Starting from the world of martial arts in the Condor Heroes, practicing martial arts across the hea

Dasheng Pass, Lujiazhuang.

As dawn broke, a burly man was seen practicing martial arts in the training ground. His moves were simple and unadorned, and he looked ordinary. He didn't have a trace of arrogance, but rather a sense of uprightness, just like the man's appearance.

He had a square mouth and broad cheeks, a nose like a hanging gall bladder, two thick eyebrows, and bright eyes. His head was square. His hair was tied up in a square bun with a wooden hairpin. He wore a coarse cloth robe, a short outfit, and cloth shoes with many layers of soles. Although there was nothing fancy about him, he was clean and tidy, showing his skill in the details.

This man is none other than the renowned martial arts master Guo Jing.

Although he has been navigating the world of martial arts and the imperial court for decades, and his daughter is already over ten years old and he is nearly forty, all one can see in him is the simplicity of a farmer, without a trace of shrewdness.

His unchanging nature over the decades is not only due to his childlike heart, but also because he has been so well protected by his wife.

When leading troops into battle, he only had to manage military affairs. Huang Rong took care of all the logistics of the army, the intrigues and power struggles in the officialdom and the grudges and affections among the martial arts community.

Just like this martial arts tournament, Huang Rong learned through the Beggars' Sect's intelligence network that the Mongol army was about to make a move. She took precautions and convened the martial arts tournament in advance to recruit martial arts masters to help Guo Jing, so that he wouldn't be alone in Xiangyang City with no one to use and wouldn't be able to command the army, leaving him with nowhere to use his ambitions.

Even the location for the martial arts tournament was carefully chosen by Huang Rong—not too far from Xiangyang City, the frontline battlefield. After the tournament, everyone could be brought there directly, saving time and effort, and avoiding harassment from the Mongol army. Furthermore, Dasheng Pass was Lu Chengfeng's territory, so borrowing the land was a simple matter for her, saving them the cost of the tournament!

As local strongmen, they were familiar with their territory and had enough manpower. If that wasn't enough, there was always the Beggars' Sect, the largest gang in the land, who could lend a hand. Who among those attending the martial arts tournament wouldn't give the local strongmen some face? Who would dare to cause trouble? The Quanzhen Sect had a long-standing relationship with Guo Jing, the Southern Emperor's disciples were close to Huang Rong, Da Wu and Xiao Wu were Guo Jing's apprentices, the Western Poison was insane and his fate was unknown, the Northern Beggar was Huang Rong's master, and the Eastern Heretic was Guo Jing's father-in-law…

No matter how you look at it, the Five Greats are all connected to Guo Jing's family. Whether it's the old Five Greats or the new Five Greats, most of them are either master and disciple or relatives. Even Ouyang Feng, the Western Poison, if you count from Yang Guo's side, well... he's of the same generation as Guo Jing!

Haha, hahaha...

As the sun rose higher, Dasheng Pass became bustling with activity.

At first glance, the streets were filled with martial arts practitioners wielding knives and swords. Some were handsome and dashing, but most were oddly dressed. Well, that's how it is; martial arts practitioners dress, not much different from modern-day socialites. Of course, those who are in the martial arts world and have any reputation own property and land; they're not vagrants. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to afford food, let alone hope to achieve martial arts prowess.

Even Guo Jing, as a child, never lacked meat. Otherwise, how could he have received instruction from seven masters every day, and although he often stumbled and fell, his body never broke down? In any case, he did save Jebe's life, so his status among the Mongol nomads was not low. There is no doubt that he was able to play with the chief's children and had enough to eat and drink.

Suddenly, three fine horses galloped across the street. The martial arts practitioners on the street quickly swerved to avoid them, fearing they would be hit by the fast horses and become one of the parties involved in a traffic accident.

  Remember us, 101kanshu.com

"Who is this?"

"To dare to ride a horse recklessly in the middle of the street, in the heart of the city, are they courting death?"

