Wei Yixiao

Wei Yixiao (simplified: 韦一笑, traditional: 韋一笑, pinyin: Wéi Yīxiào, jyutping: wai4 jat1 siu3), known as the Green Winged Bat King (青翼蝠王), was one of the Ming Order’s Four Guardian Kings. He was renowned throughout the jianghu for having the best qinggong abilities in the entire novel, and despite his unusual need to drink blood due to a martial arts injury, he was a loyal and principled member of the Ming Order.

Biography

Early life and the Ming Order

Wei Yixiao was one of the Four Guardian Kings of the Ming Order, ranked fourth in the order Purple-White-Gold-Green (紫白金青). Despite his low rank among the Four Guardian Kings, he was one of the most distinctive and memorable members of the organisation due to his exceptional qinggong abilities and his unusual condition that required him to drink blood.

The blood-drinking condition

While cultivating the Cold Ice Soft Palm technique, Wei Yixiao made an error that resulted in cold yin poison accumulating in his meridians. This created a condition where whenever he used his neili, the cold poison would flare up. Without drinking fresh blood to counteract the poison, his entire vascular system would freeze solid, leading to death.

According to Zhang Wuji’s diagnosis, this condition was caused by damage to the “three yin meridians” (三阴脉络受损). The necessity of drinking blood gave Wei Yixiao his reputation as a “blood-sucking bat” in the jianghu, though it was a condition he suffered from rather than a malicious preference.

Encountering the Emei Order

Before the Six Major Factions launched their attack on Bright Peak, Wei Yixiao harassed the Emei Order on multiple occasions. He drank the blood of one Emei disciple and silently infiltrated the Emei camp, where he drank the blood of Jingxu, who had attempted to confront him.

Even Miejue, the highly skilled Emei Order leader, was unable to catch him. She could only watch as he disappeared in a cloud of yellow dust, exclaiming, “Wei Yixiao’s qinggong is truly peerless in the world, his reputation is well-deserved, far surpassing mine!”

Battle at Bright Peak

When the Six Major Factions attacked Bright Peak, Wei Yixiao participated in the defence of the Ming Order headquarters. During the internal conflict among Ming Order members, he fought alongside the Five Unbound Adepts against Yang Xiao, the Bright Left Messenger, in a contest for leadership. However, Cheng Kun took advantage of the situation to launch a surprise attack, leaving Wei Yixiao and the others severely injured.

Fortunately, Zhang Wuji arrived in time to save them and resolve the crisis at Bright Peak.

Cured by Zhang Wuji

After Zhang Wuji became the 34th leader of the Ming Order, he used his medical knowledge and the Nine Yang Divine Skill to cure Wei Yixiao’s condition. Not only did this eliminate the cold poison from the Cold Ice Soft Palm technique, but it also expelled most of the previously accumulated poison in his system. From that point forward, Wei Yixiao no longer needed to drink blood whenever he used his neili.

This cure transformed Wei Yixiao’s life, freeing him from the burden that had forced him into the role of a “blood-sucking bat” and allowing him to serve the Ming Order without the moral compromises his condition had previously required.

Supporting Zhang Wuji

After being cured, Wei Yixiao served Zhang Wuji with complete loyalty. He demonstrated both courage and strategic thinking, working alongside Yang Xiao despite their previous disagreements to support the Ming Order’s goals. He was one of the key figures who helped Zhang Wuji coordinate the Order’s activities and respond to various challenges.

Demonstration of qinggong

During the rescue of Xie Xun at Shaolin Monastery, Zhang Wuji asked Wei Yixiao to demonstrate his qinggong abilities to impress the Shaolin monks and show that the Ming Order contained exceptional talents. Wei Yixiao took a name card, and without straightening up or turning around, he bounced backward like a wisp of smoke, covering more than ten zhang in distance to reach the Three Elders of the Bodhidharma Hall, where he presented the card to Due.

The Three Elders were astonished by this display, particularly because it was performed while moving backward. They exclaimed, “Good qinggong!” and the Shaolin monks, recognising excellence when they saw it, broke into thunderous applause.

Even masters like Zhang Sanfeng and Fan Yao acknowledged Wei Yixiao’s qinggong as peerless. Zhang Sanfeng commented, “The Green Winged Bat King’s qinggong is supreme, rarely seen in the world. Today I have witnessed it, and it truly lives up to its reputation.” Fan Yao praised him, saying, “Bat King Wei’s qinggong is unique in the world, even more marvellous than before. This humble one was greatly enlightened last night.”

Jin Yong himself, in response to questions about qinggong in his novels, stated that Wei Yixiao had the best qinggong of all his characters.

