Sword Net and Dusty Threads

Liang Yusheng（香港）传慧出版有限公司 · Hong Kong SAR, ChinaJan 2023

Rating 3.7

Word count: 573K words
Chapters: 28

Summary

The anti-Qing patriot Wei Chenggang is betrayed by his friend Xu Zhongyue. After severely wounding eight imperial guards, Wei himself dies of his injuries. Xu Zhongyue then appears in the guise of a hypocrite and becomes a renowned hero of the Central Plains. Wei Chenggang's neighbor Jiang Zhiqi, also a fellow traveler of the rebel army, moves with his wife and daughter to Luoyang under assumed names to avoid trouble. Ten years later, his daughter Jiang Xuejun has grown into the greatest beauty of Luoyang. Xu Zhongyue has long been suspicious of him, and now coveting the beauty, he uses threats and inducements to force Jiang into compliance; Jiang pretends to go along, but is finally killed by Xu. Xu Zhongyue tricks Jiang Xuejun into becoming his second wife. Meanwhile, Wei Chenggang's orphan Wei Tianyuan, carefully trained by his grandmaster, the world's greatest martial artist Qi Yanran, has also become a martial-arts expert. He comes to Luoyang to investigate his father's murder and arrives just as Xu Zhongyue is marrying Jiang Xuejun; Wei Tianyuan seizes the bride from the wedding hall and rescues his childhood friend.

Editor's review

"Sword Net and Dusty Threads" is one of the more tightly structured of Liang Yusheng's later works. With Wei Chenggang's murder, Xu Zhongyue's hypocritical rise, Jiang Xuejun's forced marriage, and Wei Tianyuan's seizure of the bride from the wedding hall as its main line, it weaves revenge, hypocrisy, and romantic entanglement into an anti-Qing background. The book's highlight is its portrayal of Xu Zhongyue as a "false hero": outwardly respected and virtuous, inwardly ruthless and calculating, contrasting with Wei Tianyuan's forthrightness; Jiang Xuejun's forbearance and Wei Tianyuan's youthful spirit also create considerable tension. Liang Yusheng's customary clear distinction between good and evil and his poetic touches are both present; the fight scenes are not elaborate, with more emphasis on advancing character relationships. It serves well as an introduction to or supplement for understanding Liang Yusheng's later creative style. Readers may note how the hypocrite uses Jianghu reputation to do evil, and the mismatch between the name of "hero" and the reality of heroism.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who love Liang Yusheng's works and want to read his later wuxia
Traditional wuxia fans interested in hypocritical villains and revenge-driven plots
Readers who can accept slow-burning buildup and value the advancement of character relationships
Collectors who study Hong Kong and Taiwan wuxia editions and follow the Chuanhui Publishing Company series

Not a good fit for

New-school wuxia readers who prefer fast pacing and frequent fight scenes
Young readers impatient with the narrative pace of last-century traditional wuxia
Readers who only want standalone books and do not wish to connect companion volumes

Reading tips

Read this book before its companion "Phantom Sword and Spirit Banner" to clarify how the character lines of Wei Tianyuan and Qi Leming connect.
Note the contrast between Xu Zhongyue's words and deeds each time he appears to appreciate Liang Yusheng's care in writing a hypocritical villain.
Readers interested in the poetic chapter titles may jot them down as an aid to understanding Liang Yusheng's style.
Slow down at the wedding-hall abduction scene; it is the key turning point in the book's character relationships.

About the publisher

（香港）传慧出版有限公司 Hong Kong, China

(Hong Kong) Chuanhui Publishing Limited is a publishing house based in Hong Kong, China. Public information about it is limited. Judging from the books in the database, its publishing focus is on wuxia novels, especially electronic editions of works by Liang Yusheng. Titles include such full-length wuxia classics as The Legend of the Condor Heroes-style romances Pingzong Xiaying Lu, Yunhai Yugong Yuan, Baifa Monü Zhuan and Datang Youxia Zhuan, mostly presented in multiple volumes, with both upper and lower volumes and complete editions. Liang Yusheng is its core author, and the category is relatively concentrated, reflecting a systematic arrangement and digital dissemination of classic wuxia texts. Its publishing feature lies in reproducing traditional wuxia novels in e-book form, using Hong Kong ISBNs beginning with 988, so that readers can encounter Liang Yusheng's martial arts world digitally.

