Guo Jing's father, Guo Xiaotian, was originally from
Shandong before he settled in Niu Family Village on the outskirts of
Lin'an Prefecture (present-day
Hangzhou), the capital of the
Song Empire. He was killed by soldiers during a raid on the village. His wife, Li Ping, who was pregnant with Guo Jing then, fled north and eventually settled in Mongolia, where Guo Jing was born. Guo Jing and his mother later join
Genghis Khan's tribe. The boy grows up under the Khan's care, becomes
anda (sworn brothers) with the Khan's fourth son
Tolui, and shows his loyalty to the Khan by fending off his enemies. In return, the Khan sees Guo Jing like a son and betroths his daughter, Huazheng, to him. At the age of 18, Guo Jing leaves for the Song Empire to meet
Yang Kang for a martial arts contest arranged before his birth by his masters, the "Seven Freaks of Jiangnan", and the
Quanzhen priest
Qiu Chuji. During this time, he encounters some of the five most powerful martial artists in the
wulin and learns from them. Through his experiences, he matures into a loyal, upright young hero with formidable fighting skills and a capable military leader. He also meets
Huang Rong, whom he goes on adventures with and eventually marries. Following his adventures in China, he returns to Mongolia and participates in the
Mongol campaign against the
Khwarezmid Empire. Upon learning that the Mongols are planning to invade the Song Empire, he plans to leave Mongolia with his mother, but they are discovered. After his mother commits suicide to remind him that his loyalty should be with the Song Empire, he flees and only returns to see the Khan one last time before the Khan's death. In
The Return of the Condor Heroes, set several years after the first novel, the adult Guo Jing has become a prominent figure in the
wulin and a highly-regarded hero in the Song Empire for his efforts in protecting the city of
Xiangyang from Mongol invaders. He also serves as a mentor figure to Yang Kang's son
Yang Guo, hoping to guide the boy towards the path of goodness and redeem his family's honour. He and Huang Rong also have three children: elder daughter Guo Fu, and the twins Guo Xiang and Guo Polu. It is revealed in
The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber that all the Guos except Guo Xiang were killed during the
Battle of Xiangyang. Guo Xiang continued roaming the
wulin as a
knight-errant fighting injustice and helping the poor before eventually founding the
Emei Sect. == Character description ==