Xuzhu

Xuzhu (simplified: 虚竹, traditional: 虛竹, pinyin: Xūzhú, jyutping: Heoi3 zuk1) was a humble monk at Shaolin Order with a simple and honest personality, known for his excellent memory. He later took on the secular name of Xuzhuzi when he left monastic life.

He had thick brows, big eyes, upturned nostrils, ears that stuck out, and thick lips. To top it off, he lacked eloquence and was poor at expressing himself. Despite his unattractive appearance, his personality was quite the opposite. He was a loyal and kind person who treated others sincerely.

Xuzhu entered the monastic life at a young age. He left the mountains with his shifu to distribute invitations, marking the beginning of his journey that would alter his life forever.

Xuzhu’s strange encounters gave him martial art abilities that made him one of the most powerful martial artists ever, including Xiaoyao Order’s Tianshan Plum-Plucking Hand and Tianshan Six Yang Palm from the Tianshan Child Granny, as well as her feared Mark of Life and Death, and the Eighteen Palms of Dragon Subduing and Dog-Beating Staff techniques from Xiao Feng.

His journey also led him to become the third-generation leader of the Xiaoyao Order, master of Lingjiu Palace, and Prince Consort of Western Xia. After encountering Xiao Feng and Duan Yu, he became sworn brothers with them.

Biography

Xuzhu became a monk at Shaolin Order as a child and grew up a devout Buddhist.

He started his martial arts training at the age of twenty-two, and even then only mastered basic skills like the Arhat Fist and Weituo Palm.

Entering the jianghu

When he was twenty-four, he accompanied his shifu Huilun down the mountains to distribute invitations to heroes in the jianghu to attend the Hero’s Meet on Shaolin’s grounds on Mount Song.

The Murong clan was to display their unique ability to instantly copy and use an opponent’s techniques against them for the Double Ninth Festival.¹

Xuzhu was captured along with a group of senior Shaolin monks by the Xingxiu Order. He saved Duan Yanqing the Overflowing Evil, leader of the Four Evils, from certain death, and the latter taught him a skill that allowed him to transmit messages through sound.

Becoming Wuyazi’s successor

He unwittingly solved Su Xinghe’s Zhenlong weiqi array set up by the latter’s shifu. Wuyazi, head of the Xiaoyao Order, set up the Zhenlong² weiqi game to search for a successor.

Thus, Wuyazi took Xuzhu in as a secret disciple. First, Wuyazi removed Xuzhu’s Shaolin martial arts training. Then, he imparted his lifetime Xiaoyao neigong cultivation of seventy years to Xuzhu, and made him the third zhangmen³ of Xiaoyao Order.

Meeting Tianshan Child Granny

Xuzhu stumbled upon the leaders Thirty-Six Clans and Seventy-Two Islands who plotted against Tianshan Child Granny of the Lingjiu Palace. He bravely intervened to rescue her.

To escape the pursuit of her mortal enemy Li Qiushui, they decided to hide in the Western Xia and sought shelter in the ice cellar of Li Qiushui’s stronghold. During their journey to Western Xia, Child Granny taught Xuzhu the Tianshan Plum-Plucking Hand.

During their time in hiding, Tianshan Child Granny continuously pressured Xuzhu to learn martial arts and forced him to join the Xiaoyao Order and to severe his ties with Shaolin. First, she coerced Xuzhu to break his celibacy, but he refused. So, she placed a young and naked woman named Dream Maiden beside Xuzhu during the night, and he finally succumbed and became intimate with her.

Tianshan Child Granny decided to teach Xuzhu the Tianshan Six Yang Palm to deal with Li Qiushui. However, Xuzhu was unwilling to assist in killing, so she planted the Mark of Life and Death in him and taught him how to counter it. She also imparted the Tianshan Six Yang Palm to him.

Second leap in his inner energy cultivation

When Li Qiushui barged into the ice cellar and to kill Tianshan Child Granny, Xuzhu unwittingly used the second move, Yang Spring Snow, the seventh move, Three Layers of Yang Pass, and the Heavenly Tune of Yang Song against Li Qiushui.

