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| The Smiling, Proud Wanderer | |
| Author | Jin Yong |
|---|---|
| Original title | 笑傲江湖 |
| Country | Hong Kong |
| Language | Chinese |
| Genre(s) | Wuxia |
| Publisher | Ming Pao |
| Publication date | 1967 |
The Smiling, Proud Wanderer (Chinese: 笑傲江湖; pinyin: Xiào Ào Jiāng Hú; Jyutping: Siu3 Ngou6 Gong1 Wu4) is a 1967 Chinese Wuxia novel by Louis Cha, who is better known as Jin Yong.
The term "Xiao Ao Jiang Hu" (笑傲江湖), literally translated as Laughing Proudly in the Jianghu, means to live a carefree life in a mundane world of strife. An alternative English name is State of Divinity. The book is known by both translations in English.[citation needed] The book has been adapted to films, in the form of The Swordsman (starring Sam Hui) and Swordsman II (starring Jet Li) (whose Chinese titles both refer to the title of the novel).
Contents |
Background
The plot revolves around the themes of friendship, love, deception, betrayal, ambition and lust for power. In the middle of it all is the protagonist Linghu Chong, a student of Yue Buqun of the Huashan Sect. The plot takes readers through his journey and development into a formidable swordsman and his witness to the various intrigues which take place in the Jianghu in the story.
The plot’s development is primarily based on with a legendary swordplay manual and how the characters are linked to it. Legend has it that there is a martial arts manuscript ‘Bixie Swordplay’ Manual in the Lin Family, which when mastered will give the person god-like speed and power. Many people lusted after this manuscript, including Zuo Lengchan, the leader of Songshan Sect and leader of the Five Mountains Sects Alliance, Yue Buqun, and Yu Canghai, leader of Qingcheng Sect.
Historical background
Unlike most other novels by Jin Yong in which the historical timeframes are explicitly mentioned, the historical setting of the novel is less obvious. The following factors suggest that the events of the novel took place during the Ming Dynasty.
- In The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber (倚天屠龍記), it was mentioned that Zhu Yuanzhang betrayed the Ming Cult (明教) and founded the Ming Dynasty towards the end of the novel. It was highly possible that he persecuted the Ming Cult after he ascended to the throne, forcing the Ming Cult to be renamed to Sun Moon Holy Sect (日月神教), as in The Smiling, Proud Wanderer. The Ming Cult was formerly better known as the ‘Demonic Cult’ (魔教) to pugilists, and so was the Sun Moon Holy Sect in The Smiling, Proud Wanderer. A dialogue in The Smiling, Proud Wanderer also contained the words ‘Zhu Yuanzhang was also a monk.’
- In The Deer and the Cauldron (鹿鼎記), set during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor, the head abbot of Shaolin Monastery mentioned to Wei Xiaobao about a hero named Linghu Chong who lived long ago.
- There was a military officer named Wu Tiande in The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, whose rank was ‘Can Jiang’ (参将). This rank was only used during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
- In The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber (倚天屠龍記), it was mentioned that the Wudang Sect was founded in the early years of the Yuan Dynasty by Zhang Sanfeng. In The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, the Wudang Sect had become one of the leading sects in the Jianghu and the Tai Chi Swordplay (太極劍法), created by Zhang Sanfeng, was practised by Wudang’s students.
- In the movies The Swordsman and Swordsman II, it was mentioned that it took place during the reign of the Wanli Emperor.
Themes
The Smiling, Proud Wanderer was intentionally written as a reflection of politicians. In 1980, Jin Yong commented that he did not include any historical setting in this novel to show that these colourful people appear in every era. Furthermore, he pictured the novel's characters as politicians rather than the leaders of martial art sects. Jinyong had also noted that The Smiling, Proud Wanderer was written during the time of the Cultural Revolution of China. The characters such as Lin Pingzhi and Fang Zheng were representative of actual politicians who lived during that time.
The Smiling, Proud Wanderer also contained elements of The Count of Monte Cristo written by French writer Alexandre Dumas, who was one of Jin Yong’s favourite authors. Linghu Chong’s encounters with the recluse swordsman Feng Qingyang and the imprisoned Ren Woxing were similar to Edmond Dantes’s encounter with Father Faria. Yue Buqun’s evil schemes, Lin Pingzhi’s revenge and Yue Lingshan’s marriage were similar to certain parts of Dumas’s novel.
