Jin Yong’s novels

The Legend of Heaven and the Dragon Slayer:

This book is the third part of the "Shooting the Condor" series. It takes the rise of heroes and the turmoil in the world at the end of the Yuan Dynasty as a broad background and narrates the career of Zhang Wuji, a disciple of Wudang. It expresses the simple and natural spiritual outlook of various martial arts heroes and demonstrates their irreplaceable personality strength.

Zhang Wuji's parents were inadvertently involved in the disputes between the rivers and lakes caused by the Dragon Sword, and were forced to live on a desert island in the far northern ocean, where they gave birth to him. Zhang Wuji lived a carefree life away from the hustle and bustle for several years. When he was nine years old, he returned to China with his parents, but bad luck soon followed. Both of his parents committed suicide, and he himself was injured by the Xuanming God's Palm. The cold poison penetrated deeply into his organs, and even Hu Qingniu, the medical immortal of Die Valley who had great medical skills, was unable to do anything. Zhang Wuji, who suffered such a tragic accident, took it calmly. He had no desire to avenge his parents and was not afraid of his upcoming death. From the time he entered the Butterfly Valley to seek medical treatment at the age of twelve to the time he left the valley at the age of fourteen, he lived a free life even though he experienced many ups and downs. Fourteen-year-old Zhang Wuji escorted Emei heroine Ji Xiaofu's daughter Yang Buhui to the Kunlun Mountains to find her father. From then on, he truly entered the world where he could not help himself.

Going through many hardships and dangers along the way, many of the martial arts figures that Zhang Wuji had previously treated turned back one by one, repaying kindness with revenge. Zhang Wuji sacrificed himself several times, and finally allowed the young and ignorant Yang Buhui to return to his father. Soon after, Zhang Wuji fell into the hands of evildoers again while saving an injured monkey. When he got out of trouble, he got a blessing in disguise and entered a green valley surrounded by mountains. It was similar to an overseas desert island and was a paradise. Zhang Wuji originally planned to spend the rest of his life here, but unexpectedly he accidentally obtained a long-lost martial arts secret book "Nine Suns Manual". With the idea of ??killing the boring years, and having success and failure without worries, in just five years, As soon as he mastered this magical skill, the cold poison in his body was expelled without even realizing it. Twenty-year-old Zhang Wuji reentered the world. He neither wanted to become famous nor avenged his parents and himself. He only wanted to go to a desert island overseas to be with his adoptive father, but in the end he couldn't help himself. In the desert of the Western Regions, he suffered three heavy blows from the head of Emei, and saved a group of Mingjiao believers with his serious injuries; six sects surrounded the leader of the Mingjiao in Guangmingding, and he could not bear to witness the tragedy of martyrdom of the believers, so he took action to fight against the masters of each sect. After a narrow escape, he was finally promoted to the high position of leader of the Ming Cult. Since then, he has fallen into countless martial arts entanglements, and can't help but deal with all kinds of people. Protecting his master's sect, raising troops to rebel against the Yuan Dynasty, rescuing his adoptive father, settling grievances, and doing all the big and small things, both public and private, made him exhausted. Although he possesses peerless martial arts and is backed by the huge power of the Ming Cult, Zhang Wuji still encounters difficulties and suffers every step of the way. Xie Xun, his adoptive father, settled his grudges and became a monk in the Shaolin Temple. In the end, Zhang Wuji's only extravagant hope of enjoying a peaceful family life was shattered. When the Ming Cult was about to conquer the country, Zhang Wuji once again fell into someone's scheme: Zhu Yuanzhang, the Ming Cult general who had saved Zhang Wuji's life as a young man, set up a very sinister trap, which made Zhang Wuji himself disheartened and voluntarily resigned from his position as the leader of the Ming Cult. From then on, Zhang Wuji no longer had any nostalgia for his career in the martial arts world, and quietly retired to seclusion with his wife. However, even after retiring to seclusion, his personal grudges still lingered.