When Tianshan Child Granny fought Li Qiushui in a battle of inner energy, Xuzhu inadvertently got between the two of them and absorbed their inner energy. This resulted in him having a hundred over years of immense inner energy from three Xiaoyao Order experts.

Tianshan Child Granny also passed the position of head of Lingjiu Palace to him. In the palace, he became sworn brothers with Xiao Feng, the Liao Empire’s King of the Southern Region, and Duan Yu, Prince of the Dali Kingdom.

Besides martial arts, Xuzhu also learnt basic medical skills from Tianshan Child Granny and later mastered medical techniques from the Lingjiu Palace’s medical books. Prior to that, he had learnt medical skills from his Xiaoyao Order senior Su Xinghe. Thus he became a highly skilled healer.

Expulsion from Shaolin Order

After dealing with the matters in Lingjiu Palace, Xuzhu decided to return to Shaolin Monastery where he encountered Jiumozhi the Wisdom King⁴ from the Tubo Dalun Temple.⁵ challenging the Shaolin monks. Xuzhu rose to the challenge.

Jiumozhi used the Prajñā Palms⁶ and Xuzhu dispelled the power of the attack using Xiaoyao Order’s Tianshan Six Yang Palm and the Temple Gate Defence move⁷ from the Skanda Palms. Jiumozhi struck with the Mendicant’s Palms⁸ and Xuzhu dodged. Jiumozhi had anticipated where he would dodge to and hit Xuzhu’s shoulder with his Great Vajra Fist.⁹ He did not expect that Xuzhu was protected by Beiming Vital Qi.

Jiumozhi used seven Shaolin epic feats in a row, Inseparable Shadow Kick, Pattra Finger Technique, Firebrand Dao Technique, Supreme Wisdom Amorphous Finger, Trouble-Clearing Finger, and Nirvana Claws,¹⁰ and Indra Claws.¹¹

Xuzhu was unable to ward off the blows. He could not even use the Skanda Palms but used the Black Tiger Heart Snatcher move from Arhat Fist. He only used this single move, but the power in the move kept increasing.

Jiumozhi used the Dragon Claw Technique to capture Xuzhu, but Xuzhu used Xiaoyao Order’s Tianshan Plum-Plucking Hand to seize his wrist instead. Jiumozhi’s kept striking with Flame Blade using his right hand, but Xuzhu countered with the Tianshan Six Yang Palm.

Suddenly, Jiumozhi unsheathed a dagger and swung it so fast that even the Tianshan Plum-Plucking Hand could not seize it. The dagger stabbed Xuzhu and the Four Blades of Lingjiu Palace, Mei,[^Mei] Lan,[^lan] Ju,[^ju] and Zhu[^zhu] suddenly appeared to lend a hand. Xuzhu had used Shaolin martial arts to battle for a long time before finally defeating Jiumozhi with a Xiaoyao Order move, and thus defended Shaolin’s reputation.

However, he had learnt martial arts from another faction without permission, and was expelled from Shaolin as punishment. He took the name Xuzhuzi as his secular name.

The Shaolin Gathering

During the Shaolin Gathering on Shaoshi Mountain, Xiao Feng was besieged by Murong Clan leader Murong Fu, Xingxiu Order founder Ding Chunqiu, and the Beggars’ Guild leader Zhuang Juxian.

Xuzhu lured Ding Chunqiu away and engaged in a fierce battle with him using the Tianshan Plum-Plucking Hand and the Tianshan Six Yang Palm. The two fought fiercely, and it was difficult to tell who had the upper hand.

After a long battle, Xuzhu subdued Ding Chunqiu with the Mark of Life and Death and the latter was then sent to Shaolin Order’s Discipline Hall to undergo reform.

The Xingxiu Order then submitted to Lingjiu Palace, a fitting vengeance for the murder of their former zhangmen, Wuyazi.

Revelation of his birth

After willingly accepting the disciplinary rod at Shaolin, the scars on Xuzhu’s back revealed his true identity. Ye Erniang recognised him as her lost son. Xiao Yuanshan then disclosed that Xuzhu’s father was none other than Xuanci, the Abbot of Shaolin and Mastermind Senior who caused the tragedy of Xiao Feng’s family.

