Au Yeung Fung's memory loss: reverse 9 Yum Jen Ging, or blow to head?

[Ken Cheng]

West Poison Au Yeung Fung's memory problems did not become apparent until after he had defeated East Heretic Wong Yerk See and North Beggar Hung 7 Gung at the Second Mt. Hua Sword Tournament. He was a bit manic to be sure, but nothing seemed to indicate that he had truly lost his marbles until after the fight....when he began calling Gwok Jing "his son" (in reference to the slain Au Yeung Hak), calling Wong Yerk See "Prince Deun" (in reference to South Emperor 1 Deng, who wasn't even there), and forgetting his own name.

At what point did Au Yeung Fung actually snap, and what really caused his mental imbalance? Was it really his practice of the reverse 9 Yum Jen Ging (because he had already been doing that for about a year, but was still behaving more or less normally just an hour before the Second Mt. Hua Sword Tournament)? In a short skirmish against Hung 7 Gung not long before the actual tournament, Hung 7 Gung managed to land a blow directly on top of Au Yeung Fung's head while Au Yeung was confused by some nonsense verses that Wong Yung had uttered. Was it the strike by Hung 7 Gung that caused Au Yeung Fung's brain damage, or was it the reverse 9 Yum Jen Ging (or perhaps both factors)?

Finally, what brought Au Yeung Fung's sanity and memory back just before he died in ROCH?

[CDonC]

West Poison Au Yeung Fung's memory problems did not become apparent until after he had defeated East Heretic Wong Yerk See and North Beggar Hung 7 Gung at the Second Mt. Hua Sword Tournament. He was a bit manic to be sure, but nothing seemed to indicate that he had truly lost his marbles until after the fight....when he began calling Gwok Jing "his son" (in reference to the slain Au Yeung Hak), calling Wong Yerk See "Prince Deun" (in reference to South Emperor 1 Deng, who wasn't even there), and forgetting his own name.

At what point did Au Yeung Fung actually snap, and what really caused his mental imbalance? Was it really his practice of the reverse 9 Yum Jen Ging (because he had already been doing that for about a year, but was still behaving more or less normally just an hour before the Second Mt. Hua Sword Tournament)? In a short skirmish against Hung 7 Gung not long before the actual tournament, Hung 7 Gung managed to land a blow directly on top of Au Yeung Fung's head while Au Yeung was confused by some nonsense verses that Wong Yung had uttered. Was it the strike by Hung 7 Gung that caused Au Yeung Fung's brain damage, or was it the reverse 9 Yum Jen Ging (or perhaps both factors)?

Finally, what brought Au Yeung Fung's sanity and memory back just before he died in ROCH?

I think it just sounds better that his madness was brought on by practicing the reverse 9 Yin.

It seems a little anticlimactic to have everyone believe that his insanity was caused by his obsession with being the world's best martial artist only to realize that it was just because he got smacked on the head.

[Ken Cheng]

I think it just sounds better that his madness was brought on by practicing the reverse 9 Yin.

It seems a little anticlimactic to have everyone believe that his insanity was caused by his obsession with being the world's best martial artist only to realize that it was just because he got smacked on the head.

On the other hand, it would have gotten Hung 7 Gung some payback for the severe injury that Au Yeung Fung inflicted upon him. I was always a bit disappointed that Hung 7 Gung never got to defeat Au Yeung Fung fair and square just once to avenge his injury.

[CDonC]

On the other hand, it would have gotten Hung 7 Gung some payback for the severe injury that Au Yeung Fung inflicted upon him. I was always a bit disappointed that Hung 7 Gung never got to defeat Au Yeung Fung fair and square just once to avenge his injury.

That is true. Is it just me, or was H7G thrashed around a whole lot during the story? I mean, after he meets Guo Jing and Huang Rong, he almost dies at the hands of OYF, and then spends almost the rest of LOCH trying to heal the injury, and then comes back in action at the Hua Shan tourney only to nearly get whipped by OYF again.

