Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article does not cite any references or sources. (July 2007) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils (traditional Chinese: 天龍八部; simplified Chinese: 天龙八部; pinyin: Tiān Lóng Bā Bù) is a long wuxia novel written by Jinyong.
It was originally published in 1963, and has since spawned several movies and television serials in both Mainland China and Hong Kong. The title of the novel has been a challenge for translators for years. It is based on the eight races of non-human entities described in Buddhist cosmology. In Buddhism, even though these demi-gods are ranked higher than humanity, they are still bound to the samsara by their own passions and desires. It is said that Jinyong originally modelled each major character after one of the Races. (eg. Qiao Feng obviously represents the Deva, due to his fall from grace, much like Indra in the Indian legends) But as he wrote on, the complexity of the story made it impossible for such a simplistic mapping. Today, the topic of which character corresponds to which Race is still an interesting matter of discussion among fans and readers.
Contents |
[edit] Chapters
Jinyong revised the novel three times with the most recent revision being the 2005 edition. There are 50 chapters. Most of the revisions are either clarifications or minor alterations of character motivations.
| 1 | 青衫磊落險峰行 | A garment of green walks openheartedly among precarious peaks |
| 2 | 玉壁月華明 | A cliff of jade reflects the magnificence of the moon |
| 3 | 馬疾香幽 | A swift horse, a secluded fragrance |
| 4 | 崖高人遠 | A high precipice, a faraway man |
| 5 | 微步轂紋生 | A figure finely marked by delicate steps |
| 6 | 誰家子弟誰家院 | Which family does the child come from, whose courtyard is it? |
| 7 | 無計悔多情 | Without enumerating one's regrets, affection abounds |
| 8 | 虎嘯龍吟 | The tiger roars, the dragon bellows |
| 9 | 換巢鸞鳳 | The phoenix exchanges its nest with another fabulous bird |
| 10 | 劍氣碧煙橫 | Swords of energy intersect intensely in bluish smoke |
| 11 | 向來癡 | Infatuated all along |
| 12 | 從此醉 | Intoxicated from now on |
| 13 | 水榭聽香 指點群豪戲 | In the water pavilion, the beauty directs the play of extraordinary men |
| 14 | 劇飲千杯男兒事 | Drinking a thousand cups is the affair of men |
| 15 | 杏子林中 商略平生義 | In the forest of apricots, the righteousness of a lifetime is outlined |
| 16 | 昔時因 | The accords of the past |
| 17 | 今日意 | The intentions of the present |
| 18 | 胡漢恩仇 須傾英雄淚 | The gratitudes and grievances of the foreign man exhaust the tears of the hero |
| 19 | 雖萬千人吾往矣 | Though men in thousands upon ten thousands head for me |
| 20 | 悄立雁門, 絕壁無餘字 | Affection stands at the Gate of Wild Geese, without any other words on the precipice |
| 21 | 千里茫茫若夢 | A thousand li seem as indistinct as a dream |
| 22 | 雙眸粲粲如星 | A pair of eyes shine as bright as the stars |
| 23 | 塞上牛羊空許約 | An empty promise is made with the cows and goats of the northern lands |
| 24 | 燭畔鬢雲有舊盟 | An old alliance is found beside the candle and amidst the hair |
| 25 | 莽蒼踏雪行 | In the hazy mistiness, a journey is taken through the snow |
| 26 | 赤手屠熊搏虎 | To kill the bear and seize the tiger with one's bare hands |
| 27 | 金戈蕩寇鏖兵 | To sweep away bandits and battle armies with one's golden halberd |
| 28 | 草木殘生顱鑄鐵 | The grass and trees have a wretched existence, a skull is cast in iron |
| 29 | 蟲豸凝寒掌作冰 | The legless creature of legend has a coagulating chill, a palm brings forth ice |
| 30 | 揮灑縛豪英 | To be scattered and sprinkled that outstanding men be bound |
| 31 | 輸贏成敗 又爭由人算 | To win or to lose, success or failure, it's not something man can calculate |
| 32 | 且自逍遙沒誰管 | Loosening up a little, managed by no one |
| 33 | 奈天昏地暗 鬥轉星移 | Enduring the darkening sky and gloomy earth, the revolving constellations and shifting stars |
| 34 | 風驟緊 縹緲峰頭雲亂 | Sudden winds are gathering, clouds are rioting at the head of Fuzzy Peak |
| 35 | 紅顏彈指老 刹那芳華 | Rosy face claiming to be elderly, a transient state of fragrant beauty |
