For PJ (or anyone else): a SWORD GOD Zhuo Bufan question.

[Ken Cheng]

SWORD GOD Zhuo Bufan (closer to Cheuk But Fan in my native Cantonese) took part in the joint assault on Garuda Palace on Misty Mount along with Mo Yung F'uk, Ding Chun Chou's Sing Suk Sect, and the 72 Islands and 36 Caves masters. What was Zhuo's motive for joining this assault? Was he too a victim of the Child Elder's Life/Death Talisman who needed the cure, or did he have a different motive?

[PJ]

He wanted to find the cure to Sheng Si Fu to control the island and cave organizations.

[Ken Cheng]

He wanted to find the cure to Sheng Si Fu to control the island and cave organizations.

You mean he wanted authority over them by making them obliged to him (pretty much what Mo Yung F'uk wanted)? I didn't know he was that ambitious.

[PJ]

You mean he wanted authority over them by making them obliged to him

Yep.

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[PJ]

Here's some background information on Zhuo Bufan.

30 years ago, he was a young man living in Jianyang city, Fujian Province. He belonged to a clan called the 一字慧剑门 - Solitary Wisdom Sword Clan (?). Overnight, the entire clan was wiped out by Tianshan Tonglao for reasons not mentioned in the novel. Zhuo Bufan happened to be away at the time, thus avoiding the doom. He escaped to a mountain, where he found a swordplay manual left by an expert. He spent the next 30 years perfecting his swordplay before coming out of seclusion and defeating several reputable martial artists in a roll. Nevertheless, by the time he appeared, he had not yet made a name for himself, as MRF had never heard of his name. Zhuo's official reason for opposing Tianshan Tonglao was to avenge his clan (although he didn't make this information public until the last minute), but his real motive was to find a way to heal Shensi Fu sufferers so as to control them.

On this topic, I'll remind everyone that Zhuo Bufan is the person in DGSD 1982 (as he also did in the novel) who made a small but long cut on Duan Yu in front of WYY, which convinced DY that he was not gonna make it and made a big fuss and got WYY all teared-up, only to be told by Xuzhu that he is fine.

[Ken Cheng]

Here's some background information on Zhuo Bufan.

30 years ago, he was a young man living in Jianyang city, Fujian Province. He belonged to a clan called the 一字慧剑门 - Solitary Wisdom Sword Clan (?). Overnight, the entire clan was wiped out by Tianshan Tonglao for reasons not mentioned in the novel. Zhuo Bufan happened to be away at the time, thus avoiding the doom. He escaped to a mountain, where he found a swordplay manual left by an expert. He spent the next 30 years perfecting his swordplay before coming out of seclusion and defeating several reputable martial artists in a roll. Nevertheless, by the time he appeared, he had not yet made a name for himself, as MRF had never heard of his name. Zhuo's official reason for opposing Tianshan Tonglao was to avenge his clan (although he didn't make this information public until the last minute), but his real motive was to find a way to heal Shensi Fu sufferers so as to control them.

On this topic, I'll remind everyone that Zhuo Bufan is the person in DGSD 1982 (as he also did in the novel) who made a small but long cut on Duan Yu in front of WYY, which convinced DY that he was not gonna make it and made a big fuss and got WYY all teared-up, only to be told by Xuzhu that he is fine.

The DGSD '81 depiction made him seem younger than I expected. I was thinking he was probably an older gent with a full, flowing beard (not some hippie-like dude).

So in addition to wanting authority over the 72 Islands 36 Caves (finally got it right) guys, Zhuo Bufan *also* had some vengeance to resolve with the Child Elder.

[PJ]

I was thinking he was probably an older gent with a full, flowing beard (not some hippie-like dude).

Yes, that's closer to the novel description.

So in addition to wanting authority over the 72 Islands 36 Caves (finally got it right) guys, Zhuo Bufan *also* had some vengeance to resolve with the Child Elder.

The vengeance thing was just an excuse. He was really just after the control.