Xie Xun

Xie Xun (simplified: 谢逊, traditional: 謝遜, pinyin: Xiè Xùn, jyutping: ze6 seon3), known as the Golden Haired Lion King (金毛狮王), was one of the Four Guardian Kings of the Ming Order and the godfather of Zhang Wuji. A tragic figure whose family was murdered by his own master, he spent decades seeking revenge before finding redemption through Buddhism. He was known for his exceptional martial arts abilities, particularly his mastery of Seven Injury Fist and Lion’s Roar.

Biography

Early life and training

Xie Xun was born into a hunter’s family. At the age of ten, he became a disciple of Cheng Kun, the Primordial Chaos Thunderbolt Hand (混元霹雳手). Under Cheng Kun’s tutelage, he learned exceptional martial arts and developed into a formidable practitioner.

At twenty-three, having mastered his skills, Xie Xun left his master and travelled to the Western Regions, where he married and had children. He joined the Ming Order and became one of the Four Guardian Kings, earning the title “Golden Haired Lion King” due to his golden hair, which came from his foreign ancestry (色目血统, Semu lineage). His talents were so exceptional that Yang Dingtian, the Ming Order leader, considered him as a potential successor.

Family tragedy

When Xie Xun was twenty-eight, his life was shattered when his master Cheng Kun murdered his entire family—his parents, wife, children (including his son Xie Wuji), siblings, and servants—thirteen people in total. This horrific act transformed Xie Xun from a promising martial artist into a man consumed by revenge.

Xie Xun attempted to seek revenge twice but was defeated by Cheng Kun on both occasions. When Cheng Kun subsequently disappeared, Xie Xun began killing innocent people throughout the jianghu, leaving behind messages claiming “The killer is the Primordial Chaos Thunderbolt Hand Cheng Kun” in an attempt to draw his master out of hiding. This strategy failed but turned Xie Xun and the Ming Order into enemies of the entire martial arts world.

Killing spree and consequences

In his quest for revenge, Xie Xun committed numerous atrocities. He attacked the Kongtong School and injured three of the Kongtong Five Elders while attempting to steal the Seven Injury Fist Manual. He also accidentally killed Kongjian, the most senior of Shaolin’s Four Holy Monks, when attempting to kill Song Yuanqiao of the Wudang Order.

Before his death, Kongjian showed Xie Xun great compassion and told him that the only way to defeat Cheng Kun was to find the Dragon-slaying Sabre and unlock its secrets. This act of mercy deeply moved Xie Xun, and after Kongjian’s death, he vowed never to kill innocent people again.

Obtaining the Dragon-slaying Sabre

At approximately forty-one years of age, Xie Xun attended the Sabre Conference on Wangpan Island, where he successfully seized the Dragon-slaying Sabre from the Heavenly Eagle Order. He used his Lion’s Roar technique to defeat all the martial artists present, rendering many unconscious or insane. He then took Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu as captives, intending to take them to a remote island where he could study the sabre’s secrets in peace.

Exile on Ice-Fire Island

During their journey, the three encountered a storm and were shipwrecked on Ice-Fire Island in the Arctic Ocean. During the voyage, Xie Xun had been practising the Seven Injury Fist incorrectly, which caused him to lose his sanity. In a fit of madness, he attempted to kill Yin Susu, but she used a mosquito whisk needle to blind him, leaving him permanently sightless.

On the island, Xie Xun gradually recovered his sanity. He formed a sworn brotherhood with Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu, and when their son was born, he became the child’s godfather and named him Wuji in memory of his own deceased son Xie Wuji. The three lived together on the island for ten years before Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu decided to return to the Central Plains with their son.

Return to civilisation

After living on Ice-Fire Island for approximately twenty years, Xie Xun was found by Daiqisi, the Purple Dress Dragon King, who brought him to Snake Island. There, he used the Dragon-slaying Sabre to defeat numerous Beggars’ Guild experts who came seeking revenge. Eventually, he was reunited with Zhang Wuji, who had grown into a young man.

Capture and imprisonment at Shaolin

When Xie Xun returned to the Central Plains at approximately sixty-three years of age, he was captured by Cheng Kun and Chen Youliang and imprisoned at Shaolin Temple, where he was guarded by the Three Elders of the Bodhidharma Hall: Du’e, Dujie, and Dunan.

During his imprisonment, Xie Xun was deeply moved by the daily chanting of Buddhist sutras. He experienced a profound transformation and achieved enlightenment, understanding the futility of revenge and the true nature of suffering. When Zhang Wuji came to rescue him, Xie Xun initially refused to leave, preferring to remain in the temple to continue his spiritual cultivation.

Final confrontation with Cheng Kun

After Zhang Wuji successfully rescued him, Xie Xun publicly exposed Cheng Kun’s true identity and engaged in a final battle with his former master. He blinded Cheng Kun and used the Seven Injury Fist to shatter all of Cheng Kun’s meridians, rendering him completely crippled. Finally achieving his revenge after decades, Xie Xun declared to Cheng Kun: “Cheng Kun, you killed my entire family. Today I have blinded you and destroyed your martial arts in return. All the martial arts I learned from you, I have now destroyed and returned to you. From now on, there is no gratitude or enmity between us. You will never see me again, and I will never see you again.”

Redemption and becoming a monk

Deeply aware of the countless innocent lives he had taken, Xie Xun publicly announced that he had discarded all his martial arts and invited all those he had wronged to come and seek revenge. However, when his former enemies arrived, they saw that he had truly reformed and only spat on him, cursed him, and delivered a few blows, choosing not to kill him.

