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The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber

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The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber
AuthorJinyong
Original title倚天屠龍記
LanguageChinese
GenreNovel
Publication placeChina
Media typePrint
ISBNISBN 1-58899-183-0 Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character

The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber (simplified Chinese: 倚天屠龙记; traditional Chinese: 倚天屠龍記; pinyin: yǐ tiān tú lóng jì) is a Chinese Wuxia novel written by Louis Cha, who is better known as Jin Yong, and was first serialized in Ming Pao [1]. The literal translation of the title is The Tale of the Heaven-Reliant Sword and the Dragon-Slaying Saber.

Louis Cha revised the novel in 1979 with a number of amendments and additions. This is the edition which is the most familiar to readers. A second revision was published in early 2005, incorporating later thoughts and a lengthier conclusion. The second revision introduced many changes to the plot and cleared up some ambiguities in the second edition, such as the origin of the Jiu Yang Zhen Jing. However, some Jin Yong fans were disappointed with the new revisions.

The novel was intended to be the third and final installment of a trilogy after The Legend of the Condor Heroes (射鵰英雄傳) and The Return of the Condor Heroes (神雕俠侶). The historical background was set in the late Yuan Dynasty, nearly a century after that of the second novel, which was set in the final years of the Song Dynasty.

As typical of many of his other Wuxia novels, Jin Yong implemented elements of history in the story, including characters such as the founder of the Ming Dynasty Zhu Yuanzhang (朱元璋), Chen Youliang (陳友諒), Chang Yuchun (常遇春), Zhang Sanfeng (張三豐) and factual organisations such as the Ming Cult (明教). The political clash between the Han Chinese and the Mongolians was also prominently featured in the plot.

Chapters (based on the latest edition)

  1. 天涯思君不可忘
  2. 武當山頂松柏長
  3. 寶刀百煉生玄光
  4. 字作喪亂意彷徨
  5. 皓臂似玉梅花妝
  6. 浮槎北溟海茫茫
  7. 誰送冰舸來仙鄉
  8. 窮發十載泛歸航
  9. 七俠聚會樂未央
  10. 百歲壽宴摧肝腸
  11. 有女長舌利如槍
  12. 針其膏兮藥其肓
  13. 不悔仲子逾我牆
  14. 當道時見中山狼
  15. 奇謀秘計夢一場
  16. 剝極而復參九陽
  17. 青翼出沒一笑揚
  18. 倚天長劍飛寒铓
  19. 禍起蕭牆破金湯
  20. 與子共穴相扶將
  21. 排難解紛當六強
  22. 群雄歸心約三章
  23. 靈芙醉客綠柳莊
  24. 太極初傳柔克剛
  25. 舉火燎天何煌煌
  26. 俊貌玉面甘毀傷
  27. 百尺高塔任回翔
  28. 恩斷義絕紫杉王
  29. 四女同舟何所望
  30. 東西永隔如參商
  31. 刀劍齊失人雲亡
  32. 冤蒙不白愁欲狂
  33. 簫長琴短衣流黃
  34. 新婦素手裂紅裳
  35. 屠獅有會孰為殃
  36. 夭矯三松郁青蒼
  37. 天下英雄莫能當
  38. 君子可欺之以方
  39. 秘笈兵書此中藏
  40. 不識張郎是張郎

Plot

The story revolves around a pair of priceless and extremely powerful weapons, known respectively as the Heaven Sword (倚天劍) and Dragon Saber (屠龍刀) which many Wulin' martial artists covet. Either or both of them are thought to allow their wielder to rule the martial arts world, according to a widely circulating rumour in a repeated mantra, though for some reason they are now lost. The novel’s main protagonist, Zhang Wuji (張無忌), was born on an isolated island known as Ice Fire Island (冰火島). In the early years of his life, he had never met another human being besides his parents (Zhang Cuishan (張翠山) and Yin Susu (殷素素)) and godfather Xie Xun (謝遜). He learnt some basic martial arts and survival skills from them during his ten-year long stay on the island until the time was ripe for them to make their long journey by sea back to the Central Plains. His godfather, however, decided to remain on the island in solitude, with only the Dragon-Slaying Sabre he acquired ten years ago to keep him company.

