Wikipedia - User contributions [en]

CSD

2023-10-04T09:37:54Z

Julian1313: /* Finance */ Added a new term

{{Self reference|On Wikipedia, CSD may refer to [[Wikipedia:Criteria for speedy deletion]] or [[:Category:Candidates for speedy deletion]].}}
{{wiktionary|CSD}}
'''CSD''' may refer to:
{{Toc right}}
==Finance==
* [[Central securities depository]]
* [[Confederate States Dollar]]
* [[Serbian dinar]], by previous ISO 4217 code
* [[Corporate Sustainability and Disclosure]]

==Organizations==
===Education===
* [[California School for the Deaf (disambiguation)]], several institutions
* [[Canyons School District]], in Utah, US
* [[Cheltenham School District]], in Pennsylvania, US
* [[Christina School District]], in Delaware, US
* [[Cleveland School District]], in Mississippi, US
* [[Cordova School District]], in Alaska, US

===Other organizations===
* [[Canteen Stores Department (India)]], a chain of stores operated by the Indian Ministry of Defence at military bases
* [[CSD Pakistan]] (Canteen Stores Department), a chain of stores operated by the Pakistani Ministry of Defence
* [[Central securities depository]], a body which holds securities such as stocks and bonds for brokers and investors
* [[Chartered Society of Designers]], a British learned society for various kinds of design work
* [[Commission on Sustainable Development]] (1992–2013), a former UN agency
* [[Communication Service for the Deaf]], an American non-profit company providing ASL services
* [[Congress of Democratic Trade Unions (Quebec)]] (French: ''Centrale des syndicats démocratiques''), a labor organization
* ''[[Consejo Superior de Deportes]]'' (Higher Sports Council), Spain's national sports agency
* Correctional Services Department [[Hong Kong Correctional Services]], prison agency of Hong Kong
* [[Czechoslovak State Railways]] (Czech: ''Československé státní dráhy'') (1918–1939, 1945–1992), former state railroad company

==Science and technology==
===Biology and medicine===
* [[Cat scratch disease]], caused by the intracellular bacterium ''Bartonella henselae''
* [[Chronic subjective dizziness]]
* [[Citrus stubborn disease]], a plant disease
* [[Cortical spreading depression]]
* Communication Sciences and Disorders, a discipline encompassing [[speech-language pathology]], [[audiology]], [[auditory science]], and [[speech science]]

===Computing and telecommunication===
* [[Canonical signed digit]], a system for encoding a floating-point value in two's complement representation
* [[Circuit Switched Data]], for mobile phones
* [[Client-Side Decoration]], GUI design concept that allows a program's interface to adapt to a user's system
* [[Corrective Service Diskette]], an update for a software program

===Other sciences and technologies===
* [[Cambridge Structural Database]]
* [[Constant speed drive]]
* [[Waterfall plot|Cumulative spectral decay]] plot, also known as a "waterfall plot"
* [[Dredging#Cutter-suction|Cutter suction dredger]], a type of dredger

==Other uses==
* [[Cali Swag District]], a music group
* Carbonated [[soft drinks]] sector of the beverage industry
* [[Christopher Street Day]], an annual European LGBT celebration and demonstration
* ''[[Cook, Serve, Delicious!]]'' and sequels, a series of cooking simulation video games

{{disambiguation}}

OOS

2023-09-22T10:09:32Z

Julian1313: /* Science and industry */ Added a new term

{{wiktionary|OOS|oos}}

'''OOS''' or '''Oos''' may refer to:
==Geographical names==
* [[Oos, Baden-Württemberg]], district in Germany
* [[Oos (river)]], a river of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, running through Baden-Baden

==Science and industry==
* Otdel Opytnogo Samolyetostroeniya (Russian) - a section for experimental aircraft construction and maker of the [[OOS Aviatourist]]
* [[Object-oriented scanning]], a measurement method
* [[Occupational overuse syndrome]], a human disorder
* [[Out Of Sample]], testing performed to validate results in an experiment
* [[Scope (project management)|Out Of Scope]], project management
* [[Out of specification]]
* [[Out of Office Soon]]
* [[Out of Support]]

* [[List of ornithological societies|Oxford Ornithological Society]]

==Publications and media==
* ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons]]'', a video game
* [[Out of Sync (book)|''Out of Sync'' (book)]], a 2007 autobiography of Lance Bass
* ''[[Origin of Symmetry]]'', a 2001 album by Muse
* ''[[Out of Sight]]'', a 1998 movie with Jennifer Lopez and George Clooney
* ''[[OxygenOS]]'', version of the Android mobile operating system developed by Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus.

==Other uses==
* Out Of Service
* Out Of State (Student)
* Out Of Stock or [[Stockout]] (sales)
* Order Of Shadow (Community)

==See also==
* [[OO (disambiguation)]]
* [[00s (disambiguation)]]

{{disambiguation}}

Liniewko

2020-01-23T10:18:05Z

Julian1313: added a section on Shopping and Traffic.

{{Infobox settlement
| name = Liniewko
| settlement_type = Village
| total_type =  
| image_skyline =
| image_caption =
| image_flag =
| image_shield =
| image_map =
| subdivision_type = [[Countries of the world|Country]]
| subdivision_name = {{flag icon|Poland}} [[Poland]]
| subdivision_type1 = [[Voivodeships of Poland|Voivodeship]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Pomeranian Voivodeship|Pomeranian]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[Powiat|County]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Tczew County|Tczew]]
| subdivision_type3 = [[Gmina]]
| subdivision_name3 = [[Gmina Tczew]]
| coordinates = {{coord|54|2|44|N|18|37|47|E|region:PL|display=inline}}
| pushpin_map = Poland
| pushpin_label_position = right
| elevation_m =
| population_total =
| website = }}
'''Liniewko''' {{IPAc-pl|l|i|'|ń|e1|f|k|o}} ({{lang-de|Liniewken, 1942–45 Leinfeld}}) is a [[village]] in the administrative district of [[Gmina Tczew]], within [[Tczew County]], [[Pomeranian Voivodeship]], in northern Poland.<ref name="TERYT">{{cite web |url=http://www.stat.gov.pl/broker/access/prefile/listPreFiles.jspa |title=Central Statistical Office (GUS) - TERYT (National Register of Territorial Land Apportionment Journal) |date=2008-06-01 |language=Polish}}</ref> It lies approximately {{convert|9|km|mi|0}} south-west of [[Tczew]] and {{convert|36|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} south of the regional capital [[Gdańsk]].

For details of the history of the region, see ''[[History of Pomerania]]''.

==Name==

The village name means "line town" after the straight piece of road that runs through it. The village ends with corners in the road at each end.

==Landscape==

Although the road does not have corners, the road has an incline up to a hill. The top of the hill is located near the 3rd West-most farm.

The farm land located west of the four farms and the road. They belong to each respective farm. This piece is mostly flat land with the exception of two consecutive hills located on the 3rd West-most town.

There are two other pieces of farm land. One is located east of the road and between the farms and the hamlet. It is flat, save for a small stream that runs through it.

The last piece of farmland lies east of the road opposite the first three of the West-most farms. It is distinctive for the tree islands of shrubbery, trees and wetland plants like bullrush. The land is mostly flat with the east most side both climbing and sinking to create a steep 30 degree slope. The outer edge of this field has a steady stream and on the other side of it a sharp forested hill with an incline of some 40-50 degrees.

==Structure==

This is a very small village. It is composed of 4 major family run farms and a hamlet.
There are two bus stops in between the farms and the hamlet - one for each direction.
The village neighbors with the [[Wędkowy]] village approximately {{convert|0.5|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} to the North-West and the [[Swarożyn]] town, some {{convert|4|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} to the South-East.

The nearest school is located in [[Swarożyn]], as is the nearest library, (Catholic) church, post office, railway station and (most of) the convenience shops. The closest convenience shop is in [[Wędkowy]].

==Shopping==

There are three shops close two here:

* [[Wędkowy]] - Sklep spożywczo-przemysłowy - Pati - This goes through periods of closure, limited business hours, and limited products, where it primarily caters for workers of the factories dominating the town.
* [[Boroszewo]] - Livio - labelled: Sklep spożywczo-przemysłowy
* [[Swarożyn]] - Sklep spożywczo-przemysłowy - Lewiatan

==Traffic==

Since the opening and later the expansion of manufacturing buildings in [[Wędkowy]], the road has become substantially more busy. This is particularly evident in the number of heavy goods vehicles. Additionally where the factories operate between 16 and 24 hours a day across two or three shifts, there remains regular periods of substantial traffic stream of buses and personal vehicles at the times of shift changes.

==References==
{{reflist}}

 
{{Gmina Tczew}}
{{coord|54|2|44|N|18|37|47|E|region:PL_type:city|display=title}}

[[Category:Villages in Tczew County|Liniewko]]
{{Tczew-geo-stub}}

List of acronyms: M

2020-01-22T16:05:40Z

Julian1313: added MAP - Management Action Plan

{{List of acronyms disclaimer|qualifier= that begin with the letter '''M'''}}

[[List of acronyms|(Main list of acronyms)]]

{{CompactTOCprefix|prefix=M}}
__NOTOC__
* m – (s) [[Metre]] – [[Milli]]
* [[M]] – (s) [[Mega-]] – [[1000 (number)|One thousand]] (in Roman numerals)

==MA==
* mA – (s) [[Milliampere]]
* Ma – (s) [[Megaannum]]
* MA
** (s) [[Madagascar]] (FIPS 10-4 country code)
** (i) [[Marijuana Anonymous]]
** (i) [[Master of Arts]]
** [[Massachusetts]] (postal symbol)
** [[Megaampere]]
** [[Morocco]] (ISO 3166 digram)
* [[Mathematical Association of America|MAA]] – (i) [[Mathematical Association of America]]
* [[Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference|MAAC]] – (a) [[Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference]]
* [[Mac (disambiguation)|MAC]]
** (s) [[Macau]] (ISO 3166 trigram)
** (a) U.S. [[Military Airlift Command]] (1966–1992)
** [[Mid-American Conference]]
* [[Military Aid to the Civil Authorities|MACA]] – (i) [[Military Aid to the Civil Authorities]]
* MACE – (a) Multi-Agent Computing Environment
* [[MACHO]] – (p) MAssive Compact Halo Object
* [[MAD (disambiguation)|MAD]]
** (a) [[Magnetic Anomaly Detector]]
** (s) Moroccan [[dirham]] ([[ISO 4217]] currency code)
** (a) [[Mutual Assured Destruction]]
* [[MADD (disambiguation)|MADD]]
** (a) [[Mothers Against Drunk Driving]]
** [[Myoadenylate deaminase deficiency|MyoAdenylate Deaminase Deficiency]]
** (p) Multiply–Add
* [[MAF (disambiguation)|MAF]] – (i) Maintenance Action Form
* [[MAFF (disambiguation)|MAFF]] - (a) [[Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (disambiguation)|Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries]] (various countries)
* [[MAGIC (telescope)|MAGIC]] – (a) [[Major Atmospheric Gamma-ray Imaging Cherenkov]] (telescope)
* [[MAGNETAR]] – (p) [http://www.magnetar.org{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}} Metaprogrammable AGent NETwork ARchitecture]{{Dead link|date=April 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
* [[MAGTF]] – (i) Marine Air-Ground Task Force
* [[mah]] – (s) [[Marshallese language]] (ISO 639-2 code)
* [[Mahasz]] – (p) '''''Ma'''gyar '''Ha'''nglemezkiadók '''Sz'''övetsége'' (Hungarian, "Association of Hungarian Record Companies")
* [[Mal (disambiguation)|mal]] – (s) [[Malayalam language]] (ISO 639-2 code)
* [[MALD (disambiguation)|MALD]] – (a) Miniature Air-Launched Decoy
* [[MANPADS]] – (p) MAN-Portable Air Defence System
* [[MANPRINT]] – (p) MANpower and PeRsonnel INTegration
* [[MAO]]
** (i/a) ''Molėtų astronomijos observatorija'' (Moletai Astronomical Observatory)
** (p) [[Monoamine oxidase|MonoAmine Oxidase]]
* [[MAOI]] – (p) [[Monoamine oxidase inhibitor]]
* [[MAP (disambiguation)|MAP]] – (a) [[Management Action Plan]] (Corporate phrase)
* [[MAPS (disambiguation)|MAPS]] – (a) [[Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship]]
* [[MAQS]] – (a) [[Museum of the American Quilter's Society]] ("max")
* [[mar]] – (s) [[Marathi language]] (ISO 639-2 code)
* [[MAR (disambiguation)|MAR]] – (s) [[Morocco]] (ISO 3166 trigram)
* [[MarBEF]] – (p) [[Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning]]
* [[MARC (disambiguation)|MARC]]
** (a) [[MARC standards|MAchine Readable Cataloging]] (often also defined as MAchine Readable Code)
** [[MARC (archive)|Mailing list ARChive]]
** [[MARC Train|Maryland Area Regional Commuter]] train service
** [[Massachusetts Animal Rights Coalition]]
** [[Mid-America Regional Council]]
* [[MARCENT]] – (p) [[United States Marine Forces Central Command]]
* [[MARFORCC]] – (p) Marine Force Component Commander
* [[MARRS]] – (a) '''M'''artyn Young, '''A'''lex Ayuli, '''R'''udy Tambala, '''R'''ussell Smith, and '''S'''teve Young (British electronic music act)
* [[Mas (disambiguation)|MAS]] – (i) NATO [[Military Agency for Standardization]]
* [[MASAS]] – (a) [[Monte Agliale Supernovae and Asteroid Survey]]
* [[Maser]] – (a) Microwave Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation
* [[Mobile Army Surgical Hospital|MASH]] – (a) Mobile Army Surgical Hospital
* [[MASINT]] – (p) [[Measurement And Signature Intelligence]]
* [[MATREX]] – (p) Modeling Architecture for Technology, Research & EXperimentation
* [[MATS (disambiguation)|MATS]] – (a) U.S. [[Military Air Transport Service]] (1948–1966)
* [[MAVS]] – (a/i) Mobile Artillery Vehicle System
* [[MAW (disambiguation)|MAW]] – (s) [[Malawi]] (IOC trigram, but not FIFA or ISO 3166)
* [[Max (disambiguation)|MAX]] – (i) Meta-reasoning Architecture for "X"

==MB==
* [[MB (disambiguation)|MB]]
** (s) [[Manitoba]] (postal symbol)
** [[Martinique]] (FIPS 10-4 territory code)
** [[Medal of Bravery (disambiguation)|Medal of Bravery]] (Canada)
* [[MBA]]
** (i) Main Battle Area
** Main Belt Asteroid
** Masters of Business Administration
* [[MBI (disambiguation)|MBI]] – (i) [[Moody Bible Institute]]
* [[MBBL]] – (i) (U.S. Armor Center) [[Mounted Battlespace Battle Laboratory]]
* [[MBCC]] – (i) [[Migratory Bird Conservation Commission]] (U.S.)
* [[MBCS (disambiguation)|MBCS]] – (i) [[Multi-Byte Character Set]]
* [[MBE]]
** (p) Member of the [[Order of the British Empire]]
** (i) [[Multistate Bar Examination]] (U.S.)
* MBIDST – (i) Member of the British Institute of Dental and Surgical Technologists
* [[MBM (disambiguation)|MBM]] – (i) [[Meat and Bone Meal]]
* [[MBSE]] – (i) [[Model-based systems engineering]]
* mbsf – metres below sea floor,<ref>{{cite journal |editor=Flood, Roger D. |editor2=Piper, D.J.W. |editor3=Klaus, A. |editor4=Peterson, L.C. |year=1997|title=PREFACE: DEPTH BELOW SEAFLOOR CONVENTIONS|journal=Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program, Scientific Results|quote=we follow Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) meters below seafloor (mbsf) convention|volume=155|page=3|doi=10.2973/odp.proc.sr.155.200.1997}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=http://ebooks.cambridge.org/chapter.jsf?bid=CBO9780511541490&cid=CBO9780511541490A018|title=Sulphate-reducing Bacteria Environmental and Engineered Systems Edited by Larry L. Barton University of New Mexico|last=Parkes|first=R. John|author2=Henrik Sass |year=2007|work=Sulphate-reducing Bacteria Environmental and Engineered Systems|publisher=Cambridge University Press|pages=329–358|accessdate=11 June 2010|doi=10.1017/CBO9780511541490.012|quote=metres below the seafloor (mbsf)}}</ref> a [[:wikt:depth|depth]] convention used in [[paleontology]] and [[oceanography]]
* [[MBT (disambiguation)|MBT]] – (i) [[Main Battle Tank]]
* [[MBTA]] – (i) [[Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority]] – [[Migratory Bird Treaty Act]] (U.S.)
* [[MBTI]] – (i) [[Myers-Briggs Type Indicator]]

==MC==
* [[mC]] – (s) [[Millicoulomb]]
* [[MC]]
** (s) [[Macau]] (FIPS 10-4 territory code)
** (i) [[Master of Ceremonies]]
** (s) [[Megacoulomb]]
** (i) [[Military Cross]] (bravery award)
** (s) [[Monaco]] (ISO 3166 digram)
** (i) [[Mortar Carrier]]
** (s) [[1100 (number)|Eleven Hundred]] (in Roman numerals)
* [[MCA (disambiguation)|MCA]]
** (i) [[Master of Computer Applications]]
** [[Micro Channel Architecture]]
** [[MultiChannel Analyzer]]
** Music Corporation of America, the original name of the now-defunct [[MCA Inc.]]
* [[MCC (disambiguation)|MCC]]
** (i) [[Marylebone Cricket Club]]
** [[Mission Control Center]]
** Motor Control Center
** Movement Control Centre
* [[MCD (disambiguation)|MCD]]
** (i) [[Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder|Minimal Cerebral Dysfunction]]
** [[Minor civil division]] (U.S. Census term)
* [[MCDL (disambiguation)|MCDL]] – (i) Model Composition Definition Language
* [[MCFT]] – (i) [[Modified Compression Field Theory]]
* [[MCG (disambiguation)|MCG]] – (i) [[Melbourne Cricket Ground]]
* [[MC&G]] – (i) Mapping, Charting, and Geodesy
* [[MCI (disambiguation)|MCI]] – (i) Microwave Communications, Inc.
* [[Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness|MCIS]] – (i) ''Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness''
* [[MCM (disambiguation)|MCM]] – (i) Mine Counter-Measures
* [[MCMV (disambiguation)|MCMV]] – (i) Mine Counter-Measure Vessel
* [[MCNC]]
** (i) Microelectronics Center of North Carolina
** (i) Mixing Condensation Nucleus Counter
* [[MCO (disambiguation)|MCO]]
** (i) Major Combat Operation
** (s) [[Monaco]] (ISO 3166 trigram)
** (i) Movement Control Officer
* [[MCP (disambiguation)|MCP]]
** (i) Maintenance Collection Point
** Male [[Chauvinist]] Pig
* [[MCR (disambiguation)|MCR]] – (i) My Chemical Romance
* [[MCSF]] – (i) Marine Corps Security Forces
* [[MCT (disambiguation)|MCT]] – (i) Movement Control Team
* [[MCTIS]] – (i) Mounted Co-operative Target Identification System
* [[MCU (disambiguation)|MCU]]
** (i) [[Marine Corps University]]
** [[Marvel Cinematic Universe]]
** [[Medium shot|Medium close-up]] (camera direction in British TV scripts)
** (p) [[Microcontroller unit]]
** (i) [[Milk clotting units]]
** [[Ming Chuan University]]
** [[Minimum coded unit]] (digital imaging)
** [[Multipoint control unit]]
** [[Municipal Credit Union]] (New York)

==MD==
* [[MD (disambiguation)|Md]] – (s) [[Mendelevium]]
* [[MD (disambiguation)|MD]]
** (s) [[1500 (number)|Fifteen Hundred]] (in Roman numerals)
** [[Maryland]] (postal symbol)
** (i) ''[[Doctor of Medicine|Medicinae Doctor]]'' (Doctor of Medicine/Medical Doctor)
** [[Mentioned in Dispatches]] (military)
** (s) [[Moldova]] (FIPS 10-4 country code; ISO 3166 digram)
* [[MDA (disambiguation)|MDA]]
** (i) Main Defensive Action/Area
** (s) [[Moldova]] (ISO 3166 trigram) – [[Muscular Dystrophy Association]]
* [[MDF (disambiguation)|MDF]]
** (i) [[Main distribution frame]]
** [[Medium-density fiberboard]]
* [[MDG]]
** (s) [[Madagascar]] (ISO 3166 trigram)
** (i) UN [[Millennium Development Goal]]
* [[MDL (disambiguation)|MDL]] – (s) [[Moldovan leu]] ([[ISO 4217]] currency code)
* [[MDM (disambiguation)|MDM]]
** (i) [[Michigan Dartmouth MIT]] telescope consortium
** [[Master data management]]
* [[MDMA]] – (i) MethyleneDioxy-MethylAmphetamine (also known as "Ecstasy")
* [[MDNA (disambiguation)|MDNA]] – (p) [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]]'s 12th studio album title (2012)
* [[MDO (disambiguation)|MDO]] – (i) [[Membership Driven Organisation]]
* [[MDP (disambiguation)|MDP]] – (i) [[Markov Decision Process]]
* [[MDT (disambiguation)|MDT]] – (i) Mountain Daylight Time (UTC−6 hours)
* [[MDS (disambiguation)|MDS]]
* [[MDV (disambiguation)|MDV]] – (s) [[Maldives]] (ISO 3166 trigram)
* [[MDW]]
** (s) [[Chicago Midway International Airport]] in [[Chicago]] (IATA airport code)
** (i) [[Military District of Washington]]
** (s) [[Minnesota, Dakota and Western Railway]] ([[Association of American Railroads|AAR]] reporting mark)

==ME==
* [[Me (disambiguation)|Me]] – (s) [[Messerschmitt]]
* [[Me (disambiguation)|ME]]
** (s) [[Maine]] (postal symbol)
** (i) [[Mechanical engineer]][ing]
** [[Medical examiner]]
** [[Middle East]]
** (s) [[Middle East Airlines]] (IATA code)
** (i) Memory Effect – [[Myalgic Encephalomyelitis]]
* [[MEA (disambiguation)|MEA]]
** (i) [[Maine Educational Assessment]]
** [[Middle East Airlines]]
** [[Millennium Ecosystem Assessment]]
** [[Minimum en route altitude]]
** Mono-ethanol Amine
** [[Multilateral Environmental Agreement]]
* [[MEAC]] – (a) [[Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference]] (ME-ac)
* [[MEC (disambiguation)|MEC]]
** (s) [[Maine Central Railroad]]
** Manta, Ecuador (IATA location identifier)
** (i) [[Model European Council]]
** [[Mountain East Conference]]
** [[Mountain Equipment Co-op]]
* [[MECC]] – (a) [[Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium]] (later Corporation, dissolved 1999)
* MECCA – (a) Milwaukee Exposition Convention Center and Arena, a former name for the sports venue now known as [[UW–Milwaukee Panther Arena]]
* [[MECO (disambiguation)|MECO]] – (a) [[Main engine cutoff]] (NASA code for point in Space Shuttle assent when three main engines are shut down prior to External Tank (ET) separation)
* [[MEDEVAC]] – (p) Medical evacuation
* [[MEDLI (disambiguation)|MEDLI]]
** (a) [[Mars Science Laboratory]] Entry, Descent, and Landing Instrumentation
** (a) Medical & Scientific Libraries of Long Island
** (a) Model for Effluent Disposal using Land Irrigation
* [[MEDS]] – (a) [[Mission Essential Data Set]]
* [[MEF (disambiguation)|MEF]]
** (i) U.S. Marine Expeditionary Force
** Minimum essential facility
** Mission essential force
* [[Meg (disambiguation)|MEG]] – (i) [[Magnetoencephalography|MagnetoEncephaloGraphy]]
* [[Mei (disambiguation)|MEI]] – (i) [[Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.]]
* [[MEK (disambiguation)|MEK]]
** (i) [[Hungarian Electronic Library|Magyar Elektronikus Konyvtar]]
** [[Message encryption key]]
** (a) [[methyl ethyl ketone]]
** (p) [[Mujahideen al-Khalq]]
* [[MEL (disambiguation)|MEL]]
** (i) [[Maya Embedded Language]]
** [[Michigan eLibrary|Michigan Electronic Library]]
* [[MELT]] – (a) Metallic Line/Loop Test (ing)
* [[MEM (disambiguation)|MEM]]
** (i) Message Exchange Mechanism
** (p) Microelectromechanical
* [[MEMS]] – (p) Microelectromechanical System
* [[MEO]]
** (a) Medium earth orbit
** Most efficient organization
* [[MEP (disambiguation)|MEP]]
** (i) Mechanical Electrical Plumbing
** [[Member of the European Parliament]]
**''[[Missions étrangères de Paris]]'' (French for "Paris Foreign Missions")
** [[Model European Parliament]]
* [[Mer (disambiguation)|MER]] – (i) [[Mars Exploration Rover]]
* [[Merl (disambiguation)|MERL]] – (i) [[Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories]]
* [[MES (disambiguation)|MES]]
** (i) [[Marconi Electronic Systems]]
** [[Incandescent light bulb#Standard fittings|Medium Edison screw]]
* [[MESSENGER]] – (p) MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging
* [[Met (disambiguation)|MET]]
** (p) Meteorological
** (a) [[Middle European Time]]
* [[METAR]] – (p) [Meteorological] Aviation Routine weather report
* [[METL]] – (i/a) Mission Essential Task List ("mettle")
* [[METOC]] – (p) Meteorological and Oceanographic
* [[METT-T]] – (a/i) Mission, Enemy, Terrain, Troops, and Time available (mnemonic)
* [[METT-TC]] – (a/i) Mission, Enemy, Terrain [and weather], Troops [and support], Time [available] and Civilian considerations (mnemonic)
* [[MEU (disambiguation)|MEU]]
** (i) U.S. Marine Expeditionary Unit
** Maximum Expected Utility
* MeV – (s) [[Megaelectronvolt]]
* [[MEV (disambiguation)|MEV]]
** (i) [[Medical Evacuation Vehicle]]
** [[Musica Elettronica Viva]]
* [[MEX (disambiguation)|MEX]] – (s) [[Mexico]] (ISO 3166 trigram)
* [[MEZ (disambiguation)|MEZ]] – (i) Missile Engagement Zone
* [[MES (disambiguation)|MES]] – (a) Manufacturing Execution Systems

==MF==
* [[MF (disambiguation)|mF]] – (s) [[Millifarad]]
* [[MF (disambiguation)|MF]]
** (s) [[Mayotte]] (FIPS 10-4 territory code)
** [[Megafarad]]
* [[MFSB]] – (i) Mother, Father, Sister, Brother (1970s Philadelphia studio musicians collective)
* [[MFT (disambiguation)|MFT]]
** (i) [[Managed file transfer]]
** [[Master File Table]]
** [[Mean field theory]]
** [[Media Foundation Transform]]
** [[Micro Four Thirds system|Micro Four Thirds]] (camera design standard)

==MG==
* [[MG (disambiguation)|mg]] – (s) [[Malagasy language]] (ISO 639-1 code) – [[Milligram]]
* [[MG (disambiguation)|Mg]] – (s) [[Magnesium]] – [[Megagram]]
* [[MG (disambiguation)|MG]] – (i) [[Machine gun|Machine Gun]] – (s) [[Madagascar]] (ISO 3166 digram) – (s) [[Major General]] – (s) [[Mongolia]] (FIPS 10-4 country code) – (i) [[MG (car)|Morris Garage]]
* [[MGA (disambiguation)|MGA]] – (s) Malagasy [[ariary]] ([[ISO 4217]] currency code)
* [[MGB (disambiguation)|MGB]] – (i) Medium Girder Bridge, Motor Gun Boat
* [[MGM]] – (i) [[Metro Goldwyn Mayer]] – (s) [[Montgomery, Alabama]] (Airport Code)
* [[MGPAM]] – ''[[My Gym Partner's a Monkey]]''
* [[MGS (disambiguation)|MGS]] – (i) [[Mobile Gun System]]

==MH==
* [[MH (disambiguation)|mh]] – (s) [[Marshallese language]] (ISO 639-1 code)
* [[MH (disambiguation)|mH]] – (s) [[Millihenry]]
* [[MH (disambiguation)|MH]] – (s) [[Marshall Islands]] (postal symbol; ISO 3166 digram) – [[Megahenry]] – [[Montserrat]] (FIPS 10-4 territory code)
* [[MHC (disambiguation)|MHC]] – (i) [[Major Histocompatibility Complex]]
* [[MHHW]] – (i) Mean Higher High Water (nautical charts)
* [[MHL (disambiguation)|MHL]] – (s) [[Marshall Islands]] (ISO 3166 trigram)
* [[MHLW]] – (i) Mean Higher Low Water (nautical charts)
* [[MHRA (disambiguation)|MHRA]] – (i) (UK) [[Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency]]
* [[MHW]] – (i) Mean High Water (nautical charts)
* [[MHWN]] – (i) Mean High Water [[Neap tide|Neaps]] (nautical charts)
* [[MHWS]] – (i) Mean High Water [[Spring tide|Springs]] (nautical charts)
* [[MHz]] – (s) [[Megahertz]]

==MI==
* [[MI (disambiguation)|mi]] – (s) [[Māori language]] (ISO 639-1 code)
* [[MI (disambiguation)|Mi]] – (s) [[Mebi]]
* [[MI (disambiguation)|MI]]
** (s) [[Malawi]] (FIPS 10-4 country code)
** [[Michigan]] (postal symbol)
** [[Midway Islands]] (ISO 3166 digram; obsolete 1986)
** (i) Military Intelligence
* [[Mia (disambiguation)|MIA]] – (i) [[Missing In Action]]
* [[MIAA (disambiguation)|MIAA]]
** (i) [[Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association]]
** [[Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association]]
** [[Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association]]
** [[Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association]]
* [[MIB (disambiguation)|MIB]]
** (i) [[Men In Black]]
** [[Mint condition|Mint]] In Box (Internet auction/trading listings)
* [[MIC (disambiguation)|MIC]] – (a) [[Military Industrial Complex]]
* [[MICLIC]] – (p) [[Mine Clearing Line Charge]]
* [[MICOM]] – (p) Missile Command
* [[MICV]] – (i) Mechanised Infantry Combat Vehicle
* [[MID (disambiguation)|MID]] – (s) [[Midway Islands]] (ISO 3166 trigram; obsolete 1986)
* [[MIDI]] – (a) [[Musical Instrument Digital Interface]]
* [[Midas (disambiguation)|MIDAS]] – (a) [[Man-machine Integration Design and Analysis System]]
* [[MIDS (disambiguation)|MIDS]] – (i) Multi-Function Information Distribution System
* [[MIFC (disambiguation)|MIFC]] – (a) [[Military Industrial Financial Complex]]
* [[MIFG]] – (s) Shallow Fog (METAR Code)
* [[MIFPC]] – (a) [[Military Industrial Financial Pharmaceutical Complex]]
* [[MIKE]] – (a) [[Monitoring of Illegal Killing of Elephants]]
* [[Mil (disambiguation)|MIL]] – (i) Man-In-the-Loop
* [[MIL-AASPEM]] – (i) Man-In-the-Loop [[AASPEM]]
* [[MILAN]] – (p) [[MILAN|'''M'''issile d´'''i'''nfanterie '''l'''éger '''an'''tichar]] (French, "Anti-Tank Light Infantry Missile")
* [[MILC]] – (a) [[Mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera]]
* [[Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System|MILES]] – (a) [[Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System]] (live combat simulation)
* [[MILF (disambiguation)|MILF]]
** (i) [[Moro Islamic Liberation Front]]
** (a) [[MILF (slang)|Mother I'd Like to Fuck]]
* [[MILSATCOM]] – (p) Military Satellite Communications
* [[MILSET]] – (a) [http://www.milset.org ''Mouvement International pour le Loisir Scientifique Et Technique''] (French, "International Movement for Leisure Activities in Science and Technology")
* [[MILSTRIP]] – (p) Military Standard Requisitioning and Issue Procedure [https://web.archive.org/web/20100821071058/http://www.dla.mil/j-6/dlmso/elibrary/manuals/milstrip/default.asp DLMSO MILSTRIP Manual]
* [[MIMAROPA]] – (p) [[Mindoro]], [[Marinduque]], [[Romblon]], [[Palawan]] (a region in the [[Philippines]])
* [[MIMOSA]] – (a) MIcroMeasurements Of Satellite Acceleration
* MIMPT – (i) Member of the Institute of Maxillofacial Prosthetists and Technologists
* [[MIP (disambiguation)|MIP]]
** (a) Multilateral Interoperability Programme
** Multiple Identity Poster
* [[MIPC]] – (a) [[Military Industrial Pharmaceutical Complex]]
* [[MIRA (disambiguation)|MIRA]] – (a) MILAN Infra-Red Acquisition (thermal sight)
* [[MIRV]] – (a) Multiple Independent Reentry Vehicle
* [[MIS (disambiguation)|MIS]]
** (a) [[Management Information Systems]]
** Museum Information System
* [[MISREP]] – (p) Mission Report
* [[MISSI]] – (a) Multilevel Information System Security Initiative
* [[MIT]]
** (i) [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]]
** [[methylisothiazoline]]
** ''Milli Istihbarad Teskilati'' (Intelligence service of [[Turkey]])
* [[MITL]] – (i) Man-In-The-Loop
* [[MITS (disambiguation)|MITS]] – ''see entry''

==MJ==
* [[MJ (disambiguation)|mJ]] – (s) [[Millijoule]]
* [[MJ (disambiguation)|MJ]]
** (s) [[Megajoule]]
** (i) [[Michael Jordan]]
* [[MJD (disambiguation)|MJD]] – (i) Modified [[Julian day|Julian Day]]
* [[MJP (disambiguation)|MJP]] – (i) [[Military Judgement Panel]]

==MK==
* [[Mk (disambiguation)|mk]] – (s) [[Macedonian language]] (ISO 639-1 code)
* [[Mk (disambiguation)|mK]] – (s) [[Millikelvin]]
* [[Mk (disambiguation)|MK]]
** (s) [[Air Mauritius]] ([[IATA]] code)
** [[Republic of Macedonia|Macedonia]] (ISO 3166 digram; FIPS 10-4 country code)
** (i) ''[[F.K. Mandalskameratene|Mandalskameratene]]'' (Norwegian football club)
** (s) [[Megakelvin]]
** (i) [[Milton Keynes]]
** [[Missionary Kids]]
** [[Mortal Kombat (1992 video game)]]
** [[Mortal Kombat (2011 video game)]]
* [[mkd]] – (s) [[Macedonian language]] (ISO 639-2 code)
* [[MKD (disambiguation)|MKD]]
** (s) [[Macedonian denar]] ([[ISO 4217]] currency code)
** [[Republic of Macedonia]] (ISO 3166 trigram)
* MKG – (i) [[Michael Kidd-Gilchrist]] (American basketball player)
* [[MKO (disambiguation)|MKO]] – (i) ''[[People's Mujahedin of Iran|Mojahedin-e-Khalq]]'' Organization (Persian, "People's Mujahedin of Iran")
* [[MKS (disambiguation)|MKS]]
** (i) [[Metre]]–[[Kilogram]]–[[Second]] (system of units)
** (p) [[MKS Inc.]] software company
* [[MKSA]] – (i) [[Metre]]–[[Kilogram]]–[[Second]]–[[Ampere]] (system of units)
* [[MKT (disambiguation)|MKT]]
** (i) [[Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad]] (1865–1989)
** [[Mortal Kombat Trilogy]]

==ML==
* [[ML (disambiguation)|ml]] – (s) [[Malayalam language]] (ISO 639-1 code)
* [[ML (disambiguation)|mL]] – (s) [[Millilitre]]
* [[ML (disambiguation)|ML]]
** (s) [[Mali]] (FIPS 10-4 country code; ISO 3166 digram)
** (i) [[Maximum Likelihood Estimation|Maximum Likelihood]]
** (s) [[Megalitre]]
* [[MLA (disambiguation)|MLA]]
** (i) [[Martial Law Administration of Bangladesh]]
** [[Master of Landscape Architecture]]
** [[Medical Library Association]]
** [[Member of Legislative Assembly]]
** [[Modern Language Association]]
** [[Mutual legal assistance treaty]]
** [[Myelosis Leucemica Acuta]]
* [[MLB]] – (i) [[Major League Baseball]]
* [[MLC (disambiguation)|MLC]] – (i) [[Member of the Legislative Council]] (in India)
* [[MLE (disambiguation)|MLE]] – (i) [[Maximum likelihood estimation]]
* [[MLG (disambiguation)|mlg]] – (s) [[Malagasy language]] (ISO 639-2 code)
* [[MLHW]] – (i) Mean Lower High Water (nautical charts)
* [[MLI (disambiguation)|MLI]] – (s) [[Mali]] (ISO 3166 trigram)
* [[MLK]] – (i) [[Martin Luther King, Jr.]]
* [[MLL (disambiguation)|MLL]] – (i) [[Major League Lacrosse]]
* [[MLLW]] – (i) Mean Lower Low Water (nautical charts)
* [[My Little Pony (TV series)|MLP]] – My Little Pony
* [[MLR (disambiguation)|MLR]]
** (i) [[Loss ratio#Medical Loss Ratio|Medical Loss Ratio]]
* [[MLRS]] – (i) Multiple-Launch Rocket System
* [[MLS (disambiguation)|MLS]]
** (i) [[Major League Soccer]]
** [[Multiple Listing Service]]
** Multilevel security
* [[MLSE (disambiguation)|MLSE]]
** (i) [[Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment]] (owner of several Toronto-based sports teams)
** [[Maximum likelihood sequence estimation]]
* [[MLSR]] – (i) Missing, Lost or Stolen Report
* [[mlt]] – (s) [[Maltese language]] (ISO 639-2 code)
* [[MLT (disambiguation)|MLT]] – (s) [[Malta]] (ISO 3166 trigram)
* [[MLVW]] – (i) Medium Logistics Vehicle, Wheeled
* [[MLW (disambiguation)|MLW]] – (i) Mean Low Water (nautical charts)
* [[MLWN]] – (i) Mean Low Water [[Neap tide|Neaps]] (nautical charts)
* [[MLWS]] – (i) Mean Low Water [[Spring tide|Springs]] (nautical charts)

==MM==
* [[MM (disambiguation)|mm]] – (s) [[Millimetre]]
* [[MM (disambiguation)|Mm]] – (s) [[Megametre]]
* [[MM (disambiguation)|MM]] – (i) [[Military Medal]] – (s) [[Myanmar]] (ISO 3166 digram) – [[2000 (number)|Two Thousand]] (in Roman numerals)
* [[MMA (disambiguation)|MMA]] – (i) [[Mixed martial arts]] – Moving Mechanical Assembly
* [[MMC (disambiguation)|MMC]] – (p) Machinist's Mate, Chief ([[List of United States Navy ratings|USN rating]]) – (i) Materiel Management Centre
* [[MMCM]] – (p) Machinist's Mate, Master Chief ([[List of United States Navy ratings|USN rating]]) – (i) Magnetic Mine Counter Measure
* [[MMCS]] – (p) Machinist's Mate, Senior Chief ([[List of United States Navy ratings|USN rating]])
* [[MMEV]] – (i) Multi-Mission Effects Vehicle
* [[MMI (disambiguation)|MMI]] – (i) Man-Machine Interface
* [[MMI (disambiguation)|MMI]] – (i) McLean Meditation Institute
* [[MMIC (disambiguation)|MMIC]] – (i) Mindfulness & Meditation Instructor, Certified
* [[MMIC (disambiguation)|MMIC]] – (i) McLean Meditation Institute Certified
* [[MMI (disambiguation)|MMI]] – (i) Magical MonkeyZ Inc.
* MMIO – (i) [[Memory-mapped I/O]]
* [[MMK (disambiguation)|MMK]] – (s) Burmese [[kyat]] ([[ISO 4217]] currency code)
* [[MMO (disambiguation)|MMO]] – (i) [[Massively multiplayer online game|Massively Multiplayer Online]] (computer game)
* [[MMOR (disambiguation)|MMOR]] – (i) [[Master of Management in Operations Research]]
* [[MMORPG]] – (i) [[Massively multiplayer online role-playing game]]
* [[MMPR (disambiguation)|MMPR]] – ''[[Mighty Morphin Power Rangers]]''
* [[MMR (disambiguation)|MMR]] – (i) [[Measles]], [[Mumps]] and [[Rubella]] [[MMR vaccine|vaccine]] – (s) [[Myanmar]] (ISO 3166 trigram)
* [[MMS (disambiguation)|MMS]] – (i) Multimission Modular Spacecraft
* [[MMU (disambiguation)|MMU]] – (i) [[Manchester Metropolitan University]] – (i) Manned Manoeuvring Unit
* [[MMW (disambiguation)|MMW]] – (p) Millimetre Wave (radar, from "mm Wave")

==MN==
* [[MN (disambiguation)|mn]] – (s) [[Mongolian language]] (ISO 639-1 code)
* [[MN (disambiguation)|mN]] – (s) [[Millinewton]]
* [[MN (disambiguation)|Mn]] – (s) [[Manganese]]
* [[MN (disambiguation)|MN]] – (s) [[Meganewton]] – [[Minnesota]] (postal symbol) – [[Monaco]] (FIPS 10-4 country code) – [[Mongolia]] (ISO 3166 digram)
* [[MNB (disambiguation)|MNB]] – (p) Multinational Brigade
* MNB C – (p) Multinational Brigade Centre (KFOR)
* [[MND]] – (i) [[Motor Neurone Disease]] – (p) Multinational Division
* [[MNE (disambiguation)|MNE]] – (s) [[Montenegro]] (ISO 3166 trigram)
* [[MNG (disambiguation)|MNG]] – (i) [[Multiple-image Network Graphics]] – (s) [[Mongolia]] (ISO 3166 trigram)
* [[MNMF]] – (i) Multi-National Maritime Force
* [[MNP (disambiguation)|MNP]] – (s) [[Northern Mariana Islands]] (ISO 3166 trigram)
* [[MNS (disambiguation)|MNS]] – (i) Mission Needs Statement
* [[MNT (disambiguation)|MNT]] – (p) Molecular [[nanotechnology]] – (s) Mongolian [[tugrik]] ([[ISO 4217]] currency code)