Overwhelmed with guilt, Xuanci accepted two hundred strikes from the disciplinary rod, which led to his death. Ye Erniang, overcome with emotion, took her own life. Thus, Xuzhu, having finally discovered his true parents, lost them both in the same moment.

Western Xia wedding

When the King of Western Xia held a selection for a royal consort for the Princess of Yinchuan, Duan Yu was under his father’s command to marry the princess.

Though Xuzhu merely intended to accompany his sworn brother, he discovered that the princess was Dream Maiden, the woman he shared an intimate moment with in the ice cellar. They eventually got married and he became the Royal Consort of the Western Xia.

Rescue in the Liao Empire

When Xiao Feng was imprisoned in the Liao Empire, Xuzhu led his disciples of the Lingjiu Palace with Duan Yu to rescue their sworn brother.

Xuzhu later inherited the martial arts of the Beggars’ Guild from Xiao Feng, who entrusted him with the responsibility of passing on these techniques to the next leader of the Beggars’ Guild once the Guild had chosen the candidate.

Xuzhu returned to Lingjiu Palace with his companions after returning from Liao.

Personality and traits

At his core, Xuzhu embodies honesty and kindness, traits shaped by his upbringing in Shaolin Monastery. He was deeply influenced by the monks in Shaolin Monastery since childhood.

A devout Buddhist, he adhered to all religious rules and regulations, displaying a gentle and considerate nature. His most distinctive characteristic is his steadfast maintenance of these virtuous qualities even after leaving monastic life.

Though he breaks his Buddhist vows through circumstances often beyond his control, he never loses his fundamental compassion and straightforward nature.

Modesty and Simplicity

At the beginning of his journey, after descending from Shaolin Monastery, Xuzhu was forthright in explaining that he was allowed to leave the monastery not because of his martial arts prowess, but because there were too many invitations and needed as many monks as possible to deliver them.

Despite rising to positions of great power—becoming leader of both the Xiaoyao Order and Lingjiu Palace—Xuzhu maintains his humble demeanor. He shows no interest in power or status, accepting these roles out of duty rather than ambition.

His approach to martial arts reflects this modesty; even after becoming one of the most powerful fighters in the jianghu, he maintains a respectful and unassuming attitude.

Loyalty and Honor

Xuzhu demonstrates unwavering loyalty to those he considers friends or family. This is particularly evident in his relationship with his sworn brothers, Xiao Feng and Duan Yu.

His sense of honourextends beyond personal relationships—when he learns of his true parentage, he accepts responsibility for his heritage while still maintaining his individual moral principles.

Practical Wisdom

Though often described as slow-witted early in his life, Xuzhu possesses a practical wisdom that serves him well. His responses to complex situations are characterised by straightforward thinking and moral clarity rather than cunning or calculation. This simplicity often proves more effective than the sophisticated schemes of others.

Conflict Resolution

Notably, Xuzhu prefers peaceful resolutions when possible. Even after mastering powerful martial arts, he is reluctant to use them for violence.

When forced to fight, he typically seeks to subdue rather than destroy his opponents, as demonstrated in his handling of Ding Chunqiu with the Life-Death Talisman rather than killing him.

Martial arts abilities

As a Shaolin disciple, Xuzhu trained in the Arhat Fist and Veda Palms for self-defence.

However, after he inadvertently solved the weiqi array set up by Wuyazi, he acquired the latter’s profound Xiaoyao Order neigong skills, Beiming Power and Lesser Formless Art. Wuyazi then imparted his seventy years of Carefree neigong cultivation, resulting in a leap in Xuzhu’s inner energy.

His adventures led to him helping the Tianshan Child Granny, who taught him Xiaoyao Order martial arts to protect them. These included the powerful martial arts Tianshan Plum-Plucking Hand and Tianshan Six Yang Palm, and the fearsome skill Mark of Life and Death.

