Zhou Zhiruo

Zhou Zhiruo (simplified: 周芷若, traditional: 周芷若, pinyin: Zhōu Zhǐruò, jyutping: zau1 zi2 joek6) was the fourth leader of the Emei Order and one of the main female protagonists of The Heavenly Sword and the Dragon Sabre. Known for her beautiful appearance and exceptional martial arts abilities, she underwent a dramatic transformation from a gentle, compassionate young woman into one of the most formidable martial artists of her generation through her mastery of the Nine Yin Manual.

Biography

Early life

Zhou Zhiruo was the orphaned daughter of a boatman on the Han River. Her father, Mr. Zhou, was killed by Yuan soldiers, and her mother, Lady Xue, had died when Zhou Zhiruo was very young. When her father was killed, she encountered Zhang Sanfeng, who saved her. When Zhang Sanfeng asked about her name, he learned that she was named Zhou Zhiruo because her family name was Zhou and she was born in Yuanzhou, with the name derived from the line “In Yuan there are zhizi and in Li there are orchids” from Qu Yuan’s poetry.

As a child, Zhou Zhiruo met the young Zhang Wuji on a ferry crossing the Han River, where she gently fed him when he was ill. This act of kindness left a deep impression on Zhang Wuji. Later, Zhang Sanfeng introduced Zhou Zhiruo to Miejue, the leader of the Emei Order, and she became a disciple of the Order.

The Six Major Factions’ attack on Bright Peak

When Zhou Zhiruo was eighteen, she accompanied Miejue and her fellow disciples on the expedition to Bright Peak to attack the Ming Order. During this journey, she reunited with Zhang Wuji, who had grown into a young man. In the battle at Bright Peak, when Miejue fought against Zhang Wuji, Zhou Zhiruo saw how Zhang Wuji avoided taking her sword and even picked her up to protect her from Miejue’s attacks. Miejue, suspecting that the two had feelings for each other, ordered Zhou Zhiruo to kill Zhang Wuji with the Heavenly Sword.

However, because Zhou Zhiruo had developed feelings for Zhang Wuji, she intentionally missed, stabbing to the side rather than striking him. This act of mercy deepened her feelings for Zhang Wuji.

Becoming the Emei Order leader

Zhou Zhiruo and Miejue were captured by Zhao Min’s forces and imprisoned at Wan’an Temple, where they were drugged with Ten Fragrance Soft Tendon Powder. After being rescued by the Ming Order, Miejue refused to accept this favour and, before her death, passed the leadership of the Emei Order to Zhou Zhiruo.

Miejue forced Zhou Zhiruo to make a poisonous vow: she must never fall in love with or marry Zhang Wuji, and she must use her beauty to steal the Dragon-slaying Sabre. She was to break both the Heavenly Sword and the Dragon-slaying Sabre to obtain the secrets hidden within them—the Nine Yin Manual, the Essence of the Eighteen Palms of Dragon-subduing, and the Book of Wumu—in order to fulfil Miejue’s wishes, strengthen the Emei Order, and help realise the ambition of Guo Jing, Huang Rong, and the Order’s founder Guo Xiang to drive out the Mongols and restore Han rule.

This marked a turning point in Zhou Zhiruo’s character. After this, she would commit terrible acts in pursuit of these goals, including stealing the Dragon-slaying Sabre, injuring Xie Xun and framing Zhao Min, and attempting to kill Yin Li (Zhuer), who was betrothed to Zhang Wuji.

Betrothal and betrayal

With Xie Xun’s encouragement, Zhou Zhiruo and Zhang Wuji became engaged. However, on their wedding day, Zhao Min appeared with a lock of Xie Xun’s hair, proving that he was imprisoned. Zhang Wuji left the wedding to save his godfather, leaving Zhou Zhiruo humiliated and heartbroken.

After this betrayal, Zhou Zhiruo broke off her relationship with Zhang Wuji and returned to the Emei Order, devoting herself to martial arts training. She used the Nine Yin White Bone Claw to defeat Ding Minjun, who attempted to challenge her for leadership, and gained full control of the Order. She vowed to complete Miejue’s mission and take revenge on Zhang Wuji.

The Slaying Lion Conference

Zhou Zhiruo used Song Qingshu, who had betrayed the Wudang Order and was desperately in love with her, teaching him the Nine Yin White Bone Claw to serve as her fighter at the Slaying Lion Conference. She publicly claimed to be Song Qingshu’s wife, though in truth she had no feelings for him and they never actually married—this was merely a way to spite Zhang Wuji.

At the Slaying Lion Conference, because Zhang Wuji held back out of guilt, Zhou Zhiruo won the title of “Number One Martial Artist Under Heaven” using the quick-learning methods from the Nine Yin Manual. She then fought alongside Zhang Wuji to break through Shaolin’s Vajra Subduing Demon Circle. During the chaos, she attempted to kill Xie Xun to cover up her previous crimes, but was defeated by the Yellow Robed Maiden, a descendant of Yang Guo, who used the Crushing Force Divine Claw technique.