==MO==
* [[Mo (disambiguation)|mo]] – (s) [[Moldovan language]] (ISO 639-1 code)
* [[Mo (disambiguation)|Mo]] – (s) [[Molybdenum]]
* [[Mo (disambiguation)|MO]] – (s) [[Macau]] (ISO 3166 digram) – (i) Medical Officer – (s) [[Missouri]] (postal symbol) – (i) [[modus operandi]] (Latin, "mode of operation") – (s) [[Morocco]] (FIPS 10-4 country code) [mutual oral]
* [[MOA (disambiguation)|MOA]] – Museum of Art ([[Brigham Young University]])
* [[MOAB]] – (a) Massive Ordnance Air Blast (official) – Mother Of All Bombs (slang)
* [[MOB (disambiguation)|MOB]] – (i) Man Over Board – [[Marching Owl Band]] – Movable Object Block
* [[MOC (disambiguation)|MOC]] – (i) [[Macedonian Orthodox Church]] – Measure Of Capability – Mission Operations Centre – My Own Creation ([[Lego]])
* [[MOCAS]] – (a) Mechanization Of Contract Administration Services
* [[Mod (disambiguation)|MoD]] – (i) [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)]] and various other countries
* [[Mod (disambiguation)|MOD]] – (i) [[Magneto-optical disc]] – [[Masters of Deception]] – [[Minimum Object Distance]] – [[Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome|Multiple Organ Dysfunction]]
* [[MoDAF]] – (p) Ministry of Defence Architecture Framework ("moh-daff")
* [[modem]] – (p) Modulator-Demodulator
* [[ModSAF]] – (p) Modular Semi-Automated Forces (military simulation)
* [[Moe (disambiguation)|Moe]] – (a) Marvel of entertainment
* [[MOE (disambiguation)|MOE]] – (i) Measure Of Effectiveness
* [[MOF (disambiguation)|MOF]] – (a/i) [[Ministry of Finance (Japan)]]
* [[MOFA (disambiguation)|MOFA]] – (a/i) [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Japan)]]
* [[MOH (disambiguation)|MOH]] – (a/i) [[Medal of Honor]] – [[Music On Hold]]
* [[MOID]] – (i) [[Minimum Orbital Intersection Distance]]
* [[MOJWA]] – (i) [[Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa]]
* [[Mol (disambiguation)|mol]] – (s) [[Moldovan language]] (ISO 639-2 code) – [[mole (unit)]]
* [[MOLO]] – (a) [[MOLO (telecommunications)|Mobile Other Licensed Operator]] (UK)
* [[Multiple of the median|MoM]] – (a) Multiple of the median
* [[Mom (disambiguation)|MOM]] – (a) [[Message-oriented middleware]]
* [[Mom (disambiguation)|MOM]] – (a) Master's Degree in Oriental medicine
* [[MoMA]] – (a) [[Museum of Modern Art]] (NYC)
* [[Mon (disambiguation)|mon]] – (s) [[Mongolian language]] (ISO 639-2 code)
* [[MOND]] – (p) [[Modified Newtonian Dynamics]]
* [[MOO]] – (i) Measure Of Outcome
* [[MOOTW]] – (p) Military Operations Other Than War ("moot-double-you")
* [[MOP (disambiguation)|MOP]] – (s) Macau [[Macanese pataca|pataca]] ([[ISO 4217]] currency code) – (i) Measure Of Performance
* [[MOPE (disambiguation)|MOPE]] – (a) Ministry of Population and Environment ([[Nepal]]) – Most Oppressed People Ever (politics)
* [[MOPP (protective gear)|MOPP]] – (i/a) Mission-Oriented Protective Posture
* [[MORP]] – (a) [[Meteorite Observation and Recovery Project]]
* [[MORS]] – (i) [[Military Operations Research Society]]
* [[MOS (disambiguation)|MOS]] – (i) Military Occupational Specialty – (a) [http://www.filmsound.org/terminology/mos.htm Mit Out Sound / Motor Only Sync] – (i) Mobile Object System – Model Output Statistics – Multiplayer Online Services - (a) Mean Opinion Score
* [[MOS-CQ]] - (a) Mean Opinion Score - Conversational Quality (ITU-T P.800.1)
* [[MOS-LQ]] - (a) Mean Opinion Score - Listening Quality (ITU-T P.800.1)
* [[MOSFET]] – (a) [[Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor]]
* [[MOSS (disambiguation)|MOSS]] – (p) MObile Submarine Simulator – (a) Moving Object Support System
* [[Mot (disambiguation)|MOT]] – (i) [[Department for Transport|Ministry of Transport]] (UK)
* [[Orthodontic Technicians Association#Membership|MOTA]] – (i) Member of the Orthodontic Technicians Association
* [[MOTESS]] – (a) [[Moving Object and Transient Event Search System]]
* [[Moto (disambiguation)|MOTO]] – (a) Mail Order / Telephone Order – Master of the obvious
* [[MOU (disambiguation)|MOU]] – (i) Memorandum Of Understanding
* [[MOUT]] – (i) Military Operations in Urban[ized] Terrain
* [[MOVES]] – (a) Modeling, Virtual Environments, and Simulation Institute
* [[MOW (disambiguation)|MOW]] – (i) [[Maintenance of way]] (also MW)
* MOZ – (s) [[Mozambique]] (ISO 3166 trigram)

==MP==
* [[MP (disambiguation)|MP]] – (i) [[Magic point]]s – (s) [[Mauritius]] (FIPS 10-4 country code) – (i) [[Member of Parliament]] – [[Military Police]] – [[Missouri Pacific]] – (s) [[Northern Mariana Islands]] (postal symbol; ISO 3166 digram)
* [[mPa]] – (s) [[Millipascal]]
* [[MPa]] – (s) [[Megapascal]]
* [[MPA (disambiguation)|MPA]] - Master of Public Administration
* [[MPA (disambiguation)|MPA]] – (i) Maritime Patrol Aircraft
* [[MPAA]] – (i) [[Motion Picture Association of America]]
* [[MPC (disambiguation)|MPC]] – (i) [[Minor Planet Center]] – [[Minor Planet Circular]]
* [[MPC (disambiguation)|MPC]] – (i) [[Military Payment Certificate]]
* [[MPEC (disambiguation)|MPEC]] – (i) [[Minor Planet Electronic Circular]]
* [[MPEG]] – (a) Motion Pictures (Coding) Experts Group
* [[MPEV]] – (i) Multi-Purpose Engineering Vehicle
* [[MPF (disambiguation)|MPF]] – (i) [[Maritime Prepositioning Force]]
* MPFC – (i) Medial PreFrontal Cortex
* [[MPG (disambiguation)|MPG]] - (i) [[Miles per gallon|Miles Per Gallon]]
* [[MPMC]] – (i) Medial PreMotor Cortex
* [[MPSI]] – (i) Member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland
* [[MPSoC]] – (i) MultiProcessor System-on-Chip
* [[MPSRON]] – (p) Maritime Propositioning Ship Squadron

==MQ==
* [[MQ (disambiguation)|MQ]] – (s) [[Martinique]] (ISO 3166 digram) – [[Midway Islands]] (FIPS 10-4 territory code)

==MR==
* [[mr]] – (s) [[Marathi language]] (ISO 639-1 code)
* [[MR (disambiguation)|MR]] – (s) [[Mauritania]] (FIPS 10-4 country code; ISO 3166 digram)
* MR-ATGW – (i) Medium-Range Anti-Tank Guided Weapon
* [[MRAV]] – (i) [[Multi-Role Armoured Vehicle]]
* [[MRBM]] – (i) [[Medium Range Ballistic Missile]]
* [[MRC (disambiguation)|MRC]] – (i) Maintenance Requirements Card
* [[MRD (disambiguation)|MRD]] – (i) Motorized Rifle Division
* [[MRE]] – (i) Meal Ready to Eat (U.S. military rations)
* [[MRGO]] – (i) [[Mississippi River–Gulf Outlet Canal]] (also referred to as MR-GO or "Mr. Go")
* [[MRGW]] – (i) Medium-Range Guided Weapon
* [[mri]] – (s) [[Māori language]] (ISO 639-2 code)
* [[MRI]] – (i) [[Magnetic Resonance Imaging]]
* [[MRL (disambiguation)|MRL]] – (i) [[Multiple Rocket Launcher]]
* [[MRO (disambiguation)|MRO]]
** (i) Maintenance, Repair and Operating
** [[Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter]]
** (s) Mauritanian [[ouguiya]] ([[ISO 4217]] currency code)
* [[MRPharmS]] – (i) Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (Great Britain)
* [[MRR (disambiguation)|MRR]]
** (i) [[Maximum Rock and Roll]]
** Minimum-Risk Route
** [[My Restaurant Rules]]
* [[MRS (disambiguation)|MRS]] – (i) [[Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy]]
* [[Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus|MRSA]] – (i) Methicillin-resistant ''Staphylococcus aureus''
* [[MRT (disambiguation)|MRT]]
** (i) [[Mass Rapid Transit (disambiguation)|Mass Rapid Transit]] — used as either an official or unofficial name for metro systems in [[Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)|Singapore]], [[Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit|Kaohsiung]], [[MRT (Bangkok)|Bangkok]], [[Taipei Metro|Taipei]], [[Mass Rapid Transit System (Chennai)|Chennai]], and [[Delhi Mass Rapid Transit System|Delhi]]
** (s) [[Mauritania]] (ISO 3166 trigram)
* [[MRTFB]] – (i) U.S. [[Major Range and Test Facility Base]]

==MS==
* [[MS (disambiguation)|ms]]
** (s) [[Malay language]] (ISO 639-1 code)
** [[Millisecond]]
* [[MS (disambiguation)|mS]] – (s) [[Millisiemens]]
* [[MS (disambiguation)|Ms]] – (s) [[Megasecond]]
* [[MS (disambiguation)|MS]]
** (i) ''mano sinistra'' (Latin, "left hand")
** (p) manuscript
** (i) [[Master of Science]]
** (s) [[Megasiemens]]
** (p) [[Microsoft]] (sometimes M$)
** (s) [[Mississippi]] (postal symbol)
** [[Montserrat]] (ISO 3166 digram)
** (i) [[Multiple Sclerosis]]
* [[M&S (disambiguation)|M&S]]
** (i) Modelling & Simulation
** [[Marks & Spencer]]
* [[MSA (disambiguation)|MSA]] – (s) [[Malay language]] (ISO 639-2 code)
* [[MSB (disambiguation)|MSB]]
** (i) Main Support Battalion
** Most Significant Bit (or Byte)
* [[MSD (disambiguation)|MSD]] – (i) Minimum Safe Distance
* [[MSDB]] – (i) Multi Source Data Base
* [[MSDE]]
** (i) Maryland State Department of Education
** (p) Microsoft Data[base] Engine
** Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Desktop Engine
** (i) Military Scenario Development Environment
** Mission Simulation Dynamic Engine
* [[MSDL]] – (i) Military Scenario Definition Language
* [[MSE (disambiguation)|MSE]] – (i) Multiple Subscriber Element
* [[MSEC]] – (p) Message Security Encryption Code ("emm-sec")
* [[MSG (disambiguation)|MSG]]
** (i) [[Monosodium glutamate|MonoSodium Glutamate]]
** [[Madison Square Garden]] (either the [[Madison Square Garden (1879)|1879]], [[Madison Square Garden (1890)|1890]], [[Madison Square Garden (1925)|1925]], or current versions of the venue)
* [[MSH (disambiguation)|MSH]]
** (i) [[Medium Support Helicopter]]
** [[Mount Saint Helens]]
* [[MSI (disambiguation)|MSI]]
** (i) Micro-Star International
** (p) [[Multispectral imagery]]
* [[MSIE]]
** (i) [[Microsoft]] [[Internet Explorer]]
** [[Master of Science]] in [[Industrial Engineering]]
* [[MSL (disambiguation)|MSL]]
** (i) [[Mars Science Laboratory]]
** Mean Sea Level
** (p) [[Missile]]
* [[MSLP (disambiguation)|MSLP]] – (i) [[Mean Sea Level Pressure]]
* [[MSM (disambiguation)|MSM]]
** (p) [[Mainstream media|'''M'''ain'''s'''tream '''m'''edia]]
** (i) [[Men who have sex with men]]
** [[Mount St Mary's School]]
* [[MSN]]
** (i) [[Microsoft Network]]
** [[Master of Science in Nursing]]
* [[MSNBC]] – (i) [[MSNBC|Microsoft National Broadcasting Company]] Cable news channel (see also [[msnbc.com]])
* [[MSO (disambiguation)|MSO]] – (i) [[Multiple system operator|Multiple System Operator]]
* [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|MSP]] - Member of the Scottish Parliament
* [[MSPA (disambiguation)|MSPA]]
** (p) [[Migrant and Seasonal worker Protection Act]]
** (a) [[MS Paint Adventures]]
* [[MSPB (disambiguation)|MSPB]] – (i) [[Merit Systems Protection Board]]
* [[MSR (disambiguation)|MSR]]
** (i) Main Supply Route
** Module Service Record
** (s) [[Montserrat]] (ISO 3166 trigram)
** (i) [[Motor Schlepp Regulung]]
** [[Mountain Safety Research]] (outdoor supplies manufacturer)
* [[MSSA (disambiguation)|MSSA]]
** Member of the Order of the Star of South Africa
** (i) [[Staphylococcus_aureus#Antibiotic_resistance|Methicillin-susceptible ''Staphylococcus aureus'']]
** (i) Military Selective Service Act
** (i) [[Military-style semi-automatic]]
** (i) Mind Sports South Africa
** (i) Montreal Student Space Associations
** [[Nippon_Soda_Co.,_Ltd.#Subsidiaries|MSSA Chemical Company]], formerly known as ''Métaux Spéciaux''.
* [[MST (disambiguation)|MST]]
** (i) [[Madison Symmetric Torus]]
** [[Mountain Time Zone|Mountain Standard Time]] (UTC−7 hours)
* [[MST3K]] or MST3k – (i) ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]''
* [[MSU (disambiguation)|MSU]]
** (i) [[Michigan State University]]
** [[Montana State University System|Montana State University]]
** [[Mountain State University]]
** [[Lomonosov Moscow State University]] (Russia, a.k.a. [[MGU]])

==MT==
* [[MT (disambiguation)|mt]] – (s) [[Maltese language]] (ISO 639-1 code)
* [[MT (disambiguation)|mT]] – (s) [[Millitesla]]
* [[MT (disambiguation)|Mt]] – (s) [[Meitnerium]]
* [[MT (disambiguation)|MT]]
** (s) [[Malta]] (FIPS 10-4 country code; ISO 3166 digram)
** [[Megatesla]]
** [[Montana]] (postal symbol)
** (i) Motor Transport (military)
* [[MTA (disambiguation)|MTA]]
** (i) [[Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority|Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Boston)]] (now Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority)
** [[Metropolitan Transportation Authority]]
* [[MTBF]] – (i) [[Mean time between failures]]
* [[MTF (disambiguation)|MtF]] – (i) [[Trans woman|Male-to-female]] transsexual
* [[MTF (disambiguation)|MTF]]
** (i) [[Magnetized target fusion]]
** Medical Treatment Facility
** Message Text Format
** [[Optical transfer function|Modulation transfer function]] (optics)
* [[MTG (disambiguation)|MTG]] – (i) [[Magic: The Gathering]]
* [[MTL (disambiguation)|MTL]]
** (s) Maltese [[lira]] ([[ISO 4217]] currency code)
** (i) Mean Tide Level (nautical charts)* [[MTM (disambiguation)|MTM]] – (i) Methods-Time Measurement
* [[MTOE (disambiguation)|MTOE]] – (p) Modified Table of Organization and Equipment ("emm-toe")
* [[MTP (disambiguation)|MTP]]
** (i) Maritime Tactical Publication
** Materiel Transfer Plan
** Mission Training Plan
* [[MTQ]] – (s) [[Martinique]] (ISO 3166 trigram)
* [[MTR (disambiguation)|MTR]]
** (i) Main and Tail Rotor (helicopter type)
** [[MTR|Mass Transit Railway]] (Hong Kong metro system)
** Military-Technological Revolution
* [[MTS (disambiguation)|MTS]]
** (i) Maintenance Training System
** Manitoba Telephone System and Manitoba Telecom Services, former names of [[Bell MTS]]
** Michigan Terminal/Timesharing System
** Movement Tracking System
** [[Multichannel television sound]]
** [[Multi-Technical Services]]
* [[MTT (disambiguation)|MTT]] – (p) [[Methylthiazol tetrazolium]] (assay)
* [[MTU (disambiguation)|MTU]] – (i) ''Tankovei Mostoukladchik'' (Russian Танковый Мостоукладчик, "Tank Bridge-Layer") [https://web.archive.org/web/20080227010804/http://www.milparade.com/Soderzhaniye.pdf †]
* [[MTV (disambiguation)|MTV]]
** (i) ''MainosTeleVisio'' (Finnish commercial TV company)
** [[MTV|Music TeleVision]]
* [[MTVL]] – (i) Mobile Tracked Vehicle, Light
* [[MTWS]] – (i) MAGTF Tactical Warfare System

==MU==
* [[MU (disambiguation)|MU]] – (s) [[Mauritius]] (ISO 3166 digram) – [[Oman]] (FIPS 10-4 country code; from ''Muscat'')
* [[MUA (disambiguation)|MUA]] – (i) [[Meritorious Unit Award]] – Military Utility Assessment
* [[Mur (disambiguation)|MUR]] – (s) Mauritius [[rupee]] ([[ISO 4217]] currency code)
* [[Mus (disambiguation)|MUS]] – (s) [[Mauritius]] (ISO 3166 trigram)

==MV==
* [[MV (disambiguation)|mV]] – (s) [[Millivolt]]
* [[MV (disambiguation)|MV]] – (s) [[Maldives]] (FIPS 10-4 country code; ISO 3166 digram) – [[Megavolt (disambiguation)|Megavolt]] – (i) Motor Vehicle – Motor Vessel
* [[MVC (disambiguation)|MVC]] – (i) [[Missouri Valley Conference]]
* [[MVFC (disambiguation)|MVFC]] – (i) [[Missouri Valley Football Conference]]
* [[MVNO]] – (i) [[Mobile virtual network operator]]
* MVP – (i) [[MVP|Most Valuable Player]]
* [[MVR (disambiguation)|MVR]] – (s) Maldivian [[rufiyaa]] ([[ISO 4217]] currency code)

==MW==
* [[MW (disambiguation)|mW]] – (s) [[Milliwatt]]
* [[MW (disambiguation)|MW]]
** (i) [[Maintenance of way]] (also MOW)
** (s) [[Malawi]] (ISO 3166 digram)
** (i) [[Mediumwave|Medium Wave]] (radio)
** (s) [[Megawatt]]
** (i) [[Mountain West Conference|Mountain West (Conference)]] (formal initialism since July 2011)
* [[MWC (disambiguation)|MWC]]
** (i) Maritime Warfare Centre (various nations)
** [[Mountain West Conference]] (still used informally, although the league has adopted "MW")
* [[MWESH]] – (p) Machismo Wizards Extended SHelter (operating system)
* [[MWI (disambiguation)|MWI]] – (s) [[Malawi]] (ISO 3166 trigram)
* [[MWK]] – (s) [[Malawian kwacha]] ([[ISO 4217]] currency code)
* [[MWOA]] – (i) [[Mount Wilson Observatory Association]]
* [[MWR (disambiguation)|MWR]] – (i) Morale, Welfare, and Recreation
* [[MWTB]] - (a) Mounted Warfare Test Bed

==MX==
* [[MX (disambiguation)|MX]] – (a) [[Mail Exchange]] – (s) [[Mexico]] (FIPS 10-4 country code; ISO 3166 digram) – (p) [[LGM-118A Peacekeeper|Missile eXperimental]]
* [[MXN]] – (s) Mexican [[peso]] ([[ISO 4217]] currency code)

==MY==
* [[MY (disambiguation)|my]] – (s) [[Burmese language]] (ISO 639-1 code)
* [[MY (disambiguation)|MY]] – (s) [[Malaysia]] (FIPS 10-4 country code; ISO 3166 digram)
* [[Burmese language|mya]] – (s) [[Burmese language]] (ISO 639-2 code) – (i) million years ago
* [[MYOB (disambiguation)|MYOB]] – (i) Mind Your Own Business
* [[Malaysian ringgit|MYR]] – (s) Malaysian [[ringgit]] ([[ISO 4217]] currency code)
* [[MYS (disambiguation)|MYS]] – (s) [[Malaysia]] (ISO 3166 trigram)
* [[MYT (disambiguation)|MYT]] – (s) [[Mayotte]] (ISO 3166 trigram)

==MZ==
* [[MZ (disambiguation)|MZ]] – (i) Mach-Zehnder (interferometer) – (s) Magnetic Azimuth – (i) Move, Zig (Zero Wing) – (s) Mozambique (FIPS 10-4 country code; ISO 3166 digram)
* [[MZN (disambiguation)|MZN]] – (s) Mozambique [[metical]] ([[ISO 4217]] currency code)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{List of acronyms}}

[[Category:Lists of acronyms|Acronyms M]]

Citizenship in a Republic

2016-11-03T08:14:56Z

Julian1313: made quote easier to remember by splitting it into distinct lines

{{TRseries}}

'''Citizenship in a Republic''' is the title of a speech given by the former President of the United States, [[Theodore Roosevelt]] at the [[University of Paris|Sorbonne]] in Paris, France on April 23, 1910.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://design.caltech.edu/erik/Misc/Citizenship_in_a_Republic.pdf |title=Citizenship In A Republic |publisher=Design.caltech.edu |accessdate=2012-10-14}}</ref>

One notable passage on page seven of the 35-page speech is referred to as "The Man in the Arena":<ref>{{Wikisourcepar|Citizenship in a Republic}}Wikisource: Citizenship in a Republic</ref><ref name=fr/>

<blockquote>It is not the critic who counts; 
not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, 
or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. 
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, 
whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; 
who strives valiantly; who errs, 
who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; 
but who does actually strive to do the deeds; 
who knows great enthusiasms,
the great devotions; 
who spends himself in a worthy cause; 
who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, 
and who at the worst, 
if he fails,
at least fails while daring greatly, 
so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.</blockquote>

Someone who is heavily involved in a situation that requires courage, skill, or tenacity (as opposed to someone sitting on the sidelines and watching), is sometimes referred to as "the man in the arena."

==In popular culture==
The "Man in the Arena" passage was quoted by another US president, [[Richard Nixon]], both in his victory speech on November 6, 1968, and in his [[Richard Nixon's resignation speech|resignation address]] to the nation on August 8, 1974:<ref>{{Wikisourcepar|Richard_Nixon's resignation speech}} Wikisource: Richard Nixon's resignation speech</ref>

<blockquote>Sometimes I have succeeded and sometimes I have failed, but always I have taken heart from what Theodore Roosevelt once said about the man in the arena, 'whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, [...]</blockquote>

[[Nelson Mandela]] gave a copy of this speech to [[François Pienaar]], captain of the [[South Africa national rugby union team|South African rugby team]], before the start of the [[1995 Rugby World Cup]],<ref>{{cite web|title=British leaders: they're not what they were|author=Dominic Sandbrook|date=30 January 2010|publisher=The Daily Telegraph (UK)|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/gordon-brown/7104500/British-leaders-theyre-not-what-they-were.html}}</ref> in which the South African side eventually defeated the heavily favoured [[All Blacks]] of New Zealand. In [[Invictus (film)|the film based on those events]], the poem "[[Invictus]]" is used instead.

[[Mark DeRosa]], an American professional baseball utility player then with the [[Washington Nationals]], read the passage to teammates prior to the Nationals' pivotal [[2012 National League Division Series#Game 4.2C October 11|Game Four]] versus the [[St. Louis Cardinals]] in the [[2012 National League Division Series]] which was won on a [[walk-off home run]] by the Nationals' [[Jayson Werth]]. Since his days at the [[University of Pennsylvania]], DeRosa would turn to those words before important games.

American scholar, [[Brené Brown]], used a somewhat abbreviated version of the quote in her March 2012 [[TED (conference)|TED]] talk "Listening to Shame," and subsequently as the inspiration for the title of her book, ''Daring Greatly'' (2012).<ref name=fr>{{cite web| title = Brene Brown: How Vulnerability Can Make Our Lives Better|publisher=Forbes| url = http://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2013/04/21/brene-brown-how-vulnerability-can-make-our-lives-better/2/|date=2013-04-21| accessdate = 2013-09-16| first = Dan| last = Schawbel }}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title = Brené Brown: Listening to shame |publisher=TED.com | url = http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_listening_to_shame.html}}</ref>

When then Ferrari formula one driver Jean Alesi was about to start the last lap of the 1995 Canadian Grand Prix (which would become his only Grand Prix win), then ESPN commentator Bob Varsha used parts of Roosevelt´s speech, saying that Alesi looked a while like being the man Roosevelt had talked about.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlHnCWXU8mE]</ref>

The "Man in the Arena" passage was used in a 2015 ad for [[Cadillac]], ending with "dare greatly."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/ad-day-cadillacs-dare-greatly-launch-spot-has-teddy-roosevelt-no-car-163017 |title=Ad of the Day: Cadillac's 'Dare Greatly' Launch Spot Has Teddy Roosevelt but No Car |publisher=Adweek |author=David Gianatasio |date=February 18, 2015}}</ref>

At the [[2016 Democratic National Convention]] [[Barack Obama|President Barack Obama]] cited the speech in his endorsement speech of [[Hillary Clinton]].

[[Lindsey Stirling]]'s 2016 album release [[Brave Enough]] features a song titles "The Arena". The inspiration for this song comes from this speech. The music video for the track also starts out with a quotation from this speech.

==See also==
* [[If—]]
* [[Invictus]]
* ''[[The Strenuous Life]]''

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{cite web | title = Theodore Roosevelt Speeches:The Man in the Arena - April 23, 1910| url = http://www.theodore-roosevelt.com/images/research/speeches/maninthearena.pdf}}

{{Theodore Roosevelt}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Man In The Arena, The}}
[[Category:1910 works]]
[[Category:Speeches by Theodore Roosevelt]]

Liniewko

2014-12-31T20:23:42Z

Julian1313: /* Landscape */ Fixed grammar

{{Infobox settlement
| name = Liniewko
| settlement_type = Village
| total_type =  
| image_skyline =
| image_caption =
| image_flag =
| image_shield =
| image_map =
| coordinates_region = PL
| subdivision_type = [[Countries of the world|Country]]
| subdivision_name = {{flag icon|Poland}} [[Poland]]
| subdivision_type1 = [[Voivodeships of Poland|Voivodeship]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Pomeranian Voivodeship|Pomeranian]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[Powiat|County]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Tczew County|Tczew]]
| subdivision_type3 = [[Gmina]]
| subdivision_name3 = [[Gmina Tczew]]
| latd = 54
| latm = 2
| lats = 44
| latNS = N
| longd = 18
| longm = 37
| longs = 47
| longEW = E
| pushpin_map = Poland
| pushpin_label_position = right
| elevation_m =
| population_total =
| website = }}
'''Liniewko''' {{IPAc-pl|l|i|'|ń|e1|f|k|o}} is a [[village]] in the administrative district of [[Gmina Tczew]], within [[Tczew County]], [[Pomeranian Voivodeship]], in northern Poland.<ref name="TERYT">{{cite web |url=http://www.stat.gov.pl/broker/access/prefile/listPreFiles.jspa |title=Central Statistical Office (GUS) - TERYT (National Register of Territorial Land Apportionment Journal) |date=2008-06-01 |language=Polish}}</ref> It lies approximately {{convert|9|km|mi|0}} south-west of [[Tczew]] and {{convert|36|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} south of the regional capital [[Gdańsk]].

For details of the history of the region, see ''[[History of Pomerania]]''.

==Name==

The village name means "line town" after the straight piece of road that runs through it. The village ends with corners in the road at each end.

==Landscape==

Although the road does not have corners, the road has an incline up to a hill. The top of the hill is located near the 3rd West-most farm.

The farm land located west of the four farms and the road. They belong to each respective farm. This piece is mostly flat land with the exception of two consecutive hills located on the 3rd West-most town.

There are two other pieces of farm land. One is located east of the road and between the farms and the hamlet. It is flat, save for a small stream that runs through it.

The last piece of farmland lies east of the road opposite the first three of the West-most farms. It is distinctive for the tree islands of shrubbery, trees and wetland plants like bullrush. The land is mostly flat with the east most side both climbing and sinking to create a steep 30 degree slope. The outer edge of this field has a steady stream and on the other side of it a sharp forested hill with an incline of some 40-50 degrees.

==Structure==

This is a very small village. It is composed of 4 major family run farms and a hamlet.
There are two bus stops in between the farms and the hamlet - one for each direction.
The village neighbours with the "Wędkowy" village approximately {{convert|0.5|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} to the North-West and the Swarożyn town, some {{convert|4|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} to the South-East.

The nearest school is located in Swarożyn, as is the nearest library, (Catholic) church, post office, railway station and convenience shops.

==References==
{{reflist}}

 
{{Gmina Tczew}}
{{coord|54|2|44|N|18|37|47|E|region:PL_type:city|display=title}}

[[Category:Villages in Tczew County|Liniewko]]
{{Tczew-geo-stub}}

Counterparty

2014-04-10T12:03:29Z

Julian1313: added link to 'unincorporated entity'

A '''counterparty''' (sometimes '''contraparty''') is a term most commonly used in the financial services industry to describe a [[Juristic person|legal entity]], [[unincorporated entity]] or collection of entities to which an exposure to financial risk might exist. The word became widely used in the 1980s, particularly at the time of the [[Basel I]] in 1988. Sometimes it's used instead of unicorporation. The legal entity notion is using as counterparty.

Well-drafted contracts usually attempt to spell out in explicit detail what each counterparty's rights and obligations are in every conceivable circumstance, though there are of course limits. There are general provisions for how counterparties are treated under the law, and (at least in [[common law]] legal systems) there are many [[legal precedent]]s that shape the common law.

==Financial services sector==
Within the [[financial services]] sector, the term '''market counterparty''' is used to refer to [[government]]s, [[national bank]]s, national monetary authorities and international monetary organisations such as the [[World Bank Group]] that act as the ultimate guarantor for loans and indemnities. The term may also be applied, in a more general sense, to companies acting in this role.

Also within financial services, counterparty can refer to brokers, [[investment bank]]s, and other securities dealers that serve as the contracting party when completing [[Over-the-counter (finance)|"over the counter"]] securities transactions. The term is generally used in this context in relation to "[[counterparty risk]]", which is the risk of monetary loss a firm may be exposed to if the counterparty to an over-the-counter securities trade encounters difficulty meeting its obligations under the terms of the transaction.

==Insurance sector==
Within the [[insurance]] sector, this term is extended to include companies offering or requiring high-level [[Reinsurance#Retrocession|retrocession]] of insurance risk to insurance companies in a role similar to that offered by governments. This term, over time, has become more generally applied to companies offering or requiring retrocession and other forms of [[reinsurance]].

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Unreferenced|date=June 2008}}

[[Category:Contract law]]

{{econ-stub}}

Liniewko

2010-12-02T15:37:24Z

Julian1313:

{{Infobox settlement
| name = Liniewko
| settlement_type = Village
| total_type =  
| image_skyline =
| image_caption =
| image_flag =
| image_shield =
| image_map =
| coordinates_region = PL
| subdivision_type = [[Countries of the world|Country]]
| subdivision_name = {{flag icon|Poland}} [[Poland]]
| subdivision_type1 = [[Voivodeships of Poland|Voivodeship]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Pomeranian Voivodeship|Pomeranian]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[Powiat|County]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Tczew County|Tczew]]
| subdivision_type3 = [[Gmina]]
| subdivision_name3 = [[Gmina Tczew]]
| latd = 54
| latm = 2
| lats = 44
| latNS = N
| longd = 18
| longm = 37
| longs = 47
| longEW = E
| pushpin_map = Poland
| pushpin_label_position = right
| elevation_m =
| population_total =
| website = }}
'''Liniewko''' {{IPAc-pl|l|i|'|ń|e1|f|k|o}} is a [[village]] in the administrative district of [[Gmina Tczew]], within [[Tczew County]], [[Pomeranian Voivodeship]], in northern Poland.<ref name="TERYT">{{cite web |url=http://www.stat.gov.pl/broker/access/prefile/listPreFiles.jspa |title=Central Statistical Office (GUS) - TERYT (National Register of Territorial Land Apportionment Journal) |date=2008-06-01 |language=Polish}}</ref> It lies approximately {{convert|9|km|mi|0}} south-west of [[Tczew]] and {{convert|36|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} south of the regional capital [[Gdańsk]].

For details of the history of the region, see ''[[History of Pomerania]]''.

===Name===
The village name means "line town" after the straight piece of road that runs through it. The village ends with corners in the road at each end.

===Landscape===
Although the road does not have corners, the road has an incline up to a hill. The hill is located near the 3rd West-most farm.

The farm land located west of the four farms and the road. They belong to each respective farm. This piece is mostly flat land with the exception of two consecutive hills located on the 3rd West-most town.

There are two other pieces of farm land. One is located east of the road and between the farms and the hamlet. It is flat, save for a small stream that runs through it.

The last piece of farmland lies east of the road opposite the first three of the West-most farms. It is distinctive for the tree islands of shrubbery, trees and wetland plants like bullrush. The land is mostly flat with the east most side both climbing and sinking to create a steep 40 degree slope. The outer edge is located to a steady stream at the foot of a sharp forested hill incline of some 40-50 degrees.

===Structure===
This is a very small village. It is composed of 4 major family run farms and a hamlet.
There are two bus stops in between the farms and the hamlet - one for each direction.
The village neighbours with the "Wędkowy" village approximately {{convert|0.5|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} to the North-West and the Swarożyn town, some {{convert|4|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} to the South-East.

The nearest school is located in Swarożyn, as is the nearest library, (Catholic) church, post office, railway station and convenience shops.

==References==
{{reflist}}

 
{{Gmina Tczew}}
{{coord|54|2|44|N|18|37|47|E|region:PL_type:city|display=title}}

[[Category:Villages in Tczew County|Liniewko]]
{{Tczew-geo-stub}}

[[pl:Liniewko]]

A Walk to Remember

2010-09-14T19:58:56Z

Julian1313: I have added Peter Coyote under the 'starring' section of the infobox

{{For|the book|A Walk to Remember (novel)}}
{{Infobox film
| name = A Walk to Remember
| image = A Walk To Remember Poster.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[Adam Shankman]]
| producer = [[Denise Di Novi]] Hunt Lowry
| writer = [[Nicholas Sparks (author)|Nicholas Sparks]] (novel) Karen Janszen
| starring = [[Shane West]] [[Mandy Moore]] [[Peter Coyote]]
| music = [[Mervyn Warren]]
| cinematography = [[Julio Macat]]
| editing = [[Emma E. Hickox]]
| studio = Gaylord Films [[Denise Di Novi|Di Novi Pictures]] Pandora Cinema
| distributor = [[Warner Bros.]]
| released = {{start date|2002|01|25}}
| runtime = 102 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget = $11.8 million
| gross = $47,494,916
}}
'''''A Walk to Remember''''' is a 2002 American [[romance film]] based on the 1999 [[romance novel]] [[A Walk to Remember (novel)|of the same name]] by [[Nicholas Sparks (author)|Nicholas Sparks]]. The movie stars [[Shane West]] and [[pop music|pop]] [[singer]]/[[actress]] [[Mandy Moore]]. The film was directed by [[Adam Shankman]] and produced by [[Denise Di Novi]] and Hunt Lowry for [[Warner Bros.]] The novel, written by Sparks, is set in the 1950s while the film is set in 1998.

==Plot==
{{Plot|date=January 2010}}
After a dangerous hazing incident goes wrong, popular but rebellious Landon Rollins Carter ([[Shane West]]) is threatened with expulsion. His punishment is mandatory participation in various after-school activities, including the drama club's spring musical, where he meets quiet, bookish Jamie Elizabeth Sullivan ([[Mandy Moore]]), the only daughter of their church's pastor, Hegbert Sullivan ([[Peter Coyote]]). Landon has difficulty learning his lines for the spring, so he asks Jamie to assist him. She decides to help him but under one condition: Landon must promise not to fall in love with her. He chuckles at the strange request, obviously doubting that he could ever fall in love with her.

Landon and Jamie begin practicing together at her house after school. As they spend more time together, a friendship begins to develop. Landon discovers Jamie’s wishlist of everything she aspires to accomplish in life, which includes befriending someone she doesn't like, getting a [[tattoo]], being in two different places at once, and making a [[telescope]]. However, she doesn't tell him her number one wish. One day, Jamie approaches Landon when he is hanging out with some of his friends. When Jamie asks if they are still on for practice that afternoon, he smirks and replies, "In your dreams". His friends laugh, and Landon's smirk falters as Jamie feels betrayed and embarrassed. That afternoon, Landon arrives at Jamie's house in the hope that she will still agree to help him, but she refuses to let him in. Landon eventually learns the script by himself.

In the following days, Landon tries to get close to Jamie, but she repeatedly rejects him. The breaking point comes when a few of Landon's so-called friends play a malicious joke on Jamie (The prank consisted of a photoedit of Jamie's face onto an almost pornographic image and its distribution). She is about to cry in the middle of the cafeteria when Landon comes to her aid, punching one of his now ex-friends and apologizing to Jamie while comforting her (which she accepts), calling them "animals".

In his car at her house, he asks her out to dinner, but she replies that she is not allowed to date. He goes to her father in the church and asks him for permission. He begrudgingly agrees, and Landon takes her out to dinner. From that night forward, the two begin to fall in love, as Landon helps her accomplish things on her wish list. For example, he takes her to the state line, where she is "in two places at once," and gives her a temporary tattoo of a butterfly. He later has a star named after her, and learns that her number one wish is to marry in the church where her parents were married.

As their relationship grows, Jamie finally reveals to Landon that she has leukemia and has stopped responding to treatments. He is initially upset, but she says that the reason why she didn't tell him was because she was moving on with her life and using the time she had left. Jamie starts to break down as she says, "I do not need a reason to be angry with God" and runs away.

Eric ([[Al Thompson (actor)|Al Thompson]]), who was Landon's best friend, but had also participated in the prank on Jamie, comes by and tells him how sorry he is and that he hadn't understood. Landon leaves dozens of flowers on Jamie's doorstep and asks her father to tell her that he's "not going anywhere". The pair makes up soon after.

Jamie's cancer gets worse until she collapses one day. Her father rushes her to the hospital where he meets Landon. The next day, Landon comes to the hospital and sees Jamie being wheeled out of the ward. He asks what's going on and she replies by asking him to thank his father for the help. Apparently Landon's father arranged to pay for private home care for Jamie.

Landon continues to fulfill various wishes on Jamie's list, including building her telescope. Her father, who now approves of him, helps out. After Jamie sees the comet through the telescope, Landon proposes and Jamie accepts. They marry in the church where her parents were married. With the wedding, Landon has completed everything on Jamie’s wishlist. She then dies months after their wedding.

Four years later, Landon visits Jamie's father and tells him he has finished college and has been accepted into medical school. He then gives Jamie's father a book that Jamie had given to him. He tells her father that he is sorry he could not grant Jamie's ambition to witness a miracle before she died. Her father replies that Jamie '''did''' see a miracle. "It was you," he says with a fatherly smile.

In the end, Landon remarks that Jamie not only saved his life — she taught him everything about life, hope and the long journey ahead. He ends his monologue by saying that Jamie and his love is like the wind. "I can't see it, but I can feel it." The film ends with Landon standing on a dock, staring into the sunset and smiling, as "[[Cry (Mandy Moore song)|Cry]]" (by Mandy Moore) plays into a fade.

==Cast==
* [[Shane West]] as Landon Rollins Carter
* [[Mandy Moore]] as Jamie Elizabeth Sullivan
* [[Peter Coyote]] as Reverend Hegbert Sullivan
* [[Daryl Hannah]] as Cynthia Carter
* [[Lauren German]] as Belinda
* [[Clayne Crawford]] as Dean
* [[Al Thompson (actor)|Al Thompson]] as Eric
* [[Paz de la Huerta|Paz De La Huerta]] as Tracie
* David Lee Smith as Dr. Carter
* Jonathon Parks Jordan as Walker
* [[Matt Lutz]] as Clay Gephardt

==Background and production==
The inspiration for ''A Walk to Remember'' was Nicholas Sparks' sister, Danielle Sparks Lewis, who died of cancer in 2000. In a speech he gave after her death in [[Berlin]], the author admits that "In many ways, Jamie Sullivan was my younger sister". The plot was inspired by her life; Danielle met a man who wanted to marry her, "even when he knew she was sick, even when he knew that she might not make it".<ref>{{cite web
| last = Sparks
| first. = Nicholas
| authorlink = Nicholas Sparks (author)
| title = Background information on ''A Walk to Remember'' (from a speech given in Berlin, Germany for Heyne Verlag)
| year = 2000
| url=http://www.nicholassparks.com/LearnMore.asp?MovieID=8#
| accessdate = 2007-07-12 }}</ref> Both the book and movie are dedicated to Danielle Sparks Lewis.

This movie was filmed in [[Wilmington, North Carolina]] at the same time as ''[[Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood]]'' (2002) and the TV show ''[[Dawson's Creek]]'' were being filmed there. Many of the sets were from the TV show ''[[Dawson's Creek]]'' (1998) - particularly the school, hospital and Landon's home.<ref name="DVD_commentary">{{cite video
| people = [[Adam Shankman]]
| title = "A Walk to Remember" DVD Commentary
|date = 2002
}}</ref> The total shooting time was only 39 days, despite Mandy Moore being able to only work 10 hours a day because she was a minor.<ref name="DVD_commentary"/> [[Daryl Hannah]] wore a brown wig, over pinc hair from another movie, that closest matched Shane West's hair in the movie when playing her character. Hannah also had collagen problems which made her lips swollen. By the end of the movie, however, the symptoms were less obvious.<ref>{{cite web
| last = Shankman
| first = Adam
| title = Interview with Adam Shankman, Director of "A Walk to Remember" by Rebecca Murray and Fred Topel
| url=http://movies.about.com/library/weekly/aa010902c.htm
| accessdate = 2007-08-27 }}</ref>

==Release==
===Box office===
The film opened at #3 at the U.S. box office raking in $12,177,488 [[USD]] in its opening weekend, behind ''[[Snow Dogs]]'' and ''[[Black Hawk Down (film)|Black Hawk Down]]''.

