As they appear in this, the fourth volume of Legends of the Condor Heroes: A Heart Divided
MAIN CHARACTERS
Guo Jing, son of Skyfury Guo and Lily Li. He grows up with his mother in Mongolia, where they are looked after by Genghis Khan. He is now on his first journey to the Central Plains, the native land of his parents.
Lotus Huang, daughter of Apothecary Huang; recently named Chief of the Beggar Clan. Witty and mischievous, a skilled martial artist and extremely fast learner. She befriends Guo Jing early on in his travels, and they now journey together, sharing many adventures.
THE JIN EMPIRE AND ITS RECRUITS
Wanyan Honglie, Sixth Prince, also known as Prince of Zhao, has made conquering the Song his personal mission, in the hope of securing his reputation and legacy among his own people. He is an astute politician, using rivalries within the Song court and the wulin to his own advantage.
His recruits from the martial world include:
The Dragon King Hector Sha controls the Yellow River with his four apprentices, whose lack of skill infuriates their Master, even though it is most likely his foul temper that has prevented them from learning anything more than their rather basic moves.
Browbeater Hou, the Three-Horned Dragon, so named for the three cysts on his forehead.
Graybeard Liang, also known as Old Liang, the Ginseng Immortal and, more disparagingly, the Ginseng Codger. He comes from the Mount of Eternal Snow (Changbai Mountains) up in the northeast, close to the current border with Korea, where he has practiced kung fu for many years as a hermit, as well as mixing special medicinal concoctions with the aim of gaining strength and prolonging his life.
Lama Supreme Wisdom Lobsang Choden Rinpoche, from Kokonor, now known as Qinghai. He is famed for his Five Finger Blade kung fu.
Tiger Peng the Outlaw, Butcher of a Thousand Hands, has command of much of the mountainous region surrounding the Jin capital Zhongdu, which would later become Peking.
SUBJECTS OF THE SONG EMPIRE
Yang Kang, son of Ironheart Yang and Charity Bao, sworn as brother to Guo Jing while both are still in their mothers' bellies. He was raised as Wanyan Kang, the son of Wanyan Honglie the Sixth Prince of the Jin Empire, and only discovers the identity of his biological father at the age of eighteen.
Mercy Mu, god-daughter of Ironheart Yang, takes part in martial contests her godfather stages to find her a suitable husband and is defeated by Wanyan Kang.
Lily Li, Guo Jing's mother. After the attack on Ox Village, she ends up in Mongolia and lives among Genghis Khan's followers with Guo Jing.
THE MONGOLIANS
Genghis Khan, the Great Khan Temujin, is the mighty warrior who has united the various Mongolian tribes and conquered kingdoms to build an empire spanning Asia and Europe. He has many children, five of whom appear in this story:
Jochi, his eldest son.
Chagatai, the second son.
Ogedai, the third son.
Tolui, the fourth son, and Guo Jing's sworn brother.
Khojin, one of his many daughters whose names are mostly lost to history, betrothed by her father to Guo Jing.
Among Genghis Khan's followers, a number have fought alongside the conqueror since his humble beginning as a tribal leader. His most trusted retainers are the Four Great Generals—Muqali, Bogurchi, Boroqul and Tchila'un—and Jebe, who taught Guo Jing archery and wrestling.
THE SIX FREAKS OF THE SOUTH
Also known as the Six Heroes of the South when being addressed respectfully by other characters. They refer to themselves as a martial family, though they share no blood ties. They were known as the Seven Freaks until the death of Zhang Asheng the Laughing Buddha.
Ke Zhen'e, Suppressor of Evil, also known as Flying Bat. The oldest of the Freaks, he is often referred to as Big Brother. Blinded in a fight, his preferred weapons are his flying devilnuts, iron projectiles made in the shape of a kind of water chestnut native to China.
Quick Hands Zhu Cong the Intelligent is known for his quick thinking and even quicker sleight of hand. His dirty scholar's dress and broken oilpaper fan, really made from iron, belie his martial skill. He is particularly knowledgeable in acupressure points, using them to disable his opponents in a fight.
Ryder Han, Protector of the Steeds. Only three feet tall, but a formidable fighter and an expert horseman. His weapon of choice is a whip.
Woodcutter Nan the Merciful, known for his kind, if not shy, nature, fights with an iron-tipped shoulder pole.
Gilden Quan the Prosperous, Cloaked Master of the Market, is a master of the rules of commerce and is always looking for a good deal. He fights with a set of scales.
