Biography
* Family name: Zhang
* Given name: Wuji
* Birth: 1337
* Gender: Male
* Ethnicity:
* Father: Zhang Cuishan a.k.a "The Fifth Hero Zhang"
* Mother: Yin Susu
* Wife: Zhao Min (赵敏）
* Love interest: Zhou Zhiruo , Xiaozhao
* Godfather: Xie Xun a.k.a "Gold-haired Lion King"
* Grand master: Zhang Sanfeng
* Grandfather: Yin Tianzheng a.k.a "White-browed Eagle King"
* Uncle: Yin Yewang
* Cousin: Yin Li a.k.a "Spider Girl" （蛛儿）
* Martial Uncles: Song Yuanqiao , Yu Lianzhou , Yu Daiyan , Zhang Songxi , Yin Liting , Mo Shenggu
* Teacher: Hu Qingniu , Wang Nangu
* Affiliation: , Ming Cult/"Evil Cult"
''Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber''
Early life
Zhang Wuji was born on the Arctic Ice-and-Fire Island in 1337. The "Golden Hair Lion King" Xie Xun, who suffered mental instability due to his practice of the Seven Injury Fist , went psychotic on the night of his birth, and attacked the Zhang couple. Zhang Cuishan was unable to stop Xie Xun, and Xie Xun stormed into the cave threatening to slaughter the couple. At that crucial moment, Yin Susu gave birth, and the sound of the infant's cry reminded Xie Xun of his own murdered baby son, and his insanity subsided. Seeing that Xie Xun cared a lot for their newborn, the couple promised Xie Xun that their son would be also his son. Xie Xun rejoiced at the idea of having a family again and became the boy's godfather. The young baby was named Xie Wuji , after Xie Xun's own infant son, who was murdered together with his family by his master Cheng Kun .
Wuji spent the next 10 years of his life on the island under the loving care of his family, especially from Xie Xun. However, it became apparent that they eventually had to return to the mainland if Wuji was to have a future. However, on the day of departure, Xie Xun refused to leave the island, fearing that his presence would put his sworn family under great danger. The Zhang family also refused to leave the island, but had to set off when Xie Xun threatened to commit suicide if they didn't. Before they left, Xie Xun told Wuji that his surname must be changed back to Zhang. Unknown to them all, the journey back to the mainland was nothing but the beginning of seven years of hardship for the young boy.
Orphan and Suffering
The return of the Zhang couple immediately caught the attention of the Wuxia society, as they held the key to Xie Xun's whereabouts . Yin Susu came up with the lie that Xie Xun died a long time ago, but the young and naive Zhang Wuji, accidentally called out the truth. The damage was done — the entire Wuxia world was onto the Zhang family and pursued them relentlessly for Xie Xun's whereabouts.
Zhang Wuji was later abducted as a hostage by the evil Xuan Ming Elders , and was inflicted with the "Cold Venomous Palm" of the Xuan Ming Elders. This was a tactic in order to get his parents to reveal the whereabouts of Xie Xun.
During Zhang Sanfeng's 100th birthday, the entire Wuxia community came to Mount Wudang to interrogate Zhang Cuishan and his wife, under the pretence of attending the party. Unwilling to reveal his sworn brother's location, and devastated to find that his wife was partly responsible for the crippling of his 3rd Martial Brother Yu Daiyan ten years prior, Zhang Cuishan committed suicide in front of everyone. The young Wuji, who was secretly taken to Mount Wudang by the Xuan Ming Elders, managed to cry out when he saw his father die, and was saved by Zhang Sanfeng. The reunion was short-lived, when his mother Yin Susu also committed suicide shortly after, in an attempt to extinguish any trail leading to Xie Xun. Embarrassed over the death of the Zhang couple, the Wuxia community retreated.
After the tragedy, the whole Wudang Sect was shocked to find that Wuji was inflicted by the incurable Xuan Ming Palm. To keep their promise to Zhang Cuishan that the young orphan would be cared for, all the Wudang masters worked hard for two years to get Wuji's condition under control, with little success.
Butterfly Valley
Seeing that the only hope to save Zhang Wuji's life was through the long-lost ''Jiu Yang Zhen Jing'' , Zhang Sanfeng personally took Wuji to Shaolin Temple to plea for their share of the manual. After given a pitiless refusal, the pair wandered around the area and accidentally bumped into the rebel Chang Yuchun , who was wounded and fleeing from pursuers. Zhang Sanfeng repelled the Mongolians, saving Chang Yuchun and Zhou Zhiruo , the orphaned daughter of Chang's murdered boatman. Grateful for saving his life, Chang agreed to take Zhang Wuji to the Butterfly Valley and seek treatment from the "Divine Physician" Hu Qingniu . Zhang Sanfeng took Zhou Zhiruo away and later referred her to .
It was a hard journey for the young boy and man; both suffering physical conditions and almost lost their lives on a few occasions. However, when they reached the Butterfly Valley, Hu Qingniu was unwilling to cure Wuji, saying that he would not treat anyone from outside the Ming Cult. He changed his mind after learning that Wuji was the son of Yin Susu and suffering from a supposedly incurable injury . Hu was also impressed at Wuji's valor, who refused to beg for treatment despite constantly suffering from physical torment. Zhang Wuji was allowed to stay at Butterfly Valley, and over the next two years developed a de facto master/disciple relationship with the arrogant doctor. Despite Hu's superior medical skills, he was unable to cure Wuji, but taught Wuji to become a competent and kind-hearted young healer.
After Hu was murdered by an old adversary, Lady Golden Flower , Zhang Wuji fled Butterfly Valley with Yang Buhui , a young girl with a mixed history like him. Yang's mother, Ji Xiaofu , was killed by her master Abbess Miejue in Butterfly Valley because she refused to carry out orders to assassinate Ming Cult's Divine Messenger Yang Xiao , the father of her child. With her dying breath, Ji asked Zhang Wuji to take her daughter to her father Yang Xiao. The 15-year-old Wuji kept his promise, and managed the long and perilous journey to the Kunlun Mountains of western China.
