Xue Gongyuan

Xue Gongyuan (simplified: 薛公远, traditional: 薛公遠, pinyin: Xuē Gōngyuǎn, jyutping: sit3 gung1 jyun5) was an apprentice of Xianyu Tong, the leader of the Huashan School. He was one of the victims of Daiqisi (Golden Flower Granny) and was treated by Zhang Wuji at Butterfly Valley, but later during a famine, he joined Jian Jie and others in attempting to eat Zhang Wuji and Yang Buhui before being killed by Zhang Wuji using poison.

Biography

Early years and training

Xue Gongyuan was an apprentice of Xianyu Tong, the leader of the Huashan School. As a disciple of one of the Six Major Factions, Xue Gongyuan enjoyed a certain status within the martial arts world, though he remained relatively minor compared to his master and other prominent figures.

Poisoning by Daiqisi

Xue Gongyuan was one of the victims of Daiqisi (Golden Flower Granny, 金花婆婆), the Purple Dress Dragon King of the Ming Order. As part of her scheme to test Hu Qingniu’s rule of only treating Ming Order members, Daiqisi set a trap in Fengyang City, injuring fifteen people from nine different factions and forcing them to seek treatment from Hu Qingniu.

Xue Gongyuan was injured by Daiqisi and travelled to Butterfly Valley seeking treatment from Hu Qingniu, the Butterfly Valley Medical Immortal (蝶谷医仙). However, since he was not a Ming Order member, Hu Qingniu initially refused to treat him directly, though he secretly indicated that the injured people should seek Zhang Wuji’s help.

Treatment by Zhang Wuji

At Butterfly Valley, Xue Gongyuan was among the fourteen injured people who arrived seeking treatment. Zhang Wuji, having learned medicine from Hu Qingniu, began treating these people, and their conditions began to improve. Through a series of questions and answers with Hu Qingniu, Zhang Wuji found methods to treat these people, demonstrating his medical expertise and compassion.

This act of kindness from Zhang Wuji saved Xue Gongyuan’s life, yet it would not prevent Xue Gongyuan from later attempting to harm Zhang Wuji when desperate circumstances arose.

The famine and encounter with Zhang Wuji

After leaving Butterfly Valley, a famine occurred, and Xue Gongyuan, along with several others including Jian Jie of the Kongtong School, encountered Zhang Wuji and Yang Buhui in a forest. The group pretended to accept the two children, offering them food and shelter, but in reality, they intended to keep them as reserve food for when they became desperate with hunger.

This demonstrated how desperate circumstances could strip away any sense of gratitude or moral restraint, as Xue Gongyuan was willing to harm the very person who had saved his life at Butterfly Valley.

When the group ran out of food and became extremely hungry, they revealed their true intentions, planning to kill and eat Zhang Wuji and Yang Buhui. This showed how extreme circumstances could lead people to abandon all principles, even gratitude towards those who had helped them.

Death by poisoning

Zhang Wuji, having learned poison techniques from Wang Nangu’s Poison Manual (王难姑毒经), realised that he needed to act to save himself and Yang Buhui. He used his knowledge to counter the group’s plan by collecting highly poisonous mushrooms known as Ghost Face Mushrooms (鬼脸菇) and mixing them into the food, designing the situation so that the group would actively choose to eat the poisoned mushroom soup.

Xue Gongyuan, along with Jian Jie and two others, ate the poisoned food and died with distorted, grotesque facial expressions, their bodies contorted in the agony of the poison. When Xu Da and others came to rescue Zhang Wuji and Yang Buhui, they found the corpses of the four people who had attempted to harm the children.

Personality & traits

Ingratitude and moral collapse

Xue Gongyuan’s story represents a tragic example of ingratitude and moral collapse. Despite having his life saved by Zhang Wuji at Butterfly Valley, he was willing to harm the very person who had helped him when desperate circumstances arose. This demonstrated how extreme situations could lead people to abandon gratitude and ethical principles, even towards those who had shown them kindness.

The contrast between being saved by Zhang Wuji’s medical skills and later attempting to eat him highlights the theme that life-saving grace does not guarantee moral behaviour in all circumstances, and that desperation can override even the most basic sense of gratitude.

Influence of circumstances

Xue Gongyuan’s transformation from someone who had received help from Zhang Wuji to someone willing to harm him demonstrates how external circumstances, particularly extreme hardship like famine, can lead people to commit acts they might not otherwise consider. His participation in the group’s plan showed how peer pressure and desperate circumstances could override individual conscience.

Relationships

With Xianyu Tong

Xue Gongyuan was an apprentice of Xianyu Tong, the leader of the Huashan School. However, given Xianyu Tong’s own treacherous and morally corrupt nature, it is perhaps not surprising that his apprentice would also demonstrate a willingness to abandon moral principles when circumstances demanded it.

With Zhang Wuji

Xue Gongyuan’s relationship with Zhang Wuji was marked by both gratitude and betrayal. He was saved by Zhang Wuji’s medical skills at Butterfly Valley, yet he was willing to harm Zhang Wuji during the famine. This relationship demonstrates how life-saving help does not guarantee loyalty or gratitude, especially when people are pushed to extremes.

With Jian Jie and others

Xue Gongyuan joined with Jian Jie of the Kongtong School and two others in attempting to eat Zhang Wuji and Yang Buhui. This group demonstrated how people from different factions could unite in desperate circumstances, though in this case, their unity was based on a shared willingness to commit horrific acts rather than any positive values.

Behind the scenes

Character significance

Xue Gongyuan’s story illustrates several important themes in the novel. His ingratitude towards Zhang Wuji, despite having been saved by him, demonstrates how extreme circumstances can lead people to abandon even basic moral principles. His willingness to harm the person who had helped him highlights the theme that life-saving grace does not guarantee continued loyalty or moral behaviour.

His death by Zhang Wuji’s poison also shows how Zhang Wuji, despite his youth and relative inexperience, was able to use the knowledge he had gained (in this case, poison techniques from Wang Nangu’s manual) to protect himself and others when faced with life-threatening danger.

Role in the narrative

Xue Gongyuan’s encounter with Zhang Wuji and Yang Buhui occurs during Zhang Wuji’s journey to find Yang Xiao after Hu Qingniu’s death. This episode serves multiple purposes:

It demonstrates the dangers that Zhang Wuji and Yang Buhui faced on their journey
It shows Zhang Wuji’s ability to use his knowledge (in this case, poison techniques) to protect himself and others
It illustrates the theme of ingratitude and moral collapse under extreme circumstances
It provides a contrast with Xu Da and others who came to genuinely help Zhang Wuji and Yang Buhui

Literary themes

Xue Gongyuan’s story embodies the theme that extreme circumstances can reveal the true nature of people, sometimes showing them to be far worse than they might appear under normal conditions. His willingness to harm the person who had saved his life demonstrates that gratitude and moral principles can be easily abandoned when people are pushed to desperation.