The Smiling, Proud Wanderer
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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 (simplified Chinese: 笑傲江湖; traditional Chinese: 笑傲江湖; pinyin: Xiào Ào Jiāng Hú; Jyutping: Siu3 Ngou6 Gong1 Wu4) is a 1967 Chinese Wuxia novel by Jin Yong[1].
The term "Xiaoao Jianghu" (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 and Swordsman II (whose Chinese titles both refer to the title of the novel).
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[edit] Historical background
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This section may contain original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding references. Statements consisting only of original research may be removed. More details may be available on the talk page. (March 2009) |
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, Zhu Yuanzhang betrays the Ming Cult and founds the Ming Dynasty at the end of the novel. It is highly possible that Zhu persecutes the Ming Cult after he ascended to the throne, forcing the Ming Cult to be renamed to Sun Moon Holy Cult, as in The Smiling, Proud Wanderer. The Ming Cult is formerly better known as "Demonic Cult" (魔教) to pugilists, and so is the Sun Moon Holy Cult 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, set during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor, the head abbot of Shaolin Monastery spoke to Wei Xiaobao about a hero named Linghu Chong who lived long ago.
- The rank of a military officer named Wu Tiande in The Smiling, Proud Wanderer is Canjiang (参将). This rank was only used during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
- In The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, it is mentioned that the Wudang Sect is founded in the early years of the Yuan Dynasty by Zhang Sanfeng. In The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, the Wudang Sect has become one of the leading sects in the Jianghu and the Taiji Swordplay (太極劍法), created by Zhang Sanfeng, is practised by Wudang's students.
- The historical setting of the films The Swordsman and Swordsman II (adaptations of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer) is during the reign of the Wanli Emperor in the Ming Dynasty.
[edit] Themes
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This section may contain original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding references. Statements consisting only of original research may be removed. More details may be available on the talk page. (March 2009) |
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. Jin Yong 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 Fangzheng were representative of actual politicians who lived during that time.
The Smiling, Proud Wanderer also contained elements of The Count of Monte Cristo 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 are similar to Edmond Dantes's encounter with Father Faria. Yue Buqun's evil schemes, Lin Pingzhi's revenge and Yue Lingshan's marriage are similar to certain parts of Dumas's novel.
[edit] Plot
The plot's development is based on a highly-coveted martial arts manual known as the Bixie Swordplay Manual, which was created by Lin Yuantu, the founder of the Fuwei Escort Agency. The manual has been passed down as a family heirloom in the Lin family. Yu Canghai of the Qingcheng Sect massacres the Lin family to seize possession of the manual in the name of avenging his son's death. Lin Pingzhi, son of Lin Zhennan and a descendant of Lin Yuantu, survives and is rescued by Yue Buqun, leader of the Mount Hua Sect. Yue accepts Lin as his disciple and trains him in swordplay.
Yue Buqun's eldest disciple Linghu Chong is a scruffy, happy-go-lucky, ruffian-like swordsman. He befriends the notorious lecherous bandit Tian Boguang and rescues Yilin of the (North) Mount Heng Sect from being raped by Tian. Meanwhile, Liu Zhengfeng of the (South) Mount Heng Sect announces his plans to retire from the Jianghu and invites all pugilists to witness the ceremony. However, the ceremony culminates into a bloodbath when Zuo Lengchan arrives with his Mount Song Sect to cause trouble. Liu Zhengfeng and his friend, Qu Yang of the Sun Moon Holy Cult, commit suicide after being cornered by the pugilists. They pass on the score of their famous music piece Xiaoao Jianghu to Linghu Chong before their deaths.
Lin Pingzhi's entrance into the Mount Hua Sect causes Linghu Chong to break up with his first love interest Yue Lingshan, the daughter of Yue Buqun. Yue Lingshan falls in love with Lin and causes Linghu to fall out of love and become depressed. Linghu Chong's carefree and reckless nature brings him into trouble time and time again, until his teacher decides to punish him by making him stay in the back-hill for a year and reflect on his actions. Linghu Chong wanders around the back-hill and discovers some swordplay technique carvings in the cave and practises them, thus becoming familiar with the swordplays of the Five Mountain Sword Sects Alliance. He also meets the reclusive senior swordsman Feng Qingyang and learns the powerful "Nine Swords of Dugu" from Feng, which transforms him into a formidable swordsman.