| 36 | 夢裏真 真語真幻 | A surreal dream, real conversation mixed with reality and hallucination |
| 37 | 同一笑 到頭萬事俱空 | With the same laughter, all things turned out empty in the end |
| 38 | 糊塗醉 情長計短 | Drunken stupidity, with much affection but little craft |
| 39 | 解不了 名韁系嗔貪 | Cannot loosen up, the frustration and greed that comes with fame |
| 40 | 卻試問 幾時把癡心斷 | But to try asking, when can a foolish heart break loose |
| 41 | 燕雲十八飛騎 奔騰如虎風煙舉 | Eighteen flying stallions from the Manchurian Steppes, dashing swiftly like a tiger, wind and smoke rising |
| 42 | 老魔小丑 豈堪一擊 勝之不武 | Old devil and little clown, how can they endure but a single blow, it's a win without the need to fight |
| 43 | 王霸雄圖 血海深恨 盡歸塵土 | The grandiose scheme to become an emperor, the deep hatred awash in a sea of blood, all turned into dust and earth |
| 44 | 念枉求美眷 良緣安在 | Foolishly seeking a lovely marriage, but where is the prime destiny? |
| 45 | 枯井底 污泥處 | At the bottom of a dried well, amongst filthy soil |
| 46 | 酒罷問君三語 | After some alcohol, kindly ask Sir three questions |
| 47 | 為誰開 茶花滿路 | For whom they blossomed, tea flowers covered the road |
| 48 | 王孫落魄 怎生消得 楊枝玉露 | The prince falls into hard times, how can he digest the willowy ambrosia of the boddhisatva |
| 49 | 敝屣榮華 浮雲生死 此身何懼 | Set aside all wealth and glory, these floating vapor of life and death, what can possibly scare this body and soul? |
| 50 | 教單于折箭 六軍辟易 奮英雄怒 | Teaching the Khan to break an arrow, the six armies retreated, the heroes angered |
[edit] Background
The main thematic element of the novel concerns the complex, often troubled relationships between the great multitude of characters from various kingdoms and sects, and the inherent bond that underlies the struggles of each. Ultimately, the novel examines the cause and effect that forms and breaks these bonds on five uniquely corresponding levels: self, family, society, ethnic group, and country (dominion). The timeframe in which the novel takes place is historically based upon the era of the Northern Song Dynasty, and includes the warring empires of Song, Liao, Dali, Western Xia and Tufan.
[edit] Plot
The novel is made up of several separate yet intertwining story lines, revolving around the protagonists Qiao Feng, Duan Yu and Xu Zhu, and also the tragic story of You Tanzhi.
[edit] Duan Yu's adventure
Duan Yu (段譽) started as the young, naive prince of Dali. Despite the long tradition of practicing martial arts in his family, he refused to learn it due to his influence by Buddhism and his disdain for fighting and killing. When his father, a Prince of Dali, tried to force him, he ran away. Ironically, by chance, he acquired the three most powerful martial arts skills in the novel and becomes immune to poison after unintentionally eating Zhu Ha (a poisonous toad).
Early on in the novel, Duan Yu met a young girl Zhong Ling, who grew in affection for him. In order to save her from a captor, he met Mu Wanqing. Although she mistreated him at the beginning due to the general mistrust of men imposed by her teacher/mother, Mu Wanqing fell in love with him and under the threat of Nan Hai E Shen (南海鱷神) who tried to violate her, the two were engaged. Although Duan Yu was attracted by her beauty, he did not love her or treat their relationship seriously. It's later revealed that both Zhong Ling and Mu Wanqing, as a result of Duan Yu's father's (Duan Zhengchun, 段正淳) previous love affairs, are his half sisters. The news devastated Mu Wanqing. Zhong Ling learned about it much later and the news did not affect her as much due to her personality and young age.
Duan Yu later went to the Central Realm and met Wang Yuyan (王語嫣). He immediately fell madly in love with her, and sought every opportunity to be close to her. Unfortunately for him, Wang Yuyan was equally obsessed with her cousin Murong Fu (慕容復). It's not until Murong Fu abandoned her in his pursuit of power, did they finally get together.
