Ode to Gallantry

The protagonist, who refers to himself as "Gouzazhong" ( literally "mongrel dog", a colloquialism for "bastard"), first appears as a young beggar roaming the streets ofKaifengin search of his lost mother. He witnesses a fight between severaljianghufigures and meets the Shi couple and members of the Snowy Mountain Sect. An accident causes him to be taken away by Xie Yanke, an eccentric martial artist, to his secluded home on Motian Cliff. Xie Yanke, who is frequently bothered by Gouzazhong, decides to teach him martial arts. Gouzazhong learnsqicultivation techniques under Xie Yanke's tutelage for six years, but is unaware that Xie actually harbours ill intentions and has been teaching him the wrong methods, in the hope that he will sustain internal wounds and eventually die.At the same time, the leader of the Changle Sect, Shi Zhongyu, mysteriously disappears. The greater part of the novel deals with the complications that arise as Gouzhazhong is mistaken for Shi Zhongyu, not only by members of the sect (for ulterior motives), by also by Shi Zhongyu's parents, the Shi couple, Shi Zhongyu's lover Ding Dang, and members of the Snowy Mountain Sect. Although the two bear a splitting resemblance, their characters cannot be more different: Gouzhazhong is simple, honest and clever, while Shi Zhongyu, the son of the Shi couple, has a bad reputation for being a lewd and sly womaniser. Gouzhazhong acquires consummate combat skills in the process. He is hounded by members of the Snowy Mountain Sect who mistake him for Shi Zhongyu, who molested Axiu, the granddaughter of the Snowy Mountain Sect's leader. He acquires Axiu as his girlfriend after various incidents, during which the misunderstandings are gradually resolved.The novel culminates in an episode when the leaders of various sects are coerced into visiting a secluded island by a pair of mysterious, highly skilled messengers to celebrate theLaba Festival. The story then leads to a surprising conclusion: revelations on the island and more revelations concerning Gouzhazhong's true parentage.