Plot
The origins
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It has been suggested that this section be split into a new article entitled The Sunflower Manual. (Discuss) |
The Sunflower Manual (葵花寶典) was said to be written by a eunuch from the imperial palace and was first discovered by two fellow disciple brothers from the Huashan Sect (華山派) named Yue Su (岳肅) and Cai Zifeng (蔡子峰) during a visit to Shaolin Monastery. In an attempt to copy the manual, each of them read half of it and memorized his part before returning to Huashan. When they tried to compile their parts, they found it to be incomprehensible. Each of them believed his memory and interpretation of the manual was better, but neither could come up with something substantial. Subsequently, Yue Su and Cai Zifeng became rivals and gave rise to the split of the Huashan Sect into the Qi (氣宗) and Sword factions (劍宗), respectively headed by them.
The head abbot of Shaolin Monastery recognised the evil nature and inherent dangers of practising the Sunflower Manual’s martial arts. He sent a monk named Du Yuan (渡元) to act as a mediator between the two factions and dissuade them from practising the Sunflower Manual’s martial arts. The two rivals apologised for their folly and requested Du Yuan’s help in understanding the manual better. Du Yuan was able to make logical conclusions from Yue Su and Cai Zifeng’s recollections of the manual, and eventually compiled a comprehensible version of the Sunflower Manual, which later fell into the hands of the Sun Moon Holy Sect (日月神教) when they raided Huashan.
At the same time, Du Yuan had gradually became extremely obsessed with the manual itself and his mind was totally corrupted by it. He secretly created his own copy of the manual on his cassock and renounced his vows as a monk, returning to a secular life and assuming his former name Lin Yuantu (林遠圖). The manual which he secretly copied became a swordplay manual known as the Bi Xie Swordplay Manual (辟邪劍譜) which bore some similarities to the original Sunflower Manual, such as requiring one to castrate himself before practicing the martial arts within the manual. Although these two martial arts manuals detail powerful martial arts, they are merely small sections of the original Sunflower Manual, so one can expect the true power one can attain upon mastering the full Sunflower Manual.
Plot Synopsis
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The plot summary in this article is too long or detailed compared to the rest of the content. Please edit the article to focus on discussing the work rather than merely reiterating the plot. (February 2009) |
- Lin Yuantu (林遠圖) created the ‘Bi Xie Swordplay’ (辟邪劍法), which made him a prominent martial artist in the Wulin and founded the Fu Wei Escort Agency (福威鏢局). However, after his death, his descendants were incompetent and many were eyeing the ‘Bi Xie Swordplay’ manual of the Lin Family. At the beginning of the novel, Lin Pingzhi (林平之), the son of Lin Zhennan (林鎮南) and a descendant of Lin Yuantu, killed the son of Yu Canghai (余滄海) in a swordfight. Yu Canghai was the leader of the Qingcheng Sect (青城派) and he had been eyeing the ‘Bi Xie Swordplay’ manual for a long time so he massacred the Lin Family and destroyed their agency in the name of avenging his son. Lin Pingzhi survived and was accepted by Yue Buqun (岳不群) as a disciple of the Huashan Sect (華山派), where he aimed to train well in martial arts and avenge his parents one day.
- The main protagonist Linghu Chong (令狐沖), who was the eldest disciple of the Huashan Sect, was then introduced into the storyline as being a scruffy, happy-go-lucky, ruffian-like swordsman. He was involved in some skirmishes with the other sects for befriending the notorious lecherous bandit Tian Boguang (田伯光), but he had saved Yi Lin (儀琳), a young maiden of the (North) Hengshan Sect (恆山派) from being raped by Tian as well. Also, a major event was about to happen in the Wulin then; Liu Zhengfeng (劉正風) of the (South) Hengshan Sect (衡山派) had announced his retirement from the Jianghu and invited all pugilists and the various sects to witness the ceremony. However, the ceremony turned out to be a bloodbath when the Songshan Sect (嵩山派) members turned up, led by their leader Zuo Lengchan (左冷禪). Eventually, Liu Zhengfeng and his friend from the Sun Moon Holy Sect, Qu Yang (曲洋), committed suicide together after playing the famous music piece ‘Xiao Ao Jiang Hu’ (笑傲江湖) which they composed together one last time. Before their deaths, they passed on the music score to Linghu Chong.
