One of the oldest legends talk 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 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, there were 3 Gu that came up to him and said, "As
long as you use your life to provide us, we will help you through
this difficulty." Ren Zu had nowhere to go, so he could only agree to o these 3 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 heal and be 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 over this lesson bitterly and decided to give his
prime middle years to the most beautiful Guamong 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 was he 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 do not last and Ren Zu was old, and would only
grow older and older. This is because he gave away his youth and
middle years to keep the strength 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 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 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 would immediately end. Even
though I am surrounded by Predicaments right now, but I will not
die immediately. 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 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
ht. 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.