Zhang Wuji
Encyclopedia
Zhang Wuji is the fictional protagonist of the wuxia
novel The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber by Jin Yong.
Upon their return to mainland China, the family arouses the attention of several pugilists and sects in the wulin
, who keep pestering them to divulge the whereabouts of Xie Xun and the Dragon-slaying Saber. Zhang is captured by the Xuanming Elders, who injure him with their "Xuanming Divine Palm", but is rescued by his father's teacher Zhang Sanfeng
later. His parents commit suicide in defiance after several pugilists attempt to force them to reveal Xie Xun's hiding place.
Zhang is deeply traumatised by the loss of his parents and suffers from his wounds. After receiving treatment for his wounds from his grandteacher and his father's fellows for two years, they teach him the "Wudang Nine Yang Skill", in hope that it will cure him, but it only helps to minimize his suffering. Zhang Sanfeng brings him to seek treatment and they run into Chang Yuchun
and a young Zhou Zhiruo
. Zhang Sanfeng saves Chang and Zhou from some pursuers and entrusts Zhang Wuji to Chang's care. Chang brings Zhang to Butterfly Valley where the physician Hu Qingniu lives. Hu partially succeeds in healing Zhang by slowing down the effects of the poison in his wound and imparts his medical knowledge to Zhang indirectly when Zhang stays with him during the recovery period. Hu's wife, Wang Nangu, also imparts her knowledge of toxicology to Zhang.
and her daughter Yang Buhui at Butterfly Valley and they become close friends. After Ji is killed by Miejue, Zhang brings Yang Buhui to her father, Yang Xiao, after a perilous journey to the Kunlun Mountains
. He encounters Zhu Jiuzhen later and has a crush on her. Zhu's family accepts him and Zhu's father, Zhu Changling, even agrees to marry his daughter to him. However, Zhang discovers that the Zhus and some others are actually planning to trick him to reveal his godfather's whereabouts. He escapes death narrowly after Zhu Changling attempts to kill him. He crawls through a narrow tunnel and arrives in Nameless Valley.
Zhang lives in the valley for the next five years and spends his time helping other animals in the valley with his medical knowledge. Once, he meets a white ape suffering from abdominal pain. He performs surgery on the ape and removes a large bundle inside the ape's stomach. He opens the bundle and finds the Nine Yang Manual. Zhang masters the skills in the manual and heals himself in the process. He builds up immense inner energy
from practising the skills and learns to use the "Nine Yang Divine Skill".
. He also learns that the six major orthodox sects in the wulin
are planning to attack the Ming Cult
on Bright Peak. He ventures to the peak ahead of the attackers and discovers Cheng Kun's evil plans. He escapes death again narrowly with Xiaozhao, a servant girl of Yang Xiao's family, whom he met there. He finds the manual of the "Heaven and Earth Great Shift" inside a secret chamber and masters the skill, which allows him to reach a near-superhuman level of martial arts prowess.
Zhang resolves the conflict between the Ming Cult and the six sects after representing the Ming Cult and defeating challengers from the sects. He exposes Cheng Kun's evil plans to stir up conflict and bloodshed in the jianghu
and earns the respect of the other orthodox sects for his prowess in martial arts. At the same time, he is also reunited with his father's fellows from the Wudang Sect
and his maternal grandfather, Yin Tianzheng. The Ming Cult's members are grateful to Zhang from saving them from destruction and they want him to take the cult's leadership position, which has been vacant since the death of Yang Dingtian, the previous leader. Zhang agrees reluctantly and he reforms the cult and attempts to improve its relations with other sects.
, he learns that the members of the six sects have been captured by the Yuan
military after their earlier departure. The Yuan forces are led by the princess Zhao Min
, who becomes attracted to Zhang after encountering him in a few skirmishes. Zhang succeeds in rescuing the captured pugilists and earns further respect from them. The sects finally resolve their animosity with the Ming Cult and become its allies. Meanwhile, Zhao has fallen in love with Zhang secretly and she frees the pugilists after an agreement with Zhang, telling him that he must fulfill three conditions. The first one is to allow her to follow him on his adventures, and she will tell him the other two conditions later.
Zhang travels to Ice Fire Island together with Zhao, Zhou Zhiruo and Xiaozhao. They are closely followed by Golden Flower Granny and her disciple Yin Li (Zhu'er). Zhang reunites with his godfather, Xie Xun, but they face the threats of enemies who are eyeing Xie's Dragon-slaying Saber. They meet some people from the Persian Ming Cult and Xiaozhao agrees to leave with them and become their new leader in place of her mother. Meanwhile, Zhou murders Yin secretly and knocks out Zhang, Zhao and Xie with drugs in order to seize the Dragon-slaying Saber and Heaven-reliant Sword.
for Yin Li's murder by casting her adrift while she was unconscious. When Zhang awakes, he is shocked to see that Yin is dead and believes that Zhao is responsible. He returns to the mainland with Zhou and his godfather. Xie Xun and Zhou are captured by Cheng Kun and Chen Youliang
, who planning to stir up conflict in the jianghu
once more. He runs into Zhao Min and wants to kill her to avenge Yin Li, but he refrains from doing so as he is still suspicious about her innocence and also due to the fact that he still loves her.
