Xiao Xiangzi

Xiao Xiangzi (simplified: 潇湘子, traditional: 瀟湘子, pinyin: Xiāoxiāngzǐ, jyutping: siu1 soeng1 zi2) was a martial artist from Western Hunan (湘西) who, together with Yin Kexi, stole the Lankavatara Sutra (楞伽经) containing the Nine Yang Manual (九阳真经) from Shaolin Temple. They hid the manual inside a dark grey ape’s belly to escape detection. Although Xiao Xiangzi’s martial arts skill was slightly better than Yin Kexi’s, he was seriously injured by Jueyuan’s punch on Mount Hua, and was later killed by Yin Kexi when the two fought each other in the Kunlun Mountains.

Biography

The theft of the Lankavatara Sutra

More than ninety years before the events of The Heavenly Sword and the Dragon Sabre, Xiao Xiangzi and Yin Kexi stole the Lankavatara Sutra from Shaolin Temple’s repository. The sutra was particularly precious as it had been personally transcribed by Bodhidharma when he came to China from the West, but more importantly, it contained the legendary Nine Yang Manual written in the margins and between the lines.

The theft was discovered by Jueyuan, the librarian monk who was responsible for the repository. Jueyuan pursued the two thieves not because he knew about the Nine Yang Manual (which he viewed merely as health preservation techniques), but because he felt responsible for the loss of the precious Buddhist text.

The pursuit to Mount Hua

Jueyuan pursued Xiao Xiangzi and Yin Kexi all the way to the summit of Mount Hua (华山), where they had no chance of escaping. However, the two thieves had brought a dark grey ape with them, and they came up with a desperate plan: they cut open the ape’s belly and hid the manual inside.

During the confrontation on Mount Hua, Xiao Xiangzi struck Jueyuan with a full-power palm attack. However, Jueyuan’s Nine Yang internal energy automatically reflected the attack back, seriously injuring Xiao Xiangzi and shaking his internal strength.

When Jueyuan, Zhang Junbao (later known as Zhang Sanfeng), Yang Guo, and the others caught up with them, they searched the two thieves thoroughly but found nothing. Unaware of the manual hidden inside the ape, they let Xiao Xiangzi, Yin Kexi, and the dark grey ape go.

Journey to the Western Regions

Xiao Xiangzi and Yin Kexi took the dark grey ape and travelled to the far Western Regions. However, the two of them were suspicious of each other; each feared that if the other mastered the martial arts from the manual, he would kill him. As a result, they kept a close watch on each other and neither dared to take the manual out from the ape’s belly.

Death in the Kunlun Mountains

Finally, they arrived at Jing Shen Peak (精神峰) in the Kunlun Mountains, where Xiao Xiangzi and Yin Kexi plotted against each other. They fought, and both sustained injuries.

Xiao Xiangzi’s martial arts skill was slightly better than Yin Kexi’s, but because he had been hit by Jueyuan’s fist on Mount Hua, his internal strength was shaken and he suffered serious injury. As a result, when they fought each other in the Kunlun Mountains, Yin Kexi was able to kill Xiao Xiangzi, even though Xiao Xiangzi was the more skilled fighter.

Personality & traits

Greed and suspicion

Xiao Xiangzi’s willingness to steal the Lankavatara Sutra demonstrated his greed and ambition. His mutual suspicion with Yin Kexi, where neither dared to take the manual out from the ape’s belly for fear that the other would kill them, showed how greed and mistrust can lead to tragic outcomes.

Martial arts ability

Xiao Xiangzi was a skilled martial artist, with abilities slightly superior to Yin Kexi’s. However, his serious injury from Jueyuan’s punch on Mount Hua weakened him significantly, ultimately leading to his defeat and death at the hands of Yin Kexi.

Behind the scenes

Narrative significance

Xiao Xiangzi’s theft of the Lankavatara Sutra, along with Yin Kexi, plays a crucial role in the backstory of The Heavenly Sword and the Dragon Sabre. Their actions directly led to the disappearance of the Nine Yang Manual for nearly a century, until it was finally discovered by Zhang Wuji.

Xiao Xiangzi’s death at the hands of Yin Kexi demonstrates how greed and mutual suspicion can lead to tragic outcomes. Neither of them ever benefited from the manual they stole, and they both died fighting each other, serving as a cautionary tale about the destructive nature of greed.

Connection to The Return of the Condor Heroes

Xiao Xiangzi appears primarily in The Return of the Condor Heroes as a martial artist from Western Hunan who served the Mongolian court. However, his role in stealing the Lankavatara Sutra and his death in the Kunlun Mountains are mentioned in The Heavenly Sword and the Dragon Sabre as part of the backstory explaining how Zhang Wuji came to discover the Nine Yang Manual.