First Love and Treachery
After giving Yang Buhui to her father Yang Xiao , the young Zhang Wuji walked off, hoping to die of his illness soon. He was attacked by a flock of vicious dogs, and met the canines' beautiful owner, Zhu Jiuzhen , who would become his first love interest. He was made to stay in the Zhu household under the permission of Zhu's father, Zhu Changling , who told him that he would be well taken care of as the family owned his father, Zhang Cuishan, a life debt. Zhu Changling even implied that he would marry Wuji to his daughter, much to Wuji's joy.
Unknown to Zhang Wuji, the whole story was staged by the Zhu family to lure information out of his mouth about his godfather Xie Xun, and he would be killed as soon as the plan succeeded. Eventually overhearing their conspiracy, Wuji fled without hesitation. During the chase in the snowy night, Zhang Wuji fell down a cliff. Zhu Changling, not wanting to lose his chance of finding the Dragon Saber, ended up falling down the cliff as well. They both landed on a rocky platform, and an enraged Zhu Changling attacked Wuji. A desperate Zhang Wuji crawled into a small tunnel , and came out of the other end into a hidden valley .
''Jiu Yang Zhen Jing''
In contrast to the icy mountains outside, the valley had a mild climate. Expecting to die there in peace, Zhang Wuji spent his spare time helping other animals in the valley with his medical knowledge. One day, a large old white ape came seeking help to relieve its abdominal pain. After performing surgery, Zhang Wuji removed a large mass, which turned out to be a series of buddhist scriptures wrapped in canvas. The books happened to be ''Jiu Yang Zhen Jing'' — the only thing in the world that could save his life.
Zhang Wuji spent the next five years studying the ''Jiu Yang Zhen Jing'', healing his poisoned body in the process. Unknowingly, studying the scriptures gave him an unrivalled internal strength. With the reignited hope of life, Zhang Wuji decided that it was time to re-experience the world, and left the peaceful yet isolated valley via the tunnel.
Return to the World
Zhang Wuji's first experience back to the real world was a disaster. Despite feeding Zhu Changling with fruits from the valley for the past five years, Zhu Changling's hostility towards him did not wane. The evil man set a trap which resulted in Zhang Wuji falling down the cliff again; Zhu himself died, trapped in the narrow tunnel as he tried to squeeze his way out of the tunnel into the valley.
Zhang Wuji managed to break his fall on a firewood pile, but broke both of his legs. Needing time to recover, he lay in the snow starving. An ugly young girl Zhu'er came by and grew sympathetic to him, cared for his injury and even assassinated Zhu Jiuzhen to avenge him. He later found out that the girl was actually Lady Golden Flower's pretty disciple as well as his cousin Yin Li, whose hand he bit trying to break free in Butterfly Valley many years ago. The girl fell in love with the young Wuji then, and was in search of him . They were later both captured by Miejue when Zhu'er crossed paths with the expeditionary Emei Sect, part of a six-sect coalition attacking the Ming Cult's main base on Brightness Peak . Although his leg fracture already healed, Zhang Wuji pretended that he was still crippled, waiting for the right opportunity to escape. During this time of waiting, he was reunited with Zhou Zhiruo, who was now Miejue's favorite disciple.
When Emei Sect captured a group of Ming Cult followers lead by Chang YuChun, Zhang Wuji jumped out to save the unarmed and badly injured Ming Cultists from being massacred. He made a bet with Miejue that all those men would be freed if he could stand three strikes from the ruthless nun. He was hurt badly by the first two strikes, but was able to easily shake off the third strike and use it to heal his injuries from the first 2 attacks after he finally learned to harness his internal energy. Soon after, he was trapped in a bag by the "Bag Monk" Shuo Bu De and taken to Brightness Peak. He was the only untouched spectator when Cheng Kun ambushed the Ming Cult elders and incapacitated them all, but was also injured himself. Cheng Kun then confessed that he was the mastermind behind everything, from the murder of Xie Xun's family to the conjoined siege on Ming Cult, the purpose being to destroy the Ming Cult as the previous cult leader Yang Dingtian married the woman he loved. Zhang Wuji, having learned that all the suffering his godfather went through was the doing of this man, burst through the bag in rage, and chased Cheng Kun into the household.
During the pursuit, Zhang Wuji bumped into Yang Buhui and her handmaid Xiao Zhao . When Yang Buhui grew suspicious of Xiao Zhao and tried to kill her, Zhang Wuji protected the girl. In appreciation, Xiao Zhao agreed to help Zhang Wuji trace down Cheng Kun, and guided him through a secret passage in the bedroom. However, they were both trapped inside when Cheng Kun, hiding in the dark, blocked the exit with huge boulders. Zhang Wuji then found out that Xiao Zhao was actually a beautiful young girl disguised as an ugly handmaid. After a failed attempt to blast a way out with gunpowder , the two wandered through the underground labyrinth, eventually ending up in a room where two skeletons remained inside. Reading a letter found on the skeletons, Zhang Wuji found out that the dead were Yang Dingtian and his wife, and Yang Dingtian intended to pass the leadership to Xie Xun. After realizing that Ming Cult was not the hideous and evil organization that everyone detested, but in fact a glorious and just group seeking to repel the oppressive and genicidal Mongolian rule, Zhang Wuji made the decision that he would protect the Ming Cult.
Xiao Zhao then handed Zhang Wuji a piece of lamb skin, telling him that it was the manual of the ultimate Ming Cult martial arts, Universal Grand Shift . Others would have taken years, but with the aid of his other skill, Jiu Yang Zhen Jin, he took hours and reached a level where none before him had reached . With his newly acquired skills, he pushed open a hidden trapdoor and came out of the exit. Realizing that the anti-Ming Cult coalition already fought their way past Ming Cult defence lines, Zhang Wuji rushed to Brightness Peak.
Battle of the Brightness Peak
By the time Zhang Wuji arrived at Brightness Peak with Xiao Zhao, the siege was almost over. The Ming Cult suffered heavy casualty as its commanders were incapacitated and unable to fight. Citing the Wuxia codes, the last capable Ming Cult elder, the "White Eyebrow Eagle King" Yin Tianzheng , challenged the master from the Six Major Sects to single combat in the hope of buying some time. When Yin Tianzheng eventually succumbed to exhaustion and injury, the six sects moved in for final mop-up. Zhang Wuji jumped into the field just in time, and claimed that he would fight on the Ming Cult's behalf.