Upon the family’s return to the Central Plains, several pugilists and famous sects including the Shaolin Sect, started harassing them, asking the whereabouts of Xie Xun and the Dragon-Slaying Sabre. Zhang Cuishan and his wife refused to divulge the whereabouts of their sworn brother and committed suicide, and the young Zhang Wuji became an orphan overnight. He was extremely devastated by the sudden loss of his parents, but was also struck with the pain from the wounds inflicted on him by the Xuan Ming Elders (玄冥二老). His father’s teacher, Zhang Sanfeng (張三豐), managed to sustain his life with his powerful inner energy, while travelling with Zhang Wuji around, seeking any physician who could treat him.

Eventually, Zhang Sanfeng left Zhang Wuji in the care of Chang Yuchun (常遇春), who led him to Butterfly Valley (蝴蝶谷) where the infamous physician Hu Qingniu (胡青牛) dwelled. Hu Qingniu managed to cure Zhang Wuji partially of his wounds, and imparted his medical skills to Zhang in the process. After the death of Hu Qingniu, Zhang Wuji travelled with the young Yang Buhui (楊不悔), who too lost her mother overnight all the way to Kunlun Mountain where the girl’s father Yang Xiao(楊逍) was.

After delivering Yang Buhui safely to her father, Zhang Wuji was captured by Wei Yixiao (韋一笑), who was notorious for sucking human blood, but Wei threw him into a deep chasm after realising that Zhang’s blood was infected. Zhang Wuji survived the fall and lived for a few years in the valley, relying on his basic survival skills and martial arts. He also happened to find the Jiu Yang Zhen Jing (九陽真經) by chance and mastered its skills, which enabled him to purge the venom in his body completely and enhance his inner energy.

Zhang Wuji left the valley and returned to civilisation, only to find that all those around him who knew his true identity were often plotting against him, trying to make him divulge the whereabouts of his godfather. Zhang Wuji met Yin Li (殷離), a horribly disfigured girl and travelled around the realm together with her. Meanwhile, the six great sects were preparing for war with the Ming Cult (明教), besieging the cult at its main headquarters on Bright Peak (光明頂). Zhang Wuji managed to resolve the conflict by defeating experts from the six sects and exposing Cheng Kun (成昆)’s evil plan into stirring up conflict among the various sects.

At the same time, Zhang Wuji encountered a beautiful girl of mixed heritage named Xiao Zhao (小昭). Both of them escaped death by inches while in the secret tunnel, where Zhang Wuji discovered Yang Dingtian (陽頂天)’s corpse and the ‘Heaven and Earth Great Shift’ (乾坤大挪移) martial arts manual. He mastered the skill in addition to his 'Jiu Yang Shen Gong' (九陽神功) and henceforth became a formidable martial artist. He was nominated to be the new leader of the Ming Cult, which he reluctantly agreed.

Meanwhile, the six sects were all held captive by the Mongolian military led by the princess Zhao Min (趙敏) and her cronies. Zhang Wuji managed to rescue the captives, after several skirmishes with the Mongolians. Here, he fell in love with Zhao Min, who had the same feelings for him as well.

Zhang Wuji travelled together with Zhao Min and Zhou Zhiruo (周芷若), a childhood friend who had succeeded Mie Jue (滅絕) as leader of the Emei Sect, to where his godfather resided. Zhang was extremely happy to be reunited with his godfather. However, Zhou Zhiruo was actually acting secretly behind their backs, plotting to get the two weapons according to her teacher’s dying wishes. Zhou acquired the two weapons through a vicious scheme and unveiled the hidden secret. She killed Zhu Er, framing Zhao Min for the act and made off with the 'Jiu Yin Zhen Jing' (九陰真經) which was hidden inside the weapons.

Later, Zhang Wuji and his companions managed to escape from the island back to the mainland. However, Cheng Kun and Chen Youliang (陳友諒) were plotting to cause chaos in the martial arts world once again. Zhang Wuji brought his godfather Xie Xun back to the mainland after so many years of separation, but Xie Xun was lured and captured by Cheng Kun and his villains, in an attempt to stir up trouble once again. At the same time, Zhou Zhiruo was captured by Chen Youliang, who used her to manipulate Song Qingshu (宋青書), who was deeply obsessed with her, into following his wishes as part of their evil plan.

