Channeling qi...
Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils factions

Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils factions

The vast world of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils spans multiple kingdoms and empires during the Northern Song Dynasty.1 The factions range from the venerable Shaolin Order and the massive Beggars’ Guild to the mysterious Xiaoyao Order and the notorious Xingxiu Order. These organisations operate across the Dali Kingdom,2 the Liao Empire,3 and Song territories, each with their own martial arts traditions, political ambitions, and complex relationships.

Notable factions

Duan Clan of Dali

The Duan Clan of Dali (大理段氏 – Dàlǐ Duàn Shì) was the ruling family of the Dali Kingdom. The founding Emperor Song Taizu4 of the Song Dynasty5 declared all land south of the Dadu River6 belonged to the Dali Kingdom. The kingdom supplied the Song Dynasty with war horses and was famed for its high quality marble.7

Duan Zhengming was the head of the clan and monarch of the kingdom. The Duan Clan’s One Yang Finger was renowned in the jianghu8 and was a martial art passed down the family.

The elders of the Duan Clan would became monks at the clan’s Tianlong Temple where they renounced all ties with the secular world, and devoted the remaining years of their lives to Buddhist cultivation. It was the Duan Clan’s tradition for the reigning Emperor to abdicate his throne and become a monk, passing the crown to his heir.

The royal family members had bodyguards who were highly-skilled in martial arts to protect them. Duan Zhengming’s three highest-ranked ministers served as his bodyguards. The Four Bodyguards served his brother Duan Zhengchun.

Duan Yu mastered several feats that made him one of the most powerful martial artists of his time.

Shaolin Order

Shaolin Order (少林派 – Shàolín pài) was a Buddhist monastic organisation based in Shaolin Monastery on Mount Song in Henan region. It was the largest and most reputable faction in the wulin. Xuanci was the abbot and leader of the Order.

Shaolin monks vowed to abstain from worldly pleasures, including wealth, women, wine, and meat. People both within and without the jianghu respected Shaolin monks for their pursuit of enlightenment. The Order’s holy background and hundreds of years of history meant it was held in high regard in the jianghu and was considered a beacon of righteousness.

Beggars’ Guild

The Beggars’ Guild (丐帮 – Gàibāng) was a fraternity organisation for beggars. The Guild was the largest organisation in the lands with millions of members. Its membership extended across both banks of the Yangtze River,9 within and beyond the Shanhai Pass10 to the east and Jiayu Pass11 to the west. With its massive membership, it operated a vast intelligence network.

Despite being made up of beggars, the organisation was not poor. The Guild invested in many projects and properties.

Qiao Feng was the guild chief, his stature and martial arts prowess boosted the reputation of the Beggars’ Guild, especially with his mastery of the Guild’s legendary martial art, the Twenty-Eight Palms of Dragon-subduing.

Xiaoyao Order

Xiaoyaozi founded the Xiaoyao Order (逍遥派 – Xiāoyáo pài) to cultivate Daoist mystical tradition in the Way of Xiaoyao–literally free and easy–to live an unfettered life. Based on Mount Wuliang, the Order was known for its extraordinary members. The men were handsome and the women beautiful. Each of them possessed easy elegance, uncommon intelligence, and profound wisdom.

The Order’s teachings emphasised agile grace and refined elegance. However, Xiaoyao neigong12 required channeling qi13 from the Shaoshang acupoint14 to the Yunmen acupoint,15 the reverse of how neigong is usually practiced. Xiaoyao neigong techniques also had high inner energy requirements.

Xiaoyaozi had three disciples: Tianshan Child Granny, Wuyazi, and Li Qiushui. He passed on the position of zhangmen16 to his second disciple Wuyazi, who took two disciples, Ding Chunqiu and Su Xinghe.