- Meanwhile, Lin Pingzhi’s entrance into the Huashan Sect caused Linghu Chong to break up with his childhood playmate and first love interest Yue Lingshan (岳靈珊), who was the daughter of Yue Buqun. Yue Lingshan fell in love with the new member Lin Pingzhi, which caused Linghu Chong to fall out of love and become depressed. Linghu Chong’s carefree and reckless nature caused him to get into trouble time and time again, until his teacher Yue Buqun decided to punish him by making him stay in the backhill and reflect on his behavior for a year. Linghu Chong wandered around the backhill and by coincidence, he saw some swordplay techniques carvings in the cave and learnt them, becoming familiar with the swordplay techniques of the Five Mountains Alliance (五岳劍派). Linghu Chong also encountered the reclusive senior swordsman Feng Qingyang (風清揚), who taught him the ‘Nine Swords of Dugu’ (獨孤九劍), and henceforth Linghu Chong became a formidable swordsman.
- During that period of time, the Wulin was divided into two, comprising of self-proclaimed ‘righteous and orthodox’ sects such as the Shaolin, Wudang, Qingcheng and Five Mountains Alliance (Huashan, North Hengshan, South Hengshan, Songshan and Taishan) sects on the ‘good side’, while the ‘evil and unorthodox’ side was mainly dominated by the Sun Moon Holy Sect (日月神教) and a number of small unrecognized sects. The Five Mountains Alliance was in fact a loose alliance which existed only in name, as the Songshan Sect had been plotting to dominate the other four sects by calling for the alliance to consolidate power. Within the Huashan Sect, the sect was split into two factions (Sword and Qi) with the Qi Faction headed by Yue Buqun currently ruling the sect. Zuo Lengchan instigated the exiled members of the Sword Faction to return to Huashan and fight with the Qi Faction for control of the sect. Yue Buqun led his disciples out of Huashan to avoid disaster but fell into an ambush and was captured. Linghu Chong arrived to save his teacher and fellow students, blinding the fifteen enemies with his new swordplay techniques. However, he had also caused his teacher Yue Buqun to become seemingly envious and jealous of him as well since then, believing that Linghu Chong had mastered the Bi Xie Swordplay.
- Linghu Chong was severely wounded by the enemy during the battle and he encountered the Six Immortals of the Peach Valley (桃谷六仙) who attempted to cure his wounds in their weird fashion, but failed and only made Linghu Chong’s injuries worse. Linghu Chong followed Yue Buqun to Luoyang to meet Wang Yuanba (王元霸) of the Golden Saber Sect (金刀門), who was Lin Pingzhi’s maternal grandfather. Wang saw Linghu Chong’s ‘Xiao Ao Jiang Hu’ music score and mistook it for the ‘Bi Xie Swordplay’ Manual as the music score was too difficult for him to understand and decipher. Luckily, Linghu Chong managed to get out of the uneasy situation with the help of an old woman, the hermit Green Bamboo Old Man’s (綠竹翁) 'aunt', who lifted their suspicions on the music score. The old woman took pity on Linghu Chong’s plight and taught him to play a music piece called ‘Qing Xin Pu Shan Zhou’ (清心普善咒) to help him heal his wounds. Linghu Chong was relieved to be in caring hands after having fallen out of love with Yue Lingshan. When the time came for him to leave, he was quite unwilling and wanted to have a look at the old woman’s face (she wore a veil to cover her face) before he left but she refused.
- Along the journey, several weird and ‘unorthodox’ pugilists appeared and offered to help Linghu Chong cure his injuries, showing great respect for him but not Yue Buqun. Yue Buqun became suspicious of Linghu Chong, thinking that he was in cahoots with unorthodox and evil sects that he abandoned Linghu Chong and left in anger. Linghu Chong was stranded and despaired. His spirits lifted when he met the old woman again and he was in the midst of a conversation with her when some Shaolin members appeared, claiming that they were there to eliminate the evil and unorthodox pugilists gathered there. Linghu Chong fought with them to protect her but he was his wounds became more serious. Unexpectedly, the old woman lifted her veil and revealed herself to be a beautiful young maiden actually, by the name of Ren Yingying (任盈盈). They fell in love with each other, but Linghu Chong was still quite suspicious of her.
