Dragon-slaying Sabre

Dragon-slaying Sabre (simplified: 屠龙刀, traditional: 屠龍刀, pinyin: Túlóng Dāo) was a legendary dao that symbolised the power to slay tyrannical rulers. Forged by Guo Jing and Huang Rong to preserve secret martial arts manuals for future generations, the weapon became the object of the jianghu’s greatest conflict, with factions competing to possess it based on the legend: “Whoever possesses the Dragon Sabre will rule the world.”

Overview

The Dragon-slaying Sabre embodied the concept of rebellion against tyrannical authority. In Chinese culture, the dragon represents the emperor or sovereign ruler, making the weapon’s name a direct declaration of its purpose: to slay the emperor, specifically the Yuan dynasty emperor who ruled over the Han Chinese.

Throughout the novel, the weapon changed hands multiple times as various factions sought to obtain it, driven by the belief that it would grant them dominance over the jianghu. However, the complete secret required both the Dragon-slaying Sabre and its companion weapon, the Heavenly Sword, creating a balance that prevented any single wielder from achieving absolute power.

Description

The Dragon-slaying Sabre was a masterfully crafted dao, forged with exceptional care and precision from Yang Guo’s Heavy Iron Sword (also called the Dark Iron Heavy Sword). This origin connected the weapon to the legendary swordsman Dugu Qiubai through Yang Guo’s inheritance.

In the Third Edition, the weapon featured a structural detail crucial to unlocking its secrets: both the Dragon-slaying Sabre and Heavenly Sword had chips approximately seven centimetres from their hilts, positioned at matching weak points that would not be struck during normal combat. The Dragon Sabre’s back contained a soft iron section located seven inches from the hilt, which the Heavenly Sword could carefully cut into to reveal the hidden contents.

The weapon’s exceptional quality made it nearly indestructible, with only one known method of breaking it: striking its weak point against the matching point on the Heavenly Sword. This design ensured the weapons could only reveal their secrets when brought together deliberately.

History

Creation and inheritance

After the fall of Xiangyang, Guo Jing and Huang Rong undertook the creation of two legendary weapons to preserve martial arts knowledge for future generations who would continue the struggle against Mongol rule. They forged the Dragon-slaying Sabre from Yang Guo’s Heavy Iron Sword, a legendary weapon that had served the Condor Hero well during the previous generation’s struggles.

They spent months preparing materials and carefully planning how the weapons would preserve their secrets. The decision to forge two separate weapons rather than one reflected their strategic thinking: dividing the knowledge prevented any single wielder from becoming too powerful, whilst requiring cooperation to access the full inheritance.

Inheritance to Guo Polu

Guo Jing and Huang Rong chose their son Guo Polu as the inheritor of the Dragon-slaying Sabre. The weapon was lost with Guo Polu during the fall of Xiangyang, beginning its long journey through the jianghu as different factions competed for possession.

The jianghu’s pursuit

Over the decades that followed, the Dragon-slaying Sabre became the object of constant pursuit and conflict. Various factions believed that possessing the weapon would grant them the power to rule the jianghu, driven by the legend that “whoever possesses the Dragon Sabre will rule the world.”

The weapon changed hands multiple times through battles, schemes, and betrayals. Its presence destabilised the jianghu, with orthodox and heretical factions alike competing to obtain it. However, without access to the Heavenly Sword, no one could unlock the weapon’s true secrets.

Xie Xun’s discovery

Xie Xun, the Golden Lion King, came into possession of the Dragon-slaying Sabre and spent years studying it. During his examination, he discovered the chip about seven centimetres from the hilt, but despite years of study, he could not determine its purpose. This discovery added to the weapon’s mystery, suggesting hidden mechanisms that eluded understanding.

Revealing the secret

The weapon’s hidden contents were only accessible when brought together with the Heavenly Sword. The unlocking mechanism required the Heavenly Sword to carefully cut into the soft iron section on the Dragon Sabre’s back, located seven inches from the hilt. This process required deliberate effort and could not occur accidentally during combat.

When the weapons were properly unlocked, they revealed an iron-plated map (in the Third Edition) leading to Peach Blossom Island, where the Nine Yin Manual, Eighteen Palms of Dragon-subduing, and Book of Wumu were hidden. These treasures were meant to provide future generations with both martial prowess and military strategy to overthrow the Mongols.

The secret within

The weapons contained two halves of an iron-plated map (Third Edition) that, when combined, revealed the location of three legendary texts:

Nine Yin Manual: Comprehensive martial arts manual containing internal and external techniques
Eighteen Palms of Dragon-subduing: Guo Jing’s signature palm technique
Book of Wumu: Military strategy text by the Song general Yue Fei

These treasures represented Guo Jing and Huang Rong’s legacy, ensuring that even if they failed to defend Xiangyang, future generations would have the knowledge needed to continue the resistance against Mongol rule.

The legend

The jianghu circulated a saying about the two weapons: “Supreme in the wulin, the Dragon-slaying Sabre! Commands the world, none dare disobey! Should the Heavenly Sword not emerge, what rival can challenge its might?”

This legend reflected the weapons’ complementary roles: the Dragon Sabre represented conquering power, whilst the Heavenly Sword represented legitimate authority. Only together could they provide both the means and the right to rule.

Notable practitioners

Guo Polu — Inherited the weapon from his parents, lost during fall of Xiangyang
Xie Xun — Golden Lion King who possessed the weapon and discovered its structural details
Various jianghu factions — Competed for possession throughout the novel

Behind the scenes

The Dragon-slaying Sabre’s name (屠龙刀 – Túlóng Dāo) means “Sabre that slays the dragon”. In Chinese culture, the dragon (龙 – lóng) traditionally represents the emperor or sovereign ruler, making the weapon’s name a direct declaration of its purpose: to enable the slaying of tyrannical emperors.

This symbolism connects to the novel’s historical setting during the late Yuan dynasty, when Han Chinese resentment against Mongol rule grew alongside their desire to overthrow the Yuan government. The weapon represents not merely rebellion but the right and duty to remove unjust rulers.

The pairing with the Heavenly Sword creates complementary symbolism: whilst the Dragon Sabre represents the power to slay the emperor (dragon), the Heavenly Sword represents the authority that legitimises such action. Together, they embody the principle that power must serve righteous authority, not mere conquest.

The revision in the Third Edition to change the weapons’ contents from physical texts to iron-plated maps addresses the physical implausibility of hiding extensive texts within weapon blades, a point that had drawn reader skepticism. The map solution maintains the narrative structure whilst making the preservation method more believable.

The weapon’s journey through the jianghu serves as a plot device that drives character motivations and factional conflicts, whilst the ultimate revelation that true power comes from the knowledge within, not the weapon itself, reinforces the novel’s themes about wisdom over force.