When Ding Chunqiu realised that he had no chance in becoming the next zhangmen, despite being the eldest disciple, he pushed Wuyazi off a cliff and created his own faction, the Xingxiu Order. Meanwhile, Su Xinghe established the Deaf Mute Sect to search for a successor to lead the Xiaoyao Order.

Deaf Mute Sect

Deaf Mute Sect (聋哑门 – Lóngyǎ mén) was a branch of the Xiaoyao Order. After Su Xinghe’s shixiong17 Ding Chunqiu pushed his shifu18 Wuyazi off a cliff, he swore a vow of silence and expelled his eight disciples from the Xiaoyao Order. He then established the Deaf Mute Sect with them as founding members.

The Sect followed his Wuyazi’s teachings, but observed a new rule. All disciples had to agree to having their tongues cut off and their eardrums pierced. His former disciples thus joined him under the Deaf Mute Sect and became known as the Eight Friends of Hangu,19 each known for their excellence in their preferred field, including music, weiqi, books, painting, medicine, soil works, flower tending, and opera.

Xingxiu Order

Ding Chunqiu founded Xingxiu Order (星宿派 – Xīngxiù pài), based in the Xingxiu Sea,20 in Qinghai. Disillusioned by his shifu Wuyazi’s lack of faith in him and refusal to make him the next zhangmen, Ding Chunqiu pushed him off a cliff and established his own faction that specialised in the use of poisons.

The members of Xingxiu Order performed many evil deeds and became notorious throughout the jianghu.

Lingjiu Palace

Lingjiu Palace (灵鹫宫 – Língjiùgōng) was located on the Piaomiao Peak of Tianshan,21 to the west of Western Xia.22 It was an offshoot of the Xiaoyao Order established by the Tianshan Child Granny.

Lingjiu Palace controlled most of the fraternities and secret societies from the Central Plains to the southeastern coast. Such was its influence that it was simply referred to as the Palace23 in the jianghu.

Piaomiao Peak was not a snowcapped peak. It was a lower and warmer spot on Tianshan. This meant it was often obscured by clouds, hence the name Piaomiao.24

The Palace was more like a fortress city in reality, where its numerous disciples lived. The Palace’s authority in the region meant that blades were never drawn in the Palace. It was a peaceful and cheerful place.

Tianshan Child Granny was the only divinity worshipped on the mountain. She was rarely seen. Most people have only heard of her name from the bloody tales in the jianghu.

Lingjiu Palace was renowned for its uncanny martial arts. To commoners, Tianshan disciples seemed like ghosts. Tianshan martial arts were actually external style techniques but only the opponent would feel the effect of the frost attacks. Moreover, the attacks would become increasingly devastating, so most who encountered Tianshan disciples would not live to tell the tale.

The most terrifying skill Tianshan disciples had was the ability to conceal themselves during combat, and deal the finishing blow or seal their opponent’s acupoint at the right moment. This concealment ability could also be applied to their companions, allowing a team of Tianshan disciples to conceal a whole army.

Murong Clan of Gusu

The Murong Clan of Gusu (姑苏慕容氏 – Gūsū Mùróng shì) originated from the royal family that ruled the Yan states, including Former Yan,25 Western Yan,26 Later Yan,27 and Southern Yan.28 Murong Fu was the head of the clan and strived to restore Yan to its former glory.

The Murong Clan was renowned in the Jiangnan29 for their martial arts prowess.

Guilds and societies

Philosophical and religious orders

Martial arts schools

Clans and families

Political entities

See also

Footnotes

  1. 北宋 – Běi Sòng. Period of the Song Dynasty that lasted from 960 to 1127 CE. See Wikipedia. ↩

  2. 大理国 – Dàlǐ Guó. Kingdom in southwest China, modern-day Yunnan, ruled by the Bai people of the Duan Clan from 937 to 1253 CE. See Wikipedia. ↩

  3. 辽朝 – Liáo Cháo. Khitan empire controlling northeastern China, modern-day Manchuria and Inner Mongolia, under Emperor Daozong during the Northern Song period. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

