Li Mochou

Li Mochou (zh-tsp|t=李莫愁|s=李莫愁|p=Lǐ Mòchóu) is a fictional character from the Chinese "wuxia" novel "The Return of the Condor Heroes" ("Shen Diao Xia Lü") by Jinyong.

Biography

* Family name: Li (李)
* Given name: Mochou(莫愁)
* Gender: Female
* Disciple: Hong Lingbo (洪淩波)

Her defense weapons and techniques

Palm of Divine Serpent

The "Palm of Divine Serpent" is a deadly technique that Li invented herself with essence of flame and contains venom extract from five most poisonous creature such as Centipede, Scorpion, Snake, Spider and Toad. Only by referring to The Manual of Five Venoms that Li experimented and documented could one purge the poison from victim's body.

ilver Needles of Freezing Soul

The "Silver Needles of Freezing Soul" is one of the techniques Li inherited during her training in Ancient Tomb. The frozen ice poison was carefully absorbed into the needles. If one merely touched, although not pricked, any part of the needle, his/her palm would immediately turn black — a sign of fatal poison

Fly Whisk

The "Fly Whisk" is an item that usually own by Taoist monks or nuns. This flexible technique too was inherited during her training in Ancient Tomb, which has specialized techniques using long, flexible weapons. Capable of drawing blood, breaking bones and causing internal injury as well as wrapping and removing the weapon of the opponent, it was one of her feared trademarks. However, she used it to fan the baby Guo Xiang-- the only nice thing she did with her whisk. In an English version of a TV series on KTSF 26, this weapon was called the "Horsetail Whisk".

Unparalleled Lightness of Ancient Tomb

This is the greatest technique of all the Ancient Tomb king fu.

Triple Non-existing Hands (三無三不手)

The "Triple Non-existing Hands" is a skill she invented herself which she used against Yang Guo once. Comprises extremely vicious and cruel strikes that aim at the softest, weakest parts of the body (including the nether regions).

Life

Li Mochou was the infamous third-generation disciple of Gumu Pai ("Ancient Tomb Sect", 古墓派) and was recruited by the young maid who became a Master herself after the death of Lin Chaoying (林朝英), founder of the Sect. Because she was the first disciple, she was senior to Xiaolongnü (小龍女), the chief protagonist of the novel.

In her younger days, Li Mochou met Lu Zhanyuan (陸展元) of the famous martial arts family, the House of Lu. Falling in love with him, she defied her master and left the Gumu Sect to be with him, resulting in her expulsion from the sect. However, Lu married He Yuanjun (何沅君) instead, and although Li Mochou attempted to break up their marriage, she was prevented by a powerful monk who made her put off her grudge for ten years. Swearing vengeance, she becomes a Taoist nun and became disdainful of love.

The novel began by describing how Li Mochou exacted vengeance on the Lu family some years after her lover Lu Zhanyuan and his wife died. After her act of murder, she kidnapped Lu Wushuang (陸無雙), Lu Zhanyuan's niece.

Li Mochou became infamous for her ferocious, merciless cruelty, which earned her the nickname of "Serpent Demon" (赤練蛇). But due to her beauty and her apparent youth, some people also referred to her as "Serpent Deity" (赤練仙子). With her fearsome and deadly "Palm of Divine Serpent" (赤練神掌), the "Silver Needles of Freezing Soul" (冰魄銀針) and "Fly Whisk" (塵拂), she became irrational in her killings, including anyone with the name Lu and He.

Although she is the one of the most powerful female characters at the beginning of the novel, she is no match for Huang Rong and later Xiaolongnu who mastered " Yu Nu Xin Jing" in the later part of the novel.

Li Mochou took in a disciple by the name of Hong Lingbo (洪淩波) whom she tasked to get the Jade Maiden Heart Manual of Gumu Pai (Yu Nü Xin Jing, 玉女心經). The plan failed when Xiaolongnü, with the help of Yang Guo (楊過), released a trap that would bury the tomb under the ground. Somehow Li and Hong managed to escape, and Li continued her vengeful ways.

Li's conflicted nature did not allow her to let go of her hate and desire for her Sect's prized martial arts secrets. She relentlessly pursued Xiaolongnü and Yang Guo for the manual but failed to lay her hands on it. Delirious from the Passion Flower, she finally meets her demise as she sees Lu's image in the fire at the Passionless Valley (絕情谷) and walks into the fire.

ee also

* Condor Trilogy
* List of characters in Condor Trilogy