When Li Qiushui and the Child Granny were locked in a battle of inner energy, Xuzhu accidentally got in the way and absorbed their inner energy. This resulted in Xuzhu having an immense amount of inner energy accumulated over a hundred over years by three Xiaoyao Order experts.

Xuzhu discovered numerous exquisite martial arts depictions on the wall at the back of Lingjiu Palace after he became the head of the Palace. These contained advanced Xiaoyao Order skills that Xuzhu started learning.

After he was rescued from the Liao Empire, Xiao Feng entrusted Xuzhu with the task of passing on the Beggars’ Guild martial arts to the next leader of the Beggars’ Guild once the Guild had chosen the candidate. He passed Xuzhu the Eighteen Palms of Dragon Subduing and Dog-Beating Staff Technique.

Lesser Formless Art

Originally a Daoist practice, the Lesser Formless Art (小无相功 – Xiǎo wúxiàng gōng) was a Xiaoyao Order neigong technique known for its tremendous power. The profound art emphasised formlessness as its core principle.

Unlike Buddhist martial arts focusing on “no form, no appearance,” this art allowed its practitioner to adapt and replicate any martial technique witnessed. Without revealing any fixed pattern, it made the user’s moves impossible to predict.

Like the Duan Clan’s Six Meridians Divine Jian, the Lesser Formless Art also involved blood and qi circulation within the body, primarily focusing on training the small finger and the heart meridian of the Lesser Yin system.

It was challenging to distinguish between the Six Meridians Divine Jian and the Lesser Formless Art based on their appearances.

The Lesser Formless Art was extremely powerful when mastered to the pinnacle. However, the word Lesser in its name implied that it was just a lower level of Daoist neigong. While it was an effective Daoist technique, it did not unleash the full potential of Daoist martial arts.

Li Qiushui learnt this skill from her shifu Xiaoyaozi. She later passed it on to Wuyazi, who then imparted it to Xuzhu.

Mark of Life and Death

The Mark of Life and Death (生死符 – Shēngsǐfú) was one of the top sneak attacks. By reversing the flow of zhenqi with alcohol or water, the wielder can turn the vigorous yang energy into cold yin energy. This causes the zhenqi emitted from the palms to be colder than ice, naturally solidifying any liquid held in the hand.

Those who had been marked with this technique were said to be unable to live or die as they became controlled by the one who marked them. The mark was formidable. The marked person must take itch relief pills regularly to alleviate the unbearable pain and itchiness.

Without the pills, the symptoms would worsen each day. Taking the pills would cause them to subside after about 81 days, only to increase again after that period. The only way to remove the mark was through the use of Tianshan Six Yang Palm and following the medical scriptures of Lingjiu Palace to understand the concepts of yin, yang, emptiness, and solidness.

Thus, the Mark of Life and Death was considered one of the top sneak attacks in the world and anyone marked by it was forced to submit to the Tianshan Child Granny or suffered an excruciating death.

Tianshan Plum-plucking Hands

The Tianshan Plum-plucking Hands (天山折梅手 – Tiānshān shémeí shoǔ) was one of the top Xiaoyao Order feats. Despite only consisting of six sets of moves, three palm strikes and three grappling techniques, it encompassed the essence of the Xiaoyao Order’s martial arts. The moves had numerous variations, included ultimate techniques for swords, knives, whips, spears, claws, grappling, axes, and other weapons.

Although each moves only consisted of twelve seven-word sentences, the eighty-four words were tongue twisters. Every seven level tones¹² were followed by seven oblique tones.¹³ The wording and phonetic patterns of the mnemonic contradicted with the principles of breathing and rhyming. It was actually a technique that required balancing zhenqi.

After Xuzhu became the head of Lingjiu Palace, he used the formidable Tianshan Plum-plucking Hands to twice and displayed how extraordinary a skill it was.

Another remarkable aspect of Tianshan Plum-plucking Hands was its ability help the user escape from adverse situations despite staggering odds. The feat required a strong neili¹⁴ as foundation, and its effectiveness increased as one’s neigong¹⁵ grew.

In terms of power, the Tianshan Plum-plucking Hands was on par with the formidable Eighteen Palms of Dragon Subduing. In terms of ingenuity of palm techniques, the Hands was unparalleled.

