Bei Jinyi

Bei Jinyi (simplified: 贝锦仪, traditional: 貝錦儀, pinyin: Bèi Jǐnyí, jyutping: bui3 gam2 ji4), also known as Bei Shimei (贝师妹), was a fourth-generation junior disciple of the Emei Order under Miejue, the Order’s third leader. She was known for her gentle nature, compassion, and close friendship with Ji Xiaofu. Bei Jinyi demonstrated her kindness by helping to save Yang Buhui, Ji Xiaofu’s daughter, from Miejue’s orders to kill the child, showing compassion even in the face of her master’s wrath.

Biography

Training under Miejue

Bei Jinyi was a disciple of Miejue, the third leader of the Emei Order. As a fourth-generation disciple, she was part of the generation that included prominent figures like Zhou Zhiruo, Ding Minjun, and Ji Xiaofu. Bei Jinyi’s martial arts abilities were described as relatively high among the fourth-generation disciples, and she was skilled in swordplay, allowing her to participate in the Order’s activities alongside her senior sisters.

Friendship with Ji Xiaofu

Bei Jinyi had a close friendship with Ji Xiaofu, one of Miejue’s most promising disciples. The two were friendly companions who supported each other, and Bei Jinyi’s relationship with Ji Xiaofu was characterised by warmth and mutual care. This friendship would later motivate Bei Jinyi’s act of compassion when Ji Xiaofu’s daughter was threatened.

Visit to Wudang Order

Bei Jinyi accompanied Miejue and other Emei Order disciples to Mount Wudang for Zhang Sanfeng’s hundredth birthday celebration. During this visit, she witnessed the interaction between Ji Xiaofu and Yin Liting, who was Ji Xiaofu’s fiancé at the time. When Yin Liting glanced at Ji Xiaofu and both became embarrassed, Bei Jinyi playfully teased them, demonstrating her light-hearted and friendly nature.

She coughed loudly to draw attention to their exchange, then laughed and whispered to Ji Xiaofu: “Shijie, this Brother Yin is even shyer than you.” (师姊，这位殷师哥比你还会害臊.) This playful comment showed Bei Jinyi’s warm personality and her ability to find humour in everyday situations.

Encounter with Golden Flower Granny

Bei Jinyi was present when the Emei Order disciples were lured to Butterfly Valley by Golden Flower Granny (who was actually Daiqisi, the Purple-Robed Dragon King). When Miejue arrived to rescue her disciples and fought against Golden Flower Granny, Bei Jinyi, along with Ji Xiaofu and Ding Minjun, stood by to support their master, ready to assist if needed.

Saving Yang Buhui

The most significant act of Bei Jinyi’s life occurred after Miejue killed Ji Xiaofu for her relationship with Yang Xiao. After striking Ji Xiaofu with a fatal palm strike, Miejue ordered Ding Minjun to hunt down and kill Yang Buhui, Ji Xiaofu’s young daughter, to prevent any future trouble.

Ding Minjun borrowed Bei Jinyi’s sword for the task and began searching for the child. However, Bei Jinyi, who had been close friends with Ji Xiaofu and was heartbroken to see her killed, could not bear the thought of her friend’s child being murdered. Despite the risk of defying Miejue’s orders, Bei Jinyi intervened.

She told Miejue: “I saw that the child seemed to have escaped out of the valley.” (我见那孩子似乎逃出谷外去了.) This statement was a lie—Bei Jinyi knew that Yang Buhui was still in the valley, but she hoped that if Miejue searched outside and could not find the child, she would not return to look again. Bei Jinyi understood Miejue’s impatient nature and believed that this deception might save Yang Buhui’s life.

Miejue, trusting Bei Jinyi’s report, immediately led her disciples out of the valley to search for Yang Buhui. Although the child would still be left alone in the world and might not survive, Bei Jinyi believed that this fate was preferable to watching her be killed by Ding Minjun’s sword.

Bei Jinyi’s act of compassion saved Yang Buhui’s life. The child was later found by Zhang Wuji, who delivered her to Yang Xiao, fulfilling Ji Xiaofu’s dying wish.