Later, when Duan Yu's parents and all of Duan Zhengchun's concubines were captured and about to be killed by Murong Fu, he learned that Wang Yuyan is also a daughter of Duan Zhengchun, which means he is also her half-brother - devastating news for Duan Yu. However, with her dying breath, his mother (Dao Baifeng, 刀白鳳) told him that he is in fact not the son of Duan Zhengchun, but an offspring of Duan Yanqing (段延慶), due to a one-night stand. He is thus second cousins to the ladies in his life, rather than half-siblings. According to Dali's tradition, he can marry them.
In the end, Duan Yu became the emperor of Dali and made Wang Yuyan his empress.
[edit] Qiao Feng's Adventure
Qiao Feng (喬峰) starts out as the leader of the Beggars' Sect. Many mysterious murders take place and a huge plot unfolds during a beggars' meeting. Qiao Feng is revealed to be Qidan (viewed by Hans as evil barbarians) and not Han (like the rest of the beggars). He is blamed for all the mysterious murders. Apparently, he was brought into China by his Qidan parents who were ambushed by a group of Hans who think they are dangerous spies. His mother and most of his family is killed in the ambush and his father, after madly slaughtered most of the group with his supreme martial arts skills, commits suicide by jumping down the hill with agony and pain of his loss. Qiao Feng escapes to discover the truth behind his heritage, and once he verifies it, he decides to seek the leader of the ambush group to avenge his parents. He accepts the name Xiao Feng to reflect his heritage.
His search does not go well. As he seeks out the members of the group (and old friends), they are killed shortly before he arrives and he is blamed for their deaths. He is forced to formally end his friendship with all his old friends and then slaughter most of them at a heroes summit. He accidentally kills his only companion and love interest, A Zhu, when she tries to protect her newly discovered father, Duan Zhengchun, who Qiao Feng thinks is the leader. He is forced to watch over A Zhu's newly discovered sister, A Zi, who is a sadistic, cruel and annoying girl.
Finally, he gives up and goes to the Qidan, where he meets their king and becomes sworn brothers with him. Eventually, he ends up at the Shaolin temple where it is revealed that it was his father, who survived the fall from the cliff and has been murdering in Qiao Feng's name. He has been hiding in Shaolin temple the whole time, learning their martial arts to get his revenge. The leader of the ambush group was the head abbot of the Shaolin Monks, who later dies from the punishment he accepts for all his major sins in life. The ambush group attacked Qiao Feng's family because they were fed bad information by Murong Bo, Mu Rong Fu's father who was also supposed to be dead. The purpose of feeding of the bad information is to incite war between the countries of Song and Qidan. Mu Rong Bo wanted a chance to learn Shaolin's secret arts and had been hiding in the Shaolin temple as well. After fighting with a mysterious Monk who possesses phenomenal martial arts skill , the two men renounce their worldly goals and become his disciples.
Qiao Feng spends some time with his sworn brothers Duan Yu and Xu Zhu for a while before returning to the Qidan. Qiao Feng ends up committing suicide after he stops a planned war and makes the Qidan king promise never to invade China.
[edit] Xu Zhu's Adventure
Xu Zhu (虛竹) starts as a Shaolin monk, known for his kind-hearted and submissive nature. He accidentally solves a strange weiqi (go) puzzle, which causes Wu Ya Zi, the grandmaster of the Xiaoyao sect, to give him a lifetime of internal energy. He's supposed to use it to kill the evil Ding Chunqiu, but because he's a monk, he refuses to.
Two groups who are oppressed by the Vulture Peak Sect are able to capture a girl from them. They want to get information from her so they can free themselves. Xu Zhu is passing by and merely sees them ready to beat up some little girl, so he rescues her. She ends up being Tian Shan Tong Lao, the leader of the Vulture Peak Sect, whom is cursed by Li Qiushui, her martial sister, to be in an eternal child-like form of (approximately) a 12 years old maiden. Currently she is powerless and is being hunted down by Li Qiushui. Tian Shan Tong Lao needs to drink blood and practice diligently for 96 days to regain her strength, which she lost every 30 years because of the curse. She coerces Xu Zhu to help her. He doesn't want to see her die, even though she does many things that he really does not agree with. He tries to protect life as much as possible.
