Guhongzi

Guhongzi (simplified: 孤鸿子, traditional: 孤鴻子, pinyin: Gūhóngzǐ, jyutping: gu1 hung4 zi2), also known as Guhongzunzhe (孤鸿尊者) in the serialised version, was a senior male disciple of the Emei Order during the third generation, serving as the senior brother of Miejue, who would later become the Order’s third leader. He was Miejue’s former fiancé, and his defeat and death at the hands of Yang Xiao, the Bright Left Messenger of the Ming Order, became one of the foundational events that shaped Miejue’s lifelong hatred of the Ming Order.

Biography

Early life and relationship with Miejue

Guhongzi was a disciple of Fengleng Shitai (风陵师太), the second leader of the Emei Order. He was a senior brother to Miejue (Fang Yanqing), and the two grew up together as fellow disciples. In the serialised version of the novel, their relationship was explicitly romantic, with the two having developed deep feelings for each other and having been engaged to be married. However, in later revisions, this romantic element was toned down, though their close relationship remained significant.

After Fengleng Shitai’s death, when Miejue succeeded to the leadership of the Emei Order, Guhongzi and Miejue worked together to support the Order. Their relationship, whether romantic or simply that of close siblings, was one of mutual trust and support during this crucial transition period.

The duel with Yang Xiao

When Miejue had recently succeeded to the leadership of the Emei Order, Guhongzi encountered Yang Xiao, a young martial artist from the Ming Order. The two developed a conflict, and Guhongzi challenged Yang Xiao to a duel. The terms of the duel specified that it would be one-on-one, with no third-party assistance allowed.

Knowing that Yang Xiao was a formidable opponent despite his youth, Guhongzi borrowed the Heavenly Sword (倚天剑) from Miejue to ensure he had the best chance of victory. The Heavenly Sword was one of the most legendary weapons in the jianghu, and Guhongzi believed that with it, he would be able to defeat his opponent.

However, Yang Xiao’s martial arts skills proved to be far superior to what Guhongzi had anticipated. During the duel, Guhongzi did not even have the opportunity to draw the Heavenly Sword before Yang Xiao defeated him. Yang Xiao seized the sword from Guhongzi, but instead of keeping it as a prize, he disdainfully discarded it on the ground, declaring: “The Heavenly Sword has a great reputation! But in my eyes, it is nothing more than useless scrap metal!” (倚天剑好大的名气！在我眼中，却如废铜废铁一般！)

This act of contempt was a profound humiliation for Guhongzi, who had been confident in his victory and had placed great trust in the legendary weapon’s power. Yang Xiao then departed, leaving Guhongzi with the discarded sword and his wounded pride.

Death from shame and anger

After the duel, Guhongzi retrieved the Heavenly Sword and began his journey back to Mount Emei to return it to Miejue. However, the humiliation he had suffered at Yang Xiao’s hands weighed heavily on him. He was a proud martial artist who had been confident in his abilities, and to be defeated so decisively and then treated with such contempt was devastating to his sense of self-worth.

Three days into his journey back to Mount Emei, Guhongzi fell ill. The combination of his injuries from the duel, the psychological trauma of his humiliation, and the stress of his failure led to a rapid decline in his health. He died from his illness, never returning to Mount Emei.

During his illness and death, the Heavenly Sword was taken by local government officials, who then presented it to the imperial court. Thus, the legendary weapon that had been entrusted to Guhongzi was lost to the Emei Order, adding to the tragedy of the incident.

Legacy and impact

Guhongzi’s death had profound consequences for the Emei Order and for Miejue personally. The loss of her senior brother and former fiancé, combined with the loss of the Heavenly Sword, created in Miejue an obsessive hatred for the Ming Order and particularly for Yang Xiao.

Miejue came to view Yang Xiao as one of her greatest enemies, and her hatred for him extended to the entire Ming Order. This hatred would shape her actions for the rest of her life, leading her to participate in attacks against the Ming Order and to teach her disciples to view the Ming Order as the embodiment of evil.

The incident also demonstrated the power dynamics within the jianghu and the devastating psychological impact that humiliation could have on martial artists. Guhongzi, a skilled and respected master, was destroyed not just by physical defeat but by the psychological trauma of being treated with contempt by his opponent.