Zhang Wuji met Zhao Min again but he did not trust her fully and still believed she was responsible for killing Zhu Er and isolating them on the island, yet at the same time, was unable to kill her because he was still rather suspicious and still loved her. Zhang Wuji managed to stop Cheng Kun's evil plans and rescued Zhou Zhiruo. He and Zhou Zhiruo were planning to get married when Zhao Min suddenly showed up at the wedding and stopped Zhang Wuji, by saying she knew the whereabouts of his godfather Xie Xun. Zhang Wuji immediately abandoned his wedding and went off with Zhao Min, which angered Zhou Zhiruo and she attacked Zhao Min. Zhou Zhiruo started to reveal her true colours and she developed an intense hatred for Zhang Wuji for betraying her feelings. She vowed to kill Zhao Min and make Zhang Wuji pay for embarrassing her at the wedding.

At the same time, Cheng Kun hatched an evil plan to stir up trouble once again, this time by hosting a 'Lion-Slaying Heroes' Gathering' (屠獅英雄會) at Shaolin Monastery (少林寺), inviting the various sects and all pugilists to attend. They will all engage in a contest to determine who is the most powerful martial artist alive and Xie Xun, who was being held captive in Shaolin, will be given to the victor and his fate at the victor's disposal. Zhou Zhiruo emerged victorious, using her 'Nine Yin White Bone Claw' (九陰白骨爪) to defeat all who challenged her. She faced Zhang Wuji, who initially could have defeated her, but he refrained from doing so out of pity and Zhou seized the opportunity to strike back.

Zhang Wuji, together with Zhou Zhiruo's help, managed to defeat the three monks holding Xie Xun captive and freed Xie Xun. Xie Xun had reflected on his past misdoings and repented while in captive. However, he was still determined to settle all the past feuds he had with Cheng Kun. Cheng Kun was defeated by Xie Xun eventually and was blinded and lost all his powers. Meanwhile, Chen Youliang was captured by the Ming Cult and he decided to surrender to the Ming Cult.

The novel ends on a happy note for Zhang Wuji, who decided to leave the Ming Cult and lead a reclusive life with his love interest Zhao Min. As for the happenings in China, Zhu Yuanzhang (朱元璋) betrayed the Ming Cult and founded the Ming Dynasty.

The Two Weapons

The Origins

It was revealed that the two weapons, the Heaven Sword (倚天劍) and the Dragon Saber (屠龍刀), were actually reforged from a single sword, the Heavy Iron Sword (玄鐵重劍), which Yang Guo (楊過) wielded in The Return of the Condor Heroes, set nearly a century ago.

The Heavy Iron Sword belonged to Dugu Qiubai (獨孤求敗), a great swordsman whose skills were unmatched in his lifetime. Yang Guo chanced upon the Heavy Iron Sword while he was recovering from the Love Flower's poison and the loss of his right arm. In the 3rd revised edition of the novel, the Heaven Sword was reforged from Yang Guo's 'Gentleman Sword' (君子劍) and Xiaolongnü (小龍女)'s 'Lady Sword' (淑女劍) while the Dragon Saber's origin remained unchanged.

Later, when Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü left Xiangyang, they left the sword with the couple Guo Jing (郭靖) and Huang Rong (黃蓉). It was said that the sword was melted and special steel material was added and it was reforged to become two weapons; the Heaven Sword and the Dragon Saber.

The Secret

Hidden within the blade of the Dragon Saber was a book of military strategies and manoeuvres entitled Wu Mu Yi Shu (武穆遺書), which was written by the famous Song Dynasty patriot Yue Fei (岳飛). Similarly, hidden within the blade of the Heaven Sword were two scrolls detailing the powerful martial arts Jiu Yin Zhen Jing (九陰真經) and Xiang Long Shi Ba Zhang (降龍十八掌) written by Guo Jing.

