He Biweng

He Biweng (simplified: 鹤笔翁, traditional: 鶴筆翁, pinyin: Hè Bǐwēng, jyutping: hok6 bat1 jung1) was one of the Xuanming Elders (玄冥二老), together with his shixiong Lu Zhangke. He was a master of the Xuanming Divine Palm (玄冥神掌) and served Zhao Min’s father, Chaghan Temür, the Prince of Ruyang. Known for his love of wine and slower wit, He Biweng was the junior brother and deferred to Lu Zhangke’s superior intelligence.

Biography

Early life and training

He Biweng and Lu Zhangke were disciples of the same master who created the Xuanming Divine Palm. The two had studied together since childhood and had been inseparable from youth to old age, having no wives or children and relying on each other for companionship.

He Biweng was the junior brother and was known for his slower wit compared to Lu Zhangke. While their martial arts abilities were originally equal, He Biweng respected and deferred to Lu Zhangke due to his seniority and superior intelligence.

Service to the Prince of Ruyang

Despite their exceptional martial arts abilities, the Xuanming Elders were primarily motivated by wealth and position. They joined the service of Chaghan Temür, the Prince of Ruyang, in exchange for power and status, becoming the strongest martial artists in the Prince’s household.

As Xuanming Elders, they served under Zhao Min, the Prince’s daughter, and participated in various operations against the Ming Order and the jianghu.

Attack on Zhang Wuji as a child

While the Xuanming Elders were in the Prince of Ruyang’s service, He Biweng once disguised himself as a Mongolian soldier and captured the young Zhang Wuji, striking him on the back with the Xuanming Divine Palm. This attack left Zhang Wuji with a fatal cold poison that even Zhang Sanfeng could not fully cure, requiring constant neili infusion to keep him alive.

This incident set the stage for Zhang Wuji’s long struggle with the cold poison, which would ultimately lead him to discover the Nine Yang Manual and master the Nine Yang Divine Skill.

Battles with martial arts masters

The Xuanming Elders fought against numerous masters throughout the novel. They battled Zhang Sanfeng, Yu Lianzhou, Yang Xiao, Wei Yixiao, Miejue, and Zhou Zhiruo, defeating all except Zhang Sanfeng. Their mastery of the Xuanming Divine Palm made them formidable opponents, and their combined fighting style made them even more dangerous.

The Slaying Lion Heroes Assembly

At the Slaying Lion Heroes Assembly, the Xuanming Elders attempted to seize the Nine Yin Manual from Zhou Zhiruo. They attacked Zhou Zhiruo while Zhang Wuji was occupied with other matters, demonstrating their opportunistic nature and their willingness to take advantage of situations for personal gain.

During the battle, He Biweng used his Xuanming Divine Palm, and when Zhang Wuji intervened to save Zhao Min from Zhou Zhiruo’s cold energy, He Biweng and Lu Zhangke fought together against Zhang Wuji. However, Zhang Wuji used the Dragon-Slaying Dao (屠龙刀) to cut off Lu Zhangke’s deer antler staff and break He Biweng’s crane-beak pens. Despite their formidable abilities, they were ultimately defeated by Zhang Wuji’s superior power.

Final defeat

During the final confrontation, Zhang Wuji used his Nine Yang Divine Skill to neutralize most of the Xuanming Elders’ Xuanming cold energy. This defeat reduced them from top-tier masters to third-rate martial artists, effectively ending their dominance in the jianghu.

Personality & traits

Love of wine

He Biweng’s defining characteristic was his love of wine. This weakness, combined with Lu Zhangke’s lechery, made the Xuanming Elders vulnerable to manipulation. While He Biweng’s love of wine was not directly exploited in the same way that Lu Zhangke’s lechery was, it demonstrated their shared vulnerability to personal vices.

Slower wit and straightforwardness

He Biweng was known for his slower wit compared to Lu Zhangke. He required more time to think things through and understand complex situations, making him more straightforward and less cunning than his shixiong. This slower thinking sometimes made him vulnerable to deception, as he needed time to process situations that required quick understanding.

However, his straightforwardness also meant that he was less likely to overthink situations and was more direct in his approach to problems. His loyalty to Lu Zhangke was unquestioning, and he respected his shixiong’s superior intelligence.

Ambition and greed

Like Lu Zhangke, He Biweng joined the Prince of Ruyang’s service primarily for wealth and position, demonstrating his ambition and greed. Their willingness to serve the Yuan government against the jianghu showed their prioritisation of material gain over moral principles.

Close relationship with Lu Zhangke

Despite their faults, He Biweng and Lu Zhangke maintained a close relationship throughout their lives. They had been inseparable companions for decades, with no wives or children, and relied on each other for companionship and support. He Biweng’s respect for Lu Zhangke’s seniority and intelligence created a bond that lasted their entire lives.

Martial arts abilities

Xuanming Divine Palm

He Biweng was a master of the Xuanming Divine Palm, a powerful and sinister palm technique that inflicted a deadly cold poison. The technique was created by their master and was considered one of the most dangerous techniques in the jianghu. The palm strike could cause the victim to feel as if their blood was freezing, with the cold poison gradually penetrating the internal organs.

Crane-beak Pen Technique

He Biweng was skilled in the Crane-beak Pen Technique (鹤笔法), using a pair of crane-beak pens as his weapons. The pens were effective weapons, and He Biweng demonstrated his skill with them in various battles. However, the pens were ultimately broken by the Dragon-Slaying Dao during his final confrontation with Zhang Wuji.

Xuanming Neili

He Biweng cultivated Xuanming Neili (玄冥内力), which gave his techniques their cold, deadly power. This neili was the foundation of the Xuanming Divine Palm’s effectiveness, allowing it to penetrate opponents’ defences and inflict the fatal cold poison.

Relationships

With Lu Zhangke

He Biweng’s relationship with Lu Zhangke was one of lifelong companionship and mutual reliance. As the junior brother, He Biweng respected and deferred to Lu Zhangke’s superior intelligence and seniority. Their decades together had created a bond that transcended their individual faults, and they fought together as a team throughout their lives.

With the Prince of Ruyang

He Biweng served Chaghan Temür, the Prince of Ruyang, primarily for wealth and position. This relationship was based on mutual benefit rather than genuine loyalty, as the Xuanming Elders were motivated by material gain.

With Zhao Min

He Biweng served under Zhao Min as one of the Prince’s household martial artists. However, his service was based on his position in the household rather than personal loyalty to Zhao Min.

Behind the scenes

Character significance

He Biweng, together with Lu Zhangke, represents the corrupting influence of power, wealth, and desire. Despite their exceptional martial arts abilities, their moral corruption and personal weaknesses made them vulnerable to manipulation and ultimately led to their defeat. Their characters demonstrate that martial arts prowess alone is not enough to ensure success or respect in the jianghu.

Role in the narrative

He Biweng’s role in the narrative includes his attack on the young Zhang Wuji, which sets up the protagonist’s struggle with the cold poison and his eventual discovery of the Nine Yang Manual. His defeat at the hands of Zhang Wuji represents the triumph of righteousness over corruption and the power of genuine cultivation over techniques gained through questionable means.

Together with Lu Zhangke, He Biweng represents the dangers of serving power for personal gain and the consequences of moral corruption, even for those with exceptional martial arts abilities.