The art was considered boundless—as the practitioner’s neili and understanding grew, any new martial technique encountered could be incorporated into these six basic routines. As Tianshan Child Granny explained, “This art can never be fully mastered. As your neili grows and your experience broadens, any martial technique in the world can be naturally incorporated into these six routines.”

Tianshan Six Yang Palm

The Tianshan Six Yang Palm (天山六阳掌 – Tiānshān liùyáng zhǎng) was a powerful palm technique and one of the most profound Xiaoyao Order martial art. It is unknown how many moves it had, but the Tianshan Child Granny taught Xuzhu nine moves.

The technique was carved on the wall at the back of Lingjiu Palace where more moves could have been recorded. However, Xuzhu did not learn more from the carvings than what the Tianshan Child Granny imparted to him, but only enhanced his understanding of the moves he knew.

The movements of technique were light and graceful. Despite appearing elegant and refined, each move was vicious and struck at the enemy’s vital points. Such was its power that it could easily lift heavy objects. Yet, the moves were fluid and flowed freely.

The Tianshan Six Yang Palm was used to remove the Mark of Life and Death. Xuzhu unwittingly learnt these moves when the Tianshan Child Granny taught him how to use the mark.

Since Xuzhu refused to learn the technique when she offered, she secretly taught him the moves when she imparted him the Mark of Life and Death. She painstakingly broke down the moves and explained every subtle changes and ingenuity when she did so.

Known moves include the second move White Snow in Sunny Spring, the seventh move Three Folds of Yang Pass,¹⁶ and Cheerful Songs in Heaven.

Arhat Fist

The Arhat Fist (罗汉拳 – Luóhàn quán) was the first technique Shaolin disciples learnt. The skill was inspired by the poses that eighteen Arhats¹⁷ took, hence the name.

The moves included blocking, pressing, charging, evading, pointing, lifting, pressing down, hooking, scooping, and throwing. Leg techniques focused on leaping, rolling, sweeping, and bouncing.

The Arhat Fist required coordination between the upper and lower body, with footwork adapting to hand movements. The body moved with flexibility and many changes. When striking, it was important to seizing and protecting the core, balancing between strength and pliancy.

A key mantra in Arhat Fist was, “Excellence in the Arhat Fist is found within the three rights.”

These were the right hand positions, the right body posture, and the right horse stance. The three rights were vital to maintaining stability and a key fundamental to martial arts training.

Skanda Palms

The Skanda Palms (韦陀掌 – Weītuó zhǎng) was the second technique Shaolin disciples learnt. Skanda is the guardian of Buddhist monasteries.¹⁸ Like the Arhat Fist, it was the most basic Shaolin Order martial art that set solid foundations.

Eighteen Palms of Dragon Subduing

Xiao Feng imparted Xuzhu feats reserved for the Beggars’ Guild leadership with the instructions to pass it on to the next Beggars’ Guild chief after a successor had been selected.

When Xiao Feng taught Xuzhu the Twenty-Eight Palms of Dragon Subduing, they agreed that the last ten moves were overly complicated. Thus, they refined technique and merged the essence of these ten moves into the eighteen moves, the Eighteen Palms of Dragon Subduing.

Xuzhu combined the principles he had mastered to refine the Eighteen Palms, distilling their essence from the original twenty-eight moves. These included Confucian philosophy of the balance of power, the Daoist concepts of formlessness and adaptability, his Shaolin foundation of rigid strength, and Xiaoyao Order techniques of using soft to overcome hard.

Through this synthesis, Xuzhu became one of the rare martial artists who successfully integrated seemingly contradictory martial principles into a harmonious whole.

Dog-Beating Staff Technique

The Dog-Beating Staff Technique (打狗棒法 – dágǒu bàngfǎ) was passed down through generations of beggars in the Beggars’ Guild. It was light and agile, with subtle changes and exquisite moves. The wielded staff’s elegance like a graceful, dancing dragon belied its stunning speed.

The technique had eight sets of moves, including tripping, cleaving, entangling, jabbing, thrusting, leading, sealing, and rotating.