Jade Han, Maiden of the Yue Sword, is the youngest of the group and the only female. She is trained in the Yue Sword, a technique particular to the region surrounding Jiaxing, developed when the Kingdom of Yue waged war on the Kingdom of Wu in the fifth century B.C.
THE FIVE GREATS
Hailed as the five greatest martial artists in the wulin after they demonstrated their skills at the Contest of Mount Hua.
The Eastern Heretic Apothecary Huang. A loner and radical who practices his unorthodox martial arts on Peach Blossom Island. He holds traditions and their accompanying morals in contempt and believes only in true love and honor. His eccentricities and heretical views have earned him a dubious reputation, one that he himself cultivates.
Double Sun Wang Chongyang, also known as Central Divinity, founded the Quanzhen Sect in the Zhongnan Mountains, with the aim of training Taoists in the martial arts so that they might defend the Song against the Jurchen invasion. A real historical figure, he lived from A.D. 1113 to 1170.
The Northern Beggar Count Seven Hong, sometimes referred to as the Divine Vagrant Nine Fingers, was the Chief of the Beggar Clan, with authority over all the beggars in the Song and Jin Empires, until he appointed Lotus Huang as his successor after being wounded by Viper Ouyang. He is respected for his sense of righteousness, but few can point to his whereabouts at any given time, as he likes to roam the jianghu alone. He is also known for his great love of exceptional cooking.
The Western Venom, Viper Ouyang, is an expert in taming venomous snakes and developing lethal toxins. His martial skills, including his Exploding Toad kung fu, are inspired by the deadly creatures he keeps. He will stop at nothing to get his hands on the Nine Yin Manual.
The Southern King, Duan Zhixing, is the ruler of the Kingdom of Dali. He is known for his signature kung fu, Yang in Ascendance, a pressure-point locking system that also has great healing powers.
THE QUANZHEN TAOIST SECT
A real branch of Taoism, whose name means "Way of Complete Perfection."
The Seven Immortals, students of Wang Chongyang, are in fact real historical figures:
Scarlet Sun Ma Yu, the oldest of the Immortals, teaches Guo Jing internal kung fu based on breathing techniques.
Eternal Truth Tan Chuduan was a blacksmith in the Sect's native province of Shandong before he became a Taoist monk.
Eternal Life Liu Chuxuan, third student of Wang Chongyang.
Eternal Spring Qiu Chuji befriends Ironheart Yang and Skyfury Guo at the beginning of the series and vows to protect their unborn offspring. To this end, he devises a martial contest with the Seven Freaks of the South. He becomes teacher to Yang Kang.
Jade Sun Wang Chuyi, the Iron Foot Immortal, befriends Guo Jing after hearing of Qiu Chuji's contest with the Seven Freaks of the South.
Infinite Peace Hao Datong, born to a wealthy family in Shandong.
Sage of Tranquility Sun Bu'er is the only female of the Sect. She was married to Ma Yu before they both found their spiritual calling.
Zhou Botong the Hoary Urchin, sworn brother and student of Wang Chongyang, is a lay member of the Quanzhen Sect and the martial uncle of the Seven Immortals.
Harmony Yin is one of Qiu Chuji's students. He first met Guo Jing on the Mongolian steppe when he was sent by his Master to test Guo Jing's developing martial skills.
THE BEGGAR CLAN
The Beggar Clan is a fictional group that has appeared in countless works of martial-arts literature. Despite having members all over China, its strength lies mostly in the north—in territories already annexed by the Jin Empire at the beginning of this novel.
Beneath the Chief, who at the start of this volume is Lotus Huang, following Count Seven Hong's injury, are the three Elders, each in charge of Clan affairs in a different part of China: Surefoot Lu, Elder of the West; Jian, Elder of the East; and Elder Liang. The fourth Elder, Peng, was demoted for plotting against his new Chief, Lotus Huang.
IRON PALM GANG
Led by Iron Palm Water Glider Qiu Qianren, the Iron Palm Gang are known for their greed and willingness to collaborate with the enemy for strategic gain. Despite his terrible moral reputation, Qiu is regarded as a great fighter. And yet, others suspect these skills to be nothing more than a result of sleight of hand and treachery. Little do they know that Qiu has a twin brother, Qiu Qianzhang, who is an inveterate trickster.
THE INHABITANTS OF PEACH SPRING
Reverend Sole Light lives atop a mountain near Peach Spring, with his four disciples—the fisher, the logger, the farmer and the scholar—and his martial brother, who is visiting from Sindhu, which we know today as the Asian subcontinent. One of his serving men, Old Yang, lives in Peach Spring and brings food and other essentials to Madam Ying the Supreme Reckoner, who dwells in a swamp not far away.