Yue Hou (simplified: 乐厚, traditional: 樂厚, pinyin: Yuè Hòu, jyutping: ngok6 hau6), known as the Great Yin-yang Hand (大阴阳手), was a member of the Songshan School’s Thirteen Great Protectors and a junior of Zuo Lengchan. He was from Xiaogan, Hubei, and was described as being short and stout with a sallow, swollen face.
Biography
Attempt to prevent Linghu Chong’s succession
When Linghu Chong was about to succeed as the leader of the North Hengshan School, Yue Hou arrived with the Five Mountains Sword Schools command flag, attempting to prevent Linghu Chong from taking office.
Yue Hou argued that Linghu Chong, as a man, could not lead a school traditionally led by nuns, and that he had violated the school’s rules by associating with unorthodox factions. However, his arguments were undermined when Ren Yingying used a distraction technique to replace the command flag with the Five Immortals Order’s five-poison flag.
Encounter with Linghu Chong
Yue Hou demonstrated his martial arts skills when he attacked Linghu Chong, using his Great Yin-yang Hand technique to emit cold energy from a distance. However, Linghu Chong was able to counter his attacks using the Dugu Nine Swords, demonstrating the superiority of Linghu Chong’s techniques.
Despite his defeat, Yue Hou maintained his loyalty to Zuo Lengchan and continued to oppose Linghu Chong’s leadership of the North Hengshan School.
Personality & traits
Yue Hou was portrayed as loyal to Zuo Lengchan and determined to prevent Linghu Chong from succeeding as leader of the North Hengshan School. He was described as being short and stout with a sallow, swollen face, and was about fifty years old when he appeared in the story.
Martial arts abilities
Great Yin-yang Hand
Yue Hou’s signature technique was the Great Yin-yang Hand (大阴阳手), which allowed him to emit cold energy from a distance. He could attack opponents from far away, making it difficult for them to defend using swords.
Songshan Swordplay
Yue Hou was skilled in Songshan Swordplay, which was described as being majestic and imposing, like a thousand troops charging forward with long spears and halberds across a thousand miles of yellow sand.
Neili
Yue Hou possessed deep neili that allowed him to attack from a distance. However, his techniques were not sufficient to overcome Linghu Chong’s Dugu Nine Swords.
Relationships
Yue Hou’s relationship with Zuo Lengchan was one of loyalty and service. He followed Zuo Lengchan’s orders without question and was determined to prevent Linghu Chong from succeeding as leader of the North Hengshan School.
His relationship with Linghu Chong was one of opposition. Yue Hou saw Linghu Chong as a threat to the orthodox factions and was determined to prevent him from taking office.
Behind the scenes
Yue Hou represents the theme of resistance to change and the ways in which traditional factions can oppose unconventional leaders. His character demonstrates that even skilled martial artists can be overcome by superior techniques and that loyalty to a faction can blind one to the truth.
Literary significance
Yue Hou’s character serves to highlight the opposition that Linghu Chong faced when attempting to lead the North Hengshan School. His defeat demonstrates that even powerful martial artists can be overcome by superior techniques and that traditional arguments can be undermined by clever tactics.
See also
- Laughing in the Wind characters
- Zuo Lengchan — Yue Hou’s leader
- Linghu Chong — Yue Hou’s opponent
- Songshan School — Yue Hou’s faction
- Thirteen Great Protectors — Yue Hou’s group
External links
- Yue Hou (Chinese) on Chinese Wikipedia