Zhong Ling

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Zhong Ling (traditional Chinese: 鍾靈; simplified Chinese: 钟灵) is a fictional character from the Jinyong wuxia novel Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils (天龍八部). She is the illegitimate sixteen-year old daughter of Duan Zhengchun (段正淳) and Gan Baobao (甘寶寶). Her surname is Zhong because at first, it was assumed by everyone (with the exception of Gan Baobao) that she was the daughter of Zhong Wanchou (鍾萬仇), Gan Baobao's husband.

Zhong Ling is depicted as a naive, innocent and lovable young woman, and is probably the most innocent of Duan Zhenchun's various illegitimate daughters. However, she demonstrates quite a shrewd understanding of jianghu, and is probably less naive than Duan Yu. She owns an animal called 闪电貂, or Lightning Diao, which can move as fast as lighting and has a poisonous bite. This is attributed to the fact that Zhong Ling feeds her pet a large quantity of poisonous snakes.

Zhong Ling is the first of many female character Duan Yu encounters in his travels. She was promised a place as one of Duan Yu's concubine by Duan Zhengchun when he found Duan Yu carrying a scantily-clad Zhong Ling in his arms (due to a plot to discredit and tarnish the Duan family name). Later, when Zhong Ling found out that Duan Yu was actually her supposed half-brother, she was quite sad but soon got over it as her "love" for Duan Yu was not very deep, unlike that of her half-sister, Mu Wanqing. Throughout the novel, Zhong Ling is quite confused about her own feelings towards Duan Yu.