Other Tales of the Flying Fox
Encyclopedia
Other Tales of the Flying Fox is a wuxia
novel by Jin Yong. Its title is also translated as Young Flying Fox in English. The novel was first serialized between 1960-1 in the magazine Wuxia and History. The novel is a prequel to Flying Fox of Snowy Mountain
, although the former was written a year after its literary predecessor.
, is raised by Ping A'si and inherits the Hu family's skills and becomes a powerful pugilist. Hu embarks on his adventures around the land. As a young man, he encounters a powerful town tyrant named Feng Tiannan and wants to kill Feng to deliver justice for the victims. He meets a young maiden named Yuan Ziyi, who shows signs of affection towards him. She stops him from killing Feng Tiannan each time when Hu Fei is close to killing the villain.
Based on his foster father's words, Hu Fei believes that the renowned pugilist Miao Renfeng is responsible for his father's death. After finding Miao Renfeng, he refrains from killing him, as Miao had been tricked by an enemy and blinded by a deadly poison. Hu Fei is impressed with Miao Renfeng's chivalry and wonders if his foster father was mistaken. He decides to help Miao Renfeng and journeys to find a cure for his eyes. He meets Cheng Lingsu, a young female disciple of the deceased "King of Venoms". Hu Fei witnesses Cheng Lingsu defeating her three wicked, older seniors of the sect through her cool wits. She agrees to help him cure Miao Renfeng's eyes.
After Miao Renfeng regains his sight, he confesses that he had indeed killed Hu Yidao unintentionally several years ago. Hu Fei is filled with anguish and grief upon hearing the truth and leaves with Cheng Lingsu. Cheng Lingsu and Hu Fei become sworn siblings. Travelling together, the two then stumble upon an election for a new leader of the wulin
(martial artists' community), hosted by Fu Kang'an, the illegitimate son of the Qianlong Emperor
. The election is part of Fu Kang'an's evil plans to instigate turmoil in the wulin to control the Han Chinese
. Hu Fei and Cheng Lingsu disguise themselves and participate in the election. With help from Yuan Ziyi, the trio combined to expose Fu Kang'an's schemes and disrupt the meeting.
They are attacked by enemies and Hu Fei is poisoned while trying to shield Cheng Lingsu with his body. Cheng Lingsu loses her life trying to rescue Hu Fei, and reveals before her death that she is in love with him. Hu Fei is filled with anguish by the tragic loss of Cheng Lingsu. After Cheng Lingsu's funeral, he meets Yuan Ziyi again, who tells him that she became a Buddhist nun since she was a child. She cannot be with him although she loves him or she will violate her code of chastity. She places her palms together and recites a silent prayer for Hu Fei before leaving.
Wuxia
Wuxia is a broad genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists. Although wuxia is traditionally a form of literature, its popularity has caused it to spread to diverse art forms like Chinese opera, manhua , films, television series, and video games...
novel by Jin Yong. Its title is also translated as Young Flying Fox in English. The novel was first serialized between 1960-1 in the magazine Wuxia and History. The novel is a prequel to Flying Fox of Snowy Mountain
Flying Fox of Snowy Mountain
Flying Fox of Snowy Mountain, also known as Fox Volant of the Snowy Mountain, is a wuxia novel by Jin Yong. It was first serialized between February 9, 1959 and June 18, 1959 in Ming Pao....
, although the former was written a year after its literary predecessor.
Plot
The story begins several years after the death of Hu Yidao. His son, Hu FeiHu Fei
Hu Fei is the fictional protagonist of the wuxia novels Flying Fox of Snowy Mountain and Other Tales of the Flying Fox by Jin Yong.-Biography:...
, is raised by Ping A'si and inherits the Hu family's skills and becomes a powerful pugilist. Hu embarks on his adventures around the land. As a young man, he encounters a powerful town tyrant named Feng Tiannan and wants to kill Feng to deliver justice for the victims. He meets a young maiden named Yuan Ziyi, who shows signs of affection towards him. She stops him from killing Feng Tiannan each time when Hu Fei is close to killing the villain.