During that era, the Wulin is divided along the line of good and evil, with the self-proclaimed "righteous and orthodox" sects such as Shaolin Sect, Wudang Sect and the Five Mountain Sword Sects Alliance (Mount Hua, Mount Song, Mount Tai, North and South Mount Heng) taking the good side while the "evil and orthodox" side is dominated by the Sun Moon Holy Cult and a number of smaller unrecognised sects. The Five Mountain Sword Sects Alliance is in fact a loose alliance which only exists in name, as it is called for by the Mount Song Sect, in its ambitious attempt to dominate the other four sects. The Mount Hua Sect is also divided into two factions, namely Qi and Sword factions, with the Qi Faction currently ruling the sect under Yue Buqun's leadership. Zuo Lengchan instigates the exiled members of the Sword Faction to return to Mount Hua and fight with Yue Buqun for control of their sect. To avoid disaster, Yue leads the sect out of Mount Hua but they fall into an ambush and are captured along the way. Linghu Chong comes to save them and blinds the enemies with his newly mastered swordplay technique, but sustains severe injuries as well. Yue Buqun becomes suspicious of Linghu Chong as he believes that Linghu Chong has secretly mastered the Bixie Swordplay behind his back.
Linghu Chong meets the Six Immortals of the Peach Valley who attempt to cure his wounds in their weird fashion but they only aggravate his wounds. Linghu Chong follows his teacher to Luoyang and meets an old woman there who teaches him music to heal his wounds and lifts everyone's suspicions on the music score, which is mistakenly believed to be the Bixie Swordplay Manual. However, Linghu Chong has never seen the old woman's looks before as she wears a veil to cover her face. When the group leave Luoyang, they encounter several weird and "unorthodox" pugilists along the way, who offer to help Linghu Chong heal his wounds. Yue Buqun suspicions on Linghu Chong increases and he banishes Linghu from the sect for being in cahoots with the evil side. Linghu Chong meets the old woman again after he has been abandoned and they fight together to defend themselves from some Shaolin pugilists.
The old woman lifts her veil and reveals herself to be actually a beautiful young maiden by the name of Ren Yingying. Linghu Chong falls in love with her on first sight, but he becomes unconscious as his condition has worsened after the fight. When he comes to, he finds himself in Shaolin Monastery and learns that Ren Yingying has actually pleaded with the Shaolin abbot Fangzheng to heal him on the condition that she will stay in Shaolin. Fangzheng cures Linghu Chong of his wounds using the Tendon-Altering Sutra and shows Linghu a letter from Yue Buqun. Yue Buqun states that he has officially expelled Linghu Chong from the Mount Hua Sect and denounces him as an enemy of the righteous sects.
Linghu Chong falls into despair as he is now an outcast of the Wulin. He leaves Shaolin and meets Xiang Wentian, whom he saves from dozens of enemies. Xiang becomes sworn brothers with Linghu and brings him to a manor in Hangzhou, where Linghu encounters Ren Woxing. Ren is the former leader of the Sun Moon Holy Cult and has been removed from power and imprisoned in a scheme orchestrated by his deputy Dongfang Bubai. Ren Woxing breaks out of prison with their help and teaches Linghu Chong his infamous "Essence-Sucking Skill" and wants Linghu Chong to join and help him regain control of the cult.
Linghu Chong declines and continues on his lone journey, hoping to find his teacher and rejoin Mount Hua. He sees Lin Pingzhi and Yue Lingshan at the old Lin residence in search of the Bixie Swordplay Manual. The manual is robbed by two masked men and Linghu Chong recovers the manual after defeating them in a fight. He falls into unconsciousness again after suffering injuries and finds that the manual is gone when he comes to. He sees Yue Buqun in front of him, who accuses him of stealing the manual and wounding Lin Pingzhi earlier. Linghu protests that he has been wronged and escapes from Yue's murderous advances with his fellow disciples' help.
Linghu Chong saves some North Hengshan Sect members from attacking enemies later and discovers that the enemies are actually Mount Song Sect members disguised as members of the Sun Moon Holy Cult. It becomes clear at that point that Zuo Lengchan is planning to dominate the four sects in the alliance by stirring up conflict. Linghu Chong escorts them safely back to Mount Heng and goes to Shaolin Monastery. Shaolin is under siege by several unorthodox pugilists who are there to save Ren Yingying. Linghu Chong makes his way in and finds Ren Yingying. He also finds two of the leaders of the North Mount Heng Sect, who have been fatally wounded. They name him as their successor as leader of their sect with their dying words.