===Critical reception===
The film was generally met with negative reviews by critics. ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' retitled the movie "''A Walk to Forget''"<ref>{{cite web
| last = Kepnes
| first = Caroline
| title = Reviews — A Walk to Remember
| date = 2002-07-12
| url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,305226,00.html
| accessdate = 2007-07-12 }}</ref> and the average rating of 101 professional reviews as compiled by [[Rotten Tomatoes]] is 4.1 out of 10.<ref>{{cite web
| title = Rotten Tomatoes — A Walk to Remember
| url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/walk_to_remember/
| accessdate = 2007-07-12 }}</ref>
However, ''A Walk to Remember'' found a warm reception in the Christian community due to the film's moral values; as one reviewer approvingly noted, "The main character is portrayed as a Christian without being [[psychopathic]] or [[holier-than-thou]]".<ref>{{Cite document
| last = Overstreet
| first = Jeffrey
| title = A Walk to Remember
| publisher = Christianity Today
| date = January 23, 2002
| url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/reviews/walktoremember.html
| archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080503054047/http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/reviews/walktoremember.html
| archivedate=2008-05-03
| postscript = }}</ref>
[[Roger Ebert]] praised Mandy Moore and Shane West for their "quietly convincing" acting performances.<ref>{{cite web
| last = Ebert
| first = Roger
| authorlink = Roger Ebert
| title = A Walk to Remember
| date = 2002-01-25
| url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20020125/REVIEWS/201250306/1023
| accessdate = 2007-07-12 }}</ref> Even though not a critical success, it was a modest box-office hit, earning $41,281,092 in the [[United States]] alone,<ref>{{cite web | title = A Walk to Remember at Hollywood.com | url=http://www.hollywood.com/movie/A_Walk_to_Remember/420885 | accessdate = 2007-07-12}}</ref> and a [[sleeper hit]] in [[Asia]]. The total revenue generated worldwide was $47,494,916.

==Awards==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!align="left"|Year
!align="left"|Ceremony
!align="left"|Category
!align="left"|Result
|-
|align="left"|2002
|align="left"|MTV Movie Awards
|align="left"|Breakthrough Female Performance
|align="left"|'''won''' by Mandy Moore
|-
|align="left"|2002
|align="left"|Teen Choice Awards
|align="left"|Film — Choice Breakout Performance, Actress
|align="left"|'''won''' by Mandy Moore
|-
|align="left"|2002
|align="left"|Teen Choice Awards
|align="left"|Film — Choice Chemistry ([[Mandy Moore|Moore]]/[[Shane West|West]])
|align="left"|'''won'''
|-
|align="left"|2002
|align="left"|Teen Choice Awards
|align="left"|Film — Choice Actress, Drama/Action Adventure
|align="left"|nominated for Mandy Moore (lost to [[Natalie Portman]])
|}

Moore beat out fellow pop star [[Britney Spears]], who starred in ''[[Crossroads (2002 film)|Crossroads]]'', to win two [[Teen Choice Award]]s. Moore was also nominated for "Film - Choice Actress, Drama/Action Adventure" but lost to [[Natalie Portman]] for her role in ''[[Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones]]''.

At the MTV Movie Awards, Moore won the "Breakthrough Female Performance" for her role.

==Soundtrack==
The movie's soundtrack features five songs by Mandy Moore and others by acts [[Switchfoot]], [[Rachael Lampa]] and many more.

The lead song "[[Cry (Mandy Moore song)|Cry]]" was originally released on Moore's second studio album ''[[Mandy Moore (album)|Mandy Moore]]''. The soundtrack also includes two versions of Switchfoot's song "[[Only Hope]]" including the version Moore sang in the film.

Mandy Moore's manager, Jon Leshay, the musical supervisor for ''A Walk to Remember'', "instantly wanted" Switchfoot's music to be a vital part of the movie after hearing them. He later became Switchfoot's manager.<ref>{{cite web
| title=Switchfoot Featured in ''A Walk To Remember''
| date = 2002-01-21
| url = http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/interviews/switchfootmovie-0102.html
| archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080412165632/http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/interviews/switchfootmovie-0102.html
| archivedate = 2008-04-12
| accessdate = 2007-07-12 }}</ref> When they were approached to do the film, the band was unfamiliar with Moore or her music (despite her status as a pop star with several hits on the charts). Before their involvement with ''A Walk to Remember'', Switchfoot was only recognized in their native San Diego and in Contemporary Christian music circles, but have since gained mainstream recognition, with a double platinum album, ''[[The Beautiful Letdown]]'' which included hits such as [[Meant to Live]] and [[Dare You to Move]].

IN - Complete (Dancin' in the Moonlight is left out) Listing of Music in the Movie<ref>End Credits, A Walk to Remember, 2002</ref>
# "[[Cannonball (The Breeders song)|Cannonball]]" — [[The Breeders]]
# "So What Does It All Mean?" — [[Shane West]], Gould and Fitzgerald
# "[[Empty Spaces]]" — [[Fuel (band)|Fuel]]
# "Lighthouse" — [[Mandy Moore]]
# "[[Friday on My Mind]]" — Noogie
# "[[Anything You Want]]" — Skycopter 9
# "Numb in Both Lips" — Soul Hooligan
# "Tapwater" — [[Onesidezero]]
# "If You Believe" — [[Rachael Lampa]]
# "No Mercy" — Extra Fancy
# "No One" — [[Cold (band)|Cold]]
# "Enough" — [[Matthew Hager]]
# "[[Mother We Just Can't Get Enough]]" — [[New Radicals]]
# "[[Only Hope]]" — Mandy Moore
# "[[Get Ur Freak On]]" — [[Missy Elliott]]
# "Flood" — [[Jars of Clay]]
# "Dancin' in the Moonlight" — [[Toploader]]
# "[[Someday We'll Know]]" — Mandy Moore and [[Jonathan Foreman]]
# "[[Learning to Breathe]]" — [[Switchfoot]]
# "[[All Mixed Up (311 song)|All Mixed Up]]" — [[311 (band)|311]]
# "[[Dare You To Move]]" — Switchfoot
# "You" — Switchfoot
# "It's Gonna Be Love" — Mandy Moore
# "Only Hope" — Switchfoot
# "[[Cry (Mandy Moore song)|Cry]]" — Mandy Moore

==Comparisons to novel==
While there are many similarities to the novel by [[Nicholas Sparks (author)|Nicholas Sparks]], many changes were made. On his personal website, Sparks explains the decisions behind the differences. For example, he and the producer decided to update the setting from the 1950s to the 1990s, worrying that a movie set in the 50s would fail to draw teens. "To interest them," he writes, "we had to make the story more contemporary." To make the update believable, Landon's pranks and behavior are worse than they are in the novel; as Sparks notes, "the things that teen boys did in the 1950s to be considered a little 'rough' are different than what teen boys in the 1990s do to be considered 'rough.'"

Sparks and the producer also changed the play in which Landon and Jamie appear. In the novel, Hegbert wrote a Christmas play that illustrated how he once struggled as a father. However, due to time constraints, the sub-plot showing how he overcame his struggles could not be included in the movie. Sparks was concerned that "people who hadn't read the book would question whether Hegbert was a good father", adding that "because he is a good father and we didn't want that question to linger, we changed the play."<ref>{{cite web
| last = Sparks | first = Nicholas
| authorlink = Nicholas Sparks (author)
| title=Nicholas Sparks on the Movie Adaptation of A Walk to Remember
| url = http://www.nicholassparks.com/Novels/AWalkToRemember/Movie.html
| archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080417085418/http://www.nicholassparks.com/Novels/AWalkToRemember/Movie.html
| archivedate = 2008-04-17
| accessdate = 2007-07-12 }}</ref>

A significant difference is that at the end of the novel, unlike the movie, it is ambiguous whether Jamie died even though during the 1950s cancer meant death. Sparks says that he had written the book knowing she would die, yet had "grown to love Jamie Sullivan", and so opted for "the solution that best described the exact feeling I had with regard to my sister at that point: namely, that I hoped she would live."<ref>{{cite web
| last = Sparks
| first = Nicholas
| authorlink = Nicholas Sparks (author)
| title=FAQ on ''A Walk to Remember'' - Did Jamie Die?
| url = http://www.nicholassparks.com/Novels/AWalkToRemember/FAQ.html#1
| archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080416040410/http://www.nicholassparks.com/Novels/AWalkToRemember/FAQ.html#1
| archivedate = 2008-04-16
| accessdate = 2007-07-12 }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{official|http://www2.warnerbros.com/walktoremember/main.html}}
* {{imdb title|0281358|A Walk to Remember}}
* {{Amg movie|2059132|A Walk to Remember}}
* {{mojo title|walktoremember|A Walk to Remember}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes|walk_to_remember|A Walk to Remember}}

{{Adam Shankman}}
{{Nicholas Sparks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walk To Remember, A}}
[[Category:2002 films]]
[[Category:2000s drama films]]
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[[Category:American romantic drama films]]
[[Category:American teen romance films]]
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[[Category:Films shot in North Carolina]]
[[Category:North Carolina in fiction]]
[[Category:Films set in the 1990s]]

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[[da:A Walk to Remember]]
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[[hi:ए वॉक टू रिमेम्बर]]
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[[it:I passi dell'amore]]
[[he:סיפור אהבה בלתי נשכח]]
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[[nl:A Walk to Remember]]
[[ja:ウォーク・トゥ・リメンバー]]
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[[pt:A Walk to Remember]]
[[ru:Спеши любить]]
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[[ta:எ வாக் டு ரிமெம்பர்]]
[[th:ก้าวสู่ฝันวันหัวใจพบรัก]]
[[uk:Пам'ятна прогулянка]]
[[zh:初恋的回忆]]

Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils

2008-08-04T00:02:41Z

Julian1313: /* Television series */

{{Unreferenced|date=July 2007}}
'''Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils''' ({{zh-tsp|t=天龍八部|s=天龙八部|p=Tiān Lóng Bā Bù}}) is a long [[wuxia]] novel written by [[Jinyong]].

It was originally published in 1963, and has since spawned several movies and television serials in both [[Mainland China]] and [[Hong Kong]]. The title of the novel has been a challenge for translators for years. It is based on the eight races of non-human entities described in [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] [[cosmos|cosmology]]. In Buddhism, even though these demi-gods are ranked higher than mortals, they are still bound to the [[samsara]] by their own passions and desires. It is said that Jinyong originally modelled each major character after one of the Races. As he wrote on, the complexity of the story made it impossible for such a simplistic mapping. Today, the topic of which character corresponds to which Race is still an interesting matter of discussion among fans and readers.

==The Races==
===Deva (天)===
The Deva, also known as ‘tian’ or ‘heaven’ in Chinese, is a holy being which dwells in the heavens. It enjoys the highest bliss among all living creatures. Higher Devas live for millions of years, even kalpas. With the ability to morph into whatever form they desire, they can travel at free will within any realm. The holiest of Devas are Bodhisattvas (菩薩), while others are known as Guardians of Dharma (護法). The unholy ones are called Deva-maras (天魔) who turn away from Buddha. They may postpone their fates of reincarnation into hell by turning into pure Maras, who establish their own dominions in any realm of existence. Devas or Maras may also be born in the Realm of Forms or Formlessness.

Xiao Feng or Qiao Feng is a representation of the Deva. He gives reader the impression of a heavenly being as he fits its description in any form, whether in appearance, build, character or martial arts. His status in the novel as the first main protagonist further enhances his position as the leader of the Devas, called ‘Di Shi Tian’ (帝释天). The Deva is no exception to death, regardless of how powerful it is, just like Xiao Feng, who died at an early age. His tragic end is different from that of the Deva but yet one of those which touched readers deeply. He has ‘luxuries’ in the form of his martial arts prowess and his status as a noble of the Kingdom of Liao, but no beautiful maidens to accompany him; he killed his love interest A Zhu by mistake in a tragedy caused by confusion, he did not like A Zi for her cruel and sadistic nature although she was desperately trying to win his heart and he took care of her only to fulfill a promise he made to A Zhu before her death.

===Naga (龙)===
The Naga, also called ‘long’ or ‘dragon’ in Chinese, assumes the form of a scaled and limbless serpent which can fly, swim and burrow. They can be classified by four ways of birth. Some hatch dry eggs on land or spawn wet eggs in water. Others are germinated from embryos or simply dead bodies. The sizes of Nagas range from very small to very large. They enjoy long slumbers and hoarding treasure. Some can change their facial appearances or torsos but not their entire bodies. They can become invisible except when they are born, dying, having sex, being infuriated, and sleeping. They can harm humans by roars, gazes, breaths, or mere touches. On the contrary, they suffer from scorching of hot wind or sandstorms, loss of property due to sudden hurricanes, and frequent devouring by Garudas. Older Nagas can summon rainstorms by will.

Duan Yu represents the Naga. Of the eight Races, Deva and Naga are the most important ones, so Duan Yu being the second main protaganist, obviously represents the Naga. Duan Yu is born of noble blood and a future ruler of the [[Kingdom of Dali]]. The Chinese see their emperor as a dragon, while the ancient Indians too hold the dragon in high regard, which shows their respect for Duan Yu as a prince. The dragon king in Chinese mythology has an affinity for Buddhism since young, just like Duan Yu who has been largely influenced by Buddhism before his rise to prominence. Besides, the rulers of Dali have a tradition for taking the tonsure at Tian Long Monastery (天龙寺) or ‘heavenly dragon monastery’, which hints that Duan Yu represents the Naga of the eight races.

===Yaksa (夜叉)===
The Yaksa (夜叉), also known as ‘ye cha’ in Chinese, is a fierce, agile and cannibalistic devil which can devour other devils. It seldom morphs into other forms but can shift its visibility to that of human eyes easily by will. Moreover, Yaksas can hide themselves or conceal objects by camouflaging them into the surroundings superbly even if they cannot make things invisible to the sharp eyes. Based on speeds of air travel, they can be further separated into three classes, namely, Heavenly Yaksas, Void Yaksas, and Earthly Yaksas, in ranking of the fastest to the slowest.

The Yaksa had been said to be represented by the third main protagonist, Xu Zhu. Xu Zhu, originating from Shaolin Monastery, found himself caught in between several feuds, which eventually led to him becoming a powerful martial artist despite going against his own will. He was also the leader of several unorthodox sects, yet managed to lead them from their ‘evil’ origins towards good, fitting the description of the Yaksa, which is the deity in charge of subduing devils and evil spirits, yet itself is a devil.

The Yaksa is also said to be collectively represented by the ‘Four Evils’. They have evil appearances, engage in all forms of evil doings, just like the common interpretation of the Yaksa as an evil being. However, each of these Four Evils has a good side behind them. Duan Yanqing was originally the crown prince of Dali, who lost his status and sought revenge on those who stole his rightful place as ruler. Eventually, he left for good after realising that Duan Yu was his real son and that his struggle to become ruler of Dali had ended with his son becoming the ruler unexpectedly. Ye Er Niang who was infamous for kidnapping babies and killing them after she had finished playing with them, became a changed person after she realized that Xu Zhu was her long-lost son. Nan Hai E Shen, the most comical of the Four Evils, had still some good in him compared to the other three. He was often seeking to make Duan Yu his disciple, but ended up with him being Duan’s disciple instead. He sacrificed himself to save Duan Yu eventually, whom he still regarded as his master. Yun Zhong He, a lecherous fiend, also once saved Wang Yuyan. The Four Evils were just like the Yaksa, hard to define whether it is good or evil.

===Asura (阿修罗)===
The Asura (阿修罗), or ‘a xiu luo’ in Chinese, is an anti-Deva. Generally, females are beautiful while males on the contrary are ugly in appearance. They have heavenly powers but no saintly merit. They resolve disputes with violence, which they consider to be an honour, before in peaceful manners. As such, they often equip themselves with the most advanced fighting techinques. As they usually dwell beneath the heavens, they constantly wage war against the Devas for the supremacy of ruling the heavens. Asuras are jealous of human beings who enjoy more earthly pleasures than them, but above all they hate the Devas the most. They can be classified into Heavenly Asuras, Devilish Asuras, and Bestial Asuras. Heavenly ones have the best magical powers while bestial ones are experts in fighting.

Murong Fu is said to be a representation of the Asura due to its characteristics; it is often defeated by the Deva, it has a fiery temper, it is resentful and jealous, it wields great power, it has high capabilities yet longs for a chaotic world, it is suspicious by nature and often suspects that Buddha sides with the Devas. Murong Fu’s characteristics are very much similar; he is Xiao(Qiao) Feng’s arch-nemesis by being the ‘Southern Murong’ in ‘Northern Qiao Feng, Southern Murong’ (北乔峰南慕容), he is defeated by Xiao Feng, he is full of jealousy and contempt, he is the heir to the throne of the [[Kingdom of Yan]], he is well-known for his trademark move ‘returning you with your own way’ (以彼之道, 还施彼身) by killing others with their own trademark martial arts techniques, he fears the world would not be chaotic enough for the time to restoring his kingdom, he is suspicious of his own followers who eventually died at his own hands. Also, he has the beautiful Wang Yuyan, his cousin, who tries vainly to win his heart, but he has no feelings for her, just like the Asura who has beautiful maidens but lusts for luxuries instead.

Another representation of the Asura is Wang Yuyan, as its female version. Wang Yuyan is naturally beautiful and spent her life in an isolated manor away from human society until she met Duan Yu. She was just like a ‘fairy sister’ to Duan Yu, who fell head over heels in love with her on first sight. However, she was only desperately trying to win the heart of her unfeeling cousin Murong Fu, until when she realized that Duan Yu was the one who truly loved her when he showed that he was willing to die for her. Together with Duan Yu, they seemed like a ‘heavenly couple’ in the novel.

===Garuda (迦楼罗)===
The Garuda (迦楼罗) or ‘jia lou luo’ in Chinese, is a rare gigantic golden bird which preys on Nagas. They can soar to the highest heaven and sink to the deepest abyss. They were so powerful such that even the Asura Kings did not dare to trifle with them. They do not die due to old age but the accumulation of many different types of venoms and poisons from Naga blood. When the moment comes, all the venoms and poisons it accumulates in its body will cause the Garuda to self-incinerate, leaving behind its heart in the form of a crystal seed among the ashes. From this crystal, a new Garuda will be born. [[Yue Fei]] had been said to be a reincarnation of the Garuda.

Jiu Mozhi is said to represent the Garuda. He was the royal advisor of [[Tufan|Tubo]] and an accomplished martial artist. He was at odds with the other monasteries such as Shaolin and Tian Long. Duan Yu, the Naga or dragon, is his prey, as Duan Yu holds the key to mastering the ‘’Liu Mai Shen Jian’ (六脉神剑). He seeks to ‘devour’ all kinds of martial arts(poison) and emerge as the most powerful martial artist. Eventually, he went into a state of having lost his mind after practicing the martial arts wrongly as he sought to master them quickly, and was on the verge of death. His suffering was as though like he was on fire. However, Jiu Mozhi was spared death unlike the Garuda as he managed to pass his inner energy(poison) to Duan Yu, henceforth losing his martial arts prowess. He finally became enlightened after his close encounter with death and repented from his past wrongdoings, becoming a ‘gigantic golden bird’ like Yue Fei.

Another representation of the Garuda is Murong Fu. Murong Fu was an unscrupulous and evil individual who used all means to restore his kingdom, ranging from killing his own followers to acknowledging the evil Duan Yanqing as his foster father. He had accumulated much ‘venom’ in him from his evil doings, but too was spared death like Jiu Mozhi, but was forever in suffering yet oblivious to it when he eventually became insane

===Kinnara (紧那罗)===
The Kinnara (紧那罗) or ‘jin na luo’ in Chinese, resembles a human being but has a horn on its forehead. They are music deities who serve the Devas, in which the males excel in singing while the females are good dancers. While they apparently seem to be enjoying life, most of suffer from slavery by Asuras.

The Kinnara is said to be represented by A Zi. A Zi was one of the two closest women to Xiao Feng, with the other being her sister A Zhu, so if Xiao Feng represents the Deva, then she is obviously the Kinnara. A Zi grew up in a harsh environment as being a member of the evil Xingsu Sect. She had frequent mood swings and had an unpredictable temperament. She was apparently human as she had two sides; a side of her showing her sadism, cruelty and cunning, while the other side showing her naïve and strong desire to win Xiao Feng’s heart. No one could ever understand her, even when she leapt off the cliff to her death clutching on to Xiao Feng’s dead body.

===Ghandarva (乾达婆)===
The Ghandarva (乾达婆) or ‘gan da po’ in Chinese, is a deity of scents. Those who inhale fragrance sparkle like jewels while those who inhale stench loom like monsters. It does not feed on wine or meat, and seeks fragrant scents as nourishment and may also be attracted by incense or fresh blood. It is also one of the Deva’s music deities in charge of playing earthly music, with fragrant scents issuing from its body. The evil ones serve the Asuras as guards. Its meaning in Sanskrit is ‘interchanging and unpredictable’.

A Zhu is said to represent the Ghandarva. If Xiao Feng is the Deva, then A Zhu is obviously the Ghandarva, one of the Deva’s music deities, as she is one of two closest women to Xiao Feng, with the other being her sister A Zi. A Zhu is an expert in disguise, fitting the description of being ‘interchanging and unpredictable’, and was first introduced in the novel as being in disguise. Duan Yu had discovered that she was a woman in disguise due to the fragrant scent from her body.

===Mahoraga (摩喉罗迦)===
The Mahoraga (摩喉罗迦) or ‘mo hou luo jia’ in Chinese, is a giant earthly serpent deity. It moves by gliding on its torso unlike the Nagas. It has a human torso and the head of a python. In a sutra, the Mahoraga is said to be deaf and dumb, completely oblivious to all kinds of worldly temptations. Hence it attains enlightenment more easily, salvage its past and become a totally changed being. Mahoragas who do not accept the role of an enlightened being usually form cults for other lesser beings on earth.

Xu Zhu is said to represent the Mahoraga as he was just like a belly-gliding earthly serpent due to his status as an ordinary monk from Shaolin Monastery. However, he was also kind-hearted, honest and naïve by nature, which made him oblivious to all kinds of ‘earthly temptations’, thus allowing him to attain ‘enlightenment’ more easily by becoming a powerful martial artist. He managed to ‘salvage his past’ when he was reunited for the first and last time with his parents. He also became an ‘earthly serpent deity’ or earthly dragon of equal status as the Naga or heavenly dragon represented by Duan Yu, as he became the master of Lingjiu Palace (灵鹫宫) with several minor sects under his command and also the prince consort of the Kingdom of Western Xia when he married the princess.

A Zi is also said to be a representation of the Mahoraga. She was cruel, sadistic and cunning by nature, just like a venomous snake in human form.

==Chapters==
Jinyong revised the novel three times with the most recent revision being the 2005 edition. There are 50 chapters. Most of the revisions are either clarifications or minor alterations of character motivations.

{|
|-
| 1 || 青衫磊落險峰行 || A garment of green walks openheartedly among precarious peaks
|-
| 2 || 玉壁月華明 || A cliff of jade reflects the magnificence of the moon
|-
| 3 || 馬疾香幽 || A swift horse, a secluded fragrance
|-
| 4 || 崖高人遠 || A high precipice, a faraway man
|-
| 5 || 微步轂紋生 || A figure finely marked by delicate steps
|-
| 6 || 誰家子弟誰家院 || Which family does the child come from, whose courtyard is it?
|-
| 7 || 無計悔多情 || Without enumerating one's regrets, affection abounds
|-
| 8 || 虎嘯龍吟 || The tiger roars, the dragon bellows
|-
| 9 || 換巢鸞鳳 || The phoenix exchanges its nest with another fabulous bird
|-
| 10 || 劍氣碧煙橫 || Swords of energy intersect intensely in bluish smoke
|-
| 11 || 向來癡 || Infatuated all along
|-
| 12 || 從此醉 || Intoxicated from now on
|-
| 13 || 水榭聽香指點群豪戲 || In the water pavilion, the beauty directs the play of extraordinary men
|-
| 14 || 劇飲千杯男兒事 || Drinking a thousand cups is the affair of men
|-
| 15 || 杏子林中商略平生義 || In the forest of apricots, the righteousness of a lifetime is outlined
|-
| 16 || 昔時因 || The accords of the past
|-
| 17 || 今日意 || The intentions of the present
|-
| 18 || 胡漢恩仇須傾英雄淚 || The gratitudes and grievances of the foreign man exhaust the tears of the hero
|-
| 19 || 雖萬千人吾往矣 || Though men in thousands upon ten thousands head for me
|-
| 20 || 悄立雁門, 絕壁無餘字 || Affection stands at the Gate of Wild Geese, without any other words on the precipice
|-
| 21 || 千里茫茫若夢 || A thousand ''li'' seem as indistinct as a dream
|-
| 22 || 雙眸粲粲如星 || A pair of eyes shine as bright as the stars
|-
| 23 || 塞上牛羊空許約 || An empty promise is made with the cows and goats of the northern lands
|-
| 24 || 燭畔鬢雲有舊盟 || An old alliance is found beside the candle and amidst the hair
|-
| 25 || 莽蒼踏雪行 || In the hazy mistiness, a journey is taken through the snow
|-
| 26 || 赤手屠熊搏虎 || To kill the bear and seize the tiger with one's bare hands
|-
| 27 || 金戈蕩寇鏖兵 || To sweep away bandits and battle armies with one's golden halberd
|-
| 28 || 草木殘生顱鑄鐵 || The grass and trees have a wretched existence, a skull is cast in iron
|-
| 29 || 蟲豸凝寒掌作冰 || The legless creature of legend has a coagulating chill, a palm brings forth ice
|-
| 30 || 揮灑縛豪英 || To be scattered and sprinkled that outstanding men be bound
|-
| 31 || 輸贏成敗又爭由人算 || To win or to lose, success or failure, it's not something man can calculate 
|-
| 32 || 且自逍遙沒誰管 || Loosening up a little, managed by no one 
|-
| 33 || 奈天昏地暗鬥轉星移 || Enduring the darkening sky and gloomy earth, the revolving constellations and shifting stars 
|-
| 34 || 風驟緊縹緲峰頭雲亂 || Sudden winds are gathering, clouds are rioting at the head of Fuzzy Peak
|-
| 35 || 紅顏彈指老刹那芳華 || Rosy face claiming to be elderly, a transient state of fragrant beauty 
|-
| 36 || 夢裏真真語真幻 || A surreal dream, real conversation mixed with reality and hallucination 
|-
| 37 || 同一笑到頭萬事俱空 || With the same laughter, all things turned out empty in the end 
|-
| 38 || 糊塗醉情長計短 || Drunken stupidity, with much affection but little craft 
|-
| 39 || 解不了名韁系嗔貪 || Cannot loosen up, the frustration and greed that comes with fame 
|-
| 40 || 卻試問幾時把癡心斷 || But to try asking, when can a foolish heart break loose 
|-
| 41 || 燕雲十八飛騎奔騰如虎風煙舉 || Eighteen flying stallions from the Manchurian Steppes, dashing swiftly like a tiger, wind and smoke rising 
|-
| 42 || 老魔小丑豈堪一擊勝之不武 || Old devil and little clown, how can they endure but a single blow, it's a win without the need to fight 
|-
| 43 || 王霸雄圖血海深恨盡歸塵土 || The grandiose scheme to become an emperor, the deep hatred awash in a sea of blood, all turned into dust and earth 
|-
| 44 || 念枉求美眷良緣安在 || Foolishly seeking a lovely marriage, but where is the prime destiny?
|-
| 45 || 枯井底污泥處 || At the bottom of a dried well, amongst filthy soil 
|-
| 46 || 酒罷問君三語 || After some alcohol, kindly ask Sir three questions 
|-
| 47 || 為誰開茶花滿路 || For whom they blossomed, tea flowers covered the road 
|-
| 48 || 王孫落魄怎生消得楊枝玉露 || The prince falls into hard times, how can he digest the willowy ambrosia of the bodhisattva 
|-
| 49 || 敝屣榮華浮雲生死此身何懼 || Set aside all wealth and glory, these floating vapor of life and death, what can possibly scare this body and soul? 
|-
| 50 || 教單于折箭六軍辟易奮英雄怒 || Teaching the Khan to break an arrow, the six armies retreated, the heroes angered 
|}

==Background==
The main thematic element of the novel concerns the complex, often troubled relationships between the great multitude of characters from various kingdoms and sects, and the inherent bond that underlies the struggles of each. Ultimately, the novel examines the [[cause and effect]] that forms and breaks these bonds on five uniquely corresponding levels: [[self (sociology)|self]], [[family]], [[society]], [[ethnic group]], and [[country]] (dominion). The timeframe in which the novel takes place is historically based upon the era of the Northern [[Song Dynasty]], and includes the warring empires of [[Song]], [[Liao Dynasty|Liao]], [[Kingdom of Dali|Dali]], [[Western Xia]] and [[Tufan]].

==Characters==
There are about over 230 characters in the novel, including those who were only mentioned by name.

===The three main male protagonists===
* [[Qiao Feng|Xiao Feng]] (萧峰) – also known as Qiao Feng (乔峰). Chief of the Beggars’ Sect, known to pugilists as the ‘Northern Qiao Feng’. Became sworn brothers with Duan Yu and Xu Zhu with his place as first. He was despised by fellow pugilists after his real identity as [[Khitan people|Qidan]] was exposed, and henceforth became an outcast. Later discovered his biological father to be Xiao Yuanshan and took his family name ‘Xiao’. He committed suicide at Yanmen Pass (雁门关) to prevent Liao from invading Song.

* [[Duan Yu]] (段誉) – son of Duan Zhengchun, the Zhennan Prince of [[Kingdom of Dali|Dali]]. His mother was [[Dao Baifeng]] and it was eventually revealed that he was actually the biological son of [[Duan Yanqing]], the most senior of the Four Evils. He ascended to the throne of Dali towards the end of the novel. Became sworn brothers with Xiao Feng and Xu Zhu with his place as third.

* [[Xu Zhu (fictional)|Xu Zhu]] (虚竹) – originally a monk from Shaolin Monastery (少林寺). Later became the leader of the Xiao Yao Sect (逍遥派) and master of Ling Jiu Palace (灵鹫宫). Married Princess Yin Chuan (银川公主) of the [[Kingdom of Western Xia]] after a series of strange encounters and adventures. Sworn brothers with Xiao Feng and Duan Yu, with his place as second.

===The main female protagonists===
* [[Wang Yuyan]] (王语嫣) – the daughter of Duan Zhengchun and Mrs Wang. She was Murong Fu’s cousin and was secretly in love with him. However, Murong Fu showed no sign of affection towards her and eventually Duan Yu won her heart.

* [[A Zhu]] (阿朱) – daughter of Duan Zhengchun and Ruan Xingzhu and a master of disguise. Originally served the Murong Family as a servant maid but later fell in love with Xiao Feng and followed him. She was killed by Xiao Feng mistakenly when she disguised herself as Duan Zhengchun to prevent a conflict between her lover and father.

* [[A Zi]] (阿紫) – the younger sister of A Zhu. She was a disciple of Ding Chunqiu, leader of the Xing Su Sect. A sadistic, cruel and spoilt little brat, she had a crush on Xiao Feng and followed suit after the latter committed suicide.

* [[Mu Wanqing]] (木婉清) – the daughter of Duan Zhengchun and Qin Hongmian. She fell in love with Duan Yu initially but left him in anger and anguish after realising that he was actually her half-brother. She met Duan Yu again later in Western Xia.

* [[Zhong Ling]] (钟灵) – the daughter of Duan Zhengchun and Gan Baobao. She has a pet called the ‘shan dian diao’ (闪电貂), whose bite was poisonous and fatal. She was also in love with Duan Yu who was actually her half-brother. She met him again after the great battle at Shaolin.

===Kingdom of Dali===
* [[Duan Zhengming]] (段正明) – the Emperor of the Kingdom of Dali and the elder brother of Duan Zhengchun. Later passed his throne to Duan Yu and became a monk.

* [[Duan Zhengchun]] (段正淳) – the Zhennan Prince of Dali. Notorious for his flirtatious behavior, he conceived several illegitimate daughters with several different lovers in his younger days. Ironically, his illegitimate daughters also became lovers with who he thought was his son, Duan Yu. At the end of the novel, he committed suicide to be with lovers who were all killed by Murong Fu.

* [[Gao Shengtai]] (高升泰) – the marquis of Shanchan (善阐侯) of Dali

* [[Fan Hua]] (范骅) – the ‘sima’ (司马) of Dali, one of the three highest ranked ministers

* [[Ba Tianshi]] (巴天石) – the ‘sikong’ (司空) of Dali, one of three highest ranked ministers

* [[Hua Hegen]] (华赫艮) – the ‘situ’ (司徒) of Dali, one of the three highest ranked ministers

* [[Chu Wanli]] (褚万里) – one of the four royal guards (四大护卫), takes on the appearance of a fisherman.　He was slain by Duan Yanqing

* [[Gu Ducheng]] (古笃诚) – one of the four royal guards (四大护卫), takes on the appearance of a woodcutter

* [[Fu Sigui]] (傅思归) – one of the four royal guards (四大护卫), takes on the appearance of a farmer

* [[Zhu Danchen]] (朱丹臣) – one of the four royal guards (四大护卫), takes on the appearance of a scholar

* [[Cui Baiquan]] (崔百泉) – a pugilist from Dali nicknamed ‘jin suan pan’ (金算盘), or ‘golden abacus’

* [[Guo Yanzhi]] (过彥之) – a pugilist from the Fu Niu Sect (伏牛派) of Dali nicknamed ‘zhui hun bian’ (追魂鞭), or ‘soul-chasing whip’

===Murong Family===
* [[Murong Fu]] (慕容复) – known as the ‘Southern Murong’ to pugilists. He was a descendant of the royal family of the fallen [[Kingdom of Yan]] of the [[Sixteen Kingdoms]]. His father was Murong Bo. Scheming and unscrupulous, he used all sorts of means to restore his kingdom and become the emperor, but did not succeed and became insane eventually. His father named him "Fu" (literally means "to restore") to reminds him to restore the [[Kingdom of Yan]].

* [[Murong Bo]] (慕容博) – the father of [[Murong Fu]]. He shared the same dream as his son, which was to restore their fallen kingdom. He was enlightened by the [[sweeper monk]] and became his disciple eventually.

* [[Deng Baichuan]] (邓百川) – served the Murong family

* [[Gongye Gan]] (公冶干) – nicknamed ‘jiang nan lao er’ (江南老二), or ‘jiang nan number two’. Served the Murong family

* [[Bao Butong]] (包不同) – nicknamed ‘fei ye fei ye’ (非也非也) or ‘no, no’ after his favorite lingo. Served the Murong family and was notorious for challenging others to a verbal war. His name literally means "to disagree." [[Murong Fu]] eventually kill Bao Butong in an attempt to prove his loyalty to [[Duan Yanqing]].

* [[Feng Bo’e]] (风波恶) – nicknamed ‘yi zhen feng’ (一阵风) or ‘a gust of wind’. Served the Murong family and was always ready to pick a fight

===The lovers of Duan Zhengchun===
* [[Dao Baifeng]] (刀白凤) – the Zhennan princess consort of Dali, the legal wife of Duan Zhengchun and mother of Duan Yu. She followed suit after her husband committed suicide at the end to be with his dead lovers.

* [[Qin Hongmian]] (秦红棉) – nicknamed ‘xiu luo dao’ (修罗刀), or ‘xiu luo dagger’. Also known as ‘you gu ke’ (幽谷客) or ‘eerie valley dweller’. She was one of Duan Zhengchun’s lovers and mother of Mu Wanqing. She was killed by Murong Fu.

* [[Gan Baobao]] (甘宝宝) – the wife of Zhong Wanchou. She was one of Duan Zhengchun’s lovers and bore him Zhong Ling, who was brought up as Zhong Wanchou’s daughter. She was killed by Murong Fu.

* [[Ruan Xingzhu]] (阮星竹) – one of Duan Zhengchun’s lovers. She bore him A Zhu and A Zi. She was killed by Murong Fu.

* [[Wang Yunluo]] (王云罗) – also known as Mrs Wang. She was the daughter of Wu Ya Zi and Li Qiushui and one of Duan Zhengchun’s ex-lovers before her marriage. She bore him Wang Yuyan. She willingly died under her nephew Murong Fu’s sword.

*[[Kang Min]] (康敏) – also known as Mrs Ma for her marriage to Ma Dayuan. She was one of Duan Zhengchun’s ex-lovers. She appears to be warm-hearted and faithful, but was in fact a scheming and adulterous woman who plotted the downfall of Qiao Feng. She died of frustration and anger after being horribly marred and defaced by A Zi.

===The Four Evils===
* [[Duan Yanqing]] (段延庆) – nicknamed ‘e guan man ying’ (恶贯满盈) or ‘overflowing with evil’. He was formerly the crown prince of Dali who went into exile and the biological father of Duan Yu. He appears to be a crippled old man carrying a pair of crutches, but was nevertheless a formidable pugilist. He has the ability to channel his internal energy and speak from his guts, allowing him to speak without opening his mouth.

* [[Ye Er Niang]] (叶二娘) – nicknamed ‘wu e bu zuo’ (无恶不作) or ‘commits all kinds of evil’. She was the biological mother of Xu Zhu and notorious for kidnapping babies, treating them as her own, then killing them after she is done with them because she lost her own son several years ago. (Note: In the third revision in 2005, Ye Er Niang leaves the babies at strangers' houses after she's done toying with them.

* [[Yue Lao San]] (岳老三) – nicknamed ‘xiong shen e sha’ (凶神恶煞) or ‘fearsome evil deity’. Also known as ‘nan hai e shen’ (南海鳄神). He was the most comical character in the novel for his repeated unsuccessful attempts to make Duan Yu his disciple, which concluded with him being the latter’s disciple instead. Armed with a pair of giant scissors, he often threatens to kill people by breaking their necks. He periodically argue with Ye Er Niang, claiming that he's ranked 2nd of the Four Evils, and she is 3rd. However, he conceded the 2nd rank to her upon her death.

* [[Yun Zhong He]] (云中鹤) – nicknamed ‘qiong xiong ji e’ (穷凶极恶) or ‘desperate for evil’. Armed with an iron staff, he was a lecherous fiend who preyed on young and beautiful women. He was a [[qinggong]] expert, which enables him to pursue and flee from enemies easily.

====Shaolin Monastery (少林寺)====
* [[Xuan Ci]] (玄慈) – the head abbot of Shaolin Monastery. He was Xu Zhu’s biological father after his previous love affair with Ye Er Niang. He was the mysterious leader of the pugilists involved in the attack on Xiao Yuanshan.

* [[Xuan Bei]] (玄悲) – killed by Murong Bo

* [[Xuan Nan]] (玄难) – the head of the Da Mo School (达摩院) of Shaolin

* [[Xuan Ji]] (玄寂) – the head of the Discipline School (戒律院) of Shaolin

* [[Xuan Ku]] (玄苦) – Qiao Feng’s mentor. He was mortally wounded by Xiao Yuanshan and died after mistakenly accusing Qiao Feng as the attacker due to the similarities in appearance between the two.

* [[Hui Lun]] (慧轮) – Xu Zhu’s mentor

====Tian Long Monastery (天龙寺)====
* Ben Yin (本因) – the head abbot of Tian Long Monastery

* Ben Guan (本观)

* Ben Xiang (本相)

* Ben Can (本參)

* Ku Rong (枯榮)

====The Beggars’ Sect (丐帮)====
* [[Ma Dayuan]] (马大元) – the deputy chief of the Beggars’ Sect. He was murdered by his adulterous wife Kang Min and the discipline affairs elder Bai Shijing. One of the few who knew of Qiao Feng’s true ethnicity.

* [[Quan Guanqing]] (全冠清) – nicknamed ‘shi fang xiu cai’ (十方秀才) or ‘all-rounded scholar’, head of the Da Zhi Branch (大智分舵). He was an evil individual who plotted against Qiao Feng and manipulated Zhuang Juxian (You Tanzhi) into becoming the new chief. The elders killed him after the great battle at Shaolin.

* [[Bai Shijing]] (白世镜) – the elder in charge of discipline affairs. He had an adulterous affair with Kang Min and was responsible for the murder of the deputy chief Ma Dayuan.

* [[Wang Jiantong]] (汪剑通) – Qiao Feng’s predecessor as chief. He was nicknamed ‘jian ran’ (剑髯) or ‘sword beard’ and was involved in the attack on Xiao Yuanshan’s family.

* [[Wu Changfeng]] (吴长风) – one of the four chief elders who plotted against Qiao Feng.

* [[Chen Guyan]] (陈孤雁) – one of the four chief elders who plotted against Qiao Feng.

* Elder Xi (奚长老) – one of the four chief elders who plotted against Qiao Feng. He was killed by Qiao Feng at Ju Xian Manor.

* Elder Song (宋长老) – one of the four chief elders who plotted against Qiao Feng.

* Elder Xiang (项长老) – the elder in charge of overseeing the training of members

* Elder Xu (徐长老) – a retired elder of the Beggars’ Sect who appeared to testify against Qiao Feng. He was killed by Xiao Yuanshan and the blame put on Qiao Feng.

===Xiao Yao Sect (逍遥派)===
* [[Wu Ya Zi]] (无崖子) – the original leader of the Xiao Yao Sect. He was the master of [[Su Xinghe]] and [[Ding Chunqiu]] and was later succeeded by [[Xu Zhu]]. [[Wu Ya Zi]] was ambushed and thrown off a cliff by [[Li Qiushui]] and [[Ding Chunqiu]] after he found out about their affair.

* [[Tian Shan Tong Lao]] (天山童姥) – [[Wu Ya Zi]]’s fellow disciple sister. She was the ruler of [[Lingjiu Palace]] (灵鹫宫) on [[Tian Shan]] (天山) and too was succeeded by [[Xu Zhu]].

* [[Li Qiushui]] (李秋水) – [[Wu Ya Zi]]’s fellow disciple sister. She and Tian Shan Tong Lao were love rivals, with both of them fighting over Wu Ya Zi.She was also the princess consort of the Kingdom of Western Xia. Her idential twin sister, who doesnt practice martial art, is the true object of [[Wu Ya Zi]]'s love. This was revealed when [[Tian Shan Tong Lao]] notices [[Wu Ya Zi]]'s painting of his true love has a mole, which Li Qiushui doesn't have. Li Qiushui had an affair with [[Ding Chunqiu]] when [[Wu Ya Zi]] neglected her while falling in love with a statue of her (later revealed to be a statue of her identical twin). She is the mother of [[Wang Yunluo]] and the grandmother of [[Wang Yuyan]].

*[[Su Xinghe]] (苏星河) – the elder disciple of [[Wu Ya Zi]]. He was nicknamed ‘long ya lao ren’ (聋哑老人) or ‘deaf mute old man’ and ‘cong bian xian sheng’ (聪辩先生) or ‘clever gentleman’. He was the founder of the Deaf Mute Sect and the master of the [[Eight Friends of Hangu]]. He practices all type of arts and crafts which cause him to neglect his martial art practice. [[Ding Chunqiu]] spared his life on the condition that he would never speak again.

