The story follows a case of mistaken identity involving a pair of identical brothers. In the afterword,
Jin Yong acknowledges that the story resembles some of the works of
William Shakespeare (
cf. Twelfth Night and
The Comedy of Errors). The protagonist, who refers to himself as "Gouzazhong" (literally "
mongrel"; a
colloquialism for "
bastard"), first appears as a young beggar roaming the streets of
Kaifeng in search of his lost mother. He witnesses a fight between several notable figures in the
wulin and meets the Shi couple and members of the Snowy Mountain Sect. An accident causes him to be taken away by Xie Yanke, an eccentric martial artist, to a secluded location on Sky-Scraping Cliff. Xie Yanke, who is frequently bothered by Gouzazhong, decides to teach him martial arts. Gouzazhong learns
neigong cultivation techniques under Xie Yanke's tutelage for six years. He is unaware that Xie actually harbours ill intentions and has been deliberately teaching him the techniques wrongly in the hope that he will end up in a
zouhuorumo state and eventually die. At the same time, the leader of the Changle Clan, Shi Zhongyu, mysteriously disappears. The greater part of the novel deals with the complications that arise when Gouzhazhong is mistaken for Shi Zhongyu, not only by members of the Changle Clan (for ulterior motives), by also by Shi Zhongyu's parents, Shi Zhongyu's lover Ding Dang, and members of the Snowy Mountain Sect. Although the two bear a spitting resemblance, their characters cannot be more different: Gouzhazhong is simple, honest and clever; Shi Zhongyu, the son of the Shi couple, has a bad reputation for being a lewd and sly womaniser. Gouzhazhong acquires consummate combat skills in the process. He is hounded by members of the Snowy Mountain Sect who mistake him for Shi Zhongyu, who had molested Axiu, the granddaughter of the Snowy Mountain Sect's leader. He acquires Axiu as his girlfriend after various incidents, during which their misunderstandings are gradually resolved. The novel culminates in an episode when the leaders of various sects are coerced into visiting a secluded island by a pair of mysterious, highly skilled messengers to celebrate the
Laba Festival. The story then leads to a surprising conclusion: revelations on the island and more revelations concerning Gouzhazhong's true parentage. == Characters ==