Zhang saves Zhou from the Beggars' Sect
and Chen Youliang's clutches. He foils Song Qingshu's attempt to take over the Wudang Sect
as well. A complex love triangle gradually develops between him, Zhao and Zhou. To prove his loyalty to Zhou, Zhang decides to marry her. Zhao disrupts the wedding by telling Zhang that she knows where his godfather is held captive and telling Zhang that her second condition (for freeing the captured pugilists earlier) is that Zhang cannot marry Zhou. Zhou hates Zhao for embarrassing her and disrupting her wedding and she attacks Zhao with her "Nine Yin White Bone Claw".
. Zhang saves Zhao and they decide to attend the "Lion-slaying Ceremony" at Shaolin Monastery, which is actually a plot by Cheng Kun to turn all pugilists against each other. Xie Xun is used as the bait, as his fate will be decided by the champion of the martial arts contest. Zhou appears at the ceremony and defeats all challengers. Zhang almost defeats Zhou but he hesitates at the critical moment and Zhou defeats him.
Zhou agrees to allow Zhang to help her fight the three Shaolin elders guarding Xie Xun, as defeating them will clear the last obstacle to claiming Xie. Zhang succeeds in rescuing his godfather and Zhou meets her match at the hands of the Yellow Dress Maiden.
and other rebel forces to overthrow the Yuan Dynasty
. The rebels score defeat the Yuan forces numerous times and draw closer to achieving victory.
Meanwhile, Zhang discovers that Yin Li had survived and returned to take her revenge on Zhou Zhiruo. By then, it is clear to him that Zhou is actually the mastermind behind the mysterious events on the island. Zhou feels guilty for her sins and explains to Zhang that she has been bound by her oath to do so. Meanwhile, Zhang announces his plans to marry Zhao Min
, whom he has finally decided to be his true love and obtains blessings from Zhang Sanfeng
.
Zhang leaves the Ming Cult after mistakenly believing that his former subordinates are plotting to kill him to seize power. However, he is unaware that it is actually a ploy by Zhu Yuanzhang
to seize control of the cult's military without worrying that Zhang may interfere. Zhang decides to retire permanently from the jianghu
and names Yang Xiao as his successor. In the last chapter, Zhao tells Zhang that her third condition is for him to help her paint her eyebrows. The story ends here, but in another version, Zhou Zhiruo visits them as a friend and makes some cheeky remarks, reminding Zhang that he has also promised her to do something. She says, "I'll tell you on your wedding day with Zhao Min." Zhang looks at Zhao, then at Zhou, and drops the paintbrush.
and Yang Guo
. He possesses less heroic traits than them and has an equal balance of strengths and weaknesses. The presence of these humanly traits in him makes him more realistic than the other two protagonists in the Condor Trilogy
. Zhang's personality is strongly influenced by social factors and the people around him. He is often placed in situations in which he has no other choice but to adapt to. He has no chance of escaping from harsh reality.
His love relationships with his four love interests (Zhao Min
, Zhou Zhiruo
, Xiaozhao and Yin Li) are extremely complicated. Zhang is very hesitant and indecisive on who his true love is. Apparently, he loves Zhao the most and he states clearly that he loves Zhao to Zhou at the end of the novel. However, one can really speculate whether Zhang really does know who his true love is, deep inside his heart.
Although Zhang is a formidable pugilist and probably the best of his age, he is not a suitable candidate to be a leader. Undeniably, Zhang maintains a morally upright character and adopts an altruistic approach to his fellows. However, he lacks the qualities and prerequisites of becoming a great leader. On a personal level, he is reluctant to become a leader and only obliges to take up the Ming Cult's leadership position to please his subordinates. He lacks strong power hungry ambitions that a typical leader must have in order for him / her to remain in power. The absence of this important trait in Zhang clearly indicates that he will not become a strong leader and may eventually fail as a leader.
. It comprises 88 different stances and works on a principle which directly opposes that of conventional martial arts. Instead of basing its moves on speed, power and preemption, the Taiji Fist's moves are slow, "soft" and seemingly powerless. However, the true essence of this skill is to use the opponent's weight and counter the opponent using his own attack to minimise personal exhaustion. Zhang Wuji learns this from merely observing Zhang Sanfeng demonstrating the skill to Yu Daiyan.
(太極劍法) is a series of swordplay techniques created by Zhang Sanfeng and the armed-combat version of the Taiji Fist. The swordplay has 54 styles and utilises slow and soft moves which are similar to those of a Taoist drawing circles with a sword during a ritual. The idea is to use the enemy's attacks to repel the enemy by drawing the attacks back on the enemy and minimise the amount of strength used by oneself. Zhang Wuji learns this from Zhang Sanfeng after observing his grandteacher demonstrating it once.
and is later passed on to China following the spread of the cult to Chinese soil. The skill's manual is written in a special type of ink on a piece of lamb's skin and the words will only be revealed when the skin is soaked in blood.
