Walking on snow without leaving footprint

[PJ]

I've just read about some Gu Long feats of "walking on snow without footprints." Has anyone in Jin Yong universe demonstrated this?

[duguxiaojing]

QQR in ROCH.

LMC and WYX were able to run on sand with out leaving tracks iirc.

[PJ]

QQR in ROCH.

Can you paste/describe the relevant text? Thx.

LMC and WYX were able to run on sand with out leaving tracks iirc.

Wei Yixiao? I don't remember him not leaving tracks. I only remember him not generating sand dust in the air as he ran, but that is not synonymous with hidden tracks. Furthermore, it was commented that when he carried Yin Li, he had no choice but to leave tracks in the dessert:

好在韦一笑轻功虽佳，手上抱了一个人后，总不能踏沙无痕，沙漠之中还是留下了一条足迹。

[jhudsui]

chapter 30

Elder Peng had known earlier that Qiu Qianren’s martial skills were weighty but he didn’t recognize Reverend Yideng. Seeing the snow-white eyebrows, he mistook Reverend Yideng for a weak monk on the verge of death and paid him no attention. He only thought to use his ‘Soul Absorbing’ skill to control Qiu Qianren and achieve his goal. Who would have thought that as soon as Reverend Yideng looked at him, he felt as if his heart was crushed by a thousand-catty weight, he was not able to use his magical skill. By this time he’d almost wet his pants. He wanted to flee but this Qiu Qianren was also nicknamed “Iron Palms Floating on Water.” His lightness skills were strange; he didn’t even leave footprints on the snow. It looked like he wouldn’t be able to escape so he only hoped that Qiu Qianren would listen to the words of the white-eyebrowed monk, who was persuading Qiu Qianren not to harm him. He shrank himself in the corner of the room, frightened. And as Ci’en’s pants grew heavier, his heart also thumped wildly.

qqr doesn't get enough credit if you ask me

[PJ]

chapter 30

qqr doesn't get enough credit if you ask me

I believe the translation has an error. Where it translates:

this Qiu Qianren was also nicknamed “Iron Palms Floating on Water.” His lightness skills were strange; he didn’t even leave footprints on the snow.

In the Chinese text, it says:

这裘千仞号称「铁掌水上飘」，轻功异常了得，雪地中足迹清楚，那是决计逃不了的

Which I interpret as:

this Qiu Qianren was also nicknamed “Iron Palms Floating on Water.” His lightness skills were very good; if I (Elder Peng) were to escape, my footprints would be visible to him, and I would definitely not be able to successfully escape.

As far as I know, in the original text, NOWHERE does it say that Qiu Qianren did not leave footprint in snow.

If someone believes my interpretation of the Chinese text is incorrect, please do let me know.

[ChronoReverse]

The text you posted does seem to say that. I wonder if we could compare it with the source for the wuxiapedia translation. Where did you get yours?

[CC]

Not leaving footprints in snow is quite a feat considering how little pressure is needed to leave marks on snow. Its about as crazy as walking on water.

[JamesG]

If people can stand on the tops of trees, their weakest point, and not break them, then the trackless snow walk isn't a big stretch.

[S Beaver]

but tree branches offer at least some flexibility. In (soft) snow, even the smallest pressure will cause compaction & imprinting

[PJ]

Not leaving footprints in snow is quite a feat considering how little pressure is needed to leave marks on snow. Its about as crazy as walking on water.

Which, I found out recently, people in Gu Long universe can do

[duguxiaojing]

Re: PJ

Yep. I got that quote from the translation so I could have been wrong.

Errmm..have to check the WYX one but it should be from the same scene IIRC?

[CC]

If people can stand on the tops of trees, their weakest point, and not break them, then the trackless snow walk isn't a big stretch.

Trees are relatively tougher then snow and water! A rather large bird like a crow could easily rest on a tree but it isn't going to stand on water or snow without leaving marks.

In fact, I am not sure of the surface tension and exact physics but not leaving a print on powder snow might be even tougher then walking on water.

e.g. Some lizards can run on water but I doubt if it can run on powder snow without leaving a mark.

[PJ]

The text you posted does seem to say that. I wonder if we could compare it with the source for the wuxiapedia translation. Where did you get yours?

I've since then consulted multiple sources, including the PDF collection of Jin Yong novels (which is usually much more reliable than other online sources), and they all have the same Chinese text as I pasted above.

[TigerWong]

Which, I found out recently, people in Gu Long universe can do

Ah, yes... treading on snow w.o. leaving prints, a fairly common feat among GL's good fighters (Ding Pang, Shen Lang, etc.). I especially like how Shen Lang can leave no footprints on snow even while fighting another expert, and carrying someone at the same time.