In addition to Zhang Wuji, the book also focuses on portraying many martial arts figures with different personalities, such as Xie Xun, the golden-haired lion king, Jinhua Granny, the purple-shirted dragon king, Zhao Min, the princess of Ruyang, Zhuer, Xiaozhao, Zhou Zhiruo and others all have vivid images and distinct personalities. Whether they are good or bad, they all arise from their temperament. They are neither good nor evil, right or wrong, and can be summed up in one word. By describing the life course and destiny of these characters, the author embodies the same grand cultural connotation as their historical background, and integrates the essence of traditional Chinese Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism into the life stories in his writings, quietly deriving them. Drive away, naturally and calmly showing the modern power of ancient culture. The language of the whole book is fluent and sophisticated, the structure is grand yet sophisticated, the plot is ups and downs, and the story development is often unexpected but leisurely. It is in fact the classic works of the new school of martial arts novels "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", "The Legend of Heaven and the Dragon Slayer" is collectively called "The Condor Trilogy".

”

Many readers have this question: As the last part of the “Condor Trilogy”, “The Legend of the Heaven and the Dragon Sword” seems to have little to do with the first two parts. It can be said to be completely different. Why should another independent novel be said to be part of the "Condor Trilogy"? ---For one thing, the story in this book takes place nearly a hundred years after the stories in the first two books? , it can be said that time has passed and people have changed; secondly, the main characters in this book have no significant relationship with the characters in the previous two books, unlike the hero Yang Guo in "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" He is the descendant of the characters Yang Tiexin and Yang Kang in the previous book, and is the nephew of the hero Guo Jing; and many characters in "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" such as Guo Jing, Huang Rong, Dongxie, Xidu, and Nandi (changed to Nan Seng), Bei Bei, Qiu Qianxun, Zhou Botong, etc., all still exist in the book "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" and constitute the important plot and character relationship network of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes". Next, in "The Legend of Heaven and the Dragon Slaying", there is no such "inheritance relationship" at all. Only one Guo Xiang "disappeared" in the first mouth of "The Legend of Heaven and the Queen of Dragons". Zhang Junbao, a teenage Shaolin boy who appears in the last chapter of the novel "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", can be said to be completely unnoticed and a dispensable character. Of course, this Zhang Junbao. It is Zhang Sanfeng, the founder of the Wudang sect and the master of the protagonist Zhang Wuji in "The Legend of Heaven and Dragon Sword". In this novel, he is already over a hundred years old. Ordinarily, this is not a big deal! Just as "Flying Fox Gaiden" contains characters from "Book of Swords and Enmities" such as "The Heroes of the Red Flower Society", etc., "Flying Fox Gaiden" is not the same as "Books and Swords of Enmity". The "post-sequel" is not its "side story". Why is "The Legend of Heaven and the Dragon Slayer" one of the "Shooting the Condor Trilogy"? The characters are connected one after another, and the title of his book has the word "eagle", and the word "eagle" also appears in his novels---of course the "divine sculpture" is not the sculpture of "shooting the sculpture"---but However, "Diao" is not included in the title of "The Legend of Heaven and the Dragon Slayer", and there is no figure of "Diao" in the novel...

Some people have speculated whether it is because of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" and "The Legend of the Condor Heroes". The reputation and influence of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" were too great, and readers and audiences were eager to know the life stories of the descendants of the heroes in the novel, which "forced" Mr. Jin Yong to come up with the idea of ????making a "third part". To comfort readers' pain of "lovesickness"? Or maybe Mr. Jin Yong originally wanted to write the story of Guo Xiang and Yang Guo and the descendants of the Guo and Yang families, but changed his mind midway?

Of course, some people will ask whether "The Legend of Heaven and the Dragon Slayer" is considered one of the "Condor Trilogy". I think this is an irrelevant question, even if it is not, it will not detract from the value and independence of this novel. Meaning; if it counts, of course it is okay, and it may increase its meaning and value.

In fact, it is not only possible to establish this trilogy, but there are also certain sufficient reasons. . However, it would be better to call this trilogy not "The Condor Trilogy" but "The Hero Trilogy". ---The first "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" is also called "The Legend of the Desert Heroes" because it tells the story of heroes such as Guo Jing who were born in the desert and gathered in Huashan; "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" is about the growth experience of heroes such as Yang Guo, the Condor Hero. Similarly, he was born in the rivers and lakes and made contributions to the country, and was born in suffering and rose to the top of Mount Huashan. Heroes such as Zhang Wuji in the third film "Leaning on the Heaven and Slaying the Dragon" can also "slay dragons" and "rely on the sky" to travel in the rivers and lakes. , The great chivalrous man who saved the people from fire and water. ---"The Great Hero" is the most similar to this "Hero Trilogy". Anyone with a discerning eye may see that after the completion of the last part of the "Hero Trilogy", "The Story of Heaven and the Dragon Sword", although the characters in Jin Yong's works still have the distinction between chivalrous and non-chivalrous, righteous and unjust, they are no longer The pure heroic demeanor of "serving the country and the people, being a great hero". Xiao Feng, Duan Yu and others in "Dragon" can also be called heroes, but they are no longer ideal heroes like the protagonists in "Hero Trilogy", but focus on their heroes. The tragic fate of the characters and their unfortunate lives. Therefore, it is not difficult for us to prove that if we talk about pure heroes and pure "chivalrous men" who serve the country and the people, they must be the three protagonists of this "Hero Trilogy".

Furthermore, since we can call it the "Heroic Trilogy"

it's okay to call it the "Condor Trilogy".

The one who shoots the vulture is a hero, and the one who carries the vulture is also a hero. Zhang Wuji, who neither shoots the vulture nor carries the vulture, is also a hero. It's exactly "Why should a hero shoot a vulture?" Therefore, when it comes to "blood relationship", these three novels are the closest. This is also the real reason why it is called the "Condor Trilogy" or the "Hero Trilogy": the three novels portray real knights and heroes who serve the country and the people. Of course, they are not heroes of the same model, but three different heroes, or three different typical models of heroes: Guo Jing is one, Yang Guo is one, and Zhang Wuji is another. ---And this is the best reason why Jin Yong wrote this trilogy and why these three novels became a "trilogy".

Let’s look at what Jin Yong said in the "Postscript" of his novel "The Legend of Heaven and Sword of the Dragon":

"The Story of the Heaven and the Sword of the Dragon" is the third part of the "Trilogy of the Condor Shooting Trilogy" .

The male protagonists of these three books have completely different personalities. Guo Jingcheng is simple and down-to-earth, Yang Guo is affectionate and wild, but Zhang Wuji's personality is more complex and weak. He is less heroic. Although he has many advantages and disadvantages in his personality, he may be more similar to us ordinary people. Yang Guo is absolutely vivid. Guo Jing was very firm in controlling major issues, and Huang Rong was needed to push for small things. Zhang Wuji's life was always influenced by others. Being dominated by the environment and unable to break free. In terms of love, Yang Guo was obsessed with Xiao Longnu's death and regarded social norms as nothing. Guo Jing wavers between Huang Rong and Princess Huazheng purely out of moral values ??and has no hesitation in love. Zhang Wuji has always been procrastinating. Regarding the four girls Zhou Zhiruo, Zhao Min, Yin Li, and Xiao Zhao, it seems that he loves Zhao Min the most, and finally said the same to Zhou Zhiruo, but deep down in his heart, which girl does he love more? More?

I’m afraid he doesn’t know either. The author doesn't know either. Now that his personality has been written like this, all development depends on his personality, and the author can no longer interfere.

For a person like Zhang Wuji, no matter how high his martial arts skills are, he will never be a great political leader. Of course, he doesn't want to do it at all, and even if he does it reluctantly, he will definitely fail in the end. ...

...Zhang Wuji is not a good leader, but he can be our good friend. ...

Maybe this is the problem. The above-mentioned differences in personality between Zhang Wuji, Guo Jing, and Yang Guo are not actually differences on the "same level", but fundamental differences in "nature." That is to say, Guo Jing is actually an "upright" character and a hero of ideas---he is the embodiment of the personality ideal of "being as skillful as clumsy"---so "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" has less The breath of the world is mostly an ideal story like the "Heroes and Divine Comedy"; and Yang Guo's character has a romantic spirit, which seems to be close to the world. However, firstly, his lover is the little dragon girl from "heaven" who descended to earth, and secondly, he He practiced martial arts in the deep mountains and seas and gradually lost his spirit of fireworks and became the mythical "Condor Heroes". He is also an ideal hero, but he is just a hero who "returns from evil and returns to the right path." And "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" It has become a novel that is "half heaven and half earth".

