Sai Mun Chui Sheut and Yip Goo Sing: meanings behind the similarities.

[Ken Cheng]

When Yip Goo Sing first appeared in the LUK SIU FUNG saga, the first thing that both Luk Siu Fung and readers probably noticed was how similar Yip Goo Sing was to Sai Mun Chui Sheut. It was already known that Yip Goo Sing's swordsmanship rivaled or maybe even slightly bettered Sai Mun Chui Sheut's, but it was a surprise to learn that Yip Goo Sing also dressed (all-white) and behaved very similarly to Sai Mun Chui Sheut. Luk Siu Fung even wondered to himself if only this kind of person could attain the highest pinnacles of swordsmanship.

As the story of THE DUEL unfurled itself, we gradually came to see the differences. Sai Mun Chui Sheut, by the time of THE DUEL, had reclaimed some portion of his humanity. He was capable of love (his wife and unborn son), compassion (he spared Aunt 13, who had betrayed and murdered her husband Lee Yim Bak; this was the kind of villain whom Sai Mun Chui Sheut would have killed in cold blood in the first LUK SIU FUNG story arc), and friendship (with Luk Siu Fung). Yip Goo Sing seemed to represent Sai Mun Chui Sheut's "dark side" - what Sai Mun Chui Sheut could have turned into without the leavening influence of family and friends.

[SkyWalker]

In order to attain the highest level of swordmanship, that person needs to be emotionless. He can't be emotionally attach to anything other than his sword I think. Please correct me if I'm wrong. That's the reason why SMCS eventually left his wife & son....b/c of his love for them, he wasn't able to master his sword skills.

YGS - I don't think he was completely emotionless at the time of the duel. I remember reading the part where he was poisoned and was about to die and he regrets that he doesn't have a single friend who cares about him...he feels lonely. If he were at the peak of his swordmanship, there should be only sword in his heart and mind and nothing else, yet here we see him longing for companionship. I think by the end of the LSF series, SMCS was able to attain this emotionless stage and has nothing but sword in his heart and mind and became the master of the sword.

[mawguy]

Yip Goo Sing seemed to represent Sai Mun Chui Sheut's "dark side" - what Sai Mun Chui Sheut could have turned into without the leavening influence of family and friends.

so, the defeat of yip goo sing/ye yucheng by sai mun chui shuet/ximen chuixue is a metaphor of good conquering evil? well, that's certainly one way to look at it. and as an extension of this analogy, you should mention that sai mun chui shuet/ximen chuixue had great integrity -- he even admonished yip goo sing/ye gucheng for betraying his sword and the reason for practising swordsmanship.

[Ken Cheng]

so, the defeat of yip goo sing/ye yucheng by sai mun chui shuet/ximen chuixue is a metaphor of good conquering evil? well, that's certainly one way to look at it.

Or, more precisely, a metaphor for humanity conquering inhumanity. Sai Mun Chui Sheut, at that point, had not lost touch with his humanity; indeed, during THE DUEL, he seemed to have embraced it. Yip Goo Sing, however, was in danger of losing touch with his.

and as an extension of this analogy, you should mention that sai mun chui shuet/ximen chuixue had great integrity -- he even admonished yip goo sing/ye gucheng for betraying his sword and the reason for practising swordsmanship.

The two swordsmen admonished each other. Yip Goo Sing also called Sai Mun Chui Sheut out for encumbering himself with human concerns rather than dedicating himself entirely to the sword (although Yip Goo Sing was being a bit of a hypocrite here in light of his bid for political power). The literal translation of the third LUK SIU FUNG story is BEFORE AND AFTER THE DUEL, and indeed, the struggle of wills between Sai Mun Chui Sheut and Yip Goo Sing started long before either of them drew a sword on the other. There was a mind battle, a verbal battle, and finally a sword battle.