Personality & traits

Pride and honour

Guhongzi was described as being “high-minded and proud” (心高气傲), characteristics that made him an accomplished martial artist but also contributed to his downfall. His pride made him confident in his abilities and willing to challenge strong opponents, but it also made him particularly vulnerable to the psychological impact of defeat and humiliation.

His commitment to honour and integrity was demonstrated by his insistence that the duel with Yang Xiao should be one-on-one, without any third-party assistance. Even when Miejue wanted to accompany him to provide support, Guhongzi refused, honouring his agreement with Yang Xiao.

Trust and loyalty

Guhongzi’s relationship with Miejue demonstrated trust and loyalty. He was willing to borrow the Heavenly Sword, one of the Order’s most precious treasures, and he intended to return it faithfully. His death while attempting to return the sword showed his commitment to fulfilling his responsibilities.

His loyalty to the Emei Order and its traditions was evident in his role as a senior disciple who supported the Order’s leadership during the transition period after Fengleng Shitai’s death.

Martial arts abilities

Emei Order techniques

As a senior disciple of the Emei Order during the third generation, Guhongzi would have mastered the Order’s core martial arts techniques, including Emei Swordplay and Emei Nine Yang Power. His status as a senior disciple suggests that his martial arts abilities were considerable, making his defeat at Yang Xiao’s hands all the more significant.

However, despite his skills, Guhongzi was clearly outmatched by Yang Xiao, who was already emerging as one of the most talented martial artists of his generation. The fact that Guhongzi could not even draw his sword before being defeated demonstrated the vast gap in their abilities.

Reliance on the Heavenly Sword

Guhongzi’s decision to borrow the Heavenly Sword for the duel suggests that he recognised Yang Xiao’s formidable abilities and believed that the legendary weapon would give him the advantage he needed. However, this reliance on external power rather than his own abilities may have been a weakness, as it left him psychologically vulnerable when the weapon failed to secure his victory.

Relationships

With Miejue

Guhongzi’s relationship with Miejue was central to his story and to the development of her character. In the serialised version of the novel, they were explicitly engaged to be married, and their relationship was described as being deep and affectionate. In later revisions, their relationship was more ambiguous, but their close bond as fellow disciples and senior members of the Order remained significant.

Guhongzi’s death devastated Miejue and became one of the primary motivations for her lifelong campaign against the Ming Order. Her grief and anger over his death would shape her actions and decisions for decades to come.

With Yang Xiao

Guhongzi’s relationship with Yang Xiao was purely adversarial. Their conflict led to the duel that resulted in Guhongzi’s humiliation and death. Yang Xiao’s contemptuous treatment of Guhongzi and the Heavenly Sword demonstrated his arrogance and his confidence in his own abilities, but it also showed a lack of respect for his opponents and for the traditions of the jianghu.

Behind the scenes

Character significance

Guhongzi serves as a crucial background character whose death sets in motion many of the central conflicts in the novel. His defeat and death at Yang Xiao’s hands not only establishes Yang Xiao’s formidable abilities but also explains Miejue’s obsessive hatred for the Ming Order.

The incident also serves as a parallel to later events in the novel, particularly Miejue’s loss of the Heavenly Sword to Zhang Wuji at Bright Peak. The loss of the sword in both cases symbolises the Order’s vulnerability and the challenges it faces from powerful opponents.

Revision history

In the serialised version of the novel, Guhongzi was known as “Guhongzunzhe” (孤鸿尊者) and his romantic relationship with Miejue was more explicitly described. Jin Yong revised this in later editions, removing some of the explicit romantic elements while maintaining the significance of their relationship. This revision has led to some confusion among readers about the nature of Guhongzi and Miejue’s relationship, but their close bond and the impact of Guhongzi’s death on Miejue remain clear.

Gender and the Emei Order

Guhongzi’s character highlights an important aspect of the Emei Order’s history: while the Order became predominantly female under Miejue’s leadership, it did have male disciples. However, as the novel notes, Miejue did not favour male disciples, and male members of the Order could not learn the Order’s highest-level martial arts and held lower status than female disciples.

Guhongzi’s status as a senior male disciple during the third generation suggests that this policy may have developed or been strengthened during Miejue’s leadership, possibly in part as a reaction to his death and her grief.