Ren Woxing

Ren Woxing (simplified: 任我行, traditional: 任我行, pinyin: Rén Wǒxíng, jyutping: jam6 ngo5 hang4) was the leader of the Sun Moon Order whose name meant “I Do As I Please,” reflecting his domineering personality and absolute authority. He was a master strategist, formidable martial artist, and ambitious leader who sought to unify the jianghu under his control.

Biography

Early leadership

Ren Woxing served as leader of the Sun Moon Order, treating Dongfang Bubai like a brother and promoting him to deputy leader, gradually transferring all authority to him. Ren Woxing focused on perfecting the Greater Star Absorbing Technique, attempting to correct its minor flaws, which left him with little time to manage daily order affairs.

However, Ren Woxing had recognised Dongfang Bubai’s ambitious nature and deliberately gave him the incomplete Sunflower Manual, knowing it required self-castration. This was part of Ren Woxing’s calculated scheme to neutralise a potential threat, demonstrating his strategic thinking and ruthless pragmatism.

Imprisonment

When Ren Woxing suffered a qi deviation while practising the Greater Star Absorbing Technique, Dongfang Bubai seized the opportunity to stage a coup. Ren Woxing was imprisoned beneath West Lake at Plum Manor, where he remained for twelve years. During this time, he continued to refine his martial arts and plan his eventual return to power.

Rescue and restoration

Ren Woxing was rescued through a complex scheme orchestrated by Xiang Wentian and Linghu Chong. After escaping from Plum Manor, Ren Woxing reunited with Xiang Wentian and worked to gather the order’s former members. He travelled to the Shaolin Order to rescue his daughter Ren Yingying, who had been captured.

At Shaolin, Ren Woxing participated in the famous “Three Battles” (三战). In the first battle, he feigned an attack on Yu Canghai to trick Fangzheng, the Shaolin abbot, into intervening, allowing Ren Woxing to win through technicality. In the second battle, Zuo Lengchan used his self-created Cold Ice True Qi to freeze Ren Woxing’s body, countering the Greater Star Absorbing Technique. The third battle was won when Chongxu conceded after Linghu Chong had previously defeated him in swordplay.

Battle against Dongfang Bubai

Ren Woxing led the assault on Blackwood Cliff to reclaim his position as leader of the Sun Moon Order. Despite being joined by Linghu Chong, Xiang Wentian, and Shangguan Yun, the four masters found themselves gradually losing to Dongfang Bubai’s superior martial arts. When Ren Yingying attacked Yang Lianting, causing Dongfang Bubai to become distracted, Ren Woxing, Linghu Chong, and Xiang Wentian struck the fatal blow. Ren Woxing killed the severely wounded Dongfang Bubai but lost one eye to Dongfang Bubai’s embroidery needle in the process.

Final ambitions and death

After regaining control of the Sun Moon Order, Ren Woxing became obsessed with unifying the jianghu under his rule. He planned to eliminate the Shaolin Order, Wudang Order, and the Five Mountains Sword Alliance. However, during a grand assembly on Mount Hua, Ren Woxing suddenly collapsed and died from what appeared to be natural causes related to age and exhaustion.

After his death, Ren Yingying temporarily assumed leadership of the Sun Moon Order before eventually passing it to Xiang Wentian.

Personality & traits

Physical appearance

Ren Woxing was described as tall with black hair, wearing a blue robe. He had a long face that was extremely pale, almost bloodless, giving him the appearance of a corpse that had just emerged from a grave. Despite this unsettling appearance, his features were refined and clear.

Character traits

Ren Woxing embodied the archetype of the ruthless strategist. As literary critic Ni Kuang described him, Ren Woxing was the typical “formidable figure”—skilled in martial arts, ruthless in methods, and deeply calculating. Every action he took was carefully planned and arranged, demonstrating his ability to see through others’ schemes, including Dongfang Bubai’s ambitions.

His strategic thinking was demonstrated by his deliberate act of giving Dongfang Bubai the Sunflower Manual, knowing it would transform him. This calculated move showed Ren Woxing’s understanding of human nature and his willingness to use any means necessary to maintain or regain power.

Ren Woxing was also known for his domineering personality and absolute confidence in his own abilities. He believed himself unmatched in both martial arts and strategic thinking, though he acknowledged Dongfang Bubai, Fangzheng, and Feng Qingyang as the three people he most admired, with Chongxu counting as half a person.

Values and principles

Ren Woxing’s primary value was power and control. Unlike his daughter Ren Yingying, who valued personal freedom, Ren Woxing was driven by ambition to dominate the jianghu. His approach to leadership was authoritarian, expecting absolute loyalty and obedience from his subordinates.

However, he also demonstrated genuine care for his daughter and respect for true martial arts ability, as shown by his admiration for certain opponents and his willingness to acknowledge superior skill.

Martial arts abilities

Greater Star Absorbing Technique

Ren Woxing’s signature technique was the Greater Star Absorbing Technique, which he had inherited and refined. This dangerous art allowed him to absorb others’ internal energy through a “hollow” method, requiring his dantian to remain “constantly like a deep valley, always like a deep box.” He could convert absorbed energy into his own internal strength, though the technique had significant side effects that made both orthodox and unorthodox martial artists fear it.

The technique was derived from the incomplete remnants of the Xiaoyao Sect’s Northern Darkness Divine Technique, passed down from the Dali Duan family. Unlike techniques that required physical contact, Ren Woxing could absorb energy through weapons when opponents attacked with internal force.

However, the technique had flaws that Ren Woxing spent years attempting to correct, and these flaws contributed to his qi deviation that allowed Dongfang Bubai to stage his coup.

Relationships

Family

Ren Woxing’s relationship with his daughter Ren Yingying was complex. He cared for her deeply, as demonstrated by his efforts to rescue her from Shaolin, but their values ultimately diverged. Ren Yingying chose freedom over power, while Ren Woxing remained obsessed with domination until his death.

His relationship with his son-in-law Linghu Chong was similarly complex. Ren Woxing respected Linghu Chong’s martial arts ability and attempted to recruit him, offering him the position of deputy leader and marriage to Ren Yingying. However, Linghu Chong’s refusal to join the order created tension between them.

Subordinates

Ren Woxing’s relationship with Xiang Wentian exemplified loyalty and mutual respect. Xiang Wentian remained devoted to Ren Woxing throughout his imprisonment and worked tirelessly to secure his freedom. Ren Woxing trusted Xiang Wentian completely and eventually passed leadership to him through Ren Yingying.

His relationship with Dongfang Bubai was one of calculated manipulation. Ren Woxing recognised Dongfang Bubai’s ambition and deliberately gave him the Sunflower Manual to neutralise him, though this plan ultimately backfired when Dongfang Bubai mastered the technique and became even more powerful.

Behind the scenes

Ren Woxing represents Jin Yong’s exploration of absolute power and its corrupting influence. His character demonstrates how even brilliant strategists can be undone by their own ambitions and how the pursuit of power can consume everything else, including personal relationships.

Literary significance

The character serves as a contrast to Linghu Chong, who rejects power, and Ren Yingying, who chooses freedom. Ren Woxing’s obsession with domination and his sudden death before achieving his goals reflects the novel’s theme that power is ultimately transient and that true freedom comes from rejecting worldly ambitions.

His name “I Do As I Please” reflects both his domineering personality and the ultimate futility of absolute control, as demonstrated by his sudden death just as he was about to launch his final campaign for domination.

Portrayals

Ren Woxing has been portrayed by numerous actors in film and television adaptations of Laughing in the Wind: