Yin Li

Yin Li (simplified: 殷离, traditional: 殷離, pinyin: Yīn Lí, jyutping: jan1 lei4), also known as Zhuer (蛛儿, Spider), was the daughter of Yin Yewang, granddaughter of Yin Tianzheng, and Zhang Wuji’s maternal cousin. She was one of Zhang Wuji’s love interests and practiced the Thousand Spider Myriad Poison Hands technique, which disfigured her appearance. Her character represents one of the most tragic and complex love stories in the novel, as she ultimately realised that she loved the memory of the young Zhang Wuji rather than the man he had become.

Biography

Early life and family conflict

Yin Li was born into the Yin family, one of the most powerful families in the martial arts world. Her father, Yin Yewang, was the master of the Heaven Hall of the Heavenly Eagle Order, and her grandfather, Yin Tianzheng, was the White-Browed Eagle King and founder of the Order.

However, Yin Li’s childhood was marked by family conflict. Her father took a concubine (her “second mother” or “Er Niang”), who, along with her sons, mistreated Yin Li’s mother. Unable to bear this mistreatment, Yin Li killed her stepmother in retaliation, leading to a deep rift with her father.

To protect Yin Li from her father’s wrath, her mother committed suicide, allowing Yin Li to escape. Her father, devastated by the loss of both his concubine and his wife, came to hate Yin Li, calling her the “unfilial daughter who killed her stepmother and caused her mother’s death.”

Leaving the Heavenly Eagle Order

After her mother’s death, Yin Li left the Heavenly Eagle Order and began wandering alone. During her travels, she encountered Daiqisi, the Golden Flower Granny (who was actually the Purple-Robed Dragon King of the Ming Order), who saved her from her father’s pursuit and took her as a disciple.

Under Daiqisi’s tutelage, Yin Li learned martial arts and began practicing the Thousand Spider Myriad Poison Hands technique, which her mother had taught her before her death. This technique required feeding one’s blood to poisonous spiders, causing the spider venom to enter the practitioner’s bloodstream and gradually disfigure their appearance.

First meeting with Zhang Wuji

When Yin Li was still a young girl, she encountered the young Zhang Wuji at Butterfly Valley, where he was being treated by Hu Qingniu, the Butterfly Valley Medical Immortal. Yin Li, who was lonely and wanted a companion, attempted to take Zhang Wuji to Spirit Snake Island to be her playmate.

However, Zhang Wuji, who was determined to stay and learn medicine from Hu Qingniu, resisted fiercely. During their struggle, he bit Yin Li’s arm, leaving a permanent scar. This incident had a profound impact on Yin Li, who became deeply attached to the memory of this “stubborn and fierce” young boy, developing feelings that would last for years.

Practicing the Thousand Spider Myriad Poison Hands

As Yin Li grew older, she continued practicing the Thousand Spider Myriad Poison Hands technique, feeding her blood to colourful poisonous spiders. The technique required using hundreds of spiders to achieve small success, and thousands to reach perfection. However, the more spiders she used, the more venom accumulated in her body, causing her once beautiful appearance to become increasingly disfigured.

By the time she reached adulthood, Yin Li’s face had become swollen, dark, and covered with bumps and depressions, making her appear extremely ugly. However, her eyes remained bright and expressive, and her figure remained slender and graceful, suggesting the beauty that lay beneath the disfigurement.

Reunion with Zhang Wuji (as Zeng Aniu)

Years later, Yin Li encountered Zhang Wuji again, but neither recognised the other. Zhang Wuji was using the alias “Zeng Aniu” (曾阿牛, Zeng the Ox) and had grown into a young man, while Yin Li’s appearance had been disfigured by her poison technique.

When Yin Li learned from Yin Liting that Zhang Wuji had supposedly fallen into a valley and died, she was overcome with grief and fainted. This reaction demonstrated the depth of her feelings for the young Zhang Wuji she remembered.

During their time together, Zhang Wuji (as Zeng Aniu) promised to marry Yin Li, and she accepted his proposal. However, she still did not recognise him as the Zhang Wuji she had met years before, and he did not recognise her as his cousin.

Encounter with Miejue and Wei Yixiao

When Yin Li and Zhang Wuji encountered Miejue, the leader of the Emei Order, Miejue demanded that Zhang Wuji take three palm strikes from her. Zhang Wuji used his Nine Yang Divine Skill to neutralise Miejue’s palm strikes, demonstrating his exceptional internal energy.

When Yin Yewang arrived and confronted Miejue, Yin Li became angry with her father and refused to speak with him. Wei Yixiao, the Green Winged Bat King, took advantage of this moment to kidnap Yin Li and take her to Bright Peak, though she managed to escape when his cold poison flared up.

