Bou Keng Wan

Infobox comics character
character_name = Bou Keng Wan
步驚雲


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publisher =
debut = Fung Wan
creators = Ma Wing Shing
alter_ego =
full_name =
species =
homeworld =
alliances =
partners =
supports =
aliases = Fok Keng Gok (霍驚覺)
Cloud
powers = The Peerless Sword (無雙劍) (weapon)
The Ultimate Superior Sword (絕世好劍) (weapon)
Mo Hor Mou Liong (摩訶無量)
Cloud Palm Stance (排雲掌法)
Fok Family Sword Stance (霍家劍法)
Bei Tong Mok Ming (痛悲莫名)
Sword 22 (劍廿二)
"Ba" Sword ("云十" 劍)

Bou Keng Wan (zh-tsp|t=步驚雲|s=步惊云|p=Bù Jīng Yún) or more conveniently known as Cloud is one of the two main characters in the popular Fung Wan comic series. Unlike Wind, he is almost non-diplomatic. He has empathy only to those he cares about:
* Deceased stepfather - Fok Bou Tin (霍步天)
* Son - Bou Tin (步天) [presumably named after his stepfather]
* Deceased wife and daughter
* Master, Nameless
* Fellow apprentices of Hung Ba - Frost and Wind
* Deceased first love, Charity (actually a servant of Hung Ba in the comics rather than the daughter, as depicted in the film The Storm Riders)
* Deceased second love, Chor Chor (Chǔ Chǔ)but he rarely shows them. Cloud is a man who is cold on the outside but passionate on the inside. For this reason, Cloud was frequently perceived by others as a cruel and cold-hearted man. Being one of the best and most feared fighter in the martial world, he specialises in using palm and sword to fight.

Cloud was one of first people who absorbed the Dragon Pill (龍元). Both he and Wind managed to obtain one Dragon Pill each. Cloud gave his Dragon Pill to save Po Kuan's life after seeing the dying menace turn over a new leaf. The first duel with arch villain Dai Seik Tin saw Cloud doing a kamikaze to save his master, friends and family. Wind carried the fatally injured Cloud to a cave. At the same time, Wind's daughter was also facing death after being hit by Dai Seik Tin's men. However, Wind chose to give his Dragon Pill to Cloud.

Cloud loathes Hung Ba (雄霸) for killing his stepfather. Thus he planned to get as close as possible to Hung Ba for revenge. Fate has it that half a prophecy made by Mud Buddha (that Hung Ba will conquer the martial world with the help of Wind and Cloud) prompted Hung Ba to take Cloud as apprentice together with Wind. The other half of the prophecy actually predicted the downfall of Hung Ba by the same people who helped Hung Ba rise.

Cloud was played by Aaron Kwok in the 1998 film "The Storm Riders".

Childhood

His father was a blacksmith. When Cloud was very young, his father left the family in search of the special black steel that was supposedly required to make the Ultimate Superior Sword (絕世好劍). His mother thought he was a mute, because Cloud did not utter a single word since birth until he was about 8 years old.

Due to the absence of her husband and living with a silent son, Cloud's mother lived a very annoyed life. As a result, she always vented her anger towards Cloud and never showed much motherly love to him. Things started to worsen when his father died in his quest. When his father's body was sent back, Cloud did not shed a tear. Thinking that Cloud is a heartless son, his mother began to hate him.

His mother then remarried into the Fok family. Cloud first found the warmth of humanity as his stepfather, Fok Bou Tin (霍步天), loved him as his own son and taught him the Fok Sword stance. Not long after that, Fok Bou Tin angered the most powerful martial lord, Hung Ba, master of the Tin Ha clan. As a result, Hung Ba sent 2 assassins to annihilate the Fok family. Hiding in a corner and not showing any fear or sadness, the two assassins did not expect Cloud to be a member of the Fok family and thus spared his life at first. Just when they were about to leave, Cloud lunged out and killed one of the assassins. The remaining assassin retaliated and was about to kill Cloud when Nameless passed by with his young disciple Kim Sun. Cloud was rescued and sheltered at Nameless's place.

After Cloud was refused discipleship by Nameless, he ran away and fought his way to become a member of Hung Ba's Tin Ha Wui. Cloud planned to get as close to Hung Ba as possible so that he could murder Hung Ba someday.

Hung Ba ordered the young Cloud to snatch two of the best weapons of the time, the Blizzard Sabre owned by Nip Yan Wong and the Fire Kirin Sword owned by Duen Sui. Hiding nearby with two servants, Cloud observed the duel between Wind and Duen Long's fathers. Cloud then surprised the duellists by taking Duen Long hostage to force Duen Sui to hand over the Fire Kirin sword. Chaos ensued and the Fire Kirin beast appeared on the scene. The end results were:
* Both Cloud's servants were killed
* Nip Yan Wong and Duen Sui disappeared into the nearby caverns
* Wind and Duen Long fell into the river
* Cloud got a severe shock (from witnessing the Fire Kirin beast)

Teenage years

Cloud was Hung Ba's strongest disciple in terms of martial skills. During his teenage years, he had already achieved 80% of Hung Ba's Cloud Palm stance, fueling it with his sorrows and hatred. He successfully executed many of Hung Ba's tasks without questioning.

Thirsting for love, Cloud had a crush on girl servant Charity. After Charity was married to Frost, Cloud began to have affair with her. The morally just Wind knew about this and frequently reprimanded Cloud. As a result, there were deep misunderstandings and frictions between Cloud and Wind. Unknowingly, it was all part of Hung Ba's plans to disunite his three disciples.

Hung Ba only taught Cloud 11 out of the 12 Cloud Palm stances. However, Cloud learned it in secret after witnessing Hung Ba use the 12th stance (and the strongest stance) on innocent women and children.

Cloud was caught in the act having an affair with Charity one day. Wanting to kill off the eye witness, he duelled with Wind but ended up killing Charity (who took Cloud's blow on behalf of Wind). After refusing to accept Charity's revelations that she loved Wind the most, Cloud fled with Charity's body and became a fugitive.

Wind and Cloud Unite

Though the death of Charity had put a rift between them, Wind and Cloud guided by the planning of their elder martial brother Frost, united against Hung Ba. Wind and Cloud were forced to combine their strength, using Winds speed and Clouds strength. For a moment it would appear that they had their former master beaten. Unfortunately the duo's attack was interrupted by one of Hung Ba's allies. During the confrontation with their former master Wind lost his eye and Cloud lost all use of his left arm. Though they were defeated it proved one fact: that together Wind and Cloud are a nearly unstoppable force.

Current Events

Believing himself to be descending into the twilight of his life, Cloud decided to make one final impact on the martial arts world by forming a new clan under his own name -- Keng Wan Dou (驚雲道). Under his leadership, the clan made itself known throughout China by quickly and efficiently dominating established groups (including the notorious Infallible Blue Gates, formerly led by Lan Wu, the son of his former rival, Duen Long). Members of this clan include Wei Mek, who had retired years ago but became convinced by Cloud to aid him in his efforts. Due to the use of questionable tactics to merge the martial arts world into one unified umbrella, many fighters who had previously respected Cloud for his legendary status have become suspect of his motives -- to the point of comparing him to the former tyrant, Hung Ba.

It is still unknown what Cloud hopes to truly achieve with this new direction.

Criticism

Some fans have criticized Wing Shing Ma's writing for favoring Cloud and Wind over other characters. By making them look good and other characters simply look bad and stupid.