Sect members or solo heroes?

[Ken Cheng]

In Jin Yong stories, the tendency was for most of the characters, particularly the main heroes, to be associated with major sects or clans. Hence, Kiu Fung was the Chief of the Beggar's Union. Deun Yu was a Prince of Dali. Hui Juk was a Shaolin monk. Gwok Jing and Yeung Gor had ties to the Cheun Jen Sect and Beggar's Union. Cheung Mo Gei was a member of the Mo Dong Sect and Leader of the Ming Cult. Ling Wu Chung was a member of the Mt. Hua Sect, etc.

In Gu Long stories, heroes are more likely to be solo operatives with no deep ties to major sects. Chor Lau Heung, Lee Chum Foon, Ah Fei, Luk Siu Fung, Sai Mun Chui Sheut, etc., were all solo operatives whose martial arts were not associated with any particular sect or clan.

Do you prefer the Jin Yong-style heroes with deep sect/clan associations, or the freelancers that characterized Gu Long heroes?

[flamer]

I guess I wouldn't mind. But if i was writing, I would write characters attached to Sects.

[kwekmh]

Both are equally as appealing to me. However, in my own works, I'd prefer to keep the heroes as freelancers.

[ChanceEncounter]

You have to BS a lot more to have freelancers reach the pinnacle of martial arts. Let's face it, there probably aren't that many secret manuals lying around for you to master and become one of the best. Sects have the resources to achieve them.

On the other hand, sect characters are harder to write in a way where they become the central protagonist, so I suppose it's a writer tradeoff.

[Ken Cheng]

You have to BS a lot more to have freelancers reach the pinnacle of martial arts. Let's face it, there probably aren't that many secret manuals lying around for you to master and become one of the best. Sects have the resources to achieve them.

With the Gu Long freelancers, the author seemed to solve this problem by having each of his freelance characters be the inventors of their own martial arts...or simply not explaining the origin of their martial arts. Where did Lee Chum Foon learn his peerless dagger skill from? Luk Siu Fung his peerless finger technique? Sai Mun Chui Sheut his supreme sword technique? Gu Long invariably declines to explain. He simply presents the heroes, as is, complete with their wulin-dominating skills, no questions asked.

That's different from Jin Yong, who typically describes how one of his heroes comes to be associated with a particular martial arts school or clan and learns their best martial arts.

[ChanceEncounter]

With the Gu Long freelancers, the author seemed to solve this problem by having each of his freelance characters be the inventors of their own martial arts...or simply not explaining the origin of their martial arts. Where did Lee Chum Foon learn his peerless dagger skill from? Luk Siu Fung his peerless finger technique? Sai Mun Chui Sheut his supreme sword technique? Gu Long invariably declines to explain. He simply presents the heroes, as is, complete with their wulin-dominating skills, no questions asked.

That's different from Jin Yong, who typically describes how one of his heroes comes to be associated with a particular martial arts school or clan and learn their best martial arts.

Which is probably a syndrome of having difficulty in explaining how some freelance guy managed to dominate wulin without the aid of a sect. The fact of the matter is that, unless the story is fairly creative, like with Di Yun or Shi Potian, someone with no affiliation with a Wulin power is unlikely to have access to the resources and opportunities to achieve the power that he needs to dominate the martial world.

[Ken Cheng]

Which is probably a syndrome of having difficulty in explaining how some freelance guy managed to dominate wulin without the aid of a sect. The fact of the matter is that, unless the story is fairly creative, like with Di Yun or Shi Potian, someone with no affiliation with a Wulin power is unlikely to have access to the resources and opportunities to achieve the power that he needs to dominate the martial world.

It works for Gu Long, though. People are curious about how Chor Lau Heung, Lee Chum Foon, Luk Siu Fung, etc., come to possess such great martial arts skills without the benefit of a major sect or prominent teacher, but that missing bit of information never seems to be a stumbling block for people enjoying Gu Long's stories. It's simply accepted that these guys rock on their own, without much support from a major sect or clan.

Also, these guys tend to become dominant masters early. Among the major Gu Long heroes, only Lee Chum Foon debuts at an age over forty. Everybody else is already dominant in their late twenties or early thirties.

[ChanceEncounter]

Because the story doesn't revolve around how they get their martial arts, or even the nature of their martial arts, but rather their following stories after acquiring their dominant martial arts.

However, this does not mean that Gu Long di not have difficulty in explaining how they got to their level without the help of a sect, which is probably one reason why he neglected not to mention/illustrate it.

[Ken Cheng]

With Jin Yong, the heroes' stories are invariably tied up in their origins. Kiu Fung's story was what it was because he was a Khitan raised by Hans, trained by Shaolin monks, and fast-tracked into a leading position with the Beggar's Union. Gwok Jing's story was what it was because his father was murdered, he was trained by various martial artists of his era, and spent his life fighting foreign invaders. Yeung Gor's life was what it was because his father had been a Jin prince (and thus, Sung traitor) and he met Little Dragon Girl. Cheung Mo Gei's life was what it was because his father was a hero of the Mo Dong Sect, his mother was a member of the Heavenly Eagle Sect, and his godfather was one of the four Guardian Lords of the Ming Cult...and had gained possession of the Dragonslayer Sabre, etc.

By comparison, the stories of Gu Long's heroes have almost *nothing* to do with their origins. Everything that happens to Chor Lau Heung has nothing to do with whom his parents were or whom his teachers might have been. Ditto Lee Chum Foon. Ditto Luk Siu Fung. Their adventures are all based on associations they made as adults and accomplished martial artists. We have almost no information on their parentage, their upbringing, or their martial arts training.

[ChanceEncounter]

I'm aware, and I did not disagree with that assessment.

I do feel that they deal more with freelancers as adults because they skirt around the issue of how these 3rd parties in Wulin somehow have access to superior martial arts than any of the sects do.