Tang Wenliang

Tang Wenliang (simplified: 唐文亮, traditional: 唐文亮, pinyin: Táng Wénliàng, jyutping: tong4 man4 loeng6) was the third of the Kongtong Five Elders (崆峒五老), a group of senior masters from the Kongtong School. He was a short, small elder who was severely defeated by Yin Tianzheng, the White-Browed Eagle King, at Bright Peak, having all four limbs broken despite Yin Tianzheng being severely wounded. He was later treated by Zhang Wuji, who used medicines from three different schools to heal his broken bones.

Biography

Early years and status

Tang Wenliang was one of the five most senior and respected members of the Kongtong School, collectively known as the Kongtong Five Elders. These five masters enjoyed a high reputation throughout the martial arts world and held prestigious positions within their school. Tang Wenliang was the third eldest among them, following Guan Neng and Zong Weixia. He was described as a short, small elder (矮小老者), giving him a distinctive physical appearance.

Like the other Kongtong Five Elders, Tang Wenliang had practised the Seven Injury Fist (七伤拳), the Kongtong School’s signature technique. However, because his internal energy was insufficient, he had sustained internal injuries from practising this technique, which required extremely high levels of internal energy to practise safely.

Encounter with Xie Xun

When Xie Xun, the Golden-Haired Lion King of the Ming Order, sought to learn the Seven Injury Fist, he invaded Qingyang Temple (青阳观) on Kongtong Mountain to steal the technique manual. Tang Wenliang and the other four elders engaged in battle with Xie Xun to defend their school’s secret technique.

However, with the secret assistance of Cheng Kun (Yuanzhen), Xie Xun was able to defeat the five elders. During this battle, Tang Wenliang was injured by Cheng Kun’s Primordial Chaos Skill (混元功), which was used to launch a surprise attack. Xie Xun successfully obtained the Seven Injury Fist manual, which he would later use to commit numerous murders in his quest for revenge against Cheng Kun.

At the time when Kongjian, the most senior of Shaolin’s Four Holy Monks, was killed by Xie Xun’s Seven Injury Fist in Luoyang, Tang Wenliang and the other Kongtong Five Elders were guests at the residence of the Diancang School’s Master Liu (点苍派柳大侠) in Yunnan, which explains why they were not present when Kongjian was killed.

Six Schools expedition to Bright Peak

Tang Wenliang participated in the Six Schools expedition to Bright Peak (光明顶), joining the coordinated attack on the Ming Order headquarters. During this expedition, he and the Kongtong forces engaged in fierce battles with the Ming Order’s Five Elements Banners (五行旗).

Defeat by Yin Tianzheng

At Bright Peak, after Yin Tianzheng had fought multiple battles and was severely wounded, Tang Wenliang attempted to take advantage of Yin Tianzheng’s weakened state. However, despite his injuries and having exhausted most of his internal energy, Yin Tianzheng was still able to defeat Tang Wenliang easily.

Using his Eagle Claw Grasping Hand (鹰爪擒拿手), Yin Tianzheng broke all four of Tang Wenliang’s limbs, leaving him severely injured and unable to fight. This defeat demonstrated Yin Tianzheng’s exceptional martial prowess, as he was able to easily defeat Tang Wenliang even while severely wounded and nearly exhausted.

This incident also showed Tang Wenliang’s opportunistic nature, as he attempted to take advantage of an opponent’s weakened state. However, his defeat by Yin Tianzheng, who was already badly injured, highlighted the significant gap in their martial arts abilities.

Treatment by Zhang Wuji

After Tang Wenliang’s severe injuries, Zhang Wuji demonstrated his medical expertise and compassion by treating him. Zhang Wuji used three different types of medicine to treat Tang Wenliang’s broken bones:

The Kongtong School’s trauma medicine Returning Yang Five Dragon Ointment (回阳五龙膏)
The Wudang School’s trauma medicine Three Yellow Precious Wax Pill (三黄宝腊丸)
The Huashan School’s trauma medicine Jade True Powder (玉真散)

This treatment successfully reconnected Tang Wenliang’s broken bones and allowed him to recover from his injuries. Zhang Wuji’s use of medicines from three different schools demonstrated both his medical knowledge and his willingness to help even those who had been enemies, further highlighting his compassionate character.

Imprisonment at Wan’an Temple

After the Six Schools expedition, as the various schools were descending from Bright Peak, they were ambushed by Yuan Dynasty forces led by Zhao Min. All members of the Six Schools were captured and imprisoned at Wan’an Temple, where they were forced to consume the Ten Fragrances Soft Tendon Powder (十香软筋散), which disabled their internal energy.

During their imprisonment, the prisoners were forced to fight against Yuan Dynasty martial artists. Tang Wenliang, unwilling to fight at a disadvantage with weapons, chose to fight barehanded. He won his first two matches, defeating two Yuan Dynasty fighters, but lost his third match when his opponent used internal energy. For refusing to submit, Tang Wenliang had one finger cut off.