In contrast, although Zhang Wuji's experience may be more legendary and tortuous than that of Guo Jing and Yang Guo, in terms of his image itself, he has become "humanized". He is neither an incarnation of "innate rationality and skill but clumsiness", nor is he a typical example of "turning from evil to righteousness, correcting evil and returning to righteousness", but a concrete, living person with a complex personality. Although the story in "The Legend of Heaven and the Dragon Slayer" still looks like a magical legend, its "smell" is that of human fireworks.

In short, some people may think that "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" is the most "authentic" among the "Trilogy of the Condor Heroes" and therefore the best; perhaps others will think that "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" is better than "The Legend of the Condor Heroes". "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" is the most wonderful because of its more bizarre and profound writing and pleasant scenery; and maybe some people will also like to read "The Legend of Heaven and the Dragon Slayer"... In any case, we should admit that these three novels have their own merits. The real reason why each of them has its own merits is that the author is constantly seeking innovation and change, instead of prolonging a story and continuing to perfunctorily develop a series of formed characters. This is much more advanced than many of our "series novels" or "trilogies".

1. Yitian and Slaying the Dragon

Since the title of the book is "Yitian and Slaying the Dragon", we have to talk about "Yitian" and "Slaying the Dragon".

"Yitian" refers to a sword, the Yitian Sword. Slaying the dragon is a precious sword, that is, the dragon-slaying knife.

The Dragon-Slaying Knife and the Heaven-Slaying Sword are naturally extremely important "props" in the book "The Heaven-Slaying Dragon". Its fate, naming, appearance and application show the author's great ingenuity. Their meaning is by no means just a force or a sword.

The first and second chapters of this novel, "Missing You at the End of the World, Can't Be Forgotten" and "The Pines and Cypresses Grow on the Top of Wudang Mountain" recall the past decades and Zhang Junbao went to Wudang Mountain to become Zhang Sanfeng and founded the Wudang Sect. The story can only be regarded as the "wedge" or "introduction" of the book. In other words, the "main text" of this novel starts from the third chapter, and this chapter is called "The Hundred Refiners of the Treasure Sword Creates Mysterious Light" ---At the beginning of the "text", the dragon-slaying knife appears.

However, this "Dragon-Slaying Sword" seems to be an ominous thing. It is full of blood as soon as it appears. Everyone wants to get it, so they rob it openly and covertly, causing a bloody storm. Even Yu Daiyan, the Three Heroes of Wudang who did not want to seize the sword, saved someone's life by chance, but he did not expect that he would be inexplicably injured and disabled for life. It can be said that wherever this dragon-slaying knife goes, there will be strife and massacre, which seems to be very ominous.

Of course it is not the "ominousness" of the sword, but the "ominousness" of the human heart. Even if the dragon-slaying knife is just a sharp sword, there will still be people who will snatch it overtly and covertly, hoping to keep it as their own. This is actually a common occurrence in the rivers, lakes and green forests. What's more, there are a few words accompanying this sword: "The supreme king of martial arts, the sword slays the dragon, orders the world, no one dares to disobey! If you can't rely on the sky, who can compete with you?"---These few words are Tu's. The fundamental reason why Dragon Sword caused uproar and bloodshed. The only funny thing is that no one can explain exactly what these words mean, and no one understands the key and mystery behind them.

If you think about it carefully, the appearance of this dragon-slaying knife and the story it caused have at least the following five aspects of significance.

The first is the "continuation of the previous letter": that is, this dragon-slaying knife was made by Guo Jing and Huang Rong. Anyone who understands the inside story will naturally think about "prequels" such as "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" and "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", and the connection between the "prequels" and "postquels" is this knife. This can really be described as "pointing out questions everywhere."

Secondly, it is not the ominousness of the sword but the sadness of the human heart. One is "greed", the other is "robbing" and the third is "confusion". Everyone is greedy for this sharp weapon, especially It was the words "The Supreme of the Martial Arts", so everyone grabbed the powerful guns one after another and tried to use all the traps. In the end, most people just lost their lives. The wonderful thing is that these people did not understand what the "Supreme of the Martial Arts" was until their death. What does it mean to be a ghost? This dragon-slaying knife can be said to be a hateful and pathetic mirror of human nature. In the third chapter, the "text" of the novel reveals the "prototype" of human nature. As written in the book:

Yu Daiyan said: "Now you are out of danger: there is something important in your lower body. If we can't be together, let's just say goodbye. The old man stood up and said, "Why...why...don't you grab this sword?" Yu Daiyan smiled and said: "Even though the sword is good, it's not mine. How can I snatch it away?" "The old man was very surprised and couldn't believe it and said: "You...what's your trick? How do you want to control me? "Yu Daiyan said: "I have no grudges against you, why am I trying to manipulate you? I passed by here tonight and saw you were poisoned and injured, so I came to rescue you. The old man shook his head and said sternly: "My life is in your hands, kill me if you want." If you want to use any vicious means to cause harm. Even if I die, I will turn into a fierce ghost and I can't let you go. "... No matter how good-tempered Yu Daiyan was, he couldn't help it anymore. He raised his eyebrows and said, "Who do you know I am? How can Wudang disciples do harm to others? This is an antidote pill, but if you are severely poisoned, this pill may not be able to save you, but it can at least prolong your life for three days. You'd better give this knife to the Haisha sect in exchange for their own antidote to save your life. "

The old man suddenly stood up and said sternly:

"Whoever wants my dragon-slaying knife must not do it.

Yu Daiyan said: "Your life is gone, so what's the use of a sword?" The old man said in a trembling voice: "I would rather lose my life. The dragon-slaying knife will always be mine." "As he spoke, he held the knife tightly and pressed his cheek against the blade. He really cherished it beyond words, and at the same time, he swallowed the "Tianxin Jiedu Pill" into his stomach.

"I would rather not have it. Life and the dragon-slaying knife are always mine. "This can probably be regarded as a "famous saying". Because of this, there is no longer trust between people, no reason, and even people who die for "greed" are still obsessed with it.

---This old man is called Decheng, nicknamed "Haitongqing". He is not a good person. Not only does he have no "virtue", but it is also difficult to "succeed". This person is hardly the number one figure in the book "Eternal Dragon Sword", and I'm afraid 99% of readers will not remember this name. However, this man's story shows that Jin Yong has no "idle pen" and inadvertently depicts the sad and ridiculous face of human nature. There are many stories in the book about bloodshed and death for snatching the dragon-slaying knife, and there is no need to list them all here.

The above two points are just written "by chance". When written by people like Jin Yong, it cannot be said that there is any "ingenuity", they are just "randomly done". To talk about the role of the dragon-slaying knife in the novel, the greater one is the third point, which is to explain the whole story of the book and the protagonist's encounter and fate.

As mentioned earlier, Yu Daiyan, one of the Three Heroes of Wudang, happened to be in the right situation and saved a person's life (in the end, he was not saved), but lost half of his own life, leaving him physically disabled and losing all his martial arts skills. . This caused the Wudang heroes to investigate the cause of Yu Binyan's injury, and caused the Wudang Three Heroes Zhang Cuishan to go down the mountain to investigate. They met Yin Susu, and together they came to Sanpan Mountain, a small island where the Tianying Sect "shows its power with swords", and was beaten by Golden Retriever. The lion king Xie Xun was kidnapped and brought to the "Ice and Fire Island" in Antarctica. From then on, Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu married and gave birth to the protagonist Zhang Wuji in the book. However, he did not return to the mainland for ten years in this "Ice and Fire Island". Counting it all, everything is related to this dragon-slaying knife. If it weren't for the dragon-slaying knife, Zhang Cuishan wouldn't have gone down the mountain to meet the "cult" woman Yin Susu. If it hadn't been for the dragon-slaying knife. Xie Xun would not have appeared and kidnapped them to Iceman Island in Antarctica. Of course, if it were not for such a special environment and fate, Zhang Cuishan, a son of a famous family, and Yin Susu, a pagan witch, would not have gotten married and given birth to a child. Zhang Wuji would not become brothers with different surnames from Xie Xun, let alone Xie Xun becoming Zhang Wuji's adoptive father. All in all, the death of Zhang Cuishan and his wife, Xie Xun's being picked up, captured, and rescued... as well as Zhang Wuji's life's tragedies and adventures were all related to and caused by this dragon-slaying knife. Therefore, the role (structural role) of this dragon-slaying knife in this novel can be imagined.