- One day, Linghu Chong fell into unconsciousness due to his severe injuries and when he regained consciousness he found himself in Shaolin Monastery. Later, he discovered that it was Ren Yingying who brought him there and pleaded with the head abbot Fang Zheng (方證) to save his life using the ‘Tendon-Altering Sutra’ (易筋經) and allowed them to imprison her. Fang Zheng agreed with the condition that Linghu Chong must join the Shaolin Sect, but Linghu Chong refused. Fang Zheng still cured him nonetheless and did not harm him. Later, Fang Zheng produced a letter from Yue Buqun, who stated that he had officially expelled Linghu Chong from Huashan for being in league with ‘evil and unorthodox’ pugilists, calling on all the ‘righteous and orthodox’ sects to eliminate Linghu Chong. Linghu Chong fell into despair and felt that he was now an outcast of the Wulin, with none willing to accept him.
- Linghu Chong left Shaolin Monastery and was wandering around when he saw an elderly pugilist being heavily besieged by enemies from both the righteous and evil sides. Linghu Chong was impressed by that man, who remained calm in the face of great danger, that he joined in the battle and saved the man’s life. The man was called Xiang Wentian (向問天) and he became sworn brothers with Linghu Chong after finding that they had an affinity with each other. Xiang Wentian brought Linghu Chong to a manor in Hangzhou where Linghu Chong encountered Ren Woxing (任我行) who was being imprisoned in an underground dungeon. Ren Woxing broke out the prison with Linghu Chong and Xiang Wentian’s help and he taught Linghu Chong a skill called the ‘Essence-Sucking Skill’ (吸星大法) to cure him of his wounds. Ren Woxing liked Linghu Chong and wanted him to join the sect and help him regain control of the sect, which had fallen into Dongfang Bubai’s (東方不敗) hands during a coup.
- Linghu Chong declined and continued on his lone journey to find his teacher and hope that he can rejoin Huashan. He saw Lin Pingzhi and Yue Lingshan at the old Lin residence in search of the ‘Bi Xie Swordplay’ Manual but the manual was robbed by two masked men. Linghu Chong pursued them and recovered the manual after a fight, which was a red cassock, but he fell into unconsciousness after suffering wounds during the fight. When he came to, he saw his teacher and his fellow disciples but the red cassock was missing. Yue Buqun accused him of stealing the manual and wounding Lin Pingzhi, but Linghu Chong claimed that he was wronged. Yue Buqun wanted to kill Linghu Chong but his wife Ning Zhongze (寧中則) intervened and helped Linghu Chong escape safely.
- Linghu Chong heard that the (North) Hengshan Sect was in trouble so he travelled there to reinforce them and succeeded defeating the enemy. Later, they learnt from the captured enemies that they were actually Songshan Sect members disguised as Sun Moon Holy Sect members. Zuo Lengchan’s evil plan to dominate the Five Mountains Alliance was revealed at that point. Linghu Chong escorted the surviving (North) Hengshan Sect members back safely and met the leader of the (South) Hengshan Sect Mo Da (莫大) on the way who told him that Ren Yingying was in trouble in Shaolin Monastery. Linghu Chong went there and saw that Shaolin was under siege by many unorthodox pugilists who were there to save Ren Yingying. Linghu Chong entered with them and found Ding Yi (定儀) and Ding Xian (定闲) of (North) Hengshan Sect nearly dead. With her dying breath, Ding Xian made Linghu Chong the new leader of the sect.
- By then, Shaolin was under heavy siege by the orthodox sects which had gathered to eliminate Linghu Chong and all his companions. Linghu Chong managed to allow his companions to escape safely via a secret passage while he went back and helped Ren Woxing, Ren Yingying and Xiang Wentian who were confronted by the sect leaders. Priest Chong Xu (沖虛道長) of the Wudang Sect decided that the fates of the trio will be decided in a martial arts contest between them and the orthodox sects, represented by Shaolin, Wudang and Songshan. Ren Woxing defeated Fang Zheng of Shaolin in the first round using an underhand technique but was defeated by Zuo Lengchan of Songshan in the second round because he was unable to withstand Zuo's sub-zero internal energy. Linghu Chong joined Ren Woxing and challenged Chong Xu of Wudang in the third round. However, Chong Xu had a duel with Linghu Chong earlier and knew he was not Linghu Chong’s match so he admitted defeat. Yue Buqun stepped out and challenged Linghu Chong to a duel but Linghu Chong refused to attack out of respect for his former teacher, but he wounded Yue Buqun by accident to save Ren Yingying.