====Xing Su Sect (星宿派)====
* [[Ding Chunqiu]] (丁春秋) – formerly [[Wu Ya Zi]]’s younger disciple. He attempted to murder his master and left the sect to form the Xing Su Sect. He was nicknamed ‘xing su lao guai’ (星宿老怪) or ‘Xing Su old demon’.

* [[Zhai Xing Zi]] (摘星子) – the eldest disciple of [[Ding Chunqiu]], name translates to ‘the star picker’

* [[Shi Hou Zi]] (狮吼子) – the second eldest disciple of [[Ding Chunqiu]], name translates to ‘lion roar’
Note: Ding Chunqiu ranks his disciples by skill rather than senority. The disciples are allowed to fight each other to improve their rank. As the result, the ranking of Xing Su Sect's disciples changes over time. [[A Zi]] spends a brief few minutes as the eldest disciple with [[Xiao Feng]]'s secret help.

====Lingjiu Palace====
* [[Mei Jian]] (梅剑) – one of the four servant maids

* [[Lan Jian]] (兰剑) – one of the four servant maids

* [[Zhu Jian]] (竹剑) – one of the four servant maids

* [[Ju Jian]] (菊剑) – one of the four servant maids

====The Eight Friends of Hangu (函谷八友)====
* [[Kang Guangling]] (康广陵) – nicknamed ‘qin dian’ (琴癫) or ‘zither craze’

* [[Fan Bailing]] (范百龄) – nicknamed ‘qi mo’ (棋魔) or ‘chess devil’

* [[Gou Du]] (苟读) – nicknamed ‘shu ’ (书獃), or ‘book worm’

* [[Wu Lingjun]] (吴领军) – nicknamed ‘hua kuang’ (画狂) or ‘painting fanatic’

* [[Xue Muhua]] (薛慕华) – nicknamed ‘shen yi’ (神医) or ‘divine physician’

* [[Feng A San]] (冯阿三) – nicknamed ‘qiao jiang’ (巧匠) or ‘marvelous craftsman’

* [[Shi Qingfeng]] (石清風) – nicknamed ‘hua chi’ (花痴) or ‘flower craze’

* [[Li Kuilei]] (李傀儡) – nicknamed ‘xi mi’ (戏迷) or ‘opera fan’

====Ju Xian Manor (聚贤庄)====
* [[You Ji]] (游骥) – one of the twin heroes of Ju Xian Manor. Brother of You Ju and father of You Tanzhi.

* [[You Ju]] (游驹) – one of the twin heroes of Ju Xian Manor. Brother of You Ji and uncle of You Tanzhi.

* [[Qi Lao Liu]] (祁老六) – a pugilist from Guanxi, nicknamed ‘quai dao qi liu’ (快刀祁六) or ‘swift dagger qi liu’. He was killed by Qiao Feng at Ju Xian Manor.

* [[Xiang Wanghai]] (向望海) – a reputable pugilist known for his generosity

* [[Bao Qianling]] (鲍千灵) – a pugilist nicknamed ‘mei ben qian’ (没本钱) or ‘penniless’. He robbed the rich to help the poor.

====The Kingdom of Liao (辽国)====
* [[Yelü Hongji]] (耶律洪基) – the ruler of the Kingdom of Liao. Became sworn brothers with Xiao Feng

* [[Yelü Nielugu]] (耶律涅鲁古) – the Nan Yuan Great Prince (南院大王) of Liao who rebelled against the ruler Yelü Hongji. He was slain by Xiao Feng and his place was given to Xiao Feng.

* [[Yelü Chongyuan]] (耶律重元) – the ‘imperial uncle’ of Liao and chief commander of its army. He rebelled against the ruler Yelü Hongji but failed and committed suicide.

* Imperial Concubine Mu (穆貴妃) – Yelü Hongji’s favourite concubine

====Kingdom of Western Xia====
* Princess Yin Chuan (银川公主) – the princess of Western Xia who married Xu Zhu.

* [[He Lian Tie Shu]] (赫连铁树) – the leader of ‘yi pin tang’ (一品堂) and the East Conquering General (征东将军) of Western Xia.

* [[Nu Er Hai]] (努儿海) – a general of ‘yi pin tang’ (一品堂).

====The Nüzhen tribe (女真族)====
* [[Wanyan Aguda]] (完颜阿骨打) – the eldest son of the tribe’s chief. Founder of the [[Jin Dynasty]] (金国) and was known in history as ‘Emperor Taizu of the Jin Dynasty’ (金太祖).

* [[He Li Bu]] (和哩布) – the chief of the Nüzhen tribe

====Wu Liang Sword Sect (无量剑派)====
* [[Zuo Zimu]] (左子穆) – the leader of the east faction of the Wu Liang Sword Sect. He later became a subject of Ling Jiu Palace.

* [[Xin Shuangqing]] (辛双清) – the leader of the west faction of the Wu Liang Sword Sect. She later became a subject of Ling Jiu Palace.

====The 36 cave masters and 72 island masters (三十六洞洞主、七十二岛岛主)====
* [[Sang Tu Gong]] (桑土公) – the master of Bi Lin Cave (碧磷洞) in Chuanxi. He was killed by Xu Zhu and Tian Shan Tong Lao.

* [[Xuan Huang Zi]] (玄黃子) – the master of Jiu Long Cave (虯龍洞) on the Tibetan border

* [[Zhang Dafu]] (章达夫) – the master of Xuan Ming Island (玄冥島) in the Northern Sea

* [[Duanmu Yuan]] (端木元) – the master of Chi Yan Cave (赤焰洞) on Wu Zhi Mountain (五指山) in Hainan

* Mrs Li (黎夫人) the mistress of Ye Hua Island (椰花島) in the Southern Sea

* [[Wu Lao Da]] (乌老大) – an island master who led a rebellion against Ling Jiu Palace

* Taoist Bu Ping (不平道人) – nicknamed ‘jiao wang’ (蛟王) or ‘dragon king’. He was killed by Xu Zhu,

* [[Cui Lühua]] (崔绿华) – nicknamed ‘fu rong xian zi’ (芙蓉仙子) or ‘hibiscus fairy’.

* [[Zhuo Bufan]] (卓不凡) – nicknamed ‘jian shen’ (剑神) or ‘sword deity’.

===Miscellaneous characters===
*[[You Tanzhi]] (游坦之) – the son of You Ji (游驥) and the nephew of [[You Ju]] (游駒), who were known as the twin heroes of Ju Xian Manor (聚贤庄). He became an orphan and pauper overnight after the great battle at his home, and set off on his road to seek vengeance on Qiao Feng. He met A Zi and mastered the ‘yi jin jing’ (易筋經) unexpectedly, becoming a formidable martial artist. Later, renamed himself ‘zhuang ju xian’ (庄聚贤) and was manipulated by Quan Guanqing into becoming the new chief of the Beggars’ Sect. He was secretly in love with A Zi, willingly succumbing to her sadistic and cruel acts, even giving up his eyes for her. He committed suicide eventually to be with A Zi.

* [[Jiu Mozhi]] (鸠摩智) – the royal advisor of the Kingdom of Tubo and a reputable monk from Da Lun Monastery (大輪寺). He was well-versed in Buddhism and martial arts, but did not follow the Buddhist code, which includes his obsession to become the most powerful martial artist in the world, using any means necessary. He lost his martial arts prowess eventually but was henceforth truly enlightened.

* [[Sweeper Monk]] (扫地僧) – a nameless monk of unknown origin in charge of the library (藏經閣) of Shaolin Monastery. Often regarded as the most powerful martial artist in Jin Yong universe. Even the legendary Xiao Feng could not defeat him and later enlightened Xiao Yuanshan and Murong Bo who became his disciples.

* [[Xiao Yuanshan]] (萧远山) – the biological father of Xiao Feng. He lost his wife and was separated from his child for thirty years since the tragic incident at Yan Men Pass. He remained in hiding in the library of Shaolin Monastery these three decade while secretly planning his revenge. He was later enlightened by the Sweeper Monk and became his disciple along with Murong Bo.

* [[Sikong Xuan]] (司空玄) – the leader of the Shen Nong Sect (神农帮). He committed suicide by jumping into the Lancang River.

* [[Zhong Wanchou]] (钟万仇) – nicknamed ‘ma wang shen’ (马王神), or ‘horse deity’. He was the master of Wanjie Valley (万劫谷) and husband of Gan Baobao. He hated Duan Zhengchun to the core and placed a sign which read ‘Anyone with the surname Duan who enters this valley will be killed without exception’ (姓段者入此谷杀无赦) at the entrance to his valley.

* [[Reverend Huang Mei]] (黃眉大师) – the head abbot of Nian Hua Monastery (拈花寺). He played a role in rescuing Duan Yu from being imprisoned in Wan Jie Valley by distracting Duan Yanqing with a game of weiqi.

* [[A Bi]] (阿碧) – a servant maid of the Murong Family. Good friends with A Zhu

* [[Yao Bodang]] (姚伯当) – the chief of the Qin Family Stronghold (秦家寨).

* [[Du Ling Zi]] (都灵子) – the leader of the Peng Lai Sect (蓬莱派)

* [[Zhu Baokun]]] (諸保昆) – a member of the Peng Lai Sect (蓬萊派) who infiltrated the Qingcheng Sect

* [[Sima Lin]] (司马林) – the leader of the Qingcheng Sect (青城派) of Sichuan

* [[Shan Zheng]] (单正) – a pugilist from Tai Mountain (泰山) nicknamed ‘tie mian pan guan’ (铁面判官) or ‘stern-faced judge’. He and his entire family were killed in a fire set by Xiao Yuanshan.

* [[Tan Gong]] (谭公) – a pugilist from the Chong Xiao Cave(沖霄洞) of Tai Xing Mountain (太行山) who was Tan Po’s husband. He was killed by Xiao Yuanshan and the blame put on Qiao Feng.

* [[Tan Po]] (谭婆) – a pugilist from the Chong Xiao Cave(沖霄洞)of Tai Xing Mountain (太行山) who was Tan Gong’s wife. She was killed by Xiao Yuanshan and the blame put on Qiao Feng.

* [[Zhao Qiansun]] (趙錢孫) – a pugilist who was involved in the attack on Xiao Yuanshan’s family. He was killed by Xiao Yuanshan and the blame put on Qiao Feng.

* Reverend Zhi Guang (智光大师) – a reputable monk from Tian Tai Mountain (天台山) who was involved in the attack on Qiao Feng’s parents. He appeared to testify against Qiao Feng and later committed suicide after refusing to reveal the identity of the mysterious leader of the attackers.

* [[Qiao Sanhuai]] (喬三槐) – the adoptive father of Xiao(Qiao) Feng. He and his wife were killed by Xiao Yuanshan and the blame put on Qiao Feng.

==List of various sects, families and organizations mentioned in the novel==
* The Beggars’ Sect (丐帮) – a reputable martial arts sect of the Central Plains hailed as one of the most powerful sects within the realm. It has the largest number of members, including non-beggars, and a long history dating from the [[Han Dynasty]]. Its members were famous for their acts of righteousness, upholding justice and for helping those in need. It houses the powerful ‘Eighteen Dragon-subduing Palms’ (降龙十八掌) and the ‘Dog Beating Staff Skill’ (打狗棒法).

* Shaolin Monastery (少林寺) – a reputable martial arts sect of the Central Plains founded by [[Bodhidharma|Da Mo]] (达摩), which is highly respected as one of the most powerful sects within the realm. Its members are mostly Buddhist monks, who practise martial arts only for self-defence and upholding justice. It is also hailed as the origin of all martial arts and said to house 72 different styles of powerful martial arts.

* The Royal Duan Family of Dali (大理段氏皇族) – the ruling family of the Kingdom of Dali. Its members are experts in using the ‘Yi Yang Finger’ (一阳指). Although of nobility, its members are also highly respected within Dali for adhering to the laws of the martial arts world.

* The Murong Family of Gusu (姑苏慕容氏) – the Murong family are descendants of the royal family of the [[Kingdom of Yan]] of the [[Sixteen Kingdoms]] era. They seek to restore their kingdom to its former glory, by practicing martial arts and recruiting talents. They are said to have mastered all the various martial arts in the world, which accounts for their ability to ‘return you with your way’, which involves killing others with their trademark martial arts technique.

* Tianlong Monastery (天龙寺) – the members of the royal family of Dali had a tradition of becoming monks at Tian Long Monastery when the time comes. Duan Zhengming, the emperor of Dali, too became a monk at Tian Long Monastery after he abdicated in favour of his brother. Tian Long Monastery houses the ‘Six Veins Divine Sword’ (六脉神剑) and the ‘Yi Yang Finger’ (一阳指) for its affiliation to the royal family of Dali.

* Xiao Yao Sect (逍遥派) – a mysterious sect which only accepts members who are both talented and good-looking. It is the origin of ‘North Pole Divine Skill’ (北冥神功) and ‘Graceful Waves Steps’ (凌波微步).

* Xing Su Sect (星宿派) – founded by Ding Chunqiu, a traitor of the Xiao Yao Sect. It is based in Western Xia and its members were infamous for their acts of evil and use of poison against enemies. It is known to be one of the ‘losers of the martial arts world’. It houses several unorthodox poison-based martial arts and origin of the ‘Energy Sucking Skill’ (化功大法).

* Deaf Mute Sect (聋哑门) – founded by Su Xinghe, a member of the Xiao Yao Sect. As its name suggests, its members are deaf and mute.

* Ling Jiu Palace (灵鹫宫) – a mysterious sect based on the Piao Miao Peak (缥缈峰) of Tian Mountain (天山). Its members are all female and bound to serve the ruler Tian Shan Tong Lao. Several minor sects are brought under their rule by the ‘sheng si fu’ (生死符), which causes extreme agony annually. They treat their subjects harshly, which caused the rebellion against them.

* Yi Pin Tang (一品堂) – led by General He Lian Tie Shu, it is a government-based organization in the Kingdom of Western Xia. It recruits pugilists and martial arts experts (usually those notorious for acts of evil) from around the world to serve as mercenaries. Its aim is to purge all martial arts sects standing in the way for the kingdom’s path to world domination and the Four Evils are also its members.

* Wu Liang Sword Sect (无量剑派) – a sect based on Wu Liang Mountain (无量山) in Dali. Its members are divided into the east and west factions, headed by Zuo Zimu and Xin Shuangqing respectively. It is at conflict with the Shen Nong Sect in the beginning of the novel, but came under the rule of Ling Jiu Palace eventually.

* Shen Nong Sect (神农帮) – a sect based in Dali, in which its members are experts in the use of medicine and herbs. Headed by Sikong Xuan, it is first introduced as having a battle with the Wu Liang Sword Sect, only to be broken by Duan Yu. It eventually came under the rule of Ling Jiu Palace.

* Qing Cheng Sect (青城派) – a martial arts sect based on Qing Cheng Mountain (青城山) in Sichuan, headed by Sima Lin. It has a long history of conflict with the Peng Lai Sect, which it sought to destroy.

* Peng Lai Sect (蓬莱派) – a martial arts sect based on Peng Lai Mountain (蓬莱山) in the east. It has a long history of conflict with the Qing Cheng Sect of Sichuan, which it sought to destroy.

==Plot==
The novel is made up of several separate yet intertwining story lines, revolving around the protagonists [[Qiao Feng]], [[Duan Yu]] and [[Xu Zhu (fictional)|Xu Zhu]], and also the tragic story of [[You Tanzhi]].

===The story of Duan Yu===
Duan Yu started as a young, naive prince of Dali. Despite the long tradition of the practice of martial arts in the royal family, he refused to learn martial arts due [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] influence and his disdain for bloodshed. When his father [[Duan Zhengchun]], the Zhennan Prince, tried to force him to learn martial arts, he ran away from home. Ironically, by chance, he acquired three of the most powerful martial arts in the novel and became immune to poison after unintentionally consuming the Zhu Ha, a poisonous toad known as the king of all venomous creatures.

In the early chapters of the novel, Duan Yu met a young girl called [[Zhong Ling]], who grew in affection for him. Both of them ran into some trouble and Zhong Ling was captured and held hostage. In order to rescue her, Duan Yu ventures to Zhong Ling's home to seek help and he met [[Mu Wanqing]]. On the way to Zhong Ling's home, and before he met her parents and Mu Wanqing, Duan Yu had a strange encounter. He accidentally fell off a cliff and found his way into a cave. Inside the cave, he discovered a statue of a beautiful woman, whom he respectfully addressed as 'fairy sister'. He followed some instructions left on the statue and kowtowed a thousand times before the statue. Coincidentally, he discovered two martial arts manuals, the manuals for learning 'Ling Bo Wei Bu'(a style of [[qinggong]]) and 'Bei Ming Shen Gong'(a skill used for sucking others' energy). These skills later proved useful in self-defence when Duan Yu was confronted by enemies.

Although Mu Wanqing mistreated him in the beginning due to the mentality that men are not be trusted imposed on her by her teacher, she fell in love with him and under the threat of [[Nan Hai E Shen]] who tried to violate her, the two were engaged. Although Duan Yu was attracted by her beauty, he did not love her or treat their relationship seriously. It was later revealed that both Zhong Ling and Mu Wanqing, as a result of Duan Yu's father's previous love affairs, were actually his half-sisters. The news devastated Mu Wanqing and she became extremely upset. Zhong Ling learnt about it much later and the news did not affect her as much due to her personality and young age.

Duan Yu became seriously ill after Mu Wanqing left due to problems with the energy flow in his body, and his uncle [[Duan Zhengming]], the Emperor of Dali, brought him to Tianlong Monastery for treatment. At that time, [[Jiu Mozhi]], the royal advisor of [[Tufan|Tubo]] came to Tianlong Monastery to demand the martial arts manual for learning 'Liu Mai Shen Jian' under the pretext of paying a visit. The monk of Tianlong Monastery held off Jiu Mozhi in a martial arts duel, while Duan Yu was forced to memorise everything written in the manual at the same time. After Duan Yu had memorised all, the manual was burnt. Jiu Mozhi was furious about it but he kidnapped Duan Yu later after he discovered that Duan Yu had memorised everything written on the manual. Jiu Mozhi brought Duan Yu to the Central Plains, claiming that he would use Duan Yu as a sacrifice to his deceased friend [[Murong Bo]], whom he had promised a long time ago to bring the 'Liu Mai Shen Jian' manual and burn it in front of the latter's tomb as an offering to his spirit.

It was there that Duan Yu met [[A Zhu]] and [[A Bi]], servants of the Murong Family, who helped him escape from the clutches of Jiu Mozhi. Later, he went with them to the Mantuo Manor, where he chanced upon [[Wamg Yuyan]], a beautiful young girl who resembled the statue he saw in the cave. He immediately fell madly in love with her, and sought every opportunity to be close to her. Unfortunately for him, Wang Yuyan was equally obsessed with her cousin [[Murong Fu]]. Later, Duan Yu left Wang Yuyan reluctantly and happened to meet Qiao Feng. Both of them had a drinking contest, to see who could drink the most wine before getting drunk. They were equally matched and neither was drunk after having drank numerous jugs of wine, although Duan Yu had actually cheated by using his inner energy and 'Liu Mai Shen Jian' skill to force the wine out of his body from his fingertips. They also had a racing contest to see whose qinggong was better, but were equally matched also. Eventually, both of them became sworn brothers and Duan Yu followed Qiao Feng to the Beggars' Sect meeting.

After the meeting where Qiao Feng's true ethnicity was revealed, a group of warriors from [[Western Xia]] used a kind of special drug to make everyone present unconscious after sniffing its scent, except for Qiao Feng who had left. Duan Yu, being immune to all kinds of poison after having swallowed the Zhu Ha, was unaffected and he seized Wang Yuyan, who was also present, and fled from the scene. They were pursued by the Western Xia warriors and they ran into a mysterious Western Xia warrior. This mysterious warrior was later revealed to be actually Murong Fu in disguise. Also, Duan Yu and A Zhu, disguised themselves as Murong Fu and Qiao Feng respectively to rescue the members of the Beggars' Sect held captive by the Western Xia warriors.

Duan Yu appeared again in the later chapters of the novel at Leigu Mountain where Xu Zhu’s storyline begins. He continued to follow Xu Zhu as Xu Zhu had strange encounters one after another. Both of them became sworn brothers after Xu Zhu inherited the position of the ruler of the Lingjiu Palace. Later, in the truth-revealing showdown at Shaolin Monastery, Duan Yu fought alongside Qiao Feng and Xu Zhu, whom he had became sworn brothers with, against the powerful antagonists [[You Tanzhi]](aka Zhuang Juxian), [[Ding Chunqiu]] and [[Murong Fu]].

Towards the end of the novel, Wang Yuyan realised that Duan Yu was the one who actually loved her, and that she had in fact wasted much of her time on being obssessed with her cousin Murong Fu, who had no feelings for her at all. As the plot continues, when Duan Yu's parents and all of Duan Zhengchun's concubines were captured and about to be killed by Murong Fu, Duan Yu learnt that Wang Yuyan was also a daughter of Duan Zhengchun, which meant that he was also her half-brother - devastating news for Duan Yu. However, with her dying breath, his mother ([[Dao Baifeng]], told him that he was in fact not the biological son of Duan Zhengchun, but an offspring of the leader of the 'Four Evils', [[Duan Yanqing]], due to a one-night stand. Both Dao Baifeng and Duan Zhengchun committed suicide eventually. Now that the truth had been revealed, the ladies whom Duan Yu had met in the novel were no longer his half-siblings, but rather as second cousins. According to Dali's tradition, he could now marry them.

In the end, [[Duan Yu]] became the Emperor of Dali after the death of the Duan Zhengchun and the abdication of Duan Zhengming, and made [[Wang Yuyan]] his empress. By the Third Edition, [[Duan Yu]] realised at the end, that he was in love with the statue and not [[Wang Yuyan]]. Wang Yuyan destroyed the statue to free him of his obsession and then returned to her cousin, [[Murong Fu]]. [[Duan Yu]] realized [[Mu Wanqing]] was the one who loved him the most, so he made her his Imperial Consort. He also married [[Zhong Ling]] and made her a Consort along with a maid given to him by the princess.

===The story of Qiao Feng===
Qiao Feng starts out as the chief of the [[Beggars' Sect]]. He was rather popular among his fellow members of the sect and had shown his leadership qualities by making great achievements and contributions to the sect. He was exceptionally powerful in martial arts and seemed to be the most suitable candidate to succeed [[Wang Jiantong]] as chief.

Eventually, he was elected chief and led the Beggars’ Sect well, leading it to greater heights and making achievements, which surpassed those of their predecessors. Subsequently, the deputy chief of the Beggars’ Sect, [[Ma Dayuan]], was mysteriously murdered and had died under his own trademark martial arts technique. At first, everyone suspected that [[Murong Fu]] was the murderer, as Murong Fu was infamous for his ’returning you with your own way’. Qiao Feng went to [[Suzhou]] to investigate the murder, and met [[Duan Yu]] there. Intially, Qiao Feng mistook Duan Yu as Murong Fu, and decided to have a drinking contest with him. Both of them were equally matched as neither was drunk after having drank numerous jars of wine, and also in a race to see whose [[qinggong]] was better. Both of them became sworn brothers after that.

Later, Qiao Feng went to attend the Beggars’ Sect meeting in Xingzi Forest, with Duan Yu accompanying him. At the meeting, it seemed that everyone was rather against Qiao Feng and that the meeting was a plot against him. It seemed that something which would affect the Beggars’ Sect greatly was about to happen. Four of the elders were plotting to kill him and they eventually confessed. According to the rules of the sect, anyone within the sect who plots against the chief will be sentenced to death. Qiao Feng stopped the elders from commiting suicide by willingly plunging the executing knives into his own body, shedding blood in order to spare the elders’ lives, on account that these elders had contributed greatly to the sect and were extremely loyal. According to the rules of the sect, anyone sentenced to death could be granted a special pardon from death if the chief is willing to shed his blood for him. It was eventually revealed that the elders had plotted against Qiao Feng because Qiao Feng was not a Han Chinese, but a [[Khitan people|Qidan]]. In those days, the Song Empire(predominantly Han Chinese) and the Liao Empire(ruled by the Qidan) were involved in several wars. Hence, the Han Chinese tend to harbour intense hatred and resentment towards the Qidan. [[Quan Guanqing]], an evil individual within the sect, seized the opportunity to stir up anti-Qidan feelings within the sect and cause everyone to turn against Qiao Feng, and denounce Qiao Feng as a barbarian, saying that the position of chief would not be taken up by a Qidan. Also, Qiao Feng was blamed for the death of Ma Dayuan as Ma Dayuan was the only one who knew the secret of Qiao Feng’s heritage. Qiao Feng would not believe that he was a Qidan, but he abandoned the position of chief eventually and left to verify his heritage, stating that he would not return until he had confirmed that he was Qidan.

Later, those present in Xingzi Forest were taken into captive by a group of [[Western Xia]] warriors. Qiao Feng managed to rescue A Zhu and A Bi, who were also taken into captive. Unknown to him, A Zhu and Duan Yu had disguised themselves as Qiao Feng and Murong Fu respectively to rescue the captives. Thus, when Qiao Feng appeared at where the captives were held, he was surprised when the captives thanked him for rescuing them. Qiao Feng claimed that he did not rescue them and left. Later, he went home to find his parents but found them to be murdered. Later, he tried to sneak into Shaolin Monastery to look for his mentor, but his mentor had suffered a serious injury from an attack by an unknown attacker and was on the verge of dying. His mentor’s dying words surprised him and later some of the monks claimed that they saw that Qiao Feng was the attacker. Now, everyone saw Qiao Feng as a cold-blooded murderer who finally showed his true colours after discovering his own heritage. Coincidentally, he met A Zhu at Shaolin Monastery who was seriously wounded after attempting to steal the ‘Yi Jin Jing’ manual and saved her.

Later, Qiao Feng discovered that there was a ‘Heroes’ Meeting’ being held at Juxian Manor, in which all prominent characters in the martial arts world were invited to discuss a plan to deal with the new threat which had emerged; Qiao Feng. Qiao Feng went to the meeting without showing any sign of fear although the meeting was meant to be a discussion on how to get rid of him. In fact, Qiao Feng was there to look for Divine Doctor Xue, a famous doctor who could cure all kinds of illnesses and injuries, to request for him to cure A Zhu. The heroes present at the meeting confronted Qiao Feng with hostility, leaving Qiao Feng no choice but to severe all ties with his old friends and those who previously had dealings with him by drinking a toast with each of them to end their friendship. After that, a fierce fight ensued, in which Qiao Feng emerged victorious, defeating all who stood in his way and killing several heroes. Qiao Feng was surrounded by the heroes but was saved by a mysterious hooded man dressed in black.

The mysterious rescuer later left Qiao Feng and Qiao Feng set off to verify his heritage as a Qidan. He went to Yan Pass and finally verifed that he was a Qidan, when he saw the carvings on a rock left behind by his biological father before he committed suicide. He renamed himself Xiao Feng to reflect his heritage and also met A Zhu there, who had fully recovered and had escaped from Juxian Manor in disguise. Qiao Feng and A Zhu went to look for the witnesses who were present then at Xingzi Forest to testify that Qiao Feng was a Qidan. These witnesses were actually involved in a fight thirty years ago at Yan Pass. According to them, they had received news that a Qidan spy was planning to infiltrate into Song territory to steal martial arts manuals from Shaolin Temple and bring them back to Liao. Hence, they laid in ambush and attacked a Qidan family passing by. Later, they realised that they had been deceived and had wrongly caused the deaths of the Qidan couple. Full of remorse, they decided to raise the Qidan couple’s child as one of their own. That Qidan child was said to be the infant Qiao Feng. Strangely, these witnesses were found to have been mysteriously murdered every time Qiao Feng went to find them. Before their deaths, these witnesses were unwilling to reveal the identity of their leader, whom Qiao Feng considered to be the one responsible for the deaths of his parents and the prime suspect behind the mysterious murders. During the search for the leader, Qiao Feng and A Zhu gradually fell in love with each other.

Eventually, they traced all the clues to Ma Dayuan’s widow, [[Kang Min]]. A Zhu disguised herself as [[Bai Shijing]] to trick Kang Min into revealing the identity of the leader. Kang Min claimed that the leader was [[Duan Zhengchun]]. Qiao Feng then set off to find Duan Zhengchun and found him at Xiaojing Lake. Xiao Feng confronted Duan Zhengchun and dealt him with a fierce blow. Later, he was rather shocked when he discovered that the Duan Zhengchun he had confronted was actually A Zhu in disguise. A Zhu was in fact a daughter of Duan Zhengchun, and she did it in order to save her father. Qiao Feng regretted bitterly but was too late and A Zhu died. Feeling remorseful over the tragedy, he decided to watch over A Zhu's younger sister, A Zi as he had promised A Zhu before she died.

Qiao Feng was rather unhappy with A Zi as she was a very selfish, sadistic and annoying girl who always got into trouble and had to involve himself to resolve the disputes. However, Qiao Feng tried his best to look after A Zi and guide her towards goodness from evil. Qiao Feng brought A Zi to Changbai Mountain, far away from Song territory, to search for a cure after she was severely injured in a fight. There, he met the chieftain of the [[Jurchen|Nüzhen]], [[Wanyan Aguda]], and became fast friends with him. Qiao Feng and A Zi stayed with the Nüzhen for quite some time and A Zi gradually recovered. Once, Qiao Feng happened to meet the ruler of the Liao Empire, [[Yelü Hongji]] and they became sworn brothers. Qiao Feng and A Zi then left the Nüzhen to live with the Qidan, where Qiao Feng felt much more at home after being faced with hostility by the Han Chinese. Qiao Feng also helped Yelü Hongji put down a rebellion and was rewarded by being made a noble. Although Qiao Feng was now a powerful noble of the Liao Empire, he still treated his subordinates equally and did not abuse his power, thus earning the respect of the Qidan. A Zi, on the other hand, was made a princess. A Zi, being selfish and sadistic in nature, mistreated her surbordinates and instilled fear in the people. Once, A Zi happened to find some interest in [[You Tanzhi]] after he failed to assassinate Qiao Feng. You Tanzhi was later captured under A Zi’s orders and was used by A Zi for her sadistic purposes. You Tanzhi, however, succumbed to A Zi and willingly served her.

Eventually, Qiao Feng returned to Song to attend the meeting called by the Beggars’ Sect at Shaolin Monastery for the election of a leader for all martial artists. His appearance shocked everyone present as no news had been heard about him for a long time. There, Qiao Feng met his sworn brother Duan Yu again, who had became sworn brothers with [[Xu Zhu]]. Three of them renounced their oaths again and became sworn brothers. They fought alongside each other against powerful opponents like [[Ding Chunqiu]], Murong Fu and You Tanzhi(now known as Zhuang Juxian). They defeated their opponents and the mysterious hooded man dressed in black who had rescued Qiao Feng from Juxian Manor appeared. It was there where all the truths behind the mysterious murders were brought to light. In fact, the mysterious hooded man in black was Qiao Feng’s biological father [[Xiao Yuanshan]]. Xiao Yuanshan had in fact survived after jumping off the cliff in despair after the death of his beloved wife in the ambush at Yan Pass thirty years ago. He was in hiding these years in the library of Shaolin Monastery, reading martial arts manuals and learning them, becoming a master of martial arts, while waiting patiently for the time to take revenge. He was in fact the one behind the mysterious murders for which Qiao Feng was wrongly accused of, as he admitted to having killed those in order to prevent his son from learning the truth until the time is ripe.

According to Xiao Yuanshan, the leader of the ambush group who attacked him and his family thirty years ago was the head abbot of Shaolin Monastery, [[Xuan Ci]]. The reason why those who were involved in the attack refused to disclose any details about the identity of their leader was that their leader was a reputable martial artist and could not afford to have his reputation to be tarnished. In revenge, Xiao Yuanshan had actually kidnapped the illegitimate son of Xuan Ci and [[Ye Er Niang]] and left the child in the garden of Shaolin, allowing the infant to be raised by Xuan Ci himself without knowledge that the infant was his own flesh and blood. The infant was Xu Zhu, and Xuan Ci was surprised to know that Xu Zhu was actually his illegitimate son without him knowing all these years as he oversaw the growth and development of Xu Zhu from an infant.

Together in hiding with Xiao Yuanshan in the library of Shaolin was another mysterious hooded man who too was secretly reading martial arts manuals there, later revealed to be [[Murong Bo]], father of Murong Fu, whom everyone thought had been dead for some time. Xuan Ci confessed to having sinned by having broken the vow of celibacy when he fathered a child, as well as causing the death of Xiao Yuanshan’s wife. However, Xuan Ci also pointed out that he had been instigated to attack the couple at Yan Pass thirty years ago, after being provided with false information. According to him, Murong Bo had told him that the Qidan were intending to send a spy to infiltrate into Shaolin Monastery to steal martial arts manuals, causing Xiao Yuanshan and his family to be mistaken as the spies and attacked for no reason. Murong Bo’s purpose of providing the false information was to incite war between Song and Liao. After the truth was revealed, there was a fight in the library of Shaolin Temple, between the two vengeful parties; Xiao Yuanshan and Qiao(Xiao) Feng against Murong Bo, Murong Fu and Jiu Mozhi. This fight was eventually stopped by a mysterious Sweeper Monk whose martial arts abilities far surpassed those present. Xiao Yuanshan and Murong Bo eventually decided to forget their past hatred and disputes and became the disciples of the Sweeper Monk, who would guide them on the path of Buddhism.

After the truth had come to light and Qiao Feng’s name had been cleared, Qiao Feng spent some time with his sworn brothers before returning to Liao. Upon his return to Liao, he learnt that the Liao ruler was planning to launch an attack on Song, and wanted Qiao Feng to lead the army. Qiao Feng refused to lead the army as he still had feelings for the Han Chinese who raised him and nurtured him, and also not to break the vow he had made, which was to never kill a Han Chinese ever in his life. The Liao ruler was rather disappointed that Qiao Feng was unwilling to lead the army, but was afraid that Qiao Feng might try to stop him from attacking Song, thus he devised a scheme to immobilise Qiao Feng by sending him wine spiked with a drug, through the hands of an unsuspecting A Zi. Qiao Feng was later held captive in Liao but A Zi managed to escape back to Song. A Zi sought help from Song to rescue Qiao Feng and there was overwhelming response. A group of heroes who were impressed with Qiao Feng’s heroism decided to infiltrate into Liao and rescue Qiao Feng, which included his sworn brothers and members of various sects.

Qiao Feng was successfully rescued from the prison in Liao, but the heroes were pursued by Liao troops as they made their way back to Song. Qiao Feng intervened and charged his way into the heart of the troops’ formation, capturing the Liao ruler and holding him hostage. Qiao Feng was unwilling to kill the Liao ruler Yelü Hongji, whom he had been sworn brothers with, so he forced Yelü Hongji to make a vow never to attack Song ever in his life. The Liao ruler had no choice but to order his troops to retreat back to Liao. Qiao Feng eventually committed suicide, as only his death would prevent the war between Song and Liao from occurring．

===The story of Xu Zhu===

Xu Zhu’s storyline only begins in the later chapters of the novel. He was first introduced as being a monk from Shaolin, described to having a kind-hearted and submissive nature. He believed strongly in following the Buddhist code and refused to break it even when faced with life-threatening situations. He followed his seniors and elders to Leigu Mountain to challenge to break a strange [[Weiqi]] formation on the invitation of [[Su Xinghe]], master of the Long Ya(Deaf and mute) Sect, in which all the members of the sect were either deaf or mute or both. There, he accidentally broke the formation with a random move in order to prevent another from being driven into insanity, as the formation would cause rather strange effects on people, depending on their personality.

Upon having broken the formation, Su Xinghe brought Xu Zhu to see his master, Wu Ya Zi. Wu Ya Zi was the master of the Xiaoyao Sect. Wu Ya Zi was not very impressed when he saw Xu Zhu, because Xu Zhu did not meet his expectations as being good-looking and intelligent. Nevertheless, Wu Ya Zi could not go back on his word as he had once intended to make the one who managed to break the Weiqi formation set up by him his successor. Hence, Wu Ya Zi purged Xu Zhu’s body of the Shaolin martial arts Xu Zhu had previously learnt and passed on his internal energy, accumulated over 70 years to Xu Zhu. Although Xu Zhu was unwilling to become Wu Ya Zi’s disciple, he had no choice but to oblige in order to fulfill the latter’s dying wish. Wu Ya Zi entrusted Xu Zhu with the task of tracking down [[Ding Chunqiu]], his former disciple who had betrayed him, and kill him. Although Xu Zhu had lost all his Shaolin martial arts, his inner energy was greatly enhanced, but not very useful without any martial arts to allow him to bring out his power.

Later, Xu Zhu encountered [[Tian Shan Tong Lao]] when he saved her from being killed by a group of her subordinates who were planning a rebellion. Tian Shan Tong Lao was the ruler of the Ling Jiu Palace, and oppressed those under her rule, which included several leaders of minor sects. She had used the ‘sheng si fu’ to brand those under her rule, such that they would suffer in agony annually if not given the antidote, which would decrease their pain of suffering for a year. Hence, those who rebelled against her would die a painful death. This incurred much hatred and resentment from those under her rule and they secretly planned a rebellion. This group had captured a young girl, presumably a servant of Tian Shan Tong Lao, from Ling Jiu Palace and had tried to force her to reveal the whereabouts of Tian Shan Tong Lao. As they were planning to kill her after failing to obtain any information from her, Xu Zhu dashed out, grabbed her and they escaped. Unknown to Xu Zhu, this young girl was in fact Tian Shan Tong Lao in her young form.

Besides facing rebellion from those under her rule, Tian Shan Tong Lao was also being targeted by her disciple sister Li Qiushui, who was the empress dowager of [[Western Xia]]. She had been cursed to remain eternally in a child-like form, and she needed to drink fresh blood and practice diligently for 96 days to regain her strength, which she loses every 30 years because of the curse. Xu Zhu was unwilling to see her die at the hands of her enemy, although he was totally opposed to some of the things she did. Hence, Xu Zhu decided to protect Tian Shan Tong Lao from Li Qiushui for the time being.

Eventually, Xu Zhu and Tian Shan Tong Lao hid themselves in an ice cellar in the imperial palace of Western Xia to avoid Li Qiushui’s constant attacks. Tian Shan Tong Lao had not regained her power yet and Xu Zhu was not experienced enough so they were no match for Li Qiushui. While in hiding, Tian Shan Tong Lao tried to force the reluctant Xu Zhu to learn all her martial arts. Xu Zhu refused to learn as he knew that after he learnt, Tian Shan Tong Lao would use him as to kill Li Qiushui. Xu Zhu followed the Buddhist code very strictly, abstaining from consuming meat and wine, as well as from having immoral thoughts. Tian Shan Tong Lao put in a lot of effort to force him to break the code and eventually Xu Zhu succumbed to temptation when Tian Shan Tong Lao made him sleep with a mysterious naked woman every night in the ice cellar. Throughout the duration of their stay in the ice cellar, Xu Zhu and the woman gradually fell in love with each other. Xu Zhu also willingly consumed meat and wine, and was considered to have sinned.

After Tian Shan Tong Lao had regained her powers and Xu Zhu had mastered all the martial arts taught to him by her, becoming a powerful martial artist now, she had her final showdown with Li Qiushui, which ended with both of them injuring each other severely and were on the verge of death. Before their deaths, it was revealed that both of them were Wu Ya Zi’s disciple sisters and were infatuated with Wu Ya Zi, but Wu Ya Zi had no feelings for either of them and loved another disciple sister instead. Hence, the two women realized their folly and were amused by the fact that they had actually fought each other for decades over the love for the same man, who turned out to have no feelings for either of them. They forgot their past disputes and died together. Before the death of Tian Shan Tong Lao, she appointed Xu Zhu as her successor to the throne of Ling Jiu Palace. Xu Zhu then went back to Ling Jiu Palace to put down the rebellion and appease his new angry subordinates by removing the ‘Sheng Si Fu’ from each of them. It was there where Xu Zhu and Duan Yu became sworn brothers.

Xu Zhu did not feel very comfortable living in Ling Jiu Palace despite being treated like an emperor by his servants and he missed the days when he was still a monk in Shaolin. Hence, he decided to return to Shaolin and become a monk again. Upon returning to Shaolin Monastery he met his master and told him everything he had been through, including the times when he actually broke the Buddhist code willingly. However, his servants had followed him in secret to protect him from being ill-treated by the monks. It was then when Jiu Mozhi came to Shaolin Monastery to challenge Shaolin. Xu Zhu accepted the challenge on behalf on Shaolin and defeated Jiu Mozhi, while his seniors were rather surprised with his sudden improvement in martial arts. Shortly after that, the great battle at Shaolin started when the Beggars’ Sect arrived, led by their new chief Zhuang Juxian, who was actually [[You Tanzhi]], under the control of [[Quan Guanqing]]. There, all the heroes of the martial arts world were assembled. Xu Zhu, along with his sworn brothers Qiao Feng(who had returned from Liao) and Duan Yu, faced their powerful opponents [[Ding Chunqiu]], Zhuang Juxian and [[Murong Fu]]. They won the battle and Ding Chunqiu was forced into submission when Xu Zhu implanted the ‘Sheng Si Fu’ into his body. Ding Chunqiu was fully subdued and he had no choice but to be imprisoned in Shaolin to reflect on his past evil doings, and would only be given the antidote if he repented.

Also, it was there where the truths behind the mysterious murders, for which Qiao Feng was accused of, were revealed. At the same time, Xu Zhu’s true parentage was also revealed. He was in fact the illegitimate child of the head abbot of Shaolin, [[Xuan Ci]], and [[Ye Er Niang]], one of the ‘Four Evils’. Xuan Ci was actually the leader of the ambush group which attacked Xiao Yuanshan and his family thirty years ago, and Xiao Yuanshan, who had survived after a suicide attempt, had plotted revenge while in hiding. Xu Zhu was kidnapped as an infant by Xiao Yuanshan and placed in the garden of Shaolin. The monks there found him and decided to raise him as one of their own, and Xuan Ci did not know that the infant was his own son. However, Ye Er Niang had recognised her son when he saw all the joss-stick burn marks on Xu Zhu’s back, which was done by her in memory of her illegitimate lover, who was a monk. Both Xu Zhu and his father were punished to be flogged in public as punishment for having broken the Buddhist code. Xuan Ci committed suicide after the punishment was complete and Ye Er Niang did the same. Xu Zhu was shocked by the sudden change of events and deeply grieved by the fact that his parents had died shortly after they were reunited as a family.