The skill is extremely difficult to master and requires decades of practice in order to progress from level to level of mastery. The practitioner must also have a very strong inner energy
foundation and extreme focus when practising it or else he will suffer from internal injuries and die eventually. Only the leader of the cult is allowed to learn the skill and the place where the manual is hidden is known only to the leader. Zhang discovers the manual when he is trapped in the secret room together with Xiaozhao. He masters all the early six levels of the skill within hours, accomplishing a feat which none had achieved before as his mastery of the Nine Yang Manual has already equipped him with a superhuman inner energy foundation.
The skills are actually complementary to his "Heaven and Earth Great Shift" and they are in fact no more profound than the first two levels of the Shift. By mastering those skills, Zhang can now use the Shift in a much more powerful and efficient manner, which he eventually uses to overcome the Persian warriors. However, the skills have varying degrees of success when Zhang uses them on his opponents. For instance, the perverse and hideous nature of these skills (originally designed for Hashashin suicide attacks) almost cause him to experience a nervous breakdown when he is attempting to break the "Vajra Evil-Subduing Ring" of the three Shaolin masters. He is only saved when he hears his godfather's chanting of the Diamond Sutra
, which helps to counter the repressing effect of the ring.
or inner energy
skill which has healing properties and promises superior inner energy. Zhang masters the skill after following instructions from the Nine Yang Manual. The skill allows him to cure the wounds he suffered from the Xuanming Elders' "Xuanming Divine Palm" and increases his inner energy to a near superhuman level. The skill enhances his learning process and grants him access to mastering even more powerful skills which require a strong inner energy foundation. His success in mastering the "Heaven and Earth Great Shift" can be largely attributed to the inner energy he has cultivated from learning this skill. The Wudang
, Shaolin
and Emei Sect
s have their less powerful and simplified versions of the skill after Zhang Sanfeng
, Guo Xiang and Wuse memorised parts of the original Nine Yang Manual from the dying Jueyuan. Zhang learns Wudang's simplified version of the skill from Zhang Sanfeng and his father's fellows in his childhood, which provides him a foundation for learning the full version later.
's martial arts. The skill allows the user to inflict severe internal injuries on his opponent but he also suffers grave wounds when mastering the skill as well. As the practitioner progresses from one level to another, he will hurt one of his vital organs but his prowess is increased. Xie Xun stole the skill's manual from Kongtong in his desperate bid to seek vengeance on Cheng Kun. He practises the skill relentlessly without knowing the true adverse nature of mastering it. However, it was too late and Xie suffers from frequent fits of insanity as a consequence of neuroendocrine damage. Zhang learns this from his godfather in his childhood but only memorises the verses of the skills without really practising it. He masters the skill when he grows older and his "Nine Yang Divine Skill" actually helps him prevent himself from sustaining injuries when practising it.
Wuxia
Wuxia is a broad genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists. Although wuxia is traditionally a form of literature, its popularity has caused it to spread to diverse art forms like Chinese opera, manhua , films, television series, and video games...
novel The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber by Jin Yong.
Early life
Zhang was born on Ice Fire Island to Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu. He is named by his godfather, Xie Xun, in memory of Xie's deceased son, Xie Wuji. He spends the next nine years of his life on the island with them and learns some basic survival skills, martial arts and academia from them. When he became older, his parents decide to return to the mainland with him, while Xie Xun stays behind and refuses to leave with them.Upon their return to mainland China, the family arouses the attention of several pugilists and sects in the wulin
Jianghu
The jianghu is the milieu, environment, or sub-community, often fictional, in which many Chinese wuxia stories are set.In modern Chinese culture, jianghu is commonly accepted as an alternative universe coexisting with the actual historical one in which the context of the wuxia genre was set...
, who keep pestering them to divulge the whereabouts of Xie Xun and the Dragon-slaying Saber. Zhang is captured by the Xuanming Elders, who injure him with their "Xuanming Divine Palm", but is rescued by his father's teacher Zhang Sanfeng
Zhang Sanfeng
Zhang Sanfeng was a semi-legendary Chinese Taoist priest who is believed by some to have achieved immortality, said variously to date from either the late Song Dynasty, Yuan Dynasty or Ming Dynasty. His name is said to have been Zhang Junbao 張君寶 before he became a Taoist.Zhang's legend is that of...
later. His parents commit suicide in defiance after several pugilists attempt to force them to reveal Xie Xun's hiding place.
Zhang is deeply traumatised by the loss of his parents and suffers from his wounds. After receiving treatment for his wounds from his grandteacher and his father's fellows for two years, they teach him the "Wudang Nine Yang Skill", in hope that it will cure him, but it only helps to minimize his suffering. Zhang Sanfeng brings him to seek treatment and they run into Chang Yuchun
Chang Yuchun
Chang Yuchun , style name Boren and pseudonym Yanheng , was a Chinese Muslim military general. He was a follower of the Ming Dynasty's founder, Zhu Yuanzhang, and contributed greatly to the founding of the dynasty...
and a young Zhou Zhiruo
Zhou Zhiruo
Zhou Zhiruo is one of the two female lead characters in Jin Yong's wuxia novel The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber. Jin Yong describes Zhou's physical appearance as "beautiful, pure and free of worldly traits" .-Biography:...