One by one, Zhang Wuji defeated masters from the six sects, displaying his superior fighting skills and winning their respect, especially from Shaolin. Eventually the challenges came from Emei and Wudang Sect. When battling Miejue, who was wielding the fearsome Heaven Sword, Zhang Wuji managed to grab the sword out of her hand. Not wanting to embarrass Miejue, he asked Zhou Zhiruo to pass the sword back to her master. However, Zhou instead stabbed him in the chest under her master's command. Despite severe injury, Zhang Wuji refused to stop fighting, and managed to defeat Wudang's Song Qingshu , who was extremely hostile due to jealousy at Zhang Wuji gaining Zhou Zhiruo's love. When other Wudang masters came in to continue the fight, Zhang Wuji, thinking he would die in this battle, revealed that he was the son of Zhang Cuishan. Recognizing that the young man in front of them was the orphan of their 5th Martial Brother, the Wudang Sect rejoiced. With Wudang's withdrawal and the defeat of masters from all other sects, the siege on Ming Cult was unable to continue. Zhang Wuji successfully resolved the conflict.
Leader of the Ming Cult
Eternally grateful for saving them, the Ming Cult unanimously voted Zhang Wuji to be their 34th leader. Reluctantly, Zhang Wuji became the new leader of the Ming Cult, but under three conditions — cease all in-fighting, restrain retaliation on other Wuxia sects, and he would retire as soon as the Holy Fire Tokens were found.
Zhang Wuji's very first mission was to retrieve his godfather Xie Xun back from the Ice and Fire Island to Ming Cult's protection. A group of Ming Cult's best fighters began their journey, and found a crippled Yin Liting on the way. Believing that the injury was inflicted by Shaolin's Iron Fingers, they decided to pay a visit to Shaolin Temple. They passed by a Green Willow Mountain Villa and were invited by the owner, a mysterious beauty named Zhao Min . In the feast, they were shocked to find that Zhao Min holding Emei Sect's Heaven Sword. Out of curiosity, the Ming Cult elder Zhou Dian Green Wing Bat King" Wei Yixiao unsheathed the sword when Zhao Min temporarily excused herself, only to find a sandalwood-like sword inside. The group felt something weird, and exited the party. Before they travelled far, all commanders except Zhang Wuji were paralyzed. Using his toxicology knowledge, Zhang Wuji soon deduced that the scent from the wooden sword, mixed with that of a rare waterlily, was the cause of poisoning. Knowing that the only antidote was that waterlily itself, Zhang dashed back to the villa.
Zhao Min was already waiting for him, and seeing that Zhang Wuji knew exactly what to look for, she attacked him without provocation. Zhang Wuji easily fended off Zhao Min's attacks, and fetched her hairpin in the process, showing her that he could have killed her with ease, before threw back the hairpin. Zhao Min claimed that Zhang stole two pearls on the hairpin, and when that failed to fool Zhang, she pretended to commit suicide. Zhang Wuji rushed back to intervene, and was lure into a floor trap, but managed to drag Zhao Min down with him. In the dungeon, Zhang Wuji interrogated Zhao Min to release him, by taking off her shoes and tickling her feet. Unable to stand the "torture", Zhao Min gave up and sent the signal to open the gate, and started to develop a feeling towards Zhang. She later sent her men to give Zhang a small case containing the hairpin, which Zhang casually gave to Xiao Zhao as a gift.
The group continued their journey, but when they finally arrived at Shaolin Temple, they discovered that the entire temple was empty, with traces of blood stains. Defamatory words were carved on the back of the golden buddha statues, framing Ming Cult for the crime and threatening Wudang being the next target. Worrying that his grand master Zhang Sanfeng was in danger, Zhang Wuji set off with the "Green Wing Bat King" Wei Yixiao , and the rest of the Ming Cult followed right behind. On the way they were ambushed, and Wei Yixiao stayed behind to fight the enemy.
When Zhang Wuji arrived at Mount Wudang, a Shaolin monk also came to visit Zhang Sanfeng, carrying the severed head of Kongxing and claiming to be a survivor from the Shaolin raid. While tearfully asking to avenge Shaolin, the monk suddenly attacks Zhang Sanfeng, critically injuring him. A group of thugs led by Zhao Min appeared to challenge Zhang Sanfeng. Thinking his end was inevitable, Zhang Sanfeng intended to pass his newly invented Tai Ji Quan and Tai Ji Jian to his cripple disciple Yu Daiyan. Zhang Wuji, disguised as a young Taoist servant, quickly learned the new martial arts and stepped out to fight in Zhang Sanfeng's place.
Zhang Wuji easily defeated Zhao Min's two henchmen Aer and Asan, who were revealed as the real culprits behind Yu Daiyan and Yin Liting's crippling. Zhao Min then saw her hairpin on Xiao Zhao's head, and furiously ordered Ada, a master swordman to chop off Zhang Wuji's arm. With learning of Zhang Sanfeng's Tai Ji Swordplay, Zhang Wuji severed Ada's right arm instead. He then demanded Zhao Min to hand over the Black Jade Ointment , which was needed to treat the crippling of Yu Daiyan and Yin Liting. The Xuan Ming Elders appeared and rescued Zhao Min.
Zhang Wuji later infiltrated Zhao Min's hideout, stealing what appeared to be the Black Jade Ointment, which turned out to be a potent poison. Zhao Min then offered Zhang Wuji the antidote and the real ointment, on the condition that he would fulfill her three wishes in the future. Zhang accepted, and Zhao Min revealed that Zhang already had both things by his side — the antidote's formula was hidden in a pearl on the hairpin Zhao gave him, and the ointment was hidden in the case that contained the hairpin. With the real ointment, Zhang Wuji was able to cure Yin Liting, and partially restore Yu Daiyan's function, repaying a debt that his mother had owed.
Rescue at the All Peace Temple
After the incident at Mount Wudang, Zhao Min disappeared and was unheard for months. Zhang Wuji decided to hold a large gathering in the Butterfly Valley, officially claiming Ming Cult as an anti-Mongolian forces. During the meeting, he met with Zhu Yuanzhang, Xu Da, Tang He and Deng Yu, who came with news that all martial artists who attacked Brightness Peak were captured by the Mongolians, and imprisoned at the All Peace Temple in 's suburb. Zhang Wuji decided a rescue mission and set off with Yang Xiao, Wei Yixiao and Xiao Zhao.