After that, Xu Zhu was no longer a member of Shaolin and took up his post as the leader of the Xiaoyao Sect and ruler of Ling Jiu Palace. Xu Zhu followed Duan Yu to Western Xia to take part in a contest to win the hand in marriage of the princess. There, it was revealed that the princess of Western Xia was actually the mysterious naked woman whom Xu Zhu slept with during his stay with Tian Shan Tong Lao in the ice cellar. They were happy to be reunited and were married, with Xu Zhu becoming the son-in-law of the king of Western Xia.

Xu Zhu and Duan Yu later participated in rescue mission to rescue their eldest sworn brother Qiao Feng, who had been imprisoned in Liao after refusing to lead the army to attack Song. However, they were pursued by Liao troops and the Liao ruler agreed to withdraw his troops after being held hostage and forced to make a vow never to attack Song again. Qiao Feng committed suicide as only his death would bring an end to the war between Song and Liao. The novel ended on a happy note for Xu Zhu’s storyline, with him living happily ever after with the princess he had married.

==Adaptations==
===Television series===
{| class="wikitable" width=80%
!width=10%| Year !!width=15%| Production !!width=15%| Title of Adaptation (if different)!!Notes
|-
|align=center| 1982
|align=center| [[TVB]] (Hong Kong)
|align=center|
|The main cast includes:

[[Leung Ka Yan|Bryan Leung]] as Qiao Feng,

[[Felix Wong]] as Xu Zhu,

[[Kent Tong]] as Duan Yu,

[[Patrick Tse Yin]] as Duan Zhengchun,

[[Wong Han Sau]] as A Zhu/Zhong Ling,

[[Shek Sau]] as Murong Fu,

[[Idy Chan]] as Wang Yuyan,

[[Sharon Yeung]] as Mu Wanqing
|-
|align=center| 1996
|align=center| [[TVB]] (Hong Kong)
|align=center|
|The main cast includes:

[[Felix Wong]] as Qiao Feng/Xiao Yuanshan,

[[Benny Chan]] as Duan Yu,

[[Carman Lee]] as Wang Yuyan/Wang Yunluo
|-
|align=center| 2003
|align=center| [[China Central Television|CCTV]] (Mainland China)
|align=center| Heaven Dragon - the Eighth Episode
|Producer [[Zhang Jizhong]] had previously adapted [[The Legend of the Condor Heroes]] for CCTV to great acclaim. The main cast includes:

[[Hu Jun]] as Qiao Feng/Xiao Yuanshan,

[[Jimmy Lin Chih Ying|Jimmy Lin]] as Duan Yu,

[[Gao Hu]] as Xu Zhu,

[[Xiu Qing]] as Murong Fu,

[[Liu Yifei|Crystal Liu]] as Wang Yuyan,

[[Liu Tao]] as A Zhu,

[[Chen Hao]] as A Zi,

[[Tong Chun Chong]] as Duan Zhengchun,

[[Shu Chang]] as Tian Shan Tong Lao,

[[Christy Chung]] as Kang Min,

[[Jiang Xin]] as Mu Wan Qing (change to "firstname surname" format as above),

[[Xiu Qing]] as Mu Rong Fu (change to "firstname surname" format as above),

[[Christy Chung]] as Ma Fu Ren (change to "firstname surname" format as above),

[[Ji Chun Hua]] as Duan Yuan Qing (change to "firstname surname" format as above),

[[Ma Yu Ke]] as You Tan Zhi (change to "firstname surname" format as above)

|}

===Movies===
{| class="wikitable" width=80%
!width=10%| Year !!width=15%| Production !!width=20%| Crew!!Cast and notes
|-
|align=center| 1977
|align=center| [[Shaw Brothers]] (Hong Kong)
|align=center| [[Pao Hsueh Li]] as director
|align=center| [[Danny Lee]] as Duan Yu, [[Tian Ni]] as Mu Wanqing, [[Lin Chen-Chi]] as Zhong Ling
|-
|align=center| 1982
|align=center| [[Shaw Brothers]] (Hong Kong)
|align=center| [[Tsui Siu Ming]] as director
|align=center| The English title of the movie is 'Gang Master'
|-
|align=center| 1982
|align=center| Hong Kong
|align=center| [[Xiao Sheng]] as director
|align=center| [[Norman Chu]] as Qiao Feng, [[Kent Tong]] as Duan Yu, [[Felix Wong]] as Xu Zhu, [[Idy Chan]] as Wang Yuyan, [[Hui Tian Ci]] as Murong Fu, [[Eddy Ko]] as Jiu Mozhi
|-
|align=center| 1994
|align=center| Hong Kong
|align=center| [[Andy Chin]] as director
|align=center| [[Brigitte Lin]] as Li Canghai/Li Qiushui, [[Gong Li]] as Tian Shan Tong Lao, [[Sharla Cheung]] as A Zi, [[Norman Chu]] as Ding Chunqiu, [[Frankie Lam]] as Xu Zhu
|}

===Video games===
* ‘’ The Demi-gods and Semi-devils’’ (1997)
* ‘’ The Demi-gods and Semi-devils - Liu Mai Shen Jian’’
* ‘’The Demi-gods and Semi-devils’’ (MUD)
* ‘’The Demi-gods and Semi-devils Online’’

==External links==
*{{en icon}} [http://wuxiapedia.com/novels/jin_yong/demi_gods_semi_devils Demi-Gods, Semi-Devils] - English translation of the novel at Wuxiapedia.com; includes a comprehensive section of fully-annotated material called "Facts and Figures".
*{{zh icon}} [http://www.cnnovels.com/wx/jingyong/tlbb/ Tian Long Ba Bu] - Text of the novel, in Chinese
*{{zh icon}} [http://jinyong.ylib.com.tw Jinyong Tea House] - Chinese language fansite of Jinyong's novels
* {{zh icon}} [http://jinyong.ylib.com.tw/snowtalk/ Fei Hong Xue Ni] - Jin Yong forums in Chinese
*{{imdb title|id=0404679|title=Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils}}

{{Jinyong's wuxia novels}}

[[Category:Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils| ]]

[[ja:天龍八部 (小説)]]
[[th:แปดเทพอสูรมังกรฟ้า]]
[[vi:Thiên long bát bộ]]
[[zh:天龙八部 (小说)]]

Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils

2008-08-04T00:00:54Z

Julian1313: /* Television series */

{{Unreferenced|date=July 2007}}
'''Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils''' ({{zh-tsp|t=天龍八部|s=天龙八部|p=Tiān Lóng Bā Bù}}) is a long [[wuxia]] novel written by [[Jinyong]].

It was originally published in 1963, and has since spawned several movies and television serials in both [[Mainland China]] and [[Hong Kong]]. The title of the novel has been a challenge for translators for years. It is based on the eight races of non-human entities described in [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] [[cosmos|cosmology]]. In Buddhism, even though these demi-gods are ranked higher than mortals, they are still bound to the [[samsara]] by their own passions and desires. It is said that Jinyong originally modelled each major character after one of the Races. As he wrote on, the complexity of the story made it impossible for such a simplistic mapping. Today, the topic of which character corresponds to which Race is still an interesting matter of discussion among fans and readers.

==The Races==
===Deva (天)===
The Deva, also known as ‘tian’ or ‘heaven’ in Chinese, is a holy being which dwells in the heavens. It enjoys the highest bliss among all living creatures. Higher Devas live for millions of years, even kalpas. With the ability to morph into whatever form they desire, they can travel at free will within any realm. The holiest of Devas are Bodhisattvas (菩薩), while others are known as Guardians of Dharma (護法). The unholy ones are called Deva-maras (天魔) who turn away from Buddha. They may postpone their fates of reincarnation into hell by turning into pure Maras, who establish their own dominions in any realm of existence. Devas or Maras may also be born in the Realm of Forms or Formlessness.

Xiao Feng or Qiao Feng is a representation of the Deva. He gives reader the impression of a heavenly being as he fits its description in any form, whether in appearance, build, character or martial arts. His status in the novel as the first main protagonist further enhances his position as the leader of the Devas, called ‘Di Shi Tian’ (帝释天). The Deva is no exception to death, regardless of how powerful it is, just like Xiao Feng, who died at an early age. His tragic end is different from that of the Deva but yet one of those which touched readers deeply. He has ‘luxuries’ in the form of his martial arts prowess and his status as a noble of the Kingdom of Liao, but no beautiful maidens to accompany him; he killed his love interest A Zhu by mistake in a tragedy caused by confusion, he did not like A Zi for her cruel and sadistic nature although she was desperately trying to win his heart and he took care of her only to fulfill a promise he made to A Zhu before her death.

===Naga (龙)===
The Naga, also called ‘long’ or ‘dragon’ in Chinese, assumes the form of a scaled and limbless serpent which can fly, swim and burrow. They can be classified by four ways of birth. Some hatch dry eggs on land or spawn wet eggs in water. Others are germinated from embryos or simply dead bodies. The sizes of Nagas range from very small to very large. They enjoy long slumbers and hoarding treasure. Some can change their facial appearances or torsos but not their entire bodies. They can become invisible except when they are born, dying, having sex, being infuriated, and sleeping. They can harm humans by roars, gazes, breaths, or mere touches. On the contrary, they suffer from scorching of hot wind or sandstorms, loss of property due to sudden hurricanes, and frequent devouring by Garudas. Older Nagas can summon rainstorms by will.

Duan Yu represents the Naga. Of the eight Races, Deva and Naga are the most important ones, so Duan Yu being the second main protaganist, obviously represents the Naga. Duan Yu is born of noble blood and a future ruler of the [[Kingdom of Dali]]. The Chinese see their emperor as a dragon, while the ancient Indians too hold the dragon in high regard, which shows their respect for Duan Yu as a prince. The dragon king in Chinese mythology has an affinity for Buddhism since young, just like Duan Yu who has been largely influenced by Buddhism before his rise to prominence. Besides, the rulers of Dali have a tradition for taking the tonsure at Tian Long Monastery (天龙寺) or ‘heavenly dragon monastery’, which hints that Duan Yu represents the Naga of the eight races.

===Yaksa (夜叉)===
The Yaksa (夜叉), also known as ‘ye cha’ in Chinese, is a fierce, agile and cannibalistic devil which can devour other devils. It seldom morphs into other forms but can shift its visibility to that of human eyes easily by will. Moreover, Yaksas can hide themselves or conceal objects by camouflaging them into the surroundings superbly even if they cannot make things invisible to the sharp eyes. Based on speeds of air travel, they can be further separated into three classes, namely, Heavenly Yaksas, Void Yaksas, and Earthly Yaksas, in ranking of the fastest to the slowest.

The Yaksa had been said to be represented by the third main protagonist, Xu Zhu. Xu Zhu, originating from Shaolin Monastery, found himself caught in between several feuds, which eventually led to him becoming a powerful martial artist despite going against his own will. He was also the leader of several unorthodox sects, yet managed to lead them from their ‘evil’ origins towards good, fitting the description of the Yaksa, which is the deity in charge of subduing devils and evil spirits, yet itself is a devil.

The Yaksa is also said to be collectively represented by the ‘Four Evils’. They have evil appearances, engage in all forms of evil doings, just like the common interpretation of the Yaksa as an evil being. However, each of these Four Evils has a good side behind them. Duan Yanqing was originally the crown prince of Dali, who lost his status and sought revenge on those who stole his rightful place as ruler. Eventually, he left for good after realising that Duan Yu was his real son and that his struggle to become ruler of Dali had ended with his son becoming the ruler unexpectedly. Ye Er Niang who was infamous for kidnapping babies and killing them after she had finished playing with them, became a changed person after she realized that Xu Zhu was her long-lost son. Nan Hai E Shen, the most comical of the Four Evils, had still some good in him compared to the other three. He was often seeking to make Duan Yu his disciple, but ended up with him being Duan’s disciple instead. He sacrificed himself to save Duan Yu eventually, whom he still regarded as his master. Yun Zhong He, a lecherous fiend, also once saved Wang Yuyan. The Four Evils were just like the Yaksa, hard to define whether it is good or evil.

===Asura (阿修罗)===
The Asura (阿修罗), or ‘a xiu luo’ in Chinese, is an anti-Deva. Generally, females are beautiful while males on the contrary are ugly in appearance. They have heavenly powers but no saintly merit. They resolve disputes with violence, which they consider to be an honour, before in peaceful manners. As such, they often equip themselves with the most advanced fighting techinques. As they usually dwell beneath the heavens, they constantly wage war against the Devas for the supremacy of ruling the heavens. Asuras are jealous of human beings who enjoy more earthly pleasures than them, but above all they hate the Devas the most. They can be classified into Heavenly Asuras, Devilish Asuras, and Bestial Asuras. Heavenly ones have the best magical powers while bestial ones are experts in fighting.

Murong Fu is said to be a representation of the Asura due to its characteristics; it is often defeated by the Deva, it has a fiery temper, it is resentful and jealous, it wields great power, it has high capabilities yet longs for a chaotic world, it is suspicious by nature and often suspects that Buddha sides with the Devas. Murong Fu’s characteristics are very much similar; he is Xiao(Qiao) Feng’s arch-nemesis by being the ‘Southern Murong’ in ‘Northern Qiao Feng, Southern Murong’ (北乔峰南慕容), he is defeated by Xiao Feng, he is full of jealousy and contempt, he is the heir to the throne of the [[Kingdom of Yan]], he is well-known for his trademark move ‘returning you with your own way’ (以彼之道, 还施彼身) by killing others with their own trademark martial arts techniques, he fears the world would not be chaotic enough for the time to restoring his kingdom, he is suspicious of his own followers who eventually died at his own hands. Also, he has the beautiful Wang Yuyan, his cousin, who tries vainly to win his heart, but he has no feelings for her, just like the Asura who has beautiful maidens but lusts for luxuries instead.

Another representation of the Asura is Wang Yuyan, as its female version. Wang Yuyan is naturally beautiful and spent her life in an isolated manor away from human society until she met Duan Yu. She was just like a ‘fairy sister’ to Duan Yu, who fell head over heels in love with her on first sight. However, she was only desperately trying to win the heart of her unfeeling cousin Murong Fu, until when she realized that Duan Yu was the one who truly loved her when he showed that he was willing to die for her. Together with Duan Yu, they seemed like a ‘heavenly couple’ in the novel.

===Garuda (迦楼罗)===
The Garuda (迦楼罗) or ‘jia lou luo’ in Chinese, is a rare gigantic golden bird which preys on Nagas. They can soar to the highest heaven and sink to the deepest abyss. They were so powerful such that even the Asura Kings did not dare to trifle with them. They do not die due to old age but the accumulation of many different types of venoms and poisons from Naga blood. When the moment comes, all the venoms and poisons it accumulates in its body will cause the Garuda to self-incinerate, leaving behind its heart in the form of a crystal seed among the ashes. From this crystal, a new Garuda will be born. [[Yue Fei]] had been said to be a reincarnation of the Garuda.

Jiu Mozhi is said to represent the Garuda. He was the royal advisor of [[Tufan|Tubo]] and an accomplished martial artist. He was at odds with the other monasteries such as Shaolin and Tian Long. Duan Yu, the Naga or dragon, is his prey, as Duan Yu holds the key to mastering the ‘’Liu Mai Shen Jian’ (六脉神剑). He seeks to ‘devour’ all kinds of martial arts(poison) and emerge as the most powerful martial artist. Eventually, he went into a state of having lost his mind after practicing the martial arts wrongly as he sought to master them quickly, and was on the verge of death. His suffering was as though like he was on fire. However, Jiu Mozhi was spared death unlike the Garuda as he managed to pass his inner energy(poison) to Duan Yu, henceforth losing his martial arts prowess. He finally became enlightened after his close encounter with death and repented from his past wrongdoings, becoming a ‘gigantic golden bird’ like Yue Fei.

Another representation of the Garuda is Murong Fu. Murong Fu was an unscrupulous and evil individual who used all means to restore his kingdom, ranging from killing his own followers to acknowledging the evil Duan Yanqing as his foster father. He had accumulated much ‘venom’ in him from his evil doings, but too was spared death like Jiu Mozhi, but was forever in suffering yet oblivious to it when he eventually became insane

===Kinnara (紧那罗)===
The Kinnara (紧那罗) or ‘jin na luo’ in Chinese, resembles a human being but has a horn on its forehead. They are music deities who serve the Devas, in which the males excel in singing while the females are good dancers. While they apparently seem to be enjoying life, most of suffer from slavery by Asuras.

The Kinnara is said to be represented by A Zi. A Zi was one of the two closest women to Xiao Feng, with the other being her sister A Zhu, so if Xiao Feng represents the Deva, then she is obviously the Kinnara. A Zi grew up in a harsh environment as being a member of the evil Xingsu Sect. She had frequent mood swings and had an unpredictable temperament. She was apparently human as she had two sides; a side of her showing her sadism, cruelty and cunning, while the other side showing her naïve and strong desire to win Xiao Feng’s heart. No one could ever understand her, even when she leapt off the cliff to her death clutching on to Xiao Feng’s dead body.

===Ghandarva (乾达婆)===
The Ghandarva (乾达婆) or ‘gan da po’ in Chinese, is a deity of scents. Those who inhale fragrance sparkle like jewels while those who inhale stench loom like monsters. It does not feed on wine or meat, and seeks fragrant scents as nourishment and may also be attracted by incense or fresh blood. It is also one of the Deva’s music deities in charge of playing earthly music, with fragrant scents issuing from its body. The evil ones serve the Asuras as guards. Its meaning in Sanskrit is ‘interchanging and unpredictable’.

A Zhu is said to represent the Ghandarva. If Xiao Feng is the Deva, then A Zhu is obviously the Ghandarva, one of the Deva’s music deities, as she is one of two closest women to Xiao Feng, with the other being her sister A Zi. A Zhu is an expert in disguise, fitting the description of being ‘interchanging and unpredictable’, and was first introduced in the novel as being in disguise. Duan Yu had discovered that she was a woman in disguise due to the fragrant scent from her body.

===Mahoraga (摩喉罗迦)===
The Mahoraga (摩喉罗迦) or ‘mo hou luo jia’ in Chinese, is a giant earthly serpent deity. It moves by gliding on its torso unlike the Nagas. It has a human torso and the head of a python. In a sutra, the Mahoraga is said to be deaf and dumb, completely oblivious to all kinds of worldly temptations. Hence it attains enlightenment more easily, salvage its past and become a totally changed being. Mahoragas who do not accept the role of an enlightened being usually form cults for other lesser beings on earth.

Xu Zhu is said to represent the Mahoraga as he was just like a belly-gliding earthly serpent due to his status as an ordinary monk from Shaolin Monastery. However, he was also kind-hearted, honest and naïve by nature, which made him oblivious to all kinds of ‘earthly temptations’, thus allowing him to attain ‘enlightenment’ more easily by becoming a powerful martial artist. He managed to ‘salvage his past’ when he was reunited for the first and last time with his parents. He also became an ‘earthly serpent deity’ or earthly dragon of equal status as the Naga or heavenly dragon represented by Duan Yu, as he became the master of Lingjiu Palace (灵鹫宫) with several minor sects under his command and also the prince consort of the Kingdom of Western Xia when he married the princess.

A Zi is also said to be a representation of the Mahoraga. She was cruel, sadistic and cunning by nature, just like a venomous snake in human form.

==Chapters==
Jinyong revised the novel three times with the most recent revision being the 2005 edition. There are 50 chapters. Most of the revisions are either clarifications or minor alterations of character motivations.

{|
|-
| 1 || 青衫磊落險峰行 || A garment of green walks openheartedly among precarious peaks
|-
| 2 || 玉壁月華明 || A cliff of jade reflects the magnificence of the moon
|-
| 3 || 馬疾香幽 || A swift horse, a secluded fragrance
|-
| 4 || 崖高人遠 || A high precipice, a faraway man
|-
| 5 || 微步轂紋生 || A figure finely marked by delicate steps
|-
| 6 || 誰家子弟誰家院 || Which family does the child come from, whose courtyard is it?
|-
| 7 || 無計悔多情 || Without enumerating one's regrets, affection abounds
|-
| 8 || 虎嘯龍吟 || The tiger roars, the dragon bellows
|-
| 9 || 換巢鸞鳳 || The phoenix exchanges its nest with another fabulous bird
|-
| 10 || 劍氣碧煙橫 || Swords of energy intersect intensely in bluish smoke
|-
| 11 || 向來癡 || Infatuated all along
|-
| 12 || 從此醉 || Intoxicated from now on
|-
| 13 || 水榭聽香指點群豪戲 || In the water pavilion, the beauty directs the play of extraordinary men
|-
| 14 || 劇飲千杯男兒事 || Drinking a thousand cups is the affair of men
|-
| 15 || 杏子林中商略平生義 || In the forest of apricots, the righteousness of a lifetime is outlined
|-
| 16 || 昔時因 || The accords of the past
|-
| 17 || 今日意 || The intentions of the present
|-
| 18 || 胡漢恩仇須傾英雄淚 || The gratitudes and grievances of the foreign man exhaust the tears of the hero
|-
| 19 || 雖萬千人吾往矣 || Though men in thousands upon ten thousands head for me
|-
| 20 || 悄立雁門, 絕壁無餘字 || Affection stands at the Gate of Wild Geese, without any other words on the precipice
|-
| 21 || 千里茫茫若夢 || A thousand ''li'' seem as indistinct as a dream
|-
| 22 || 雙眸粲粲如星 || A pair of eyes shine as bright as the stars
|-
| 23 || 塞上牛羊空許約 || An empty promise is made with the cows and goats of the northern lands
|-
| 24 || 燭畔鬢雲有舊盟 || An old alliance is found beside the candle and amidst the hair
|-
| 25 || 莽蒼踏雪行 || In the hazy mistiness, a journey is taken through the snow
|-
| 26 || 赤手屠熊搏虎 || To kill the bear and seize the tiger with one's bare hands
|-
| 27 || 金戈蕩寇鏖兵 || To sweep away bandits and battle armies with one's golden halberd
|-
| 28 || 草木殘生顱鑄鐵 || The grass and trees have a wretched existence, a skull is cast in iron
|-
| 29 || 蟲豸凝寒掌作冰 || The legless creature of legend has a coagulating chill, a palm brings forth ice
|-
| 30 || 揮灑縛豪英 || To be scattered and sprinkled that outstanding men be bound
|-
| 31 || 輸贏成敗又爭由人算 || To win or to lose, success or failure, it's not something man can calculate 
|-
| 32 || 且自逍遙沒誰管 || Loosening up a little, managed by no one 
|-
| 33 || 奈天昏地暗鬥轉星移 || Enduring the darkening sky and gloomy earth, the revolving constellations and shifting stars 
|-
| 34 || 風驟緊縹緲峰頭雲亂 || Sudden winds are gathering, clouds are rioting at the head of Fuzzy Peak
|-
| 35 || 紅顏彈指老刹那芳華 || Rosy face claiming to be elderly, a transient state of fragrant beauty 
|-
| 36 || 夢裏真真語真幻 || A surreal dream, real conversation mixed with reality and hallucination 
|-
| 37 || 同一笑到頭萬事俱空 || With the same laughter, all things turned out empty in the end 
|-
| 38 || 糊塗醉情長計短 || Drunken stupidity, with much affection but little craft 
|-
| 39 || 解不了名韁系嗔貪 || Cannot loosen up, the frustration and greed that comes with fame 
|-
| 40 || 卻試問幾時把癡心斷 || But to try asking, when can a foolish heart break loose 
|-
| 41 || 燕雲十八飛騎奔騰如虎風煙舉 || Eighteen flying stallions from the Manchurian Steppes, dashing swiftly like a tiger, wind and smoke rising 
|-
| 42 || 老魔小丑豈堪一擊勝之不武 || Old devil and little clown, how can they endure but a single blow, it's a win without the need to fight 
|-
| 43 || 王霸雄圖血海深恨盡歸塵土 || The grandiose scheme to become an emperor, the deep hatred awash in a sea of blood, all turned into dust and earth 
|-
| 44 || 念枉求美眷良緣安在 || Foolishly seeking a lovely marriage, but where is the prime destiny?
|-
| 45 || 枯井底污泥處 || At the bottom of a dried well, amongst filthy soil 
|-
| 46 || 酒罷問君三語 || After some alcohol, kindly ask Sir three questions 
|-
| 47 || 為誰開茶花滿路 || For whom they blossomed, tea flowers covered the road 
|-
| 48 || 王孫落魄怎生消得楊枝玉露 || The prince falls into hard times, how can he digest the willowy ambrosia of the bodhisattva 
|-
| 49 || 敝屣榮華浮雲生死此身何懼 || Set aside all wealth and glory, these floating vapor of life and death, what can possibly scare this body and soul? 
|-
| 50 || 教單于折箭六軍辟易奮英雄怒 || Teaching the Khan to break an arrow, the six armies retreated, the heroes angered 
|}

==Background==
The main thematic element of the novel concerns the complex, often troubled relationships between the great multitude of characters from various kingdoms and sects, and the inherent bond that underlies the struggles of each. Ultimately, the novel examines the [[cause and effect]] that forms and breaks these bonds on five uniquely corresponding levels: [[self (sociology)|self]], [[family]], [[society]], [[ethnic group]], and [[country]] (dominion). The timeframe in which the novel takes place is historically based upon the era of the Northern [[Song Dynasty]], and includes the warring empires of [[Song]], [[Liao Dynasty|Liao]], [[Kingdom of Dali|Dali]], [[Western Xia]] and [[Tufan]].

==Characters==
There are about over 230 characters in the novel, including those who were only mentioned by name.

===The three main male protagonists===
* [[Qiao Feng|Xiao Feng]] (萧峰) – also known as Qiao Feng (乔峰). Chief of the Beggars’ Sect, known to pugilists as the ‘Northern Qiao Feng’. Became sworn brothers with Duan Yu and Xu Zhu with his place as first. He was despised by fellow pugilists after his real identity as [[Khitan people|Qidan]] was exposed, and henceforth became an outcast. Later discovered his biological father to be Xiao Yuanshan and took his family name ‘Xiao’. He committed suicide at Yanmen Pass (雁门关) to prevent Liao from invading Song.

* [[Duan Yu]] (段誉) – son of Duan Zhengchun, the Zhennan Prince of [[Kingdom of Dali|Dali]]. His mother was [[Dao Baifeng]] and it was eventually revealed that he was actually the biological son of [[Duan Yanqing]], the most senior of the Four Evils. He ascended to the throne of Dali towards the end of the novel. Became sworn brothers with Xiao Feng and Xu Zhu with his place as third.

* [[Xu Zhu (fictional)|Xu Zhu]] (虚竹) – originally a monk from Shaolin Monastery (少林寺). Later became the leader of the Xiao Yao Sect (逍遥派) and master of Ling Jiu Palace (灵鹫宫). Married Princess Yin Chuan (银川公主) of the [[Kingdom of Western Xia]] after a series of strange encounters and adventures. Sworn brothers with Xiao Feng and Duan Yu, with his place as second.

===The main female protagonists===
* [[Wang Yuyan]] (王语嫣) – the daughter of Duan Zhengchun and Mrs Wang. She was Murong Fu’s cousin and was secretly in love with him. However, Murong Fu showed no sign of affection towards her and eventually Duan Yu won her heart.

* [[A Zhu]] (阿朱) – daughter of Duan Zhengchun and Ruan Xingzhu and a master of disguise. Originally served the Murong Family as a servant maid but later fell in love with Xiao Feng and followed him. She was killed by Xiao Feng mistakenly when she disguised herself as Duan Zhengchun to prevent a conflict between her lover and father.

* [[A Zi]] (阿紫) – the younger sister of A Zhu. She was a disciple of Ding Chunqiu, leader of the Xing Su Sect. A sadistic, cruel and spoilt little brat, she had a crush on Xiao Feng and followed suit after the latter committed suicide.

* [[Mu Wanqing]] (木婉清) – the daughter of Duan Zhengchun and Qin Hongmian. She fell in love with Duan Yu initially but left him in anger and anguish after realising that he was actually her half-brother. She met Duan Yu again later in Western Xia.

* [[Zhong Ling]] (钟灵) – the daughter of Duan Zhengchun and Gan Baobao. She has a pet called the ‘shan dian diao’ (闪电貂), whose bite was poisonous and fatal. She was also in love with Duan Yu who was actually her half-brother. She met him again after the great battle at Shaolin.

===Kingdom of Dali===
* [[Duan Zhengming]] (段正明) – the Emperor of the Kingdom of Dali and the elder brother of Duan Zhengchun. Later passed his throne to Duan Yu and became a monk.

* [[Duan Zhengchun]] (段正淳) – the Zhennan Prince of Dali. Notorious for his flirtatious behavior, he conceived several illegitimate daughters with several different lovers in his younger days. Ironically, his illegitimate daughters also became lovers with who he thought was his son, Duan Yu. At the end of the novel, he committed suicide to be with lovers who were all killed by Murong Fu.

* [[Gao Shengtai]] (高升泰) – the marquis of Shanchan (善阐侯) of Dali

* [[Fan Hua]] (范骅) – the ‘sima’ (司马) of Dali, one of the three highest ranked ministers

* [[Ba Tianshi]] (巴天石) – the ‘sikong’ (司空) of Dali, one of three highest ranked ministers

* [[Hua Hegen]] (华赫艮) – the ‘situ’ (司徒) of Dali, one of the three highest ranked ministers

* [[Chu Wanli]] (褚万里) – one of the four royal guards (四大护卫), takes on the appearance of a fisherman.　He was slain by Duan Yanqing

* [[Gu Ducheng]] (古笃诚) – one of the four royal guards (四大护卫), takes on the appearance of a woodcutter

* [[Fu Sigui]] (傅思归) – one of the four royal guards (四大护卫), takes on the appearance of a farmer

* [[Zhu Danchen]] (朱丹臣) – one of the four royal guards (四大护卫), takes on the appearance of a scholar

* [[Cui Baiquan]] (崔百泉) – a pugilist from Dali nicknamed ‘jin suan pan’ (金算盘), or ‘golden abacus’

* [[Guo Yanzhi]] (过彥之) – a pugilist from the Fu Niu Sect (伏牛派) of Dali nicknamed ‘zhui hun bian’ (追魂鞭), or ‘soul-chasing whip’

===Murong Family===
* [[Murong Fu]] (慕容复) – known as the ‘Southern Murong’ to pugilists. He was a descendant of the royal family of the fallen [[Kingdom of Yan]] of the [[Sixteen Kingdoms]]. His father was Murong Bo. Scheming and unscrupulous, he used all sorts of means to restore his kingdom and become the emperor, but did not succeed and became insane eventually. His father named him "Fu" (literally means "to restore") to reminds him to restore the [[Kingdom of Yan]].

* [[Murong Bo]] (慕容博) – the father of [[Murong Fu]]. He shared the same dream as his son, which was to restore their fallen kingdom. He was enlightened by the [[sweeper monk]] and became his disciple eventually.

* [[Deng Baichuan]] (邓百川) – served the Murong family

* [[Gongye Gan]] (公冶干) – nicknamed ‘jiang nan lao er’ (江南老二), or ‘jiang nan number two’. Served the Murong family

* [[Bao Butong]] (包不同) – nicknamed ‘fei ye fei ye’ (非也非也) or ‘no, no’ after his favorite lingo. Served the Murong family and was notorious for challenging others to a verbal war. His name literally means "to disagree." [[Murong Fu]] eventually kill Bao Butong in an attempt to prove his loyalty to [[Duan Yanqing]].

* [[Feng Bo’e]] (风波恶) – nicknamed ‘yi zhen feng’ (一阵风) or ‘a gust of wind’. Served the Murong family and was always ready to pick a fight

===The lovers of Duan Zhengchun===
* [[Dao Baifeng]] (刀白凤) – the Zhennan princess consort of Dali, the legal wife of Duan Zhengchun and mother of Duan Yu. She followed suit after her husband committed suicide at the end to be with his dead lovers.

* [[Qin Hongmian]] (秦红棉) – nicknamed ‘xiu luo dao’ (修罗刀), or ‘xiu luo dagger’. Also known as ‘you gu ke’ (幽谷客) or ‘eerie valley dweller’. She was one of Duan Zhengchun’s lovers and mother of Mu Wanqing. She was killed by Murong Fu.

* [[Gan Baobao]] (甘宝宝) – the wife of Zhong Wanchou. She was one of Duan Zhengchun’s lovers and bore him Zhong Ling, who was brought up as Zhong Wanchou’s daughter. She was killed by Murong Fu.

* [[Ruan Xingzhu]] (阮星竹) – one of Duan Zhengchun’s lovers. She bore him A Zhu and A Zi. She was killed by Murong Fu.

* [[Wang Yunluo]] (王云罗) – also known as Mrs Wang. She was the daughter of Wu Ya Zi and Li Qiushui and one of Duan Zhengchun’s ex-lovers before her marriage. She bore him Wang Yuyan. She willingly died under her nephew Murong Fu’s sword.

*[[Kang Min]] (康敏) – also known as Mrs Ma for her marriage to Ma Dayuan. She was one of Duan Zhengchun’s ex-lovers. She appears to be warm-hearted and faithful, but was in fact a scheming and adulterous woman who plotted the downfall of Qiao Feng. She died of frustration and anger after being horribly marred and defaced by A Zi.

===The Four Evils===
* [[Duan Yanqing]] (段延庆) – nicknamed ‘e guan man ying’ (恶贯满盈) or ‘overflowing with evil’. He was formerly the crown prince of Dali who went into exile and the biological father of Duan Yu. He appears to be a crippled old man carrying a pair of crutches, but was nevertheless a formidable pugilist. He has the ability to channel his internal energy and speak from his guts, allowing him to speak without opening his mouth.

* [[Ye Er Niang]] (叶二娘) – nicknamed ‘wu e bu zuo’ (无恶不作) or ‘commits all kinds of evil’. She was the biological mother of Xu Zhu and notorious for kidnapping babies, treating them as her own, then killing them after she is done with them because she lost her own son several years ago. (Note: In the third revision in 2005, Ye Er Niang leaves the babies at strangers' houses after she's done toying with them.

* [[Yue Lao San]] (岳老三) – nicknamed ‘xiong shen e sha’ (凶神恶煞) or ‘fearsome evil deity’. Also known as ‘nan hai e shen’ (南海鳄神). He was the most comical character in the novel for his repeated unsuccessful attempts to make Duan Yu his disciple, which concluded with him being the latter’s disciple instead. Armed with a pair of giant scissors, he often threatens to kill people by breaking their necks. He periodically argue with Ye Er Niang, claiming that he's ranked 2nd of the Four Evils, and she is 3rd. However, he conceded the 2nd rank to her upon her death.

* [[Yun Zhong He]] (云中鹤) – nicknamed ‘qiong xiong ji e’ (穷凶极恶) or ‘desperate for evil’. Armed with an iron staff, he was a lecherous fiend who preyed on young and beautiful women. He was a [[qinggong]] expert, which enables him to pursue and flee from enemies easily.

====Shaolin Monastery (少林寺)====
* [[Xuan Ci]] (玄慈) – the head abbot of Shaolin Monastery. He was Xu Zhu’s biological father after his previous love affair with Ye Er Niang. He was the mysterious leader of the pugilists involved in the attack on Xiao Yuanshan.

* [[Xuan Bei]] (玄悲) – killed by Murong Bo

* [[Xuan Nan]] (玄难) – the head of the Da Mo School (达摩院) of Shaolin

* [[Xuan Ji]] (玄寂) – the head of the Discipline School (戒律院) of Shaolin

* [[Xuan Ku]] (玄苦) – Qiao Feng’s mentor. He was mortally wounded by Xiao Yuanshan and died after mistakenly accusing Qiao Feng as the attacker due to the similarities in appearance between the two.

* [[Hui Lun]] (慧轮) – Xu Zhu’s mentor

====Tian Long Monastery (天龙寺)====
* Ben Yin (本因) – the head abbot of Tian Long Monastery

* Ben Guan (本观)

* Ben Xiang (本相)

* Ben Can (本參)

* Ku Rong (枯榮)

====The Beggars’ Sect (丐帮)====
* [[Ma Dayuan]] (马大元) – the deputy chief of the Beggars’ Sect. He was murdered by his adulterous wife Kang Min and the discipline affairs elder Bai Shijing. One of the few who knew of Qiao Feng’s true ethnicity.

* [[Quan Guanqing]] (全冠清) – nicknamed ‘shi fang xiu cai’ (十方秀才) or ‘all-rounded scholar’, head of the Da Zhi Branch (大智分舵). He was an evil individual who plotted against Qiao Feng and manipulated Zhuang Juxian (You Tanzhi) into becoming the new chief. The elders killed him after the great battle at Shaolin.

* [[Bai Shijing]] (白世镜) – the elder in charge of discipline affairs. He had an adulterous affair with Kang Min and was responsible for the murder of the deputy chief Ma Dayuan.

* [[Wang Jiantong]] (汪剑通) – Qiao Feng’s predecessor as chief. He was nicknamed ‘jian ran’ (剑髯) or ‘sword beard’ and was involved in the attack on Xiao Yuanshan’s family.

* [[Wu Changfeng]] (吴长风) – one of the four chief elders who plotted against Qiao Feng.

* [[Chen Guyan]] (陈孤雁) – one of the four chief elders who plotted against Qiao Feng.

* Elder Xi (奚长老) – one of the four chief elders who plotted against Qiao Feng. He was killed by Qiao Feng at Ju Xian Manor.

* Elder Song (宋长老) – one of the four chief elders who plotted against Qiao Feng.

* Elder Xiang (项长老) – the elder in charge of overseeing the training of members

* Elder Xu (徐长老) – a retired elder of the Beggars’ Sect who appeared to testify against Qiao Feng. He was killed by Xiao Yuanshan and the blame put on Qiao Feng.

===Xiao Yao Sect (逍遥派)===
* [[Wu Ya Zi]] (无崖子) – the original leader of the Xiao Yao Sect. He was the master of [[Su Xinghe]] and [[Ding Chunqiu]] and was later succeeded by [[Xu Zhu]]. [[Wu Ya Zi]] was ambushed and thrown off a cliff by [[Li Qiushui]] and [[Ding Chunqiu]] after he found out about their affair.

* [[Tian Shan Tong Lao]] (天山童姥) – [[Wu Ya Zi]]’s fellow disciple sister. She was the ruler of [[Lingjiu Palace]] (灵鹫宫) on [[Tian Shan]] (天山) and too was succeeded by [[Xu Zhu]].

* [[Li Qiushui]] (李秋水) – [[Wu Ya Zi]]’s fellow disciple sister. She and Tian Shan Tong Lao were love rivals, with both of them fighting over Wu Ya Zi.She was also the princess consort of the Kingdom of Western Xia. Her idential twin sister, who doesnt practice martial art, is the true object of [[Wu Ya Zi]]'s love. This was revealed when [[Tian Shan Tong Lao]] notices [[Wu Ya Zi]]'s painting of his true love has a mole, which Li Qiushui doesn't have. Li Qiushui had an affair with [[Ding Chunqiu]] when [[Wu Ya Zi]] neglected her while falling in love with a statue of her (later revealed to be a statue of her identical twin). She is the mother of [[Wang Yunluo]] and the grandmother of [[Wang Yuyan]].

*[[Su Xinghe]] (苏星河) – the elder disciple of [[Wu Ya Zi]]. He was nicknamed ‘long ya lao ren’ (聋哑老人) or ‘deaf mute old man’ and ‘cong bian xian sheng’ (聪辩先生) or ‘clever gentleman’. He was the founder of the Deaf Mute Sect and the master of the [[Eight Friends of Hangu]]. He practices all type of arts and crafts which cause him to neglect his martial art practice. [[Ding Chunqiu]] spared his life on the condition that he would never speak again.

====Xing Su Sect (星宿派)====
* [[Ding Chunqiu]] (丁春秋) – formerly [[Wu Ya Zi]]’s younger disciple. He attempted to murder his master and left the sect to form the Xing Su Sect. He was nicknamed ‘xing su lao guai’ (星宿老怪) or ‘Xing Su old demon’.

* [[Zhai Xing Zi]] (摘星子) – the eldest disciple of [[Ding Chunqiu]], name translates to ‘the star picker’

* [[Shi Hou Zi]] (狮吼子) – the second eldest disciple of [[Ding Chunqiu]], name translates to ‘lion roar’
Note: Ding Chunqiu ranks his disciples by skill rather than senority. The disciples are allowed to fight each other to improve their rank. As the result, the ranking of Xing Su Sect's disciples changes over time. [[A Zi]] spends a brief few minutes as the eldest disciple with [[Xiao Feng]]'s secret help.

====Lingjiu Palace====
* [[Mei Jian]] (梅剑) – one of the four servant maids

* [[Lan Jian]] (兰剑) – one of the four servant maids

* [[Zhu Jian]] (竹剑) – one of the four servant maids

* [[Ju Jian]] (菊剑) – one of the four servant maids

====The Eight Friends of Hangu (函谷八友)====
* [[Kang Guangling]] (康广陵) – nicknamed ‘qin dian’ (琴癫) or ‘zither craze’

* [[Fan Bailing]] (范百龄) – nicknamed ‘qi mo’ (棋魔) or ‘chess devil’

* [[Gou Du]] (苟读) – nicknamed ‘shu ’ (书獃), or ‘book worm’

* [[Wu Lingjun]] (吴领军) – nicknamed ‘hua kuang’ (画狂) or ‘painting fanatic’

* [[Xue Muhua]] (薛慕华) – nicknamed ‘shen yi’ (神医) or ‘divine physician’

* [[Feng A San]] (冯阿三) – nicknamed ‘qiao jiang’ (巧匠) or ‘marvelous craftsman’

* [[Shi Qingfeng]] (石清風) – nicknamed ‘hua chi’ (花痴) or ‘flower craze’

* [[Li Kuilei]] (李傀儡) – nicknamed ‘xi mi’ (戏迷) or ‘opera fan’

====Ju Xian Manor (聚贤庄)====
* [[You Ji]] (游骥) – one of the twin heroes of Ju Xian Manor. Brother of You Ju and father of You Tanzhi.

* [[You Ju]] (游驹) – one of the twin heroes of Ju Xian Manor. Brother of You Ji and uncle of You Tanzhi.

* [[Qi Lao Liu]] (祁老六) – a pugilist from Guanxi, nicknamed ‘quai dao qi liu’ (快刀祁六) or ‘swift dagger qi liu’. He was killed by Qiao Feng at Ju Xian Manor.

