Huang Yaoshi

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Huang Yaoshi (Traditional Chinese: 黃藥師; Simplified Chinese: 黄药师; pinyin: Huáng Yàoshī) is a fictional character in Jinyong's Condor Trilogy.

Nicknamed the Eastern Heretic (東邪 / 东邪), Huang Yaoshi was one of the "Five Supreme Martial Artists" (五絕) of Wulin during the Southern Song dynasty. He was a Chinese unorthodox radical, regarded as a cultural heretic by his contemporaries, who loathes the dogma of cultural rites in Chinese society, admiring only genuine honour and pure love.

[edit] Life

Like many historical ancient Chinese personalities, it is difficult to distinguish between fact and fiction. His story in Louis Cha's novel begins not long after Zhou Botong acquired Jiu Yin Zhen Jing. Huang had recently married a beautiful and supremely intelligent lady who was born with an excellent memory. The couple tricked Zhou into destroying his copy of the manual by allowing Mrs. Huang to read it. After reading it, she told Zhou that he had been tricked as the manual was nothing more than a book of rites, and to prove her point, recited the first few sentences. Not knowing of Mrs. Huang's photographic memory that even allowed her to rewrite the whole manual from beginning to end, Zhou got angry and destroyed it. Thus, the Peach Blossom Island had the only genuine copy of Jiu Yin Zhen Jing.

Perhaps, it was Heaven's punishment on the Huangs for resorting to such trickery, for tragedy came to the Huangs. Huang had six disciples: Chen Xuanfeng, Mei Chaofeng, Qu Lingfeng, Lu Chengfeng, Wu Mianfeng, and Feng Mofeng. Later events would demonstrate that despite Huang's erratic personality, his six disciples loved him as father and child. Huang appeared to have loved his disciples as well, but did not demonstrate his affection as visibly because of his erratic, mercurial moods. As it was, Huang would profess to like something very much one day, but the next would hate it ruthlessly without reason.

Two of his disciples, Chen Xuanfeng and Mei Chaofeng, had fallen in love and having no idea how he would view such a relationship, were very afraid of informing Huang. Thus, they decided to elope, but in doing so, also stole their master's copy of Jiu Yin Zhen Jing.

At that time, Mrs. Huang was pregnant with Huang's daughter, Huang Rong. Upon discovery of the theft, she decided to rewrite the whole manual again, but the stress and effort added to the strain of her pregnancy, killing her during her birth labour. This drove the Eastern Heretic to near-insanity, and the consequences of it demonstrated the reason for his nickname: he shattered the leg bone of each of his remaining disciples (except Feng Mofeng who was spared because of his age, leaving him with one good leg), and drove them away from his island.

Though it was not mentioned, it is possible that the other servants became mute and deaf because of Huang. It is later made known that Huang Yaoshi had recruited the handicapped servants, who had been ostracized by their community, during his travels. However, in his bid to maintain his reputation, he did not publicize his good deed, instead, he spread rumours that the servants had been made deaf and mute by him.

Chen Xuanfeng and Mei Chaofeng became masters of the terrible "Ninefold Yin White-Bone Claws", and terrorised the Jianghu. Zhou Botong then realised that he had been tricked by Huang, and went to the Peach Flower Island to demand an explanation. Again, Huang demonstrated his personality by blaming Zhou for his wife's death, saying, "If you had not given the manual to my wife, she would not have memorised it, and felt the need to write it out for me."

Zhou, because of his previous experience with Duan's consort, fueled the fury by saying, "I've done you a favour; now that your wife is dead, you'll have more time to improve your martial art skills!" The two broke out fighting, and Zhou ended up being trapped inside the island's caverns. Huang then swore that he would only kill Zhou if he was able to force him out of the caverns. Thus for the next twenty years, Huang preoccupied himself with this. Their animosity was largely resolved after Guo Jing's visit to Peach Blossom Island.

In Return of the Condor Heroes, Huang Yaoshi makes a brief appearance and teaches the young Yang Guo two of his most famous skills. He also participates in the defense of Xiangyang 16 years later when the Mongolians under Kublai Khan invaded China.