Fourthly, the dragon-slaying knife that caused disputes in the martial arts and even injured countless lives, and almost all the heroes in the world were affected by it, finally fell into the hands of Zhang Wuji. With this, Zhang Wuji commanded the heroes to fight against the Meng soldiers, protected the Shaolin Temple and the lives of the heroes, and won a great victory. It seems that the words "The supreme king of martial arts, who slays dragons with his precious sword, orders the world, and no one dares to disobey" are here to "match the occasion". It is not until the end of the novel that the sword and dragon slaying and its functions seem to be unraveled. secret. ---But not so. It wasn't until the last chapter that Zhang Wuji solved the real mystery. The book talks about:

Zhang Wuji took out a bunch of thin yellow paper from his arms. It was the "Wu Mu's Suicide Note" originally hidden in the dragon-slaying knife. He turned to the page "Niutou Mountain of the Corps" Festival, sent over.

Xu Da took it with both hands and read it carefully. He couldn't help but be surprised and admired, and sighed: "Wu Mu used soldiers like a god, which is beyond the reach of future generations. If Yue Wu Mu were still alive today , leading the heroes of the Central Plains, why not drive the shoes back to Mobei?" He said and respectfully handed back the suicide note.

Zhang Wuji refused to take it and said: "The supreme king of martial arts, who slays dragons with his precious sword, commands the world. No one dares to disobey." I only know the true meaning of these sixteen words today. The so-called "Supreme Martial Arts" is not in the sword itself, but in the suicide note hidden in the sword. If you approach the enemy with this method of war, you will definitely be able to win the battle and conquer the enemy, and ultimately you will be able to "command the world." Don’t dare disobey’. Otherwise, how can one really command the world with just one sword? Brother Xu, I give this military book to you, hoping that you will inherit Yue Wumu's ambition, return my rivers and mountains, and go straight to Huanglong. "

Xu Da was shocked and said hurriedly: "How can I be so virtuous and capable as to dare to receive such a generous gift from the leader? "Zhang Wuji said:

"Brother Xu, there is no need to refuse. I will teach you this military manual for the sake of all the people in the world. "Xu Da held the book of war, his hands trembling.

Zhang Wuji said: "There are two sentences in the martial arts rumors: 'If you can't rely on the sky, who can compete with you? ’ The Yitian Sword is currently broken into two pieces, but he will eventually be able to reconnect it. Hidden inside is an extremely powerful secret book of martial arts. I understand the true meaning of these words. The book of war is used to drive away shoes, but if someone once has the power, he will actually dominate and use violence to bring violence. If the people of the world are poisoned by tea, then a hero will eventually come with a long sword to take the tyrant's head. Even if a man who commands millions of soldiers has overwhelming power, he may not be able to strike with a sword from heaven. Brother Xu, please take note of these words.

"

Xu Da was sweating profusely and did not dare to say goodbye anymore. He said:

"I will obey the orders of the Lord. "Putting "Wu Mu's suicide note" on the table, he kowtowed four times to it respectfully, and thanked Zhang Wuji for his gift of the book.

After that, Xu Da really used his troops like a god, and defeated the Yuan army in succession. , and finally led the Northern Expedition, driving the Mongols beyond the Great Wall, and established a great legacy in Mobei.

---So this "mystery of the dragon-slaying knife" has finally been solved. At the same time, the "mystery of Yitian Sword" was immediately solved. Obviously, the reason for setting up such a big mystery is certainly a structural need for storytelling to leave suspense. However, we can also see that "The Supreme of Wulin, The sword slays the dragon and commands the world. No one dares to disobey. If you rely on the sky and cannot come out, who can compete with you?" These six sentences and the big secret contained in them --- "If you rely on the sky and cannot come out, who can compete with you?" The two sentences also contain A little secret is that you have to fight the Heavenly Sword and the Dragon-Slaying Blade in order to obtain the military book and secret hair. This little metaphor of "who will fight" is actually not only related to the structure of the story, but also directly related to the story. It is related to the "content" and "theme" of the novel. On the surface, this novel is a story of heroes fighting for the Dragon Slaying Sword and the Heavenly Sword, that is, a "treasure grab" story; further, it is the story of the Central Plains. The story of the sons and daughters fighting against the soldiers of the foreign ruler Meng Yuan (this corresponds to the meaning of "slaying the dragon with the sword") and the intertwined story of the heroes' petty grudges and great hatreds. At this level, this "Yitian" is a story. "Dragon Slayer" transcended the simple and superficial story mode of "heroes seizing treasure" in general martial arts novels, and thus formed the "Jin Yong style", that is, "the world is described in the pen, and the world is in the mind" or "both the expression of hatred and the fate of the world" .