Eventually, hidden in an ice cellar to get away from Li Qiushui (as they were no match against her given that Tian Shan Tong Lao had not recovered her strength and Xu Zhu was not trained and experienced enough to defeat Li Qiushui), Tian Shan Tong Lao teaches a reluctant Xu Zhu all her martial arts. Xu Zhu still insists on being a monk. Tian Shan Tong Lao tries very hard to cause him to sin and eventually breaks his will by placing him in bed with a mysterious (naked) kidnapped woman. They give into temptation as he tries to keep her (and him of course) warm. Xu Zhu then willingly eats meat and does more of what Tian Shan Tong Lao tells him.
Eventually Tian Shan Tong Lao has her showdown with Li Qiushui, with Xu Zhu trying his best to stop it. But the two women end up killing each other. Before they die, they realize that their many decades of feud over the man they loved and were fighting over, their martial brother Wu Ya Zi, loved someone else entirely. He actually loved Li Qiushui's younger sister and made a statue of her (the same one Duan Yu was enamored with). Before Tian Shan Tong Lao dies, Xu Zhu is appointed as the leader of the Vulture Peak Sect. He went back to the Vulture Peak Sect to end the fighting between the Vulture Sect and those oppressed by Tian Shan Tong Lao when she was leading the Sect. However he still missed being a monk.
He tries to return to being a monk, but his identity as the sect leader of the Vulture Peak Sect revealed, as well as having committed crimes that are too heinous as he has eaten meat, slept with a woman, and killed people, he was forced to leave Shaolin. Before he leaves Shaolin, he's united with his sworn brothers Duan Yu and Qiao Feng. He fights and defeats the evil Ding Chunqiu. In the end, he finds out that he's actually the illegitimate son of the head abbot and Ye Er Niang. After the head abbot dies accepting their punishments, Xu Zhu is no longer a monk.
Xu Zhu finally accepts his role as the leader of the Vulture Peak Sect. He accompanies Duan Yu to "contest for a princess." Neither Duan Yu nor Xu Zhu want to marry her, they just want to see her. She turns out to be the girl Xu Zhu was with in the ice cellar. They are happily reunited and get together.
[edit] Characters
[edit] Protagonists
- Qiao Feng (喬峰) - later assumes his real ancestral name Xiao Feng (蕭峰). Known as "Northern Qiao Feng" (after his usual base), Qiao Feng was one half of the two legendary 'Wulin' names in this novel (the other being the Murong family) and an undefeatable martial artist.
- Xu Zhu (虛竹) - A Shaolin monk, known for his kind-hearted and submissive nature, yet acquired tremendous skills.
- Wang Yuyan (王語嫣) - A beautiful yet unfeeling maiden. Initially, she loved her cousin, the elusive Murong Fu, who had no desires outside of re-establishing his Yan kingdom; eventually became Duan Yu's wife. However, in the third edition, she remains with her cousin at the end.
- A Zhu (阿朱) - The love interest of Qiao Feng, who accidentally killed her in a tragic mix-up for revenge. For this revenge,Qiao Feng used his deadliest and highest stance of his 18 Dragon-Slayer Claw: Hell-Dragon Swallow the Universe. Because of this He can't revive her like he did before.
- A Zi (阿紫) - A Zhu's younger sister. Very childish and self-centered, she caused much hassle for Qiao Feng, who swore an oath to take care of her after her sister's passing. She is infatuated with Qiao Feng, but it was unrequited. She eventually committed suicide when Qiao Feng did the same.
[edit] Antagonists
- Murong Fu (慕容復) - Known as "Southern Murong", his skill turned out be the poorest out (Jack of All Trades, Master of None) of all the main characters (as he is constantly relieved of his sword in numerous engagements); born of a royal lineage and successor to the throne of decimated Later Yan (his name suggests that he is from the Murong clan of the Xianbei that were part of the Sixteen Kingdoms period. A power-hungry and self-absorbed individual, he would stop at nothing to restore his kingdom. After a lengthy bout with Duan Yu and a failed alliance with Duan Yanqing (resulting in several needless deaths), he went insane and became somewhat of a recluse. His father, Murong Bo 慕容博, whose martial arts prowess was far superior to his own, was also a cunning villain who plotted the attack on Qiao Feng's parents.