. Zhang Sanfeng saves Chang and Zhou from some pursuers and entrusts Zhang Wuji to Chang's care. Chang brings Zhang to Butterfly Valley where the physician Hu Qingniu lives. Hu partially succeeds in healing Zhang by slowing down the effects of the poison in his wound and imparts his medical knowledge to Zhang indirectly when Zhang stays with him during the recovery period. Hu's wife, Wang Nangu, also imparts her knowledge of toxicology to Zhang.
Discovering the Nine Yang Manual
Zhang meets Ji Xiaofu of the Emei SectEmei Sect
The Emei Sect is one of the leading orthodox Chinese martial arts sects in the jianghu in several works of wuxia fiction. Its home base is on Mount Emei in Sichuan...
and her daughter Yang Buhui at Butterfly Valley and they become close friends. After Ji is killed by Miejue, Zhang brings Yang Buhui to her father, Yang Xiao, after a perilous journey to the Kunlun Mountains
Kunlun Mountains
The Kunlun Mountains are one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending more than 3,000 km. In the broadest sense, it forms the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau south of the Tarim Basin and the Gansu Corridor and continues east south of the Wei River to end at the North China Plain.The...
. He encounters Zhu Jiuzhen later and has a crush on her. Zhu's family accepts him and Zhu's father, Zhu Changling, even agrees to marry his daughter to him. However, Zhang discovers that the Zhus and some others are actually planning to trick him to reveal his godfather's whereabouts. He escapes death narrowly after Zhu Changling attempts to kill him. He crawls through a narrow tunnel and arrives in Nameless Valley.
Zhang lives in the valley for the next five years and spends his time helping other animals in the valley with his medical knowledge. Once, he meets a white ape suffering from abdominal pain. He performs surgery on the ape and removes a large bundle inside the ape's stomach. He opens the bundle and finds the Nine Yang Manual. Zhang masters the skills in the manual and heals himself in the process. He builds up immense inner energy
Neigong
Neigong, also spelled nei kung, neigung, or nae gong, refers to any of a set of Chinese breathing, meditation and spiritual practice disciplines associated with Daoism and especially the Chinese martial arts...
from practising the skills and learns to use the "Nine Yang Divine Skill".
Becoming the leader of the Ming Cult
Zhang returns to civilization and meets a girl with a deformed appearance called Zhu'er after injuring himself while escaping from Zhu Changling. Zhu'er takes care of him and nurses him back to health. Through a series of encounters, Zhang is reunited with Zhou Zhiruo, who is now a member of the Emei SectEmei Sect
The Emei Sect is one of the leading orthodox Chinese martial arts sects in the jianghu in several works of wuxia fiction. Its home base is on Mount Emei in Sichuan...
. He also learns that the six major orthodox sects in the wulin
Jianghu
The jianghu is the milieu, environment, or sub-community, often fictional, in which many Chinese wuxia stories are set.In modern Chinese culture, jianghu is commonly accepted as an alternative universe coexisting with the actual historical one in which the context of the wuxia genre was set...
are planning to attack the Ming Cult
Ming Cult
The Ming Cult is a fictional cult and martial arts sect based on the actual Gnostic religion Manichaeism. It plays an important role in Jin Yong's The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber of all wuxia fiction works. It is also briefly mentioned in The Legend of the Condor Heroes as well...
on Bright Peak. He ventures to the peak ahead of the attackers and discovers Cheng Kun's evil plans. He escapes death again narrowly with Xiaozhao, a servant girl of Yang Xiao's family, whom he met there. He finds the manual of the "Heaven and Earth Great Shift" inside a secret chamber and masters the skill, which allows him to reach a near-superhuman level of martial arts prowess.
Zhang resolves the conflict between the Ming Cult and the six sects after representing the Ming Cult and defeating challengers from the sects. He exposes Cheng Kun's evil plans to stir up conflict and bloodshed in the jianghu
Jianghu
The jianghu is the milieu, environment, or sub-community, often fictional, in which many Chinese wuxia stories are set.In modern Chinese culture, jianghu is commonly accepted as an alternative universe coexisting with the actual historical one in which the context of the wuxia genre was set...
and earns the respect of the other orthodox sects for his prowess in martial arts. At the same time, he is also reunited with his father's fellows from the Wudang Sect
Wudang Sect
The Wudang Sect is a fictional Chinese martial arts sect featured in several works of wuxia fiction. It is one of the most famous and recognised orthodox and righteous sects in the jianghu. Its home base is in the Wudang Mountains...
and his maternal grandfather, Yin Tianzheng. The Ming Cult's members are grateful to Zhang from saving them from destruction and they want him to take the cult's leadership position, which has been vacant since the death of Yang Dingtian, the previous leader. Zhang agrees reluctantly and he reforms the cult and attempts to improve its relations with other sects.
