Xiagu Danxin

Xiagu Danxin is a wuxia novel by Liang Yusheng. It was first serialised between 5 October 1967 and 20 June 1969 in the Hong Kong newspaper Sin Wan Pao. The story is a sequel to Yunhai Yugong Yuan, another novel by Liang Yusheng.

Plot

The story follows the adventures of Jin Zhuliu, son of Jin Shiyi and Gu Zhihua, the protagonists of Yunhai Yugong Yuan. At the age of 20, Jin Zhuliu leaves the island he was raised on, and travels to the Chinese mainland alone in search of adventure. He roams the jianghu as a wandering swordsman, by upholding justice and helping the poor. At that time, China is in the late Ming Dynasty and the Han Chinese face the threat of invaders from Manchuria in the north. Jin Zhuliu performs a series of heroic acts that propel him to fame overnight.

Jin Zhuliu meets Shi Hongying, the younger sister of Shi Baidu, the evil leader of the Six Harmonies Sect, and falls in love with her. At the same time, he also meets Li Nanxing, the nephew of Li Shengnan, and becomes sworn brothers with him. Meanwhile, Shi Baidu pledges allegiance to the Manchu aristocrat Safuding and aims to help Safuding in conquering Ming China. Jin Zhuliu, Li Nanxing and other righteous pugilists combine forces to disrupt Safuding's birthday party and rob him of several precious gifts. Shi Baidu intends to marry his sister to the Manchu general Meng Xiong, but actually he wants to use her to lure Li Nanxing into a trap and kill Li. Li Nanxing is wounded in a battle and is saved by Gongsun Hong of the Red Tassel Society. Li Nanxing strikes up a romantic relationship with Gongsun Hong's daughter, Gongsun Yan, later.

Shi Baidu is dissatisfied and tries to coerce his sister to marry Meng Xiong but Jin Zhuliu, Li Nanxing and other pugilists disrupt the wedding and seize control of Meng Xiong's city. Shi Baidu is defeated and dies in humiliation. Shi Hongying succeeds her brother as leader of the Six Harmonies Society and they join a volunteer army, formed by pugilists who have sworn to defend Ming China from the Manchus. At one point, Li Nanxing falls off a cliff and is presumed to be dead. During his absence, some jianghu lowlifes reestablish the evil Heaven Demons' Cult once more and commit evil in his name. Jin Zhuliu is surprised to hear that his sworn brother is still alive and has become a villain. He investigates the case and meets Li Nanxing, who has survived, by coincidence, and they defeat the villains together, clearing Li's name. Jin Zhuliu, Li Nanxing and the righteous pugilists combine forces to foil the Manchus' plot to trick some tribal peoples from Qinghai to attack China. The story ends on a happy note for the protagonists, who receive their blessings from the wulin, as Jin Zhuliu is happily married to Shi Hongying while Li Nanxing is married to Gongsun Yan.

Characters

• Jin Zhuliu (金逐流)
• Li Nanxing (厲南星)
• Shi Hongying (史紅英)
• Gongsun Yan (公孫燕)
• Shi Baidu (史白都)
• Safuding (薩福鼎)
• Jin Shiyi (金拾遺)
• Gu Zhihua (谷之華)
• Li Shengnan (厲勝男)
• Li Fusheng (厲復生)
• Meng Xiong (孟雄)
• Gongsun Hong (公孫宏)
• Yuchi Tong (尉遲烔)
• Jiang Haitian (江海天)
• Wen Daozhuang (文道莊)
• Qin Yuanhao (秦元浩)
• Yang Hao (陽浩)

Adaptations

In 2006, the novel is adapted into a Chinese television series titled The Patriotic Knights, starring Chen Long as Jin Zhuliu, Stephanie Hsiao as Shi Hongying, Wallace Chung as Li Nanxing and He Meitian as Gongsun Yan (renamed to Zhong Yanyan in the series).