- Eventually, the four of them left Shaolin safely and Ren Woxing tried to persuade Linghu Chong to join the Sun Moon Holy Sect again, as well as offering Linghu Chong his daughter’s hand in marriage, but Linghu Chong declined. Linghu Chong returned to (North) Hengshan and assumed the position of leader according to Ding Wen’s dying wish. Ren Yingying told all her unorthodox pugilists followers to join Hengshan as well so as to make Linghu Chong less embarrassed about leading a sect of women nuns. Fang Zheng and Chong Xu came to offer their congratulations to Linghu Chong, as well as discuss a plan to stop Zuo Lengchan from dominating the Wulin.
- Linghu Chong, Ren Woxing, Xiang Wentian and Ren Yingying left afterwards and made their way to Black Woods Cliff (黑木崖), the headquarters of the Sun Moon Holy Sect, and defeated Dongfang Bubai after a battle. Ren Woxing retook his position as leader of the sect but later Linghu Chong disagreed with some of Ren’s actions so he decided to leave. Meanwhile the Songshan Sect called for a special assembly of the Five Mountains Alliance to proceed with their plan to force the other four sects to submit to them and merge as one. Zuo Lengchan instigated a coup within the Taishan Sect in which its leader Priest Tian Men (天門道長) was killed and the sect came under his control. Eventually, the sects decided that the leader of the alliance should be elected based on a swordfight contest. Unexpectedly, Yue Buqun used the ‘Bi Xie Swordplay’ to defeat Zuo Lengchan, blinding the latter and seizing the position of leader of the alliance, much the surprise of the sects. Although they disagreed that Yue be their leader, they could do nothing as none dared to challenge Yue due to fear.
- After leaving Songshan, Linghu Chong and Ren Yingying encountered Lin Pingzhi, who was brutally killing Yu Canghai and members of the Qingcheng Sect using the ‘Bi Xie Swordplay’. They were baffled by this and had no idea how Lin Pingzhi learnt the swordplay technique. They followed Lin Pingzhi secretly and overheard from a dialogue between him and Yue Lingshan that Yue Buqun lusted after the ‘Bi Xie Swordplay’ Manual and lured Lin into becoming his disciple and marrying his daughter Yue Lingshan to Lin, so he could get the Manual for himself. Linghu Chong was appalled when he heard that his teacher, whom he respected greatly, was in fact a beast in human form who was actually responsible for many atrocities, including wounding Lin Pingzhi at the Lin Residence and framing Linghu Chong for it, so he could possess the manual written on the cassock. Yue Buqun had castrated himself in the process of mastering the ‘Bi Xie Swordplay’, but Lin Pingzhi knew about it and had stolen the manual and mastered the Swordplay himself as well. Lin Pingzhi was blinded after killing Mu Gaofeng (木高峰) and he expressed the desire to join Zuo Lengchan, killing his wife Yue Lingshan to prove his determination.
- Linghu Chong and Ren Yingying buried Yue Lingshan and made their way to the backhill cave of Huashan, where Yue Buqun had gathered the other four sects of the alliance. They witnessed Ning Zhongze, the wife of Yue Buqun, commit suicide, ashamed to have such a husband. In tears Linghu Chong buried her with Yue Lingshan. Yue Buqun plotted to kill those who opposed him, by luring them to the cave to view the swordplay carvings and sealing the entrance to the cave after that. Linghu Chong and Ren Yingying were trapped in the cave as well and were almost killed by Yue Buqun. Eventually, Yue Buqun met his end when he was stabbed in the back by Yi Lin, who appeared to save Linghu Chong and they managed to escape from the cave safely.
