Jiang Shihjie came to a remote town in Manchuria with his
son Jiang Tianzuo. He disguised his identity because he was there not only to find the
precious Ginseng to medicate his son, but also to avenge his family who were mostly
massacred by Jhu Jhihyu more than a decade before. Jiang Shihjie found out that the
murderer Jhu, having been at large, owned a farm called Tianfong Muchang in this area.
Jiang Shihjie and his son soon became friends with Jhu's
nearby neighbor, Yu Dajyun. Yu had an ambition to forcefully unite the martial arts
circle, so he invited martial arts masters to join him and he treated them, including
Jiang Shihjie and son Jiang Tianzuo, very well. When Yu was away to the Central Plains to
further develop his scheme, Jiang had an opportunity to become closer to Jhu Jhihyu by
working in Jhu's gambling den. Then Jiang found out that both Jhu's children and Yu's
children were adopted and Jhu's son was actually his first son, and Jhu's daughter was a
kidnapped girl. On the other hand, Yu's daughter's father was his friend who had been
killed by Jhu. Eventually he found that Yu actually worked for Jhu; Yu was a puppet,
everything attributed to him belonged to Jhu, and Jhu was the truly ambitious one
who wanted to dominate the martial arts circle.
Many battles broke out before the real identity of Yu had
been found out. In one of the battles Jiang Shihjie and Wu Nanping, who helped Jiang to
enter Jhu's gambling den, were captured. Fortunately Jiang's recovered-from-sickness son,
Jiang Tianzuo, arrived in time. He was equipped with more powerful wugong learned from Wu
Nanping's shisyong. At the same time two of Jhu's ex-subordinates, also came to help Jiang
because they comprehended that Jhu could never win alone. So the detained Jiang Shihjie
and Wu Nanping were set free. As a result Jhu's scheme was uncovered.
The defeated Jhu Jhihyu turned to his wife Ji Yuee, and he
also asked Huangfu Li from the southwest remote area for help. Ji had been keeping herself
away from the martial arts circle for many years, and so was reluctant. Huangfu Li had a
different plan; he intended to get rid of Jhu Jhihyu, so the situation on Jhu's side
became worse. The ultimate fight was brutal and the evil side led by Jhu was vanquished.
Some readers might think the ending is not careful and
tightened, since new characters coming into the story would confuse them. However the two
main story lines of this novel are simple. One line was to avenge the dead and the other
was to dominate the martial arts circle. So, although this story is quite long, it is not
complicated. The development of uncovering the devious scheme described in detail is truly
entertaining. It is an obliviously suspenseful and dramatic story. |