One night, Zhang Wuji infiltrated the temple with Yang Xiao and Wei Yixiao, and found the prisoners held in a pagoda. They then discovered that Zhao Min was behind it — all the martial artist were made to battle the Mongolian warriors so Zhao Min could steal their moves , and their finger amputated if they refused to battle. When Zhao Min attempted to mutilate Zhou Zhiruo's face out of jealousy, Zhang Wuji stormed into the room, injuring the Xuan Ming Elders in the process. Wei Yixiao then threatened to disfigure Zhao Min if she ever harms Zhou Zhiruo.
Later that night, Zhao Min's mysterious mute master sneaked into Zhang Wuji's inn. Instead of attacking the triad, he peacefully led them to a suburban field and offered to challenge Zhang. When defeated, the mute spoke and revealed himself as Ming Cult's other Divine Messenger Fan Yao , who disfigured his own handsome face in order to infiltrate the Mongolian government. Fan Yao informed Zhang Wuji the details of the conspiracy: all the martial artists were drugged with a paralyzing poison called ''Muscle Softener'' and captured with little resistance. Zhao Min was a Mongolian princess, who planned to force the uncooperating Wuxia society to submit to the Mongolian rule.
The men concluded that they had to find the antidote to save the incapacitated martial artists. The plan was like this: the Xuan Ming Elders, who were in charge of the drug and antidote, would be the breakthrough point, as the older elder Lu Zhangke was a rapist and the younger one He Biweng an alcoholic. Wei Yixiao would abduct Lord Ruyang's concubine Lady Han , whom Lu Zhangke secretly craved, and used her to distract and trap Lu. Zhang Wuji would make a knockout drug with a temporary symptom similar to the ''Muscle Softener'', and mixed it in liquors. Fan Yao would then get He Biweng to drink it, who would then reveal the antidote when he was drugged.
When the Ming Cult heroes were busy with the rescue plan, the imprisoned Miejue told Zhou Zhiruo the secrets of Dragon Saber and Heaven Sword — the weapons were made by Guo Jing and Huang Rong, with the saber containing Yue Fei's military manual and the sword containing martial arts manuals such as ''Jiu Yin Zhen Jing''. The only way take the manuals out was to hit the saber and sword together, breaking both. She then forced Zhou Zhiruo to make an oath that cursed her love towards Zhang Wuji, and she would use the relationship to approach Zhang, steal the Dragon Saber, then kill him.
Yang Xiao's plan worked, and Fan Yao obtained the antidote. However, Mongolian soldiers found out and started burning the pagoda. In the mean time, Zhao Min secretly asked Zhang Wuji out and confessed her feeling to him. When they returned, it was all chaos in the temple. Zhang Wuji held the Mongolians back long enough for all the prisoners to recover their strength. Wei Yixiao set Lord Ruyang's house on fire to distract and prevent the Mongolian army from mobilizing. However, Miejue hated the Ming Cult deeply, refused to accept Zhang's rescue and fell from the pagoda to her death.
The rescue of the martial artists secured their respect towards Zhang Wuji, and resolved much of their previous hostility towards the Ming Cult.
Encounter with the Persians
After rescuing the martial artists, Zhang Wuji remained in Dadu. Zhao Min secretly met him and told her first request — to have a look at Xie Xun's Dragon Saber. They set off with Xiao Zhao, and witnessed Lady Golden Flower and Yin Li kidnapping Zhou Zhiruo. The trio followed them onto a ship, and found out that Lady Golden Flower managed to locate the Ice and Fire Island and brought Xie Xun to her own island. Xie Xun seemed to know her very well, addressing her as "Mrs. Han" — she was actually Ming Cult's "Purple Coat Dragon King". She used Xie Xun's concern about Zhang Wuji to persuade Xie Xun to leave his island, demanded Xie Xun to hand over the Dragon Saber, and injured Yin Li for the reluctance to attack Xie Xun.
A group of Persian fighters suddenly showed up with the Holy Fire Tokens, and ordered the Ming Cult seniors to disarm and surrender to Persian Ming Cult. After being refused, they then attacked and captured Mrs. Han. Xie Xun told the group about the background story: the Persian fighters were from the Middle Eastern branch of Manichaeism, where the Ming Cult originated, and Mrs. Han was actually a Persian Holy Virgin named Daiqisi . Because she married "Sir Silver Leaf" Han Qianye, she violated the holy rules and would be burned alive as punishment. Zhang Wuji later managed to retrieve Daiqisi and captured a few Persian hostages. However, they were trapped on a small boat, within the range of Persians' ship guns.
Xiao Zhao was revealed as Daiqisi's daughter, inheriting the Holy Virgin status. Because she memorized the manuals of Universal Grand Shift, she qualified to ascend as the leader of Persian Manithaeism. In order to save everyone's lives, Xiao Zhao agreed to become the Persian leader, meaning she would remain a Holy Virgin for the rest of her life and never see Zhang Wuji again. After confessing her love to Zhang Wuji, she left with her mother for Persia.
Zhou Zhiruo's treachery
The Persians left the group a boat, and they landed on an island, with Yin Li's injury deteriorating. One night, everyone passed out, and when they woke up, Zhao Min, the Dragon Saber and Heaven Sword all disappeared. Yin Li's face was badly slashed and she fell dead shortly after. Zhang Wuji was greatly saddened and hated Zhao Min deeply, believing that she fooled and drugged them all. Zhou Zhiruo then made Zhang Wuji swear revenge and promise to marry her.
Weeks later, a Mongolian ship came and politely offered them a ride home, telling them that the ship was ordered to do so. Xie Xun forced the sailors to sail to the northeastern coastline. When Zhang Wuji came offboard, Xie Xun and Zhou Zhiruo slaughtered every sailor on the ship, much to Zhang's shock. They then travelled south into the China Proper.