Although the martial arts was only passsed down to Beggar’s Guild chiefs, Xiao Feng made an exception as the Guild had no suitable leader, tasking Xuzhu to pass it on once the next leader was selected.

Though the Dog-Beating Staff technique was difficult, it was not beyond someone who had mastered the Tianshan Plum-plucking Hands and Six Yang Palms. With his foundation in the Lesser Formless Art and exceptional memory, Xuzhu was able to master the technique within just over an hour.

Relationships

Xuzhu unexpectedly became disciple to Wuyazi and leader of the Xiaoyao Order. At Western Xia’s ice cellar, he met Princess Li Qinglu, though he knew her then only as Dream Maiden. Their destined romance began in those frozen chambers, though they would not meet again until the Western Xia marriage competition.

He became sworn brothers with Xiao Feng and Duan Yu at Lingjiu Palace, forming a brotherhood that would endure through battles and upheavals.

At the Shaolin Gathering, he discovered his true parentage—son of Shaolin Abbot Xuanci and the notorious Ye Er’niang—though this revelation brought more sorrow than joy as both parents perished shortly after.

Xuanci

Xuzhu’s biological father was the Abbott of Shaolin, though neither knew of their relationship until the Shaolin Gathering. Their connection was revealed tragically by Xiao Yuanshan, leading Xuanci to accept two hundred disciplinary strikes out of guilt for his past actions and violations of monastic rules. He died from these strikes before father and son could develop a real relationship.

Ye Erniang

His mother Ye Erniang the Savage Evil was the second of the Four Evils. She recognised him by a birthmark during the Shaolin gathering. Upon their reunion, she was overcome with grief at their years of separation.

After Xuanci’s death, she took her own life, leaving Xuzhu to lose both parents moments after discovering his true parentage.

Li Qinglu

Initially known to Xuzhu as Dream Maiden during the ice cellar incident, the Princess of Yinchuan later became his wife.

Xuzhu’s relationship with Li Qinglu began under unusual circumstances engineered by the Tianshan Child Granny to force him to break his vow of celibacy. She saw it as the way to make him leave Shaolin Order to join the Xiaoyao Order. The Child Granny had kidnapped Li Qinglu and placed her stark naked in the ice cellar with Xuzhu. Using his body to keep her warm, Xuzhu succumbed to her and they became intimate.

They parted with Xuzhu only knowing her as Dream Maiden. When he accompanied his sworn brother Duan Yu to Western Xia for the latter’s marriage competition to become the Royal Consort of the Western Xia, he met her again and discovered that she was the Princess of Yinchuan.

Their love blossomed at their reunion and ended in marriage. Li Qinglu returned to Tianshan with Xuzhu where they retired together at Lingjiu Palace.

Huilu

Huilu was his Shaoli Order shifu who taught him the Shaolin foundation martial arts. Though Xuzhu was not a particularly gifted student, Huilu showed patience in teaching him the fundamental Arhat Fist and Weituo Palm techniques.

Wuyazi

After Xuzhu accidentally solved his weiqi formation, Wuyazi recognised him as worthy successor to the Xiaoyao Order. He transferred his lifetime of martial arts mastery to Xuzhu and appointed him the school’s third leader.

Though their time together was brief, Wuyazi’s legacy lived on through Xuzhu’s mastery of the school’s techniques.

Tianshan Child Granny

A complex relationship that began when Xuzhu saved the Tianshan Child Granny from assassination by the Thirty-Six Cave Masters and Seventy-Two Islands Masters.

Though she manipulated him into breaking his monastic vows and forced him to learn techniques through the Mark of Life and Death, she ultimately respected his character enough to make him her successor at Lingjiu Palace. She taught him several signature techniques including the Tianshan Plum Blossom Hand and Six Yang Palm.

Since the Child Granny was Wuyazi’s junior, she was Xuzhu’s shishu.

Xiao Feng

The eldest of the three sworn brothers, Xiao Feng deeply impressed Xuzhu with his righteous character and heroic bearing.