Later activities

After this incident, Bei Jinyi continued to serve as a disciple of the Emei Order. She participated in the Order’s activities and supported its leadership, including participating in the Six Major Factions’ attack on Bright Peak, though her role in these events was as a supporting disciple rather than a prominent figure.

Personality & traits

Compassion and kindness

Bei Jinyi’s most defining characteristic was her compassion and kindness. Her willingness to risk Miejue’s wrath to save Yang Buhui demonstrated her deep sense of empathy and her commitment to protecting the innocent, even when it meant defying authority. Her act showed that she valued human life and compassion over blind obedience to orders.

Friendship and loyalty

Bei Jinyi’s friendship with Ji Xiaofu was genuine and deep. Her grief over Ji Xiaofu’s death and her determination to protect her friend’s child demonstrated the strength of their bond. Her loyalty was not just to the Order’s hierarchy but to the people she cared about.

Gentleness and warmth

Bei Jinyi was described as having a gentle and warm personality. Her playful teasing of Ji Xiaofu and Yin Liting showed her light-hearted nature, while her compassionate act in saving Yang Buhui demonstrated her inner strength and moral courage.

Discretion and carefulness

Bei Jinyi demonstrated carefulness and discretion in how she saved Yang Buhui. Rather than openly defying Miejue, which would have been dangerous and likely futile, she chose a subtle approach that gave Yang Buhui a chance to survive while minimising the risk to herself.

Martial arts abilities

Emei Order techniques

As a fourth-generation disciple of the Emei Order, Bei Jinyi was skilled in the Order’s martial arts, including Emei Swordplay and Emei Nine Yang Power. Her abilities were described as relatively high among the fourth-generation disciples, allowing her to participate in the Order’s activities and support its leadership.

Her skill with the sword was sufficient for her to lend her weapon to Ding Minjun, and she would have been capable of defending herself and supporting her fellow disciples during the Order’s various missions.

Relationships

With Ji Xiaofu

Bei Jinyi’s relationship with Ji Xiaofu was one of genuine friendship and mutual support. The two were close companions who cared for each other, and Bei Jinyi’s grief over Ji Xiaofu’s death and her determination to save Yang Buhui demonstrated the depth of their bond.

With Miejue

Bei Jinyi’s relationship with Miejue was that of a respectful disciple to her master. While she respected Miejue’s authority and leadership, her act of saving Yang Buhui showed that she was willing to follow her own conscience when moral principles conflicted with orders.

With Yang Buhui

Although Bei Jinyi’s direct interaction with Yang Buhui was minimal, her decision to save the child’s life created a connection between them. Her act of compassion gave Yang Buhui the opportunity to live and eventually be reunited with her father, Yang Xiao.

With fellow disciples

Bei Jinyi maintained good relationships with her fellow disciples, including Zhou Zhiruo and other members of the fourth generation. Her friendly nature and compassionate character made her a valued member of the Order, even if she was not as prominent as some of her senior sisters.

Behind the scenes

Character significance

Bei Jinyi serves as an important contrast to the more ruthless aspects of the Emei Order under Miejue’s leadership. While Miejue was willing to kill her own disciple and order the death of an innocent child, Bei Jinyi demonstrated that compassion and humanity could still exist within the Order.

Her character also highlights the moral complexity of the Emei Order’s situation. While the Order was supposed to uphold Buddhist principles of compassion, Miejue’s actions sometimes contradicted these values. Bei Jinyi’s act of saving Yang Buhui showed that individual disciples could maintain their moral compass even when their leader’s actions were questionable.

Role in the narrative

Bei Jinyi’s most important role in the narrative is her act of saving Yang Buhui. Without her intervention, Yang Buhui would have been killed, and the later storyline involving her relationship with Yang Xiao and marriage to Yin Liting would not have occurred. Her compassion thus enables one of the novel’s most touching romantic resolutions.

Her character also provides insight into the dynamics within the Emei Order, showing that not all disciples were as ruthless as Miejue or as ambitious as Ding Minjun. Her gentleness and compassion represent an alternative approach to the Order’s challenges.