Zhang Wuji bumped into and secretly followed the Beggars' Sect and Song Qingshu. Surprisingly, Zhao Min showed up with the Xuan Ming Elders to fight the beggars. In the chaos of the battle, Zhang Wuji sneaked in and grabbed Zhao Min, and interrogated Zhao Min after the beggars were gone. Zhao flatly denied committing the treachery on the island. Zhang Wuji, still liking Zhao Min, could not make up his mind to kill her, and decided to let her testify in front of Xie Xun. He returned to the inn only to find that both Xie Xun and Zhou Zhiruo have disappeared. Zhao Min managed to convince him to let her help with the search.
The pair spent a night in a cave and discovered a corpse, which turned out to be Zhang Wuji's 7th martial uncle Mo Shenggu. Wudang's other masters then entered the cave, and believed the pair to be Mo's murderer. During the fight, Zhang Songxi removed Zhang Wuji's balaclava, and Zhang Wuji was unable to explain the misunderstanding. However, they then overheard the conversation between Song Qingshu and Chen Youliang , which revealed Song Qingshu as Mo's killer. The two men then planned to drug Zhang Sanfeng using Song's Wudang heritage, and said Zhou Zhiruo was currently under the captivity of Beggars' Sect. After hearing that, the Wudang masters realized they have wronged Zhang Wuji, and rushed back to Mount Wudang. Zhang Wuji continued the pursuit with Zhao Min, but decided to leave her behind when she was sleeping.
Zhang Wuji tracked down the Beggars' Sect's headquarters and stormed the house. When Chen Youliang held Zhou Zhiruo hostage, Zhang Wuji returned the favor by holding the beggars' leader hostage. During the standoff, a mysterious, beautiful lady in yellow dress appeared and exposed Chen Youliang's conspiracy. Grateful for Zhang Wuji's participation in exposing the plot, the beggars apologized, and released both Zhou Zhiruo and a captured Ming Cult officer Han Lin'er. They told him Xie Xun had disappeared after killing several of their men.
The group then travelled to Haozhou and reunited with the Ming Cult's rebel forces. As Zhou Zhiruo was angry at his relationship with Zhao Min, Zhang Wuji agreed to marry her immediately to pacify her. On the wedding, Zhao Min showed up, gave Zhang Wuji a bundle of blond hair and asked him to fulfil her second wish — not to marry Zhou on that day. Seeing that the hair belonged to Xie Xun, Zhang Wuji pleaded with Zhou Zhiruo for forgiveness and called off the wedding. Zhou Zhiruo injured Zhao Min with a strange, claw-like martial art, then swore revenge on Zhang for her humiliation.
Zhao Min made it clear that she would abandon her family and heritage for her love. She also told him that Xie Xun was captured by Cheng Kun and held in Shaolin Temple. They later found that Xie Xun was to be publicly executed in a "Lion-slaughtering Rally" for his past rampage against the Wuxia community. Wuji decided to infiltrate Shaolin Temple with Zhao Min in order to find the exact location where Xie Xun is held. He stayed with an old couple, pretending to be an eloping couple with Zhao Min, and infiltrated the temple, only to find that Xie Xun's prison dungeon was guarded by three senior Shaolin masters, whose Vajra Devil-Subduing Array was almost impossible to neutralize. These three Shaolin masters had been practising their skills in past 20 years, in hope of defeating the previous Ming Sect leader. However, they were tasked by the current abbot to guard Xie Xun and kill whoever attempts to reach Xie Xun. While Wuji still managed to get to the dungeon, Xie Xun refused to leave.
Later that night, a masked stranger killed the couple housing them and laid in ambush waiting for Wuji and Zhao Min. Wuji managed to defend himself and Zhao Min, as well as recognize the attacker to be none other than Zhou Zhiruo, by the use of the strange, claw-like martial art. He was surprised at the speed and strength of the attacker, and claimed that few in the martial arts world would be able to defeat Zhiruo.
On the day of the "Lion-slaughtering Rally", all the various martial arts sects arrived. The Ming Cult's main force arrived at Shaolin Temple as well, to join the rally, secretly biding a chance to rescue Xie Xun. Zhou Zhiruo also arrived with the Emei Sect, bringing the Wudang renegade Song Qingshu, who claimed to be, now, her husband. A competition was held, with the winner gaining the right to dispose of Xie Xun. During the fight, Song Qingshu killed two of Beggars' Sect elders, but was crippled by Wudang's Yu Lianzhou. Zhou Zhiruo then fought both Yu Lianzhou and Yin Liting using a strange martial arts skill, which does not seem to be from Emei. When the three were fighting to a common ruin, Zhang Wuji interfered. Zhou Zhiruo took advantage of Zhang's compassion and injured him, claiming the herself as the winner.
At night, Zhang Wuji visited Zhou Zhiruo and offered to heal the dying Song Qingshu, in exchange that Zhou Zhiruo would save Xie Xun for him. Zhou responded to Zhang's plea vaguely.
The next day, Zhou Zhiruo went to challenge the Shaolin elders guarding Xie Xun's dungeon, and picked Zhang Wuji as her assistant. However, it became clear that her martial arts were all bluff, and Zhang Wuji was the only one capable of taking on the senior monks. When Zhang Wuji was held up wrestling the monks, Zhou Zhiruo suddenly held Xie Xun hostage. This distracted Zhang Wuji and almost got him killed. In the crucial moment, the lady in yellow appeared again to help Zhang Wuji, defeating Zhou Zhiruo easily with a form of martial arts similar to the latter's. The Shaolin monks praised Zhang Wuji for his skills , and agreed to set Xie Xun free.
Xie Xun then fought Cheng Kun and managed to blind and cripple him. He then incapacitated himself and asked the Wuxia community to punish him all they wanted. He was forgiven for his genuine remorse over his past crimes. An Emei nun attempted to assassinate Xie, but was foiled by the lady in yellow, who was implied to be a descendant of the legendary Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü.
Zhang Songxi then arrived to inform that a 20,000-strong Mongolian army was heading towards Shaolin Temple, threatening to burn and slaughter everyone. The martial artists hastily fought the Mongolians and were beaten back badly. When the Ming Cult forces managed to repel the Mongolians for the day, Zhang Wuji found the broken Dragon Saber and Heaven Sword among the leader-less Emei group . He then deduced that Zhou Zhiruo was the culprit behind what happened on the island.