* [[Xiang Wanghai]] (向望海) – a reputable pugilist known for his generosity

* [[Bao Qianling]] (鲍千灵) – a pugilist nicknamed ‘mei ben qian’ (没本钱) or ‘penniless’. He robbed the rich to help the poor.

====The Kingdom of Liao (辽国)====
* [[Yelü Hongji]] (耶律洪基) – the ruler of the Kingdom of Liao. Became sworn brothers with Xiao Feng

* [[Yelü Nielugu]] (耶律涅鲁古) – the Nan Yuan Great Prince (南院大王) of Liao who rebelled against the ruler Yelü Hongji. He was slain by Xiao Feng and his place was given to Xiao Feng.

* [[Yelü Chongyuan]] (耶律重元) – the ‘imperial uncle’ of Liao and chief commander of its army. He rebelled against the ruler Yelü Hongji but failed and committed suicide.

* Imperial Concubine Mu (穆貴妃) – Yelü Hongji’s favourite concubine

====Kingdom of Western Xia====
* Princess Yin Chuan (银川公主) – the princess of Western Xia who married Xu Zhu.

* [[He Lian Tie Shu]] (赫连铁树) – the leader of ‘yi pin tang’ (一品堂) and the East Conquering General (征东将军) of Western Xia.

* [[Nu Er Hai]] (努儿海) – a general of ‘yi pin tang’ (一品堂).

====The Nüzhen tribe (女真族)====
* [[Wanyan Aguda]] (完颜阿骨打) – the eldest son of the tribe’s chief. Founder of the [[Jin Dynasty]] (金国) and was known in history as ‘Emperor Taizu of the Jin Dynasty’ (金太祖).

* [[He Li Bu]] (和哩布) – the chief of the Nüzhen tribe

====Wu Liang Sword Sect (无量剑派)====
* [[Zuo Zimu]] (左子穆) – the leader of the east faction of the Wu Liang Sword Sect. He later became a subject of Ling Jiu Palace.

* [[Xin Shuangqing]] (辛双清) – the leader of the west faction of the Wu Liang Sword Sect. She later became a subject of Ling Jiu Palace.

====The 36 cave masters and 72 island masters (三十六洞洞主、七十二岛岛主)====
* [[Sang Tu Gong]] (桑土公) – the master of Bi Lin Cave (碧磷洞) in Chuanxi. He was killed by Xu Zhu and Tian Shan Tong Lao.

* [[Xuan Huang Zi]] (玄黃子) – the master of Jiu Long Cave (虯龍洞) on the Tibetan border

* [[Zhang Dafu]] (章达夫) – the master of Xuan Ming Island (玄冥島) in the Northern Sea

* [[Duanmu Yuan]] (端木元) – the master of Chi Yan Cave (赤焰洞) on Wu Zhi Mountain (五指山) in Hainan

* Mrs Li (黎夫人) the mistress of Ye Hua Island (椰花島) in the Southern Sea

* [[Wu Lao Da]] (乌老大) – an island master who led a rebellion against Ling Jiu Palace

* Taoist Bu Ping (不平道人) – nicknamed ‘jiao wang’ (蛟王) or ‘dragon king’. He was killed by Xu Zhu,

* [[Cui Lühua]] (崔绿华) – nicknamed ‘fu rong xian zi’ (芙蓉仙子) or ‘hibiscus fairy’.

* [[Zhuo Bufan]] (卓不凡) – nicknamed ‘jian shen’ (剑神) or ‘sword deity’.

===Miscellaneous characters===
*[[You Tanzhi]] (游坦之) – the son of You Ji (游驥) and the nephew of [[You Ju]] (游駒), who were known as the twin heroes of Ju Xian Manor (聚贤庄). He became an orphan and pauper overnight after the great battle at his home, and set off on his road to seek vengeance on Qiao Feng. He met A Zi and mastered the ‘yi jin jing’ (易筋經) unexpectedly, becoming a formidable martial artist. Later, renamed himself ‘zhuang ju xian’ (庄聚贤) and was manipulated by Quan Guanqing into becoming the new chief of the Beggars’ Sect. He was secretly in love with A Zi, willingly succumbing to her sadistic and cruel acts, even giving up his eyes for her. He committed suicide eventually to be with A Zi.

* [[Jiu Mozhi]] (鸠摩智) – the royal advisor of the Kingdom of Tubo and a reputable monk from Da Lun Monastery (大輪寺). He was well-versed in Buddhism and martial arts, but did not follow the Buddhist code, which includes his obsession to become the most powerful martial artist in the world, using any means necessary. He lost his martial arts prowess eventually but was henceforth truly enlightened.

* [[Sweeper Monk]] (扫地僧) – a nameless monk of unknown origin in charge of the library (藏經閣) of Shaolin Monastery. Often regarded as the most powerful martial artist in Jin Yong universe. Even the legendary Xiao Feng could not defeat him and later enlightened Xiao Yuanshan and Murong Bo who became his disciples.

* [[Xiao Yuanshan]] (萧远山) – the biological father of Xiao Feng. He lost his wife and was separated from his child for thirty years since the tragic incident at Yan Men Pass. He remained in hiding in the library of Shaolin Monastery these three decade while secretly planning his revenge. He was later enlightened by the Sweeper Monk and became his disciple along with Murong Bo.

* [[Sikong Xuan]] (司空玄) – the leader of the Shen Nong Sect (神农帮). He committed suicide by jumping into the Lancang River.

* [[Zhong Wanchou]] (钟万仇) – nicknamed ‘ma wang shen’ (马王神), or ‘horse deity’. He was the master of Wanjie Valley (万劫谷) and husband of Gan Baobao. He hated Duan Zhengchun to the core and placed a sign which read ‘Anyone with the surname Duan who enters this valley will be killed without exception’ (姓段者入此谷杀无赦) at the entrance to his valley.

* [[Reverend Huang Mei]] (黃眉大师) – the head abbot of Nian Hua Monastery (拈花寺). He played a role in rescuing Duan Yu from being imprisoned in Wan Jie Valley by distracting Duan Yanqing with a game of weiqi.

* [[A Bi]] (阿碧) – a servant maid of the Murong Family. Good friends with A Zhu

* [[Yao Bodang]] (姚伯当) – the chief of the Qin Family Stronghold (秦家寨).

* [[Du Ling Zi]] (都灵子) – the leader of the Peng Lai Sect (蓬莱派)

* [[Zhu Baokun]]] (諸保昆) – a member of the Peng Lai Sect (蓬萊派) who infiltrated the Qingcheng Sect

* [[Sima Lin]] (司马林) – the leader of the Qingcheng Sect (青城派) of Sichuan

* [[Shan Zheng]] (单正) – a pugilist from Tai Mountain (泰山) nicknamed ‘tie mian pan guan’ (铁面判官) or ‘stern-faced judge’. He and his entire family were killed in a fire set by Xiao Yuanshan.

* [[Tan Gong]] (谭公) – a pugilist from the Chong Xiao Cave(沖霄洞) of Tai Xing Mountain (太行山) who was Tan Po’s husband. He was killed by Xiao Yuanshan and the blame put on Qiao Feng.

* [[Tan Po]] (谭婆) – a pugilist from the Chong Xiao Cave(沖霄洞)of Tai Xing Mountain (太行山) who was Tan Gong’s wife. She was killed by Xiao Yuanshan and the blame put on Qiao Feng.

* [[Zhao Qiansun]] (趙錢孫) – a pugilist who was involved in the attack on Xiao Yuanshan’s family. He was killed by Xiao Yuanshan and the blame put on Qiao Feng.

* Reverend Zhi Guang (智光大师) – a reputable monk from Tian Tai Mountain (天台山) who was involved in the attack on Qiao Feng’s parents. He appeared to testify against Qiao Feng and later committed suicide after refusing to reveal the identity of the mysterious leader of the attackers.

* [[Qiao Sanhuai]] (喬三槐) – the adoptive father of Xiao(Qiao) Feng. He and his wife were killed by Xiao Yuanshan and the blame put on Qiao Feng.

==List of various sects, families and organizations mentioned in the novel==
* The Beggars’ Sect (丐帮) – a reputable martial arts sect of the Central Plains hailed as one of the most powerful sects within the realm. It has the largest number of members, including non-beggars, and a long history dating from the [[Han Dynasty]]. Its members were famous for their acts of righteousness, upholding justice and for helping those in need. It houses the powerful ‘Eighteen Dragon-subduing Palms’ (降龙十八掌) and the ‘Dog Beating Staff Skill’ (打狗棒法).

* Shaolin Monastery (少林寺) – a reputable martial arts sect of the Central Plains founded by [[Bodhidharma|Da Mo]] (达摩), which is highly respected as one of the most powerful sects within the realm. Its members are mostly Buddhist monks, who practise martial arts only for self-defence and upholding justice. It is also hailed as the origin of all martial arts and said to house 72 different styles of powerful martial arts.

* The Royal Duan Family of Dali (大理段氏皇族) – the ruling family of the Kingdom of Dali. Its members are experts in using the ‘Yi Yang Finger’ (一阳指). Although of nobility, its members are also highly respected within Dali for adhering to the laws of the martial arts world.

* The Murong Family of Gusu (姑苏慕容氏) – the Murong family are descendants of the royal family of the [[Kingdom of Yan]] of the [[Sixteen Kingdoms]] era. They seek to restore their kingdom to its former glory, by practicing martial arts and recruiting talents. They are said to have mastered all the various martial arts in the world, which accounts for their ability to ‘return you with your way’, which involves killing others with their trademark martial arts technique.

* Tianlong Monastery (天龙寺) – the members of the royal family of Dali had a tradition of becoming monks at Tian Long Monastery when the time comes. Duan Zhengming, the emperor of Dali, too became a monk at Tian Long Monastery after he abdicated in favour of his brother. Tian Long Monastery houses the ‘Six Veins Divine Sword’ (六脉神剑) and the ‘Yi Yang Finger’ (一阳指) for its affiliation to the royal family of Dali.

* Xiao Yao Sect (逍遥派) – a mysterious sect which only accepts members who are both talented and good-looking. It is the origin of ‘North Pole Divine Skill’ (北冥神功) and ‘Graceful Waves Steps’ (凌波微步).

* Xing Su Sect (星宿派) – founded by Ding Chunqiu, a traitor of the Xiao Yao Sect. It is based in Western Xia and its members were infamous for their acts of evil and use of poison against enemies. It is known to be one of the ‘losers of the martial arts world’. It houses several unorthodox poison-based martial arts and origin of the ‘Energy Sucking Skill’ (化功大法).

* Deaf Mute Sect (聋哑门) – founded by Su Xinghe, a member of the Xiao Yao Sect. As its name suggests, its members are deaf and mute.

* Ling Jiu Palace (灵鹫宫) – a mysterious sect based on the Piao Miao Peak (缥缈峰) of Tian Mountain (天山). Its members are all female and bound to serve the ruler Tian Shan Tong Lao. Several minor sects are brought under their rule by the ‘sheng si fu’ (生死符), which causes extreme agony annually. They treat their subjects harshly, which caused the rebellion against them.

* Yi Pin Tang (一品堂) – led by General He Lian Tie Shu, it is a government-based organization in the Kingdom of Western Xia. It recruits pugilists and martial arts experts (usually those notorious for acts of evil) from around the world to serve as mercenaries. Its aim is to purge all martial arts sects standing in the way for the kingdom’s path to world domination and the Four Evils are also its members.

* Wu Liang Sword Sect (无量剑派) – a sect based on Wu Liang Mountain (无量山) in Dali. Its members are divided into the east and west factions, headed by Zuo Zimu and Xin Shuangqing respectively. It is at conflict with the Shen Nong Sect in the beginning of the novel, but came under the rule of Ling Jiu Palace eventually.

* Shen Nong Sect (神农帮) – a sect based in Dali, in which its members are experts in the use of medicine and herbs. Headed by Sikong Xuan, it is first introduced as having a battle with the Wu Liang Sword Sect, only to be broken by Duan Yu. It eventually came under the rule of Ling Jiu Palace.

* Qing Cheng Sect (青城派) – a martial arts sect based on Qing Cheng Mountain (青城山) in Sichuan, headed by Sima Lin. It has a long history of conflict with the Peng Lai Sect, which it sought to destroy.

* Peng Lai Sect (蓬莱派) – a martial arts sect based on Peng Lai Mountain (蓬莱山) in the east. It has a long history of conflict with the Qing Cheng Sect of Sichuan, which it sought to destroy.

==Plot==
The novel is made up of several separate yet intertwining story lines, revolving around the protagonists [[Qiao Feng]], [[Duan Yu]] and [[Xu Zhu (fictional)|Xu Zhu]], and also the tragic story of [[You Tanzhi]].

===The story of Duan Yu===
Duan Yu started as a young, naive prince of Dali. Despite the long tradition of the practice of martial arts in the royal family, he refused to learn martial arts due [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] influence and his disdain for bloodshed. When his father [[Duan Zhengchun]], the Zhennan Prince, tried to force him to learn martial arts, he ran away from home. Ironically, by chance, he acquired three of the most powerful martial arts in the novel and became immune to poison after unintentionally consuming the Zhu Ha, a poisonous toad known as the king of all venomous creatures.

In the early chapters of the novel, Duan Yu met a young girl called [[Zhong Ling]], who grew in affection for him. Both of them ran into some trouble and Zhong Ling was captured and held hostage. In order to rescue her, Duan Yu ventures to Zhong Ling's home to seek help and he met [[Mu Wanqing]]. On the way to Zhong Ling's home, and before he met her parents and Mu Wanqing, Duan Yu had a strange encounter. He accidentally fell off a cliff and found his way into a cave. Inside the cave, he discovered a statue of a beautiful woman, whom he respectfully addressed as 'fairy sister'. He followed some instructions left on the statue and kowtowed a thousand times before the statue. Coincidentally, he discovered two martial arts manuals, the manuals for learning 'Ling Bo Wei Bu'(a style of [[qinggong]]) and 'Bei Ming Shen Gong'(a skill used for sucking others' energy). These skills later proved useful in self-defence when Duan Yu was confronted by enemies.

Although Mu Wanqing mistreated him in the beginning due to the mentality that men are not be trusted imposed on her by her teacher, she fell in love with him and under the threat of [[Nan Hai E Shen]] who tried to violate her, the two were engaged. Although Duan Yu was attracted by her beauty, he did not love her or treat their relationship seriously. It was later revealed that both Zhong Ling and Mu Wanqing, as a result of Duan Yu's father's previous love affairs, were actually his half-sisters. The news devastated Mu Wanqing and she became extremely upset. Zhong Ling learnt about it much later and the news did not affect her as much due to her personality and young age.

Duan Yu became seriously ill after Mu Wanqing left due to problems with the energy flow in his body, and his uncle [[Duan Zhengming]], the Emperor of Dali, brought him to Tianlong Monastery for treatment. At that time, [[Jiu Mozhi]], the royal advisor of [[Tufan|Tubo]] came to Tianlong Monastery to demand the martial arts manual for learning 'Liu Mai Shen Jian' under the pretext of paying a visit. The monk of Tianlong Monastery held off Jiu Mozhi in a martial arts duel, while Duan Yu was forced to memorise everything written in the manual at the same time. After Duan Yu had memorised all, the manual was burnt. Jiu Mozhi was furious about it but he kidnapped Duan Yu later after he discovered that Duan Yu had memorised everything written on the manual. Jiu Mozhi brought Duan Yu to the Central Plains, claiming that he would use Duan Yu as a sacrifice to his deceased friend [[Murong Bo]], whom he had promised a long time ago to bring the 'Liu Mai Shen Jian' manual and burn it in front of the latter's tomb as an offering to his spirit.

It was there that Duan Yu met [[A Zhu]] and [[A Bi]], servants of the Murong Family, who helped him escape from the clutches of Jiu Mozhi. Later, he went with them to the Mantuo Manor, where he chanced upon [[Wamg Yuyan]], a beautiful young girl who resembled the statue he saw in the cave. He immediately fell madly in love with her, and sought every opportunity to be close to her. Unfortunately for him, Wang Yuyan was equally obsessed with her cousin [[Murong Fu]]. Later, Duan Yu left Wang Yuyan reluctantly and happened to meet Qiao Feng. Both of them had a drinking contest, to see who could drink the most wine before getting drunk. They were equally matched and neither was drunk after having drank numerous jugs of wine, although Duan Yu had actually cheated by using his inner energy and 'Liu Mai Shen Jian' skill to force the wine out of his body from his fingertips. They also had a racing contest to see whose qinggong was better, but were equally matched also. Eventually, both of them became sworn brothers and Duan Yu followed Qiao Feng to the Beggars' Sect meeting.

After the meeting where Qiao Feng's true ethnicity was revealed, a group of warriors from [[Western Xia]] used a kind of special drug to make everyone present unconscious after sniffing its scent, except for Qiao Feng who had left. Duan Yu, being immune to all kinds of poison after having swallowed the Zhu Ha, was unaffected and he seized Wang Yuyan, who was also present, and fled from the scene. They were pursued by the Western Xia warriors and they ran into a mysterious Western Xia warrior. This mysterious warrior was later revealed to be actually Murong Fu in disguise. Also, Duan Yu and A Zhu, disguised themselves as Murong Fu and Qiao Feng respectively to rescue the members of the Beggars' Sect held captive by the Western Xia warriors.

Duan Yu appeared again in the later chapters of the novel at Leigu Mountain where Xu Zhu’s storyline begins. He continued to follow Xu Zhu as Xu Zhu had strange encounters one after another. Both of them became sworn brothers after Xu Zhu inherited the position of the ruler of the Lingjiu Palace. Later, in the truth-revealing showdown at Shaolin Monastery, Duan Yu fought alongside Qiao Feng and Xu Zhu, whom he had became sworn brothers with, against the powerful antagonists [[You Tanzhi]](aka Zhuang Juxian), [[Ding Chunqiu]] and [[Murong Fu]].

Towards the end of the novel, Wang Yuyan realised that Duan Yu was the one who actually loved her, and that she had in fact wasted much of her time on being obssessed with her cousin Murong Fu, who had no feelings for her at all. As the plot continues, when Duan Yu's parents and all of Duan Zhengchun's concubines were captured and about to be killed by Murong Fu, Duan Yu learnt that Wang Yuyan was also a daughter of Duan Zhengchun, which meant that he was also her half-brother - devastating news for Duan Yu. However, with her dying breath, his mother ([[Dao Baifeng]], told him that he was in fact not the biological son of Duan Zhengchun, but an offspring of the leader of the 'Four Evils', [[Duan Yanqing]], due to a one-night stand. Both Dao Baifeng and Duan Zhengchun committed suicide eventually. Now that the truth had been revealed, the ladies whom Duan Yu had met in the novel were no longer his half-siblings, but rather as second cousins. According to Dali's tradition, he could now marry them.

In the end, [[Duan Yu]] became the Emperor of Dali after the death of the Duan Zhengchun and the abdication of Duan Zhengming, and made [[Wang Yuyan]] his empress. By the Third Edition, [[Duan Yu]] realised at the end, that he was in love with the statue and not [[Wang Yuyan]]. Wang Yuyan destroyed the statue to free him of his obsession and then returned to her cousin, [[Murong Fu]]. [[Duan Yu]] realized [[Mu Wanqing]] was the one who loved him the most, so he made her his Imperial Consort. He also married [[Zhong Ling]] and made her a Consort along with a maid given to him by the princess.

===The story of Qiao Feng===
Qiao Feng starts out as the chief of the [[Beggars' Sect]]. He was rather popular among his fellow members of the sect and had shown his leadership qualities by making great achievements and contributions to the sect. He was exceptionally powerful in martial arts and seemed to be the most suitable candidate to succeed [[Wang Jiantong]] as chief.

Eventually, he was elected chief and led the Beggars’ Sect well, leading it to greater heights and making achievements, which surpassed those of their predecessors. Subsequently, the deputy chief of the Beggars’ Sect, [[Ma Dayuan]], was mysteriously murdered and had died under his own trademark martial arts technique. At first, everyone suspected that [[Murong Fu]] was the murderer, as Murong Fu was infamous for his ’returning you with your own way’. Qiao Feng went to [[Suzhou]] to investigate the murder, and met [[Duan Yu]] there. Intially, Qiao Feng mistook Duan Yu as Murong Fu, and decided to have a drinking contest with him. Both of them were equally matched as neither was drunk after having drank numerous jars of wine, and also in a race to see whose [[qinggong]] was better. Both of them became sworn brothers after that.

Later, Qiao Feng went to attend the Beggars’ Sect meeting in Xingzi Forest, with Duan Yu accompanying him. At the meeting, it seemed that everyone was rather against Qiao Feng and that the meeting was a plot against him. It seemed that something which would affect the Beggars’ Sect greatly was about to happen. Four of the elders were plotting to kill him and they eventually confessed. According to the rules of the sect, anyone within the sect who plots against the chief will be sentenced to death. Qiao Feng stopped the elders from commiting suicide by willingly plunging the executing knives into his own body, shedding blood in order to spare the elders’ lives, on account that these elders had contributed greatly to the sect and were extremely loyal. According to the rules of the sect, anyone sentenced to death could be granted a special pardon from death if the chief is willing to shed his blood for him. It was eventually revealed that the elders had plotted against Qiao Feng because Qiao Feng was not a Han Chinese, but a [[Khitan people|Qidan]]. In those days, the Song Empire(predominantly Han Chinese) and the Liao Empire(ruled by the Qidan) were involved in several wars. Hence, the Han Chinese tend to harbour intense hatred and resentment towards the Qidan. [[Quan Guanqing]], an evil individual within the sect, seized the opportunity to stir up anti-Qidan feelings within the sect and cause everyone to turn against Qiao Feng, and denounce Qiao Feng as a barbarian, saying that the position of chief would not be taken up by a Qidan. Also, Qiao Feng was blamed for the death of Ma Dayuan as Ma Dayuan was the only one who knew the secret of Qiao Feng’s heritage. Qiao Feng would not believe that he was a Qidan, but he abandoned the position of chief eventually and left to verify his heritage, stating that he would not return until he had confirmed that he was Qidan.

Later, those present in Xingzi Forest were taken into captive by a group of [[Western Xia]] warriors. Qiao Feng managed to rescue A Zhu and A Bi, who were also taken into captive. Unknown to him, A Zhu and Duan Yu had disguised themselves as Qiao Feng and Murong Fu respectively to rescue the captives. Thus, when Qiao Feng appeared at where the captives were held, he was surprised when the captives thanked him for rescuing them. Qiao Feng claimed that he did not rescue them and left. Later, he went home to find his parents but found them to be murdered. Later, he tried to sneak into Shaolin Monastery to look for his mentor, but his mentor had suffered a serious injury from an attack by an unknown attacker and was on the verge of dying. His mentor’s dying words surprised him and later some of the monks claimed that they saw that Qiao Feng was the attacker. Now, everyone saw Qiao Feng as a cold-blooded murderer who finally showed his true colours after discovering his own heritage. Coincidentally, he met A Zhu at Shaolin Monastery who was seriously wounded after attempting to steal the ‘Yi Jin Jing’ manual and saved her.

Later, Qiao Feng discovered that there was a ‘Heroes’ Meeting’ being held at Juxian Manor, in which all prominent characters in the martial arts world were invited to discuss a plan to deal with the new threat which had emerged; Qiao Feng. Qiao Feng went to the meeting without showing any sign of fear although the meeting was meant to be a discussion on how to get rid of him. In fact, Qiao Feng was there to look for Divine Doctor Xue, a famous doctor who could cure all kinds of illnesses and injuries, to request for him to cure A Zhu. The heroes present at the meeting confronted Qiao Feng with hostility, leaving Qiao Feng no choice but to severe all ties with his old friends and those who previously had dealings with him by drinking a toast with each of them to end their friendship. After that, a fierce fight ensued, in which Qiao Feng emerged victorious, defeating all who stood in his way and killing several heroes. Qiao Feng was surrounded by the heroes but was saved by a mysterious hooded man dressed in black.

The mysterious rescuer later left Qiao Feng and Qiao Feng set off to verify his heritage as a Qidan. He went to Yan Pass and finally verifed that he was a Qidan, when he saw the carvings on a rock left behind by his biological father before he committed suicide. He renamed himself Xiao Feng to reflect his heritage and also met A Zhu there, who had fully recovered and had escaped from Juxian Manor in disguise. Qiao Feng and A Zhu went to look for the witnesses who were present then at Xingzi Forest to testify that Qiao Feng was a Qidan. These witnesses were actually involved in a fight thirty years ago at Yan Pass. According to them, they had received news that a Qidan spy was planning to infiltrate into Song territory to steal martial arts manuals from Shaolin Temple and bring them back to Liao. Hence, they laid in ambush and attacked a Qidan family passing by. Later, they realised that they had been deceived and had wrongly caused the deaths of the Qidan couple. Full of remorse, they decided to raise the Qidan couple’s child as one of their own. That Qidan child was said to be the infant Qiao Feng. Strangely, these witnesses were found to have been mysteriously murdered every time Qiao Feng went to find them. Before their deaths, these witnesses were unwilling to reveal the identity of their leader, whom Qiao Feng considered to be the one responsible for the deaths of his parents and the prime suspect behind the mysterious murders. During the search for the leader, Qiao Feng and A Zhu gradually fell in love with each other.

Eventually, they traced all the clues to Ma Dayuan’s widow, [[Kang Min]]. A Zhu disguised herself as [[Bai Shijing]] to trick Kang Min into revealing the identity of the leader. Kang Min claimed that the leader was [[Duan Zhengchun]]. Qiao Feng then set off to find Duan Zhengchun and found him at Xiaojing Lake. Xiao Feng confronted Duan Zhengchun and dealt him with a fierce blow. Later, he was rather shocked when he discovered that the Duan Zhengchun he had confronted was actually A Zhu in disguise. A Zhu was in fact a daughter of Duan Zhengchun, and she did it in order to save her father. Qiao Feng regretted bitterly but was too late and A Zhu died. Feeling remorseful over the tragedy, he decided to watch over A Zhu's younger sister, A Zi as he had promised A Zhu before she died.

Qiao Feng was rather unhappy with A Zi as she was a very selfish, sadistic and annoying girl who always got into trouble and had to involve himself to resolve the disputes. However, Qiao Feng tried his best to look after A Zi and guide her towards goodness from evil. Qiao Feng brought A Zi to Changbai Mountain, far away from Song territory, to search for a cure after she was severely injured in a fight. There, he met the chieftain of the [[Jurchen|Nüzhen]], [[Wanyan Aguda]], and became fast friends with him. Qiao Feng and A Zi stayed with the Nüzhen for quite some time and A Zi gradually recovered. Once, Qiao Feng happened to meet the ruler of the Liao Empire, [[Yelü Hongji]] and they became sworn brothers. Qiao Feng and A Zi then left the Nüzhen to live with the Qidan, where Qiao Feng felt much more at home after being faced with hostility by the Han Chinese. Qiao Feng also helped Yelü Hongji put down a rebellion and was rewarded by being made a noble. Although Qiao Feng was now a powerful noble of the Liao Empire, he still treated his subordinates equally and did not abuse his power, thus earning the respect of the Qidan. A Zi, on the other hand, was made a princess. A Zi, being selfish and sadistic in nature, mistreated her surbordinates and instilled fear in the people. Once, A Zi happened to find some interest in [[You Tanzhi]] after he failed to assassinate Qiao Feng. You Tanzhi was later captured under A Zi’s orders and was used by A Zi for her sadistic purposes. You Tanzhi, however, succumbed to A Zi and willingly served her.

Eventually, Qiao Feng returned to Song to attend the meeting called by the Beggars’ Sect at Shaolin Monastery for the election of a leader for all martial artists. His appearance shocked everyone present as no news had been heard about him for a long time. There, Qiao Feng met his sworn brother Duan Yu again, who had became sworn brothers with [[Xu Zhu]]. Three of them renounced their oaths again and became sworn brothers. They fought alongside each other against powerful opponents like [[Ding Chunqiu]], Murong Fu and You Tanzhi(now known as Zhuang Juxian). They defeated their opponents and the mysterious hooded man dressed in black who had rescued Qiao Feng from Juxian Manor appeared. It was there where all the truths behind the mysterious murders were brought to light. In fact, the mysterious hooded man in black was Qiao Feng’s biological father [[Xiao Yuanshan]]. Xiao Yuanshan had in fact survived after jumping off the cliff in despair after the death of his beloved wife in the ambush at Yan Pass thirty years ago. He was in hiding these years in the library of Shaolin Monastery, reading martial arts manuals and learning them, becoming a master of martial arts, while waiting patiently for the time to take revenge. He was in fact the one behind the mysterious murders for which Qiao Feng was wrongly accused of, as he admitted to having killed those in order to prevent his son from learning the truth until the time is ripe.

According to Xiao Yuanshan, the leader of the ambush group who attacked him and his family thirty years ago was the head abbot of Shaolin Monastery, [[Xuan Ci]]. The reason why those who were involved in the attack refused to disclose any details about the identity of their leader was that their leader was a reputable martial artist and could not afford to have his reputation to be tarnished. In revenge, Xiao Yuanshan had actually kidnapped the illegitimate son of Xuan Ci and [[Ye Er Niang]] and left the child in the garden of Shaolin, allowing the infant to be raised by Xuan Ci himself without knowledge that the infant was his own flesh and blood. The infant was Xu Zhu, and Xuan Ci was surprised to know that Xu Zhu was actually his illegitimate son without him knowing all these years as he oversaw the growth and development of Xu Zhu from an infant.

Together in hiding with Xiao Yuanshan in the library of Shaolin was another mysterious hooded man who too was secretly reading martial arts manuals there, later revealed to be [[Murong Bo]], father of Murong Fu, whom everyone thought had been dead for some time. Xuan Ci confessed to having sinned by having broken the vow of celibacy when he fathered a child, as well as causing the death of Xiao Yuanshan’s wife. However, Xuan Ci also pointed out that he had been instigated to attack the couple at Yan Pass thirty years ago, after being provided with false information. According to him, Murong Bo had told him that the Qidan were intending to send a spy to infiltrate into Shaolin Monastery to steal martial arts manuals, causing Xiao Yuanshan and his family to be mistaken as the spies and attacked for no reason. Murong Bo’s purpose of providing the false information was to incite war between Song and Liao. After the truth was revealed, there was a fight in the library of Shaolin Temple, between the two vengeful parties; Xiao Yuanshan and Qiao(Xiao) Feng against Murong Bo, Murong Fu and Jiu Mozhi. This fight was eventually stopped by a mysterious Sweeper Monk whose martial arts abilities far surpassed those present. Xiao Yuanshan and Murong Bo eventually decided to forget their past hatred and disputes and became the disciples of the Sweeper Monk, who would guide them on the path of Buddhism.

After the truth had come to light and Qiao Feng’s name had been cleared, Qiao Feng spent some time with his sworn brothers before returning to Liao. Upon his return to Liao, he learnt that the Liao ruler was planning to launch an attack on Song, and wanted Qiao Feng to lead the army. Qiao Feng refused to lead the army as he still had feelings for the Han Chinese who raised him and nurtured him, and also not to break the vow he had made, which was to never kill a Han Chinese ever in his life. The Liao ruler was rather disappointed that Qiao Feng was unwilling to lead the army, but was afraid that Qiao Feng might try to stop him from attacking Song, thus he devised a scheme to immobilise Qiao Feng by sending him wine spiked with a drug, through the hands of an unsuspecting A Zi. Qiao Feng was later held captive in Liao but A Zi managed to escape back to Song. A Zi sought help from Song to rescue Qiao Feng and there was overwhelming response. A group of heroes who were impressed with Qiao Feng’s heroism decided to infiltrate into Liao and rescue Qiao Feng, which included his sworn brothers and members of various sects.

Qiao Feng was successfully rescued from the prison in Liao, but the heroes were pursued by Liao troops as they made their way back to Song. Qiao Feng intervened and charged his way into the heart of the troops’ formation, capturing the Liao ruler and holding him hostage. Qiao Feng was unwilling to kill the Liao ruler Yelü Hongji, whom he had been sworn brothers with, so he forced Yelü Hongji to make a vow never to attack Song ever in his life. The Liao ruler had no choice but to order his troops to retreat back to Liao. Qiao Feng eventually committed suicide, as only his death would prevent the war between Song and Liao from occurring．

===The story of Xu Zhu===

Xu Zhu’s storyline only begins in the later chapters of the novel. He was first introduced as being a monk from Shaolin, described to having a kind-hearted and submissive nature. He believed strongly in following the Buddhist code and refused to break it even when faced with life-threatening situations. He followed his seniors and elders to Leigu Mountain to challenge to break a strange [[Weiqi]] formation on the invitation of [[Su Xinghe]], master of the Long Ya(Deaf and mute) Sect, in which all the members of the sect were either deaf or mute or both. There, he accidentally broke the formation with a random move in order to prevent another from being driven into insanity, as the formation would cause rather strange effects on people, depending on their personality.

Upon having broken the formation, Su Xinghe brought Xu Zhu to see his master, Wu Ya Zi. Wu Ya Zi was the master of the Xiaoyao Sect. Wu Ya Zi was not very impressed when he saw Xu Zhu, because Xu Zhu did not meet his expectations as being good-looking and intelligent. Nevertheless, Wu Ya Zi could not go back on his word as he had once intended to make the one who managed to break the Weiqi formation set up by him his successor. Hence, Wu Ya Zi purged Xu Zhu’s body of the Shaolin martial arts Xu Zhu had previously learnt and passed on his internal energy, accumulated over 70 years to Xu Zhu. Although Xu Zhu was unwilling to become Wu Ya Zi’s disciple, he had no choice but to oblige in order to fulfill the latter’s dying wish. Wu Ya Zi entrusted Xu Zhu with the task of tracking down [[Ding Chunqiu]], his former disciple who had betrayed him, and kill him. Although Xu Zhu had lost all his Shaolin martial arts, his inner energy was greatly enhanced, but not very useful without any martial arts to allow him to bring out his power.

Later, Xu Zhu encountered [[Tian Shan Tong Lao]] when he saved her from being killed by a group of her subordinates who were planning a rebellion. Tian Shan Tong Lao was the ruler of the Ling Jiu Palace, and oppressed those under her rule, which included several leaders of minor sects. She had used the ‘sheng si fu’ to brand those under her rule, such that they would suffer in agony annually if not given the antidote, which would decrease their pain of suffering for a year. Hence, those who rebelled against her would die a painful death. This incurred much hatred and resentment from those under her rule and they secretly planned a rebellion. This group had captured a young girl, presumably a servant of Tian Shan Tong Lao, from Ling Jiu Palace and had tried to force her to reveal the whereabouts of Tian Shan Tong Lao. As they were planning to kill her after failing to obtain any information from her, Xu Zhu dashed out, grabbed her and they escaped. Unknown to Xu Zhu, this young girl was in fact Tian Shan Tong Lao in her young form.

Besides facing rebellion from those under her rule, Tian Shan Tong Lao was also being targeted by her disciple sister Li Qiushui, who was the empress dowager of [[Western Xia]]. She had been cursed to remain eternally in a child-like form, and she needed to drink fresh blood and practice diligently for 96 days to regain her strength, which she loses every 30 years because of the curse. Xu Zhu was unwilling to see her die at the hands of her enemy, although he was totally opposed to some of the things she did. Hence, Xu Zhu decided to protect Tian Shan Tong Lao from Li Qiushui for the time being.

Eventually, Xu Zhu and Tian Shan Tong Lao hid themselves in an ice cellar in the imperial palace of Western Xia to avoid Li Qiushui’s constant attacks. Tian Shan Tong Lao had not regained her power yet and Xu Zhu was not experienced enough so they were no match for Li Qiushui. While in hiding, Tian Shan Tong Lao tried to force the reluctant Xu Zhu to learn all her martial arts. Xu Zhu refused to learn as he knew that after he learnt, Tian Shan Tong Lao would use him as to kill Li Qiushui. Xu Zhu followed the Buddhist code very strictly, abstaining from consuming meat and wine, as well as from having immoral thoughts. Tian Shan Tong Lao put in a lot of effort to force him to break the code and eventually Xu Zhu succumbed to temptation when Tian Shan Tong Lao made him sleep with a mysterious naked woman every night in the ice cellar. Throughout the duration of their stay in the ice cellar, Xu Zhu and the woman gradually fell in love with each other. Xu Zhu also willingly consumed meat and wine, and was considered to have sinned.

After Tian Shan Tong Lao had regained her powers and Xu Zhu had mastered all the martial arts taught to him by her, becoming a powerful martial artist now, she had her final showdown with Li Qiushui, which ended with both of them injuring each other severely and were on the verge of death. Before their deaths, it was revealed that both of them were Wu Ya Zi’s disciple sisters and were infatuated with Wu Ya Zi, but Wu Ya Zi had no feelings for either of them and loved another disciple sister instead. Hence, the two women realized their folly and were amused by the fact that they had actually fought each other for decades over the love for the same man, who turned out to have no feelings for either of them. They forgot their past disputes and died together. Before the death of Tian Shan Tong Lao, she appointed Xu Zhu as her successor to the throne of Ling Jiu Palace. Xu Zhu then went back to Ling Jiu Palace to put down the rebellion and appease his new angry subordinates by removing the ‘Sheng Si Fu’ from each of them. It was there where Xu Zhu and Duan Yu became sworn brothers.

Xu Zhu did not feel very comfortable living in Ling Jiu Palace despite being treated like an emperor by his servants and he missed the days when he was still a monk in Shaolin. Hence, he decided to return to Shaolin and become a monk again. Upon returning to Shaolin Monastery he met his master and told him everything he had been through, including the times when he actually broke the Buddhist code willingly. However, his servants had followed him in secret to protect him from being ill-treated by the monks. It was then when Jiu Mozhi came to Shaolin Monastery to challenge Shaolin. Xu Zhu accepted the challenge on behalf on Shaolin and defeated Jiu Mozhi, while his seniors were rather surprised with his sudden improvement in martial arts. Shortly after that, the great battle at Shaolin started when the Beggars’ Sect arrived, led by their new chief Zhuang Juxian, who was actually [[You Tanzhi]], under the control of [[Quan Guanqing]]. There, all the heroes of the martial arts world were assembled. Xu Zhu, along with his sworn brothers Qiao Feng(who had returned from Liao) and Duan Yu, faced their powerful opponents [[Ding Chunqiu]], Zhuang Juxian and [[Murong Fu]]. They won the battle and Ding Chunqiu was forced into submission when Xu Zhu implanted the ‘Sheng Si Fu’ into his body. Ding Chunqiu was fully subdued and he had no choice but to be imprisoned in Shaolin to reflect on his past evil doings, and would only be given the antidote if he repented.

Also, it was there where the truths behind the mysterious murders, for which Qiao Feng was accused of, were revealed. At the same time, Xu Zhu’s true parentage was also revealed. He was in fact the illegitimate child of the head abbot of Shaolin, [[Xuan Ci]], and [[Ye Er Niang]], one of the ‘Four Evils’. Xuan Ci was actually the leader of the ambush group which attacked Xiao Yuanshan and his family thirty years ago, and Xiao Yuanshan, who had survived after a suicide attempt, had plotted revenge while in hiding. Xu Zhu was kidnapped as an infant by Xiao Yuanshan and placed in the garden of Shaolin. The monks there found him and decided to raise him as one of their own, and Xuan Ci did not know that the infant was his own son. However, Ye Er Niang had recognised her son when he saw all the joss-stick burn marks on Xu Zhu’s back, which was done by her in memory of her illegitimate lover, who was a monk. Both Xu Zhu and his father were punished to be flogged in public as punishment for having broken the Buddhist code. Xuan Ci committed suicide after the punishment was complete and Ye Er Niang did the same. Xu Zhu was shocked by the sudden change of events and deeply grieved by the fact that his parents had died shortly after they were reunited as a family.

After that, Xu Zhu was no longer a member of Shaolin and took up his post as the leader of the Xiaoyao Sect and ruler of Ling Jiu Palace. Xu Zhu followed Duan Yu to Western Xia to take part in a contest to win the hand in marriage of the princess. There, it was revealed that the princess of Western Xia was actually the mysterious naked woman whom Xu Zhu slept with during his stay with Tian Shan Tong Lao in the ice cellar. They were happy to be reunited and were married, with Xu Zhu becoming the son-in-law of the king of Western Xia.

Xu Zhu and Duan Yu later participated in rescue mission to rescue their eldest sworn brother Qiao Feng, who had been imprisoned in Liao after refusing to lead the army to attack Song. However, they were pursued by Liao troops and the Liao ruler agreed to withdraw his troops after being held hostage and forced to make a vow never to attack Song again. Qiao Feng committed suicide as only his death would bring an end to the war between Song and Liao. The novel ended on a happy note for Xu Zhu’s storyline, with him living happily ever after with the princess he had married.