- By then, Ren Woxing led the Sun Moon Holy Sect to attack (North) Hengshan, attempting to force the Five Mountains Alliance to submit to him and force Linghu Chong to join him. Linghu Chong remained firm and refused, while four sects started to fight among themselves, disintegrating in the process. Only the (North) Hengshan sect remained, under the protection of Linghu Chong. Ren Woxing eventually died after suffering from giddiness to old age. Linghu Chong and Ren Yingying were finally together and they lived happily ever after, while the never ending conflicts in the Jianghu halted after that episodes, with both the ‘good’ and ‘evil’ sides coming to a truce.
Timeline
The timeline is calculated based upon the year the novel started, i.e. the year when the Fu Wei Escort Agency is shattered by Yu Canghai. Details can be found in different parts of the book.
- c.c. 80 years before, the Wudang Sect's ‘Tai Chi Swordplay’ (太極劍法) and the Tai Chi sword were stolen by the Sun Moon Holy Sect.
- c.c. 75 years before, Yue Su and Cai Zifeng got their hands on the Sunflower Manual and headed the Qi and Sword Factions of Huashan Sect respectively.
- 39 years before, Madam Wang, Lin Pingzhi's mother, was born. [1]
- 25 years before, Linghu Chong was born. [2]
- 24 years before, the Huashan Sect Qi Faction defeated the Sword Faction. [3]
- 19 years before, Lin Pingzhi was born. [4]
- 18 years before, Yue Lingshan[5] and Ren Yingying[6] were born.
- c.c. 15 years before, Yue Buqun became the leader of Huashan Sect.
- 15 years before, Linghu Chong joined the Huashan Sect.
- 11 years before, Dongfang Bubai seized power, became the leader of the Sun Moon Holy Sect and imprisoned Ren Woxing.
- c.c. 10 years before, Chong Xu became the leader of Wudang Sect.
- 3 years before, Lao Denuo joined the Huashan Sect. [7]
- spring 1 year later, Feng Qingyang taught Linghu Chong the 'Nine Swords of Dugu'.
- summer 1 year later, Linghu Chong was imprisoned in the prison under Mei Zhuang and Ren Woxing escaped. [8]
- winter 1 year later, Linghu Chong led a group of people to Shaolin Temple to save Ren Yingying from imprisonment.
- 2 years later, Linghu Chong succeeded Ding Wen to be the Leader of (North) Hengshan Sect. [9]
- 2 years later, The Five Mountain Sects merged as one.
- summer 2 years later, the Five Mountain Sects, excluding (North) Hengshan Sect, were broken apart by Ren Woxing.
- winter 5 years later, Linghu Chong and Ren Yingying were married. [10]
- spring 6 years later, conclusion of the novel.
With reference from [11].
Characters
Protagonists
- Linghu Chong (令狐沖)
- Ren Yingying (任盈盈)
- Yue Lingshan (岳靈珊)
- Yi Lin (儀琳)
- Ren Woxing (任我行)
- Xiang Wentian (向問天)
Antagonists
- Yue Buqun (岳不群)
- Lin Pingzhi (林平之)
- Zuo Lengchan (左冷禪)
- Dongfang Bubai (東方不敗)
- Yu Canghai (余滄海)
The various sects
The Five Mountain Alliance (五嶽劍派)
The Five Mountain Alliance is a loose alliance formed by the self-proclaimed "righteous" sects based on the Five Sacred Mountains of China, namely Songshan (嵩山), Huashan (華山), Taishan (泰山), (north) Hengshan (恆山) and (south) Hengshan (衡山). The alliance is headed by the ambitious and power-hungry Songshan Sect under the leadership of Zuo Lengchan, who had actually called for the alliance to consolidate power and challenge the Shaolin and Wudang sects.