[PJ]

Ah, yes... treading on snow w.o. leaving prints, a fairly common feat among GL's good fighters (Ding Pang, Shen Lang, etc.). I especially like how Shen Lang can leave no footprints on snow even while fighting another expert, and carrying someone at the same time.

That's pretty crazy. I also like how Gu Long said in Jiandu Meixiang that when one has reached high competency in lightness kung fu, when he's in mid air, even a tiny mosquito can be used to bounce him back up. And of course, I enjoyed reading about Wuhensheng's feat of Dashing In the Sea For Several Miles Without Getting His Shoes Wet At All

[TigerWong]

That's pretty crazy. I also like how Gu Long said in Jiandu Meixiang that when one has reached high competency in lightness kung fu, when he's in mid air, even a tiny mosquito can be used to bounce him back up. And of course, I enjoyed reading about Wuhensheng's feat of Dashing In the Sea For Several Miles Without Getting His Shoes Wet At All

If you want to get even more crazy, there are people who can "double-bounce" in mid-air w.o. apparently stepping on anything, and people who can walk out of a lake w. their clothes completely dry.

There are plenty of frightening, unearthly feats in GL's stories.

[Ken Cheng]

There are plenty of frightening, unearthly feats in GL's stories.

But one interesting phenomenon is that the more outlandish feats in the Gu Long canon tend to happen in the relatively less popular stories.

In the MOST popular Gu Long stories, such as the LITTLE LEE'S FLYING DAGGER stories, the LUK SIU FUNG stories, and the CHOR LAU HEUNG stories, the feats seem more restrained.

[TigerWong]

But one interesting phenomenon is that the more outlandish feats in the Gu Long canon tend to happen in the relatively less popular stories.

In the MOST popular Gu Long stories, such as the LITTLE LEE'S FLYING DAGGER stories, the LUK SIU FUNG stories, and the CHOR LAU HEUNG stories, the feats seem more restrained.

Well, if you want to call having objects levitate across the room, real-time wound regeneration, breathing underwater, finger wind that cuts like a knife, etc. more "restrained".

With his mid-to-late period works, GL doesn't spend a lot of time explicitly describing feats in the traditional way, and his writing style changed to place more emphasis on other things, but it doesn't mean they aren't there. You may need to look a bit harder for the single-line description, or imagine a bit more about what is implied from the impressions he supplies... but walking on snow w.o. footprints, writing on metal w. one's fingers, force-fields that repel, walking through a stone wall like it's made of paper, all these feats can be found even after he switched to his more popular style of writing.

[HuangYushi]

I believe the translation has an error. Where it translates:

this Qiu Qianren was also nicknamed “Iron Palms Floating on Water.” His lightness skills were strange; he didn’t even leave footprints on the snow.

In the Chinese text, it says:
这裘千仞号称「铁掌水上飘」，轻功异常了得，雪地中足迹清楚，那是决计逃不了的

Which I interpret as:

this Qiu Qianren was also nicknamed “Iron Palms Floating on Water.” His lightness skills were very good; if I (Elder Peng) were to escape, my footprints would be visible to him, and I would definitely not be able to successfully escape.

As far as I know, in the original text, NOWHERE does it say that Qiu Qianren did not leave footprint in snow.

If someone believes my interpretation of the Chinese text is incorrect, please do let me know.

PJ's translation is correct.

To get the line of Chinese text (posted by PJ above) in the correct context, here is the paragraph in which that line appears:

彭长老早知裘千仞武功卓绝，却不认得一灯大师，但见他白眉如雪，是个行将就木的衰僧，浑不放在意下，本想只消以“ 摄魂大法”制住裘千仞，便可以为所欲为，那知一灯的目光射来，自己心头便如有千斤重压，再也施展不出法术， 这一来登时心惊胆战，倘若发足逃走，这裘千仞号称“铁掌水上飘”，轻功异常了得，雪地中足迹清楚，那是决计逃不了的，只盼他肯听白眉老和尚劝人为善的话，不来跟自己为难。

The paragraph is basically one really long sentence, featuring the thoughts of Elder Peng (marked in bold above). Therefore, where it says 雪地中足迹清楚，那是决计逃不了的, it is in reference to Elder Peng himself, as PJ has correctly translated.

The text you posted does seem to say that. I wonder if we could compare it with the source for the wuxiapedia translation. Where did you get yours?

The text quoted by jhudsui is indeed the same as the wuxiapedia translation. However, the translation is posted as-is for readers, pending a final review by staff, as stated on the main page for ROCH.

HYS

[PJ]

OK so it seems, no one in Jin Yong universe has demonstrated the ability to walk on snow without leaving footprint.

And yet, even 4th/5th tier fighters in Gu Long universe can do so easily.