==Adaptations==
===Television series===
{| class="wikitable" width=80%
!width=10%| Year !!width=15%| Production !!width=15%| Title of Adaptation (if different)!!Notes
|-
|align=center| 1982
|align=center| [[TVB]] (Hong Kong)
|align=center|
|The main cast includes:

[[Leung Ka Yan|Bryan Leung]] as Qiao Feng,

[[Felix Wong]] as Xu Zhu,

[[Kent Tong]] as Duan Yu,

[[Patrick Tse Yin]] as Duan Zhengchun,

[[Wong Han Sau]] as A Zhu/Zhong Ling,

[[Shek Sau]] as Murong Fu,

[[Idy Chan]] as Wang Yuyan,

[[Sharon Yeung]] as Mu Wanqing
|-
|align=center| 1996
|align=center| [[TVB]] (Hong Kong)
|align=center|
|align=center|Cast includes:

[[Felix Wong]] as Qiao Feng/Xiao Yuanshan,

[[Benny Chan]] as Duan Yu,

[[Carman Lee]] as Wang Yuyan/Wang Yunluo
|-
|align=center| 2003
|align=center| [[China Central Television|CCTV]] (Mainland China)
|align=center| Heaven Dragon - the Eighth Episode
|Producer [[Zhang Jizhong]] had previously adapted [[The Legend of the Condor Heroes]] for CCTV to great acclaim. The main cast includes:

[[Hu Jun]] as Qiao Feng/Xiao Yuanshan,

[[Jimmy Lin Chih Ying|Jimmy Lin]] as Duan Yu,

[[Gao Hu]] as Xu Zhu,

[[Xiu Qing]] as Murong Fu,

[[Liu Yifei|Crystal Liu]] as Wang Yuyan,

[[Liu Tao]] as A Zhu,

[[Chen Hao]] as A Zi,

[[Tong Chun Chong]] as Duan Zhengchun,

[[Shu Chang]] as Tian Shan Tong Lao,

[[Christy Chung]] as Kang Min,

[[Jiang Xin]] as Mu Wan Qing (change to "firstname surname" format as above),

[[Xiu Qing]] as Mu Rong Fu (change to "firstname surname" format as above),

[[Christy Chung]] as Ma Fu Ren (change to "firstname surname" format as above),

[[Ji Chun Hua]] as Duan Yuan Qing (change to "firstname surname" format as above),

[[Ma Yu Ke]] as You Tan Zhi (change to "firstname surname" format as above)

|}

===Movies===
{| class="wikitable" width=80%
!width=10%| Year !!width=15%| Production !!width=20%| Crew!!Cast and notes
|-
|align=center| 1977
|align=center| [[Shaw Brothers]] (Hong Kong)
|align=center| [[Pao Hsueh Li]] as director
|align=center| [[Danny Lee]] as Duan Yu, [[Tian Ni]] as Mu Wanqing, [[Lin Chen-Chi]] as Zhong Ling
|-
|align=center| 1982
|align=center| [[Shaw Brothers]] (Hong Kong)
|align=center| [[Tsui Siu Ming]] as director
|align=center| The English title of the movie is 'Gang Master'
|-
|align=center| 1982
|align=center| Hong Kong
|align=center| [[Xiao Sheng]] as director
|align=center| [[Norman Chu]] as Qiao Feng, [[Kent Tong]] as Duan Yu, [[Felix Wong]] as Xu Zhu, [[Idy Chan]] as Wang Yuyan, [[Hui Tian Ci]] as Murong Fu, [[Eddy Ko]] as Jiu Mozhi
|-
|align=center| 1994
|align=center| Hong Kong
|align=center| [[Andy Chin]] as director
|align=center| [[Brigitte Lin]] as Li Canghai/Li Qiushui, [[Gong Li]] as Tian Shan Tong Lao, [[Sharla Cheung]] as A Zi, [[Norman Chu]] as Ding Chunqiu, [[Frankie Lam]] as Xu Zhu
|}

===Video games===
* ‘’ The Demi-gods and Semi-devils’’ (1997)
* ‘’ The Demi-gods and Semi-devils - Liu Mai Shen Jian’’
* ‘’The Demi-gods and Semi-devils’’ (MUD)
* ‘’The Demi-gods and Semi-devils Online’’

==External links==
*{{en icon}} [http://wuxiapedia.com/novels/jin_yong/demi_gods_semi_devils Demi-Gods, Semi-Devils] - English translation of the novel at Wuxiapedia.com; includes a comprehensive section of fully-annotated material called "Facts and Figures".
*{{zh icon}} [http://www.cnnovels.com/wx/jingyong/tlbb/ Tian Long Ba Bu] - Text of the novel, in Chinese
*{{zh icon}} [http://jinyong.ylib.com.tw Jinyong Tea House] - Chinese language fansite of Jinyong's novels
* {{zh icon}} [http://jinyong.ylib.com.tw/snowtalk/ Fei Hong Xue Ni] - Jin Yong forums in Chinese
*{{imdb title|id=0404679|title=Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils}}

{{Jinyong's wuxia novels}}

[[Category:Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils| ]]

[[ja:天龍八部 (小説)]]
[[th:แปดเทพอสูรมังกรฟ้า]]
[[vi:Thiên long bát bộ]]
[[zh:天龙八部 (小说)]]

Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils

2008-08-03T23:53:31Z

Julian1313: /* Television series */

{{Unreferenced|date=July 2007}}
'''Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils''' ({{zh-tsp|t=天龍八部|s=天龙八部|p=Tiān Lóng Bā Bù}}) is a long [[wuxia]] novel written by [[Jinyong]].

It was originally published in 1963, and has since spawned several movies and television serials in both [[Mainland China]] and [[Hong Kong]]. The title of the novel has been a challenge for translators for years. It is based on the eight races of non-human entities described in [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] [[cosmos|cosmology]]. In Buddhism, even though these demi-gods are ranked higher than mortals, they are still bound to the [[samsara]] by their own passions and desires. It is said that Jinyong originally modelled each major character after one of the Races. As he wrote on, the complexity of the story made it impossible for such a simplistic mapping. Today, the topic of which character corresponds to which Race is still an interesting matter of discussion among fans and readers.

==The Races==
===Deva (天)===
The Deva, also known as ‘tian’ or ‘heaven’ in Chinese, is a holy being which dwells in the heavens. It enjoys the highest bliss among all living creatures. Higher Devas live for millions of years, even kalpas. With the ability to morph into whatever form they desire, they can travel at free will within any realm. The holiest of Devas are Bodhisattvas (菩薩), while others are known as Guardians of Dharma (護法). The unholy ones are called Deva-maras (天魔) who turn away from Buddha. They may postpone their fates of reincarnation into hell by turning into pure Maras, who establish their own dominions in any realm of existence. Devas or Maras may also be born in the Realm of Forms or Formlessness.

Xiao Feng or Qiao Feng is a representation of the Deva. He gives reader the impression of a heavenly being as he fits its description in any form, whether in appearance, build, character or martial arts. His status in the novel as the first main protagonist further enhances his position as the leader of the Devas, called ‘Di Shi Tian’ (帝释天). The Deva is no exception to death, regardless of how powerful it is, just like Xiao Feng, who died at an early age. His tragic end is different from that of the Deva but yet one of those which touched readers deeply. He has ‘luxuries’ in the form of his martial arts prowess and his status as a noble of the Kingdom of Liao, but no beautiful maidens to accompany him; he killed his love interest A Zhu by mistake in a tragedy caused by confusion, he did not like A Zi for her cruel and sadistic nature although she was desperately trying to win his heart and he took care of her only to fulfill a promise he made to A Zhu before her death.

===Naga (龙)===
The Naga, also called ‘long’ or ‘dragon’ in Chinese, assumes the form of a scaled and limbless serpent which can fly, swim and burrow. They can be classified by four ways of birth. Some hatch dry eggs on land or spawn wet eggs in water. Others are germinated from embryos or simply dead bodies. The sizes of Nagas range from very small to very large. They enjoy long slumbers and hoarding treasure. Some can change their facial appearances or torsos but not their entire bodies. They can become invisible except when they are born, dying, having sex, being infuriated, and sleeping. They can harm humans by roars, gazes, breaths, or mere touches. On the contrary, they suffer from scorching of hot wind or sandstorms, loss of property due to sudden hurricanes, and frequent devouring by Garudas. Older Nagas can summon rainstorms by will.

Duan Yu represents the Naga. Of the eight Races, Deva and Naga are the most important ones, so Duan Yu being the second main protaganist, obviously represents the Naga. Duan Yu is born of noble blood and a future ruler of the [[Kingdom of Dali]]. The Chinese see their emperor as a dragon, while the ancient Indians too hold the dragon in high regard, which shows their respect for Duan Yu as a prince. The dragon king in Chinese mythology has an affinity for Buddhism since young, just like Duan Yu who has been largely influenced by Buddhism before his rise to prominence. Besides, the rulers of Dali have a tradition for taking the tonsure at Tian Long Monastery (天龙寺) or ‘heavenly dragon monastery’, which hints that Duan Yu represents the Naga of the eight races.

===Yaksa (夜叉)===
The Yaksa (夜叉), also known as ‘ye cha’ in Chinese, is a fierce, agile and cannibalistic devil which can devour other devils. It seldom morphs into other forms but can shift its visibility to that of human eyes easily by will. Moreover, Yaksas can hide themselves or conceal objects by camouflaging them into the surroundings superbly even if they cannot make things invisible to the sharp eyes. Based on speeds of air travel, they can be further separated into three classes, namely, Heavenly Yaksas, Void Yaksas, and Earthly Yaksas, in ranking of the fastest to the slowest.

The Yaksa had been said to be represented by the third main protagonist, Xu Zhu. Xu Zhu, originating from Shaolin Monastery, found himself caught in between several feuds, which eventually led to him becoming a powerful martial artist despite going against his own will. He was also the leader of several unorthodox sects, yet managed to lead them from their ‘evil’ origins towards good, fitting the description of the Yaksa, which is the deity in charge of subduing devils and evil spirits, yet itself is a devil.

The Yaksa is also said to be collectively represented by the ‘Four Evils’. They have evil appearances, engage in all forms of evil doings, just like the common interpretation of the Yaksa as an evil being. However, each of these Four Evils has a good side behind them. Duan Yanqing was originally the crown prince of Dali, who lost his status and sought revenge on those who stole his rightful place as ruler. Eventually, he left for good after realising that Duan Yu was his real son and that his struggle to become ruler of Dali had ended with his son becoming the ruler unexpectedly. Ye Er Niang who was infamous for kidnapping babies and killing them after she had finished playing with them, became a changed person after she realized that Xu Zhu was her long-lost son. Nan Hai E Shen, the most comical of the Four Evils, had still some good in him compared to the other three. He was often seeking to make Duan Yu his disciple, but ended up with him being Duan’s disciple instead. He sacrificed himself to save Duan Yu eventually, whom he still regarded as his master. Yun Zhong He, a lecherous fiend, also once saved Wang Yuyan. The Four Evils were just like the Yaksa, hard to define whether it is good or evil.

===Asura (阿修罗)===
The Asura (阿修罗), or ‘a xiu luo’ in Chinese, is an anti-Deva. Generally, females are beautiful while males on the contrary are ugly in appearance. They have heavenly powers but no saintly merit. They resolve disputes with violence, which they consider to be an honour, before in peaceful manners. As such, they often equip themselves with the most advanced fighting techinques. As they usually dwell beneath the heavens, they constantly wage war against the Devas for the supremacy of ruling the heavens. Asuras are jealous of human beings who enjoy more earthly pleasures than them, but above all they hate the Devas the most. They can be classified into Heavenly Asuras, Devilish Asuras, and Bestial Asuras. Heavenly ones have the best magical powers while bestial ones are experts in fighting.

Murong Fu is said to be a representation of the Asura due to its characteristics; it is often defeated by the Deva, it has a fiery temper, it is resentful and jealous, it wields great power, it has high capabilities yet longs for a chaotic world, it is suspicious by nature and often suspects that Buddha sides with the Devas. Murong Fu’s characteristics are very much similar; he is Xiao(Qiao) Feng’s arch-nemesis by being the ‘Southern Murong’ in ‘Northern Qiao Feng, Southern Murong’ (北乔峰南慕容), he is defeated by Xiao Feng, he is full of jealousy and contempt, he is the heir to the throne of the [[Kingdom of Yan]], he is well-known for his trademark move ‘returning you with your own way’ (以彼之道, 还施彼身) by killing others with their own trademark martial arts techniques, he fears the world would not be chaotic enough for the time to restoring his kingdom, he is suspicious of his own followers who eventually died at his own hands. Also, he has the beautiful Wang Yuyan, his cousin, who tries vainly to win his heart, but he has no feelings for her, just like the Asura who has beautiful maidens but lusts for luxuries instead.

Another representation of the Asura is Wang Yuyan, as its female version. Wang Yuyan is naturally beautiful and spent her life in an isolated manor away from human society until she met Duan Yu. She was just like a ‘fairy sister’ to Duan Yu, who fell head over heels in love with her on first sight. However, she was only desperately trying to win the heart of her unfeeling cousin Murong Fu, until when she realized that Duan Yu was the one who truly loved her when he showed that he was willing to die for her. Together with Duan Yu, they seemed like a ‘heavenly couple’ in the novel.

===Garuda (迦楼罗)===
The Garuda (迦楼罗) or ‘jia lou luo’ in Chinese, is a rare gigantic golden bird which preys on Nagas. They can soar to the highest heaven and sink to the deepest abyss. They were so powerful such that even the Asura Kings did not dare to trifle with them. They do not die due to old age but the accumulation of many different types of venoms and poisons from Naga blood. When the moment comes, all the venoms and poisons it accumulates in its body will cause the Garuda to self-incinerate, leaving behind its heart in the form of a crystal seed among the ashes. From this crystal, a new Garuda will be born. [[Yue Fei]] had been said to be a reincarnation of the Garuda.

Jiu Mozhi is said to represent the Garuda. He was the royal advisor of [[Tufan|Tubo]] and an accomplished martial artist. He was at odds with the other monasteries such as Shaolin and Tian Long. Duan Yu, the Naga or dragon, is his prey, as Duan Yu holds the key to mastering the ‘’Liu Mai Shen Jian’ (六脉神剑). He seeks to ‘devour’ all kinds of martial arts(poison) and emerge as the most powerful martial artist. Eventually, he went into a state of having lost his mind after practicing the martial arts wrongly as he sought to master them quickly, and was on the verge of death. His suffering was as though like he was on fire. However, Jiu Mozhi was spared death unlike the Garuda as he managed to pass his inner energy(poison) to Duan Yu, henceforth losing his martial arts prowess. He finally became enlightened after his close encounter with death and repented from his past wrongdoings, becoming a ‘gigantic golden bird’ like Yue Fei.

Another representation of the Garuda is Murong Fu. Murong Fu was an unscrupulous and evil individual who used all means to restore his kingdom, ranging from killing his own followers to acknowledging the evil Duan Yanqing as his foster father. He had accumulated much ‘venom’ in him from his evil doings, but too was spared death like Jiu Mozhi, but was forever in suffering yet oblivious to it when he eventually became insane

===Kinnara (紧那罗)===
The Kinnara (紧那罗) or ‘jin na luo’ in Chinese, resembles a human being but has a horn on its forehead. They are music deities who serve the Devas, in which the males excel in singing while the females are good dancers. While they apparently seem to be enjoying life, most of suffer from slavery by Asuras.

The Kinnara is said to be represented by A Zi. A Zi was one of the two closest women to Xiao Feng, with the other being her sister A Zhu, so if Xiao Feng represents the Deva, then she is obviously the Kinnara. A Zi grew up in a harsh environment as being a member of the evil Xingsu Sect. She had frequent mood swings and had an unpredictable temperament. She was apparently human as she had two sides; a side of her showing her sadism, cruelty and cunning, while the other side showing her naïve and strong desire to win Xiao Feng’s heart. No one could ever understand her, even when she leapt off the cliff to her death clutching on to Xiao Feng’s dead body.

===Ghandarva (乾达婆)===
The Ghandarva (乾达婆) or ‘gan da po’ in Chinese, is a deity of scents. Those who inhale fragrance sparkle like jewels while those who inhale stench loom like monsters. It does not feed on wine or meat, and seeks fragrant scents as nourishment and may also be attracted by incense or fresh blood. It is also one of the Deva’s music deities in charge of playing earthly music, with fragrant scents issuing from its body. The evil ones serve the Asuras as guards. Its meaning in Sanskrit is ‘interchanging and unpredictable’.

A Zhu is said to represent the Ghandarva. If Xiao Feng is the Deva, then A Zhu is obviously the Ghandarva, one of the Deva’s music deities, as she is one of two closest women to Xiao Feng, with the other being her sister A Zi. A Zhu is an expert in disguise, fitting the description of being ‘interchanging and unpredictable’, and was first introduced in the novel as being in disguise. Duan Yu had discovered that she was a woman in disguise due to the fragrant scent from her body.

===Mahoraga (摩喉罗迦)===
The Mahoraga (摩喉罗迦) or ‘mo hou luo jia’ in Chinese, is a giant earthly serpent deity. It moves by gliding on its torso unlike the Nagas. It has a human torso and the head of a python. In a sutra, the Mahoraga is said to be deaf and dumb, completely oblivious to all kinds of worldly temptations. Hence it attains enlightenment more easily, salvage its past and become a totally changed being. Mahoragas who do not accept the role of an enlightened being usually form cults for other lesser beings on earth.

Xu Zhu is said to represent the Mahoraga as he was just like a belly-gliding earthly serpent due to his status as an ordinary monk from Shaolin Monastery. However, he was also kind-hearted, honest and naïve by nature, which made him oblivious to all kinds of ‘earthly temptations’, thus allowing him to attain ‘enlightenment’ more easily by becoming a powerful martial artist. He managed to ‘salvage his past’ when he was reunited for the first and last time with his parents. He also became an ‘earthly serpent deity’ or earthly dragon of equal status as the Naga or heavenly dragon represented by Duan Yu, as he became the master of Lingjiu Palace (灵鹫宫) with several minor sects under his command and also the prince consort of the Kingdom of Western Xia when he married the princess.

A Zi is also said to be a representation of the Mahoraga. She was cruel, sadistic and cunning by nature, just like a venomous snake in human form.

==Chapters==
Jinyong revised the novel three times with the most recent revision being the 2005 edition. There are 50 chapters. Most of the revisions are either clarifications or minor alterations of character motivations.

{|
|-
| 1 || 青衫磊落險峰行 || A garment of green walks openheartedly among precarious peaks
|-
| 2 || 玉壁月華明 || A cliff of jade reflects the magnificence of the moon
|-
| 3 || 馬疾香幽 || A swift horse, a secluded fragrance
|-
| 4 || 崖高人遠 || A high precipice, a faraway man
|-
| 5 || 微步轂紋生 || A figure finely marked by delicate steps
|-
| 6 || 誰家子弟誰家院 || Which family does the child come from, whose courtyard is it?
|-
| 7 || 無計悔多情 || Without enumerating one's regrets, affection abounds
|-
| 8 || 虎嘯龍吟 || The tiger roars, the dragon bellows
|-
| 9 || 換巢鸞鳳 || The phoenix exchanges its nest with another fabulous bird
|-
| 10 || 劍氣碧煙橫 || Swords of energy intersect intensely in bluish smoke
|-
| 11 || 向來癡 || Infatuated all along
|-
| 12 || 從此醉 || Intoxicated from now on
|-
| 13 || 水榭聽香指點群豪戲 || In the water pavilion, the beauty directs the play of extraordinary men
|-
| 14 || 劇飲千杯男兒事 || Drinking a thousand cups is the affair of men
|-
| 15 || 杏子林中商略平生義 || In the forest of apricots, the righteousness of a lifetime is outlined
|-
| 16 || 昔時因 || The accords of the past
|-
| 17 || 今日意 || The intentions of the present
|-
| 18 || 胡漢恩仇須傾英雄淚 || The gratitudes and grievances of the foreign man exhaust the tears of the hero
|-
| 19 || 雖萬千人吾往矣 || Though men in thousands upon ten thousands head for me
|-
| 20 || 悄立雁門, 絕壁無餘字 || Affection stands at the Gate of Wild Geese, without any other words on the precipice
|-
| 21 || 千里茫茫若夢 || A thousand ''li'' seem as indistinct as a dream
|-
| 22 || 雙眸粲粲如星 || A pair of eyes shine as bright as the stars
|-
| 23 || 塞上牛羊空許約 || An empty promise is made with the cows and goats of the northern lands
|-
| 24 || 燭畔鬢雲有舊盟 || An old alliance is found beside the candle and amidst the hair
|-
| 25 || 莽蒼踏雪行 || In the hazy mistiness, a journey is taken through the snow
|-
| 26 || 赤手屠熊搏虎 || To kill the bear and seize the tiger with one's bare hands
|-
| 27 || 金戈蕩寇鏖兵 || To sweep away bandits and battle armies with one's golden halberd
|-
| 28 || 草木殘生顱鑄鐵 || The grass and trees have a wretched existence, a skull is cast in iron
|-
| 29 || 蟲豸凝寒掌作冰 || The legless creature of legend has a coagulating chill, a palm brings forth ice
|-
| 30 || 揮灑縛豪英 || To be scattered and sprinkled that outstanding men be bound
|-
| 31 || 輸贏成敗又爭由人算 || To win or to lose, success or failure, it's not something man can calculate 
|-
| 32 || 且自逍遙沒誰管 || Loosening up a little, managed by no one 
|-
| 33 || 奈天昏地暗鬥轉星移 || Enduring the darkening sky and gloomy earth, the revolving constellations and shifting stars 
|-
| 34 || 風驟緊縹緲峰頭雲亂 || Sudden winds are gathering, clouds are rioting at the head of Fuzzy Peak
|-
| 35 || 紅顏彈指老刹那芳華 || Rosy face claiming to be elderly, a transient state of fragrant beauty 
|-
| 36 || 夢裏真真語真幻 || A surreal dream, real conversation mixed with reality and hallucination 
|-
| 37 || 同一笑到頭萬事俱空 || With the same laughter, all things turned out empty in the end 
|-
| 38 || 糊塗醉情長計短 || Drunken stupidity, with much affection but little craft 
|-
| 39 || 解不了名韁系嗔貪 || Cannot loosen up, the frustration and greed that comes with fame 
|-
| 40 || 卻試問幾時把癡心斷 || But to try asking, when can a foolish heart break loose 
|-
| 41 || 燕雲十八飛騎奔騰如虎風煙舉 || Eighteen flying stallions from the Manchurian Steppes, dashing swiftly like a tiger, wind and smoke rising 
|-
| 42 || 老魔小丑豈堪一擊勝之不武 || Old devil and little clown, how can they endure but a single blow, it's a win without the need to fight 
|-
| 43 || 王霸雄圖血海深恨盡歸塵土 || The grandiose scheme to become an emperor, the deep hatred awash in a sea of blood, all turned into dust and earth 
|-
| 44 || 念枉求美眷良緣安在 || Foolishly seeking a lovely marriage, but where is the prime destiny?
|-
| 45 || 枯井底污泥處 || At the bottom of a dried well, amongst filthy soil 
|-
| 46 || 酒罷問君三語 || After some alcohol, kindly ask Sir three questions 
|-
| 47 || 為誰開茶花滿路 || For whom they blossomed, tea flowers covered the road 
|-
| 48 || 王孫落魄怎生消得楊枝玉露 || The prince falls into hard times, how can he digest the willowy ambrosia of the bodhisattva 
|-
| 49 || 敝屣榮華浮雲生死此身何懼 || Set aside all wealth and glory, these floating vapor of life and death, what can possibly scare this body and soul? 
|-
| 50 || 教單于折箭六軍辟易奮英雄怒 || Teaching the Khan to break an arrow, the six armies retreated, the heroes angered 
|}

==Background==
The main thematic element of the novel concerns the complex, often troubled relationships between the great multitude of characters from various kingdoms and sects, and the inherent bond that underlies the struggles of each. Ultimately, the novel examines the [[cause and effect]] that forms and breaks these bonds on five uniquely corresponding levels: [[self (sociology)|self]], [[family]], [[society]], [[ethnic group]], and [[country]] (dominion). The timeframe in which the novel takes place is historically based upon the era of the Northern [[Song Dynasty]], and includes the warring empires of [[Song]], [[Liao Dynasty|Liao]], [[Kingdom of Dali|Dali]], [[Western Xia]] and [[Tufan]].

==Characters==
There are about over 230 characters in the novel, including those who were only mentioned by name.

===The three main male protagonists===
* [[Qiao Feng|Xiao Feng]] (萧峰) – also known as Qiao Feng (乔峰). Chief of the Beggars’ Sect, known to pugilists as the ‘Northern Qiao Feng’. Became sworn brothers with Duan Yu and Xu Zhu with his place as first. He was despised by fellow pugilists after his real identity as [[Khitan people|Qidan]] was exposed, and henceforth became an outcast. Later discovered his biological father to be Xiao Yuanshan and took his family name ‘Xiao’. He committed suicide at Yanmen Pass (雁门关) to prevent Liao from invading Song.

* [[Duan Yu]] (段誉) – son of Duan Zhengchun, the Zhennan Prince of [[Kingdom of Dali|Dali]]. His mother was [[Dao Baifeng]] and it was eventually revealed that he was actually the biological son of [[Duan Yanqing]], the most senior of the Four Evils. He ascended to the throne of Dali towards the end of the novel. Became sworn brothers with Xiao Feng and Xu Zhu with his place as third.

* [[Xu Zhu (fictional)|Xu Zhu]] (虚竹) – originally a monk from Shaolin Monastery (少林寺). Later became the leader of the Xiao Yao Sect (逍遥派) and master of Ling Jiu Palace (灵鹫宫). Married Princess Yin Chuan (银川公主) of the [[Kingdom of Western Xia]] after a series of strange encounters and adventures. Sworn brothers with Xiao Feng and Duan Yu, with his place as second.

===The main female protagonists===
* [[Wang Yuyan]] (王语嫣) – the daughter of Duan Zhengchun and Mrs Wang. She was Murong Fu’s cousin and was secretly in love with him. However, Murong Fu showed no sign of affection towards her and eventually Duan Yu won her heart.

* [[A Zhu]] (阿朱) – daughter of Duan Zhengchun and Ruan Xingzhu and a master of disguise. Originally served the Murong Family as a servant maid but later fell in love with Xiao Feng and followed him. She was killed by Xiao Feng mistakenly when she disguised herself as Duan Zhengchun to prevent a conflict between her lover and father.

* [[A Zi]] (阿紫) – the younger sister of A Zhu. She was a disciple of Ding Chunqiu, leader of the Xing Su Sect. A sadistic, cruel and spoilt little brat, she had a crush on Xiao Feng and followed suit after the latter committed suicide.

* [[Mu Wanqing]] (木婉清) – the daughter of Duan Zhengchun and Qin Hongmian. She fell in love with Duan Yu initially but left him in anger and anguish after realising that he was actually her half-brother. She met Duan Yu again later in Western Xia.

* [[Zhong Ling]] (钟灵) – the daughter of Duan Zhengchun and Gan Baobao. She has a pet called the ‘shan dian diao’ (闪电貂), whose bite was poisonous and fatal. She was also in love with Duan Yu who was actually her half-brother. She met him again after the great battle at Shaolin.

===Kingdom of Dali===
* [[Duan Zhengming]] (段正明) – the Emperor of the Kingdom of Dali and the elder brother of Duan Zhengchun. Later passed his throne to Duan Yu and became a monk.

* [[Duan Zhengchun]] (段正淳) – the Zhennan Prince of Dali. Notorious for his flirtatious behavior, he conceived several illegitimate daughters with several different lovers in his younger days. Ironically, his illegitimate daughters also became lovers with who he thought was his son, Duan Yu. At the end of the novel, he committed suicide to be with lovers who were all killed by Murong Fu.

* [[Gao Shengtai]] (高升泰) – the marquis of Shanchan (善阐侯) of Dali

* [[Fan Hua]] (范骅) – the ‘sima’ (司马) of Dali, one of the three highest ranked ministers

* [[Ba Tianshi]] (巴天石) – the ‘sikong’ (司空) of Dali, one of three highest ranked ministers

* [[Hua Hegen]] (华赫艮) – the ‘situ’ (司徒) of Dali, one of the three highest ranked ministers

* [[Chu Wanli]] (褚万里) – one of the four royal guards (四大护卫), takes on the appearance of a fisherman.　He was slain by Duan Yanqing

* [[Gu Ducheng]] (古笃诚) – one of the four royal guards (四大护卫), takes on the appearance of a woodcutter

* [[Fu Sigui]] (傅思归) – one of the four royal guards (四大护卫), takes on the appearance of a farmer

* [[Zhu Danchen]] (朱丹臣) – one of the four royal guards (四大护卫), takes on the appearance of a scholar

* [[Cui Baiquan]] (崔百泉) – a pugilist from Dali nicknamed ‘jin suan pan’ (金算盘), or ‘golden abacus’

* [[Guo Yanzhi]] (过彥之) – a pugilist from the Fu Niu Sect (伏牛派) of Dali nicknamed ‘zhui hun bian’ (追魂鞭), or ‘soul-chasing whip’

===Murong Family===
* [[Murong Fu]] (慕容复) – known as the ‘Southern Murong’ to pugilists. He was a descendant of the royal family of the fallen [[Kingdom of Yan]] of the [[Sixteen Kingdoms]]. His father was Murong Bo. Scheming and unscrupulous, he used all sorts of means to restore his kingdom and become the emperor, but did not succeed and became insane eventually. His father named him "Fu" (literally means "to restore") to reminds him to restore the [[Kingdom of Yan]].

* [[Murong Bo]] (慕容博) – the father of [[Murong Fu]]. He shared the same dream as his son, which was to restore their fallen kingdom. He was enlightened by the [[sweeper monk]] and became his disciple eventually.

* [[Deng Baichuan]] (邓百川) – served the Murong family

* [[Gongye Gan]] (公冶干) – nicknamed ‘jiang nan lao er’ (江南老二), or ‘jiang nan number two’. Served the Murong family

* [[Bao Butong]] (包不同) – nicknamed ‘fei ye fei ye’ (非也非也) or ‘no, no’ after his favorite lingo. Served the Murong family and was notorious for challenging others to a verbal war. His name literally means "to disagree." [[Murong Fu]] eventually kill Bao Butong in an attempt to prove his loyalty to [[Duan Yanqing]].

* [[Feng Bo’e]] (风波恶) – nicknamed ‘yi zhen feng’ (一阵风) or ‘a gust of wind’. Served the Murong family and was always ready to pick a fight

===The lovers of Duan Zhengchun===
* [[Dao Baifeng]] (刀白凤) – the Zhennan princess consort of Dali, the legal wife of Duan Zhengchun and mother of Duan Yu. She followed suit after her husband committed suicide at the end to be with his dead lovers.

* [[Qin Hongmian]] (秦红棉) – nicknamed ‘xiu luo dao’ (修罗刀), or ‘xiu luo dagger’. Also known as ‘you gu ke’ (幽谷客) or ‘eerie valley dweller’. She was one of Duan Zhengchun’s lovers and mother of Mu Wanqing. She was killed by Murong Fu.

* [[Gan Baobao]] (甘宝宝) – the wife of Zhong Wanchou. She was one of Duan Zhengchun’s lovers and bore him Zhong Ling, who was brought up as Zhong Wanchou’s daughter. She was killed by Murong Fu.

* [[Ruan Xingzhu]] (阮星竹) – one of Duan Zhengchun’s lovers. She bore him A Zhu and A Zi. She was killed by Murong Fu.

* [[Wang Yunluo]] (王云罗) – also known as Mrs Wang. She was the daughter of Wu Ya Zi and Li Qiushui and one of Duan Zhengchun’s ex-lovers before her marriage. She bore him Wang Yuyan. She willingly died under her nephew Murong Fu’s sword.

*[[Kang Min]] (康敏) – also known as Mrs Ma for her marriage to Ma Dayuan. She was one of Duan Zhengchun’s ex-lovers. She appears to be warm-hearted and faithful, but was in fact a scheming and adulterous woman who plotted the downfall of Qiao Feng. She died of frustration and anger after being horribly marred and defaced by A Zi.

===The Four Evils===
* [[Duan Yanqing]] (段延庆) – nicknamed ‘e guan man ying’ (恶贯满盈) or ‘overflowing with evil’. He was formerly the crown prince of Dali who went into exile and the biological father of Duan Yu. He appears to be a crippled old man carrying a pair of crutches, but was nevertheless a formidable pugilist. He has the ability to channel his internal energy and speak from his guts, allowing him to speak without opening his mouth.

* [[Ye Er Niang]] (叶二娘) – nicknamed ‘wu e bu zuo’ (无恶不作) or ‘commits all kinds of evil’. She was the biological mother of Xu Zhu and notorious for kidnapping babies, treating them as her own, then killing them after she is done with them because she lost her own son several years ago. (Note: In the third revision in 2005, Ye Er Niang leaves the babies at strangers' houses after she's done toying with them.

* [[Yue Lao San]] (岳老三) – nicknamed ‘xiong shen e sha’ (凶神恶煞) or ‘fearsome evil deity’. Also known as ‘nan hai e shen’ (南海鳄神). He was the most comical character in the novel for his repeated unsuccessful attempts to make Duan Yu his disciple, which concluded with him being the latter’s disciple instead. Armed with a pair of giant scissors, he often threatens to kill people by breaking their necks. He periodically argue with Ye Er Niang, claiming that he's ranked 2nd of the Four Evils, and she is 3rd. However, he conceded the 2nd rank to her upon her death.

* [[Yun Zhong He]] (云中鹤) – nicknamed ‘qiong xiong ji e’ (穷凶极恶) or ‘desperate for evil’. Armed with an iron staff, he was a lecherous fiend who preyed on young and beautiful women. He was a [[qinggong]] expert, which enables him to pursue and flee from enemies easily.

====Shaolin Monastery (少林寺)====
* [[Xuan Ci]] (玄慈) – the head abbot of Shaolin Monastery. He was Xu Zhu’s biological father after his previous love affair with Ye Er Niang. He was the mysterious leader of the pugilists involved in the attack on Xiao Yuanshan.

* [[Xuan Bei]] (玄悲) – killed by Murong Bo

* [[Xuan Nan]] (玄难) – the head of the Da Mo School (达摩院) of Shaolin

* [[Xuan Ji]] (玄寂) – the head of the Discipline School (戒律院) of Shaolin

* [[Xuan Ku]] (玄苦) – Qiao Feng’s mentor. He was mortally wounded by Xiao Yuanshan and died after mistakenly accusing Qiao Feng as the attacker due to the similarities in appearance between the two.

* [[Hui Lun]] (慧轮) – Xu Zhu’s mentor

====Tian Long Monastery (天龙寺)====
* Ben Yin (本因) – the head abbot of Tian Long Monastery

* Ben Guan (本观)

* Ben Xiang (本相)

* Ben Can (本參)

* Ku Rong (枯榮)

====The Beggars’ Sect (丐帮)====
* [[Ma Dayuan]] (马大元) – the deputy chief of the Beggars’ Sect. He was murdered by his adulterous wife Kang Min and the discipline affairs elder Bai Shijing. One of the few who knew of Qiao Feng’s true ethnicity.

* [[Quan Guanqing]] (全冠清) – nicknamed ‘shi fang xiu cai’ (十方秀才) or ‘all-rounded scholar’, head of the Da Zhi Branch (大智分舵). He was an evil individual who plotted against Qiao Feng and manipulated Zhuang Juxian (You Tanzhi) into becoming the new chief. The elders killed him after the great battle at Shaolin.

* [[Bai Shijing]] (白世镜) – the elder in charge of discipline affairs. He had an adulterous affair with Kang Min and was responsible for the murder of the deputy chief Ma Dayuan.

* [[Wang Jiantong]] (汪剑通) – Qiao Feng’s predecessor as chief. He was nicknamed ‘jian ran’ (剑髯) or ‘sword beard’ and was involved in the attack on Xiao Yuanshan’s family.

* [[Wu Changfeng]] (吴长风) – one of the four chief elders who plotted against Qiao Feng.

* [[Chen Guyan]] (陈孤雁) – one of the four chief elders who plotted against Qiao Feng.

* Elder Xi (奚长老) – one of the four chief elders who plotted against Qiao Feng. He was killed by Qiao Feng at Ju Xian Manor.

* Elder Song (宋长老) – one of the four chief elders who plotted against Qiao Feng.

* Elder Xiang (项长老) – the elder in charge of overseeing the training of members

* Elder Xu (徐长老) – a retired elder of the Beggars’ Sect who appeared to testify against Qiao Feng. He was killed by Xiao Yuanshan and the blame put on Qiao Feng.

===Xiao Yao Sect (逍遥派)===
* [[Wu Ya Zi]] (无崖子) – the original leader of the Xiao Yao Sect. He was the master of [[Su Xinghe]] and [[Ding Chunqiu]] and was later succeeded by [[Xu Zhu]]. [[Wu Ya Zi]] was ambushed and thrown off a cliff by [[Li Qiushui]] and [[Ding Chunqiu]] after he found out about their affair.

* [[Tian Shan Tong Lao]] (天山童姥) – [[Wu Ya Zi]]’s fellow disciple sister. She was the ruler of [[Lingjiu Palace]] (灵鹫宫) on [[Tian Shan]] (天山) and too was succeeded by [[Xu Zhu]].

* [[Li Qiushui]] (李秋水) – [[Wu Ya Zi]]’s fellow disciple sister. She and Tian Shan Tong Lao were love rivals, with both of them fighting over Wu Ya Zi.She was also the princess consort of the Kingdom of Western Xia. Her idential twin sister, who doesnt practice martial art, is the true object of [[Wu Ya Zi]]'s love. This was revealed when [[Tian Shan Tong Lao]] notices [[Wu Ya Zi]]'s painting of his true love has a mole, which Li Qiushui doesn't have. Li Qiushui had an affair with [[Ding Chunqiu]] when [[Wu Ya Zi]] neglected her while falling in love with a statue of her (later revealed to be a statue of her identical twin). She is the mother of [[Wang Yunluo]] and the grandmother of [[Wang Yuyan]].

*[[Su Xinghe]] (苏星河) – the elder disciple of [[Wu Ya Zi]]. He was nicknamed ‘long ya lao ren’ (聋哑老人) or ‘deaf mute old man’ and ‘cong bian xian sheng’ (聪辩先生) or ‘clever gentleman’. He was the founder of the Deaf Mute Sect and the master of the [[Eight Friends of Hangu]]. He practices all type of arts and crafts which cause him to neglect his martial art practice. [[Ding Chunqiu]] spared his life on the condition that he would never speak again.

====Xing Su Sect (星宿派)====
* [[Ding Chunqiu]] (丁春秋) – formerly [[Wu Ya Zi]]’s younger disciple. He attempted to murder his master and left the sect to form the Xing Su Sect. He was nicknamed ‘xing su lao guai’ (星宿老怪) or ‘Xing Su old demon’.

* [[Zhai Xing Zi]] (摘星子) – the eldest disciple of [[Ding Chunqiu]], name translates to ‘the star picker’

* [[Shi Hou Zi]] (狮吼子) – the second eldest disciple of [[Ding Chunqiu]], name translates to ‘lion roar’
Note: Ding Chunqiu ranks his disciples by skill rather than senority. The disciples are allowed to fight each other to improve their rank. As the result, the ranking of Xing Su Sect's disciples changes over time. [[A Zi]] spends a brief few minutes as the eldest disciple with [[Xiao Feng]]'s secret help.

====Lingjiu Palace====
* [[Mei Jian]] (梅剑) – one of the four servant maids

* [[Lan Jian]] (兰剑) – one of the four servant maids

* [[Zhu Jian]] (竹剑) – one of the four servant maids

* [[Ju Jian]] (菊剑) – one of the four servant maids

====The Eight Friends of Hangu (函谷八友)====
* [[Kang Guangling]] (康广陵) – nicknamed ‘qin dian’ (琴癫) or ‘zither craze’

* [[Fan Bailing]] (范百龄) – nicknamed ‘qi mo’ (棋魔) or ‘chess devil’

* [[Gou Du]] (苟读) – nicknamed ‘shu ’ (书獃), or ‘book worm’

* [[Wu Lingjun]] (吴领军) – nicknamed ‘hua kuang’ (画狂) or ‘painting fanatic’

* [[Xue Muhua]] (薛慕华) – nicknamed ‘shen yi’ (神医) or ‘divine physician’

* [[Feng A San]] (冯阿三) – nicknamed ‘qiao jiang’ (巧匠) or ‘marvelous craftsman’

* [[Shi Qingfeng]] (石清風) – nicknamed ‘hua chi’ (花痴) or ‘flower craze’

* [[Li Kuilei]] (李傀儡) – nicknamed ‘xi mi’ (戏迷) or ‘opera fan’

====Ju Xian Manor (聚贤庄)====
* [[You Ji]] (游骥) – one of the twin heroes of Ju Xian Manor. Brother of You Ju and father of You Tanzhi.

* [[You Ju]] (游驹) – one of the twin heroes of Ju Xian Manor. Brother of You Ji and uncle of You Tanzhi.

* [[Qi Lao Liu]] (祁老六) – a pugilist from Guanxi, nicknamed ‘quai dao qi liu’ (快刀祁六) or ‘swift dagger qi liu’. He was killed by Qiao Feng at Ju Xian Manor.

* [[Xiang Wanghai]] (向望海) – a reputable pugilist known for his generosity

* [[Bao Qianling]] (鲍千灵) – a pugilist nicknamed ‘mei ben qian’ (没本钱) or ‘penniless’. He robbed the rich to help the poor.

====The Kingdom of Liao (辽国)====
* [[Yelü Hongji]] (耶律洪基) – the ruler of the Kingdom of Liao. Became sworn brothers with Xiao Feng

* [[Yelü Nielugu]] (耶律涅鲁古) – the Nan Yuan Great Prince (南院大王) of Liao who rebelled against the ruler Yelü Hongji. He was slain by Xiao Feng and his place was given to Xiao Feng.

* [[Yelü Chongyuan]] (耶律重元) – the ‘imperial uncle’ of Liao and chief commander of its army. He rebelled against the ruler Yelü Hongji but failed and committed suicide.

* Imperial Concubine Mu (穆貴妃) – Yelü Hongji’s favourite concubine

====Kingdom of Western Xia====
* Princess Yin Chuan (银川公主) – the princess of Western Xia who married Xu Zhu.

* [[He Lian Tie Shu]] (赫连铁树) – the leader of ‘yi pin tang’ (一品堂) and the East Conquering General (征东将军) of Western Xia.

* [[Nu Er Hai]] (努儿海) – a general of ‘yi pin tang’ (一品堂).

====The Nüzhen tribe (女真族)====
* [[Wanyan Aguda]] (完颜阿骨打) – the eldest son of the tribe’s chief. Founder of the [[Jin Dynasty]] (金国) and was known in history as ‘Emperor Taizu of the Jin Dynasty’ (金太祖).

* [[He Li Bu]] (和哩布) – the chief of the Nüzhen tribe

====Wu Liang Sword Sect (无量剑派)====
* [[Zuo Zimu]] (左子穆) – the leader of the east faction of the Wu Liang Sword Sect. He later became a subject of Ling Jiu Palace.

* [[Xin Shuangqing]] (辛双清) – the leader of the west faction of the Wu Liang Sword Sect. She later became a subject of Ling Jiu Palace.

====The 36 cave masters and 72 island masters (三十六洞洞主、七十二岛岛主)====
* [[Sang Tu Gong]] (桑土公) – the master of Bi Lin Cave (碧磷洞) in Chuanxi. He was killed by Xu Zhu and Tian Shan Tong Lao.

* [[Xuan Huang Zi]] (玄黃子) – the master of Jiu Long Cave (虯龍洞) on the Tibetan border

* [[Zhang Dafu]] (章达夫) – the master of Xuan Ming Island (玄冥島) in the Northern Sea

* [[Duanmu Yuan]] (端木元) – the master of Chi Yan Cave (赤焰洞) on Wu Zhi Mountain (五指山) in Hainan

* Mrs Li (黎夫人) the mistress of Ye Hua Island (椰花島) in the Southern Sea

* [[Wu Lao Da]] (乌老大) – an island master who led a rebellion against Ling Jiu Palace

* Taoist Bu Ping (不平道人) – nicknamed ‘jiao wang’ (蛟王) or ‘dragon king’. He was killed by Xu Zhu,

* [[Cui Lühua]] (崔绿华) – nicknamed ‘fu rong xian zi’ (芙蓉仙子) or ‘hibiscus fairy’.