Adventures
After leaving Bright Peak to fetch his godfather back to the Ming CultMing Cult
The Ming Cult is a fictional cult and martial arts sect based on the actual Gnostic religion Manichaeism. It plays an important role in Jin Yong's The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber of all wuxia fiction works. It is also briefly mentioned in The Legend of the Condor Heroes as well...
, he learns that the members of the six sects have been captured by the Yuan
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
military after their earlier departure. The Yuan forces are led by the princess Zhao Min
Zhao Min
Zhao Min, birth name Minmin Temür , noble title Shaomin Princess , is one of the two female lead characters in Jin Yong's wuxia novel The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber. She is originally named "Zhao Ming" in the first edition of the novel, and the Chinese character "Min" in her birth name and...
, who becomes attracted to Zhang after encountering him in a few skirmishes. Zhang succeeds in rescuing the captured pugilists and earns further respect from them. The sects finally resolve their animosity with the Ming Cult and become its allies. Meanwhile, Zhao has fallen in love with Zhang secretly and she frees the pugilists after an agreement with Zhang, telling him that he must fulfill three conditions. The first one is to allow her to follow him on his adventures, and she will tell him the other two conditions later.
Zhang travels to Ice Fire Island together with Zhao, Zhou Zhiruo and Xiaozhao. They are closely followed by Golden Flower Granny and her disciple Yin Li (Zhu'er). Zhang reunites with his godfather, Xie Xun, but they face the threats of enemies who are eyeing Xie's Dragon-slaying Saber. They meet some people from the Persian Ming Cult and Xiaozhao agrees to leave with them and become their new leader in place of her mother. Meanwhile, Zhou murders Yin secretly and knocks out Zhang, Zhao and Xie with drugs in order to seize the Dragon-slaying Saber and Heaven-reliant Sword.
Return to the mainland
Zhou Zhiruo frames Zhao MinZhao Min
Zhao Min, birth name Minmin Temür , noble title Shaomin Princess , is one of the two female lead characters in Jin Yong's wuxia novel The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber. She is originally named "Zhao Ming" in the first edition of the novel, and the Chinese character "Min" in her birth name and...
for Yin Li's murder by casting her adrift while she was unconscious. When Zhang awakes, he is shocked to see that Yin is dead and believes that Zhao is responsible. He returns to the mainland with Zhou and his godfather. Xie Xun and Zhou are captured by Cheng Kun and Chen Youliang
Chen Youliang
Chen Youliang was the founder of the insurgent state of Dahan in the late Yuan Dynasty period of Chinese history.-Biography:...
, who planning to stir up conflict in the jianghu
Jianghu
The jianghu is the milieu, environment, or sub-community, often fictional, in which many Chinese wuxia stories are set.In modern Chinese culture, jianghu is commonly accepted as an alternative universe coexisting with the actual historical one in which the context of the wuxia genre was set...
once more. He runs into Zhao Min and wants to kill her to avenge Yin Li, but he refrains from doing so as he is still suspicious about her innocence and also due to the fact that he still loves her.
Zhang saves Zhou from the Beggars' Sect
Beggars' Sect
The Beggars' Sect is a fictional Chinese martial arts sect featured prominently in works of wuxia fiction by writers such as Jin Yong and Gu Long. The sect has also found its way into some Hong Kong martial arts films such as King of Beggars....
and Chen Youliang's clutches. He foils Song Qingshu's attempt to take over the Wudang Sect
Wudang Sect
The Wudang Sect is a fictional Chinese martial arts sect featured in several works of wuxia fiction. It is one of the most famous and recognised orthodox and righteous sects in the jianghu. Its home base is in the Wudang Mountains...
as well. A complex love triangle gradually develops between him, Zhao and Zhou. To prove his loyalty to Zhou, Zhang decides to marry her. Zhao disrupts the wedding by telling Zhang that she knows where his godfather is held captive and telling Zhang that her second condition (for freeing the captured pugilists earlier) is that Zhang cannot marry Zhou. Zhou hates Zhao for embarrassing her and disrupting her wedding and she attacks Zhao with her "Nine Yin White Bone Claw".
Saving Xie Xun
Zhou Zhiruo swears to make Zhang pay for betraying her love and vows to kill Zhao MinZhao Min
Zhao Min, birth name Minmin Temür , noble title Shaomin Princess , is one of the two female lead characters in Jin Yong's wuxia novel The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber. She is originally named "Zhao Ming" in the first edition of the novel, and the Chinese character "Min" in her birth name and...
. Zhang saves Zhao and they decide to attend the "Lion-slaying Ceremony" at Shaolin Monastery, which is actually a plot by Cheng Kun to turn all pugilists against each other. Xie Xun is used as the bait, as his fate will be decided by the champion of the martial arts contest. Zhou appears at the ceremony and defeats all challengers. Zhang almost defeats Zhou but he hesitates at the critical moment and Zhou defeats him.