"Exactly! In broad daylight, under the clear sky, is there still any law? Is there still any justice?"

"Don't they know who's hosting this martial arts tournament? Isn't this a slap in the face to Master Guo and Lady Huang?"

"Shh! Brother, do you know who that is? That's Guo Jing's daughter—Guo Fu, and the two behind her are Guo Jing's disciples!"

"This Guo Fu is the beloved daughter of Lady Huang!"

"..."

"..."

"Oh dear! This young lady is so careless when riding a horse. I'll teach her next time!"

"Yes, yes, Miss Guo's riding skills are amazing! She didn't encounter a single person!"

"..."

Even those in the martial arts world know the rules. Among those who come to the martial arts tournament are many who just want to freeload, and they dare not offend those who provide the meals.

Huang Rong knew there were scoundrels, but she didn't care. These people could at least boost the momentum of the martial arts tournament and make it easier for Guo Jing to lead the martial arts community to settle in Xiangyang. Otherwise, they would be looked down upon, sidelined, or easily fooled by officials.

Jiangnan was in a restaurant on the second floor of the main street, sitting by the window. He watched Guo Fu and her two companions riding past on horseback below and found it amusing.

Guo Jing was such an honest and upright person, and Huang Rong was such an exceptionally intelligent person, yet their daughter was...

At this time, Guo Fu was truly naive and arrogant!

Guo Fu is the eldest daughter of Guo Jing and Huang Rong. Born amidst the flames of war in Xiangyang, she is the first daughter of a prestigious and righteous family, showered with love and affection.

She inherited Huang Rong's stunning beauty, and her family background was among the best in the martial arts world. Her father guarded Xiangyang and was revered by all, her mother was exceptionally intelligent, and her maternal grandfather was knowledgeable in everything from astronomy to geography. She was also surrounded by the devoted followers of Da Wu and Xiao Wu. From childhood to adulthood, apart from being neglected by Yang Guo, she had never experienced coldness, grievances, or a lack of resources. People in the martial arts world treated her with deference out of respect for Guo Jing and Huang Rong, which fostered her natural sense of superiority.

But from another perspective, it looks completely different.

Guo Jing was honest and simple-minded, not good at disciplining his daughter. His discipline of Guo Fu was limited to hitting her when she did something wrong. However, Guo Fu had her master Ke Zhen'e protecting her, so he couldn't really hit her. Huang Rong was busy with the military and political affairs of defending the city. She focused her mind on national affairs and her husband's ideal career. She only spoiled Guo Fu materially. She thought that her daughter couldn't be like her when she was a child without anyone to play with, so she took in Da Wu and Xiao Wu, two good-for-nothings, as playmates. However, she lacked guidance on Guo Fu's character.

Perhaps Huang Rong never imagined that the daughter she gave birth to would be a good-for-nothing who was all show and no substance! She was neither as intelligent as herself nor as wise as her husband, but just an ordinary good-for-nothing. Huang Rong really didn't know what to say, but when she looked at Guo Fu, she thought of her own childhood and couldn't bear to hit or scold her.

In their early years, Guo Jing and Huang Rong focused on defending the city and repelling the Mongol army. After the war finally ended, they returned to Peach Blossom Island to live in seclusion. The family was happy, but Huang Yaoshi couldn't stand his foolish son-in-law and ran away from home to travel the world. Then Yang Guo came.

Because of guilt, Huang Rong was wary, and Ke Zhen'e was disgusted, Guo Jing's attention was entirely focused on Yang Guo. As a result, Guo Fu was in a state of implicit inferiority due to being "ignored" for a long time. She could only bully Yang Guo with her two followers, Da Wu and Xiao Wu, to find a sense of existence.

Actually, Guo Fu was quite insecure.

Her inferiority complex stemmed from the fact that she possessed all worldly glory, but lacked only two things: talent and favoritism.

