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, and loathed the dogma of cultural rites in Chinese society, admiring only genuine honour and pure love.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Huang Yaoshi's Martial Arts

[edit] Peach Flower Fallen Hero Palm (桃華落英掌)

In later editions, it is known as Falling flower [落英(花落);英华(言花木之美)] Divine Sword Palm (落英神剑掌)

[edit] Divine Flicking Finger (弹指神通)

A technique of channeling a great amount of power into a single finger, and releasing it with a precise amount of control. Can also be used to propel objects with both force and accuracy.

Similar to Southern Emperor Yi Yang Zhe

[edit] Jade Flute Swordplay (玉箫剑法)

A swordplay technique primarily focussed on attacking an opponent's acupoints.

[edit] Roles

[edit] The Legend of the Condor Heroes

His story in Louis Cha's novel begins not long after Zhou Botong acquired Jiu Yin Zhen Jing (九陰真經). Huang had recently married a beautiful and supremely intelligent lady, Feng Heng (馮衡), who was born with an excellent memory. After reading it, she told Zhou Botong that he had been tricked as the manual was nothing more than a book of childish rites; to prove her point, she recited verbatim the first few sentences. Not knowing of Mrs. Huang's photographic memory (which allowed her to recreate the manual from beginning to end), Zhou Botong became angry and destroyed it. Thus, the Peach Blossom Island had the only remaining copy of that volume of Jiu Yin Zhen Jing.

Huang Yaoshi had six disciples: Chen Xuanfeng, Mei Chaofeng, Qu Lingfeng, Lu Chengfeng, Wu Mianfeng, and Feng Mofeng. Despite Huang's erratic personality, his six disciples loved him greatly. 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 Yaoshi. When they decided to elope, they stole their master's copy of Jiu Yin Zhen Jing in the hopes of developing their martial arts to a level at which they need no longer fear their master.

At that time, his wife, Feng Heng was pregnant (with a daughter, Huang Rong). Upon discovering the theft, she decided to rewrite the manual from memory again, but the stress and effort added to the strain of her pregnancy, killing her during her birth labour. This drove Huang Yaoshi to near-insanity, and the consequences of it demonstrated the reason for his nickname: he shattered the leg bones of each of his remaining disciples (except Feng Mofeng who was spared because of his young 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 terrorised the Jianghu with their mastery of the terrible "Ninefold Yin White-Bone Claws" (a perversion of the true claw technique found in the manual; without the first half of the Jiu Yin Zhen Jing, and without the basic knowledge/techniques of the Quanzhen sect, they were forced to decipher the dense language as best they could). Zhou Botong realised that he had been tricked by Huang, and returned to the Peach Flower Island to demand an explanation. Again, Huang Yaoshi 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 Botong, 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 Botong ended up being trapped inside the island's caverns. Huang Yaoshi then swore that he would kill Zhou Botong if he was able to force him out of the caverns. For the next twenty years, Huang Yaoshi preoccupied himself with this. Their animosity was largely resolved after Guo Jing's visit to Peach Blossom Island.

Huang Yaoshi also came to regret his banishment of the four innocent disciples and bade Mei Chaofeng find them and bring them back to Guiyun Mansion that belonged to his other disciple Lu Chengfeng so that they could learn the Cyclone Kicks which would heal their broken legs. However, Huang would never seen any of his other disciples alive again as most of them had died. Qu Lingfeng was killed by an imperial guard; Wu Mianfeng had died of some illness; Chen Xuanfeng had been slain by Guo Jing. and Feng Mofeng was eventually slain by Jinlun Fawang.

[edit] The Return of the Condor Heroes

Huang Yaoshi makes several brief appearances, rescuing Cheng Ying from the clutches of Li Mochou, and teaching the protagonist 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.

[edit] See also