Figurehead of the Anti-Mongolian Rebel Alliance
The Mongolian halted attacks after its vanguards suffered setback. The Ming Cult took the time to regroup, their craftsmen reforging the Dragon Saber but refusing to repair the Heaven Sword. Later that night, Zhang Wuji and Zhao Min paid a visit to Xie Xun's dungeon, and saw a series of drawings on the wall. It confirmed that Zhou Zhiruo was also responsible for Xie Xun's capture. They then heard fighting nearby, and discovered Zhou Zhiruo being attacked and seriously injured by the Xuan Ming Elders. Zhang Wuji came for the rescue, and attempted to heal Zhou with his energy, which instead obliterated Zhou's internal energy from learning ''Jiu Yin Zhen Jing''. Zhou then attacked Zhao Min, who came to aid her, and fled after injuring her own fingers instead.
After repelling the Xuan Ming Elders, Zhao Min showed Zhang Wuji what she stole from Zhou Zhiruo — two pieces of strange textile with writings. Zhang Wuji read and realized that these were actually the manuals from Dragon Saber and Heaven Sword. Zhang Wuji then spent the night studying Yue Fei's military manual, and constructed a plan to fight the Mongolians.
On the second day, Zhang Wuji organized the martial artists into the main hall, where everyone recommended him to lead the battle against the incoming Mongols. Accepting the role, he handed out specific tactical orders and laid out his battle plan: the martial artists would fake retreat, and lure the Mongolians into a nearby valley, where they would then block the exit and finish off the enemy. The plan worked — until the Mongolian decided to send in only half of the army. However, Ming Cult's regular army reinforcement arrived in time to attack the Mongolians from the rear. The martial artists then went into full counterattack, completely overrunning the Mongols.
Following the victory, Zhang Wuji give the military manual to Xu Da, urging him to use it well to liberate the Chinese people. The martial artists, especially Shaolin monks, owed a big debt towards Zhang Wuji, and agreed to put aside any past hostility and hatred.
Yin Li's reappearance
With the crisis neutralized, everyone started going home. Members of the Emei Sect then revealed that Zhou Zhiruo actually did not marry Song Qingshu, and the whole deal was her way of getting back at Zhang Wuji. The people then saw Zhou Zhiruo rushing out of a forest in panic, yelling that she was haunted. She dived into Zhang Wuji's arms, confessing all the wrongs she had done and confessed her love for him. Zhang Wuji consoled her, with a sense of unease.
Zhang Wuji then found Zhao Min disappeared. Believing that Zhao was angry at him holding Zhou Zhiruo, he decided to search the entire mountain for her. At night, he found a mysterious girl sneaking up the mountain towards Shaolin Temple, and decided to follow. He then found Zhou Zhiruo in a buddhist ritual with Shaolin monks, praying for forgiveness from Yin Li's soul. The mysterious girl then showed her face through the windows, and was nobody but the dead Yin Li. Zhou Zhiruo fainted from the shock, and Zhang Wuji jumped out of the darkness calling out to Yin Li. He then asked the monks, who did not see the girl and were unable to explain whether ghosts really exist.
Zhou Zhiruo then asked Zhang Wuji to accompany her for a walk. She told him about her master's orders, begged for his forgiveness , and asked whom he loved out of her, Zhao Min, Xiao Zhao and Yin Li. Zhang Wuji told her that although he had feeling for all of them, Zhao Min was the one he loved most. Zhou Zhiruo told him that if he agreed to fulfil one wish for her, she would tell him where to find Zhao Min. Zhang Wuji agreed, and Zhou Zhiruo showed him that Zhao Min was just sitting in the bush behind them, incapacitated by someone's dim mak. When Zhang Wuji went to attend to Zhao Min, Zhou Zhiruo suddenly attacked him from the back, incapacitated him temporarily to pull her sword on his neck, threatening to kill him.
Suddenly, a girl in black, who was no one but Yin Li, ran out telling Zhou Zhiruo to stop. Zhou Zhiruo smiled and revealed that her attack was a trick to get Yin Li to reveal herself. She then tearfully apologized to Yin Li, who forgave her. Yin Li then angrily accused Zhang Wuji for not telling her his real identity, mistaking her for dead and almost burying her alive. She told him that the one she really loved was the young Zhang Wuji who bit her hand. She then left, leaving Zhang Wuji wondering what she really meant.
Retirement
Zhang Wuji departed with his Ming Cult, and brought the crippled Song Qingshu back to Mount Wudang. Zhang Sanfeng was happy to see him back, and agreed to let him marry Zhao Min.
After leaving Mount Wudang, Zhang Wuji then began touring and inspecting the various Ming Cult forces, accompanied by Zhao Min. One day they visited Haozhou, Zhu Yuanzhang's main base, who greeted him sincerely. During the welcoming feast, Zhang Wuji's food was drugged. When he woke up, he found himself bound up in a room with Zhao Min, who was unconscious from the drugging. He then overheard a conversation between Zhu Yuanzhang, Xu Da and Chang Yuchun, where Xu and Chang persistently recommended Zhu to execute their "leader". Shocked to hear that his two close friends would plot against him for power, Zhang Wuji became despaired at his fellow Ming Cult follower. He did not want to kill them and sabotage the anti-Yuan coalition, so he quietly busted the rope and walked out with Zhao Min.
Unknown to Zhang Wuji, Xu and Chang were actually referring to Zhu Yuanzhang's superior Han Lin'er, whom Zhu framed as a traitor.
Zhang Wuji decided to retire from the deceitful jiang hu world. He wrote a letter resigning as Ming Cult's leader, and passed the leadership to Yang Xiao, citing his third demand when he accepted the leadership.
After he wrote the letter, Zhao Min asked him to fulfil her third requests — painting her eyebrows. Zhang Wuji happily accepted the request, promising to do that for the rest of their lives. Zhou Zhiruo then appeared, also requesting him to fulfil his promise to her, saying that she would think of something on the day of Zhang and Zhao's wedding.
Personality
Despite his outstanding heroism and unique political foresight, Zhang Wuji's character is often perceived by many readers as "weak", "sissy" and "indecisive". This is mainly due to his pacificist ideals, which leads to the accused incompetence due to his lack of ambitions, and his complicated love relationships. His resignation of the leadership is even more criticized, as many readers regard it as "completely stupid" to give up the chance of becoming an emperor. Some described Zhang Wuji as a controversial character that "is both liked and hated" and "attracts the most appraisal and most criticism".