Zhang Wuji, seeing this, wept with sorrow, but Xie Xun laughed and said: “Silly child! Your godfather has been enlightened by the three great monks and has achieved great awakening. All the sins of my life have been resolved one by one. You should rejoice for me instead of being sad.”

Under the guidance of Du’e, the most senior of the Three Great Monks, Xie Xun achieved Buddhist enlightenment and became a Buddhist monk, eventually becoming a highly respected Buddhist master.

Personality & traits

Transformation from rage to wisdom

Xie Xun’s character underwent a dramatic transformation from a man consumed by rage and revenge to one who found peace through Buddhist enlightenment. His early years were marked by violence and despair, but his experiences on Ice-Fire Island, particularly his relationship with the young Zhang Wuji, began to soften his heart. His final transformation came through exposure to Buddhist teachings, which allowed him to understand the true nature of suffering and find redemption.

Intelligence and learning

Despite his violent reputation, Xie Xun was actually a man of great intelligence and learning. He was well-read, with unique insights and a scholarly mind that ranged freely like a galloping horse. His knowledge was full of vitality and passionate pursuit of life, though also filled with the pain and anger of loss.

Keen perception

Even after becoming blind, Xie Xun demonstrated remarkable perceptiveness. He could deduce events and understand people’s psychological states simply by listening to their tone of voice and speech patterns. This ability showed his deep understanding of human nature despite his physical blindness.

Loyalty and devotion

Xie Xun was deeply loyal to those he cared about. His devotion to Zhang Wuji, treating him as his own son, demonstrated his capacity for genuine love and paternal care. His relationship with his sworn brother and sister, Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu, also showed his ability to form deep bonds despite his troubled past.

Martial arts abilities

Seven Injury Fist

Xie Xun was a master of the Seven Injury Fist (七伤拳), a technique he learned from the Kongtong School. This powerful technique could cause severe internal damage to opponents, but it also had the dangerous side effect of harming the practitioner if not used correctly. Xie Xun’s incorrect practice of this technique contributed to his temporary madness.

Lion’s Roar

Xie Xun’s most famous technique was the Lion’s Roar (狮子吼), a powerful sonic attack that used internal energy to create devastating sound waves. With a single roar, he could render dozens of people unconscious or insane, demonstrating the technique’s incredible power. He used this technique at the Wangpan Island Sabre Conference to defeat all the assembled martial artists.

Primordial Chaos Unified Skill

Xie Xun’s internal energy cultivation was based on the Primordial Chaos Unified Skill (混元一气功), which he learned from Cheng Kun. This provided him with a solid foundation for his martial arts, though his mastery extended far beyond what his master had taught him.

Weapon mastery

Xie Xun was skilled with various weapons, particularly the double-headed mace (双头狼牙棒) and, later, the Dragon-slaying Sabre (屠龙刀). His mastery of weapons complemented his formidable hand-to-hand combat skills, making him a dangerous opponent in any form of combat.

Self-created internal energy

While on Ice-Fire Island, Xie Xun created his own internal energy technique, which synthesised all the martial arts knowledge he had accumulated throughout his life. He originally intended to pass this technique to Zhang Wuji through Yin Li (Zhuer), demonstrating his desire to transmit his knowledge despite his isolated circumstances.

Relationships

Zhang Wuji

Xie Xun’s relationship with Zhang Wuji was central to his character development. He became Zhang Wuji’s godfather on Ice-Fire Island and treated him as his own son, naming him Wuji in memory of his deceased biological son Xie Wuji. The sound of Zhang Wuji’s crying awakened Xie Xun’s humanity and helped him begin his journey toward redemption.

Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu

Xie Xun formed a sworn brotherhood with Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu on Ice-Fire Island, despite initially taking them as captives. This relationship demonstrated his capacity for genuine friendship and loyalty, and the three of them lived together as a family for ten years.

Cheng Kun

Xie Xun’s relationship with Cheng Kun was the defining tragedy of his life. What began as a master-disciple relationship became a relationship of absolute hatred after Cheng Kun murdered Xie Xun’s family. This drove Xie Xun to commit terrible acts in his quest for revenge, though he eventually achieved enlightenment and let go of his hatred.

Du’e and Buddhist masters

Xie Xun’s relationship with Du’e and the other Buddhist masters at Shaolin Temple marked his spiritual transformation. Through their guidance and the daily chanting of sutras, Xie Xun achieved enlightenment and found peace, eventually becoming a Buddhist monk under Du’e’s guidance.

Behind the scenes

Xie Xun represents one of Jin Yong’s most complex tragic heroes. His story explores themes of revenge, redemption, and the transformative power of compassion. Despite committing numerous terrible acts, Xie Xun remains a sympathetic character because his violence stemmed from unbearable personal tragedy rather than inherent evil.

His character demonstrates how external circumstances can drive even good people to commit terrible acts, while also showing that redemption is always possible through understanding, compassion, and spiritual cultivation. His transformation from a man consumed by rage to a Buddhist monk represents one of the most profound character arcs in Jin Yong’s works.

The character’s name “Xun” (遜) means “modest” or “humble,” which is ironic given his violent past but appropriate for his later transformation. His courtesy name “Tuisi” (退思) means “retreat and reflect,” which reflects his eventual spiritual journey.