The Dragon Saber was given to Guo Jing and Huang Rong's son Guo Polu (郭破虜) while the Heaven Sword was bestowed upon their younger daughter Guo Xiang (郭襄), who would become the founder of the Emei Sect.

The content of the hidden book and scrolls, in addition to the fact that the weapons can only be damaged and broken when used against each other (thereby revealing the hidden items within), was the source of the claim whoever possessed the Dragon Saber will rule the world and yet only the one who possesses the Heaven Sword can stand against the wielder of the Saber.

The secret of the weapons was passed down via (and only through) the leaders of the Emei Sect. Zhou Zhiruo was succeeded Mie Jue as leader of the Emei Sect and the secret was passed on to her. In the novel, she managed to gain possession of both weapons through her cunning and deception and she broke them, thereby obtaining the secret items hidden within them.

Analogy

In Chinese culture, the Dragon is the symbol of the ruler or emperor, which was probably why the Saber was featured to be of a gold-copper colour in many of the adaptations. The full translated name of the Saber is ‘The Dragon-Slaying Saber’ (屠龍刀), as such the name of the weapon implies that it is used to ‘slay the emperor’, which in this case, refers to the Mongolian ruler.

However, throughout Chinese history, several rulers have become tyrants, much like the mythical dragon getting out of control and killing innocents. The Heaven Sword’s full translated name is ‘The Heaven-Reliant Sword’ (倚天劍), and the Sword symbolises Heaven. In Chinese culture, the emperor is respectfully called ‘the Son of Heaven’ (天子), thus Heaven is the true and only authority in deciding who the ruler of China should be.

In other words, the secret within the Dragon-Slaying Saber can be used to "kill" (dethrone) the (Mongolian) ruler and replace him with another (Han Chinese) ruler, as a brilliant militarist can utilise the military book to its full potential and stage a successful rebellion to overthrow the Yuan Dynasty and restore Han Chinese rule. However, should the new emperor turn out to be a tyrant (which was indeed true after Zhu Yuanzhang became the emperor), the secret within the Heaven-Reliant Sword can be used to destroy the tyrant (kill the tyrant physically with martial arts).

Characters

The Ming Cult (明教)

The Ming Cult is a mysterious religious sect which originated in Persia and was spread to Chinese soil. It was deemed to be an evil and unorthodox sect by several other sects for its weird practices and was better known as the ‘Mo Jiao’ (魔教), which means ‘Demonic Cult’. Its members rebelled against the ruling Yuan Dynasty. It houses the powerful martial arts ‘Holy Fire Tablet Skill’ (聖火令功) and the ‘Heaven and Earth Great Shift’ (乾坤大挪移).

