The Sword Rises in the Laughing, Proud Wanderer, Martial Might Shakes All Worlds!

I read a few fanfictions of *The Smiling, Proud Wanderer*, and they disgusted me so much I had to give up. In the original story, Linghu Chong, having learned the Dugu Nine Swords, could blind over a dozen people simultaneously with a single "Breaking Arrow" move, even without internal energy. But the protagonist in these fanfictions, after learning the Dugu Nine Swords, just hacks and slashes at his enemies!

The writing is decent, but the protagonist is indeed unlikable. There are too many selfish people in reality, and then the protagonist in this novel is just like that. It's quite disappointing. Personally, I prefer protagonists who have principles but aren't rigid, who are decisive but not arrogant, and who have lofty goals but aren't delusional.

The main character's personality is quite annoying. He pretended to know the Zixia Divine Skill in front of Yue Buqun. In the original work, Yue Buqun also pretended to recruit Lin Pingzhi into Mount Hua in order to obtain the Evil-Slaying Sword Technique. No wonder the protagonist is so fond of Yue Buqun; the two are practically identical. 🤫

Jin Yong's original intention is unknown. However, logically speaking, Lao Yue couldn't possibly be a bad guy from the start; his wife, with whom he lived day and night, described him as a true gentleman. Compared to Baoqiang, whose wife Ma Rong is virtually undetectable, Lao Yue was already over 60 when he appeared.

The most disgusting thing about The Return of the Condor Heroes is that Zhou Botong slept with another man's woman and then made that man expend all his energy to save his son, even causing the emperor to become a monk. It's utterly disgusting.

Regarding the assessment of *The Smiling, Proud Wanderer*, I only agree with one point: "A laughable tale without chivalry." Throughout the entire novel, aside from a few female characters, there isn't a single good one. And forget about the early and later developments, and don't offer any justifications for the characters' transformations into villains.

Many people believe that Yue Buqun in Jin Yong's *The Smiling, Proud Wanderer* was a gentleman in the early stages but later turned evil. That's not true. He coveted the Evil-Slaying Sword Manual from the very beginning. Yue Buqun is a true villain, just hidden in a way that most people don't know. I've read the original *The Smiling, Proud Wanderer* at least five times.

Before Yue Buqun turned evil, he was actually quite decent. Whether his twenty years of being a gentleman were genuine or not, as the saying goes, time reveals all. Isn't twenty years enough? The Yue family deserves to be treated kindly. The most disgusting one is Linghu Chong; he's a complete ingrate. Either kill him, or strip him of his martial arts and expel him from the sect. Only then can we vent our anger.

I don't understand why you're hanging out with Qu Yang and Qu Feiyan. Aren't you just another Linghu Chong? And Ren Yingying treated you so badly, yet you didn't kill her. You're such a simp!

I followed it all the way to chapter 19 in one go. The overall pacing and character development were very stable, with almost no jarring moments that would take you out of the story. It was a very comfortable read. Hopefully, Linghu Chong won't turn to the dark side later on. Since the protagonist has such "extraordinary talent" and his cultivation level keeps rising, his mind and outlook should also broaden accordingly.