  4. 宋太祖 – Sòng Tàizǔ. Founding emperor of the Song Dynasty (r. 960-976 CE). See Wikipedia. ↩

  5. 宋 – Sòng. Dynasty ruled by the Han Chinese under the House of Zhao from 960 to 1279 CE, referred to as Northern Song before losing the northern territories to Jin invasion, and Southern Song after the capital moved south. See Wikipedia. ↩

  6. 大渡河 – Dàdù Hé. Major River in southwestern China, modern-day Sichuan Province. See Wikipedia. ↩

  7. Marble in Chinese is literally Dali stone (大理石 – Dàlǐ shí). ↩

  8. 江湖 – jiānghú. The world of martial arts. A sub-society involving all who are related to the martial arts scene. What is jianghu? ↩

  9. 长江 – Chángjiāng. China’s longest river (6,300 km) serving as vital trade corridor between Sichuan and Jiangnan regions. See Wikipedia. ↩

  10. 山海关 – Shānhǎiguān. Strategic fortress where the Great Wall meets the sea in modern-day Hebei Province. See Wikipedia. ↩

  11. 嘉峪关 – Jiāyùguān. Western terminus of the Great Wall in modern-day Gansu Province. See Wikipedia. ↩

  12. 内功 – neìgōng. Literally internal skill. Inner qi cultivation through breath control, meditation, and meridian circulation. Foundation for all advanced martial capabilities. See Wikipedia. ↩

  13. 气 – qì. Life force. See Wikipedia. ↩

  14. 少商 – Shàoshāng. Lesser Metal acupoint of the Lung Meridian. See Wikipedia. ↩

  15. 云门 – Yúnmén. Cloud Gate acupoint of the Lung Meridian. See Wikipedia. ↩

  16. 掌门 – zhǎngmén. Literally gate controller. Head of a martial arts school or sect, responsible for leading the organisation and passing down its martial arts traditions to disciples. ↩

  17. 师兄 – shīxiōng. Literally martial elder brother. Male senior fellow disciple within the same martial arts school. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

  18. 师父 – shīfū. Literally martial father. Teacher or master responsible for technical instruction and moral guidance. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

  19. 函谷关 – Hángǔguān. Strategic mountain pass between modern-day Henan and Shaanxi provinces. See Wikipedia. ↩

  20. 星宿海 – Xīngxiù Hǎi. High-altitude lake region in Qinghai Province, source of the Yellow River. See Wikipedia. ↩

  21. 天山 – Tiān Shān. Literally heaven mountain. Central Asian range dividing Xinjiang. See Wikipedia. ↩

  22. 西夏 – Xī Xià. Also known as the Tangut Empire. Powerful kingdom in northwestern China, spanning modern-day Ningxia and Gansu, ruled by the Tanguts from 1038-1227 CE. See Wikipedia. ↩

  23. 宫里 – gōnglǐ. This term is usually used to refer to the Imperial Palace. ↩

  24. 飘渺 – Piāomíao. Literally barely discernible, ethereal. Refers to the peak being often obscured by clouds. ↩

  25. 前燕 – Qián Yān. Xianbei state (337-370 CE) founded by Murong Huang in northeastern China. See Wikipedia. ↩

  26. 西燕 – Xī Yān. Short-lived Xianbei state (384-394 CE) established by Murong Hong in Shanxi. See Wikipedia. ↩

  27. 后燕 – Hòu Yān. Xianbei state (384-407 CE) founded by Murong Chui, successor to Former Yan. See Wikipedia. ↩

  28. 南燕 – Nán Yān. Xianbei state (398-410 CE) established by Murong De in Shandong Peninsula. See Wikipedia. ↩

  29. 江南 – Jiāngnán. Literally south of the river. Prosperous region south of the Yangtze River, encompassing modern-day southern Jiangsu, northern Zhejiang, and Shanghai. ↩