See Manichaeism

  • Zhang Wuji (張無忌) – the main protagonist of the novel. He was the son of Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu. He was the godson of Xie Xun, who named him after his own deceased son Xie Wuji. His adventures led to become a powerful martial artist and the 34th leader of the Ming Cult.
  • Yang Dingtian (陽頂天) – Zhang Wuji’s predecessor as leader of the Ming Cult. He was practising the ‘Heaven and Earth Great Shift’ (乾坤大挪移) when he found out about his wife’s illicit affair with Cheng Kun. After being infuriated, the inner energy flow within his body was disrupted which eventually caused his death.
  • Yang Xiao (杨逍) – the Bright Left Messenger (光明左使). He served as the cult’s temporary leader during the period of internal conflict. He was the lover of Ji Xiaofu and the father of Yang Buhui.
  • Fan Yao (范遥) – the Bright Right Messenger (光明右使). He disfigured himself and went into disguise as a mute monk under the alias ‘Ku Tou Tuo’ (苦頭陀). He managed to enter Zhao Min’s service and proceeded with his plans to act as a spy within for the cult.
  • Daiqisi (黛绮丝) – a Persian by birth, she was the Purple Dress Dragon King (紫衫龙王) of the cult’s four guardian kings. She broke the rules of the cult by marrying Han Qianye and lived on Divine Snake Island under the alias ‘Golden Flower Grandma’ (金花婆婆) to avoid pursuit. She was the mother of Xiao Zhao.
  • Xie Xun (谢逊) – the Golden Haired Lion King (金毛狮王) of the cult’s four guardian kings. He went on a rampage to kill several innocents out of fury, seeking revenge on his former teacher Cheng Kun who murdered his family in cold blood. He was the godfather of Zhang Wuji, whom he named in memory of his deceased son Xie Wuji.
  • Wei Yixiao (韦一笑) – the Blue Winged Bat King (青翼蝠王) of the cult’s four guardian kings. His prowess in Qing Gong was unmatched. He was infamous for sucking blood out of his victims, which he did in order to keep the icy venom in his body under control.
  • Yang Buhui (杨不悔) – the daughter of Yang Xiao and Ji Xiaofu. Her name literally meant ‘no regrets’, which was given by her mother to show that she never regretted having loved Yang Xiao. She married Yin Liting, who was originally her mother’s fiancé, despite their large difference in age.
  • Zhu Yuanzhang (朱元璋) –an ambitious minor leader of the cult who eventually led the cult into overthrowing the Yuan Dynasty. After that he betrayed the cult and became the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty.
  • Chang Yuchun (常遇春) –a member of the cult who travelled with the young Zhang Wuji to Butterfly Valley to seek treatment from Hu Qingniu. After the fall of the Yuan Dynasty, he was given the title of ‘Zhong Shan Prince’ (中山王).
  • Xu Da (徐達) – a minor leader of the cult. After the fall of the Yuan Dynasty, he was given the title of ‘Kai Ping Prince’ (開平王).
  • Hu Qingniu (胡青牛) – a highly-skilled physician residing in Butterfly Valley (蝴蝶谷). He was nicknamed ‘Jian Si Bu Jiu’ (見死不救), which means ‘to watch one die and not save him’for his odd practice of treating the cult’s members free of charge but not others regardless of whatever they are willing to pay.
  • The Five Wanderers (五散人) – as follows;‘Cold-Faced Gentleman’ (冷臉先生) Leng Qian (冷謙), ‘Monk with the Sack’ (布袋和尚) Shuo Bu De (說不得), ‘Iron-Crowned Taoist’ (鐵冠道人) Zhang Zhong (張中), ‘Peng the Monk’ (彭和尚) Peng Yingyu (彭瑩玉) and ‘The Lunatic’ (瘋子) Zhou Dian (周顛).


The Heavenly Eagle Cult (天鹰教)

The Heavenly Eagle Cult was founded by Yin Tianzheng. It was said to be a branch of the Ming Cult, deemed as equally unorthodox and evil as the Ming Cult, although its members were righteous and upheld justice. It merged with the Ming Cult when Zhang Wuji succeeded Yang Dingtian as leader of the Ming Cult.

  • Yin Tianzheng (殷天正) – the White Brows Eagle King (白眉鹰王) of the cult’s four guardian kings. He left the cult during its period of internal conflict and founded the Heavenly Eagle Cult (天鹰教) with him as its leader. He was the father of Yin Yewang and Yin Susu, and the maternal grandfather of Zhang Wuji.
  • Yin Li (殷离) – the daughter of Yin Yewang and the younger cousin of Zhang Wuji. She practised the ‘Thousand Spiders Venom Hand’ (千蛛萬毒手), which caused her to be horribly disfigured and she was thus better known as ‘Zhu Er’ (蛛兒), which translates to ‘Spider Girl’. Although she grew up in a broken family, she had affection for Zhang Wuji since childhood. She went to join Golden Flower Grandma.

The Yuan Dynasty (元朝)

The Yuan Dynasty was founded in the thirteenth century by Kublai Khan, a descendant of Genghis Khan and has since ruled over China for a long period of time. The rulers were Mongolians and they treated the common people who were predominantly Han Chinese under their rule very harshly. They faced strong hostility from the Han Chinese, which later accounted for the rebellion against them in the empire’s final years.

