Background on XAJH 2001

The main character in the novel and perhaps also the most popular male character in Jin Yong's novels, among readers. An orphan, since young, adopted by Yue Buqun and Ning Zhong Zhe. He respects them a lot. Became the eldest disciple of Huashan Sect. He is a fun-loving, straight-forward and sentimental person. He is one who is not easily bothered by minor details. Also, unlike others, he does not adhere strictly to the often rigid regulations of the pugilistic world. He has no qualms about doing things that he feels are right and deserve to be done. To him, the perceptions of evil and good are different from other's views, which is why he is often ortrasized by the so-called righteous sects. He is emotionally attached to his xiao-shimei, Yue Lingshan. They are childhood sweethearts.

However, it seems Heaven loves to make sport of him. A series of misfortunes, I would say, hit him. First, he is maligned of killing his fellow disciple, accused of stealing the 'Zixia Shengong' and then associating with the evil cult. When he mastered Dugu Swordplay from a great pugilist, people even suspect that he had stolen the 'Pi Xie Jian Fa'. Worse still, his most beloved xiao shimei has a change of heart which makes him devastated.

He then gets to know Ren Yingying and touched by her deep affection, he finally knows that RYY is his true confidantee. Together, they play the Xiao Ao Jiang Hu tune and tied the nuptial knots, washing their hands off the affairs of the pugilistic world.

I would think the most appropriate term to describe him is 'a reluctant hero'. He never wants to reign supreme but by chance, he has learnt 2 great martial arts, Dugu Swordplay and Xixin Da Fa, which make him almost invincible. He never wants to be a leader, but fate decrees that he become the chief of Hengshan Sect, heading a group of nuns. He holds high regard for his shifu and Huashan sect but is expelled from the sect in the end.