Journey to Spirit Snake Island

Yin Li returned to Daiqisi’s side and accompanied her to Spirit Snake Island, where they sought Xie Xun, the Golden-Haired Lion King, and the Dragon-slaying Sabre. When Daiqisi attempted to steal the sabre and harm Xie Xun, Yin Li warned Xie Xun about the trap, betraying her master to protect Zhang Wuji’s godfather.

This act demonstrated Yin Li’s loyalty to Zhang Wuji and his family, even at the cost of betraying her master. When Daiqisi discovered Yin Li’s betrayal, she attacked her, and Zhang Wuji intervened to save both Yin Li and Xie Xun. It was during this rescue that Yin Li recognised Zhang Wuji as Zeng Aniu and fainted.

The island incident and apparent death

On the island, Yin Li was seriously injured and fell into a coma. During her unconsciousness, she dreamed of her childhood, her resentment towards her father, and her promise to marry Zeng Aniu. She also dreamed of Zhang Wuji’s supposed death, showing how deeply these memories affected her.

Zhou Zhiruo, who was jealous of Yin Li’s relationship with Zhang Wuji, took advantage of the situation. She used Ten Fragrance Soft Tendon Powder to drug everyone, then attacked Yin Li with her sword, cutting her face. Believing Yin Li to be dead, Zhang Wuji and the others buried her and erected a tombstone that read “Beloved Wife Zhuer Yin Li’s Tomb” (爱妻蛛儿殷离之墓).

Recovery and transformation

However, Yin Li did not die. The sword wound Zhou Zhiruo had inflicted on her face caused her to bleed profusely, and as the poisoned blood flowed out, the venom from the Thousand Spider Myriad Poison Hands technique was gradually expelled from her body. When she recovered, her appearance had been restored to its original beauty, and she was no longer disfigured.

When Yin Li saw the tombstone that Zhang Wuji had erected, she realised that Zeng Aniu was actually Zhang Wuji. She then travelled to Shaolin Temple, where she encountered Zhang Wuji and the others again.

Final realisation and departure

When Yin Li met Zhang Wuji again, she realised that the man before her was not the same person as the young boy she had fallen in love with years before. The Zhang Wuji she loved was the “stubborn and fierce” child who had bitten her arm and refused to go with her, not the mature, kind, and indecisive man he had become.

Yin Li told Zhang Wuji that she was still searching for the “stubborn and short-lived little ghost” (狠心短命的小鬼) she had met in Butterfly Valley, and that the man before her, whether he was called Zeng Aniu or Zhang Wuji, was not the person she loved. She then left, choosing to continue searching for the memory of the young Zhang Wuji rather than accepting the reality of who he had become.

Personality & traits

Stubbornness and determination

Yin Li was characterised by her stubbornness and determination. From a young age, she demonstrated a fierce independence and unwillingness to compromise, as shown by her decision to kill her stepmother and leave her family rather than endure mistreatment.

This stubbornness extended to her feelings for Zhang Wuji. She remained devoted to the memory of the young boy she had met years before, refusing to accept that people change and that the man he had become was different from the child she remembered.

Loyalty and love

Despite her difficult relationship with her father, Yin Li demonstrated deep loyalty to those she cared about. Her decision to betray Daiqisi to protect Xie Xun showed her commitment to Zhang Wuji and his family, even at great personal cost.

Her love for the young Zhang Wuji was genuine and profound, though it was based on a memory rather than reality. This love drove her actions throughout the novel, from her initial meeting with him to her final decision to leave and continue searching for the person she remembered.

Independence and self-reliance

Yin Li’s life was marked by independence and self-reliance. After leaving her family, she survived on her own, learned martial arts, and made her own decisions. Her willingness to practice a disfiguring technique to gain power showed her determination to never be weak or vulnerable again, reflecting her mother’s tragic fate.

Final wisdom

Yin Li’s final realisation that she loved a memory rather than a person demonstrated a profound understanding of herself and her feelings. Rather than accepting a relationship with the man Zhang Wuji had become, she chose to remain true to her own feelings and continue searching for the person she remembered, showing both wisdom and self-awareness.

Martial arts abilities

Thousand Spider Myriad Poison Hands

Yin Li’s primary martial arts technique was the Thousand Spider Myriad Poison Hands (千蛛万毒手), a deadly poison technique that required feeding one’s blood to colourful poisonous spiders. The spider venom would enter the practitioner’s bloodstream, gradually accumulating and causing the practitioner’s appearance to become disfigured.

The technique required using at least a hundred spiders to achieve small success, and thousands to reach perfection. The more spiders used, the more powerful the technique became, but also the more disfigured the practitioner’s appearance. Yin Li’s mother had practiced this technique to nearly a hundred spiders before meeting her father, but abandoned it to preserve her beauty, which ultimately left her powerless to defend herself.

Yin Li chose to continue practicing the technique despite its disfiguring effects, demonstrating her determination to gain power and never be vulnerable again. However, her practice of the technique was interrupted when Zhou Zhiruo’s sword wound caused her to bleed out the accumulated poison, restoring her appearance.