Based on his foster father's words, Hu Fei believes that the renowned pugilist Miao Renfeng is responsible for his father's death. After finding Miao Renfeng, he refrains from killing him, as Miao had been tricked by an enemy and blinded by a deadly poison. Hu Fei is impressed with Miao Renfeng's chivalry and wonders if his foster father was mistaken. He decides to help Miao Renfeng and journeys to find a cure for his eyes. He meets Cheng Lingsu, a young female disciple of the deceased "King of Venoms". Hu Fei witnesses Cheng Lingsu defeating her three wicked, older seniors of the sect through her cool wits. She agrees to help him cure Miao Renfeng's eyes.
After Miao Renfeng regains his sight, he confesses that he had indeed killed Hu Yidao unintentionally several years ago. Hu Fei is filled with anguish and grief upon hearing the truth and leaves with Cheng Lingsu. Cheng Lingsu and Hu Fei become sworn siblings. Travelling together, the two then stumble upon an election for a new leader of the wulin
Jianghu
The jianghu is the milieu, environment, or sub-community, often fictional, in which many Chinese wuxia stories are set.In modern Chinese culture, jianghu is commonly accepted as an alternative universe coexisting with the actual historical one in which the context of the wuxia genre was set...
(martial artists' community), hosted by Fu Kang'an, the illegitimate son of the Qianlong Emperor
Qianlong Emperor
The Qianlong Emperor was the sixth emperor of the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty, and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. The fourth son of the Yongzheng Emperor, he reigned officially from 11 October 1735 to 8 February 1796...
. The election is part of Fu Kang'an's evil plans to instigate turmoil in the wulin to control the Han Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
. Hu Fei and Cheng Lingsu disguise themselves and participate in the election. With help from Yuan Ziyi, the trio combined to expose Fu Kang'an's schemes and disrupt the meeting.
They are attacked by enemies and Hu Fei is poisoned while trying to shield Cheng Lingsu with his body. Cheng Lingsu loses her life trying to rescue Hu Fei, and reveals before her death that she is in love with him. Hu Fei is filled with anguish by the tragic loss of Cheng Lingsu. After Cheng Lingsu's funeral, he meets Yuan Ziyi again, who tells him that she became a Buddhist nun since she was a child. She cannot be with him although she loves him or she will violate her code of chastity. She places her palms together and recites a silent prayer for Hu Fei before leaving.
Protagonists
- Hu Yidao (胡一刀) – a forthright and gregarious hero whose skills were legendary. He hopes to resolve the past feuds between the four families that started in their ancestors' time. He is instigated into a fight with Miao Renfeng but becomes friends with Miao. He is killed by Miao Renfeng unintentionally, as Miao's weapon had been secretly smeared with poison.
- Hu FeiHu FeiHu Fei is the fictional protagonist of the wuxia novels Flying Fox of Snowy Mountain and Other Tales of the Flying Fox by Jin Yong.-Biography:...
(胡斐) – the protagonist of the novel and son of Hu Yidao. He lost his parents shortly after birth and was raised by Ping A'si. He inherits his father's skills and becomes a powerful pugilist. He is chivalrous by nature and does not tolerate any form of villainy. His adventures lead him to meeting Cheng Lingsu and Yuan Ziyi, whom he love deeply, even though he is unable to be with them together eventually.
- Miao Renfeng (苗人鳳) – a powerful pugilist of equal fame as Hu Yidao. He is nicknamed "Golden-faced Buddha" (金面佛) and "Undefeated Champion" (打遍天下無敵手). He is slightly more conservative and does not know how to express his feelings well. He fights with Hu Yidao and is so impressed by Hu's chivalry and skill that he befriends Hu. His enemies smear poison onto his weapon without his knowledge and he kills Hu Yidao unintentionally after inflicting the latter with a minor cut wound.
- Cheng Lingsu (程靈素) – the disciple of the "King of Venoms". She falls in love with Hu Fei when she first met him while he was searching for a cure for Miao Renfeng. Subsequently, she follows Hu on his adventures and becomes his close companion. She gives up her own life to save Yuan Ziyi after she is poisoned because she wanted Hu Fei and Yuan Ziyi to be happy together. Hu Fei is deeply saddened by her loss and buries her besides his parents' grave.