See Yuan Dynasty

  • Zhao Min (赵敏) – her birth name was Minmin Temür (敏敏特穆儿) and she was the Shao Min Princess (绍敏郡主) of the Yuan Empire. She was the daughter of the Ru Yang Prince and the younger sister of Wang Baobao. Cunning and mischievous by nature, she was responsible for stirring up conflict among the various sects. She encountered Zhang Wuji whom she fell in love with and her feelings remained true for him, that she eventually decided to leave her family and follow him forever.
  • Chaghan Temür (察罕特穆儿) – the Ru Yang Prince (汝陽王) of the Yuan Empire, who was given the task of eradicating the anti-Yuan rebels led by the Ming Cult. He was the father of Zhao Min and Wang Baobao.
  • Köke Temür (扩廓帖木儿) – the son of the Ru Yang Prince and the elder brother of Zhao Min. He was better known by his Chinese name Wang Baobao (王保保).
  • Lu Zhangke (鹿杖客) – one of the two Xuan Ming Elders (玄冥二老). They served the Ru Yang Prince and were responsible for injuring the young Zhang Wuji with their infamous Xuan Ming Divine Palm (玄明神掌).
  • He Biweng (鹤笔翁) – one of the two Xuan Ming Elders (玄冥二老). They served the Ru Yang Prince and were responsible for injuring the young Zhang Wuji with their infamous Xuan Ming Divine Palm (玄明神掌).

The Wudang Sect (武当派)

The Wudang Sect was founded by Zhang Sanfeng, who was a former student of Jue Yuan from the Shaolin Sect. It was highly respected in the Wulin as its members were righteous and upheld justice. Its martial arts revolves around the ‘Tai Chi’ (太極), which includes Tai Chi Swordplay (太極劍) and Tai Chi Fist (太極拳).

See Wudang Mountains

  • Zhang Sanfeng (張三丰) – the leader and founder of the Wudang Sect. In his younger days, he was known as Zhang Junbao (張君寶), and was formerly from the Shaolin Sect. He was highly respected not only for his prowess in martial arts, but also for his morally upright character.
  • Yu Lianzhou (俞莲舟) – the second in rank of the Seven Heroes of Wudang (武当七侠).
  • Yu Daiyan (俞岱巖) – the third in rank of the Seven Heroes of Wudang (武当七侠). He was severely wounded by Cheng Kun which caused his entire body to be paralyzed.
  • Zhang Songxi (张松溪) – the fourth in rank of the Seven Heroes of Wudang (武当七侠). He was the smartest of Zhang Sanfeng's disciples.
  • Zhang Cuishan (张翠山) – the fifth in rank of the Seven Heroes of Wudang (武当七侠). He is the favourite disciple of Chang Sanfeng. He was the father of the protagonist Zhang Wuji and the sworn brother of Xie Xun. He met Yin Susu by coincidence and they were cast adrift to Ice Fire Island, where they were married and settled for many years.
  • Yin Liting (殷梨亭) – the sixth in rank of the Seven Heroes of Wudang (武当七侠). He was originally engaged to Ji Xiaofu, but lost her to Yang Xiao. He married their daughter Yang Buhui despite their large difference in age.
  • Mo Shenggu (莫声谷) – the seventh in rank of the Seven Heroes of Wudang (武当七侠). He was slain by Song Qingshu.
  • Song Qingshu (宋青書) – the son of Song Yuanqiao. He had a strong crush on Zhou Zhiruo, and this became his weakness which allowed him to be manipulated easily by enemies into betraying the Wudang Sect and killing Mo Shenggu.

The Emei Sect (峨嵋派)

The Emei Sect was founded by Guo Xiang around the same time of the founding of the Wudang Sect. Its members were all female and a regulation was laid down since its founding that its leader must be a nun. It was highly respected in the Wulin as its members were righteous and upheld justice. Besides, it was home to the ‘Heaven Sword’ (倚天劍), one of the two weapons mentioned in the novel’s title.