上册第一回喜结良缘佳人侠士变生意外红烛青霜1
第一回喜结良缘佳人侠士变生意外红烛青霜2
第二回旧侣寻仇掌伤大侠新娘比武血溅华堂
第三回除夕归人无辜遇难深宵赴约清白蒙冤
第四回旧梦成尘青梅竹马此心如水飞絮飘萍
第五回不见创痕疑真疑幻难明心迹非友非仇1
第五回不见创痕疑真疑幻难明心迹非友非仇2
第六回陌路相逢难分邪正鸾胶再续莫问根由
中册第七回一失足时死生成谜再回头处恩怨如烟1
第七回一失足时死生成谜再回头处恩怨如烟2
第八回梦幻尘缘三生冤孽飘零蓬梗两代情仇1
第八回梦幻尘缘三生冤孽飘零蓬梗两代情仇2
第九回浪子乖行隐忧潜伏妖狐现影铸错难回1
第九回浪子乖行隐忧潜伏妖狐现影铸错难回2
第十回奇变惊心掌门遇害幽岩被困姹女含情1
第十回奇变惊心掌门遇害幽岩被困姹女含情2
第十一回勇救佳人巧施骗术追随义母误坠奸谋1
第十一回勇救佳人巧施骗术追随义母误坠奸谋2
第十二回弹剑京华龙争虎斗伤心家国凤泊鸾飘
下册第十三回忍陷火坑拒婚受辱忽来侠士惩恶扶危
第十四回孽债难偿不分皂白前缘未证难说恩仇1
第十四回孽债难偿不分皂白前缘未证难说恩仇2
第十五回陷阱自投甘为宰割良知未泯肯作帮凶1
第十五回陷阱自投甘为宰割良知未泯肯作帮凶2
第十六回仗势欺人膏粱劫美佯狂玩世侠士惩凶
第十七回慧剑难挥但凭幻剑芳心何托仍鼓雄心1
第十七回慧剑难挥但凭幻剑芳心何托仍鼓雄心2
第十八回剑网纷张原如世网尘丝难断未了情丝

FAQ

Can I read this directly without having read other Liang Yusheng works?

Yes. The character relationships are basically laid out in the opening; the feud among Wei Tianyuan, Jiang Xuejun, and Xu Zhongyue stands on its own and does not depend on earlier works. However, the book shares character backgrounds with "Phantom Sword and Spirit Banner"; if reading both, it is best to read this one first.

What is the relationship between this book and "Phantom Sword and Spirit Banner"?

The two are companion volumes sharing the backgrounds of Wei Chenggang, Wei Tianyuan, Qi Leming, and others. "Sword Net and Dusty Threads" focuses on Wei Tianyuan investigating his father's murder and rescuing Jiang Xuejun; "Phantom Sword and Spirit Banner" turns to Qi Leming's reform from evil and has Qi Shuyu and Wei Tianyuan join forces to defeat the enemy, with the character lines connecting across the two books.

How well is the villain Xu Zhongyue written?

Xu Zhongyue is a "false hero" on whom the book spends considerable effort: he appears as a hero of the Central Plains but in fact betrays friends and persecutes the Jiang family. Liang Yusheng focuses on the contrast between his words and deeds and the cover provided by his Jianghu reputation rather than on his martial prowess; readers may note the calculation behind each of his "righteous" acts.

Are there many fight scenes in this book?

Not many. The book emphasizes character relationships and plot advancement, and the fights mostly serve the plot, such as Wei Tianyuan seizing the bride from the wedding hall and crossing swords with imperial guards. If you expect continuous dueling, you may find the pace slow.

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About the author

Liang Yusheng Author · Chinese · 1924–2009

Liang Yusheng (1924–2009), originally named Chen Wentong, was a native of Mengshan, Guangxi. After the victory of the War of Resistance, he entered Lingnan University in Guangzhou and later became an editor of the supplement of the Hong Kong newspaper Ta Kung Pao. In 1954, with The Dragon and Tiger Duel in the Capital, he pioneered the new school of Hong Kong wuxia fiction. He wrote thirty-five works before retiring his pen in 1984. His wuxia novels often draw on history, weaving real dynastic changes with martial-world feuds; his characters combine patriotic concern with romantic attachment, and his elegant prose is interspersed with poetry, giving his work a distinctive scholarly flavor. Representative works include The White-Haired Demoness, Seven Swords from Mount Heaven, The Romance of Pingzong Xiaying, and The Romance of the Cloud Sea and Jade Bow. He is often mentioned alongside Jin Yong as a leading figure of his time. Besides wuxia fiction, he also wrote modern poetry; the library holds 143 of his works.