- You Tanzhi (游坦之) / "The Iron Clown" (Tie Chou - 鐵丑) - The teenage son of a martial arts family who were killed by Qiao Feng, his attempted revenge against Qiao backfired when he was taken prisoner by A Zi's guards. He was mesmerised by A Zi's beauty and became submissive to her sadistic desires (including having a cast-iron mask placed over his face for her amusement, thus the nickname "The Iron Clown"). He showed devotion towards A Zi when she was blinded by Ding Chunqiu by offering his own eyes, however this affection was never reciprocated. Other than that, You Tanzhi is vicious and callous, demonstrated by his unprovoked challenge at the whim of A Zi against Shaolin monk Xuan Ci, or indiscriminiately killing those who threatened to reveal his true identity when he was escorting the blinded A Zi. He originally had no training in the martial arts (even though he was from a rather well known martial arts family) but a series of freak events lead to him acquiring one of the most fearsome internal energies of the realm (Shaolin Internal Energy Tome).
- Jiu Mozhi (鳩摩智)- Originally famed as a monk of great wisdom, he was actually an evil, ambitiously monk from Tubo. He was also revealed in the latter half of the story as a close friend of Murong Bo. He is obsessed with learning the various special techniques of many styles of martial arts. Murong Bo's long and secretive stay at the Shaolin Temple allowed him to steal many important martial arts manuals, which he gave to Jiu Mozhi after he was done with them. Jiu Mozhi's first appearance is when he kidnaps Duan Yu after a failed attempt to learn a special technique of the Duan family. Near the end of the story he is plagued with internal energy imbalances as he only studied the violent aspects of the Shaolin arts instead of balancing them with the peaceful teachings. However, while fighting with Duan Yu, one of Duan Yu's special and rare martial arts drained him totally of all his 30-plus years of internal energy. Losing all martial art skills but cured of the imbalance, Jiu Mozhi renounced his evil ways and truly became a great monk at long last
- Ding Chunqiu (丁春秋) - An evil traitor of the Xiaoyao Sect. He specializes in using poison in all sorts of ways. While fighting with Murong Fu he blinded his student A Zi. He loved the worshipping by his followers. After his defeat in Shaolin he was imprisoned by the monks.
- Murong Bo (慕容博) - Murong Fu's father and a supreme martial artist, he faked his own death for many years in order to escape being blamed for the plot of sowing discord between the Song and Liao Empires. This allowed him to commit many mysterious murders as well as secretly borrow martial arts manuals from the Shaolin Temple. His existence is known by only the Murong Family's guard (Deng Bai Chuan, one of the major guards of Murong Family finds his coffin empty), Xiao Yuanshan (Qiao Feng's father without knowing who he is), and the sweeper monk.
[edit] Duan Zhengchun, his daughters, and his acquaintances
Duan Zhengchun's many affairs and illegitimate children are a recurring joke, since all of Duan Yu's girlfriends and female acquiantances turn out to (initially) be his sisters (whom he naturally cannot marry). The plot twist comes near the end of the story when it is revealed that Duan Yu is not his son, but actually his nephew.
- Duan Zhengchun (段正淳) - (foster) father of Duan Yu, and the brother of the emperor of Dali. He had affairs with several women, and because they were all killed by Murong Fu near the end of the story, he committed suicide. Most of them bore him daughters. It had also been researched that the majority of main characters have family relations with him.
- Dao Baifeng (刀白鳳) - she is the mother of Duan Yu, the only male child of Duan Zhengchun. As it turned out, angry and jealous of Duan Zhengchun's many affairs, Dao Baifeng committed adultery with Duan Yanqing, who was the true father of Duan Yu. Dao Baifeng is Duan Zhengchun's one and only official wife.
- Wang Fu Ren (王夫人 - Madam Wang) - she bore Wang Yuyan (王語嫣). Her death is rather ironic because she happened to be Murong Fu's aunt. She was also the biological daughter of Wu Ya Zi and Li Quishui.
- Gan Bao Bao (甘寶寶) - she bore Zhong Ling (鍾靈).
- Qin Hongmian (秦紅棉) - she bore Mu Wanqing (木婉清).
- Ma Fu Ren (馬夫人 - Madam Ma) / Kang Min (康敏) - she has no children and is the only one of Duan Zhengchun's love interests who is truly evil; having plotted the death of her weak but good-natured husband Ma Dayuan (馬大元), formerly the assistant chief of the Beggars' Sect and second in command to Qiao Feng. Her plotting and scheming caused Qiao Feng's "Fall from Grace")
- Wang Yuyan - She is 16 years old. She is a "martial arts encyclopedia" as she memorizes about everything in the Murong family's martial arts library.
- Zhong Ling - Probably the sweetest and most innocent of Duan Zhengchun's daughters. She is 16 years old, but is slightly younger than Wang Yuyan.
