Yun Zhonghe

Yun Zhonghe, known as “Extreme Ferocity Utmost Evil,” is one of the Four Evils, and his brief appearance at Little Mirror Lake makes the cost of his earlier encounter with Xiao Feng visible: he survived a near-fatal defeat, but his martial arts have not recovered. He returns to the company of Duan Yanqing, Ye Erniang, and Yue the Third as a diminished fighter whose fear of Xiao Feng helps expose the larger danger gathering around Duan Zhengchun.

Identity and Condition

Yun Zhonghe is a tall, thin member of the Four Evils. When Ba Tianshi discovers him concealed in a tree, he is already a known adversary: Xiao Feng’s palm strike at Juxian Manor had left him seriously injured and close to death. He had recovered only with great difficulty, and his skills had deteriorated substantially in the process.

The loss is measurable in comparison with an earlier contest. In Dali, Yun Zhonghe had competed with Ba Tianshi in lightness skill, and the two had been nearly evenly matched. Now Ba Tianshi can judge the change simply by hearing him climb the tree: Yun Zhonghe’s movements no longer have their former ability. His concealment fails before a fight begins, and the exposure turns his weakened condition into immediate danger.

Encounter at Little Mirror Lake

Ba Tianshi calls Yun Zhonghe down by striking a tree; a branch breaks, and Yun Zhonghe falls with it. The challenge is both a public recognition of an old acquaintance and a blunt demonstration that his hiding place offers no protection. Once he sees Xiao Feng, Yun Zhonghe turns and runs toward three figures approaching along the lakeside path: Yue the Third, Ye Erniang, and their leader, Duan Yanqing.

The group’s arrival places Yun Zhonghe inside a dangerous confrontation. Duan Zhengchun recognizes Duan Yanqing as the most formidable threat among the newcomers, while the Dali attendants divide their forces to meet the attackers. Ba Tianshi is assigned to face his “old friend,” Yun Zhonghe; Fan Hua and Zhu Wanli advance against Ye Erniang. The arrangement turns Yun Zhonghe’s flight into a renewed engagement, this time with Ba Tianshi directly opposing him.

Fear, Reputation, and the Fight

Yun Zhonghe’s response to Xiao Feng is conspicuous: rather than remain to fight, he retreats toward his companions. Later, when Duan Yanqing asks Xiao Feng who he is and why he has interfered, Yun Zhonghe supplies the answer before Xiao Feng can speak. He identifies him as Qiao Feng, former chief of the Beggar Society, and reminds Duan Yanqing that his disciple Tan Qing died at Xiao Feng’s hands.

The identification changes the atmosphere around Xiao Feng. He had introduced himself to Duan Zhengchun and Fu Sigui only as Xiao Feng, a Khitan, so the Dali party had not recognized the renowned figure associated with the saying “North Qiao Feng, South Murong.” Yun Zhonghe’s announcement makes that reputation present at the lakeside: the listeners are astonished, then regard Xiao Feng as living up to his fame for chivalry and courage. For Duan Yanqing, the name also attaches a personal grievance to the immediate struggle, since Xiao Feng killed Tan Qing and has now obstructed his plans.

Relationships and Narrative Role

Yun Zhonghe is connected to the confrontation through both alliance and enmity. He belongs to Duan Yanqing’s group and calls him “Big bro,” while his recollection of Tan Qing gives Duan Yanqing a reason to challenge Xiao Feng. Yet Yun Zhonghe’s own history with Xiao Feng is already written in his injuries: the man whose presence makes him flee is also the one whose earlier palm attack nearly killed him.

His exchanges with Yue the Third bring a comic counterpoint to the danger. After Xiao Feng throws Yue the Third into the lake, Yue repeatedly surfaces to curse him, sinks again, and finally comes ashore still demanding to know the technique. Ye Erniang tells him to leave rather than make a fool of himself; Yue persists because he considers not knowing how he was thrown a burning shame. Yun Zhonghe is among those who have already gone far by the time Yue departs, and his withdrawal underscores the contrast between his instinct to escape Xiao Feng and Yue’s stubborn insistence on extracting an explanation.

Change and Significance

The episode gives Yun Zhonghe no recovery or victory. His reduced lightness skill is exposed, Ba Tianshi confronts him, and his part in the scene becomes the revelation of Xiao Feng’s identity and the old grievance surrounding Tan Qing. He remains a member of the Four Evils, but the encounter presents him as a survivor carrying the physical consequence of an earlier defeat rather than as an equal threat to Xiao Feng.

That diminished status also shapes the scene’s dramatic balance. Yun Zhonghe’s recognition of Xiao Feng makes the protagonist’s public reputation arrive before his own answer; the name transforms a clash over Duan Zhengchun into a meeting charged with fame, past violence, and revenge. Yun Zhonghe therefore serves as both a returning opponent and the voice that connects the present confrontation to the earlier battle at Juxian Manor.