Zhang Wuji's personality is not difficult to understand if one considers his childhood. Zhang Wuji spent the first 10 years of his life under the unconditioned love of his parents and godfather, on an island isolated from the treacherous human world. He literally grew up within a morally sterile social environment. For his early literacy education, his father used ''Zhuang Zi'' as a textbook, which served to developed his Taoist-like harmonious, altruist and wu wei view of the world. The decision to retire at the prime of his political career also mirrors such values. Zhang's strong belief in the goods of humanity is particularly evident throughout the novel, often led to sufferings upon himself. The common belief is Zhang Wuji, like most such "nice guys", would certainly have a great deal of troubles surviving in the real world.
A devote pacificist, Zhang Wuji opposes all unnecessary killings, especially those of the innocent. This was the basis for his intervention during the Battle of the Brightness Peak, which he sacrificed greatly to prevent the slaughter of the Ming Cult followers. To take it even further, Zhang Wuji also holds mercy for his enemies, restraining from taking the lives of those hurt and insulted him the most. His virtue earned him respects and friendship from all parties, even formal hostiles such as the Shaolin Monastery, Kongtong Sect, Beggars' Sect. According to Jin Yong in his epilogue comment at the end of the novel, "he might not be a good enough leader, but he makes a great friend for us".
Zhang Wuji was a very democratic leader for a strongly hierarchical organization such as the Ming Cult. Due to his insufficient political skills, he sought advices from senior members with modesty, allowed non-judgemental promotions, and gave significant operative freedom to the lower-level follower. Zhang Wuji also pinpointed the issue that Jianghu intra- and inter-factional fighting must be stopped if China's liberation was to be achieved — a fact that most martial artists largely neglected. Despite him spending little time on administration, Ming Cult's rapid restrengthening owed much to Zhang Wuji's policy, and his effort to establish a united front contributed greatly to the anti-Mongolian cause.
Another significant role of Zhang Wuji is his identity as a skilled medical practitioner. His altruist personality fulfil the characteristics of an ideal healer perfectly. This obtained the silent esteem from the arrogant Hu Qingniu, who normally looked down upon others as "unsalvageable". Hu had lost trust in humanity after his beloved sister died when her husband Xianyu Tong , who Hu once rescued from brinks of death, ditched her to marry another woman in order to pursue 's leadership. After seeing the kind-hearted boy, Hu Qingniu treated Zhang Wuji as his only true disciple, committing wholeheartedly to this apprenticeship although never openly admitted it. In his mere teenage years, Zhang Wuji already acquired the knowledge that placed him well above others in the field. Many fans of Jin Yong's novels consider medicine as the profession that Zhang Wuji could truly excel.
Zhang Wuji's Martial Arts
Although generally regarded as being Wudang in style, Zhang Wuji is more or less freestyle in fighting, incorporating different techniques he observed and learned in his life. Zhang Wuji is not known to formally invent any new martial arts styles himself, but did create many innovative new techniques in combat. During the Battle of Brightness Peak, Zhang Wuji is also shown capable of instantly imitating techniques of his opponents, most notably Kongxing's Dragon Claws and Kunlun Sect leaders' swordplay.
Wudang Long Fist
An entry-level martial arts of the Wudang Sect, the 32-stance Wudang Long Fist is the first proper martial arts Zhang Wuji learned, taught by his father on their homebound raft when he was barely 10 years old. This is Zhang Wuji's basic fighting techniques until he obtained the ''Jiu Yang Zhen Jing''.
Although simply and easy to learn, Wudang Long Fist is very powerful if used well. Zhang Wuji managed to break Wei Bi's right arm with a counter move during their fight, despite being weakened by his illness and previous injuries. It was also this martial arts that exposed Zhang Wuji's identity as Zhang Cuishan's son to Zhu Changling.
Cloud Ladder
Wudang Sect's famous qing gong technique. Though never described in the novel, Zhang Wuji either learned Cloud Ladder's mnemonics from his father, or from the Wudang masters when he was living on Mount Wudang.
The Cloud Ladder made Zhang Wuji a superb runner and jumper, almost rivaling Wei Yixiao, who is universally renowned for agility and speed. The Cloud Ladder is also instrumental in showing off his skills during his debut fight on the Brightness Peak.
Jiu Yang Shen Gong
A profound qi gong Zhang Wuji achieved from his learning of ''Jiu Yang Zhen Jing''. Not only did this cured him of the seven-year suffering from the Xuan Ming Palm, it also granted him superior internal strength and an amazing rate of physical recovery. Zhang Wuji also used it to help many others recover from their previous internal injuries.
Zhang Wuji initially learned Wudang Jiu Yang Gong , a simplified and less powerful variant derived from Zhang Sanfeng's incomplete learning of the original ''Jiu Yang Zhen Jing''. After unable to manage the young Zhang Wuji's illness with medications, Zhang Sanfeng decided to teach Wuji the Wudang Jiu Yang Gong to obtain some hope of recovery. Although Zhang Wuji was able to accumulate considerable amount of internal energy in his two years on Mount Wudang, it was not enough to deal with the progression of his illness. The requests to share the Shaolin and Emei versions were refused flat out. However, thanks to his learning of the Wudang variant, Zhang Wuji was able to recognize sections of similar writing within the Sanskrit buddhist scriptures he found in the white ape's abdomen, and realized it was the original ''Jiu Yang Zhen Jing''.
Because of his illness from the Xuan Ming Palms, Zhang Wuji's breathing pattern adapts to constantly fight the coldness. This allowed him to exercise Jiu Yang Shen Gong subconsciously, even during sleep, granting a much faster progress in his learning. However, his self-training of Jiu Yang Shen Gong was incomplete when his left the hidden Kunlun valley, with a last obstacle difficult to overpass . When he was slipped into Bag Monk's special bag and brought to the Brightness Peak, Zhang Wuji heard Cheng Kun's confession, was engulfed in rage and could not control his energy. The bag became overly inflated, and Cheng Kun attacked it after realizing someone was inside. When the bag eventually bursted with impact, the blast helped Zhang Wuji to overcome his last obstable, an ordeal that nobody else has ever experienced.