Zhou agrees to allow Zhang to help her fight the three Shaolin elders guarding Xie Xun, as defeating them will clear the last obstacle to claiming Xie. Zhang succeeds in rescuing his godfather and Zhou meets her match at the hands of the Yellow Dress Maiden.
Retirement from the jianghu
Zhang becomes a key figure in leading the Ming CultMing Cult
The Ming Cult is a fictional cult and martial arts sect based on the actual Gnostic religion Manichaeism. It plays an important role in Jin Yong's The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber of all wuxia fiction works. It is also briefly mentioned in The Legend of the Condor Heroes as well...
and other rebel forces to overthrow the Yuan Dynasty
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
. The rebels score defeat the Yuan forces numerous times and draw closer to achieving victory.
Meanwhile, Zhang discovers that Yin Li had survived and returned to take her revenge on Zhou Zhiruo. By then, it is clear to him that Zhou is actually the mastermind behind the mysterious events on the island. Zhou feels guilty for her sins and explains to Zhang that she has been bound by her oath to do so. Meanwhile, Zhang announces his plans to marry Zhao Min
Zhao Min
Zhao Min, birth name Minmin Temür , noble title Shaomin Princess , is one of the two female lead characters in Jin Yong's wuxia novel The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber. She is originally named "Zhao Ming" in the first edition of the novel, and the Chinese character "Min" in her birth name and...
, whom he has finally decided to be his true love and obtains blessings from Zhang Sanfeng
Zhang Sanfeng
Zhang Sanfeng was a semi-legendary Chinese Taoist priest who is believed by some to have achieved immortality, said variously to date from either the late Song Dynasty, Yuan Dynasty or Ming Dynasty. His name is said to have been Zhang Junbao 張君寶 before he became a Taoist.Zhang's legend is that of...
.
Zhang leaves the Ming Cult after mistakenly believing that his former subordinates are plotting to kill him to seize power. However, he is unaware that it is actually a ploy by Zhu Yuanzhang
Hongwu Emperor
The Hongwu Emperor , known variably by his given name Zhu Yuanzhang and by his temple name Taizu of Ming , was the founder and first emperor of the Ming Dynasty of China...
to seize control of the cult's military without worrying that Zhang may interfere. Zhang decides to retire permanently from the jianghu
Jianghu
The jianghu is the milieu, environment, or sub-community, often fictional, in which many Chinese wuxia stories are set.In modern Chinese culture, jianghu is commonly accepted as an alternative universe coexisting with the actual historical one in which the context of the wuxia genre was set...
and names Yang Xiao as his successor. In the last chapter, Zhao tells Zhang that her third condition is for him to help her paint her eyebrows. The story ends here, but in another version, Zhou Zhiruo visits them as a friend and makes some cheeky remarks, reminding Zhang that he has also promised her to do something. She says, "I'll tell you on your wedding day with Zhao Min." Zhang looks at Zhao, then at Zhou, and drops the paintbrush.
Jin Yong's evaluation of Zhang Wuji
Zhang has a more complicated personality as compared to Guo JingGuo Jing
Guo Jing is the fictional protagonist of The Legend of the Condor Heroes, a wuxia novel by Jin Yong. He plays a supporting role in the sequel novel The Return of the Condor Heroes as well...
and Yang Guo
Yang Guo
Yang Guo, style name Gaizhi , is the fictional protagonist of the wuxia novel The Return of the Condor Heroes by Jin Yong....
. He possesses less heroic traits than them and has an equal balance of strengths and weaknesses. The presence of these humanly traits in him makes him more realistic than the other two protagonists in the Condor Trilogy
Condor Trilogy
The Condor Trilogy is a trilogy of three wuxia novels by Jin Yong.The novels in the trilogy are:*The Legend of the Condor Heroes *The Return of the Condor Heroes...
. Zhang's personality is strongly influenced by social factors and the people around him. He is often placed in situations in which he has no other choice but to adapt to. He has no chance of escaping from harsh reality.
His love relationships with his four love interests (Zhao Min
Zhao Min
Zhao Min, birth name Minmin Temür , noble title Shaomin Princess , is one of the two female lead characters in Jin Yong's wuxia novel The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber. She is originally named "Zhao Ming" in the first edition of the novel, and the Chinese character "Min" in her birth name and...
, Zhou Zhiruo
Zhou Zhiruo
Zhou Zhiruo is one of the two female lead characters in Jin Yong's wuxia novel The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber. Jin Yong describes Zhou's physical appearance as "beautiful, pure and free of worldly traits" .-Biography:...
, Xiaozhao and Yin Li) are extremely complicated. Zhang is very hesitant and indecisive on who his true love is. Apparently, he loves Zhao the most and he states clearly that he loves Zhao to Zhou at the end of the novel. However, one can really speculate whether Zhang really does know who his true love is, deep inside his heart.
