Yin Tianzheng

Yin Tianzheng (simplified: 殷天正, traditional: 殷天正, pinyin: Yīn Tiānzhèng, jyutping: jan1 tin1 zing3), known as the White-Browed Eagle King (白眉鹰王), was one of the Ming Order’s Four Guardian Kings and the founder of the Heavenly Eagle Order. He was Zhang Wuji’s maternal grandfather and was renowned for his martial prowess, unwavering integrity, and deep loyalty to the Ming Order’s ideals.

Biography

Early life and service to the Ming Order

Yin Tianzheng was one of the most senior members of the Ming Order, serving as one of the Four Guardian Kings under Yang Dingtian, the 33rd leader. Among the Four Guardian Kings, who were ranked according to the order Purple-White-Gold-Green (紫白金青), Yin Tianzheng was ranked second, though he was the oldest among them. As a result, Xie Xun (the Golden-Haired Lion King) and Wei Yixiao (the Green Winged Bat King) both referred to him as “Yin Erge” (殷二哥, Brother Yin), and even Daiqisi (the Purple-Robed Dragon King), who was ranked first but was the youngest, also addressed him as Brother Yin out of respect.

Yin Tianzheng was known for his martial arts prowess and his fierce, independent character. He was a man of principle who maintained strict standards for himself and others, embodying the ideal of a righteous and heroic figure in the jianghu.

Founding the Heavenly Eagle Order

After Yang Dingtian’s disappearance (which was later discovered to have been his death in a secret tunnel), the Ming Order descended into chaos. Yang Xiao, the Bright Left Messenger, the Five Wanderers, and the Five Elements Banners all began competing for control, leading to internal conflicts and power struggles.

Unable to tolerate this chaos and unwilling to participate in the destructive infighting, Yin Tianzheng made the difficult decision to leave the Ming Order. Despite Xie Xun’s attempts to persuade him to remain, Yin Tianzheng was resolute in his decision and left to establish the Heavenly Eagle Order, creating an independent organisation that could maintain the Ming Order’s revolutionary ideals while avoiding the internal conflicts that had paralysed the original organisation.

This decision reflected Yin Tianzheng’s principled character and his unwillingness to compromise his integrity. Rather than engaging in the power struggles that had corrupted the Ming Order’s leadership, he chose to create a new organisation that could demonstrate an alternative approach while maintaining loyalty to the original ideals.

The Dragon Slaying Sabre Conference

The Heavenly Eagle Order organised a conference on Wangpan Island to display the Dragon-slaying Sabre, which they had acquired. This event was intended to establish the Order’s reputation and demonstrate their capabilities to the martial arts world. However, Xie Xun, still holding a grudge over Yin Tianzheng’s departure from the Ming Order, arrived to disrupt the conference, both to seize the sabre and to embarrass Yin Tianzheng.

During the chaos that followed, Xie Xun used his Lion’s Roar technique, causing widespread injury and confusion. Yin Tianzheng’s daughter Yin Susu and Zhang Cuishan of the Wudang Order were among those affected, eventually finding themselves stranded on Ice-Fire Island together.

Defence of Bright Peak

When the Six Major Factions launched a coordinated attack on Bright Peak, Yin Tianzheng faced a critical decision. As the leader of the Heavenly Eagle Order, he could have remained neutral and avoided involvement. However, his deep loyalty to the Ming Order’s ideals led him to lead the Heavenly Eagle Order forces to Bright Peak’s defence, despite the personal risks and the fact that he had left the organisation years earlier.

During the battle at Bright Peak, Yin Tianzheng demonstrated exceptional martial prowess. After defeating three masters from the Shaolin and Huashan Orders, he still had sufficient internal energy to engage Zhang Songxi of the Wudang Seven Xias in an internal energy contest, emerging slightly victorious. He then defeated Mo Shenggu, another of the Wudang Seven Xias, and engaged in a technique-only contest with Song Yuanqiao, the most senior of the Wudang Seven Xias, fighting to a draw. Despite being severely wounded, he still managed to easily defeat Tang Wenliang, the third of the Five Elders of Kongtong, nearly exhausting his internal energy in the process.

