Chang Jingzhi

Chang Jingzhi (simplified: 常敬之, traditional: 常敬之, pinyin: Cháng Jìngzhī, jyutping: soeng4 ging3 zi1) was the fourth of the Kongtong Five Elders (崆峒五老), a group of senior masters from the Kongtong School. He was a big-headed, thin-bodied elder (大头瘦身的老者) who attempted a sneak attack on Zhang Wuji at Bright Peak but was foiled by Xiaozhao, who used her chains to catch his head.

Biography

Early years and status

Chang Jingzhi was one of the five most senior and respected members of the Kongtong School, collectively known as the Kongtong Five Elders. These five masters enjoyed a high reputation throughout the martial arts world and held prestigious positions within their school. Chang Jingzhi was the fourth eldest among them, following Guan Neng, Zong Weixia, and Tang Wenliang. He was described as a big-headed, thin-bodied elder, giving him a distinctive physical appearance.

Like the other Kongtong Five Elders, Chang Jingzhi had practised the Seven Injury Fist (七伤拳), the Kongtong School’s signature technique. However, because his internal energy was insufficient, he had sustained internal injuries from practising this technique, which required extremely high levels of internal energy to practise safely.

Encounter with Xie Xun

When Xie Xun, the Golden-Haired Lion King of the Ming Order, sought to learn the Seven Injury Fist, he invaded Qingyang Temple (青阳观) on Kongtong Mountain to steal the technique manual. Chang Jingzhi and the other four elders engaged in battle with Xie Xun to defend their school’s secret technique.

However, with the secret assistance of Cheng Kun (Yuanzhen), Xie Xun was able to defeat the five elders. During this battle, Chang Jingzhi was injured by Cheng Kun’s Primordial Chaos Skill (混元功), which was used to launch a surprise attack. Xie Xun successfully obtained the Seven Injury Fist manual, which he would later use to commit numerous murders in his quest for revenge against Cheng Kun.

At the time when Kongjian, the most senior of Shaolin’s Four Holy Monks, was killed by Xie Xun’s Seven Injury Fist in Luoyang, Chang Jingzhi and the other Kongtong Five Elders were guests at the residence of the Diancang School’s Master Liu (点苍派柳大侠) in Yunnan, which explains why they were not present when Kongjian was killed.

Six Schools expedition to Bright Peak

Chang Jingzhi participated in the Six Schools expedition to Bright Peak (光明顶), joining the coordinated attack on the Ming Order headquarters. During this expedition, he and the Kongtong forces engaged in fierce battles with the Ming Order’s Five Elements Banners (五行旗).

Confrontation with Zhang Wuji

At Bright Peak, when the Kongtong elders faced Zhang Wuji, who had emerged as a defender of the Ming Order, Chang Jingzhi used the Seven Injury Fist to attack him. However, Zhang Wuji, who had mastered the technique correctly with his exceptional internal energy, was able to repel Chang Jingzhi’s attack, causing him to be pushed back by Zhang Wuji’s superior internal force.

Sneak attack and foiling by Xiaozhao

After being repelled by Zhang Wuji’s internal energy, Chang Jingzhi attempted a sneak attack on Zhang Wuji. However, this attempt was foiled by Xiaozhao, who was present at Bright Peak. Xiaozhao, who was wearing iron chains on her hands and feet that Yang Xiao had placed on her, used her chains to catch Chang Jingzhi’s head, preventing him from launching his sneak attack.

This incident demonstrated Xiaozhao’s quick thinking and loyalty to Zhang Wuji, as well as her willingness to act despite being restrained. It also showed Chang Jingzhi’s opportunistic and dishonourable nature, as he was willing to attempt a sneak attack after having already been defeated in a fair confrontation.

Imprisonment at Wan’an Temple

After the Six Schools expedition, as the various schools were descending from Bright Peak, they were ambushed by Yuan Dynasty forces led by Zhao Min. All members of the Six Schools were captured and imprisoned at Wan’an Temple, where they were forced to consume the Ten Fragrances Soft Tendon Powder (十香软筋散), which disabled their internal energy.

Chang Jingzhi, along with the other prisoners, was eventually rescued by Zhang Wuji and the Ming Order, further demonstrating Zhang Wuji’s compassion and the Ming Order’s willingness to help even their former enemies.