By then, Shaolin is under siege again, this time by orthodox sects, who have gathered there to eliminate Linghu Chong and his companions. Linghu Chong helps his companions escape via a secret passage and goes back to reinforce Ren Woxing, Xiang Wentian and Ren Yingying who are confronted by the sect leaders. Chongxu of the Wudang Sect suggests that the fates of the trio will be decided by the outcomes of a martial arts contest between them and representatives from Shaolin, Wudang and Mount Song. Ren Woxing defeats Fangzheng of Shaolin but loses to Zuo Lengchan of Mount Song. Linghu Chong takes on the third decisive round and has Chongxu as his opponent. However, Chongxu admits defeat as he has already lost to Linghu Chong earlier in a friendly sparring session. Yue Buqun confronts Linghu Chong and demands that he fight him but Linghu refuses out of respect for his former teacher. He still injures Yue while trying to save Ren Yingying and the four of them leave Shaolin safely.
Ren Woxing offers his daughter's hand-in-marriage to Linghu Chong and tries to persuade Linghu to join the cult but Linghu declines again. Linghu Chong returns to North Mount Heng and assumes his role as leader of the sect according to the dying wishes of its former leaders. Fangzheng and Chongxu come to offer their congratulations and they discuss a plan to stop Zuo Lengchan from taking over the four sects in the alliance. Linghu Chong goes to the headquarters of the Sun Moon Holy Cult later to join Ren Woxing in the battle against Dongfang Bubai and helps Ren retake his position as leader of the cult. He leaves later together with Ren Yingying to attend a special assembly of the Five Mountain Sword Sects Alliance called for by Zuo Lengchan. Zuo attempts to force the other four sects to submit to him but unexpectedly, Yue Buqun uses the Bixie Swordplay to defeat and blind Zuo. Yue becomes the new leader of the alliance, much to the surprise of everyone present.
After leaving the assembly, Linghu Chong and Ren Yingying meet Lin Pingzhi, who is brutally killing members of the Qingcheng Sect to avenge his parents. They are baffled when they see Lin Pingzhi using the Bixie Swordplay and have no idea how he managed to master the skill. They follow him secretly and overhear from a conversation between Lin and Yue Lingshan that Yue Buqun has actually lured Lin Pingzhi into joining Mount Hua Sect so he can take the Bixie Swordplay Manual for himself. Linghu Chong is appalled when he learns of his respected teacher's true colours. Yue Buqun is responsible for a number of mysterious murders (including those of North Mount Heng Sect's leaders) earlier and it was Yue Buqun who took the Bixie Swordplay Manual from Linghu Chong when he was unconscious.
Linghu Chong and Ren Yingying make their way to the back-hill of Mount Hua to stop Yue Buqun from proceeding with his evil plans to dominate the Jianghu. Yue lures all the four sects into the cave to view the carvings and seals the entrance afterwards, hoping to trap them all inside. Linghu and Ren are also trapped inside as well and they are almost killed by Yue Buqun. Just then, Yilin appears and kills Yue Buqun by stabbing him from behind and she rescues everyone trapped inside the cave. Upon learning of Yue Buqun's death, Ren Woxing leads the Sun Moon Holy Cult to attack North Mount Heng, attempting to force the Five Mountain Sword Sects Alliance to submit to him. Linghu Chong refuses firmly and protects the North Mount Heng Sect while the other four sects begin fighting with each other, disintegrating in the process. Ren Woxing dies later after suffering from giddiness due to old age. Linghu Chong and Ren Yingying live happily ever after while the conflict in the Jianghu ceases when the good and evil sides finally come to a truce.
[edit] Characters
- Linghu Chong (令狐沖) – the scruffy, happy-go-lucky protagonist of the novel. He is raised as an orphan by Yue Buqun and becomes Yue's eldest martial arts student. He masters the "Nine Swords of Dugu" after encountering Feng Qingyang and becomes a formidable swordsman. His sudden tremendous improvement in swordplay raises suspicions about him from his teacher, who believes that he has taken the "Bixie Swordplay" Manual for himself and learnt the skill. Even after his expulsion from Mount Hua, he still remains loyal and respectful towards his teacher. His kind nature and heroic attributes makes him well-liked by many in the Jianghu, but also negatively influences him by increasing his affiliations with Jianghu lowlives. He is misunderstood by his own sect and other orthodox sects for that. He becomes the leader of the (North) Mount Heng Sect but resigns and retires from the Jianghu to lead a peaceful life with his lover Ren Yingying.