In martial arts, her talent was mediocre. Despite years of diligent practice, she was still far inferior to Yang Guo, who had only studied for a short time. When they secretly learned the Dog-Beating Staff Technique together, Yang Guo mastered it easily, while she was completely bewildered and hadn't even memorized all the moves. Her parents often praised Yang Guo for his intelligence and bravery, and Guo Xiang for her lively and endearing nature; in comparison, she seemed clumsy and ordinary in the family. Born into a family where everyone was either exceptionally intelligent or highly skilled in martial arts, she was the only one who was truly ordinary. Beneath her glamorous exterior, she harbored an extreme fear of being inferior to others.

Yang Guo, a name that often appeared in her parents' mouths and her childhood playmate, became the object of her comparison.

Yang Guo, though born into humble circumstances, possessed extraordinary talent. His parents constantly thought of and appreciated him, and even his two disciples, Da Wu and Xiao Wu, could not match his brilliance. Xiao Longnv, who was closely associated with Yang Guo, was exceptionally beautiful and possessed unparalleled martial arts skills. Her aloofness and disregard for the powerful and wealthy, coupled with her cool and detached demeanor, were qualities Guo Fu felt she could never emulate and envied immensely. Yet, Xiao Longnv received Yang Guo's undivided affection, something Guo Fu could never attain in her life. Her constant targeting of the two was essentially a way to mask her own inner disparity and insecurity by suppressing others.

Guo Fu has grown up a bit, but she is still spoiled, superficial, impulsive, and easily angered.

Arrogant and haughty, she judges people by their social class. Guo Fu grew up in a "wealthy" family, one of the most prestigious in the martial arts world—her father was one of the Five Greats, her maternal grandfather was also one of the Five Greats, her father's sworn brother Zhou Botong was also one of the Five Greats and the most senior member of the Quanzhen Sect, the largest sect in the martial arts world, her follower's father was a disciple of the Southern Emperor among the Five Greats, and her mother was recognized as the wisest person in the martial arts world.

Living in such a family, she was used to judging others by their family background, looking down on Yang Guo who came from a poor family, and despising women from the martial arts world like Cheng Ying and Lu Wushuang who had no backing. She felt that everyone should give way to her.

Unfortunately, besides her parents and relatives, who would give in to her?

Impulsive and easily angered, she acts without considering the consequences. When her emotions run high, Guo Fu has no sense of restraint. The most classic example is when she angrily cuts off Yang Guo's arm during a quarrel; upon hearing her parents praise Yang Guo, she becomes jealous and spreads rumors about Yang Guo and Xiaolongnu, nearly ruining their lives. Although she doesn't genuinely intend to do evil, she is certainly driven by arrogance and a disregard for consequences.

Extremely vain and fiercely competitive, Guo Fu couldn't stand anyone outshining her. Yang Guo's talent and Xiaolongnu's looks and temperament far surpassed hers, which was the root of her lifelong resentment towards them. Conversely, the two Wu brothers vied to please her, greatly satisfying her vanity, so she always had two followers with her wherever she went. It just goes to show that traitors exist in every dynasty, and they can all live quite comfortably!

She has a shallow understanding and a short-sighted perspective. Guo Fu cannot comprehend the greater good of the nation and the suffering of others. She only considers immediate gains and losses, personal honor and disgrace, and acts solely based on her own likes and dislikes. She lacks a broader perspective and is far less insightful than Guo Xiang.

However, people have two sides, and things have good and bad aspects. Guo Fu is not without merits as well as flaws.

Speaking of appearance alone, she inherited Huang Rong's stunning beauty, was Yang Guo's ideal woman, and was followed by Da Wu and Xiao Wu for their entire lives, which shows how beautiful she was.

As long as she doesn't speak, Guo Fu is an absolute beauty!