* [[Zhuo Bufan]] (卓不凡) – nicknamed ‘jian shen’ (剑神) or ‘sword deity’.

===Miscellaneous characters===
*[[You Tanzhi]] (游坦之) – the son of You Ji (游驥) and the nephew of [[You Ju]] (游駒), who were known as the twin heroes of Ju Xian Manor (聚贤庄). He became an orphan and pauper overnight after the great battle at his home, and set off on his road to seek vengeance on Qiao Feng. He met A Zi and mastered the ‘yi jin jing’ (易筋經) unexpectedly, becoming a formidable martial artist. Later, renamed himself ‘zhuang ju xian’ (庄聚贤) and was manipulated by Quan Guanqing into becoming the new chief of the Beggars’ Sect. He was secretly in love with A Zi, willingly succumbing to her sadistic and cruel acts, even giving up his eyes for her. He committed suicide eventually to be with A Zi.

* [[Jiu Mozhi]] (鸠摩智) – the royal advisor of the Kingdom of Tubo and a reputable monk from Da Lun Monastery (大輪寺). He was well-versed in Buddhism and martial arts, but did not follow the Buddhist code, which includes his obsession to become the most powerful martial artist in the world, using any means necessary. He lost his martial arts prowess eventually but was henceforth truly enlightened.

* [[Sweeper Monk]] (扫地僧) – a nameless monk of unknown origin in charge of the library (藏經閣) of Shaolin Monastery. Often regarded as the most powerful martial artist in Jin Yong universe. Even the legendary Xiao Feng could not defeat him and later enlightened Xiao Yuanshan and Murong Bo who became his disciples.

* [[Xiao Yuanshan]] (萧远山) – the biological father of Xiao Feng. He lost his wife and was separated from his child for thirty years since the tragic incident at Yan Men Pass. He remained in hiding in the library of Shaolin Monastery these three decade while secretly planning his revenge. He was later enlightened by the Sweeper Monk and became his disciple along with Murong Bo.

* [[Sikong Xuan]] (司空玄) – the leader of the Shen Nong Sect (神农帮). He committed suicide by jumping into the Lancang River.

* [[Zhong Wanchou]] (钟万仇) – nicknamed ‘ma wang shen’ (马王神), or ‘horse deity’. He was the master of Wanjie Valley (万劫谷) and husband of Gan Baobao. He hated Duan Zhengchun to the core and placed a sign which read ‘Anyone with the surname Duan who enters this valley will be killed without exception’ (姓段者入此谷杀无赦) at the entrance to his valley.

* [[Reverend Huang Mei]] (黃眉大师) – the head abbot of Nian Hua Monastery (拈花寺). He played a role in rescuing Duan Yu from being imprisoned in Wan Jie Valley by distracting Duan Yanqing with a game of weiqi.

* [[A Bi]] (阿碧) – a servant maid of the Murong Family. Good friends with A Zhu

* [[Yao Bodang]] (姚伯当) – the chief of the Qin Family Stronghold (秦家寨).

* [[Du Ling Zi]] (都灵子) – the leader of the Peng Lai Sect (蓬莱派)

* [[Zhu Baokun]]] (諸保昆) – a member of the Peng Lai Sect (蓬萊派) who infiltrated the Qingcheng Sect

* [[Sima Lin]] (司马林) – the leader of the Qingcheng Sect (青城派) of Sichuan

* [[Shan Zheng]] (单正) – a pugilist from Tai Mountain (泰山) nicknamed ‘tie mian pan guan’ (铁面判官) or ‘stern-faced judge’. He and his entire family were killed in a fire set by Xiao Yuanshan.

* [[Tan Gong]] (谭公) – a pugilist from the Chong Xiao Cave(沖霄洞) of Tai Xing Mountain (太行山) who was Tan Po’s husband. He was killed by Xiao Yuanshan and the blame put on Qiao Feng.

* [[Tan Po]] (谭婆) – a pugilist from the Chong Xiao Cave(沖霄洞)of Tai Xing Mountain (太行山) who was Tan Gong’s wife. She was killed by Xiao Yuanshan and the blame put on Qiao Feng.

* [[Zhao Qiansun]] (趙錢孫) – a pugilist who was involved in the attack on Xiao Yuanshan’s family. He was killed by Xiao Yuanshan and the blame put on Qiao Feng.

* Reverend Zhi Guang (智光大师) – a reputable monk from Tian Tai Mountain (天台山) who was involved in the attack on Qiao Feng’s parents. He appeared to testify against Qiao Feng and later committed suicide after refusing to reveal the identity of the mysterious leader of the attackers.

* [[Qiao Sanhuai]] (喬三槐) – the adoptive father of Xiao(Qiao) Feng. He and his wife were killed by Xiao Yuanshan and the blame put on Qiao Feng.

==List of various sects, families and organizations mentioned in the novel==
* The Beggars’ Sect (丐帮) – a reputable martial arts sect of the Central Plains hailed as one of the most powerful sects within the realm. It has the largest number of members, including non-beggars, and a long history dating from the [[Han Dynasty]]. Its members were famous for their acts of righteousness, upholding justice and for helping those in need. It houses the powerful ‘Eighteen Dragon-subduing Palms’ (降龙十八掌) and the ‘Dog Beating Staff Skill’ (打狗棒法).

* Shaolin Monastery (少林寺) – a reputable martial arts sect of the Central Plains founded by [[Bodhidharma|Da Mo]] (达摩), which is highly respected as one of the most powerful sects within the realm. Its members are mostly Buddhist monks, who practise martial arts only for self-defence and upholding justice. It is also hailed as the origin of all martial arts and said to house 72 different styles of powerful martial arts.

* The Royal Duan Family of Dali (大理段氏皇族) – the ruling family of the Kingdom of Dali. Its members are experts in using the ‘Yi Yang Finger’ (一阳指). Although of nobility, its members are also highly respected within Dali for adhering to the laws of the martial arts world.

* The Murong Family of Gusu (姑苏慕容氏) – the Murong family are descendants of the royal family of the [[Kingdom of Yan]] of the [[Sixteen Kingdoms]] era. They seek to restore their kingdom to its former glory, by practicing martial arts and recruiting talents. They are said to have mastered all the various martial arts in the world, which accounts for their ability to ‘return you with your way’, which involves killing others with their trademark martial arts technique.

* Tianlong Monastery (天龙寺) – the members of the royal family of Dali had a tradition of becoming monks at Tian Long Monastery when the time comes. Duan Zhengming, the emperor of Dali, too became a monk at Tian Long Monastery after he abdicated in favour of his brother. Tian Long Monastery houses the ‘Six Veins Divine Sword’ (六脉神剑) and the ‘Yi Yang Finger’ (一阳指) for its affiliation to the royal family of Dali.

* Xiao Yao Sect (逍遥派) – a mysterious sect which only accepts members who are both talented and good-looking. It is the origin of ‘North Pole Divine Skill’ (北冥神功) and ‘Graceful Waves Steps’ (凌波微步).

* Xing Su Sect (星宿派) – founded by Ding Chunqiu, a traitor of the Xiao Yao Sect. It is based in Western Xia and its members were infamous for their acts of evil and use of poison against enemies. It is known to be one of the ‘losers of the martial arts world’. It houses several unorthodox poison-based martial arts and origin of the ‘Energy Sucking Skill’ (化功大法).

* Deaf Mute Sect (聋哑门) – founded by Su Xinghe, a member of the Xiao Yao Sect. As its name suggests, its members are deaf and mute.

* Ling Jiu Palace (灵鹫宫) – a mysterious sect based on the Piao Miao Peak (缥缈峰) of Tian Mountain (天山). Its members are all female and bound to serve the ruler Tian Shan Tong Lao. Several minor sects are brought under their rule by the ‘sheng si fu’ (生死符), which causes extreme agony annually. They treat their subjects harshly, which caused the rebellion against them.

* Yi Pin Tang (一品堂) – led by General He Lian Tie Shu, it is a government-based organization in the Kingdom of Western Xia. It recruits pugilists and martial arts experts (usually those notorious for acts of evil) from around the world to serve as mercenaries. Its aim is to purge all martial arts sects standing in the way for the kingdom’s path to world domination and the Four Evils are also its members.

* Wu Liang Sword Sect (无量剑派) – a sect based on Wu Liang Mountain (无量山) in Dali. Its members are divided into the east and west factions, headed by Zuo Zimu and Xin Shuangqing respectively. It is at conflict with the Shen Nong Sect in the beginning of the novel, but came under the rule of Ling Jiu Palace eventually.

* Shen Nong Sect (神农帮) – a sect based in Dali, in which its members are experts in the use of medicine and herbs. Headed by Sikong Xuan, it is first introduced as having a battle with the Wu Liang Sword Sect, only to be broken by Duan Yu. It eventually came under the rule of Ling Jiu Palace.

* Qing Cheng Sect (青城派) – a martial arts sect based on Qing Cheng Mountain (青城山) in Sichuan, headed by Sima Lin. It has a long history of conflict with the Peng Lai Sect, which it sought to destroy.

* Peng Lai Sect (蓬莱派) – a martial arts sect based on Peng Lai Mountain (蓬莱山) in the east. It has a long history of conflict with the Qing Cheng Sect of Sichuan, which it sought to destroy.

==Plot==
The novel is made up of several separate yet intertwining story lines, revolving around the protagonists [[Qiao Feng]], [[Duan Yu]] and [[Xu Zhu (fictional)|Xu Zhu]], and also the tragic story of [[You Tanzhi]].

===The story of Duan Yu===
Duan Yu started as a young, naive prince of Dali. Despite the long tradition of the practice of martial arts in the royal family, he refused to learn martial arts due [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] influence and his disdain for bloodshed. When his father [[Duan Zhengchun]], the Zhennan Prince, tried to force him to learn martial arts, he ran away from home. Ironically, by chance, he acquired three of the most powerful martial arts in the novel and became immune to poison after unintentionally consuming the Zhu Ha, a poisonous toad known as the king of all venomous creatures.

In the early chapters of the novel, Duan Yu met a young girl called [[Zhong Ling]], who grew in affection for him. Both of them ran into some trouble and Zhong Ling was captured and held hostage. In order to rescue her, Duan Yu ventures to Zhong Ling's home to seek help and he met [[Mu Wanqing]]. On the way to Zhong Ling's home, and before he met her parents and Mu Wanqing, Duan Yu had a strange encounter. He accidentally fell off a cliff and found his way into a cave. Inside the cave, he discovered a statue of a beautiful woman, whom he respectfully addressed as 'fairy sister'. He followed some instructions left on the statue and kowtowed a thousand times before the statue. Coincidentally, he discovered two martial arts manuals, the manuals for learning 'Ling Bo Wei Bu'(a style of [[qinggong]]) and 'Bei Ming Shen Gong'(a skill used for sucking others' energy). These skills later proved useful in self-defence when Duan Yu was confronted by enemies.

Although Mu Wanqing mistreated him in the beginning due to the mentality that men are not be trusted imposed on her by her teacher, she fell in love with him and under the threat of [[Nan Hai E Shen]] who tried to violate her, the two were engaged. Although Duan Yu was attracted by her beauty, he did not love her or treat their relationship seriously. It was later revealed that both Zhong Ling and Mu Wanqing, as a result of Duan Yu's father's previous love affairs, were actually his half-sisters. The news devastated Mu Wanqing and she became extremely upset. Zhong Ling learnt about it much later and the news did not affect her as much due to her personality and young age.

Duan Yu became seriously ill after Mu Wanqing left due to problems with the energy flow in his body, and his uncle [[Duan Zhengming]], the Emperor of Dali, brought him to Tianlong Monastery for treatment. At that time, [[Jiu Mozhi]], the royal advisor of [[Tufan|Tubo]] came to Tianlong Monastery to demand the martial arts manual for learning 'Liu Mai Shen Jian' under the pretext of paying a visit. The monk of Tianlong Monastery held off Jiu Mozhi in a martial arts duel, while Duan Yu was forced to memorise everything written in the manual at the same time. After Duan Yu had memorised all, the manual was burnt. Jiu Mozhi was furious about it but he kidnapped Duan Yu later after he discovered that Duan Yu had memorised everything written on the manual. Jiu Mozhi brought Duan Yu to the Central Plains, claiming that he would use Duan Yu as a sacrifice to his deceased friend [[Murong Bo]], whom he had promised a long time ago to bring the 'Liu Mai Shen Jian' manual and burn it in front of the latter's tomb as an offering to his spirit.

It was there that Duan Yu met [[A Zhu]] and [[A Bi]], servants of the Murong Family, who helped him escape from the clutches of Jiu Mozhi. Later, he went with them to the Mantuo Manor, where he chanced upon [[Wamg Yuyan]], a beautiful young girl who resembled the statue he saw in the cave. He immediately fell madly in love with her, and sought every opportunity to be close to her. Unfortunately for him, Wang Yuyan was equally obsessed with her cousin [[Murong Fu]]. Later, Duan Yu left Wang Yuyan reluctantly and happened to meet Qiao Feng. Both of them had a drinking contest, to see who could drink the most wine before getting drunk. They were equally matched and neither was drunk after having drank numerous jugs of wine, although Duan Yu had actually cheated by using his inner energy and 'Liu Mai Shen Jian' skill to force the wine out of his body from his fingertips. They also had a racing contest to see whose qinggong was better, but were equally matched also. Eventually, both of them became sworn brothers and Duan Yu followed Qiao Feng to the Beggars' Sect meeting.

After the meeting where Qiao Feng's true ethnicity was revealed, a group of warriors from [[Western Xia]] used a kind of special drug to make everyone present unconscious after sniffing its scent, except for Qiao Feng who had left. Duan Yu, being immune to all kinds of poison after having swallowed the Zhu Ha, was unaffected and he seized Wang Yuyan, who was also present, and fled from the scene. They were pursued by the Western Xia warriors and they ran into a mysterious Western Xia warrior. This mysterious warrior was later revealed to be actually Murong Fu in disguise. Also, Duan Yu and A Zhu, disguised themselves as Murong Fu and Qiao Feng respectively to rescue the members of the Beggars' Sect held captive by the Western Xia warriors.

Duan Yu appeared again in the later chapters of the novel at Leigu Mountain where Xu Zhu’s storyline begins. He continued to follow Xu Zhu as Xu Zhu had strange encounters one after another. Both of them became sworn brothers after Xu Zhu inherited the position of the ruler of the Lingjiu Palace. Later, in the truth-revealing showdown at Shaolin Monastery, Duan Yu fought alongside Qiao Feng and Xu Zhu, whom he had became sworn brothers with, against the powerful antagonists [[You Tanzhi]](aka Zhuang Juxian), [[Ding Chunqiu]] and [[Murong Fu]].

Towards the end of the novel, Wang Yuyan realised that Duan Yu was the one who actually loved her, and that she had in fact wasted much of her time on being obssessed with her cousin Murong Fu, who had no feelings for her at all. As the plot continues, when Duan Yu's parents and all of Duan Zhengchun's concubines were captured and about to be killed by Murong Fu, Duan Yu learnt that Wang Yuyan was also a daughter of Duan Zhengchun, which meant that he was also her half-brother - devastating news for Duan Yu. However, with her dying breath, his mother ([[Dao Baifeng]], told him that he was in fact not the biological son of Duan Zhengchun, but an offspring of the leader of the 'Four Evils', [[Duan Yanqing]], due to a one-night stand. Both Dao Baifeng and Duan Zhengchun committed suicide eventually. Now that the truth had been revealed, the ladies whom Duan Yu had met in the novel were no longer his half-siblings, but rather as second cousins. According to Dali's tradition, he could now marry them.

In the end, [[Duan Yu]] became the Emperor of Dali after the death of the Duan Zhengchun and the abdication of Duan Zhengming, and made [[Wang Yuyan]] his empress. By the Third Edition, [[Duan Yu]] realised at the end, that he was in love with the statue and not [[Wang Yuyan]]. Wang Yuyan destroyed the statue to free him of his obsession and then returned to her cousin, [[Murong Fu]]. [[Duan Yu]] realized [[Mu Wanqing]] was the one who loved him the most, so he made her his Imperial Consort. He also married [[Zhong Ling]] and made her a Consort along with a maid given to him by the princess.

===The story of Qiao Feng===
Qiao Feng starts out as the chief of the [[Beggars' Sect]]. He was rather popular among his fellow members of the sect and had shown his leadership qualities by making great achievements and contributions to the sect. He was exceptionally powerful in martial arts and seemed to be the most suitable candidate to succeed [[Wang Jiantong]] as chief.

Eventually, he was elected chief and led the Beggars’ Sect well, leading it to greater heights and making achievements, which surpassed those of their predecessors. Subsequently, the deputy chief of the Beggars’ Sect, [[Ma Dayuan]], was mysteriously murdered and had died under his own trademark martial arts technique. At first, everyone suspected that [[Murong Fu]] was the murderer, as Murong Fu was infamous for his ’returning you with your own way’. Qiao Feng went to [[Suzhou]] to investigate the murder, and met [[Duan Yu]] there. Intially, Qiao Feng mistook Duan Yu as Murong Fu, and decided to have a drinking contest with him. Both of them were equally matched as neither was drunk after having drank numerous jars of wine, and also in a race to see whose [[qinggong]] was better. Both of them became sworn brothers after that.

Later, Qiao Feng went to attend the Beggars’ Sect meeting in Xingzi Forest, with Duan Yu accompanying him. At the meeting, it seemed that everyone was rather against Qiao Feng and that the meeting was a plot against him. It seemed that something which would affect the Beggars’ Sect greatly was about to happen. Four of the elders were plotting to kill him and they eventually confessed. According to the rules of the sect, anyone within the sect who plots against the chief will be sentenced to death. Qiao Feng stopped the elders from commiting suicide by willingly plunging the executing knives into his own body, shedding blood in order to spare the elders’ lives, on account that these elders had contributed greatly to the sect and were extremely loyal. According to the rules of the sect, anyone sentenced to death could be granted a special pardon from death if the chief is willing to shed his blood for him. It was eventually revealed that the elders had plotted against Qiao Feng because Qiao Feng was not a Han Chinese, but a [[Khitan people|Qidan]]. In those days, the Song Empire(predominantly Han Chinese) and the Liao Empire(ruled by the Qidan) were involved in several wars. Hence, the Han Chinese tend to harbour intense hatred and resentment towards the Qidan. [[Quan Guanqing]], an evil individual within the sect, seized the opportunity to stir up anti-Qidan feelings within the sect and cause everyone to turn against Qiao Feng, and denounce Qiao Feng as a barbarian, saying that the position of chief would not be taken up by a Qidan. Also, Qiao Feng was blamed for the death of Ma Dayuan as Ma Dayuan was the only one who knew the secret of Qiao Feng’s heritage. Qiao Feng would not believe that he was a Qidan, but he abandoned the position of chief eventually and left to verify his heritage, stating that he would not return until he had confirmed that he was Qidan.

Later, those present in Xingzi Forest were taken into captive by a group of [[Western Xia]] warriors. Qiao Feng managed to rescue A Zhu and A Bi, who were also taken into captive. Unknown to him, A Zhu and Duan Yu had disguised themselves as Qiao Feng and Murong Fu respectively to rescue the captives. Thus, when Qiao Feng appeared at where the captives were held, he was surprised when the captives thanked him for rescuing them. Qiao Feng claimed that he did not rescue them and left. Later, he went home to find his parents but found them to be murdered. Later, he tried to sneak into Shaolin Monastery to look for his mentor, but his mentor had suffered a serious injury from an attack by an unknown attacker and was on the verge of dying. His mentor’s dying words surprised him and later some of the monks claimed that they saw that Qiao Feng was the attacker. Now, everyone saw Qiao Feng as a cold-blooded murderer who finally showed his true colours after discovering his own heritage. Coincidentally, he met A Zhu at Shaolin Monastery who was seriously wounded after attempting to steal the ‘Yi Jin Jing’ manual and saved her.

Later, Qiao Feng discovered that there was a ‘Heroes’ Meeting’ being held at Juxian Manor, in which all prominent characters in the martial arts world were invited to discuss a plan to deal with the new threat which had emerged; Qiao Feng. Qiao Feng went to the meeting without showing any sign of fear although the meeting was meant to be a discussion on how to get rid of him. In fact, Qiao Feng was there to look for Divine Doctor Xue, a famous doctor who could cure all kinds of illnesses and injuries, to request for him to cure A Zhu. The heroes present at the meeting confronted Qiao Feng with hostility, leaving Qiao Feng no choice but to severe all ties with his old friends and those who previously had dealings with him by drinking a toast with each of them to end their friendship. After that, a fierce fight ensued, in which Qiao Feng emerged victorious, defeating all who stood in his way and killing several heroes. Qiao Feng was surrounded by the heroes but was saved by a mysterious hooded man dressed in black.

The mysterious rescuer later left Qiao Feng and Qiao Feng set off to verify his heritage as a Qidan. He went to Yan Pass and finally verifed that he was a Qidan, when he saw the carvings on a rock left behind by his biological father before he committed suicide. He renamed himself Xiao Feng to reflect his heritage and also met A Zhu there, who had fully recovered and had escaped from Juxian Manor in disguise. Qiao Feng and A Zhu went to look for the witnesses who were present then at Xingzi Forest to testify that Qiao Feng was a Qidan. These witnesses were actually involved in a fight thirty years ago at Yan Pass. According to them, they had received news that a Qidan spy was planning to infiltrate into Song territory to steal martial arts manuals from Shaolin Temple and bring them back to Liao. Hence, they laid in ambush and attacked a Qidan family passing by. Later, they realised that they had been deceived and had wrongly caused the deaths of the Qidan couple. Full of remorse, they decided to raise the Qidan couple’s child as one of their own. That Qidan child was said to be the infant Qiao Feng. Strangely, these witnesses were found to have been mysteriously murdered every time Qiao Feng went to find them. Before their deaths, these witnesses were unwilling to reveal the identity of their leader, whom Qiao Feng considered to be the one responsible for the deaths of his parents and the prime suspect behind the mysterious murders. During the search for the leader, Qiao Feng and A Zhu gradually fell in love with each other.

Eventually, they traced all the clues to Ma Dayuan’s widow, [[Kang Min]]. A Zhu disguised herself as [[Bai Shijing]] to trick Kang Min into revealing the identity of the leader. Kang Min claimed that the leader was [[Duan Zhengchun]]. Qiao Feng then set off to find Duan Zhengchun and found him at Xiaojing Lake. Xiao Feng confronted Duan Zhengchun and dealt him with a fierce blow. Later, he was rather shocked when he discovered that the Duan Zhengchun he had confronted was actually A Zhu in disguise. A Zhu was in fact a daughter of Duan Zhengchun, and she did it in order to save her father. Qiao Feng regretted bitterly but was too late and A Zhu died. Feeling remorseful over the tragedy, he decided to watch over A Zhu's younger sister, A Zi as he had promised A Zhu before she died.

Qiao Feng was rather unhappy with A Zi as she was a very selfish, sadistic and annoying girl who always got into trouble and had to involve himself to resolve the disputes. However, Qiao Feng tried his best to look after A Zi and guide her towards goodness from evil. Qiao Feng brought A Zi to Changbai Mountain, far away from Song territory, to search for a cure after she was severely injured in a fight. There, he met the chieftain of the [[Jurchen|Nüzhen]], [[Wanyan Aguda]], and became fast friends with him. Qiao Feng and A Zi stayed with the Nüzhen for quite some time and A Zi gradually recovered. Once, Qiao Feng happened to meet the ruler of the Liao Empire, [[Yelü Hongji]] and they became sworn brothers. Qiao Feng and A Zi then left the Nüzhen to live with the Qidan, where Qiao Feng felt much more at home after being faced with hostility by the Han Chinese. Qiao Feng also helped Yelü Hongji put down a rebellion and was rewarded by being made a noble. Although Qiao Feng was now a powerful noble of the Liao Empire, he still treated his subordinates equally and did not abuse his power, thus earning the respect of the Qidan. A Zi, on the other hand, was made a princess. A Zi, being selfish and sadistic in nature, mistreated her surbordinates and instilled fear in the people. Once, A Zi happened to find some interest in [[You Tanzhi]] after he failed to assassinate Qiao Feng. You Tanzhi was later captured under A Zi’s orders and was used by A Zi for her sadistic purposes. You Tanzhi, however, succumbed to A Zi and willingly served her.

Eventually, Qiao Feng returned to Song to attend the meeting called by the Beggars’ Sect at Shaolin Monastery for the election of a leader for all martial artists. His appearance shocked everyone present as no news had been heard about him for a long time. There, Qiao Feng met his sworn brother Duan Yu again, who had became sworn brothers with [[Xu Zhu]]. Three of them renounced their oaths again and became sworn brothers. They fought alongside each other against powerful opponents like [[Ding Chunqiu]], Murong Fu and You Tanzhi(now known as Zhuang Juxian). They defeated their opponents and the mysterious hooded man dressed in black who had rescued Qiao Feng from Juxian Manor appeared. It was there where all the truths behind the mysterious murders were brought to light. In fact, the mysterious hooded man in black was Qiao Feng’s biological father [[Xiao Yuanshan]]. Xiao Yuanshan had in fact survived after jumping off the cliff in despair after the death of his beloved wife in the ambush at Yan Pass thirty years ago. He was in hiding these years in the library of Shaolin Monastery, reading martial arts manuals and learning them, becoming a master of martial arts, while waiting patiently for the time to take revenge. He was in fact the one behind the mysterious murders for which Qiao Feng was wrongly accused of, as he admitted to having killed those in order to prevent his son from learning the truth until the time is ripe.

According to Xiao Yuanshan, the leader of the ambush group who attacked him and his family thirty years ago was the head abbot of Shaolin Monastery, [[Xuan Ci]]. The reason why those who were involved in the attack refused to disclose any details about the identity of their leader was that their leader was a reputable martial artist and could not afford to have his reputation to be tarnished. In revenge, Xiao Yuanshan had actually kidnapped the illegitimate son of Xuan Ci and [[Ye Er Niang]] and left the child in the garden of Shaolin, allowing the infant to be raised by Xuan Ci himself without knowledge that the infant was his own flesh and blood. The infant was Xu Zhu, and Xuan Ci was surprised to know that Xu Zhu was actually his illegitimate son without him knowing all these years as he oversaw the growth and development of Xu Zhu from an infant.

Together in hiding with Xiao Yuanshan in the library of Shaolin was another mysterious hooded man who too was secretly reading martial arts manuals there, later revealed to be [[Murong Bo]], father of Murong Fu, whom everyone thought had been dead for some time. Xuan Ci confessed to having sinned by having broken the vow of celibacy when he fathered a child, as well as causing the death of Xiao Yuanshan’s wife. However, Xuan Ci also pointed out that he had been instigated to attack the couple at Yan Pass thirty years ago, after being provided with false information. According to him, Murong Bo had told him that the Qidan were intending to send a spy to infiltrate into Shaolin Monastery to steal martial arts manuals, causing Xiao Yuanshan and his family to be mistaken as the spies and attacked for no reason. Murong Bo’s purpose of providing the false information was to incite war between Song and Liao. After the truth was revealed, there was a fight in the library of Shaolin Temple, between the two vengeful parties; Xiao Yuanshan and Qiao(Xiao) Feng against Murong Bo, Murong Fu and Jiu Mozhi. This fight was eventually stopped by a mysterious Sweeper Monk whose martial arts abilities far surpassed those present. Xiao Yuanshan and Murong Bo eventually decided to forget their past hatred and disputes and became the disciples of the Sweeper Monk, who would guide them on the path of Buddhism.

After the truth had come to light and Qiao Feng’s name had been cleared, Qiao Feng spent some time with his sworn brothers before returning to Liao. Upon his return to Liao, he learnt that the Liao ruler was planning to launch an attack on Song, and wanted Qiao Feng to lead the army. Qiao Feng refused to lead the army as he still had feelings for the Han Chinese who raised him and nurtured him, and also not to break the vow he had made, which was to never kill a Han Chinese ever in his life. The Liao ruler was rather disappointed that Qiao Feng was unwilling to lead the army, but was afraid that Qiao Feng might try to stop him from attacking Song, thus he devised a scheme to immobilise Qiao Feng by sending him wine spiked with a drug, through the hands of an unsuspecting A Zi. Qiao Feng was later held captive in Liao but A Zi managed to escape back to Song. A Zi sought help from Song to rescue Qiao Feng and there was overwhelming response. A group of heroes who were impressed with Qiao Feng’s heroism decided to infiltrate into Liao and rescue Qiao Feng, which included his sworn brothers and members of various sects.

Qiao Feng was successfully rescued from the prison in Liao, but the heroes were pursued by Liao troops as they made their way back to Song. Qiao Feng intervened and charged his way into the heart of the troops’ formation, capturing the Liao ruler and holding him hostage. Qiao Feng was unwilling to kill the Liao ruler Yelü Hongji, whom he had been sworn brothers with, so he forced Yelü Hongji to make a vow never to attack Song ever in his life. The Liao ruler had no choice but to order his troops to retreat back to Liao. Qiao Feng eventually committed suicide, as only his death would prevent the war between Song and Liao from occurring．

===The story of Xu Zhu===

Xu Zhu’s storyline only begins in the later chapters of the novel. He was first introduced as being a monk from Shaolin, described to having a kind-hearted and submissive nature. He believed strongly in following the Buddhist code and refused to break it even when faced with life-threatening situations. He followed his seniors and elders to Leigu Mountain to challenge to break a strange [[Weiqi]] formation on the invitation of [[Su Xinghe]], master of the Long Ya(Deaf and mute) Sect, in which all the members of the sect were either deaf or mute or both. There, he accidentally broke the formation with a random move in order to prevent another from being driven into insanity, as the formation would cause rather strange effects on people, depending on their personality.

Upon having broken the formation, Su Xinghe brought Xu Zhu to see his master, Wu Ya Zi. Wu Ya Zi was the master of the Xiaoyao Sect. Wu Ya Zi was not very impressed when he saw Xu Zhu, because Xu Zhu did not meet his expectations as being good-looking and intelligent. Nevertheless, Wu Ya Zi could not go back on his word as he had once intended to make the one who managed to break the Weiqi formation set up by him his successor. Hence, Wu Ya Zi purged Xu Zhu’s body of the Shaolin martial arts Xu Zhu had previously learnt and passed on his internal energy, accumulated over 70 years to Xu Zhu. Although Xu Zhu was unwilling to become Wu Ya Zi’s disciple, he had no choice but to oblige in order to fulfill the latter’s dying wish. Wu Ya Zi entrusted Xu Zhu with the task of tracking down [[Ding Chunqiu]], his former disciple who had betrayed him, and kill him. Although Xu Zhu had lost all his Shaolin martial arts, his inner energy was greatly enhanced, but not very useful without any martial arts to allow him to bring out his power.

Later, Xu Zhu encountered [[Tian Shan Tong Lao]] when he saved her from being killed by a group of her subordinates who were planning a rebellion. Tian Shan Tong Lao was the ruler of the Ling Jiu Palace, and oppressed those under her rule, which included several leaders of minor sects. She had used the ‘sheng si fu’ to brand those under her rule, such that they would suffer in agony annually if not given the antidote, which would decrease their pain of suffering for a year. Hence, those who rebelled against her would die a painful death. This incurred much hatred and resentment from those under her rule and they secretly planned a rebellion. This group had captured a young girl, presumably a servant of Tian Shan Tong Lao, from Ling Jiu Palace and had tried to force her to reveal the whereabouts of Tian Shan Tong Lao. As they were planning to kill her after failing to obtain any information from her, Xu Zhu dashed out, grabbed her and they escaped. Unknown to Xu Zhu, this young girl was in fact Tian Shan Tong Lao in her young form.

Besides facing rebellion from those under her rule, Tian Shan Tong Lao was also being targeted by her disciple sister Li Qiushui, who was the empress dowager of [[Western Xia]]. She had been cursed to remain eternally in a child-like form, and she needed to drink fresh blood and practice diligently for 96 days to regain her strength, which she loses every 30 years because of the curse. Xu Zhu was unwilling to see her die at the hands of her enemy, although he was totally opposed to some of the things she did. Hence, Xu Zhu decided to protect Tian Shan Tong Lao from Li Qiushui for the time being.

Eventually, Xu Zhu and Tian Shan Tong Lao hid themselves in an ice cellar in the imperial palace of Western Xia to avoid Li Qiushui’s constant attacks. Tian Shan Tong Lao had not regained her power yet and Xu Zhu was not experienced enough so they were no match for Li Qiushui. While in hiding, Tian Shan Tong Lao tried to force the reluctant Xu Zhu to learn all her martial arts. Xu Zhu refused to learn as he knew that after he learnt, Tian Shan Tong Lao would use him as to kill Li Qiushui. Xu Zhu followed the Buddhist code very strictly, abstaining from consuming meat and wine, as well as from having immoral thoughts. Tian Shan Tong Lao put in a lot of effort to force him to break the code and eventually Xu Zhu succumbed to temptation when Tian Shan Tong Lao made him sleep with a mysterious naked woman every night in the ice cellar. Throughout the duration of their stay in the ice cellar, Xu Zhu and the woman gradually fell in love with each other. Xu Zhu also willingly consumed meat and wine, and was considered to have sinned.

After Tian Shan Tong Lao had regained her powers and Xu Zhu had mastered all the martial arts taught to him by her, becoming a powerful martial artist now, she had her final showdown with Li Qiushui, which ended with both of them injuring each other severely and were on the verge of death. Before their deaths, it was revealed that both of them were Wu Ya Zi’s disciple sisters and were infatuated with Wu Ya Zi, but Wu Ya Zi had no feelings for either of them and loved another disciple sister instead. Hence, the two women realized their folly and were amused by the fact that they had actually fought each other for decades over the love for the same man, who turned out to have no feelings for either of them. They forgot their past disputes and died together. Before the death of Tian Shan Tong Lao, she appointed Xu Zhu as her successor to the throne of Ling Jiu Palace. Xu Zhu then went back to Ling Jiu Palace to put down the rebellion and appease his new angry subordinates by removing the ‘Sheng Si Fu’ from each of them. It was there where Xu Zhu and Duan Yu became sworn brothers.

Xu Zhu did not feel very comfortable living in Ling Jiu Palace despite being treated like an emperor by his servants and he missed the days when he was still a monk in Shaolin. Hence, he decided to return to Shaolin and become a monk again. Upon returning to Shaolin Monastery he met his master and told him everything he had been through, including the times when he actually broke the Buddhist code willingly. However, his servants had followed him in secret to protect him from being ill-treated by the monks. It was then when Jiu Mozhi came to Shaolin Monastery to challenge Shaolin. Xu Zhu accepted the challenge on behalf on Shaolin and defeated Jiu Mozhi, while his seniors were rather surprised with his sudden improvement in martial arts. Shortly after that, the great battle at Shaolin started when the Beggars’ Sect arrived, led by their new chief Zhuang Juxian, who was actually [[You Tanzhi]], under the control of [[Quan Guanqing]]. There, all the heroes of the martial arts world were assembled. Xu Zhu, along with his sworn brothers Qiao Feng(who had returned from Liao) and Duan Yu, faced their powerful opponents [[Ding Chunqiu]], Zhuang Juxian and [[Murong Fu]]. They won the battle and Ding Chunqiu was forced into submission when Xu Zhu implanted the ‘Sheng Si Fu’ into his body. Ding Chunqiu was fully subdued and he had no choice but to be imprisoned in Shaolin to reflect on his past evil doings, and would only be given the antidote if he repented.

Also, it was there where the truths behind the mysterious murders, for which Qiao Feng was accused of, were revealed. At the same time, Xu Zhu’s true parentage was also revealed. He was in fact the illegitimate child of the head abbot of Shaolin, [[Xuan Ci]], and [[Ye Er Niang]], one of the ‘Four Evils’. Xuan Ci was actually the leader of the ambush group which attacked Xiao Yuanshan and his family thirty years ago, and Xiao Yuanshan, who had survived after a suicide attempt, had plotted revenge while in hiding. Xu Zhu was kidnapped as an infant by Xiao Yuanshan and placed in the garden of Shaolin. The monks there found him and decided to raise him as one of their own, and Xuan Ci did not know that the infant was his own son. However, Ye Er Niang had recognised her son when he saw all the joss-stick burn marks on Xu Zhu’s back, which was done by her in memory of her illegitimate lover, who was a monk. Both Xu Zhu and his father were punished to be flogged in public as punishment for having broken the Buddhist code. Xuan Ci committed suicide after the punishment was complete and Ye Er Niang did the same. Xu Zhu was shocked by the sudden change of events and deeply grieved by the fact that his parents had died shortly after they were reunited as a family.

After that, Xu Zhu was no longer a member of Shaolin and took up his post as the leader of the Xiaoyao Sect and ruler of Ling Jiu Palace. Xu Zhu followed Duan Yu to Western Xia to take part in a contest to win the hand in marriage of the princess. There, it was revealed that the princess of Western Xia was actually the mysterious naked woman whom Xu Zhu slept with during his stay with Tian Shan Tong Lao in the ice cellar. They were happy to be reunited and were married, with Xu Zhu becoming the son-in-law of the king of Western Xia.

Xu Zhu and Duan Yu later participated in rescue mission to rescue their eldest sworn brother Qiao Feng, who had been imprisoned in Liao after refusing to lead the army to attack Song. However, they were pursued by Liao troops and the Liao ruler agreed to withdraw his troops after being held hostage and forced to make a vow never to attack Song again. Qiao Feng committed suicide as only his death would bring an end to the war between Song and Liao. The novel ended on a happy note for Xu Zhu’s storyline, with him living happily ever after with the princess he had married.

==Adaptations==
===Television series===
{| class="wikitable" width=80%
!width=10%| Year !!width=15%| Production !!width=15%| Title of Adaptation (if different)!!Notes
|-
|align=center| 1982
|align=center| [[TVB]] (Hong Kong)
|align=center|
|The main cast includes [[Leung Ka Yan|Bryan Leung]] as Qiao Feng, [[Felix Wong]] as Xu Zhu, [[Kent Tong]] as Duan Yu, [[Patrick Tse Yin]] as Duan Zhengchun, [[Wong Han Sau]] as A Zhu/Zhong Ling, [[Shek Sau]] as Murong Fu, [[Idy Chan]] as Wang Yuyan, [[Sharon Yeung]] as Mu Wanqing
|-
|align=center| 1996
|align=center| [[TVB]] (Hong Kong)
|align=center|
|align=center|Cast includes [[Felix Wong]] as Qiao Feng/Xiao Yuanshan, [[Benny Chan]] as Duan Yu, [[Carman Lee]] as Wang Yuyan/Wang Yunluo
|-
|align=center| 2003
|align=center| [[China Central Television|CCTV]] (Mainland China)
|align=center| Heaven Dragon - the Eighth Episode
|Producer [[Zhang Jizhong]] had previously adapted [[The Legend of the Condor Heroes]] for CCTV to great acclaim. The main cast includes:
[[Hu Jun]] as Qiao Feng/Xiao Yuanshan,
[[Jimmy Lin Chih Ying|Jimmy Lin]] as Duan Yu,
[[Gao Hu]] as Xu Zhu,
[[Xiu Qing]] as Murong Fu,
[[Liu Yifei|Crystal Liu]] as Wang Yuyan,
[[Liu Tao]] as A Zhu,
[[Chen Hao]] as A Zi,
[[Tong Chun Chong]] as Duan Zhengchun,
[[Shu Chang]] as Tian Shan Tong Lao,
[[Christy Chung]] as Kang Min,
[[Jiang Xin]] as Mu Wan Qing (change to "firstname surname" format as above)
[[Xiu Qing]] as Mu Rong Fu (change to "firstname surname" format as above)
[[Christy Chung]] as Ma Fu Ren (change to "firstname surname" format as above)
[[Ji Chun Hua]] as Duan Yuan Qing (change to "firstname surname" format as above)
[[Ma Yu Ke]] as You Tan Zhi (change to "firstname surname" format as above)

|}

===Movies===
{| class="wikitable" width=80%
!width=10%| Year !!width=15%| Production !!width=20%| Crew!!Cast and notes
|-
|align=center| 1977
|align=center| [[Shaw Brothers]] (Hong Kong)
|align=center| [[Pao Hsueh Li]] as director
|align=center| [[Danny Lee]] as Duan Yu, [[Tian Ni]] as Mu Wanqing, [[Lin Chen-Chi]] as Zhong Ling
|-
|align=center| 1982
|align=center| [[Shaw Brothers]] (Hong Kong)
|align=center| [[Tsui Siu Ming]] as director
|align=center| The English title of the movie is 'Gang Master'
|-
|align=center| 1982
|align=center| Hong Kong
|align=center| [[Xiao Sheng]] as director
|align=center| [[Norman Chu]] as Qiao Feng, [[Kent Tong]] as Duan Yu, [[Felix Wong]] as Xu Zhu, [[Idy Chan]] as Wang Yuyan, [[Hui Tian Ci]] as Murong Fu, [[Eddy Ko]] as Jiu Mozhi
|-
|align=center| 1994
|align=center| Hong Kong
|align=center| [[Andy Chin]] as director
|align=center| [[Brigitte Lin]] as Li Canghai/Li Qiushui, [[Gong Li]] as Tian Shan Tong Lao, [[Sharla Cheung]] as A Zi, [[Norman Chu]] as Ding Chunqiu, [[Frankie Lam]] as Xu Zhu
|}

===Video games===
* ‘’ The Demi-gods and Semi-devils’’ (1997)
* ‘’ The Demi-gods and Semi-devils - Liu Mai Shen Jian’’
* ‘’The Demi-gods and Semi-devils’’ (MUD)
* ‘’The Demi-gods and Semi-devils Online’’

==External links==
*{{en icon}} [http://wuxiapedia.com/novels/jin_yong/demi_gods_semi_devils Demi-Gods, Semi-Devils] - English translation of the novel at Wuxiapedia.com; includes a comprehensive section of fully-annotated material called "Facts and Figures".
*{{zh icon}} [http://www.cnnovels.com/wx/jingyong/tlbb/ Tian Long Ba Bu] - Text of the novel, in Chinese
*{{zh icon}} [http://jinyong.ylib.com.tw Jinyong Tea House] - Chinese language fansite of Jinyong's novels
* {{zh icon}} [http://jinyong.ylib.com.tw/snowtalk/ Fei Hong Xue Ni] - Jin Yong forums in Chinese
*{{imdb title|id=0404679|title=Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils}}

{{Jinyong's wuxia novels}}

[[Category:Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils| ]]

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