- Ren Yingying (任盈盈) – the beautiful daughter of Ren Woxing and female protagonist of the novel. She is extremely ruthless and intelligent, making her the second most feared person in the sect during Dongfang Bubai's reign. She is the sect's "Sacred Maiden" (聖姑) and is respected and loved by the followers as she will plead on their behalf for the temporary antidote from Dongfang. She becomes the sect's leader after Ren Woxing's death and is succeeded by Xiang Wentian. She teaches Linghu Chong how to play the Guqin and falls in love with him. They are married at the end of the novel.
[edit] The sects
[edit] Five Mountain Sword Sects Alliance
The Five Mountain Sword Sects Alliance (五嶽劍派) is a loose alliance formed by the self-proclaimed righteous sects based on the Five Sacred Mountains of China, namely Mount Song, Mount Hua, Mount Tai, (north) Mount Heng and (south) Mount Heng. The alliance is headed by the ambitious and power-hungry Mount Song Sect under the leadership of Zuo Lengchan, who has actually called for the alliance to consolidate power and challenge the Shaolin Sect and Wudang Sect.
[edit] Sun Moon Holy Cult
The Sun Moon Holy Cult (日月神教) is based on Black Woods Cliff (黑木厓). It is of unknown origin and is possibly renamed from the Ming Cult as it was better known to pugilists as the Demonic Cult (魔教) just like the Ming Cult. It is considered as unorthodox and evil to other sects and a common enemy of all the orthodox sects. Its members are notorious for engaging in all forms of cult-like activities and acts of evil. It is formerly headed by Ren Woxing until Dongfang Bubai takes over, having removed Ren from power with a scheme. Dongfang Bubai treats his followers cruelly, making them consume poison and giving them the antidote to temporarily ease their suffering only if they obey him. Ren Woxing practices the infamous "Star-Sucking Skill" (吸星大法) and Dongfang Bubai is also said to be invincible after mastering the skills in the Sunflower Manual (葵花寶典). Xiang Wentian becomes its leader after the death of Ren Woxing and after Ren Yingying steps down.
[edit] Others
- Qingcheng Sect (青城派) - headed by Yu Canghai. It is responsible for the destruction of the Fuwei Escort Agency in their attempt to possess the highly sought-after Bixie Swordplay Manual owned by the Lin family. After Yu Canghai is killed by Lin Pingzhi, it is unknown whether the sect survives.
- Fuwei Escort Agency (福威鏢局) - founded by Lin Yuantu, who is formerly a monk of the Shaolin Sect. He creates the Bixie Swordplay Manual which becomes the most highly coveted manual in his descendants' generations. When Lin Zhennan takes over the agency, it is destroyed by the Qingcheng Sect who has long been eyeing their family's heirloom.
- Shaolin Sect (少林派)
- Wudang Sect (武當派)
[edit] Adaptations
[edit] Films
| Year | Production | Main cast | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Shaw Brothers (Hong Kong) | Wong Yu as Linghu Chong and Shi Si as Ren Yingying | Titled The Proud Youth[citation needed] |
| 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 | Titled The East Is Red |
[edit] TV series
| Year | Production | Linghu Chong | Ren Yingying | Title of Adaptation (if different) | Additional information |
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| 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 Ren | 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 |
[edit] Comics/Manhua
- State of Divinity, by Li Zhiqing (李志清)
Total 26 comic books published by Ming Ho (Hong Kong) and M&C (Gramedia Group) (Indonesia)
[edit] Stage Productions
- In 2006, the Hong Kong Dance Company adapted this story into a stage production, starring Rosanne Wong (2R) as Yilin, 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.
[edit] References
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This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations where appropriate. (September 2009) |
- ^ a.k.a. Louis Cha
- 笑傲江湖 百度百科 (Chinese)
[edit] External links
- (Chinese) Jin Yong Teahouse - fansite of Jin Yong's novels in Chinese
- (Chinese) Jin Yong Jianghu (金庸江湖) - fansite, forums and complete works of Jin Yong's novels
- (English) Smiling Proud Wanderer - English translation of the novel at Wuxiapedia.com
- (English) State of Divinity (CCTV, 2001) - fansite of a TV adaptation
- (English) Translation of the book
- The Smiling, Proud Wanderer (1984) at the Internet Movie Database
- (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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