| Name | Leader(s) | Martial arts | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|
| (West) Huashan Sect (華山派) | Yue Buqun (Qi Faction)
Feng Buping (Sword Faction) |
Nine Swords of Dugu (獨孤九劍), Violet Mist Divine Skill (紫霞神功), swordplay | Divided into the two factions due a dispute over the Sunflower Manual, with the Qi Faction as the dominant one. The Qi Faction focused on internal energy practice while Sword Faction focused on swordplay techniques. |
| (Central) Songshan Sect (嵩山派) | Zuo Lengchan | Freezing Breath (寒冰真氣), swordplay | Based on the same mountain (Mount Song) as the Shaolin Sect, but were situated on different peaks; leading sect of the Five Mountains Alliance |
| (North) Hengshan Sect (恆山派) | Ding Jing, Ding Wen, Ding Yi, collectively known as the Three Elder Nuns | Swordplay customised for women for self-defence | All female members, mostly Buddhist nuns, until Linghu Chong succeeded the Nuns as leader |
| (South) Hengshan Sect (衡山派) | Mo Da | Swordplay customised to suit musical themes | Liu Zhengfeng, one of the composers of the titular musical piece Xiao Ao Jiang Hu, was from the sect |
| (East) Taishan Sect (泰山派) | Tian Men | Swordplay | Tian Men was murdered by conspirators and Zuo Lengchan nominated Yu Ji to succeed him |
The Sun Moon Holy Sect (日月神教)
The Sun Moon Holy Sect was based on Black Woods Cliff (黑木厓). It was of unknown origin and was possibly renamed from the Ming Cult (明教) as it was better known to pugilists as the Demonic Cult (魔教) just like the Ming Cult. It was considered as being unorthodox and evil to the other sects and a common enemy of all the orthodox sects. Its members were notorious for engaging in all forms of cult-like activities and acts of evil. It was formerly headed by Ren Woxing until Dongfang Bubai took over, having removed Ren from power with a scheme. Dongfang Bubai treated his followers cruelly, making them consume poison and giving them the antidote to temporarily ease their suffering only if they obeyed him. Ren Woxing once practiced the infamous Star-Sucking Skill (吸星大法) and Dongfang Bubai was also said to be invincible after mastering the skills in the Sunflower Manual (葵花寶典). Xiang Wentian became its leader after the death of Ren Woxing and after Ren Yingying abdicated.
The Shaolin Sect (少林派)
Founded by Da Mo (達摩), it is hailed as the origin of all Chinese martial arts. It is one of the leading orthodox sects in the Jianghu, alongside the Wudang Sect and the Kunlun Sect. Its members are mostly Buddhist monks, who practise martial arts only for self-defence and upholding justice, although there are also members who are not monks, known as ‘su jia di zi’ (俗家弟子). Although it was based on Songshan, it had no ties with the Songshan Sect as both were based on different peaks of the mountain. It is home to seventy-two different types of the powerful martial arts in the Jianghu, including the Tendon-Altering Sutra (易筋經). It is headed by the abbot Fang Zheng and several elder monks of the Fang (方) generation.
The Wudang Sect (武當派)
Founded by Zhang Sanfeng (張三豐) during the Yuan Dynasty. It is one of the leading orthodox sects in the Jianghu, alongside the Shaolin Sect and the Kunlun Sect. Its members are Taoist priests who, like Shaolin, practise martial arts only for self-defence and upholding justice. Its martial arts are based on the Tai Chi and it houses the Tai Chi Fist (太極拳) and Tai Chi Swordplay (太極劍法). It was headed by Taoist Chong Xu.
The Qingcheng Sect
The Qingcheng Sect was headed by Yu Canghai. It was responsible for the destruction of the Fu Wei Escort Agency in their attempt to possess the highly sought-after Bixie Swordplay Manual (辟邪劍譜) owned by the Lin family. After Yu Canghai was killed by Lin Pingzhi, it was unknown whether the sect survived.
The Fu Wei Escort Agency (福威鏢局)
The Fu Wei Escort Agency was founded by Lin Yuantu, who was formerly a monk of the Shaolin Sect. He created the Bixie Swordplay Manual (辟邪劍譜) which became the most highly-sought after martial arts manual in his descendants’ generations. When Lin Zhennan took over the agency, it was destroyed by the Qingcheng Sect who had long been eyeing their family’s heirloom.