Going a step further, Zhang Wuji’s explanation of those six sentences can be said to be the summary and basic model of ancient China’s “view of history” and “view of heroes”. He ascended the throne by expelling foreigners. At the same time, if the king was "unruly", he would be killed (assassinated) by relying on heaven. The ancient Chinese were afraid that they would never consider the issues of "political system" and "democracy and rule of law". What you hope for, you have the right to do; what you fear, you have no way; what you dream about, the hero will assassinate. ---The history of China is a history of "assassinations", with dynasties changing, and even the "own race" and the alien race. Governance is all about changing the soup without changing the medicine. In fact, it is more or less a sad "political ideal".

Fifth, the Dragon Sword and the Heavenly Sword have always been related to each other in this book. Zhang Wuji had a lot to do with it, but in the end he "gave it away". Ordinarily, he should have obtained all the military books and secrets. Firstly, he had obtained them and everyone had unanimously approved them; The leader of the Ming Cult is obviously the leader of the heroes in the Central Plains. The words "No one in the world dares to disobey orders" will naturally fall on him; thirdly, he is the protagonist of this book...but he happens to be the one. He gave it to Xu Da. On the surface, Xu Da was a "historical figure". It was he who assisted Zhu Yuanzhang in expelling the captives, regaining China, and establishing the Ming Dynasty. "Historical necessity and truth" In fact, this is one of the great mysteries of this book, that is, the protagonist Zhang Wuji in the book is a hero and has outstanding martial arts skills, but he is also the leader of the Ming sect and is the hidden leader of the Central Plains. , however he is not a "political leader"! He is not a good political leader, and he has never wanted to be a political leader, and he has never wanted to "become a powerful person" one day.

Thus, the meaning of "Eternal Heaven and Dragon Sword" must be viewed and tasted from another angle.

2. Heroes and Mortals

This "The Legend of Heaven and the Dragon Sword" still seems to be a "legendary" book about great heroes, but the writing and the light source are different. It is not a hero or hero who looks like a god or a demon, but an ordinary and profound human nature.

The most successful character written in the book, besides Zhang Wuji, is Zhang Sanfeng. This picture of Sanfeng is the real person of Wudang, the founder of Wudang. His martial arts skills are unfathomable and can shock both ancient and modern times. He is over a hundred years old and is a great master. In "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", he is naturally superior to Dongxie, Xidu, Nandi, Beibei, Qiu Qianren and Zhou Botong. However, in "The Legend of Heaven and Dragon Sword", the image of Zhang Sanfeng is both There is no such transcendent "evil spirit" and no such erratic "divinity". The secret of the success of his image is not in it, but in the word "true". That is to say, "Zhenren Zhang" is not only a "real person", but he is also a "real person" in the novel.

Zhang Sanfeng was good at both civil and martial arts. He understood the principles of boxing and the Taoist method of Chongxu Yuantong, and created the Wudang sect of martial arts that will shine on future generations and shine through the ages. He is a great master who inherits the past and forges future generations, and is a Chinese martial arts master. The most amazing person in history. However, this "wonder" in the book "The Legend of Heaven and the Dragon Slayer" is extremely approachable, amiable, and down-to-earth, so real and ordinary that people can't see anything "wonderful" about him. The first time he appeared in the "text" was on his ninetieth birthday. The book wrote:

Song Yuanqiao looked at the red candle and said with a sorry smile: "Master, the third brother and the fifth brother are determined Something unfair happened, so we intervened. Master often teaches us to be virtuous and do good deeds. Today, you are very happy. Two junior brothers did a chivalrous thing. That is the best way to celebrate your birthday." Zhang Sanfeng touched his long beard and said with a smile: "Yeah, on my eightieth birthday, you saved the life of a widow who fell into a well. That's very good. Just do one good deed every ten years, and you will be famous all over the world." I am anxious to wait." The five disciples laughed together. Zhang Sanfeng was humorous by nature, and he often told jokes between his master and his disciples.