Their brotherhood was formed at Lingjiu Palace, and Xuzhu remained loyal to him through various trials. Before his final battle, Xiao Feng entrusted Xuzhu with the Eighteen Palms of Dragon Subduing and Dog-Beating Staff Technique, showing his complete trust in his sworn brother’s character.

Duan Yu

As the youngest of the sworn brothers, Duan Yu shared a close friendship with Xuzhu based on their similar straightforward natures.

Xuzhu often accompanied and protected Duan Yu, including during the Western Xia marriage competition. Their bond remained strong despite the complications that arose when Xuzhu married Princess Li Qinglu.

Behind the scenes

The character of Xuzhu represents Jin Yong’s exploration of Buddhist themes and the conflict between religious discipline and human nature. His name itself carries symbolic meaning—“Xu” (empty) and “Zhu” (bamboo) suggesting both Buddhist emptiness and natural purity.

The character of Xuzhu represents Jin Yong’s exploration of Buddhist themes and the conflict between religious discipline and human nature. His gradual breaking of the three major Buddhist precepts—against killing, eating meat, and maintaining celibacy—creates a complex examination of formal religious doctrine versus innate morality.

Scholars note that while circumstances force him to violate these precepts, he maintains his fundamental compassion and ethical nature, suggesting that true virtue exists beyond formal religious rules. His journey from humble monk to powerful faction leader while maintaining his essential goodness presents an interesting contrast to typical wuxia power fantasies.

Scholars have noted that Xuzhu’s journey from humble monk to powerful faction leader while maintaining his essential goodness presents an interesting contrast to typical wuxia power fantasies. His repeated breaking of Buddhist precepts while retaining Buddhist virtues creates a complex examination of formal religion versus innate morality.

Character Evaluation

Xuzhu’s experiences are filled with contradictions. He abandons the discipline he has followed since childhood, learns martial arts he doesn’t want to learn, kills people he doesn’t want to kill, and accepts power he doesn’t want to accept.

While these experiences might seem like gifts or fantastic adventures to others, they are significant tests for Xuzhu. However, he eventually finds liberation from these tests and gains unprecedented wisdom. For Xuzhu, true liberation may come from breaking free from monastic rules and his identity as a monk, aligning with his true nature.

Chen Mo, Jinology scholar: Xuzhu’s suffering also provided him with an opportunity to rediscover himself. The challenges and experiences he faced allowed him to explore a previously unknown way of life and offered him a chance to actively choose and rediscover his true self.

Pan Hong, Jinology scholar: Xuzhu is the last of the three protagonists introduced in Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils. Unlike the bold and unrestrained Xiao Feng or the lively and lovely Duan Yu, he doesn’t stand out at all. He seems inconspicuous, as if he’s just a supporting character who happened to be there to fetch water.

In terms of appearance, Xuzhu is neither tall and imposing like Xiao Feng nor refined and handsome like Duan Yu. On the contrary, he has thick eyebrows and big eyes, and some might even say he is “ugly.” He is not skilled in rhetoric and often speaks in verses, which reveals his kind and somewhat conservative personality.

Cao Zhengwen, scholar of Chinese literature and wuxia fiction:[^caozhengwen] It became impossible for Xuzhu to find pure contentment in the mortal world. On life’s stage of confusion and suffering, he became a monk who was no longer truly a monk.

Ni Kuang:, author: Xuzhu is an incredibly endearing character. His simple-mindedness is entirely different from that of Duan Yu.

Portrayals

Xuzhu has been portrayed by numerous actors in film and television adaptations of Jin Yong’s novels:

Demi-Gods & Semi-Devils

• 1982 series – Felix Wong
• 1990 series – Austin Wai
• 1997 series – Louis Fan
• 2003 series – Gao Hu
• 2013 series – Han Dong
• 2021 series – Zhang Tianyang

Films

• 1977 film – Danny Lee
• 1984 film – Norman Chui
• 1994 film – Frankie Lam
• 2023 film – Wu Yue

Notable portrayals

Felix Wong’s 1982 portrayal established the definitive interpretation of the character, capturing Xuzhu’s humble nature and gradual transformation with remarkable authenticity.

