CC, PJ, this one is for you

[Ren Wo Xing]

So you like Jinyong's 'definitive' statements that are immediately negated, right? Check out this doozy from chapter 13:

旁观众人中倒有一半惊呼出声，适才见他发针射击姚伯当，去势之快，劲道之强，暗器中罕有其匹，显然那钢锥中 空，里面装有强力的机簧，否则决非人力之所能.

Half the people watching let out cries of alarm. Earlier, when he attacked Yao Bodang, his movements were very fast and the power released was very strong. Very few hidden weapon techniques could compare to it. Obviously, there was an extremely powerful release mechanism hidden within the awl, as it was definitely impossible for any human force to create such an effect.

So Jinyong clearly states here that the nails which were shot out, were shot out with such great speed that they had have been shot out via mechanical force, as the speed was beyond what the realm of human capabilities could achieve.

Now, just a short time later, Sima Lin uses the same (probably superior) hidden weapons against Yao Bodang. See what happens:

便在这千钧一发的当儿，突然间一件物事横过胸前，哒哒几声，将射来的几枚毒钉尽数打落。毒钉本已极快，以姚 伯当如此久经大敌，兀自不能避开，可是这件物事更快了数倍，后发先至，格开了毒针。

Just at this critical, lethal moment, something flashed by his chest. With a clattering sound, it knocked aside all of the poisoned nails. The poison nails were shot out extremely quickly, and despite Yao Bodang being focused upon his opponent, he still would have been unable to avoid them. But the object which knocked aside the poison nails was several times faster than the nails. It was sent out later, but arrived earlier, knocking the poisoned nails aside.

Yes, you read it right. The nails were shot out with a speed which was definitely beyond human limits, and yet the person who knocked the nails away, Bao Butong, could throw things several times faster than that. This means that Bao Butong, in this specific field at least, is at a level where he is several times beyond the limits of human capabilities!

This is a pretty legit, by the book interpretation (as opposed to the 'Thunder God' stuff). I think this guy can replace the Sword God!

[CC]

Definitely fun but I was under the impression that WHITE TURBAN Zhu Baokun was superior to Sima Lin.

Now hurry up and get to Apricot Forest in the translation!

[Ren Wo Xing]

Definitely fun but I was under the impression that WHITE TURBAN Zhu Baokun was superior to Sima Lin.

Now hurry up and get to Apricot Forest in the translation!

Zhu Baokun specifically stated (in one of JY's beloved 'thought to himself' moments) that Sima Lin was not at all inferior to himself; in addition, as we discovered later, Sima Lin was taught some secret family martial arts by Sima Wei which could not, by family law, be taught to Zhu Baokun.

PS: Where's my wine?!?!

[PJ]

Great find Ren.

Besides SWORD GOD's legendary entrance, Bao Butong's entrance has to be one of the greatest in Jin Yong universe, appearing almighty and God-like with the way he effortlessly destroyed the crowd of experts.

[Guo Xiang]

So you like Jinyong's 'definitive' statements that are immediately negated, right? Check out this doozy from chapter 13:





So Jinyong clearly states here that the nails which were shot out, were shot out with such great speed that they had have been shot out via mechanical force, as the speed was beyond what the realm of human capabilities could achieve.

Now, just a short time later, Sima Lin uses the same (probably superior) hidden weapons against Yao Bodang. See what happens:





Yes, you read it right. The nails were shot out with a speed which was definitely beyond human limits, and yet the person who knocked the nails away, Bao Butong, could throw things several times faster than that. This means that Bao Butong, in this specific field at least, is at a level where he is several times beyond the limits of human capabilities!

This is a pretty legit, by the book interpretation (as opposed to the 'Thunder God' stuff). I think this guy can replace the Sword God!

The first paragraph is likely to have been written in the audience's (not readers) POV.

So it can be interpreted as, they thought the first guy's speed was so fast that it had to be via machine, that it must be the maximum and no human could exceed that. They had a limited expectation, and someone else (the second guy), broke that limit and belief by doing even better.

So the second guy is perhaps comparable to Usain Bolt, whose achievements in the Olympics stunned people - not because humans could not do it, but because the expectations and beliefs had been lowered right from the start.

[bliss]

...It was sent out later, but arrived earlier, knocking the poisoned nails aside.

Maybe it was achieved through surprising positioning of his projectiles.

[PJ]

Great post by RWX to look back on. I found another fun one that said (paraphrasing) "how can Sun Bu'er withstand this attack, when even WCY and HQG can't?" What do you suppose happens right after that statement? Yep, you guessed it, she withstood the attack! (at least according to the online texts).