We meet Kiu Fung literally on the last good day of his life.

[Ken Cheng]

Do you find it somewhat sad that when we (along with Deun Yu) meet Kiu Fung for the first time in DGSD, it's literally the last good day of his life?

That day (or night), he had a great drinking session with a good new buddy (e.g. Deun Yu). Kiu Fung really enjoyed it. The next day, however, his Khitan heritage was revealed and he was banished from the Beggar's Union, starting a long downward spiral in his life.

It's pretty sad to think that when we first encounter Kiu Fung, it's during the final happy hours of his life.

[Ian Liew]

Happiness is subjective, though. He hadn't met Ah Zhu yet.

[Banh Mi]

He had things easy then. But all his days were good except the day Ah Zhu died. You can't rob him of his dignity except in that last instance.

[Dirt]

Up until we meet him, Qiao Feng had the most ideal life up to 30 years of age of all the protagonists.

Duan Yu: Mom and Dad separated.
Xu Zhu: Orphan
Guo Jing: Dad is dead, living with mom in a foreign land and commits suicide in front of him.
Yang Guo: Dad is dead, Mom dies when he is young too.
Zhang Wuji: Dad and Mom commit suicide in front of him.
LHC: Orphan but has a good life with his master.
SPT: Orphan

We know that Qiao Feng kills innocent people out of anger and his brash personality from the doctor as a kid to Ah Zhu when he was an adult. Maybe its karma.

[Ken Cheng]

Happiness is subjective, though. He hadn't met Ah Zhu yet.

Even during his time with Ah Chu, he needed to contend with the facts that his heritage was a lie, he had been framed for crimes he didn't commit and was hunted and hated by his onetime friends, and that he had a teacher and parents to avenge, and didn't know whom or where his enemy was.

Not really good times, especially not in comparison to what he had enjoyed before.

And it all started falling apart the day after he met Deun Yu (not that it's Deun Yu's fault in any way).

[hoatran]

Even during his time with Ah Chu, he needed to contend with the facts that his heritage was a lie

A good woman can make you forget everything. The day before he went to see Madame Ma, he was ready to drop all the past, all revenges, all angers to go with A Zhu to the outlands areas. So those must be good days for him (personally).

Besides the times he had before things falling apart was just a lie. So would he trade in his 1st 30 years of his life to live it again to see if he can have something better? I'd say yes. But would he trade the few days he had with A Zhu? I'd say he wouldn't. He would trade in the day he killed A Zhu, but not the days prior.

[CC]

Just about everyone's life goes downhill (within the novel time) after they meet Duan Yu.

[tape]

We know that Qiao Feng kills innocent people out of anger and his brash personality from the doctor as a kid to Ah Zhu when he was an adult. Maybe its karma.

I think that's a bit of an exaggeration. The incident with the doctor showed he was more inclined to be savage than the average person perhaps, (or just that he had more guts!) but I wouldn't say he kills innocent people out of anger. Are there any instances when he does this? Considering the amount of destructive power he wields, he hasn't killed THAT many people relatively. Even in Juxian Manor where there were hundreds of people there insulting him and planning to kill him, he more or less held back until he was forced to kill to defend himself.

I don't think he has rashly killed a character wrongly. The incident with Ah Zhu was just the world playing a cruel trick on him; the way the events transpired he can't really be blamed.

[Dirt]

The doctor may have been an ***, but he didn't deserve to be killed.

[tape]

The doctor may have been an ***, but he didn't deserve to be killed.

Maybe, maybe not. I'm inclined to think that most people in Xiao Feng's shoes would want to kill him, but just wouldn't have the guts to do it.

Even in our modern times if a doctor were to let someone die because they didn't have money, the public would be pretty evenly split on whether he "deserves" to die. He surely wouldn't be put to death, but it's not a stretch to say many, many people would think he deserved to die. Xiao Feng's incident took place during a much more savage and ruthless time.

[Candide]

Just about everyone's life goes downhill (within the novel time) after they meet Duan Yu.

Good observation!

I seriously can't think of anyone in DGSD whose life didn't turn to shit after meeting Prince Wuss.

[SkyWalker]

Good observation!

I seriously can't think of anyone in DGSD whose life didn't turn to shit after meeting Prince Wuss.

Didn't Xu Zhu's life took a great turn after meeting DY?

[Banh Mi]

Not quite.
He went through alot of suffering soon after. His seniors were killed by a vile poison, and he was blamed for it. All his Buddhist martial arts were erased at the whim of some old jerk. He suffered for a month under the tyranny of a hag with the maturity of a spoiled brat. Broke all his Buddhist vows and subsequently was punished with beatings that he refused to protect himself from, finally being expelled from the only life and home he knew. And to add insult to injury, he learns who his parents were, only to have them die in front of his eyes minutes later, all the while defiling his fathers good reputation.

All for what? All the worldly attachements that he spent his whole life meditating to free and purge himself from, a nymphomaniac who thinks shes in love cause she got her freak on.
How many times do we see him under distress as opposed to happy.

I reckon the only person to have life look up for them after meeting Duan Yu is his biological father Duan Yanqing.
For one, his life didn't get any worse than from when he met Duan Yu for the first time. Hell, the conception of Duan Yu was a byproduct of his ray of hope during his darkest hour. After meeting Duan Yu, nothing seems to change much for him, he doesn't seem to get any worse off. Hell, he even gets to gloat a bit by making the Dali emperors sweat. And finally, he becomes content with his fate when he discovers that he has a son, that is Duan Yu himself. Also a big slap on the face to Duan Zhenchun.

[CFT]

Just about everyone's life goes downhill (within the novel time) after they meet Duan Yu.

There is a school of thought in Chinese astrology that some people can't "bear" the good fortune. So despite having wealth or power, some kind of misfortune befalls them or their loved ones.

If that's the case then Qiao Feng is doubly cursed since he swears brotherhood with a Crown Prince and an Emperor.

[PJ]

there was an old thread in which it was confirmed that everyone whom Duan Yu kowtowed to suffered great misfortune afterward.

I seriously can't think of anyone in DGSD whose life didn't turn to shit after meeting Prince Wuss.

Depends on the type of acquaintance. I think Duan Yanqing and Jiumozhi, who were adversaries of Duan Yu, did ok after meeting him. Also, nothing bad that we know happened to Ma Wude (from 1st chapter, never heard from again?). Ah Bi did just fine too.

[athlee]

Chong Ling had a good life too, other than the minor hiccup of her real parents dying, she was never really sad and she ended up married to DY, the Dali King