but how much pain and suffering will it cause for one to forcibly discard his memories behind. Feelings and memories will accompany us as we move on, it will be easy for us readers to select the "obvious" choice, but if one was to really be in his shoe, you can't do the same.

[hhaung]

If he was to readily accept RYY, there would be zero chances of reconciliation with his long-lost family. It will be like forsaking a blissful home for some mutual feelings between two sexes. I do not deny there is chemistry between him and the girl, but let's face it, it was short, and it doesn't take a genius to compare both situations and come out with the "better" one.

As we want to face reality, we must also consider how much we would lose as we face the painful truth. Indeed, life must keep going on, but how much pain and suffering will it cause for one to forcibly discard his memories behind. Feelings and memories will accompany us as we move on, it will be easy for us readers to select the "obvious" choice, but if one was to really be in his shoe, you can't do the same.

Very well put, Pacifian! If we were in LHC's shoes, we would also find it very difficult to let go of all the bonds that had been there (family, love, gratitude, etc). And he had only begun to see RYY in a softer light.

[Bloodflowers]

@eliza_bennet: Easy. Li Tan Hua from Xiao Li Fei Dao. (Gu Long).
Ah Fei wasn't exactly well treated either. And neither was Xie Tin Lan in The Legendary Siblings.

Yang Guo did suffer a lot, and for a long time. Almost as much as Little Li. But when I was reading it, it was more his pain than mine. It's a lot more frustrating reading Gu Long's works. You feel their pain a lot more, I think.

@Pacifian: Yes, he's not in a very good position. But if my memory doesn't fail me, he wasn't exactly smart in how he dealt with things back in the begining. His jealousy played a big roll in his downfall. I remember that because that's how I started disliking him. He had the upper hand, but he was stupid.

But it's been a long time since I've read the first chapters (3 years?), so my memory might be failing on me.

It's not easy to be in his position. But things didn't happen in just a week. He should have started facing the reality by now.

[ChronoReverse]

OH come on. He made a few mistakes like accidentally knocking YLS's new sword in to the ravine, but overall the situation simply progressed without him while he was exiled to the cliff.

[RongYingMin]

I've not read all the SPWanderer till now because I know no Chinese at all.
Everything about SPWanderer I've got is just from 27 english-translated-chapters of Lanny Lin, hhuang and pokit and some TV-adaptations of SPWanderer.
Could anybody pls tell me: In the end of the novel, between 2 girls, Yingying and Lingsan, which girl is the one that Linghu Chong loves deeper?

[s4life]

I never liked YBQ and he sure makes it easy to dislike him to the extreme.

And how come he has such feudal ideas? Seriously, marrying her knowing that she loves somebody else? With that kind of ideals he really lost a lot of his value in my eyes.

Thank you pokit and hh

I think that's a bit too harsh Eliza.. you can't judge someone for what he's thinking... more so if in the end, LHC did the right thing, i.e. didn't succumb to his personal desires.

The human condition is fragile and can be bent in many directions. LHC is shown no different than any of us, i.e., full of doutbs about what is right and wrong.... that's a big plus for me.

[Pacifian]

@Pacifian: Yes, he's not in a very good position. But if my memory doesn't fail me, he wasn't exactly smart in how he dealt with things back in the begining. His jealousy played a big roll in his downfall. I remember that because that's how I started disliking him. He had the upper hand, but he was stupid.

How was he really jealous?

YLS never loved LHC, but treated him as a brother, but did LHC feel likewise? No. The thing is both never had a chance to tell each other how they actually feel. Note that YLS started distancing herself away from LHC was during his 1 year punishment. And this 1 year punishment was in fact a part of LHC's nightmare. (Honestly, you tried all your might to rescue somebody and almost got killed for it, instead you got yourself such a harsh punishment, LHC might blma ehimself for it, but he felt really stunned for being punished this way for something he obviously doesn't deserve.)

So he gave himself a reason for YLS's liking for LPZ, it was his fault, he thought. YBQ started disliking him, YLS started disliking him, he deduced it was all because of something he did. Deep in his heart he believed if they forgave him one day, YLS would love him back. But he didn't know she never loved him before. This is not delusion, this is typical human response. All along he thought he was the only person in YLS heart as it has always been, but he knew nothing of the progress of YLS's romance with LPZ as he was being punished at that time.

And let's not forget it was YLS who blamed LHC for stealing the Pi Xie Swordplay and killing second senior and stabbing LPZ in the back. LHC was innocent of course, every innocent man believed one day the truth will come out, the same goes for him. So he presumed YLS hate him because of all these crimes he did not commit, and will eventually love him back. It wasn't him being delusional, it was just that as a victim of circumstances, circumstances made him think and believe this way. When was LHC able to think so objectively when things keep going against him?

PS. Bloodflowers: the person in Legenday Siblings is Tie Xin Lan I suppose.

