Kunlun Sword (Part 1)

Zheng ZhengyinJun 2025

Rating 3.6
Word count
86K words
Chapters
7

Tags

Martial Arts Fiction Classic WuxiaRescue MissionJianghu FeudInfiltrationHeroismQinggong and Hidden WeaponsSect DisciplesScheming FramingChivalrous SpiritSuspenseful Plot

Summary

Kunlun Sect disciples Huo Yuankai, Liu Hong, and others break into Lanzhou by night to rescue Sima Ziqian, who has been framed by General Ningyuan, Yuchang. On the way they are provoked by the Two Clowns of the Snow Mountain; Cui Wenpei pits his qinggong and hidden weapons against them, and a mysterious Iron Tiefu Token unexpectedly resolves the crisis. The group reaches Lanzhou and finds the city surrounded by government troops, with the garrison commander's yamen heavily guarded. Wei Tianmin, the Flying Grass, launches a surprise attack and then flees. The group infiltrates the yamen to rescue Sima Ziqian. Can Sima Ziqian escape danger? Will the Two Clowns of the Snow Mountain stir up trouble again? How will the contest between the Kunlun Sect and Yuchang's forces unfold?

Editor's review

As the opening installment of the series, this volume lays out the characters, feuds, and suspense all at once: Kunlun Sect disciples break into Lanzhou by night to rescue Sima Ziqian, are first provoked by the Two Clowns of the Snow Mountain on the way, Cui Wenpei counters with qinggong and hidden weapons, a mysterious Iron Tiefu Token arrives in time to resolve the crisis, and the group then reaches Lanzhou, finds the city surrounded by government troops, and infiltrates the heavily guarded garrison commander's yamen. Zheng Zhengyin's method emphasizes forward motion through action: enemies are met along the way, and information emerges through the fights, so readers can keep up without first memorizing a large body of setting. The origins of the Tiefu Token, the mysterious figure's allegiance, and the purpose behind Wei Tianmin the Flying Grass's surprise attack and flight are all hooks planted for later. Whether Sima Ziqian can escape danger and whether the Two Clowns of the Snow Mountain will stir up trouble again form the double suspense that closes this volume. It works as an entry sample of old-school wuxia, showing how the author sustains tension through short paragraphs and dialogue; it also suits readers who have read later installments and are going back to fill in what came before, re-identifying where the foreshadowing lands.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Not a good fit for

Reading tips

  1. When starting, first remember the names and roles of the Kunlun Sect disciples so they don't get confused during later melees.
  2. Mark where the Tiefu Token appears and revisit it after finishing this volume to sort out the clues about the mysterious figure.
  3. The passage where Cui Wenpei pits qinggong and hidden weapons against the Two Clowns of the Snow Mountain can be read slowly to appreciate how old-school wuxia writes combat moves.
  4. After finishing this volume, don't rush to judgment; treat whether Sima Ziqian can escape danger and what the Two Clowns of the Snow Mountain will do next as motivation to keep reading.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 第一章 义救忠良，三侠邀援寻旧友
  3. 第二章 防仇备战，银丸巧打满天星
  4. 第三章 雪山二丑，午夜探庄试身手
  5. 第四章 逞强较技，铁蚨一击警双魔
  6. 第五章 法谕再颁，联袂轻舟挥义剑
  7. 第六章 网罗密布，金刀宝刃闯兰州

FAQ

Is this volume a complete story or the beginning of a serial? It is the beginning of a serial. This volume sets the rescue of Sima Ziqian in motion; the group reaches Lanzhou and infiltrates the garrison commander's yamen, but whether Sima Ziqian can escape danger and whether the Two Clowns of the Snow Mountain will stir up trouble again are left for later. Reading it is more like watching the first segment of a feature film: the characters and suspense have just been laid out, so it suits readers who plan to continue.
What role does the Tiefu Token play in the story? According to the synopsis, when Cui Wenpei pits qinggong and hidden weapons against the Two Clowns of the Snow Mountain, a mysterious Iron Tiefu Token resolves the crisis. In this volume it is a key turning-point object that lets the group shift from reacting passively to getting away. The token's holder and origins are not explained; this is a suspense the author deliberately leaves, and readers can connect it with later clues about mysterious figures offering secret aid.
Can I read this if I haven't read other works by Zheng Zhengyin? Yes. This is volume 1 of the series; the characters and feuds are laid out starting here and do not depend on prior events from other works. Zheng Zhengyin's old-school wuxia language is fairly literary, with a lot of action description and fast-moving paragraphs. If it feels hard at first, follow the fight scenes and don't parse every sentence; once you've found the rhythm, go back and look closely at the information in the dialogue.
What does it mean that Wei Tianmin the Flying Grass launches a surprise attack and then flees? The synopsis only says he attacks by surprise and then flees; it does not explain his motive or where he goes. In terms of plot function, this surprise attack makes the group realize there are enemies both inside and outside the yamen, and it also leaves Wei Tianmin as a character who may reappear later. Why he attacks and then immediately leaves, and what relation he has to the garrison commander's yamen, are not resolved in this volume; readers must see how the author arranges it in later plot.

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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.