DGSD - the martial arts libraries of Lee Chou Sui, Wong Family, Mo Yung Family - how?

[Ken Cheng]

In DGSD, no fewer than three groups possessed libraries of martial arts manuals that encompassed nearly all the techniques of wulin at the time: Lee Chou Sui's library in the cave at Boundless Mountain in Dali, Madame Wong's collection at Camellia Manor in Gusu, and the Mo Yung Family's library (also in Gusu).

I'm guessing that Madame Wong had that collection because she was Lee Chou Sui's daughter and thus, her mother provided her with a copy of all the manuals that she (Lee) had obtained. The Mo Yungs being related by marriage to the Wongs, they probably acquired third generation copies of the manuals from the Wongs before the falling out between the two families. Is this so?

Additionally, how did Lee Chou Sui acquire all those manuals in the first place? Martial arts techniques are closely guarded secrets in wulin. How was Lee Chou Sui able to obtain all those manuals?

Two notable exceptions whose techniques did not end up in the Lee, Wong, or Mo Yung libraries were the Deun Royal Family of Dali (1 Yeung Finger Technique and 6 Mak Divine Swords Technique) and the Beggar's Union (Hong Lung 28 Palms and Dog Beating Stick Technique). How did the Deuns and the Beggar's Union avoid having their techniques stolen? Was it because the Deun princes and the Beggar's Union Chiefs were too formidable for even Lee Chou Sui to overcome (unlikely, it would seem)?

Finally, did the Shaolin Temple have a similar library in which they had manuals not only of Shaolin's own martial arts techniques, but also those of most other sects and schools? If so, how did Shaolin acquire these manuals?

[athlee]

Madame Wong's collection is actually Lee Chou Sui's. She moved all the techniques when she married into the Wong family. Not sure about Mo Yong's collection, but I think it was quite small and could have been stolen/copied from Madame Wong's collection.

[PJ]

I always imagined that Xiaoyao Pai started collecting manuals a long time ago. All Wuyazi, Li Qiushui etc had to do was update it with new arts that come out.

I think someone once posted a fun theory that MRB's mom is Li Qiushui's sister. Although it's pure speculation, it would further deepen the Murongs' ties with Xiaoyao Pai and help explain why the Murongs have the library of manuals just like Xiaoyao Pai.

[Ken Cheng]

I always imagined that Xiaoyao Pai started collecting manuals a long time ago. All Wuyazi, Li Qiushui etc had to do was update it with new arts that come out.

As a practical matter, I think it would be extremely difficult to accumulate the skills of so many different practitioners. One could steal, threaten, bribe, deceive...use many different methods to try to acquire these skills, but to be as successful as the Siu Yiu Sect was in accumulating all those prized skills seems improbable. The Siu Yiu Sect's only major misses were the Deun Royal Family martial arts and the Beggar's Union martial arts (and one wonders what was it about those two entities that caused the Siu Yiu Sect to repeatedly fail to acquire their martial arts).

I think someone once posted a fun theory that MRB's mom is Li Qiushui's sister. Although it's pure speculation, it would further deepen the Murongs' ties with Xiaoyao Pai and help explain why the Murongs have the library of manuals just like Xiaoyao Pai.

It's not an unreasonable idea; I've long suspected there might be a deeper connection between the Siu Yiu Sect and the Mo Yungs.

[zhouyu]

I think a way to get the arts was due to healing. The way that Doctor Sit did it, heal you in exchange for that person's martial arts.

[PJ]

As a practical matter, I think it would be extremely difficult to accumulate the skills of so many different practitioners. One could steal, threaten, bribe, deceive...use many different methods to try to acquire these skills, but to be as successful as the Siu Yiu Sect was in accumulating all those prized skills seems improbable. The Siu Yiu Sect's only major misses were the Deun Royal Family martial arts and the Beggar's Union martial arts (and one wonders what was it about those two entities that caused the Siu Yiu Sect to repeatedly fail to acquire their martial arts).

There are many possibilities. Maybe there was another group before Xiaoyao Pai that had all these manuals, and Xiaoyao Pai simply got their collection somehow. Or, we can imagine that Xiaoyao Pai enslaved alot of capable ppl a la Tianshan Tonglao, then with all their help this seemingly impossible task becomes more doable.