Tang Wenliang, along with the other prisoners, was eventually rescued by Zhang Wuji and the Ming Order, further demonstrating Zhang Wuji’s compassion and the Ming Order’s willingness to help even their former enemies.

Resistance against Yuan forces

After the Slaying Lion Heroes Assembly, when the Yuan Dynasty’s Prince Ruyang (汝阳王) Chahan Timur led 20,000 Mongolian troops to attack Shaolin Temple, intending to annihilate all the martial artists gathered there, Tang Wenliang joined with the other martial artists to resist the Yuan forces and fight for their country. This demonstrated that despite the internal conflicts and personal grudges within jianghu, martial artists could unite against external threats to the nation.

Personality & traits

Opportunistic nature

Tang Wenliang demonstrated an opportunistic nature when he attempted to take advantage of Yin Tianzheng’s severely wounded state at Bright Peak. His decision to challenge Yin Tianzheng when he was already badly injured showed his willingness to exploit an opponent’s weakness for his own advantage.

However, this opportunity backfired, as Yin Tianzheng was still able to defeat him easily despite his injuries. This demonstrated that Tang Wenliang had misjudged the situation and underestimated Yin Tianzheng’s remaining abilities.

Pride and unwillingness to accept disadvantage

Tang Wenliang’s decision to fight barehanded at Wan’an Temple, rather than accept a disadvantage with weapons, demonstrated his pride and unwillingness to compromise. While this showed his sense of fairness and personal honour, it also led to his defeat and the loss of a finger, showing that his pride sometimes came at a cost.

Reputation versus ability

Like the other Kongtong Five Elders, Tang Wenliang’s reputation in jianghu did not fully match his actual martial arts ability. While he enjoyed high status and was well-known throughout the martial arts world, his abilities were limited by his incorrect practice of the Seven Injury Fist, which had caused him internal injuries that weakened his effectiveness.

His defeat by the severely wounded Yin Tianzheng highlighted this gap between reputation and actual ability, showing that even respected masters could be significantly weaker than their renown suggested.

Martial arts abilities

Seven Injury Fist

Tang Wenliang practised the Seven Injury Fist (七伤拳), the Kongtong School’s signature technique and one of its most powerful secret arts. This technique could produce seven different types of internal force with each strike: hard, soft, hard-within-soft, soft-within-hard, horizontal, vertical, and a complex combination. These forces could damage an opponent’s internal organs in devastating ways, making it a formidable technique.

However, because Tang Wenliang did not possess sufficient internal energy, he had sustained internal injuries from practising this technique. These injuries had weakened his martial arts abilities and made him less effective than he might have been if he had possessed the necessary internal energy to practise the technique safely.

Sword techniques

Tang Wenliang was also skilled in sword techniques, as he carried a sword as his weapon. However, his primary focus was on the Seven Injury Fist, which was the Kongtong School’s most famous technique.

Physical limitations

Tang Wenliang’s short, small stature may have affected his martial arts abilities to some extent. However, in the world of wuxia, physical size was often less important than internal energy and technique mastery, so his size alone would not have been a significant disadvantage.

Relationships

With the other Kongtong Five Elders

Tang Wenliang worked closely with the other four elders: Guan Neng, Zong Weixia, Chang Jingzhi, and one other unnamed elder. Together, they represented the leadership of the Kongtong School and participated in major events as a group. Their shared experience of practising Seven Injury Fist and sustaining internal injuries created a bond between them.

With Yin Tianzheng

Tang Wenliang’s relationship with Yin Tianzheng was one of conflict and defeat. His attempt to take advantage of Yin Tianzheng’s weakened state at Bright Peak demonstrated his opportunistic approach, but his severe defeat showed the significant gap in their martial arts abilities.

With Zhang Wuji

Tang Wenliang’s relationship with Zhang Wuji was transformed by Zhang Wuji’s medical treatment. After being severely injured by Yin Tianzheng, Tang Wenliang was treated by Zhang Wuji using medicines from three different schools, which successfully healed his broken bones. This act of kindness demonstrated Zhang Wuji’s compassion and medical expertise, and would have created a sense of gratitude in Tang Wenliang.

Behind the scenes

Character significance

Tang Wenliang represents the Kongtong Five Elders and illustrates how reputation in jianghu does not always match actual martial arts ability. His defeat by the severely wounded Yin Tianzheng highlighted the gap between his renown and his actual effectiveness in combat.

His story also demonstrates how acts of kindness, such as Zhang Wuji’s medical treatment, can help to reconcile factions and overcome enmity, showing that compassion can bridge divides between organisations that had been in conflict.

Role in the narrative

Tang Wenliang’s role connects several plot elements: his encounter with Xie Xun explains how Xie Xun obtained the Seven Injury Fist, his participation in the Six Schools expedition connects the Kongtong School to the broader conflicts in the novel, and his treatment by Zhang Wuji demonstrates Zhang Wuji’s character and medical expertise while helping to reconcile the Kongtong School with the Ming Order.