[MysteriouX]

Generally many psychologists say that woman, when they look for a man, they look for someone who has a similar personality or trait to their fathers.

I think some time ago we talked about something like this for YLS and someone mentioned that she liked LPZ more because he and her father were similar.

[eliza bennet]

Pacifian, I'm glad that you have the same conclusion as me. This is not just his love for Yue girl but also his desire to get back to his old life (as I said in my previous post). I don't know if you also agree that it shows that his love for her is not actually as deep as he thinks



S4life, re:for being harsh on LHC. I don't think I'm. I readly accepted the high quality of his morals and ethics (it is right there in the very post you quoted a portion of). But I can't accept this kind of feudal thinking. Sure everyone of us has faults and we have more than our share of mistakes but some faults are more serious than the others, and this type of thinking is one of them (of course this also changes from person to person, deal breakers differ for each one of us). I actually liked LHC (although not as much as my perfect hero Guo Jing) and I still sort of do but not as much as I used to.

Bloodflowers, what you have written is so true but for me in reverse. I feel the pains and happinesses of Jin Yong heroes, while Gu Long heroes don't feel as fleshed out, them and their side kicks are usually very similar. This is not meant as a critisim since I also like Gu Long as a very good novelist but I don't see the genius in him while JY has it in abundance (well, at least to me). Maybe it is because I'm a female and JY's females also have a lot more substance than GL ones.
But I have to exclude The Legendary Siblings from my thoughts about Gu Long, since I actually feel many things reading it and at the moment thouroughly enjoying it.

[foxs]

@eliza_bennet: Easy. Li Tan Hua from Xiao Li Fei Dao. (Gu Long).
Ah Fei wasn't exactly well treated either. And neither was Xie Tin Lan in The Legendary Siblings.

Yang Guo did suffer a lot, and for a long time. Almost as much as Little Li. But when I was reading it, it was more his pain than mine. It's a lot more frustrating reading Gu Long's works. You feel their pain a lot more, I think.

I have to agree with Eliza in this matter. Li Tan Hua and Ah Fei suffered because of their own choice. Li gave up the woman he loved because of bad choice in friendship. He could have taken her back, but he did not. Ah Fei fell in love with someone not worthy of his love. Yang Guo, on the other hand, did not have any choice, Xiao Longnu was injured not because of bad choices. Tie Xin Lan was a little bit different, but still, she suffered because she was 'torn between two lovers'. I don't even think I consider her 'suffer' ... she was merely 'undecided'.

[pokit]

Chapter 28 Accumulation of Snow
(Translater by: Pokit; Edited by: Hhaung)

Without knowing how much time had passed, Linghu Chong gradually felt his body feeling colder. He slowly opened his eyes and saw a firelight which dazzled him. He quickly shut his eyes and heard Yingying happily called out, "You... you're awake!" Linghu Chong opened his eyes once again. He saw Yingying's pair of beautiful eyes staring at him with her face full of joy. Linghu Chong tried to sit up, but Yingying waved her hand. "Rest for a bit more."

Linghu Chong looked around, and saw that he was inside a mountain cave. Outside the cave, there was a big bonfire. He then remembered that he was kicked by his master. "What happened to my Master and Master-Wife?"

Yingying flatly answered him, "You're still calling him master? In this world, there's no such shameless master. You've already given way, but he didn't know what was good for him, and at the end, he was unable to get out of an awkward situation. He gave you a very fierce kick but broke his leg, serves him right!"

"My master broke his leg?" Linghu Chong asked, startled.

Yingying giggled. "Isn't it good enough that he wasn't shaken to death? Daddy said you still don't know how to use the Art of Essence Absorbing yet, otherwise you wouldn't have gotten injured."

Linghu Chong mumbled, "I stabbed master and also broke his leg. This is really... really..."

"You regret it?" Yingying asked.

Linghu Chong felt extremely ashamed. "I shouldn't have done that. If it weren't for Master and Master-Wife bringing me up, maybe I would've died a long time ago. How can there be a today? I repaid their kindness with enmity, I’m worse than an animal."

"He repeatedly wanted to kill you with his fierce moves but you just endured it and let him do it; that can be said that you've repaid your master's kindness. Also, looking at the type of person you are, how could you have died? Even if the Yue couple didn't bring you up, you'd be called the little beggar in Jianghu because I don't think you would have died. Also, he already expelled you from Huashan, so the master disciple relation between you two was severed a long time ago. What is he to you now?" Yingying suddenly lowered her voice, "Brother Chong, you offended your master and master-wife because of me. My... my heart..." She lowered her head, and both of her cheeks were blushing.

Linghu Chong saw her revealing her little girl's shyness, while her beauty was enhanced by the raging fire outside the cave shining on her face. His heart was moved. Extending his hand, he held her left hand, and sighed, not knowing what to say. Yingying softly murmured, "Why did you sigh? You regret knowing me?"

"No, no! How can I regret it? Because of me, you were willing to give up your life in Shaolin temple. Even if later on my body were grounded to dust and my bones broken to pieces, I still wouldn't be able to repay for your kindness," Linghu Chong said.

Yingying stared into both of his eyes. "Why are you talking like that? Even until now, your heart is still regarding me as a stranger."

Linghu Chong felt ashamed. In his heart, there was always a feeling of estrangement towards her. "I said it wrong. From today onwards, I will wholeheartedly treat you well." As he said these words, he couldn't refrain from thinking, "How about little martial sister? Little martial sister? Could it be that I'll forget little martial sister?"

Yingying's eyes flashed with happiness. "Brother Chong, are you speaking the truth, or are you deceiving me?"

Suddenly Linghu Chong was no longer thinking of himself or of his longing for Yue Lingshan. He sincerely answered, "If I'm deceiving you, then let me be split in two by thunder, and not die a good death."

Yingying's left hand slowly turned over and gripped Linghu Chong's hand, which was already holding her hand. She felt that this moment was the most precious moment in her whole life. She felt her whole body becoming hot, and her heart felt as if it were floating on clouds. She wished that this moment would last forever. After a long time, she slowly said, "We're people who live in Wulin, I'm afraid we're destined not to die a good death. If later on you become ungrateful towards me, I won't hope that you'll be split in two by thunder. I... I... I'd rather kill you nicely with a single stab of my sword."

Linghu Chong was startled. He never expected her to suddenly say such words. When he recovered from his shock, he laughed. "My life was saved by you, so it already belongs to you. If you want to take it back, then you can come and take it back anytime."

Yingying smiled and said, "Other people said that you're a cunning and mannerless romantic. As expected, the words coming out of your mouth are suave and sly, and not decent and proper at all. I don't know what kind of fate that made me... made me like a frivolous romantic like you."

Linghu Chong laughed. "When was I being frivolous towards you? You said that I did, so now I want to be frivolous towards you." As he said this, he sat up.

Both of Yingying's feet twitched, and she shot out for a few feet. She lowered her head and said, "I regard you well and we've been adhering to customs and rules. If you think that I'm a lascivious girl, and that you can just take advantage of me as you please, then you're mistaken about me."

[ChronoReverse]

Argh. LHC is being annoying again. Unlike GJ, I cannot always admire LHC.


Interesting how powerful LHC's internal energy is though. It was sufficiently powerful that the rebound broke YBQ's leg. Serves him right.

[MysteriouX]

What I really like is RYY's sort of sly and playful character sometimes. Well I think my opinions are influenced from the 2001 CCTV version.

[atlantean0208]

After all the things that had happen, this sentence make me want to throw up in disgust. LHC is just a stupid and wasted guy

"How about little martial sister? Little martial sister? Could it be that I'll forget little martial sister?"

[Pacifian]

"I shouldn't have done that. If it weren't for Master and Master-Wife bringing me up, maybe I would've died a long time ago. How can there be a today? I repaid their kindness with enmity, I’m worse than an animal."

Am I the only person who feel that this sentence justifies the reason why he shouldn't kill his master and therefore isn't really a super-nice person? Yue Bu Qun brought him up, you can't attack somebody who brought you up, YBQ is like a father for eternity to him. Honestly, he has every reason to hesitate when he has to fight his master, be it in the past, present or future.

I don't find that annoying at all, I mean, YBQ has treated him nicely for so many years which we cannot see as LHC appeared in the story as an adult, so naturally our views are way different from LHC's ones. And I somehow empathise with him for this and doesn't find him a softie.

[eliza bennet]

I agree that LHC's most admirably qualities are his loyalty and his gratitute, he never forgets a kindness!

He is not someone I'd date but I think he would be fun to hang out with and I would be sure that he would not stab me in the back.

As for YBQ, I feel bad because I actually am glad that he broke his leg. He has too much ambition and I think he is already corrupted.

[CC]

I always felt that LHC's behaviour to YBQ was very reasonable. He would have been an ungrateful cur if he had easily turned on YBQ.

In real life, you don't hurt your own father even if he treated you unfairly.

Remember that YBQ and wife treated him like a son for most of his life.

[hhaung]

In real life, you don't hurt your own father even if he treated you unfairly.

Remember that YBQ and wife treated him like a son for most of his life.

I've only seen the serial on Tian Long Ba Bu so I don't know the authenticity of the following but in the serial, we can see that Xiao Feng, instead of doing something horrible to his father who at that point deserved it to a certain extent, just took everything in and asked everyone to blame him only.

LHC would probably do the same if he were in XF's place for a father like 'XF's father' but as YBQ is too far gone, probably not.