Hope Gu

During the Gu Yue clan Awakening Ceremony on Qing Mao Mountain, Fang Yuan names the light dots rising from the flower sea as Hope Gu. Each spot of light is one Gu. After they enter the body, pressure from the spirit spring drives them to gather in the abdomen. ^{ch. 5}

Appearance

Every spot of light is one Hope Gu: little lights and dots of light that rise from the flower sea, envelop a body, and enter it. In the Ren Zu legend it is frail, only a tiny ball of light, and gives out a dim white light that is not beautiful beside Wisdom Gu. ^{ch. 5} When Fang Zheng walks the ceremony path, his body is bathed in Hope Gu’s pure white light. ^{ch. 181}

Awakening the aperture

In that ceremony the Hope Gu gather in the abdomen, three inches under the navel, into a ball of light. When the ball bursts, an aperture forms. ^{ch. 5} After the burst, a thin membrane of that light remains on the aperture and supports it so it will not collapse. Once the aperture is open, no more Hope Gu enter. ^{ch. 6}

How far a youth walks while taking in Hope Gu is the clan’s talent signal. Fang Yuan states the step bands used there: below 10 steps means no cultivation talent, 10 to 20 is D grade, 20 to 30 is C grade, 30 to 40 is B grade, and 40 to 50 is A grade. ^{ch. 5} Later replay of the same ceremony again shows Hope Gu light rising and falling around the youths, and notes that a substance on the skin can attract Hope Gu and fake a stronger result. ^{ch. 180}

More broadly, humans can awaken their aperture through hope Gu. ^{ch. 498} Mortals outside clan ceremony can still open an aperture by encountering Hope Gu in the wild. ^{ch. 74} Western Desert awakening uses wild hope Gu living in reeds around an oasis pond; that region and Southern Border both use hope Gu to awaken the aperture, with a similar process. ^{ch. 1491}

In the Ren Zu legend

The Ren Zu legend behind the name is among the oldest recorded. When Strength Gu and Wisdom Gu abandon aged Ren Zu, the third Gu asks only for his heart. After he gives it, that Gu blazes with light, the Predicaments name it the Hope Gu and flee, and from then on Ren Zu meets predicament by giving his heart to hope. ^{ch. 5}

A later telling keeps Hope Gu living in Ren Zu’s heart. It urges him to catch Longevity Gu and points him to a pair of round and square Gu on a mountain that can subdue any Gu if he masters them. Ren Zu guesses names in the dark; when he refuses to abandon hope, Hope Gu’s light covers his chest and feeds him strength to keep guessing. Only after he names them do the two Gu appear as Rules and Regulations. ^{ch. 38} Still later, courage Gu and hope Gu are good companions, and Ren Zu sees courage Gu because he already has hope Gu. ^{ch. 410}

Bought as Immortal Gu feed

Human path reading

An aperture for Ren Zu