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Lao Denuo

Lao Denuo

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Lao Denuo (simplified: 劳德诺, traditional: 勞德諾, pinyin: Láo Dénuó, jyutping: lou4 dak1 nok6), also known as Sa Laotou (萨老头), was ostensibly Yue Buqun’s second disciple in the Huashan School, but in reality, he was a spy sent by Zuo Lengchan from the Songshan School. He was Zuo Lengchan’s third disciple, sent to infiltrate the Huashan School to monitor Yue Buqun’s activities.

Biography

Infiltration of Huashan School

Lao Denuo was sent by Zuo Lengchan to infiltrate the Huashan School, pretending to be a wandering martial artist seeking to join the school. He claimed to have learned martial arts elsewhere and wished to study under Yue Buqun, becoming his second disciple after Linghu Chong.

However, Yue Buqun was aware of Lao Denuo’s true identity from the beginning but chose to keep him close, using him as a tool to mislead Zuo Lengchan.

Early missions

Lao Denuo participated in several important missions for the Huashan School. He was sent to the Qingcheng School to apologise for Linghu Chong’s actions, where he discovered that the Qingcheng disciples were practicing the Evil-Warding Swordplay. He and Yue Lingshan were then sent to Fuzhou to investigate the situation with the Fuwei Armed Escort.

In Fuzhou, Lao Denuo disguised himself as an old man selling wine, with Yue Lingshan posing as his granddaughter. They witnessed Yu Canghai’s massacre of the Lin family and later rescued Lin Pingzhi.

Killing Lu Dayou and stealing the Purple Cloud Manual

When Lu Dayou was left on Mount Hua to care for the injured Linghu Chong, Yue Lingshan stole the Purple Cloud Manual (紫霞秘笈) from Yue Buqun and gave it to Lu Dayou to read to Linghu Chong. However, Linghu Chong refused to learn it secretly.

Lao Denuo returned to Mount Hua and found Lu Dayou with his acupoints sealed. He killed Lu Dayou and stole the Purple Cloud Manual, hiding it on his person. This crime went undiscovered for some time.

Exposure and escape

Lao Denuo’s crime was eventually exposed when Hengshan School disciples accidentally cut his clothing during a confrontation, causing the Purple Cloud Manual to fall out. When Linghu Chong accused him of killing Lu Dayou, Lao Denuo fled.

He then killed another old man, mutilating his face beyond recognition, dressed the corpse in his own clothes, and staged his own death to escape.

Alliance with Lin Pingzhi

After Lin Pingzhi had learned the Evil-Warding Swordplay and killed Yu Canghai and Mu Gaofeng, Lao Denuo appeared again, sent by Zuo Lengchan to recruit Lin Pingzhi. He revealed to Lin Pingzhi that Yue Buqun had known about his spy status from the beginning and had deliberately allowed him to steal a fake Evil-Warding Sword Manual, which led to Zuo Lengchan’s defeat.

Lao Denuo explained that Yue Buqun had created a fake manual with missing pages, which Lao Denuo had delivered to Zuo Lengchan. When Zuo Lengchan practiced this incomplete manual, he was defeated by Yue Buqun, who had learned the complete version.

Final fate

After the events at Mount Hua’s Cliff of Reflection, Lao Denuo attempted to practice the Evil-Warding Swordplay himself but did so incorrectly, completely destroying his martial arts abilities. With Zuo Lengchan dead and no one to protect him, he attempted to join the Sun Moon Order by offering the Evil-Warding Sword Manual to Ren Woxing, but was not taken seriously.

In the end, Ren Yingying learned of Lao Denuo’s role in killing Lu Dayou. Because Lu Dayou had loved monkeys, Ren Yingying chained Lao Denuo to two large monkeys on Mount Hua, forcing him to serve the monkeys as punishment for his crime.

Personality & traits

Lao Denuo was portrayed as serious, methodical, and able to endure hardship and humiliation. He was described as speaking in a measured, serious manner, appearing understanding but remaining expressionless, demonstrating his deep and cunning character.

He was described as appearing older than his actual age, with a full beard, looking old enough to be Yilin’s grandfather. In Lin Pingzhi’s eyes, he looked older than Yue Buqun himself.

Martial arts abilities

Lao Denuo was skilled in both Songshan and Huashan swordplay, combining techniques from both schools. He was also able to use Qingcheng School techniques, demonstrating his versatility. However, after learning the incomplete Evil-Warding Swordplay and mixing it with his other techniques, his swordplay became impure and confused.

After attempting to practice the Evil-Warding Swordplay incorrectly, he completely lost all his martial arts abilities.

Relationships

Lao Denuo’s relationship with Zuo Lengchan was one of loyalty and service. He was sent as a spy and remained loyal to Zuo Lengchan throughout his mission.

His relationship with Yue Buqun was one of mutual deception. Yue Buqun knew Lao Denuo was a spy but used him to mislead Zuo Lengchan, while Lao Denuo believed he was successfully spying on Yue Buqun.

His relationship with Lu Dayou was one of murder. He killed Lu Dayou to steal the Purple Cloud Manual, an act for which he was ultimately punished.

Behind the scenes

Lao Denuo represents the concept of the “living spy” (生间) from military strategy—a spy who survives and reports back. His character demonstrates the complexity of espionage and the ways in which spies can be used and manipulated by those they spy on.

Literary significance

Lao Denuo serves as a structural character who connects the plots of Zuo Lengchan and Yue Buqun, two ambitious leaders seeking to unify the Five Mountains Sword Schools. His cunning and intelligence serve to highlight Yue Buqun’s even greater cunning and evil nature. His ultimate punishment demonstrates the principle that “the net of Heaven has large meshes, but it lets nothing through.”

Portrayals

Lao Denuo has been portrayed in various adaptations of Laughing in the Wind:

Laughing in the Wind

See also

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