This paragraph vividly portrays the respectable and amiable character of a great master of martial arts. He is not as bizarre and strange as the characters in other novels. Although he is respectable and lamentable, he is not amiable.

Look again at the scene when Zhang Sanfeng met his beloved disciple Zhang Cuishan who had been missing for ten years when he was one hundred years old: there was a clear whistle, his sleeves ruffled slightly, and the two panel doors opened with a clang. The first person Zhang Sanfeng saw was none other than Zhang Cuishan, whom he had missed for ten years.

He rubbed his eyes and said he had seen it wrong. Zhang Cuishan had thrown herself into his arms, whimpering, and shouted "Master!" He was so excited that he knelt down and worshiped. Song Yuanqiao and the other five people shouted in unison: "Master is very happy, the fifth brother is back!"

Zhang Sanfeng lived a hundred years old and practiced for more than eighty years. He had a broad mind and could not control all things, but he and These seven disciples were as affectionate as father and son. When they suddenly saw Zhang Cuishan, they couldn't help but hug him tightly and shed tears of joy.

The brothers helped the master wash up and change their clothes. Zhang Yishan did not dare to tell him about his troubles, but only talked about the strange things about Binghuo Island. Zhang Sanfeng was even more happy when he heard that he had married a wife and said: "Where is your wife? Ask her to come to see me quickly."

Zhang Junshan knelt on his knees and said: "Master, my disciple is bold, marry a wife At that time, I couldn't tell you." Zhang Sanfeng said with a smile: "You can't come back after ten years on Binghuo Island, why don't you wait for ten years before I marry you? It's a joke, it's a joke! "Excuse me, how can Zhang Sanfeng have such an pedantic and unreasonable disciple?" Zhang Cuishan said, "But the disciple's wife has a wrong background. She...she is the daughter of the leader of Tianying Temple."

Zhang Sanfeng still smiled and said: "What does that matter? As long as the wife has a good character, that's all. Even if her character is not good, can't we subtly influence him when he comes to our mountain? What about the Tianying Sect? Cuishan, first of all, don't be too narrow-minded. Don't think that you are a good sect and look down on others. It is difficult to distinguish between good and evil. As long as the man is devoted to kindness, he is a gentleman." Zhang Cuishan was overjoyed. He didn't expect that he had been worrying about it for ten years. The master just said a few words and stood up with a smile on his face.

Zhang Sanfeng added: "I have been friends with your father-in-law, Master Yin, for a long time. I admire his martial arts skills and he is a generous and upright man. Although he has an extreme temper and eccentric behavior, he is not despicable. You villain. We can make this friend." Song Yuanqiao and others thought: "Master really loves his fifth brother, and even a big devil like Aiwu and Wulian's father-in-law is willing to make friends with him." Just as he said this, one of them said. Tong Jinjin reported: "Headmaster Yin of the Tianying Sect sent someone to give gifts to Master Zhang Wu!"

Zhang Sanfeng smiled and said: "Father-in-law has sent gifts, Cuishan, you go and greet the guests!" Zhang Cuishan responded:

"Yes!"

This paragraph may seem ordinary, but it is actually an extremely exciting chapter. If you read it, you will be fascinated and relaxed. Zhang Sanfeng has cultivated for a hundred years and is close to becoming an immortal. However, he still loves his disciples like father and son. When his five disciples returned, he "saw Zhang Cuishan first among the disciples" and then "rubbed his eyes and said he saw it wrong." This kind of subtle heart has been able to describe a loving and kind-hearted Master in detail. Then he shed tears, which brought tears to his eyes. What is particularly subtle is that Zhang Cuishan's two major events of marrying without telling him and also marrying a daughter of an evil family were "revealed" by Zhang Sanfeng's few words.

On the one hand, as Song Yuanqiao and others thought, Zhang Sanfeng really loved Zhang Cuishan deeply and loved the whole house, which made the emotional description of Zhang Sanfeng even deeper. On the other hand, and at a deeper level is Zhang Sanfeng's broad and transcendent great mind, master's mind and insight. The so-called "good and evil" have another extraordinary understanding and explanation in the eyes of the master. It's a pity that none of his seven disciples have the courage to truly understand the magnanimity and insight of masters like Zhang Sanfeng