Zhou Zhiruo
Encyclopedia
Zhou Zhiruo is one of the two female lead characters in Jin Yong's wuxia
novel The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber. Jin Yong describes Zhou's physical appearance as "beautiful, pure and free of worldly traits" (清麗秀雅，容色極美).
. Her name "Zhiruo" is derived from Zhijiang
, her birthplace. Zhou's mother died when she was still very young. Her father is killed by Yuan
soldiers when she is ten and she is rescued by Zhang Sanfeng
, who was passing by. Zhou meets the young Zhang Wuji
, who was traveling with Zhang Sanfeng then, and they develop a close relationship. Zhang Wuji leaves them later and follows Chang Yuchun
to Butterfly Valley to seek treatment from Hu Qingniu. Zhang Sanfeng brings Zhou back to Wudang
and recommends her to join the Emei Sect
later. Zhou enters the sect and becomes a student of Abbess Miejue, leader of Emei.
Zhouo meets Zhang Wuji several years later by chance and falls in love with him. However, Miejue dislikes Zhang, because of the latter's affiliation with the Ming Cult
. Miejue forces Zhou to swear that she must not marry Zhang or have any romantic feelings for him. The oath is as follows:
Miejue names Zhou as her successor to leadership of Emei and tells her the secret behind the Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber. Miejue tells Zhou to extract the martial arts manuals and the Book of Wumu
concealed in the weapons' blades and master those skills, and use them to glorify Emei. Zhou is unwilling to harm Zhang, but is bound by her oath to do so. On Divine Serpent Island, Zhou steals the weapons and breaks them by clashing them together, obtaining the secret items hidden inside. She kills Yin Li (Zhang's cousin) and frames Zhao Min
for the deed.
Zhou practises the skills detailed in the Nine Yin Manual, mastering a quick-learning, unorthodox and "evil" version of the skill, known as "Nine Yin White Bone Claw," as well as the "Heart-shattering Palm" and the "White Boa Whip Skill". As the story progresses, Zhou develops a closer relationship with Zhang, until she decides to break her oath and marry him. However, Zhao Min shows up and disrupts the wedding and Zhou attacks Zhao in anger but Zhang intervenes and stops her. Zhou feels that Zhang had betrayed her love, and begins to see him and Zhao as her sworn enemies. She pretends to marry Song Qingshu of the Wudang Sect, who has a crush on her. Song joins the Emei Sect after becoming an outcast of Wudang for turning against his fellows. Zhou teaches Song the "Nine Yin White Bone Claw" and intends to use him against Zhang in a battle.
During the Lion-slaying Ceremony held at Shaolin Monastery, Zhou defeats all pugilists who attended and emerges as champion of the wulin
. However, Zhou is defeated by the mysterious Yellow Dress Maiden later, who uses the superior Nine Yin Manual's skills to overcome Zhou's evil "Nine Yin White Bone Claw". The Xuaming Elders attempt to steal the manual from Zhou after seeing how her martial arts had improved from learning it. They injure her with their "Xuanming Divine Palm", but she is saved by Zhang Wuji. Zhang heals her with his "Nine Yang Divine Skill", which inadvertently negates her "Yin" inner energy and restores her back to her original state. Zhou feels guilty for her sins, especially when she encounters the "ghost" of Yin Li and admits to Zhang her past deeds and her love towards him. Towards the end of the story, Zhang tells Zhou directly that he has decided that Zhao Min is his true love and Zhou gives up on Zhang forever. Zhou also discovers that Yin Li has survived her attack and Yin accepts Zhou's apology and forgives her. Zhou visits Zhang and Zhao in the last chapter and makes some cheeky remarks when Zhang is about to help Zhao paint her eyebrows.
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 The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber. Jin Yong describes Zhou's physical appearance as "beautiful, pure and free of worldly traits" (清麗秀雅，容色極美).
Biography
Zhou is the daughter of a boatman from the Han RiverHan River (Hanshui)
The Han River is a left tributary of the Yangtze River with a length of 1532 km. Historically it was referred to as Hànshuǐ and the name is still occasionally used today....
. Her name "Zhiruo" is derived from Zhijiang
Zhijiang Dong Autonomous County
Zhijiang Dong Autonomous County is a county of Hunan, China. It is under the administration of Huaihua city.-References:*...
, her birthplace. Zhou's mother died when she was still very young. Her father is killed by Yuan
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
soldiers when she is ten and she is rescued by Zhang Sanfeng
Zhang Sanfeng
Zhang Sanfeng was a semi-legendary Chinese Taoist priest who is believed by some to have achieved immortality, said variously to date from either the late Song Dynasty, Yuan Dynasty or Ming Dynasty. His name is said to have been Zhang Junbao 張君寶 before he became a Taoist.Zhang's legend is that of...
, who was passing by. Zhou meets the young Zhang Wuji
Zhang Wuji
Zhang Wuji is the fictional protagonist of the wuxia novel The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber by Jin Yong.-Early life:Zhang was born on Ice Fire Island to Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu. He is named by his godfather, Xie Xun, in memory of Xie's deceased son, Xie Wuji...
