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Li Qiushui

Li Qiushui

Li Qiushui (simplified: 李秋水, traditional: 李秋水, Jyutping: lei5 cau1 seoi2, pinyin: Lǐ Qiūshuǐ) was one of the Three Elders of the Xiaoyao Order. As the youngest of the three disciples of Xiaoyaozi, she was entangled in a lifelong rivalry with her senior sister Tianshan Child Granny over their shared love for Wuyazi, which ultimately led to their mutual destruction.

Biography

Early life and training

Li Qiushui was the third disciple of Xiaoyaozi, the founder of the Xiaoyao Order. She was known for her exceptional beauty, described as having “眉目甚美” (beautiful eyebrows and eyes) and a “轻柔婉转” (gentle and melodious) voice. Her graceful figure and elegant movements earned her the description of being “飘飘若仙” (floating like an immortal).

Xiaoyaozi exclusively taught her the Xiaoyao Minor Formless Skill, making it her signature defensive technique. This powerful internal energy method became her lifeline during numerous assassination attempts by her senior sister Tianshan Child Granny.

Love triangle and conflict

The complex relationship between Li Qiushui, Tianshan Child Granny, and Wuyazi formed the core of their lifelong enmity. Initially, Wuyazi chose Tianshan Child Granny, but Li Qiushui disrupted her senior sister’s critical cultivation period at age 26, causing Tianshan Child Granny to remain permanently childlike. This led Wuyazi to transfer his affections to Li Qiushui.

Li Qiushui and Wuyazi had a daughter, Li Qinglu, and lived together in the “Langhuan Blessed Land” (琅嬛福地) at Mount Wuliang in Dali. Their relationship was initially harmonious, with them practicing swordplay under moonlight and composing poetry among flowers.

However, Wuyazi’s broad interests in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, medicine, divination, and astronomy gradually distanced him from Li Qiushui. He eventually fell in love with Li Qiushui’s younger sister and created a jade statue of the “Immortal Sister” based on her likeness, becoming obsessed with the statue while neglecting Li Qiushui.

Betrayal and revenge

Feeling abandoned, Li Qiushui brought many handsome men to their home for entertainment, which angered Wuyazi and caused him to leave. In her disappointment, Li Qiushui seduced Wuyazi’s second disciple Ding Chunqiu. When Wuyazi learned of this betrayal, he attempted to kill Li Qiushui, but during their fierce battle, Ding Chunqiu secretly attacked Wuyazi, throwing him off a cliff.

Li Qiushui, having a change of heart, prevented Ding Chunqiu from finishing off Wuyazi, and Su Xinghe later rescued him. Tianshan Child Granny, seeking revenge for her ruined cultivation, disfigured Li Qiushui’s face with a sword, carving a “井” character, making them mortal enemies.

Western Xia period

Li Qiushui eventually grew tired of Ding Chunqiu and traveled to Western Xia, where she used her beauty and charm to become a concubine of Emperor Li Yuanhao. She left behind the Northern Profound Divine Skill and Lingbo Weibu manuals in the Langhuan Blessed Land, with instructions for the learner to kill all Xiaoyao Order disciples.

Final confrontation

When Li Qiushui reappeared in the story, she was the Western Xia Imperial Concubine, wearing a veil to hide her disfigured face. She took advantage of Tianshan Child Granny’s period of rejuvenation to seek revenge, cutting off her thumb and left leg and taking the Seven Treasures Ring, the symbol of Xiaoyao Order leadership.

The final battle between Li Qiushui and Tianshan Child Granny occurred in the Western Xia palace ice cellar. After learning that Wuyazi’s true love was actually Li Qiushui’s younger sister, both women transferred their eighty years of internal energy to Xuzhu before dying.

Personality and traits

Li Qiushui was characterized by her exceptional beauty and intelligence, but also by her capacity for both love and vengeance. Her graceful appearance and melodious voice masked a calculating and ruthless nature when crossed.

Her relationship with Wuyazi showed her capacity for deep love, but her inability to accept rejection led to destructive actions. Her seduction of Ding Chunqiu and subsequent betrayal demonstrated her willingness to use any means to achieve her goals.

Despite her flaws, Li Qiushui showed moments of conscience, such as when she prevented Ding Chunqiu from killing Wuyazi, suggesting that her love for him never completely died.

Martial arts abilities

Internal energy

Li Qiushui’s primary internal energy was the Xiaoyao Minor Formless Skill, which she learned exclusively from Xiaoyaozi. This technique was so powerful that it saved her life multiple times from Tianshan Child Granny’s assassination attempts.

She also mastered the Northern Profound Divine Skill, one of the most powerful internal energy methods in the martial world, which she left behind in the Langhuan Blessed Land.

Specialized techniques

  • Cold Sleeve Point Striking: A technique where a light flick of the sleeve could cause opponents’ knees to go numb and their blood to flow backward, making them collapse.
  • White Rainbow Palm Power: A unique technique that allowed her to control the direction of her palm strikes, making them curve around obstacles to attack from unexpected angles.
  • Sound Transmission Soul Search: A method that used deep internal energy to send voice messages that could disturb opponents’ minds and control their actions.

Qinggong techniques

Li Qiushui mastered Lingbo Weibu, a sophisticated lightness skill based on the sixty-four hexagrams of the I Ching. This technique not only provided exceptional movement capabilities but also served as a method for qi cultivation, with each complete cycle increasing the practitioner’s internal energy.

Relationships

Family connections

Li Qiushui was the grandmother of Li Qinglu (Menggu), the Western Xia princess, and the maternal grandmother of Wang Yuyan through her daughter Li Qinglu. She was also the sister-in-law of Wang Yuyan’s mother, Li Qinglu.

Martial relationships

Her most significant relationships were with her fellow Xiaoyao Order disciples:

  • Tianshan Child Granny: Her senior sister and lifelong enemy due to their rivalry over Wuyazi
  • Wuyazi: Her junior brother and the object of both women’s affection
  • Ding Chunqiu: Her lover and co-conspirator in Wuyazi’s downfall

Political connections

As the Western Xia Imperial Concubine, Li Qiushui had significant political influence and used her position to further her personal vendettas and protect her interests.

Behind the scenes

Historical inspiration

Li Qiushui’s character was inspired by the historical Western Xia Empress Dowager of the Mocang clan (没藏太后), who was known for her political influence and complex relationships within the Western Xia court.

Literary significance

Li Qiushui represents the destructive power of jealousy and unrequited love in Jin Yong’s works. Her character demonstrates how personal vendettas can span decades and ultimately lead to mutual destruction. Her beauty and intelligence, combined with her capacity for both love and vengeance, make her one of the most complex female characters in Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils.

Character development

The love triangle between Li Qiushui, Tianshan Child Granny, and Wuyazi serves as a central plot device that drives much of the story’s conflict. Their mutual destruction in the ice cellar represents the tragic consequences of their lifelong enmity, while their final act of transferring their internal energy to Xuzhu shows a moment of redemption and acceptance.

See also