This performance demonstrated Yin Tianzheng’s exceptional abilities and his unwavering dedication to the Ming Order, proving that despite his departure, his loyalty to the organisation’s ideals remained absolute.

Serving under Zhang Wuji

After Zhang Wuji resolved the crisis at Bright Peak and was recognised as the 34th leader of the Ming Order, Yin Tianzheng demonstrated remarkable character by accepting his grandson’s leadership with complete loyalty. Despite being Zhang Wuji’s grandfather and a senior member with decades of experience, Yin Tianzheng strictly adhered to the Ming Order’s regulations and faithfully followed Zhang Wuji’s leadership without ever relying on his status as grandfather or seeking special treatment.

This demonstrated Yin Tianzheng’s integrity and his commitment to organisational discipline over personal relationships. He integrated the Heavenly Eagle Order back into the Ming Order, reuniting the organisations that he had separated years earlier.

Leading the rebellion

Following the Butterfly Valley Conference, Yin Tianzheng supported Zhang Wuji’s strategy of uniting the martial arts world to overthrow the Yuan Dynasty. Despite being in his seventies, he personally led the Heavenly Eagle Order forces in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, launching uprisings and supporting rebel forces throughout the region.

His leadership and military capabilities were crucial to the success of the revolutionary movement, and his organisation played a significant role in coordinating resistance activities across southern China.

Final battle and death

Before the Heroes’ Conference to rescue Xie Xun, Yin Tianzheng accompanied Zhang Wuji to Shaolin Temple. There, he volunteered to join Zhang Wuji and Yang Xiao in challenging the Three Elders of the Bodhidharma Hall—Due, Dujie, and Dunan—the most senior masters of the Shaolin Order.

The battle was intense, and despite the formidable challenge, Yin Tianzheng fought with determination. When Yang Xiao and Yin Tianzheng began to struggle in their individual battles, they joined forces to fight against Dunan together. Yin Tianzheng exchanged more than thirty palm strikes with Dunan, recognising that he was outmatched but continuing to fight for the sake of brotherhood and loyalty.

After the battle, as they were leaving the temple and returning to the Ming Order camp, Yin Tianzheng’s energy was completely exhausted. He rose, laughed three times, and then passed away peacefully, having given everything he had to support the rescue of his sworn brother Xie Xun.

His death was deeply mourned by all who knew him. Many members of the Ming Order who had originally belonged to the Heavenly Eagle Order were overcome with grief, and their cries echoed through the mountains. For several days, the assembled heroes focused on organising Yin Tianzheng’s funeral, and members of various factions and organisations came to pay their respects, all moved by Yin Tianzheng’s reputation and character.

Personality & traits

Integrity and principle

Yin Tianzheng was known for his unwavering integrity and adherence to principle. He was strict with himself and maintained high standards for his conduct, refusing to compromise his values even when it would have been personally advantageous to do so. His decision to leave the Ming Order rather than participate in destructive internal conflicts demonstrated his principled character.

Loyalty and dedication

Despite leaving the Ming Order, Yin Tianzheng never abandoned his loyalty to its ideals. When the organisation faced external threats, he returned without hesitation to defend it, and after Zhang Wuji became leader, he served with complete dedication, never using his status as grandfather to seek special treatment or privileges.

Generosity and righteousness

Yin Tianzheng was described as a man of exceptional character, generous and straightforward. His actions throughout his life demonstrated his commitment to righteousness and his willingness to sacrifice personal interests for the greater good. His final battle, fighting to the point of exhaustion for the sake of rescuing Xie Xun, exemplified this character trait.

Martial prowess and confidence

Yin Tianzheng’s martial arts abilities were exceptional, and he possessed tremendous confidence in his skills. Throughout his career, it was said that no one who had fought him had ever lasted more than ten moves. His performance at Bright Peak, where he fought multiple opponents in succession despite serious injuries, demonstrated his extraordinary capabilities.