Rescuing others

During the rescue of the Six Major Factions’ leaders from Wan’an Temple, Wei Yixiao played a crucial role. When Zhao Min threatened Zhou Zhiruo to force Zhang Wuji to back down, Zhang Wuji and Yang Xiao were at a loss. Wei Yixiao appeared in a flash, demonstrating his legendary qinggong once again.

He struck his two short knives together and declared, “I, Wei, mean what I say. The Green Winged Bat King keeps his word; I have never uttered an empty promise in my life. You can guard against me for a year or two, but you cannot guard for ten or eight years. If you want to send people to kill me, they may not be able to catch up to me. Farewell!”

As soon as he finished speaking, he had already disappeared. With two sounds, the two short knives flew and embedded themselves in a pillar. Two shouts were heard, and two Tibetan monks in the hall slowly sat down, their long swords somehow taken by Wei Yixiao, and their acupoints sealed. This display demonstrated his incredible speed and skill.

Personality & traits

Loyalty and principle

Despite his fearsome reputation, Wei Yixiao was a principled and loyal individual. His willingness to die rather than drink Yin Li’s blood demonstrated his commitment to his principles and his loyalty to the Ming Order’s values. He was willing to sacrifice himself rather than harm an innocent person, especially one connected to his fellow members.

Courage and strategic thinking

Wei Yixiao demonstrated both courage and strategic acumen. He was willing to engage in dangerous operations and demonstrated excellent judgment in critical situations. His ability to work with others despite previous disagreements showed his maturity and commitment to the greater good.

Unconventional character

Wei Yixiao’s character was marked by his unconventional nature. His exceptional qinggong abilities, combined with his unusual condition, made him one of the most distinctive characters in the novel. Yet beneath his fearsome exterior and unusual habits, he possessed a strong sense of morality and loyalty.

Martial arts abilities

Cold Ice Soft Palm

Wei Yixiao’s signature technique was the Cold Ice Soft Palm (寒冰绵掌), an extremely yin and cold palm technique. When executed, it produced palm power that was like ice and snow, capable of making opponents feel extremely cold throughout their entire bodies. Their blood, qi, and meridians would feel as if they were about to freeze.

This technique was incredibly powerful, but it also carried great risk. Wei Yixiao’s error in cultivating it led to the cold poison accumulation that forced him to drink blood, demonstrating both the technique’s power and its dangers.

Bat King Divine Skill

Wei Yixiao’s qinggong technique, known as the Bat King Divine Skill, was considered the best in the entire novel. His movements were described as being like a wisp of smoke or like a bat, appearing and disappearing without trace. He could move with incredible speed, executing complex manoeuvres such as moving backward at high speed while maintaining perfect control.

His qinggong was so exceptional that even Zhang Wuji, despite his superior neili, acknowledged that he could not match Wei Yixiao in pure movement speed and agility. The technique appeared to be partly natural talent rather than something that could be fully achieved through training alone.

Comprehensive abilities

While Wei Yixiao was primarily known for his qinggong and Cold Ice Soft Palm, he was also a capable martial artist in other areas. His sword skills and general combat abilities were sufficient to make him one of the Four Guardian Kings, though his qinggong remained his most distinctive attribute.

Relationships

Zhang Wuji

Wei Yixiao had a deep sense of gratitude toward Zhang Wuji for curing his blood-drinking condition. He served Zhang Wuji with complete loyalty and was one of the young leader’s most trusted supporters. Their relationship demonstrated mutual respect despite their age difference and different backgrounds.

Yang Xiao

Wei Yixiao had disagreements with Yang Xiao initially, but after Zhang Wuji became leader, they worked together effectively. Their collaboration demonstrated their commitment to the Ming Order’s goals over personal conflicts.

The Four Guardian Kings

As one of the Four Guardian Kings, Wei Yixiao had relationships with Yin Tianzheng (White-Browed Eagle King), Xie Xun (Golden-Haired Lion King), and Daiqisi (Purple-Robed Dragon King). Despite their different ranks and occasional conflicts, they maintained mutual respect as fellow Guardian Kings.

Behind the scenes

Wei Yixiao represents one of Jin Yong’s most memorable supporting characters, combining exceptional abilities with a tragic condition that forced him into morally compromising situations. His character explores themes of necessity versus choice, and how external conditions can shape one’s reputation and actions.

The character’s exceptional qinggong abilities serve both as a demonstration of Jin Yong’s emphasis on movement and agility in martial arts and as a narrative device that enables various plot developments. His unique condition creates tension between his reputation as a “blood-sucking bat” and his actual character as a principled and loyal individual.

Wei Yixiao’s cure by Zhang Wuji represents one of the many ways in which the protagonist uses his medical knowledge and neili to help others, reinforcing themes of compassion and the power of knowledge and skill to overcome seemingly impossible problems.