Growing up in an environment where Guo Jing set a good example, she harbored no malicious intent or deep-seated hatred. Compared to Li Mochou, Qiu Qianchi, and Jinlun Fawang, Guo Fu never intentionally killed or wiped out entire families, nor did she use insidious schemes to harm others. Her evil stemmed entirely from impulsiveness, gossip, and bullying; it was the "spoiled temper of a pampered young lady," not an inherently ruthless nature.

Moreover, Guo Fu has a basic bottom line and can distinguish between good and evil. Influenced by Guo Jing from a young age, she believes in loyalty, righteousness, resisting the Mongols and protecting the people, and will not collude with the Mongols or evil forces. When Xiangyang City is in danger, she will also take up weapons to defend the city and will not be afraid of death and flee alone.

Later, she also reflected on herself, felt guilty, and knew she had done wrong like an ordinary person. After the incident of losing her arm, she harbored guilt towards Yang Guo for many years; it was only when she witnessed Yang Guo risking his life to save Xiangyang and her parents during the final battle at the summit of Mount Hua that she finally let go of her years of jealousy, faced her narrow-mindedness from childhood, and felt genuine remorse.

Guo Fu is unable to distinguish between liking and disliking, mistaking admiration for love, unlike her mother who can live love as familial affection.

She enjoyed the adoration of the Wu brothers, but never truly loved them. The Wu brothers, Dunru and Xiuwen, constantly fawned over her, satisfying her sense of superiority. She accepted their devotion without a second thought, never truly falling for them, and even using them to her advantage in their rivalry.

Yelü Qi, who appeared later in the story, was a rare and perfect match. Yelü Qi came from a noble family in the Liao Dynasty, and his family background was not low. He was also a disciple of Zhou Botong, the Old Urchin, and had a close relationship with the Guo family. For Guo Fu, he was a good match in terms of social status. Moreover, Yelü Qi had a stable and tolerant personality. He did not try to please Guo Fu, but he could tolerate her bad temper. At the same time, they shared the same values ​​and had the same stance on the Mongols.

After marrying Yelü Qi, Guo Fu's personality became noticeably more restrained. She shed her girlish arrogance, learned to take care of her family and be considerate of her husband, and learned from her mother, Huang Rong, thus completing a stage of personality growth.

This is probably the aspect in which Guo Fu most resembles Huang Rong. Perhaps it's because her mother looked like this from birth, and she learned it best and most accurately.

She harbored complex and twisted feelings for Yang Guo, her childhood playmate. Many people overlook one point: Guo Fu's obsession with Yang Guo concealed a deep concern that she herself was unwilling to admit.

She spent her entire life fixated on Yang Guo, caring deeply about his opinions and whether he was more successful than her. When she witnessed Yang Guo risking his life to protect her family in the perilous situation at Mount Hua, she instantly broke down in tears, finally realizing that her years of obsession weren't entirely driven by hatred. But her youthful pride and strong sense of self-respect prevented her from ever expressing these feelings.

Perhaps Huang Rong saw through this too, so she decisively found an excuse to send Yang Guo to the Quanzhen Sect, severing her daughter's hopes. Unfortunately, Huang Rong foresaw the beginning but didn't anticipate the subsequent developments would completely spiral out of control, with the Guo and Yang families entangled across three generations in a truly inextricable mess.

Guo Fu is the most relatable character in the world of The Return of the Condor Heroes. She is not purely good or evil; she has vanity, jealousy, and impulsive flaws. She is not inherently bad; she makes mistakes, feels remorse, and matures slowly with age.

She proved that a privileged background does not bring about a broad perspective; true maturity is learning to let go of comparisons, accept one's own ordinariness, and shoulder one's own responsibilities.

In summary:

Guo Fu is not a villain, but simply a spoiled, unguided rich girl trapped in her pride. She has many minor flaws that make her unpleasant, but she is not inherently evil. She is consumed by jealousy for half her life, but eventually sheds her arrogance in the face of war and life and death, and completes the growth of an ordinary person.