Although Zhang is a formidable pugilist and probably the best of his age, he is not a suitable candidate to be a leader. Undeniably, Zhang maintains a morally upright character and adopts an altruistic approach to his fellows. However, he lacks the qualities and prerequisites of becoming a great leader. On a personal level, he is reluctant to become a leader and only obliges to take up the Ming Cult's leadership position to please his subordinates. He lacks strong power hungry ambitions that a typical leader must have in order for him / her to remain in power. The absence of this important trait in Zhang clearly indicates that he will not become a strong leader and may eventually fail as a leader.
Taiji Fist
The Taiji Fist (太極拳) is created by Zhang SanfengZhang Sanfeng
Zhang Sanfeng was a semi-legendary Chinese Taoist priest who is believed by some to have achieved immortality, said variously to date from either the late Song Dynasty, Yuan Dynasty or Ming Dynasty. His name is said to have been Zhang Junbao 張君寶 before he became a Taoist.Zhang's legend is that of...
. It comprises 88 different stances and works on a principle which directly opposes that of conventional martial arts. Instead of basing its moves on speed, power and preemption, the Taiji Fist's moves are slow, "soft" and seemingly powerless. However, the true essence of this skill is to use the opponent's weight and counter the opponent using his own attack to minimise personal exhaustion. Zhang Wuji learns this from merely observing Zhang Sanfeng demonstrating the skill to Yu Daiyan.
Taiji Swordplay
The Taiji SwordplayTaijijian
Taijijian is a straight two-edged sword used in the training of the Chinese martial art Taijiquan. The straight sword, sometimes with a tassel and sometimes not, is used for upper body conditioning and martial training in traditional Taijiquan schools...
(太極劍法) is a series of swordplay techniques created by Zhang Sanfeng and the armed-combat version of the Taiji Fist. The swordplay has 54 styles and utilises slow and soft moves which are similar to those of a Taoist drawing circles with a sword during a ritual. The idea is to use the enemy's attacks to repel the enemy by drawing the attacks back on the enemy and minimise the amount of strength used by oneself. Zhang Wuji learns this from Zhang Sanfeng after observing his grandteacher demonstrating it once.
Others
- Wudang Long FistChangquanChángquán refers to a family of external martial arts styles from northern China.The forms of the Long Fist style emphasize fully extended kicks and striking techniques, and by appearance would be considered a long-range fighting system...
(武當長拳) - one of the Wudang Sect's fundamental martial arts. Zhang learns this from his father in his childhood.
- Cloud-ascending Ladder (梯雲縱) - the best of Wudang's qinggong skills. Zhang learns it from his father in his childhood and the skill enables him to travel at superhuman speeds and leap to extreme heights. He exposes his true identity to Wudang members after using this skill during the battle on Bright Peak.
Heaven and Earth Great Shift
The "Heaven and Earth Great Shift" (乾坤大挪移) is the most powerful of all the Ming Cult's skills. The skill allows the user to translocate forces and energy from one direction to another and direct enemies' attacks away. An additional aspect of this skill is that it allows its user to perceive the flow of energy in himself and his opponents, allowing him to understand external martial arts better. This is illustrated in the example of Zhang managing to learn Kongxing's "Dragon Claw Hand" after watching the latter demonstrate it once, while it took Kongxing more than ten years to master the "Dragon Claw Hand". The skill is created by the cult in its early years in Central AsiaCentral Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
and is later passed on to China following the spread of the cult to Chinese soil. The skill's manual is written in a special type of ink on a piece of lamb's skin and the words will only be revealed when the skin is soaked in blood.
The skill is extremely difficult to master and requires decades of practice in order to progress from level to level of mastery. The practitioner must also have a very strong inner energy
Neigong
Neigong, also spelled nei kung, neigung, or nae gong, refers to any of a set of Chinese breathing, meditation and spiritual practice disciplines associated with Daoism and especially the Chinese martial arts...
foundation and extreme focus when practising it or else he will suffer from internal injuries and die eventually. Only the leader of the cult is allowed to learn the skill and the place where the manual is hidden is known only to the leader. Zhang discovers the manual when he is trapped in the secret room together with Xiaozhao. He masters all the early six levels of the skill within hours, accomplishing a feat which none had achieved before as his mastery of the Nine Yang Manual has already equipped him with a superhuman inner energy foundation.
Martial arts of the Holy Flame Tablets
The Holy Flame Tablets (聖火令) are sacred artifacts of the Ming Cult and have a series of martial arts instructions engraved on them in the Persian language. These extremely powerful martial arts techniques are said to be created by the Islamic lord Hassan-i Sabbah. After the Chinese Ming Cult lost the six tablets, the Persians managed to retrieve them and they mastered the skills. The skills are introduced in the novel when Zhang is battling the three Persian warriors on the island. He succeeds in seizing the tablets from the enemy and masters the skills after Xiaozhao translates the text for him.The skills are actually complementary to his "Heaven and Earth Great Shift" and they are in fact no more profound than the first two levels of the Shift. By mastering those skills, Zhang can now use the Shift in a much more powerful and efficient manner, which he eventually uses to overcome the Persian warriors. However, the skills have varying degrees of success when Zhang uses them on his opponents. For instance, the perverse and hideous nature of these skills (originally designed for Hashashin suicide attacks) almost cause him to experience a nervous breakdown when he is attempting to break the "Vajra Evil-Subduing Ring" of the three Shaolin masters. He is only saved when he hears his godfather's chanting of the Diamond Sutra
Diamond Sutra
The Diamond Sūtra , is a short and well-known Mahāyāna sūtra from the Prajñāpāramitā, or "Perfection of Wisdom" genre, and emphasizes the practice of non-abiding and non-attachment...