Well, I guess he was beaten up just the one time, and he'd been out of action for a year at the time of Hua Shan, but we just don't see H7G as the great he is for most of the story.

[ech33]

maniac because of the reverse 9 yin. but what makes him regain his memory, not too sure though.

[Ren Wo Xing]

I assume it was because the reverse 9 yin had completely messed up his brain with nonsense martial arts. By forcing himself to think hard in terms of normal or 'orthodox' martial arts in order to 'break' the Dog Beating Staff, he sort of brought his brain back into alignment?

[Ken Cheng]

That is true. Is it just me, or was H7G thrashed around a whole lot during the story? I mean, after he meets Guo Jing and Huang Rong, he almost dies at the hands of OYF, and then spends almost the rest of LOCH trying to heal the injury, and then comes back in action at the Hua Shan tourney only to nearly get whipped by OYF again.

Well, I guess he was beaten up just the one time, and he'd been out of action for a year at the time of Hua Shan, but we just don't see H7G as the great he is for most of the story.

Agreed. There's no doubt that North Beggar Hung 7 Gung was one of the premier martial artists of his era, and deserving of his title of "Great." Nevertheless, LOCH doesn't really let us see him in his full glory for very long. He's at full strength when he first meets Gwok Jing and Wong Yung, but not long after that was the battle on Au Yeung Fung's yacht and the injury that sidelined him for two years. As you said, although Hung 7 Gung recovered in time to participate in the Second Mt. Hua Sword Tournament, he didn't really put on (for him) an optimum performance. In ROCH nearly twenty years later, his only major battle would be his last one.

Similarly, we never really saw South Emperor 1 Deng in his full glory either; he seldom fought during LOCH or ROCH.

[Xin Zhi Zhu]

Hmmn... Shd the death of Ouyang Ke be considered as a major factor?

[CDonC]

Agreed. There's no doubt that North Beggar Hung 7 Gung was one of the premier martial artists of his era, and deserving of his title of "Great." Nevertheless, LOCH doesn't really let us see him in his full glory for very long. He's at full strength when he first meets Gwok Jing and Wong Yung, but not long after that was battle on Au Yeung Fung's yacht and the injury that sidelined him for two years. As you said, although Hung 7 Gung recovered in time to participate in the Second Mt. Hua Sword Tournament, he didn't really put on (for him) an optimum performance. In ROCH nearly twenty years later, his only major battle would be his last one.

Similarly, we never really saw South Emperor 1 Deng in his full glory either; he seldom fought during LOCH or ROCH.

H7G is one of my favorite LOCH characters, so it's just a shame we don't see more out of him.

[Ken Cheng]

Hmmn... Shd the death of Ouyang Ke be considered as a major factor?

It was definitely a major contributing factor, but not the most direct one. For a long time after Au Yeung Hak had died (a year or more), Au Yeung Fung was still functioning normally.

[CDonC]

Hmmn... Shd the death of Ouyang Ke be considered as a major factor?

I always thought that the death of OYK pissed OYF off more than made him sad. I don't know why, but when I see OYF finding out that his son is dead, I picture him just enraged.

[Ken Cheng]

I always thought that the death of OYK pissed OYF off more than made him sad. I don't know why, but when I see OYF finding out that his son is dead, I picture him just enraged.

At first, of course, but when the rage passes comes the grief. Au Yeung Fung loved his son, and both anger and sorrow would likely result from his son's death.

[kyss of the sword]

i belive it was the mental stress OYF suffered as a result of finding a way to master the reverse 9yin Guo Jing wrote for him. the manual was already going the wrong way, and huang rong futher messed it up with her purposely wrong interpertations. so OYF had to use his own intelligence to turn what he had into a usable skill. he was so focused on it that he suffered some form of fire deviation and lost his memories, but if he did not get obsessed into mastering the skill, he would not have suffered like that. YG also learnt the reverse 9yin but did not suffer any momeory loss.

[Whsie]

yeah, and H7G had his orthodox 9 yin reversed into the reversed 9 Yin and he didn't have any problem. (3rd edition)