Jingzhao

Jingzhao (simplified: 静照, traditional: 靜照, pinyin: Jìngzhào, jyutping: zing6 ziu3), also known as Jingzhao Shitai (静照师太), was a Jing-generation disciple of the Emei Order. She attempted to assassinate Xie Xun at the Slaying Lion Conference on Zhou Zhiruo’s orders, but was exposed and defeated by the Yellow Dress Maiden.

Biography

Training under Miejue

Jingzhao was a disciple of Miejue, the third leader of the Emei Order, and was one of the twelve Jing-generation disciples. She was described as a middle-aged nun with mediocre martial arts abilities, not among the Order’s most skilled practitioners.

As one of the Jing-generation disciples, Jingzhao participated in the Order’s activities and supported its leadership. However, her martial arts abilities were limited, and she was not among the senior disciples who held positions of authority within the Order.

The Slaying Lion Conference

After Zhou Zhiruo became the leader of the Emei Order, she attended the Slaying Lion Conference at Shaolin Temple, where Xie Xun was being held. Zhou Zhiruo had committed crimes against Xie Xun and others, and she feared that Xie Xun would expose her actions. To prevent this, she ordered Jingzhao to assassinate Xie Xun under the guise of seeking revenge.

Attempted assassination of Xie Xun

During the conference, when Xie Xun was brought before the assembled heroes, Jingzhao stepped forward from the Emei Order’s ranks. She approached Xie Xun and claimed that she wanted to avenge her husband’s death by spitting on him, as others had done. However, this was a ruse: when she spat, she actually fired a date stone steel nail (枣核钢钉) at Xie Xun’s forehead, intending to kill him.

Xie Xun, who was blind and had accepted his fate, did not attempt to evade the attack. However, the Yellow Dress Maiden, who was present at the conference, intervened. She used her sleeve to catch the steel nail, preventing it from reaching Xie Xun.

Exposure and defeat

The Yellow Dress Maiden then questioned Jingzhao, asking her what her husband’s name was and how Xie Xun had killed him. When Jingzhao became defensive and claimed that she had no grudge against Xie Xun, she accidentally revealed her true intentions by saying “why would I want to kill him to shut his…” before stopping herself.

The Yellow Dress Maiden exposed the plot, revealing that Jingzhao was one of the Jing-generation disciples who had been a virgin when she became a nun, meaning she had never had a husband. This proved that her claim of seeking revenge for her husband’s death was false, and that she was actually attempting to kill Xie Xun to silence him on Zhou Zhiruo’s orders.

When Jingzhao attempted to flee, the Yellow Dress Maiden pursued and defeated her, striking her with a finger technique and kicking her leg acupoint, causing her to fall. The Yellow Dress Maiden then publicly exposed Zhou Zhiruo’s plot to kill Xie Xun to cover up her crimes.

Aftermath

After being exposed, Jingzhao was helped by her fellow Emei Order disciples, and Zhou Zhiruo led the Order away from the conference. The incident revealed Zhou Zhiruo’s true nature and her willingness to commit murder to protect her secrets, marking a turning point in the novel’s narrative.

Personality & traits

Jingzhao was described as having mediocre martial arts abilities and was not among the Emei Order’s most skilled disciples. Her willingness to carry out Zhou Zhiruo’s assassination order demonstrated her loyalty to the Order’s leader, but also her lack of moral judgment and her readiness to commit murder.

Her failed attempt to kill Xie Xun and her subsequent exposure revealed her lack of tactical skill and her inability to maintain her cover story under questioning. Her character serves as an example of how blind loyalty to a leader can lead individuals to commit immoral acts.

Martial arts abilities

Emei Swordplay

As a Jing-generation disciple, Jingzhao had learned Emei Swordplay (峨嵋剑法), the signature sword technique of the Emei Order. However, her proficiency in this technique was limited, and she was not among the Order’s most skilled practitioners.

Date stone steel nail technique

Jingzhao demonstrated the ability to fire a date stone steel nail using her internal energy, concealing it within a spitting motion. This technique required skill in internal energy cultivation and precision, though her execution was not sufficient to overcome the Yellow Dress Maiden’s intervention.

Overall martial arts level

Jingzhao’s martial arts abilities were described as mediocre. She was not among the Emei Order’s most powerful disciples, and her skills were insufficient to successfully carry out the assassination or to defend herself against the Yellow Dress Maiden’s counterattack.

Relationships

Miejue

Jingzhao was a disciple of Miejue, the third leader of the Emei Order. Her training under Miejue would have been part of the standard curriculum for Jing-generation disciples, though she did not distinguish herself as one of the Order’s most skilled members.

Zhou Zhiruo

Jingzhao’s relationship with Zhou Zhiruo was one of loyalty to the Order’s leader. She was willing to carry out Zhou Zhiruo’s order to assassinate Xie Xun, demonstrating her obedience to the leader’s commands, even when those commands involved murder.

However, her failure to successfully complete the mission and her exposure by the Yellow Dress Maiden ultimately revealed Zhou Zhiruo’s plot, damaging the Emei Order’s reputation and exposing Zhou Zhiruo’s true nature.

Fellow Jing-generation disciples

As one of the twelve Jing-generation disciples, Jingzhao worked alongside other disciples like Jingxuan, Jinghui, and Jingxu. Her participation in the assassination plot would have been known to at least some of her fellow disciples, though the full extent of their involvement is unclear.

Behind the scenes

Jingzhao’s character serves several narrative functions in the novel. Her attempted assassination of Xie Xun represents a critical turning point in the story, as it leads to the exposure of Zhou Zhiruo’s crimes and her true nature. The incident demonstrates how far Zhou Zhiruo was willing to go to protect her secrets and maintain her position.

The Yellow Dress Maiden’s intervention and exposure of the plot serves as a deus ex machina moment that reveals the truth and allows the story to progress toward its resolution. Jingzhao’s character, while minor, plays an important role in this narrative function.

Her character also highlights the theme of blind loyalty and the dangers of following orders without moral consideration. Her willingness to commit murder on Zhou Zhiruo’s orders, despite having no personal grudge against Xie Xun, demonstrates how organisational loyalty can override individual moral judgment.

The fact that she was exposed through her own mistake—revealing her true intentions by saying “kill him to shut his…”—demonstrates the difficulty of maintaining a false cover story under pressure and the importance of careful planning in deception.

Portrayals

Jingzhao has been portrayed in various adaptations of The Heavenly Sword and the Dragon Sabre, though she is a minor character who typically appears only in the Slaying Lion Conference scene.