See Mount Emei

  • Mie Jue (灭绝) – the dogmatic third generation leader of the Emei Sect whose name literally meant ‘to destroy and eliminate’. She would not tolerate any form of evil and her only wish was to purge the world of evil and make Emei the leading sect in the world. She refused Zhang Wuji’s help and plunged to her death after making Zhou Zhiruo her successor.
  • Zhou Zhiruo (周芷若) – the daughter of a boatman from the Han River. She was accepted into the Emei Sect as a child and became Mie Jue’s disciple. She succeeded Mie Jue as the fourth generation leader of Emei. She uncovered the secret behind the two legendary weapons and obtained the much sought-after Jiu Yin Zhen Jing (九陰真經). She loved Zhang Wuji, but turned evil and vicious after he betrayed her feelings.
  • Ji Xiaofu (紀曉芙) – a beloved disciple of Mie Jue, who had the intention of letting her become her successor. She was Yin Liting’s fiancée, but fell in love with Yang Xiao and conceived a daughter named Yang Buhui with him. She named her daughter, whose name literally meant ‘no regrets’ to show that she never regretted having loved Yang Xiao. She refused to kill her lover and was killed in anger by Mie Jue.
  • Ding Minjun (丁敏君) – one of the eldest disciples of Mie Jue. She was jealous of their teacher’s favouritism towards Zhou Zhiruo and often attempted to take over the position of leader through unscrupulous means.

The Shaolin Sect (少林派)

The Shaolin Sect was founded by Da Mo (達摩) during the Tang Dynasty. Its members were all Buddhist monks, but there were also other members who were not monks, known as 'su jia di zi' (俗家弟子). It was highly respected in the Wulin as its members were righteous and upheld justice. Its members practised martial arts only for improving their health and only for self-defence and upholding justice. It is hailed as the origin of all Chinese martial arts and said to house 72 most powerful forms of martial arts.

See Shaolin Monastery

  • Jue Yuan (覺遠) – the disciple nephew of Tian Ming and younger disciple brother of Wu Se and Wu Xiang. He was credited as the creator of the Jiu Yang Zhen Jing (九陽真經) and the teacher of Zhang Sanfeng. On his deathbed, he recited the Jiu Yang Zhen Jing to Zhang Sanfeng and Guo Xiang, who respectively founded the Wudang and Emei Sects later.
  • Cheng Kun (成昆) – the primary villain of the novel. He sought to destroy the Ming Cult after the loss of his beloved, by becoming a monk in Shaolin under the alias Yuan Zhen (圓真), where he made his evil plans. He gradually became corrupted in his goals, by collaborating with the Mongolian military to take over the Wulin. He was the sworn enemy of his former student Xie Xun, whose family he murdered in cold blood.
  • Kong Jian (空見) – the leader of the Four Holy Monks (四大神僧). He sacrificed himself by allowing Xie Xun to beat him to death in an attempt to enlighten the latter and turn him back to goodness.
  • Kong Wen (空聞) – one of the Four Holy Monks (四大神僧). He was also the head abbot of Shaolin.
  • Kong Zhi (空智) – one of the Four Holy Monks (四大神僧). He managed to master eleven of the sect’s seventy two most powerful martial arts.
  • Kong Xing (空性) – one of the Four Holy Monks (四大神僧). He was an expert in the use of the Dragon Claw Hand (龍爪手).
  • Du E (渡厄), Du Jie (渡劫) and Du Nan (渡難) – the three elders of the Da Mo Hall (達摩堂). The three of them formed the Jin Gang Fu Mo Quan (金剛伏魔圈) to guard Xie Xun who was held in captive.

The Kunlun Sect (崑崙派)

See Kunlun Mountains

  • He Zudao (何足道) – nicknamed ‘Kun Lun Three Sage’ (崑崙三聖). He mysteriously disappeared after being defeated by Jue Yuan. Yin Kexi, one of the duo who stole the Jiu Yang Zhen Jing (九陽真經) from Shaolin Monastery, told him before his death the whereabouts of the Jiu Yang Zhen Jing, but He Zudao misheard it and disappeared mysteriously shortly after.
  • He Taichong (何太沖) – nicknamed ‘Mr. Iron Zither’ (鐵琴先生), he was the leader of the Kunlun Sect. He was ungrateful and morally bankrupt, and attempted to kill Xie Xun who was being held captive by the three Du monks to steal the Dragon Saber, but was slain by the three of them.

