Shi Zhongyu (simplified: 石中玉, traditional: 石中玉, pinyin: Shí Zhōngyù, jyutping: sek6 zung1 juk6) was the son of Shi Qing and Min Rou, and possibly the elder brother of Shi Potian. He was cunning, manipulative, lecherous, and cowardly—the complete opposite of his virtuous brother. His actions, particularly his attempted rape of Bai Axiu, set in motion the events that nearly destroyed the Snowy Mountain School.
Biography
Early life and spoiling
Shi Zhongyu’s parents, Shi Qing and Min Rou, had been involved in a love triangle with Mei Fanggu, the leader of the Plum Blossom Fist School. When Mei Fanggu, consumed by jealousy, attacked Min Rou and her children, she killed the infant Shi Zhongjian (who may have been Shi Potian) and kidnapped him. This loss caused Min Rou to become overly protective and indulgent of Shi Zhongyu, spoiling him and allowing him to develop a wicked and cunning personality.
Training with the Snowy Mountain School
Shi Qing and Min Rou sent Shi Zhongyu to train with the Snowy Mountain School under Feng Wanli, known as ‘Wind Fire Divine Dragon’. However, Feng Wanli’s teaching methods were inadequate, and Shi Zhongyu’s character continued to deteriorate.
Attempted rape of Bai Axiu
When Shi Zhongyu was less than fifteen years old, he attempted to rape Bai Axiu, the thirteen-year-old granddaughter of Bai Zizai, the zhangmen of the Snowy Mountain School. Although servants intervened and prevented the violation, Bai Axiu was so ashamed that she jumped from a cliff, intending to kill herself.
To avoid the severe punishment that awaited him (likely execution by slow slicing), Shi Zhongyu fled the Snowy Mountain School the same day, evading pursuit.
Leadership of the Changle Guild
Shi Zhongyu encountered the Changle Guild, which needed a leader to accept the Reward Good Punish Evil token and go to Xiake Island. The guild members, unwilling to face certain death, installed Shi Zhongyu as their leader, hoping he would accept the token in their place.
However, Shi Zhongyu soon realised the guild’s true intentions. He fled the guild headquarters and hid in brothels in Yangzhou, living a life of debauchery and avoiding his responsibilities.
The deception with Shi Potian
When the Reward Good Punish Evil messengers discovered that the current Changle Guild leader (Shi Potian, mistaken for Shi Zhongyu) was not the real Shi Zhongyu, they found Shi Zhongyu in a Yangzhou brothel and brought him back to the guild.
Shi Zhongyu, unwilling to be taken back to the Snowy Mountain School for punishment, conspired with his lover Ding Dang to deceive Shi Potian. They tricked the honest and naive Shi Potian into switching places with Shi Zhongyu, allowing Shi Zhongyu to escape while Shi Potian was taken to Lingxiao City in his place.
Encounter with Xie Yanke
After regaining his freedom, Shi Zhongyu returned to the Changle Guild, where he encountered Xie Yanke, who was searching for Shi Potian. Xie Yanke, mistaking Shi Zhongyu for Shi Potian, asked him to make a request using the Xuantie Ling.
Shi Zhongyu, seeing an opportunity, ordered Xie Yanke to destroy the Snowy Mountain School. However, when Xie Yanke later encountered the real Shi Potian at the Snowy Mountain School, he realised he had been deceived.
Final punishment
Xie Yanke intended to kill Shi Zhongyu for the deception, but Shi Potian, unwilling to cause Min Rou the pain of losing her son, intervened. Instead, Shi Potian requested that Xie Yanke take Shi Zhongyu to Motian Cliff and discipline him, teaching him to serve Xie Yanke properly.
Shi Zhongyu was thus taken to Motian Cliff, where he remained under Xie Yanke’s supervision, forced to learn proper behaviour and respect.
Personality and characteristics
Cunning and manipulative
Shi Zhongyu was extremely skilled at manipulation and deception. He could charm people, especially women, with sweet words and flattery. Despite his wicked nature, many people, including his own mother, found themselves drawn to his charismatic personality.
Lecherous and irresponsible
Shi Zhongyu’s character was marked by lechery, cowardice, dishonesty, and irresponsibility. By the age of eighteen or nineteen, he had already committed numerous immoral acts, including attempting to rape a young girl, frequenting brothels, and seducing servants.
Contrast with Shi Potian
Shi Zhongyu and Shi Potian, despite their identical appearance, represented complete opposites in character. While Shi Potian was honest, virtuous, and selfless, Shi Zhongyu was cunning, manipulative, and selfish. This contrast served to highlight the novel’s themes about nature versus nurture and the nature of true virtue.
Relationship with Ding Dang
Ding Dang, despite knowing Shi Zhongyu’s true character, remained devoted to him. She preferred his charming but false personality over Shi Potian’s honest but simple nature, demonstrating how superficial charm could sometimes be more appealing than genuine virtue.
Martial arts abilities
Shi Zhongyu’s martial arts skills were mediocre at best. He had received training from Feng Wanli in the Snowy Mountain Swordplay, but his lack of discipline and moral character prevented him from achieving any significant mastery. His true strength lay in manipulation and deception rather than martial prowess.
Behind the scenes
Shi Zhongyu serves as a foil to Shi Potian, demonstrating how identical appearances can conceal completely different characters. His character explores themes of nature versus nurture, showing how parental indulgence and lack of discipline can lead to moral corruption.
The character’s name, ‘Shi Zhongyu’ (石中玉), meaning ‘Jade in Stone’, ironically contrasts with his base character. While his name suggests hidden virtue, his actions reveal only manipulation and vice. His eventual punishment—being taken to Motian Cliff to learn proper behaviour—represents the possibility of redemption through discipline and guidance, though the novel leaves his ultimate fate ambiguous.