Is Guo Xiang selfish for deserting Zhang Junbao?

[PJ]

When Jueyuan died in front of Zhang Junbao and Guo Xiang, little Junbao was totally homeless without anyone/anywhere to turn to. Guo Xiang suggested that he go to Xiangyang to seek shelter from her parents (and gave him a personal item as proof of friendship). And then she just took off... yep. And they never met again, ever.

Am I the only one who thinks she could/should have done more to help him? I mean, I get that she's obsessed with finding Yang Guo and doesn't want a long term travel company, but I find her abrupt desertion at his worst time to be rather un-xia-like. Not to mention they seem to get along pretty well. She could/should have taken him along. Or take him to her parents. Or find him some place. Something other than straight up abandoning. It just doesn't feel right.

Maybe I'm missing something?

[p a n d a]

She was afraid ZJB would scold her for wanting to be a third wheel.

[PJ]

What's the point of seeking Yang Guo anyway? Even if she finds him, he can't hear her.

Zhang Junbao is one of the few people who had no trouble hearing her. Maybe she should have kept him around.

[p a n d a]

What's the point of seeking Yang Guo anyway?

YG was her idol, and she wanted to eat, sleep and grow old together with him. Plus, the three of them, YG, XLN and baby GX already slept together on YG and XLN's wedding night. So in her mind, the three of them already belonged to each other.

[Ken Cheng]

I don't feel that Gwok Seung was under any obligation to drag Cheung Gwun Bo's butt around, any more than Yeung Gor was obligated to drag hers around. It might have been fun for us, as an audience, for Gwok Seung and Cheung Gwun Bo to wander wulin together as a kind of wuxia Batgirl and Robin deal.

[PJ]

I don't feel that Gwok Seung was under any obligation to drag Cheung Gwun Bo's butt around, any more than Yeung Gor was obligated to drag hers around.

First, agree there's no obligation. But in Z3F's case, he was truly homeless and alone in the world, and GX just leaves. YG also just leaves, but GX had a loving family to care for her. I'm positive YG would have offered to take her along if she were in Z3F's dire situation, though of course they also had more ties.

[p a n d a]

he was truly homeless and alone in the world, and GX just leaves.

That's because GX thought she didn't have anything left to offer to ZJB since she had already offered her mind, body, and speech to YG. Every second of her thought was just to be single mindedly remembering YG. The more she thought of YG the closer she was to him. Really, she only had YG and nothing else.

So the person with no possession was GX not ZJB.

[Trien Chieu]

I wonder if ZJB offered to help her finding YG, would she accept it? Too bad ZJB wasn't smart like Duan Yu. Since he has nothing to do, if he follow her for years after years, she might fall in love with him and move on.

[Athena]

In Guo Xiang's defense, the distance between Mount Song (Shaolin) and Xiangyang is not that far. In fact, apparently, travelling to Mount Song, Luoyang, Mount Wudang and Xiangyang is quite doable; obviously now it is relatively easier with modern infrastructure.

However, Jin Yong did comment in HSDS that travelling back and forth from Mount Wudang to Mount Song is not that far, and also he wrote that Xiangyang and Mount Wudang is very close (chapters two and 10).

Furthermore, she did more or less tell Zhang Junbao that he could stay at the Guo residence. She even gave clear instructions how to reach the Guos after he arrived at Xiangyang. She even said that there was a chance that Guo Jing might accept Zhang Junbao as a pupil and they would protect Zhang from the Shaolin monks.

[metsrus]

It's a good thing he didn't go and stay at Xiangyang like she suggested, or else he would probably be killed along the Guo family during the Mongol invasion. I never felt they had the connection that would lead them to traveling companions anyway. Just two young people who happen to meet but had different destinies. I believe Zang Junbao was already 15 when they met, so it's not like he was a little boy that needed to be taken and shown around. Even before joining Shaolin, Zang Junbao was a young orphan boy who was out in the world on his own.

[p a n d a]

I wonder if ZJB offered to help her finding YG, would she accept it?

Probably not. I don't think GX wanted to jeopardize her life to someone with no money and not much a future.

Too bad ZJB wasn't smart like Duan Yu. Since he has nothing to do, if he follow her for years after years, she might fall in love with him and move on.

I think it's more of a low-self-esteem problem than smartness because he knew better to recognize GX was a good pick for love. Hard to have the confidence to do anything when the monks brainwashed each other everyday that each one of them was born to lose: the more they lose the more attachments they can let go.

[Trien Chieu]

Probably not. I don't think GX wanted to jeopardize her life to someone with no money and not much a future.

Money is not that big of a deal back in the old days. ZJB was quite good in martial art with great potential. If he asked her to join the journey, I doubt she would reject him out right. To bad he didn't learn anything from Duan Yu .

I think it's more of a low-self-esteem problem than smartness because he knew better to recognize GX was a good pick for love. Hard to have the confidence to do anything when the monks brainwashed each other everyday that each one of them was born to lose: the more they lose the more attachments they can let go.

To bad for him I guess. Again, he is no Duan Yu. I guess he never heard of Duan Yu. He is a loser comparing to Duan Yu.

[Trien Chieu]

It's a good thing he didn't go and stay at Xiangyang like she suggested, or else he would probably be killed along the Guo family during the Mongol invasion. I never felt they had the connection that would lead them to traveling companions anyway. Just two young people who happen to meet but had different destinies. I believe Zang Junbao was already 15 when they met, so it's not like he was a little boy that needed to be taken and shown around. Even before joining Shaolin, Zang Junbao was a young orphan boy who was out in the world on his own.

If he went to XiangYang, GJ will realize how talent ZJB is and may accept him as a student, teach him all the great martial arts. With all the great martial arts, he might be able to make a difference. With his help, GJ might be able to defeat the Mongol invasion. The good news is GWM is long gone.

[p a n d a]

Money is not that big of a deal back in the old days. ZJB was quite good in martial art with great potential. If he asked her to join the journey, I doubt she would reject him out right. To bad he didn't learn anything from Duan Yu .

GX renounced her family to take care of YG, so she could reject ZJB outright. Plus, there were thousands of homeless people waiting for her to take care at home. If ZJB want to play the I am homeless and you should take care of me game with GX, I think she would tell him to wait in line.