- Mu Wanqing - The oldest of Duan Zhengchun's daughters. Unfortunately she fell in love with Duan Yu before learning that they are both Duan Zhengchun's children.
- A Zhu - Along with Zhong Ling, she is the most mild tempered of Duan Zhengchun's daughters. Although she possessed meager martial arts, she is a master of disguise. She is 17 years old.
- A Zi - The most childish, spoiled, and selfish of Duan Zhengchun's daughters. She is 15 years old. She fell for Qiao Feng, her brother in law, and used the rest of her life to pursue him.
[edit] The Four Evil Ones
"The Four Evil Ones" (Si Da E Ren - 四大惡人) is a band of four individuals known for their cruelty and malevolence. Their nicknames are Chinese idioms describing evil. Interestingly, the position of the character "惡" in their nickname idioms indicates the character's ranking in the group (for example, 葉二娘 is ranked 2nd as indicated in her nickname "無惡不作").
- Duan Yanqing (段延慶) / "Overflowing Evil" (E Guan Man Ying - 惡貫滿盈) - Extremely powerful despite his form as a crippled old man. Once the Crown Prince of Dali, he was outcast and left for dead, after which he was "brought back to life" by a woman who was shrouded in light. The women turned out to be Dao Baifeng, who gave birth to his son Duan Yu.
- Ye Er Niang (葉二娘) / "Commiter of all Evils" (Wu E Bu Zuo - 無惡不作) - Deprived of her only son, she crazily seized and killed the sons of others. It turned out Xu Zhu was her son. Later, she meets Xuan Ci, the head abbott of Shaolin whom Xiao Yuan Shan, the vengeful father of Xiao Feng, revealed as the father of Xu Zhu. Xuan Ci was then punished for breaking the monk's protocol and was beaten, and later committed suicide due to the shame. A heartbroken Ye Er Niang then killed herself.
- Yue Lao San (岳老三) / "Evil Countenance" (Xiong Shen E Sha - 凶神惡煞) - Comical (but evil) individual who complained constantly about his status with regards to others (Yue Lao San always thinks he is more powerful than Ye Er Niang and calls himself Yue Lao Er 岳老二). He wields an enormous pair of scissors. He was outsmarted by Duan Yu and becomes his "apprentice". This proves useful as every time Duan Yu needs his help he simply tells him that for an apprentice to not help his master would be extremely dishonorable. He was also known as Crocodile Spawn of the Southern Seas (南海鱷神). Despite his ignoble namesake, he proved to be a loyal disciple. In disbelief, he was killed by Duan Yanqing while trying to free Duan Yu.
- Yun Zhong He (雲中鶴) / "Desperate Evil" (Qiong Xiong Ji E - 窮凶極惡) - A lecherous fiend who was notorious for preying on beautiful young women. He is viciously slaughtered by Duan Yu using the Liu Mai Shen Jian ( 6-Nerve Divine Swords, Dali's Deadliest Martial Art) near the epilogue of the story, for lusting after and tried to kidnap Wang Yu Yan.
[edit] Beggars' Sect
- Wang Jiantong (汪剑通) - Qiao Feng's predecessor. He was involved in the fight at Yanmen Pass thirty years ago which resulted in the apparent death of Qiao Feng's parents.
- Elder Wu (Wu Changfeng 吳長風) - One of the four elders who plotted against Qiao Feng after discovering that he was Qidan. He is also one of the strongest in martial arts among the elders, with his trademark sabre technique 'Qi Men San Cai Dao'(奇门三才刀).
- Elder Song (宋长老) - One of the four elders who plotted against Qiao Feng. He was killed by You Tanzhi.
- Elder Xi (奚长老) - One of the four elders who plotted against Qiao Feng. He was killed by Qiao Feng.
- Elder Chen (Chen Guyan 陈孤雁) - One of the four elders who plotted against Qiao Feng. He carries a sack which contains several poisonous creatures such as scorpions. He has a trademark self-created fighting technique with his sack against his enemies.
- Elder Xu (徐长老)- One of the elders. He was murdered mysteriously, possibly by Xiao Yuanshan.
- Elder Bai (Bai Shijing 白世鏡) - The elder who was in charge of law and order within the sect, such as granting rewards and meting out punishments. He was in fact a lecherous fiend and was the one of the two original masterminders in the plot to remove Qiao Feng from the position of chief. He murdered the deputy chief Ma Dayuan by using the latter's trademark technique. He was later killed by Xiao Yuanshan.