Louis Fan’s 1997 performance brought additional emotional depth to the role, emphasizing the character’s internal conflicts and spiritual journey.

Gao Hu’s 2003 interpretation brought a more modern approach to the character, focusing on Xuzhu’s moral dilemmas and personal growth.

Han Dong’s 2013 portrayal represented a fresh take on the character, balancing traditional wuxia elements with contemporary storytelling approaches.

Felix Wong (1982)	Louis Fan (1997)
Gao Hu (2003)	Han Dong (2013)
Zhang Tianyang (2021)

See also

• Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils characters
• Xiao Feng – His sworn brother
• Duan Yu – His sworn brother
• Tianshan Child Granny – His master
• Li Qiushui – His master
• Wuyazi – His master
• Lingjiu Palace – His domain
• Xiaoyao Order – His faction

Follow the archive routes

• Read: Continue with Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils or browse the translation archive.
• Explore: Follow the Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils character pages and faction pages.
• Understand: Start with wuxia and jianghu for the genre and social-world context.
• Watch: Follow wuxia adaptations for the screen route.
• Write: Study story elements in wuxia fiction for craft grounded in the novels.

External links

• Xuzhu on Wikipedia
• Xuzhu (Chinese) on Chinese Wikipedia
• Xuzhu (Chinese) on Baidu Baike

Footnotes

1. 重阳节 – Chóng Yáng Jié. Literally double nine festival. A traditional Chinese festival celebrated on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. According to the Book of Changes, nine is a yang number and the ninth day of the ninth month is said to have double yang. See Wikipedia. ↩

2. 珍珑 – zhēnlóng. A weiqi terminology that refers to a clever and ingenious strategy or formation in weiqi. ↩

3. 掌门 – zhǎngmén. Literally the one who holds the gate. The head of a martial arts school or order, holding its authority and its transmission. Zhǎng means to take charge of or preside over. Mén means gate, and by extension the school itself. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

4. 明王 – Míngwang. A Wisdom King or Vidyārājas. Jiumozhi’s nickname was Mahācakra (大轮明王 – Dàlún Míngwáng) after one of the Eight Great Wisdom Kings. See Wikipedia. ↩

5. 吐蕃 – Tǔbō. The best-known medieval Chinese name for Tibet. See Wikipedia. ↩

6. 般若掌 – Bānruòzhǎng. Prajñā is a Buddhist term that means the understanding of the true nature of phenomena. See Wikipedia. ↩

7. 山门护法 – Shānmén hùfǎ. Shanmen is used to refer to a Buddhist temple or Buddhism itself. Hufa refers to protecting Buddhism. ↩

8. 托钵掌 – Tuōbōzhǎng. Tuobo meanings relying on alms to survive. See Wikipedia. ↩

9. 大金刚拳 – Dàjīngāngquán. Dajinggang refers to vajra, the ritualistic weapon and tool used in Hinduism and Buddhism. See Wikipedia. ↩

10. 寂灭爪 – Jìmiè zhuǎ. Jimie is used in Buddhism to refer to Nirvana. See Wikipedia. ↩

11. 因陀罗爪 – Yīntuóluó zhuǎ. Yintuoluo or Indra is the king of Devas. See Wikipedia. ↩

12. 平 – píng. Level tone. See Wikipedia. ↩

13. 仄 – zè. Oblique tone. See Wikipedia. ↩

14. 内力 – nèilì. Literally internal force. The kinetic manifestation of cultivated qi; generates tangible effects such as deflecting weapons or scaling walls. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

15. 内功 – nèigōng. Literally internal skill. The practice of developing neili through breathing, meditation and qi cultivation. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

16. 阳关三叠 – Yángguān sāndié. Yang Pass, literally Sun Gate, is a mountain pass near Dunhuang, Gansu. See Wikipedia. ↩

17. 罗汉 – luóhàn. Arhats are those who have achieved enlightenment in Buddhism. See Wikipedia. ↩

18. 韦陀 – Weītuó. Weituo refers to Skanda, a guardian of Buddhist monasteries. See Wikipedia. ↩