Resistance against Yuan forces

After the Slaying Lion Heroes Assembly, when the Yuan Dynasty’s Prince Ruyang (汝阳王) Chahan Timur led 20,000 Mongolian troops to attack Shaolin Temple, intending to annihilate all the martial artists gathered there, Chang Jingzhi joined with the other martial artists to resist the Yuan forces and fight for their country. This demonstrated that despite the internal conflicts and personal grudges within jianghu, martial artists could unite against external threats to the nation.

Personality & traits

Opportunistic and dishonourable nature

Chang Jingzhi demonstrated an opportunistic and dishonourable nature when he attempted a sneak attack on Zhang Wuji at Bright Peak. After having already been defeated in a fair confrontation, his decision to attempt a sneak attack showed his willingness to use underhanded tactics rather than accept defeat with grace.

This incident highlighted the gap between the Kongtong Five Elders’ reputation and their actual character, showing that even respected masters could resort to dishonourable tactics when faced with defeat.

Reputation versus ability

Like the other Kongtong Five Elders, Chang Jingzhi’s reputation in jianghu did not fully match his actual martial arts ability. While he enjoyed high status and was well-known throughout the martial arts world, his abilities were limited by his incorrect practice of the Seven Injury Fist, which had caused him internal injuries that weakened his effectiveness.

His defeat by Zhang Wuji and his subsequent attempt at a sneak attack highlighted this gap between reputation and actual ability, showing that even respected masters could be significantly weaker than their renown suggested.

Martial arts abilities

Seven Injury Fist

Chang Jingzhi practised the Seven Injury Fist (七伤拳), the Kongtong School’s signature technique and one of its most powerful secret arts. This technique could produce seven different types of internal force with each strike: hard, soft, hard-within-soft, soft-within-hard, horizontal, vertical, and a complex combination. These forces could damage an opponent’s internal organs in devastating ways, making it a formidable technique.

However, because Chang Jingzhi did not possess sufficient internal energy, he had sustained internal injuries from practising this technique. These injuries had weakened his martial arts abilities and made him less effective than he might have been if he had possessed the necessary internal energy to practise the technique safely.

His defeat by Zhang Wuji, who had mastered the technique correctly with his exceptional internal energy, highlighted the difference between correct and incorrect practice of the Seven Injury Fist, demonstrating that technique mastery alone was insufficient without the necessary internal energy foundation.

Physical characteristics

Chang Jingzhi’s big head and thin body gave him a distinctive appearance, though in the world of wuxia, physical characteristics were often less important than internal energy and technique mastery. His unusual appearance may have made him more memorable, but it did not necessarily affect his martial arts abilities significantly.

Relationships

With the other Kongtong Five Elders

Chang Jingzhi worked closely with the other four elders: Guan Neng, Zong Weixia, Tang Wenliang, and one other unnamed elder. Together, they represented the leadership of the Kongtong School and participated in major events as a group. Their shared experience of practising Seven Injury Fist and sustaining internal injuries created a bond between them.

With Zhang Wuji

Chang Jingzhi’s relationship with Zhang Wuji was one of conflict and defeat. His attempt to use the Seven Injury Fist against Zhang Wuji demonstrated his hostility towards the Ming Order, but his defeat showed the significant gap in their martial arts abilities. His subsequent attempt at a sneak attack further demonstrated his dishonourable nature and unwillingness to accept defeat.

With Xiaozhao

Chang Jingzhi’s relationship with Xiaozhao was defined by her foiling of his sneak attack. Her intervention with her chains prevented him from launching a dishonourable attack on Zhang Wuji, demonstrating her loyalty and quick thinking while highlighting his opportunistic nature.

Behind the scenes

Character significance

Chang Jingzhi represents the Kongtong Five Elders and illustrates how reputation in jianghu does not always match actual martial arts ability or character. His defeat by Zhang Wuji and his dishonourable sneak attack highlighted the gap between his renown and his actual effectiveness and character.

His story also demonstrates how even respected masters could resort to underhanded tactics when faced with defeat, showing that honour and reputation were not always aligned with actual behaviour in the martial arts world.

Role in the narrative

Chang Jingzhi’s role connects several plot elements: his encounter with Xie Xun explains how Xie Xun obtained the Seven Injury Fist, his participation in the Six Schools expedition connects the Kongtong School to the broader conflicts in the novel, and his confrontation with Zhang Wuji and foiled sneak attack demonstrate both Zhang Wuji’s abilities and Xiaozhao’s loyalty and quick thinking.