Part 1: Strength, Wisdom and Hope

One of the oldest legends talks about the Hope Gu. In the legend, when the world was just formed, it was a land of savage wilderness. Among the wild beasts that walked the earth, the first man appeared. He was known as Ren Zu, eating raw meat, and drinking blood, living a difficult life. In particular, there was a group of wild beasts called Predicament. These wild beasts loved the taste of Ren Zu and longed to eat him. Ren Zu did not have a body as strong as mountain rock, nor did he have the sharp teeth and claws of a wild beast. How could he fight with the Predicaments? His source of food was unstable, and he had to hide all day. He was at the bottom of nature’s food chain and could barely survive. At this moment, three Gu came up to him and said, “As long as you use your life to provide for us, we will help you through this difficulty.” Ren Zu had nowhere to go, so he could only agree to these three Gu. He first gave his youth away to the biggest Gu among the three. That Gu then granted him strength. With strength, Ren Zu’s life began to change. He started to have a stable source of food and was able to protect himself. He fought bravely and ruthlessly, defeating many Predicaments. But soon he suffered and finally realized that strength was not everything. It needed to be healed and cultivated, not spent freely at his will. Not to mention when facing the entire group of Predicaments, his strength alone was too small. Ren Zu reflected on this lesson bitterly and decided to give his prime middle years to the most beautiful Gu among the three. And thus, the second Gu gave him wisdom. With wisdom, Ren Zu was able to learn how to think and reflect. He began to accumulate experience and found out that many times when he used wisdom, it was more effective than using strength. By relying on wisdom and strength, he was able to conquer all the goals that he formerly could not and killed many Predicaments. He ate the meat of Predicaments and drank the blood of Predicaments, surviving with tenacity. But good things would not last, as Ren Zu became old and would only grow

older and older. This is because he gave away his youth and middle years to keep the Strength Gu and Wisdom Gu. When a man is old, his muscles deteriorate, and his brain slows down. “Human, what else can you give us? You don’t have anything else left to provide to us,” the Strength Gu and Wisdom Gu said as they realized this. They left him. Without wisdom and strength, Ren Zu was once surrounded by Predicaments. He was old and could not run; his teeth had fallen out and could not even chew wild fruits and plants. As he fell weakly onto the ground surrounded by Predicaments, his heart was filled with desperation. It was at this time the third Gu said to him, “Human, take me up. I will help you escape Predicament.” Ren Zu tearfully replied, “Gu, I don’t have anything else left. See, the Strength Gu and Wisdom Gu have abandoned me. I only have my old age left! While it is not as worth my youth and middle age, but if I give you my old age, my life will immediately end. Even though I am surrounded by Predicaments right now, I wish to live a little longer, even if just a second more. So you should leave. I have nothing else to provide to you.” But the Gu said, “Among the three I have the smallest needs. Human, if you just give me your heart, it will be enough.” “Then I will give you my heart,” Ren Zu said. “But Gu, what can you give me in return? In this situation, even if the Strength Gu and Wisdom Gu returned to my side, it would change nothing.” When compared to the Strength Gu, this Gu looked frail and was just a tiny ball of light. When compared to the Wisdom Gu, this one was only able to give out a dim white light, not beautiful in any way. But when Ren Zu gave it his heart, this Gu suddenly gave out endless light. In this light, the Predicaments screamed in horror, “This is the Hope Gu, withdraw! We Predicaments are most afraid of hope!”

The Predicaments retreated suddenly. Ren Zu was speechless, and from that day onwards whenever he faced Predicament, he would give his heart to hope.