According to the novel, Jiu Yang Shen Gong allowed Zhang Wuji to learn, copy and adopt almost any techniques with ease, regardless of what style or school it is. Jiu Yang Shen Gong is also what enabled Zhang Wuji to learn the Universal Grand Shift within hours, while others before him tried decades and failed.
Seven Injury Fist
This is Kongtong Sect's powerful martial arts, capable of inflicting severe internal damage on the opponent. However, in the learning of this arts, the practitioner frequently suffers profound internal self-injuries, with each training level hurting a vital organ.
Desperately seeking vengeance, Xie Xun stole the manual from Mount Kongtong in order to build up his strength against Cheng Kun. By the time he realized the adverse effect of this arts, it was too late. Xie Xun suffered severe mental instability as a result of neuroendocrine damage.
Before Zhang Wuji left the Ice and Fire Island, Xie Xun decided that the limited time they had left together must be used efficiently. Despite loving the child very much, Xie Xun forcefully made the young Wuji memorize large quantities of mnemonics, punishing him physically for mistakes and failure. Zhang Wuji later realized the importance of his godfather's rather brutal teaching, when he found out the mnemonics were actually the famous Seven Injury Fist. With Jiu Yang Shen Gong, Zhang Wuji was able to effectively unleash the hidden power of the Seven Injury Fist, at the same time avoiding the self-injury from practising the harmful martial arts.
Universal Grand Shift
Ming Sect's ultimate martial arts, capable of translocating forces from one direction to another, often looking mystical for unfamiliar observers. This arts was invented in Central Asia, and the manual of this arts is written with a special ink on the back of a lambskin, revealing only when rubbed with blood. Universal Grand Shift is a very difficult martial arts to learn, often requiring decades of practice to progress just one level. It is treated as a top-secret treasure of Ming Cult — only the supreme leader of Ming Cult is allowed to read the manual, and many of them died from physical stress when forcefully trying to get past the obstacles. The death of the 33rd Ming Cult leader, Yang Dingtian, was the result of a tremendous background physical exhaustion from learning this arts, before exacerbated by the shock of seeing his wife having an affair with Cheng Kun in the secret cavern.
When Zhang Wuji came across this martial art, he initially had no motivation to learn it, as both he and Xiao Zhao were trapped inside the labyrinth. Xiao Zhao encouraged him to have a try at it, and Zhang Wuji agreed after seeing that the only way to open the exit's trapdoor was through the Universal Grand Shift. He cruised through the six training levels within hours, totally surprising Xiao Zhao . There were 19 sentences in the manual in the seventh level that he could not accomplish and gave up, but in fact he did the right thing as those sentences were actually red herrings that would be lethal if he had tried.
Tai Chi Fist
A revolutionary invention by Zhang Sanfeng, the 88-stance Tai Ji Quan uses an ideology completely opposite to conventional martial arts. Instead of seeking superior speed, power and preemption, Tai Ji Quan's moves are slow, soft and seemingly powerless. The essence of this innovative martial arts is to use the enemy's own weight and forces against himself, with minimal self-exhaustion.
The night Zhang Sanfeng finished his new martial arts, he was ambushed and injured by a monk claiming to be a Shaolin survivor seeking assistance. Although he killed the attacker with one blow, it became obvious that he was too weak to take the challenge from Zhao Min's gang . Not wanting his new martial art to be lost, Zhang Sanfeng intended to teach a to his crippled disciple Yu Daiyan. Unknown to him, his grand disciple Zhang Wuji was standing beside him disguised as a young servant, quickly learned the new martial arts, and used it to defeat Zhao Min's two henchmen Asan and Aer.
Tai Chi Swordsmanship
A series of fencing techniques created by Zhang Sanfeng, the 54-stance Tai Ji Swordsmanship is a twin invention to Tai Ji Quan. Like its kenpo counterpart, the martial arts utilizes slow, soft moves, often drawing circles like doing a Taoist ritual. Its essence is also to draw the enemy's attack against himself.
When Zhang Wuji defeated Asan and Aer , Zhao Min sent out Ada, a master swordsman formerly known as the "Eight-Armed Sword God" Fang Dongbai . Not really good at swordfights, Zhang Wuji felt unconfident against this opponent. Zhang Sanfeng then offered to teach him his newly-invented sword techniques in front of everyone. Instead of teaching him a series of movements, Zhang Sanfeng tried to make him grasping the essential principles of the sword art without memorizing the moves, thus enabling him to use the art freely without restraining himself to certain stances. Zhang Wuji understood the principle, and managed to unlearn all the stances within minutes, much to Zhang Sanfeng's delight and everyone else's confusion. Using only the sandalwood sword, Zhang Wuji then fought Ada, who was wielding the fearsome Heaven Sword. Surprisingly, Zhang Wuji dominated the battle and managed to severe Ada's sword-bearing right arm.
Holy Flame Token Martial Arts
Ming Cult's Holy Fire Tokens have a series of fighting instructions engraved on them, written in scripts. The techniques were said to be invented by the feared Islamist lord Hassan-i Sabbah. After the Chinese Ming Cult lost the six Holy Fire Tokens, the Persian Manichees managed to retrieved them and learned the martial arts.
When encountering the three Persian messengers, Zhang Wuji was having great trouble battling them — their moves were extremely weird, often attacking from strange angles with unusual parts of the body. Later when Zhang Wuji managed to capture the tokens from the Persians, he discovered the scripts. With Xiao Zhao's translation, Zhang Wuji quickly realized that the writing was nothing more profound than the first two levels of his Universal Grand Shift. It turned out that the martial arts from the Holy Fire Token was the complement to the Universal Grand Shift technique. By mastering this art, one can use the Universal Grand Shift more powerfully and efficiently. No longer suppressed by the element of surprise, Zhang easily defeats the Persian warriors.
Zhang Wuji would later use this martial arts on many of his Chinese opponents, with varying degrees of success. However, it almost got him killed when he attempted to free Xie Xun from Shaolin's captivity. The perverse and hideous nature of this martial arts fell directly to the repressing effect of the Vajra Devil-Subduing Array, almost gave Zhang Wuji a mental breakdown. He was only saved when he heard Xie Xun's chanting of the Diamond Sutra, which pulled him back to sanity.
No comments:
Post a Comment