Miscellaneous characters

  • Xiao Zhao (小昭) – the daughter of Han Qianye and Daiqisi. Her mother had originally sent her as a spy to infiltrate the Ming Cult and find the location of its secret tunnel. She ran into Zhang Wuji and they escaped death together. She was secretly in love with Zhang and became the Ming Cult’s ‘Holy Virgin’ (聖女) in the main headquarters in Persia.
  • Han Qianye (韓千葉) – nicknamed ‘Mr. Silver Leaf’ (銀葉先生). He sought revenge on Yang Dingtian and challenged the latter to a battle. Daiqisi took up the challenge in place of Yang and they fought in the Icy Lake. They gradually fell in love and left for good to settle on an island where their daughter Xiao Zhao was born.
  • Xian Yutong (鮮于通) – nicknamed ‘Shen Ji Zi’ (神機子), he was the leader of the Huashan Sect (華山派). He was cunning and resourceful, and killed Hu Qingniu’s younger sister who married him. He was infected with the Golden Worm Poison during the battle at Bright Peak.
  • Chen Youliang (陳友諒) – a disciple of Cheng Kun. He served the Beggars' Sect (丐幫) as a spy for Cheng Kun and manipulated Song Qingshu into betraying the Wudang Sect. He defected over to join the Ming Cult after the fall of Cheng Kun, but later betrayed the cult to become a major warlord himself.
  • Yellow Dress Maiden (黃衫女子) – her real name was never mentioned in the novel, but her surname was briefly mentioned to be ‘Yang’ (楊), which suggested that she was probably a descendant of Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü. She helped Zhang Wuji in times of danger. Also, she defeated Zhou Zhiruo’s evil ‘Nine Yin White Bone Claw’ (九陰白骨爪) with her own orthodox version of the Jiu Yin Zhen Jing.
  • Zhu Changling (朱長齡) –a descendant of Zhu Ziliu. He was skilled in using the ‘Yi Yang Finger’ (一陽指), and was nicknamed ‘Heavenly Shaking Brush’ (驚天一筆). He tarnished his ancestor’s reputation by disgracefully attempting to trick Zhang Wuji into divulging the whereabouts of Xie Xun together with Wu Lie.

Adaptations

As is typical of Jinyong's novels, this story has been adapted to various media.

TV series

Due to the fact that the story features a young man choosing between several beautiful women, this story’s plot is often customised to showcase the talent of the new actor in each series who plays Zhang Wuji. Each of the TV series features a slightly different beginning and ending.

Year Production Zhang Wuji Zhao Min Zhou Zhiruo
Early 60s TVB (Hong Kong) Cheung Ying
1978 The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber (1978 TV series) Adam Cheng Liza Wang Angie Chiu
1984 TTV (Taiwan) Lau Tak Kai Lau Yuk Pok Yu Kexin
1986 TVB (Hong Kong) Tony Leung Kitty Lai Sheren Tang
1994 TTV (Taiwan) Steve Ma Cecilia Yip Kathy Chow
2000 TVB (Hong Kong) Lawrence Ng Gigi Lai Charmaine Sheh
2003 Joint production by CCTV (Mainland China), TTV (Taiwan) and Mediacorp (Singapore) Alec Su Alyssa Chia Gao Yuanyuan
2009 CCTV (Mainland China) Deng Chao Ady An Liu Jing

Movies

  • In 1978, Shaw Brothers produced 2 films based on the novel in two parts.
  • In 1993, Jet Li starred in Kung Fu Cult Master (倚天屠龍記之魔教教主) which is based on the book with major alterations in both plot and characters. The movie also ends on a cliffhanger, with no sequel to follow: it was going to be made as a two-part movie, but the second part was canceled. Although the English title is different, the Chinese title remains The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber (倚天屠龍記).

Comics/Manhua

  • Ma Wing Shing (馬榮成), the renowned author and illustrator of The Storm Riders, adapted the story. Louis Cha is credited as the writer while Ma Wing Shing handled the illustration work. In 2002, ComicsOne published an English translation. While the plot details remain intact, some of the story's events were presented out of order from the novel.

Video games

  • An old-school RPG adaptation encompasses the entire story.
  • In 2000, a newer adaptation was released by Softworld; however, the movie ends after the confrontation at Bright Peak.
  • In 2004, SoftWorld released another adaptation. Instead of the traditional turn-based RPG, this version has a real-time battle system (similar to Diablo), and encompasses the entire story.

See also

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