, which helps to counter the repressing effect of the ring.
Nine Yang Divine Skill
The "Nine Yang Divine Skill" (九陽神功) is a profound type of qigongQigong
Qigong or chi kung is a practice of aligning breath, movement, and awareness for exercise, healing, and meditation...
or inner energy
Neigong
Neigong, also spelled nei kung, neigung, or nae gong, refers to any of a set of Chinese breathing, meditation and spiritual practice disciplines associated with Daoism and especially the Chinese martial arts...
skill which has healing properties and promises superior inner energy. Zhang masters the skill after following instructions from the Nine Yang Manual. The skill allows him to cure the wounds he suffered from the Xuanming Elders' "Xuanming Divine Palm" and increases his inner energy to a near superhuman level. The skill enhances his learning process and grants him access to mastering even more powerful skills which require a strong inner energy foundation. His success in mastering the "Heaven and Earth Great Shift" can be largely attributed to the inner energy he has cultivated from learning this skill. The Wudang
Wudang Sect
The Wudang Sect is a fictional Chinese martial arts sect featured in several works of wuxia fiction. It is one of the most famous and recognised orthodox and righteous sects in the jianghu. Its home base is in the Wudang Mountains...
, Shaolin
Shaolin Sect
The Shaolin Sect is a fictional Chinese martial arts sect featured in several wuxia works. It is one of the largest, most famous and recognised orthodox and righteous sects in the jianghu. Its home base is at present-day Shaolin Monastery in Henan...
and Emei Sect
Emei Sect
The Emei Sect is one of the leading orthodox Chinese martial arts sects in the jianghu in several works of wuxia fiction. Its home base is on Mount Emei in Sichuan...
s have their less powerful and simplified versions of the skill after Zhang Sanfeng
Zhang Sanfeng
Zhang Sanfeng was a semi-legendary Chinese Taoist priest who is believed by some to have achieved immortality, said variously to date from either the late Song Dynasty, Yuan Dynasty or Ming Dynasty. His name is said to have been Zhang Junbao 張君寶 before he became a Taoist.Zhang's legend is that of...
, Guo Xiang and Wuse memorised parts of the original Nine Yang Manual from the dying Jueyuan. Zhang learns Wudang's simplified version of the skill from Zhang Sanfeng and his father's fellows in his childhood, which provides him a foundation for learning the full version later.
Seven Injuries Fist
The "Seven Injuries Fist" (七傷拳) is the most powerful of the Kongtong SectKongtong Sect
The Kongtong Sect appears as one of the major orthodox Chinese martial arts sects in Jin Yong's wuxia novel The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber. Its home base is in the Kongtong Mountains.-History:...
's martial arts. The skill allows the user to inflict severe internal injuries on his opponent but he also suffers grave wounds when mastering the skill as well. As the practitioner progresses from one level to another, he will hurt one of his vital organs but his prowess is increased. Xie Xun stole the skill's manual from Kongtong in his desperate bid to seek vengeance on Cheng Kun. He practises the skill relentlessly without knowing the true adverse nature of mastering it. However, it was too late and Xie suffers from frequent fits of insanity as a consequence of neuroendocrine damage. Zhang learns this from his godfather in his childhood but only memorises the verses of the skills without really practising it. He masters the skill when he grows older and his "Nine Yang Divine Skill" actually helps him prevent himself from sustaining injuries when practising it.
Dragon Claw Hand
Zhang learns the "Dragon Claw Hand" (龍爪手) from a Shaolin elder, Kongxing, during their match at Bright Peak. He notes Kongxing's moves during the fight and figures out counter movements, mastering the skill in the process as well. This was possible because Zhang had learnt the "Heaven and Earth Great Shift" earlier, which allows him to see the movement of energy during the fight.Medicine and toxicology
Zhang gains his knowledge of medicine from Hu Qingniu while recovering from his wounds in Butterfly Valley. He uses his knowledge to solve problems that he encounters when he practices the "Nine Yang Divine Skill" and "Heaven and Earth Great Shift". Zhang also learns toxicology from Hu's wife, Wang Nangu.External links
Zhang Wuji on Baidu BaikeBaidu Baike
Baidu Encyclopedia is a Chinese language collaborative Web-based encyclopedia provided by the Chinese search engine Baidu. Like Baidu itself, the encyclopedia is heavily self-censored in line with government regulations....