Qinggong

Yin Li possessed exceptional qinggong abilities, described as “leaping and floating like flying catkins” (纵跃飘如飞絮), which was considered first-class in the martial arts world. Her light-footed techniques enabled her to move quickly and gracefully, compensating for her disfigured appearance.

Overall martial arts level

Yin Li’s martial arts abilities were significant, sufficient to serve as Daiqisi’s disciple and to participate in major events. However, she was not among the most powerful practitioners in the novel, and her abilities were more suited to supporting roles than to direct combat with top-tier opponents.

Relationships

Yin Yewang

Yin Li’s relationship with her father, Yin Yewang, was deeply troubled. After she killed his concubine and her mother committed suicide, their relationship became hostile, and they remained estranged for most of the novel.

When they encountered each other again, Yin Li refused to speak with her father, showing that their conflict remained unresolved. Her father’s harsh treatment of her and her mother contributed to Yin Li’s determination to never be weak or vulnerable again.

Yin Tianzheng

Yin Li’s relationship with her grandfather, Yin Tianzheng, was not explored in detail in the novel. However, as his granddaughter, she would have been part of the Yin family legacy, and her connection to him through her father would have been important for her identity.

Yin Susu

Yin Li’s relationship with her aunt, Yin Susu, was also not explored in detail. However, as Zhang Wuji’s mother, Yin Susu would have been an important connection to the family, and Yin Li’s relationship with Zhang Wuji would have linked her to this branch of the family.

Zhang Wuji

Yin Li’s relationship with Zhang Wuji was the central focus of her character arc. Her initial meeting with him as a child left a deep impression, and she remained devoted to the memory of that young boy for years.

However, when she met him again as an adult, she did not recognise him, and he did not recognise her. Their relationship developed under false identities, with Zhang Wuji as Zeng Aniu and Yin Li as Zhuer, creating a complex situation where they were engaged to each other without knowing their true identities.

Yin Li’s final realisation that she loved the memory of the young Zhang Wuji rather than the man he had become demonstrated the complexity of their relationship and her own understanding of her feelings.

Daiqisi

Yin Li’s relationship with Daiqisi, her master, was complex. Daiqisi saved her from her father and taught her martial arts, but when Yin Li betrayed her to protect Xie Xun, Daiqisi was willing to kill her, showing that their relationship was conditional and could be severed if it interfered with Daiqisi’s goals.

Xie Xun

Yin Li’s relationship with Xie Xun developed when she protected him from Daiqisi’s trap. Xie Xun, learning of her relationship with Zhang Wuji, taught her a martial arts technique, showing his appreciation for her loyalty and her connection to his godson.

Zhou Zhiruo

Yin Li’s relationship with Zhou Zhiruo was marked by jealousy and conflict. Zhou Zhiruo, who was also in love with Zhang Wuji, saw Yin Li as a rival and attempted to kill her on the island. However, this attack ultimately led to Yin Li’s recovery and transformation, as the sword wound caused her to expel the poison from her body.

Behind the scenes

Yin Li’s character represents one of the most complex and tragic love stories in Jin Yong’s works. Her devotion to the memory of the young Zhang Wuji, and her ultimate realisation that she loved a memory rather than a person, explores themes of nostalgia, idealisation, and the nature of love itself.

Her character also explores themes of appearance and identity. Her disfigurement from practicing the Thousand Spider Myriad Poison Hands technique, and her eventual recovery and restoration to beauty, demonstrates the cost of power and the importance of inner character over outward appearance.

Yin Li’s final decision to leave and continue searching for the young Zhang Wuji she remembered, rather than accepting the man he had become, shows her commitment to her own feelings and her unwillingness to compromise her ideals. This decision makes her one of the most independent and self-aware female characters in the novel.

Her character serves as a contrast to the other female characters who fall in love with Zhang Wuji. While Zhao Min, Zhou Zhiruo, and Xiaozhao all love the man Zhang Wuji becomes, Yin Li loves the memory of the child he was, making her love story unique and poignant.

Portrayals

Yin Li has been portrayed by numerous actresses in various adaptations of The Heavenly Sword and the Dragon Sabre, including:

Wen Xue’er (文雪儿) in the 1978 TVB series
Chen Anying (陈安莹) in the 1986 TVB series
Yang Baowei (杨宝玮) in the 1994 Taiwan series
Chen Shaoxia (陈少霞) in the 2001 TVB series
Chen Zihan (陈紫函) in the 2003 co-production series
Zhang Meng (张檬) in the 2009 mainland series
Cao Xiyue (曹曦月) in the 2019 mainland series

Her character, with her disfigured appearance and tragic love story, has left a lasting impression on readers and viewers, making her one of the most memorable supporting characters in the novel.