, who was traveling with Zhang Sanfeng then, and they develop a close relationship. Zhang Wuji leaves them later and follows Chang Yuchun
Chang Yuchun
Chang Yuchun , style name Boren and pseudonym Yanheng , was a Chinese Muslim military general. He was a follower of the Ming Dynasty's founder, Zhu Yuanzhang, and contributed greatly to the founding of the dynasty...
to Butterfly Valley to seek treatment from Hu Qingniu. Zhang Sanfeng brings Zhou back to Wudang
Wudang Sect
The Wudang Sect is a fictional Chinese martial arts sect featured in several works of wuxia fiction. It is one of the most famous and recognised orthodox and righteous sects in the jianghu. Its home base is in the Wudang Mountains...
and recommends her to join the Emei Sect
Emei Sect
The Emei Sect is one of the leading orthodox Chinese martial arts sects in the jianghu in several works of wuxia fiction. Its home base is on Mount Emei in Sichuan...
later. Zhou enters the sect and becomes a student of Abbess Miejue, leader of Emei.
Zhouo meets Zhang Wuji several years later by chance and falls in love with him. However, Miejue dislikes Zhang, because of the latter's affiliation with the Ming Cult
Ming Cult
The Ming Cult is a fictional cult and martial arts sect based on the actual Gnostic religion Manichaeism. It plays an important role in Jin Yong's The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber of all wuxia fiction works. It is also briefly mentioned in The Legend of the Condor Heroes as well...
. Miejue forces Zhou to swear that she must not marry Zhang or have any romantic feelings for him. The oath is as follows:
I, Zhou Zhiruo, hereby swear to Heaven, that if I have any romantic feelings for the Demonic Cult (Ming Cult)'s leader Zhang WujiZhang WujiZhang Wuji is the fictional protagonist of the wuxia novel The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber by Jin Yong.-Early life:Zhang was born on Ice Fire Island to Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu. He is named by his godfather, Xie Xun, in memory of Xie's deceased son, Xie Wuji...
or if I marry him, my late parents' souls will not be at peace; my teacher Abbess Miejue will become a vengeful ghost after death and haunt me day and night, and should I have any offspring with Zhang Wuji, the males will become slaves while females will become prostitutes for every generation.
Miejue names Zhou as her successor to leadership of Emei and tells her the secret behind the Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber. Miejue tells Zhou to extract the martial arts manuals and the Book of Wumu
Book of Wumu
The Book of Wumu is a fictional military treatise mentioned in Jin Yong's Condor Trilogy...
concealed in the weapons' blades and master those skills, and use them to glorify Emei. Zhou is unwilling to harm Zhang, but is bound by her oath to do so. On Divine Serpent Island, Zhou steals the weapons and breaks them by clashing them together, obtaining the secret items hidden inside. She kills Yin Li (Zhang's cousin) and frames Zhao Min
Zhao Min
Zhao Min, birth name Minmin Temür , noble title Shaomin Princess , is one of the two female lead characters in Jin Yong's wuxia novel The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber. She is originally named "Zhao Ming" in the first edition of the novel, and the Chinese character "Min" in her birth name and...
for the deed.
Zhou practises the skills detailed in the Nine Yin Manual, mastering a quick-learning, unorthodox and "evil" version of the skill, known as "Nine Yin White Bone Claw," as well as the "Heart-shattering Palm" and the "White Boa Whip Skill". As the story progresses, Zhou develops a closer relationship with Zhang, until she decides to break her oath and marry him. However, Zhao Min shows up and disrupts the wedding and Zhou attacks Zhao in anger but Zhang intervenes and stops her. Zhou feels that Zhang had betrayed her love, and begins to see him and Zhao as her sworn enemies. She pretends to marry Song Qingshu of the Wudang Sect, who has a crush on her. Song joins the Emei Sect after becoming an outcast of Wudang for turning against his fellows. Zhou teaches Song the "Nine Yin White Bone Claw" and intends to use him against Zhang in a battle.
During the Lion-slaying Ceremony held at Shaolin Monastery, Zhou defeats all pugilists who attended and emerges as champion 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...
. However, Zhou is defeated by the mysterious Yellow Dress Maiden later, who uses the superior Nine Yin Manual's skills to overcome Zhou's evil "Nine Yin White Bone Claw". The Xuaming Elders attempt to steal the manual from Zhou after seeing how her martial arts had improved from learning it. They injure her with their "Xuanming Divine Palm", but she is saved by Zhang Wuji. Zhang heals her with his "Nine Yang Divine Skill", which inadvertently negates her "Yin" inner energy and restores her back to her original state. Zhou feels guilty for her sins, especially when she encounters the "ghost" of Yin Li and admits to Zhang her past deeds and her love towards him. Towards the end of the story, Zhang tells Zhou directly that he has decided that Zhao Min is his true love and Zhou gives up on Zhang forever. Zhou also discovers that Yin Li has survived her attack and Yin accepts Zhou's apology and forgives her. Zhou visits Zhang and Zhao in the last chapter and makes some cheeky remarks when Zhang is about to help Zhao paint her eyebrows.
Martial arts and skills
- Nine Yin Manual (九陰真經)
- Nine Yin Inner Energy (九陰內功)
- Nine Yin White Bone Claw (九陰白骨爪) - an unorthodox derivation of the skills detailed in the Nine Yin Manual for close-quarter combat. The combatant usually pierces the victim's skull with his/her fingers and causes a gruesome death.
- White Boa Whip Skill (白蟒鞭法) - an armed combat skill detailed in the manual for long-range combat.
- Heart-shattering Palm (摧心掌) - an alternative to "Nine Yin White Bone Claw" for close-quarter combat. It causes severe internal bleeding near the victim's heart once the palm hits the victim's chest, but with no visible wounds.
- Emei Nine Yang Skill (峨嵋九陽功)
- Emei Swordplay (峨嵋劍法)
- Soft Palm of the Golden Peak (金頂綿掌)
External links
Zhou Zhiruo 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....