Wen Fangda (simplified: 温方达, traditional: 溫方達, pinyin: Wēn Fāngdá, jyutping: wan1 fong1 daat6) was the first of the Five Wen Elders (温家五老 — Wēnjiā Wǔlǎo) and the leader of the Wen family (温家) in Sword Stained with Royal Blood. Along with his four brothers, he participated in capturing and crippling Xia Xueyi (夏雪宜), the Golden Serpent Gentleman (金蛇郎君), and later attempted to seize the treasure, but was eventually poisoned to death by He Hongyao (何红药).
Biography
Leadership of the Wen family
Wen Fangda was the eldest of five brothers who formed the Five Wen Elders, a powerful martial arts family based in Shiliang (石梁). As the first elder and leader of the family, Wen Fangda held the highest authority among the five brothers, who worked together to maintain the family’s power and influence in the jianghu.
The Wen family was known for its ruthless methods and was feared by many in the martial arts world. They operated from Wen Family Fort (温家堡 — Wēnjiābǎo) and were skilled in various martial arts techniques, most notably the Five Elements Formation (五行阵 — Wǔxíng Zhèn), which required all five brothers to work together.
Conflict with Xia Xueyi
The Wen family’s conflict with Xia Xueyi began when Wen Fanglu (温方禄), a member of the Wen family, murdered Xia Xueyi’s entire family. Xia Xueyi vowed revenge and, after obtaining the Golden Snake Sword and mastering powerful techniques, began a campaign of revenge against the Wen family, killing forty members over two years.
During this time, Xia Xueyi proved to be far superior to any individual member of the Wen family in martial arts. The Five Wen Elders, including Wen Fangda, were unable to match him individually and lived in constant fear of his attacks.
Capture of Xia Xueyi
When Xia Xueyi fell in love with Wen Yi (温仪), Wen Fangshan’s daughter, and returned to visit her, the Five Wen Elders saw an opportunity to capture him. They secretly added a special poison called “Immortal Intoxication Honey” (醉仙蜜 — Zuìxiān Mì) to the lotus seed soup that Wen Yi prepared for Xia Xueyi, which paralysed him completely.
With Xia Xueyi unable to use his martial arts, Wen Fangda and his brothers used the Five Elements Formation to defeat him. They then severed the tendons in his hands and feet, rendering him a cripple without any martial arts abilities, and forced him to lead them to the treasure.
Encounter with Yuan Chengzhi
Years later, when Yuan Chengzhi (袁承志) and Xia Qingqing (夏青青) came to the Wen family fortress, Wen Fangda and his brothers attempted to use the Five Elements Formation against them. However, Yuan Chengzhi, who had learned techniques from Xia Xueyi’s manual specifically designed to counter the formation, was able to break it using a jade hairpin (玉簪 — yùzān).
Wen Fangda also led the Five Wen Elders in a confrontation with Huang Zhen (黄真), the first disciple of the Huashan School. Despite trapping Huang Zhen in the Five Elements Formation, they were unable to defeat him completely, and Yuan Chengzhi eventually intervened to rescue his senior martial brother.
Attempt to seize the treasure and death
After their defeat by Yuan Chengzhi, Wen Fangda and his brothers kidnapped Xia Qingqing and forced her to lead them to the treasure. However, Xia Qingqing was able to deceive them and lead them to Mount Hua, where they encountered He Hongyao, who was searching for Xia Xueyi’s remains.
During this encounter, Wen Fangda accidentally touched a poisonous letter that He Hongyao had prepared. When he later touched his saliva, the poison entered his system, and he died from the poisoning. This marked the end of the first of the Five Wen Elders, who had been the leader of the family for many years.
Martial arts
Five Elements Formation
Wen Fangda, along with his four brothers, mastered the Five Elements Formation (五行阵 — Wǔxíng Zhèn), a powerful formation technique that required all five brothers to coordinate their movements and attacks. The formation was based on the Five Elements theory and was extremely difficult to break, allowing the Five Wen Elders to overcome opponents who were individually superior to them.
The formation was used against multiple powerful opponents, including Xia Xueyi, Huang Zhen, and Yuan Chengzhi. However, Xia Xueyi had developed techniques specifically designed to counter the formation, and Yuan Chengzhi, who inherited these techniques, was able to break the formation using a jade hairpin.
Double halberds
Wen Fangda was skilled in using double halberds (双戟 — Shuāngjǐ) as his weapons. This weapon choice reflected his position as the leader of the family and his role in the Five Elements Formation.
Role in the novel
Representing family authority and cruelty
Wen Fangda, as the leader of the Five Wen Elders, represented the authority and cruelty of the Wen family. His leadership role made him responsible for the family’s actions, including their ruthless methods and their treatment of Xia Xueyi. His participation in capturing and crippling Xia Xueyi demonstrated the family’s willingness to use any means necessary to achieve their goals.
Contributing to the tragic story
Wen Fangda’s actions contributed to the tragic story of Xia Xueyi and Wen Yi. By participating in the plot to capture Xia Xueyi using Wen Yi as bait, he demonstrated the family’s willingness to use their own members as tools, showing little regard for personal relationships or moral principles.
Demonstrating the consequences of cruelty
Wen Fangda’s eventual death at the hands of He Hongyao served as a form of poetic justice. After years of using poison and treachery against others, he himself fell victim to poison, demonstrating that those who use cruel methods may eventually face similar fates.
Relationships
Family
- Wen Fangyi — Wen Fangda’s second brother
- Wen Fangshan — Wen Fangda’s third brother and father of Wen Yi
- Wen Fangshi — Wen Fangda’s fourth brother
- Wen Fangwu — Wen Fangda’s fifth brother
- Wen Yi — Wen Fangda’s niece, daughter of Wen Fangshan
- Xia Qingqing — Wen Fangda’s great-niece, daughter of Wen Yi and Xia Xueyi
Enemies
- Xia Xueyi — The Golden Serpent Gentleman, who sought revenge against the Wen family and was captured and crippled by the Five Wen Elders
- Yuan Chengzhi — The protagonist who broke the Five Elements Formation and eventually helped defeat the Wen family
- He Hongyao — The Five Poisons Order elder who poisoned Wen Fangda to death
Legacy
Wen Fangda’s legacy is one of cruelty and eventual downfall. As the leader of the Five Wen Elders, he represented the worst aspects of the Wen family—their ruthlessness, their willingness to use any means necessary, and their lack of moral principles. His participation in capturing and crippling Xia Xueyi, and his eventual death by poisoning, serve as a reminder that cruelty and treachery often lead to one’s own destruction.
His story also highlights the theme of family loyalty versus personal morality in the novel. Despite being the leader of his family, Wen Fangda’s actions were driven by self-interest and the desire to maintain power, rather than genuine concern for his family members. This is demonstrated by his willingness to use his own niece, Wen Yi, as bait to capture Xia Xueyi, showing that family relationships were secondary to the family’s goals.