- Yuan Ziyi (袁紫衣), also known as Yuanxing (圆性) – Feng Tiannan's daughter. Her mother gave birth to her after being raped by Feng Tiannan and was forced to commit suicide by Tang Pei. She becomes a Buddhist nun and vows to avenge her mother and kill her beastly father after saving his life thrice. Although she is in love with Hu Fei, she reveals that she is forbidden by her code of chastity to be with him.
Antagonists
- Fu Kang'an (福康安) – a military commander and aristocrat. He appears generous and gentlemanly, but is in fact scheming, selfish and cold-hearted. He organises a "Meeting of the Leaders" as part of his plan to take control of the wulinJianghuThe jianghu is the milieu, environment, or sub-community, often fictional, in which many Chinese wuxia stories are set.In modern Chinese culture, jianghu is commonly accepted as an alternative universe coexisting with the actual historical one in which the context of the wuxia genre was set...
to secure power, with Tian Guinong aiding him. He has a secret affair with Ma Chunhua and tries to murder her later in order to take over the twins she bore him.
- Tian Guinong (田歸農) – a descendant of one of the four bodyguards of Li Zicheng. He is a scheming and unscrupulous. He is also a flirt and seduces Nan Lan, who abandons her husband and marries him. He desires to become a high-ranking official so he uses Fu Kang'an to help him become the leader of the wulin but his dream is shattered by Hu Fei's sudden appearance and the twist of events.
- Feng Tiannan (鳳天南) – a bully. He is pursued by Hu Fei, who wants to kill him to deliver justice for the victims. However, he is saved thrice by his illegitimate daughter, Yuan Ziyi. He is killed during the chaos during the election for the wulin leader.
- Shi Wanshen (石萬嗔) – the evil junior of the "King of Venoms". He causes the death of Cheng Lingsu, but is blinded by her and meets his end at the hands of Zeng Tie'ou.
Others
- Nan Lan (南蘭) – Miao Renfeng's wife. She feels unhappy after marrying Miao Renfeng, who leads a simple and frugal life, as opposed to her luxurious lifestyle before her marriage. She is seduced by Tian Guinong and abandons her husband and marries him.
- Ping A'si (平阿四) – a young man indebted to Hu Yidao, who saved his life once. He risks his life to save the infant Hu Fei and raises Hu after the death of Hu's parents. Humble and shy by nature, he always feels inferior to others.
- "King of Venoms" (毒手藥王) - a herbal medicine guru and Cheng Lingsu's teacher
- Ma Chunhua (馬春花) - an old friend of Hu Fei. She helped him years ago during the incident at the Shang Family Castle. She has an illegitimate affair with Fu Kang'an and secretly bore him a pair of twins. Fu Kang'an sent his men in disguise as bandits to kill her husband and take the twins. Hu Fei helps her and the boys escape from Fu Kang'an eventually.
- Zhao Banshan (趙半山) - the third leader of the Red Flower Society. He meets the young Hu Fei at the Shang Family Castle and they become sworn brothers after escaping death together.
- Tang Pei (湯沛) - a guest at the "Meeting of the Leaders". Although he is popular at first, he is blackmailed by Yuan Ziyi and is despised by all. He is killed by Yuan Ziyi.
- Disciples of the "King of Venoms" - betrayed their teacher. They acknowledged Shi Wanshen as their new teacher.
- Murong Jingyue (慕容景岳)
- Xue Que (薛鵲)
- Shang Jianming (商劍鳴) - the master of the Shang Family Castle. He is slain by Hu Yidao. Several years later, his widowed wife and followers attempt to avenge him by killing Hu Fei but fail.
- Zhong A'si (鐘阿四) - a peasant who owns a vegetable farm. Feng Tiannan is eyeing his farm and plots to take over the land for himself. He accuses Zhong A'si's son of having stolen and eaten a goose from his house, and forces Zhong's wife to kill the boy and cut open his belly to prove his innocence. Zhong A'si and his wife are murdered by Feng Tiannan later.