Different endings

Zhou Zhiruo’s ending varied across different editions of the novel:

Serialised edition: After being admonished by Zhang Sanfeng, Zhou Zhiruo decided to become a nun, giving the leader’s ring to Zhang Wuji. She spent the rest of her life in seclusion, cutting herself off from worldly affairs.
Second edition: Zhou Zhiruo appeared outside a window during a conversation between Zhang Wuji and Zhao Min, reminding Zhang Wuji that he had promised her one thing, which she would reveal when they were about to marry.
Third edition: Zhou Zhiruo asked Zhang Wuji for one condition: he could not hold a formal wedding ceremony with Zhao Min. Zhang Wuji, though confused, agreed, saying that even without a formal ceremony, he and Zhao Min would still be husband and wife and have children. Zhou Zhiruo responded: “You can be husband and wife and have children. After ten or eight years pass, your heart will only think of me, and you will only be reluctant to part with me. That is enough.”

Personality & traits

Early personality

In her early years, Zhou Zhiruo was kind, gentle, and elegant. When she participated in the attack on Bright Peak with her fellow Emei disciples, she did not share Miejue’s attitude of seeking to eliminate evil, believing that good and evil could not be so simply categorised. This similarity to Ji Xiaofu showed her independent thinking.

Before recognising Zhang Wuji, Zhou Zhiruo was already polite and courteous to both him and Zhuer (Yin Li), unlike Ding Minjun and Miejue, who were either arrogant or used their martial arts abilities to act aggressively or emotionally.

Transformation

Zhou Zhiruo’s personality underwent a dramatic transformation, nearly a complete reversal, after Miejue’s death and the oath she was forced to make. She became someone who cared little for human life, committing terrible acts in pursuit of her goals. This transformation was driven by two main factors: the pressure of Miejue’s final orders and her love-turned-to-hatred for Zhang Wuji.

Miejue’s final orders created psychological pressure and conflict. The oath she was forced to make—that her deceased parents would not find peace and Miejue would become a vengeful ghost if she violated it—created immense psychological torment. Zhou Zhiruo found herself torn between her love for Zhang Wuji and her duty to her master, leading her to commit acts that went against her true nature.

Later resolution

By the end of the story, Zhou Zhiruo had returned to her kind nature. She told Zhang Wuji that from beginning to end, she had only ever loved him, showing that her true character had been preserved beneath the actions driven by external pressures.

Martial arts abilities

Nine Yin White Bone Claw

Zhou Zhiruo mastered the Nine Yin White Bone Claw (九阴白骨爪) from the Nine Yin Manual, a powerful technique that left five holes in the heads of those killed by it. Zhang Wuji himself believed that he was the only person in the world who could match Zhou Zhiruo’s Nine Yin White Bone Claw.

White Python Whip Technique

Zhou Zhiruo excelled at the White Python Whip Technique (白蟒鞭法), using a long whip with fluid, powerful movements. At the Slaying Lion Conference, she used this technique to defeat many martial arts masters.

Emei Swordplay

Zhou Zhiruo was skilled in Emei Swordplay, created by Guo Xiang, the founder of the Emei Order. The technique emphasised defence over offence, reflecting the Order’s Buddhist principles.

Golden Summit Soft Palm

Zhou Zhiruo mastered the Golden Summit Soft Palm (金顶绵掌), which emphasised speed. She later taught this technique to Song Qingshu.

Intercepting Hand Nine Techniques

The third technique of the Intercepting Hand Nine Techniques (截手九式) divided force into one real and one false attack, capable of breaking through an opponent’s defensive internal energy. Zhou Zhiruo used this technique to seriously injure Zhang Wuji during their battle at the Slaying Lion Conference.

Internal energy

Zhou Zhiruo trained in the Emei Nine Yang Power (峨嵋九阳功), which was derived from the Nine Yang Manual that Guo Xiang had memorised from Jueyuan’s recitation. This was the Emei Order’s foundational internal energy technique, passed down through generations.

Relationships

Zhang Wuji

Zhou Zhiruo’s relationship with Zhang Wuji was complex and tragic. She first met him as a child and showed him kindness, then reunited with him as a young woman and developed deep feelings for him. However, circumstances and Miejue’s orders created conflicts that led to their relationship ending in betrayal and heartbreak. Despite everything, Zhou Zhiruo’s true feelings for Zhang Wuji remained constant.

Miejue

Miejue was both Zhou Zhiruo’s master and the source of her greatest conflicts. While Miejue passed the leadership of the Emei Order to Zhou Zhiruo, she also forced her to make a terrible oath that tormented Zhou Zhiruo and drove her to commit acts against her nature.

Song Qingshu

Zhou Zhiruo used Song Qingshu, who had betrayed the Wudang Order and was desperately in love with her, as a tool for her own purposes. She taught him the Nine Yin White Bone Claw and publicly claimed to be his wife, though she had no genuine feelings for him. This was primarily an act of spite toward Zhang Wuji.

Fellow disciples

Zhou Zhiruo had a difficult relationship with her fellow Emei Order disciples, particularly Ding Minjun, who challenged her for leadership. Zhou Zhiruo defeated Ding Minjun using the Nine Yin White Bone Claw, establishing her authority over the Order.

Behind the scenes

Zhou Zhiruo represents one of Jin Yong’s most complex female characters, exploring themes of love, duty, betrayal, and redemption. Her transformation from a gentle, kind girl into a formidable but conflicted leader demonstrates how external pressures and internal conflicts can drive people to act against their true nature.

Her character has been subject to multiple revisions across different editions of the novel, with Jin Yong adjusting her ending and motivations to better reflect the complexities of her situation. The different endings reflect different interpretations of whether Zhou Zhiruo found redemption or remained trapped by her circumstances.