- Quan Guanqing (全冠清) - An evil individual who was one of the masterminders behind the plot to expose Qiao Feng's true ethnicity. He later manipulated You Tanzhi to become the new chief, while actually controlling the power of the Beggars' Sect all by himself.
- Ma Dayuan (馬大元) - The deputy chief who knew Qiao Feng's true ethnicity but was murdered by his adulterous wife Kang Min and the elder Bai Shijing. Qiao Feng was later held responsible for his death.
[edit] Xiaoyao Sect (逍遥派)
Xiaoyao Sect (lit. "The Freely-Roaming Sect") is described as a mysterious group, closely guarding their secrets to the point of eliminating anyone who stumbles across the group. The origins of the group are not known, nor does it feature prominently in Jinyong's other works (a fleeting reference in The Smiling, Proud Wanderer regarding some of its martial art skills). Nevertheless, characters belonging to this Sect played significant roles in the development of this novel as well as practitioners of their martial arts.
- Wu Ya Zi (無崖子) - Head of the Xiaoyao Sect. He caused the feud between Tian Shan Tong Lao and Li Qiushui by not stating his intentions clearly. He was later hit off a ravine by his trecherous disciple Ding ChunQiu. He transferred all his inner energy (qi) to Xu Zhu before he died, enabling Xu Zhu to achieve elite status.
- Tian Shan Tong Lao (天山童姥) - Elder disciple sister of Wu Ya Zi and long-time nemesis of Li Qiushui, her own disciple sister. She is described as a ruthless elderly ruler of the Ling Jiu Palace (靈鹫宫), and treats her subordinates harshly. She was saved by Xu Zhu when she was pursued by Li Qiushui, and handed Xu Zhu the powers to Ling Jiu Palace prior to her death.
- Li Qiushui (李秋水) - Training partner and wife of Wu Ya Zi and younger disciple sister to Tian Shan Tong Lao. Described as a ruthless, scheming character, yet maintaining an affable appearance. Her rivalry with Tian Shan Tong Lao began as they both vied for Wu Ya Zi's affection. She gave birth to Wang Fu Ren, which is mom of Wang Yu Yan, Duan Yu main love interest)
[edit] Kingdom of Dali (大理国)
- Duan Zhengming (段正明) - The emperor of Dali, elder brother of Duan Zhengchun, uncle of Duan Yu. He later abdicated in favour of Duan Zhengchun and became a monk at Tianlong Monastery.
- Fu Sigui (傅思归) - One of the Four Protectors of Dali
- Zhu Danchen (朱丹臣) - One of the Four Protectors of Dali
- Chu Wanli (褚万里) - One of the Four Protectors of Dali
- Gu Ducheng (古笃诚) - One of the Four Protectors of Dali
- Hua Hegen (华赫艮) - Served the Emperor of Dali as Situ(司徒)
- Ba Tianshi (巴天石) - Served the Emperor of Dali as Sikong(司空)
- Fan Hua (范骅) - Served the Emperor of Dali as Sima(司马)
- Gao Shengtai (高升泰) - The Duke of Shanchan(善阐侯) of Dali
The ruling family is famous for their martial arts skills, Yi Yang Zhi, where the princes are all expected to learn martial arts. The kingdom's official religon Buddhism and the most famous temple is the Tian Long (Heavenly Dragon) Temple. The high monks are also martial arts exponents and they are also the keeper of a martial arts that few knows of.
It is the Liu Mai Shen Jian or loosely translated as the Mystical Swords of the Six Meridians. This art is a significant upgrade to the Yi Yang Zhi, where an invisible, unblockable beam of energy is projected from the finger tips. This skill is ranked amongst the top martial arts skills. An inexperienced Duan Yuan easily defeated the famous Murong Fu. Even Qiao Feng admitted that he would have a hard time fighting against this skill. Unfortuanately, this skill requires an extremely high level of internal strength that only the creator and subsequently only Duan Yu manage to master it.
[edit] Miscellaneous Characters
- Xiao Yuanshan (蕭遠山)- Qiao Feng's father who has actually been alive the whole time. It so happens that when he tried to commit suicide at the Yanmen Pass he managed to land in a tree instead of dying. He and Murong Bo are responsible for many of the mysterious deaths that occur throughout the story. Saves Xiao Feng's life in the duel of Ju Xian Manor. His kung fu is exceptionally good and rivals Murong Bo.
