Zhou Botong

Zhou Botong makes his first appearance when the protagonist, Guo Jing, visits Peach Blossom Island, where Zhou Botong has been trapped for 15 years in the midst of a conflict with the island's master, Huang Yaoshi.[2] He meets Guo Jing by chance, tells him about the history of the jianghu (martial artists' community) and the highly coveted martial arts book Nine Yin Manual. He becomes sworn brothers with Guo Jing and teaches him two of his skills, the Seventy-two Styles Vacant Fist and Technique of Ambidexterity, and makes Guo Jing memorise part of the Nine Yin Manual. With the help of Guo Jing and Huang Yaoshi's daughter Huang Rong, Zhou Botong resolves his conflict with Huang Yaoshi, and leaves the island with them.

Towards the end of the novel, it is revealed that Zhou Botong had a secret affair with Duan Zhixing's concubine, Liu Ying, and had impregnated her. However, he broke up with her without knowing about her pregnancy after Wang Chongyang forced him to. Liu Ying gave birth to an unnamed son, who was murdered by a masked Qiu Qianren. When Zhou Botong finds out the truth from Liu Ying, he runs away and disappears to avoid dealing with this troubling matter.

Zhou Botong makes brief appearances in the second novel. He meets Xiaolongnü by chance and teaches her the Technique of Ambidexterity when both of them are trapped in a cave by the villain, Jinlun Guoshi. In return, Xiaolongnü teaches him how to control the jade bees and cures him after he is poisoned by Jinlun Guoshi's ice spiders.

Later, with help from the protagonist Yang Guo, Zhou Botong meets Liu Ying, Duan Zhixing and Qiu Qianren again. He forgives a dying Qiu Qianren for killing his infant son, and reconciles his past differences with Liu Ying and Duan Zhixing. He also briefly participates in the Battle of Xiangyang against Mongol invaders.