The Five Younger Gallants

[3] While scholars generally agree that Shi Yukun was the genius behind the original novel (even though he most likely died before 1879), how much he contributed to The Five Younger Gallants and its sequel if at all, is unknown.

[4] The editors did not deny that the two novels had different origins: According to Shi Duo's preface, his unnamed friend who was an acquaintance with an unnamed disciple of Shi Yukun brought him the original draft by Shi Yukun, with "over three hundred chapters, was bound in seventy or eighty volumes, contained over three thousand episodes in three major parts", which he acquired "without begrudging the great cost".

[5] "Captivated-Wind Daoist" in his preface hinted that the 1879 novel was not authentic as it was noticeably different from the "original draft" he received.

It seems likely that both sequels might be by the same author but edited by different hands, resulting in this discrepancy in style.One of the prefaces, dated "the first month of winter of 1890", suggestively includes the name Boyin (伯寅), Pan Zuyin's courtesy name, but as Pan died on December 11, 1890, it was unlikely his work.

[7] In addition, Bai Yunsheng appears in the 1970 Hong Kong film The Winged Tiger.