Lin Pingzhi's Family Tree
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Ning Zhongze |
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Lin Zhennan |
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Madam Wang |
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Wang Zhongqiang |
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Yue Lingshan |
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Lin Pingzhi |
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Adaptations
Films
| Year | Production | Main cast | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Shaw Brothers (Hong Kong) | Wong Yu as Linghu Chong and Shi Si as Ren Yingying | See The Proud Youth |
| 1991 | Producer Tsui Hark, director King Hu | Sam Hui as Linghu Chong, Sharla Cheung as Ren Yingying, Cecilia Yip as Yue Lingshan, Jacky Cheung as Ouyang Quan, Fennie Yuen as Lan Fenghuang and Lau Siu Ming as Yue Buqun. | See The Swordsman |
| 1992 | Producer Tsui Hark, director Ching Siu Tung | Jet Li as Linghu Chong, Rosamund Kwan as Ren Yingying, Michelle Reis as Yue Lingshan, Brigitte Lin as Dongfang Bubai and Fennie Yuen as Lan Fenghuang. | See Swordsman II |
| 1993 | Producer Tsui Hark | Brigitte Lin as Dongfang Bubai and Joey Wong as Xue Qianxun | See The East Is Red |
TV series
| Year | Production | Linghu Chong | Ren Yingying | Title of Adaptation (if different) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | TVB (Hong Kong) | Chow Yun Fat | Rebecca Chan | [Smiling Proud Wanderer] | |
| 1985 | TTV (Taiwan) | Bryan Leung | Lau Suet Wah | ||
| 1996 | TVB (Hong Kong) | Jacky Lui | Fiona Leung | State of Divinity | Although faithful to the novel and generally well-received, there were some minor imperfections. The Six Immortals of the Peach Valley were reduced to four and some of the characters were dressed in different colors from their novel descriptions. Linghu Chong blinded only eight assassins from Zuo Lengchan instead of the fifteen mentioned in the novel. |
| 2000 | TTV (Taiwan) | Richie Jen | Anita Yuen | This version had numerous plot alterations, mischaracterizations and lack of attention to details. Moreover, Dongfang Bubai was given a greater role. | |
| 2000 | MediaCorp (Singapore) | Steve Ma | Fann Wong | The Legendary Swordsman | This version altered the plot greatly. Dongfang Bubai (played by Jacelyn Tay) was given a greater role and a relationship with Linghu Chong. The unsuitable casting and inappropriate costumes were also heavily panned. |
| 2001 | CCTV (Mainland China) | Li Yapeng | Xu Qing | Laughing in the Wind |
Comics/Manhua
- State of Divinity, by Li Zhiqing [李志清]
Total 26 comic books published by Ming Ho (in Hong Kong) and M&C (Gramedia Group) (in Indonesia)
Stage Productions
- In 2006, the Hong Kong Dance Company adapted this story into a stage production, starring Rosanne Wong (2R) as Yi Lin, Race Wong (2R) as Yue Lingshan, Liu Yinghong as Linghu Chong, Su Shu as Ren Yingying, Chen Lei as Dongfang Bubai, Mi Tao as Lin Pingzhi, as a jubilee presentation to celebrate the company's 25th Anniversary.
References
- ^ Xiao Ao Jiang Hu Chapter 1
- ^ Xiao Ao Jiang Hu Chapter 17
- ^ Xiao Ao Jiang Hu Chapter 9
- ^ Xiao Ao Jiang Hu Chapter 1
- ^ Xiao Ao Jiang Hu Chapter 5
- ^ Xiao Ao Jiang Hu Chapter 22
- ^ Xiao Ao Jiang Hu Chapter 2
- ^ Xiao Ao Jiang Hu Chapter 21
- ^ Xiao Ao Jiang Hu Chapter 29
- ^ Xiao Ao Jiang Hu Chapter 40
- ^ http://baike.baidu.com/view/10786.htm
External links
- (Chinese) Jin Yong Teahouse - fansite of Jin Yong's novels in Chinese
- (English) Smiling Proud Wanderer - English translation of the novel at Wuxiapedia.com
- (English) a clip of a heart aching scene to see Jamie Chik Mei Chun and Chow Yun Fat in action
- (English) State of Divinity (CCTV, 2001) - fansite of a TV adaptation
- (English) Translation of the book
- (Chinese) Fan Audio Adaptation
- (English) The Smiling, Proud Wanderer Adaption into a stage production by the Hong Kong Dance Company in 2006
- (Chinese) The Smiling, Proud Wanderer Adaption into a stage production by the Hong Kong Dance Company in 2006
- (English) XAJH Photo Gallery - A fansite dedicated to the screenshots of the CCTV adaptation of the novel
- (English) XAJH 2001 Review - A review of the CCTV 2001 production
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