Films
| Year | | Production | | Cast | | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Shaw Brothers Studio Shaw Brothers Studio The Shaw Brothers Studio , owned by Shaw Brothers Ltd., was the foremost and the largest movie production company of Hong Kong movies.From their distribution base in Singapore where they founded parent company Shaw Organization in 1924, and as a strategic development of their movie distribution... (Hong Kong) |
Chin Siu-ho, Philip Kwok Philip Kwok -Filmography:*The Eye 2 - Monk*The Sunshine Cops *Tomorrow Never Dies - General Chang non speaking appearance*The Phantom Lover *American Shaolin - Cab Driver*Hard Boiled - Mad Dog... , Chiang Sheng Chiang Sheng Chiang Sheng was a martial art actor, one of the Venom Mob, renowned for their acrobatic and martial arts skills. He joined the Chang Cheh's Cohorts as an actor, and also worked with Chang Cheh as an assistant director and choreographer. Along with Alexander Fu Sheng, Chiang Sheng was one of the... , Lu Feng, Wang Li, Choh Seung-wan, Wong Man-yee |
See Legend of the Fox Legend of the Fox Legend of the Fox, also known as Legend of a Fox, is a 1980 Hong Kong film based on Louis Cha's novel Other Tales of the Flying Fox. It was produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio, directed by Chang Cheh and starred the Venom Mob... |
| 1984 | Felix Wong Felix Wong Felix Wong Yat-wah is a Hong Kong actor and singer. Wong is best known for his performances in many Hong Kong wuxia television drama series produced by TVB, such as The Legend of the Condor Heroes , in which he played the protagonist Kwok Ching... , Bryan Leung, Alex Man Alex Man Alex Man , Hong Kong actor who has played leading roles in numerous movies and television serials.Born in Hong Kong, Alex Man joined ATV in 1970s, casting some TV drama. He became popular when joining TVB in 1980s, in which he had been the main character of several TV drama with big production... , Tai Liang-chun, Kara Hui Kara Hui Kara Hui Ying-Hung is a Hong Kong actress of Manchu ancestry.-Biography and career:Hui's family moved to Hong Kong in 1966 and she started working at night clubs at fourteen. In her interview on Be My Guest, Hui revealed her family lost their savings from her father's business acquaintances... , Ku Kuan-chung, Tong Chun-chung |
See New Tales of the Flying Fox New Tales of the Flying Fox New Tales of the Flying Fox is a 1984 Hong Kong film based on Louis Cha's novel Other Tales of the Flying Fox. The film was produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio and directed by Lau Sze-yuk.-Cast:*Felix Wong as Hu Fei*Alex Man as Miao Renfeng... |
|
| 1993 | Hong Kong | Leon Lai Leon Lai Leon Lai is a Hong Kong-based actor and Cantopop singer. The media refer to Aaron Kwok, Jacky Cheung, Andy Lau and Leon Lai as the Cantopop Four Heavenly Kings . He uses the stage name "Li Ming" or "Lai Ming" which literally means "dawn."-Biography:... , Sharla Cheung Sharla Cheung Sharla Cheung Man , also known as Cheung Man is an actress working in the Hong Kong film industry.... , Michelle Reis Michelle Reis -Biography:Reis was born in Macau which was then a Portuguese colony. Reis is of mixed ancestry as her father is Portuguese and her mother is Chinese. So, she can be considered as a macanese. Reis attended Maryknoll Convent School, and matriculated from St. Paul's Secondary School.Reis started... , Elvis Tsui Elvis Tsui Elvis Tsui , also known as Tsui Kam-kong, is a Hong Kong-based Chinese film and television actor.-Biography:... |
See The Sword of Many Lovers The Sword of Many Lovers The Sword of Many Lovers, also known as Sword of Many Loves, is a 1993 Hong Kong film based on Louis Cha's novel Other Tales of the Flying Fox... |
External links
Other Tales of the Flying Fox on Baidu BaikeBaidu Baike
Baidu Encyclopedia is a Chinese language collaborative Web-based encyclopedia provided by the Chinese search engine Baidu. Like Baidu itself, the encyclopedia is heavily self-censored in line with government regulations....