Qijian Xia Tianshan

Qijian Xia Tianshan is a wuxia novel by Liang Yusheng. It was first serialised between 15 February 1956 and 31 March 1957 in the Hong Kong newspaper Ta Kung Pao. It is also closely linked to the novels Saiwai Qixia Zhuan and Baifa Monü Zhuan, also by Liang Yusheng.

Plot

The prologue serves as a continuation of Yang Yuncong and Nalan Minghui's story in Saiwai Qixia Zhuan, set in the early Qing dynasty. Nalan is forced to marry the Manchu prince Dodo even though she loves Yang and has borne Yang a daughter. Yang shows up on the night before Nalan's wedding and seizes their infant daughter from her. He is mortally wounded in a fight against Prince Dodo's henchmen. Before his death, he entrusts his daughter to the youth Liang Mulang, who was attempting suicide after being mistakenly accused of betraying his comrades. Mulang brings Yang's daughter back to Yang's teacher Reverend Huiming on Mount Heaven.

Mulang spends 18 years training under Reverend Huiming's tutelage and he becomes a formidable swordsman. He returns to the jianghu under a new name, "Ling Weifeng", and does a series of chivalrous deeds. Yang Yuncong's daughter, Yilan Zhu, has mastered the 'Mount Heaven Swordplay', and she swears to kill Prince Dodo and avenge her father. On Mount Wutai, members of the anti-Qing secret society Heaven and Earth Society and some Southern Ming rebels attempt to assassinate Prince Dodo but their plans are interrupted by Yilan Zhu's untimely appearance. During the ensuing chaos, Yilan Zhu unintentionally causes Zhang Huazhao to be captured by Qing soldiers. She goes to Prince Dodo's residence to rescue Zhang later.

Meanwhile, Fu Qingzhu and Mao Wanlian discover that the Shunzhi Emperor is still alive and has become a monk on Mount Wutai. Shunzhi's son, the reigning Kangxi Emperor, secretly murders his father to safeguard his throne. On Ling Weifeng's part, he meets his old crush Liu Yufang, who wrongly accused him of betrayal years ago. Even though Ling's appearance has changed, Liu still notices that he bears some resemblance to Mulang, but he refuses to admit that he is indeed Mulang. Ling Weifeng and Liu Yufang travel to Yunnan later and befriend Li Siyong, a descendant of Li Zicheng. They also encounter Fu Qingzhu and Mao Wanlian, as well as Gui Zhongming, a new companion. Gui falls in love with Mao after she helps him recover from his mental illness.

Gui Zhongming and Mao Wanlian go to Beijing later to find Yilan Zhu and they meet the scholar Nalan Rongruo. In the meantime, Nalan Minghui recognises Yilan Zhu as her daughter and she pleads with Prince Dodo to spare her daughter's life. After much difficulty, Yilan Zhu and Zhang Huazhao escape from danger and they fall in love. Yilan Zhu avenges her father later by assassinating Prince Dodo, but is captured and imprisoned. Nalan Minghui is unable to rescue her daughter and commits suicide in despair. "Flying Red Sash" Hamaya (a former love rival of Nalan) and Ling Weifeng appear in the nick of time and save Yilan Zhu.

Ling Weifeng suddenly experiences a seizure in a fight against Chu Zhaonan, his treacherous senior. Chu turns the tables on Ling and captures and imprisons him in an underground labyrinth in Tibet. Ling attempts to escape but fails and is on the brink of death. He writes a letter to Liu Yufang, admitting that he is indeed Mulang. Liu is heartbroken upon reading Ling's letter. Han Zhibang, who has a secret crush on Liu Yufang, bravely sacrifices himself to save Ling Weifeng and dies at the hands of Chu Zhaonan. Fu Qingzhu and the other heroes break into the labyrinth to rescue Ling. Chu Zhaonan is defeated by Yilan Zhu and commits suicide eventually.

Ling Weifeng, Zhang Huazhao, Gui Zhongming, Yilan Zhu, Mao Wanlian, Wu Qiongyao, and Hamaya form the "Seven Swords of Mount Heaven", with Liu Yufang as a close ally. They leave behind a heroic legacy of upholding justice and helping the poor and oppressed.

Characters

Adaptations

Films

In 1959, Hong Kong's Emei Film Company produced a film titled Seven Swordsmen Leave Tianshan based on the novel. It starred Cheung Wood-yau, Law Yim-hing, Lam Kau, Hoh Bik-gin, Shek Sau, Yeung Fan and Yeung Yip-wang.

Tsui Hark's 2005 film Seven Swords features seven sword fighters, each wielding a special sword, departing from Mount Heaven to save a village under attack by a ruthless warlord. The seven swords are: The Dragon (由龍), wielded by Chu Zhaonan; The Transience (青干), wielded by Yang Yuncong; The Star Chasers (競星), wielded by Xin Longzi; The Celestial Beam (日月), wielded by Mulang; The Deity (舍神), wielded by Han Zhibang; The Heaven's Fall (天瀑), wielded by Wu Yuanying; and The Unlearnt (莫問), wielded by Fu Qingzhu. Except for some characters' names, the story and the seven swords are not related to Qijian Xia Tianshan. Donnie Yen, Leon Lai, Charlie Yeung, Lu Yi and Sun Honglei starred in the leading roles.

Television

In 2006, Tsui Hark produced Seven Swordsmen, a television series derived from the 2005 film Seven Swords. It starred Vincent Zhao, Wang Xuebing, Ray Lui, Ada Choi, Qiao Zhenyu, Li Xiaoran, Wang Likun and Bryan Leung. The story is based more on Saiwai Qixia Zhuan, the novel preceding Qijian Xia Tianshan, even though it shares the same Chinese title as the latter.

Comics

In 2006, Chinese artists Guangzu (光祖) and Niu Tongxue (牛同學) released a manhua series of the same Chinese title as the novel.