The Recluse of the Far South (2 Volumes)

Zheng ZhengyinMay 2025

Rating 3.0
Word count
260K words
Chapters
13

Tags

Martial Arts Fiction Portrait GalleryAdventure JourneyClassic WuxiaFate and FortuneVengeance and GratitudePower GamesAntiheroJianghu Feud

Summary

After the Fengwei Gang suffers a disastrous defeat at the grand gathering of heroes at Jingye Manor in the Twelve Linked Forts, the gang leader Tiannan Yisou Wu Weiyang escapes from Nianyu Crossing with some of his trusted followers. On the run, they are successively blocked and warned by Iron Reed Daoist, Iron Brush Bian Tianshou, and others. After reaching Phoenix Village, Wu Weiyang clashes with Qingchen Nuns of the Western Prison Sect at Shuiyun Lodge, and the two sides fight. Later, to recover an important item and learn about his enemies, Wu Weiyang makes a night raid on the Twelve Linked Forts, contends with a mysterious master, and learns of the authorities' plans for the captured gang members. After this, Wu Weiyang and his men slip into Hangzhou, hoping to seize the Fengwei Gang's master sea-bottom register and disrupt the provincial capital in order to rebuild the gang. Zhuang Tianyou and the others have long been prepared and set heavy ambushes throughout Hangzhou. After a fierce battle, Wu Weiyang and his men are successfully captured. The Fengwei Gang never recovers, and its plan to rebuild collapses completely.

Editor's review

This book centers on Tiannan Yisou Wu Weiyang, leader of the Fengwei Gang, and recounts his flight, counterattack, and final downfall after the disastrous defeat at the Twelve Linked Forts—one of the more complete developments of a villain's perspective in Zheng Zhengyin's wuxia world. In two volumes, the first part covers the interception and warnings during his flight, the middle part his night raid on the Twelve Linked Forts and inquiries into the authorities' handling of the case, and the latter part his move on Hangzhou to seize the master sea-bottom register and attempt a rebuilding, ending with his capture in an ambush set by Zhuang Tianyou and others. The author does not make Wu Weiyang a mere villain; through his search for the item, probing of enemies, and efforts to rebuild the gang, he presents a would-be warlord's calculations and struggles in defeat, giving the villain depth. Beyond the fighting, scenes such as the Shuiyun Lodge clash, the night raid and maneuvering, and the Hangzhou ambush each have their own focus, with attack and defense shifting as the characters' circumstances change, giving the reading a sense of strategic calculation. The two-volume structure suits continuous reading, making it easier to grasp the full arc of the Fengwei Gang's decline from prosperity.

Who it's for

A good fit for

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Reading tips

  1. Read the two volumes in order: first the flight and night raid, then the Hangzhou ambush, to feel more fully Wu Weiyang's arc from struggle to downfall.
  2. As you read, note the motive behind each of Wu Weiyang's actions and connect the search for the item, the probing of enemies, and the seizing of the register into one line to see the author's layered portrayal of the villain.
  3. The Hangzhou ambush section has many characters; jot down Zhuang Tianyou's side's arrangements and compare them during the clash to understand the shifts between attack and defense.
  4. If you know the earlier books, compare the Fengwei Gang's momentum at the Twelve Linked Forts with its situation here to appreciate how the author writes the rise and fall of a faction.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 天南逸叟：鹰爪王外传
  3. 第一章 蕴机谋 脱身鲇鱼套
  4. 第二章 警顽强 三渡武维扬
  5. 第三章 搜秘册 夜探连环坞
  6. 第四章 青鱼港 开坛整帮威
  7. 第五章 逞强梁 乐清县犯狱
  8. 天南逸叟（续）
  9. 第六章 黑凤凰 情恋韩君瑞
  10. 第七章 刁四义 妒奸施辣手
  11. 第八章 柳四儿 倒反凤尾帮
  12. 第九章 庄天佑 大破青鱼港
  13. 第十章 武维扬 落网杭州城

FAQ

Why does Wu Weiyang's story take two volumes? Wu Weiyang's line of action is long, from flight and night raid to slipping into Hangzhou and final capture, involving many locations and many characters. Two volumes allow the interception during his flight, the Shuiyun Lodge clash, and the Hangzhou ambush to be developed, and give the villain's calculations and struggles enough space without compressing them into a single-volume episode.
Is Wu Weiyang a pure villain in the book? Not entirely. The author writes him searching for an important item, probing the authorities' plans, and plotting to rebuild the gang, showing both a would-be warlord's calculations and his unwillingness to accept defeat. The book does not simply make him an evildoer but presents his situation through concrete actions, leaving readers to judge the layers of his character.
What are the highlights of the Hangzhou section? The highlight is the contest of ambush and counter-ambush. Zhuang Tianyou and his side have long been prepared and set heavy ambushes in the city, while Wu Weiyang's side tries to seize the master register and disrupt the provincial capital. Their actions interlock; note how the author arranges positions and gaps in information to convey the shifting balance of attack and defense.
Do I need to know the Fengwei Gang's background before reading? Some familiarity helps. This book follows directly after the disastrous defeat at the grand gathering of heroes at Jingye Manor in the Twelve Linked Forts; the Fengwei Gang's situation and Wu Weiyang's old grudges with various parties all relate to it. If you have read the earlier books, the motives for flight and counterattack are easier to follow; if not, the book provides some explanation, and you can fill in as you read.

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About the author

Zheng Zhengyin Author · China · 1900–1960

Zheng Zhengyin (1900–1960), originally named Zheng Rupei and a native of Tianjin, was one of the "Five Masters of the Northern School" of old-style martial arts fiction in the Republican era. In his early years he studied Taijiquan under Xu Yusheng and was skilled with the nine-ring broadsword; he also served as martial-arts adviser to Bai Yu and ghostwrote the latter's Mu Ye Xiong Feng. From 1937 he devoted himself to writing wuxia fiction. His representative work is The Eagle-Claw King (Yingzhua Wang), in twenty-two volumes, and he also wrote the "Iron Lion King" series and Bashan Swordsman. Over his lifetime he produced more than eighty wuxia novels and was known as a writer of the "secret-society and martial-arts school." His works focus on sect and gang conflicts and on combat techniques, with meticulous attention to martial-arts moves, forming a distinctive path within Republican-era wuxia and influencing later writers of the genre.