Translated by Moinllieon The story was set in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and at the beginning of the Jurchens' invasion of northern China. The first part of the novel revolved around the friendship of two young men, Yang Tiexin (楊鐵心) and Guo Xiaotian (郭嘯天), who became heroes in their own right as they fought the invading Jin soldiers. The bond between the duo was so strong that they swore to each other their unborn children would become either sworn brothers (if both were of the same gender) or be married (if they were of opposite genders). The story focuses on the trials and tribulations of their sons following Guo Xiaotian's death and Yang Tiexin's disappearance. Guo Jing (郭靖), Guo Xiaotian's son, grew up in Mongolia, under the care of Genghis Khan. Yang Kang (楊康), on the other hand, grew up in the Jin Empire as the foster son of Prince Wanyan Honglie (完顏洪烈). Guo was mentored by the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan (江南七怪) in martial arts but he was a slow learner and only managed to master part of the skills he was taught. Yang was mentored by Qiu Chuji (丘處機) of the Quanzhen Sect (全真教). The boys' personalities were completely opposite of each other due to the different ways they were raised. Guo Jing was honest, loyal and righteous but he lacked intelligence. On the contrary, Yang Kang was deceiving, scheming and treacherous. The duo eventually met each other and the loves of their lives; Huang Rong (黃蓉) and Mu Nianci (穆念慈) respectively. The main plot develops with Guo Jing's adventures together with Huang Rong and their encounters with the Five Greats (五絕). Meanwhile, Yang Kang was plotting with Wanyan Honglie to destroy his native kingdom of Song. He had refused to acknowledge his ethnicity and was strongly tempted by wealth, fame and glory. His treachery was slowly unveiled throughout the novel and the encounters he had with Guo Jing and Huang Rong. Eventually, the Jin Empire was destroyed by Mongolia and Mongolia turned its attention towards the Song Empire. Guo Jing was unwilling to assist Mongolia in conquering his native kingdom of Song so he decided to leave Mongolia for good and return to Song and help his fellow countrymen counter the subsequent Mongolian invasion of Song in the sequel. Yang Kang met his retributive end, but he left behind his lover Mu Nianci and their unborn son Yang Guo (楊過), who would become the protagonist of the sequel novel.
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