- Sweeper Monk - An unknown persona within the Shaolin temple that was outside the temple hierarchy but had unbelievably powerful martial arts skills. He was able to "kill" Xiao Yuanshan and Murong Bo with one hit, but was wounded by Xiao Feng's blow. Near the end of the series, both Xiao Yuanshan and Murong Bo forget their hatred and become the sweeper monk's disciples.
- Zhuo Bufan (卓不凡) - A swordsman with the presumptous title of 'Sword God Zhuo Bufan' (剑神卓不凡) who seeks revenge against Tian Shan Tong Lao. Despite his impressive title, he suffered an embarrassing defeat when he tried to attack Xu Zhu at Ling Jiu Palace. Not much is known about his background except that his clan was massacred to the last man by Tian Shan Tong Lao thirty years before the events in the book and he had spent the last three decades perfecting his sword skills in isolation.
- Reverend Huangmei (黄眉大师) - A monk who helped in the rescue of Duan Yu from Wanjie Valley by distracting Duan Yanqing in a game of weiqi (go).
- Reverend Xuanci (玄慈大师) - The abbot of Shaolin Temple who was actually the "Leading Big Brother"(带头大哥) who led the attack on Xiao Feng's family at Yanmen Pass. He secretly fathered a child, Xu Zhu, with Ye Er Niang.
- Zhong Wanchou (钟万仇) - Master of Wanjie Valley, husband of Gan Baobao and 'father' of Zhong Ling. He hated Duan Zhengchun to the core and even placed a sign at the entrance to the valley which read 'Anyone with the surname Duan that enters this valley will be killed without exception'(姓段者入此谷杀无舍). He was very protective of his wife and would not allow any man to go near her.
- Su Xinghe (苏星河) - Known as the "Blind and Deaf Elder",（聋哑老人) he is actually the student of Wu Ya Zi and a member of the Xiaoyao Sect. When Ding Chunqiu betrayed the Xiaoyao sect, Su Xinghe attempted to protect his teacher but failed to do so and was injured. However, due to his knowledge of the arts of Qi Men, or stone formations he was able to fend off Ding Chunqiu. When the protagonists meet him, Su Xinghe is in search of a new Zhangmen (Sect leader) of the Xiaoyao sect. He does this by setting up the "unsolvable Weiqi game" （珍陇棋局） as a test to try to find the most suitable youth to take the position. It is Su Xinghe who explains to Xu Zhu the story of the Xiaoyao Sect, and taught him how to heal others through acupuncture points and veins. Unfortunately, he died to Ding Chunqiu's legendary poison, the "Xiaoyao Three Laughter" (三笑逍遥散）as Ding Chunqiu attempted to poison both him and Xu Zhu after the events at the Weiqi game.
[edit] List of various sects, famous families, and groups
- Shaolin Temple
- Tianlong (Heavenly Dragon) Temple
- Beggars' Sect
- Xiaoyao Sect
- Xingsu Sect
- Murong Family
- Kingdom of Dali
[edit] Adaptations
[edit] Television series
| Year | Production | Title of Adaptation (if different) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | TVB (Hong Kong) | The main cast includes Leung Ka Yan, Felix Wong, Kent Tong, Patrick Tse Yin, Wong Han Sau, Shek Sau, Idy Chan, Sharon Yang Pan Pan | |
| 1996 | TVB (Hong Kong) | Cast includes Felix Wong as Qiao Feng, Benny Chan as Duan Yu, Carman Lee as Wang Yu Yin | |
| 2003 | CCTV (Mainland China) | Heaven Dragon - the Eighth Episode | Producer Zhang Jizhong had previously adapted The Legend of the Condor Heroes for CCTV to great acclaim. The main cast includes Hu Jun, Jimmy Lin, Gao Hu, Liu Yifei, Liu Tao, Chen Hao and Christy Chung. |
[edit] External links
- (English) Demi-Gods, Semi-Devils - English translation of the novel at Wuxiapedia.com; includes a comprehensive section of fully-annotated material called "Facts and Figures".
- (Chinese) Tian Long Ba Bu - Text of the novel, in Chinese
- (Chinese) Jinyong Tea House - Chinese language fansite of Jinyong's novels
- Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils at the Internet Movie Database
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