Martial arts abilities

Eagle Claw Skill

Yin Tianzheng’s signature technique was the Eagle Claw Skill (鹰爪擒拿手), a devastating grappling and striking art that combined the principles of seizing, striking, joint locking, and bone manipulation. The technique’s power was so great that it could effortlessly snap iron rods, and when applied to human bones, it could break them instantly.

This technique had been refined over more than a hundred years and was considered unparalleled in the martial arts world. Yin Tianzheng’s mastery of it was so complete that he could execute its techniques with both flexibility and devastating power, making him one of the most formidable fighters of his generation.

Heavenly Eagle Swordplay

Yin Tianzheng was also skilled in Heavenly Eagle Swordplay (天鹰剑法), a sword technique that was sharp, precise, and deadly. His sword techniques were capable of quickly identifying and exploiting opponents’ weaknesses, delivering decisive strikes with remarkable efficiency.

Internal energy

Yin Tianzheng possessed profound internal energy that enabled him to fight multiple battles in succession. His internal energy was described as powerful enough to break mountains and shatter stone tablets, and his palm techniques were considered among the most formidable in the martial arts world. Even after engaging in prolonged combat, he retained sufficient internal energy to challenge other masters, as demonstrated in his battles at Bright Peak.

Comprehensive combat ability

Yin Tianzheng’s martial arts combined powerful internal energy cultivation with exceptional external techniques, creating a comprehensive fighting style that was both offensive and defensive. His abilities were characterised by their combination of flexibility and power, speed and precision, making him a complete martial artist in every sense.

Relationships

Zhang Wuji

As Zhang Wuji’s maternal grandfather, Yin Tianzheng had a family relationship with the young leader, but he consistently placed organisational loyalty above personal connections. He served Zhang Wuji with complete dedication while maintaining proper hierarchical relationships, never seeking to exploit their family bond for personal advantage.

Yin Susu and Yin Yewang

Yin Tianzheng had two children: Yin Susu, his daughter and Zhang Wuji’s mother, and Yin Yewang, his son. Both children inherited their father’s martial arts abilities and served important roles within the Heavenly Eagle Order, with Yin Susu leading the Purple Mist Hall and Yin Yewang eventually becoming the Order’s deputy leader.

Zhang Cuishan

Yin Tianzheng’s relationship with Zhang Cuishan, who married Yin Susu, was complex. While Zhang Cuishan’s relationship with Yin Susu ultimately led to tragedy, Yin Tianzheng’s acceptance of the marriage reflected his recognition of genuine love and his willingness to support his daughter’s choices.

Xie Xun

Yin Tianzheng’s relationship with Xie Xun was marked by both conflict and deep respect. When Yin Tianzheng left the Ming Order, Xie Xun tried to persuade him to stay, and the two had a falling out. However, when Xie Xun was in danger, Yin Tianzheng was willing to fight to the death to rescue him, demonstrating that their brotherhood transcended their disagreements.

The Four Guardian Kings

As one of the Four Guardian Kings, Yin Tianzheng had relationships with Daiqisi, Xie Xun, and Wei Yixiao. Despite the organisational conflicts that arose after Yang Dingtian’s death, Yin Tianzheng maintained respect for his former comrades, and his return to defend Bright Peak demonstrated his commitment to their shared ideals.

Behind the scenes

Yin Tianzheng represents the ideal of principled leadership and organisational loyalty. His character demonstrates how integrity and dedication can transcend personal conflicts and how true loyalty is to ideals rather than to personalities or immediate circumstances.

His decision to leave the Ming Order rather than participate in internal conflicts, followed by his return to defend it when facing external threats, illustrates a sophisticated understanding of organisational dynamics and the difference between destructive internal struggles and principled disagreement.

Yin Tianzheng’s death, fighting to exhaustion for the sake of rescuing a sworn brother, embodies the jianghu ideal of brotherhood and sacrifice. His final moments—rising, laughing three times, then passing away peacefully—reflect his acceptance of death as the natural conclusion of a life lived according to principle.

The character’s age and experience, combined with his continued martial prowess and leadership capabilities, serve as a reminder that true mastery and wisdom come not from youth alone but from decades of cultivation, experience, and adherence to principle.