Sword Without Sorrow
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Summary
At eighteen, Ouyang Kun, young master of Xiaoyao Manor, sets out into the martial world with his family heirloom, the Renying Sword. Wandering far and wide in search of the world's martial arts manuals, he befriends sworn brother Huang Qian, his father's adopted son Gongsun Dan, and Ding Aoyu of the same school. Along the way he champions justice and masters the world's most powerful energy—the art of Jianwu Shang. His life becomes entangled in a feud with the world's most evil gang, the Skull Gang, which is bound up with his family's hatred and his country's grievance. He passes through a treacherous martial world and the unpredictability of human affairs; the brother who fought at his side through life and death turns out to be his father's murderer—a bloodthirsty, ruthless villain who lingers at death's door... Facing trials of human nature and the ultimate challenge, he not only avenges his family and quells social turmoil, bringing peace to the world, but also comes to understand the truest meaning of Jianwu Shang.
Editor's review
This is a wuxia novel centered on growth in the martial world, with its core not in spectacular moves but in relationships and the collapse of trust. The author starts the protagonist as a young man traveling with his sword and layers brotherly bonds, sect loyalty, and family and national grievances until the twist that "the brother who was always at his side is actually his father's murderer," pushing the story from chivalrous adventure into a trial of human nature. "Sword Without Wound" is both a martial-arts premise and the book's spiritual theme: the strongest power ultimately returns to an understanding of killing and forgiveness. Readers will feel the skeleton of traditional wuxia—manuals, gangs, grudges, fortuitous encounters—but the author pushes harder on the dangers of the martial world and the unpredictability of life, letting readers see the cost of choices beyond thrilling revenge. It suits sustained reading on holidays or at night; the early section lays out relationships, the later section concentrates conflict, and at the turning point it is worth pausing to look back at earlier foreshadowing. For readers who like the traditional jianghu structure yet want to see human struggle, this book offers ample room for discussion.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers who enjoy traditional wuxia and value brotherly loyalty and family-grudge mainlines
- Readers of long stories who can accept complex relationships and many reversals
- Those who want to see trials of human nature and growth themes within a wuxia framework
- Readers with time for sustained reading who are willing to follow the protagonist through the whole jianghu journey
Not a good fit for
- Readers who prefer short, fast-paced works and do not want to invest in long character relationships
- Readers with no interest at all in jianghu grudges and gang conflicts
- Readers who want wuxia to be mainly light and humorous and avoid heavy choices
Reading tips
- First remember the scenes where Ouyang Kun, Huang Qian, Gongsun Dan, and Ding Aoyu first meet; going back at the later reversal will be more effective.
- Treat "Sword Without Wound" as a spiritual thread rather than just a martial art, and note how the protagonist's view of power changes after each battle.
- Pause when the brother's identity is revealed and sort out which earlier details foreshadowed trust and betrayal.
- Conflicts concentrate later in the book; read it in two or three sittings to avoid confusion from dense reversals.
Contents
- 版权信息
- （一）仗剑初出道
- （二）遭遇骷髅帮
- （三）血洗逍遥庄
- （四）葬礼坠山崖
- （五）绝境逢生机
- （六）山洞获秘籍
- （七）义军改国号
- （八）皇城话重逢
- （九）听闻家族史
- （十）清扫长安城
- （十一）拜师学圣招
- （十二）武都漫巫蛊
- （十三）少年伸援手
- （十四）群雄除恶霸
- （十五）缙云败神兽
- （十六）舍身灭炎魔
- （十七）汴梁解重围
- （十八）初赛首告捷
- （十九）惊险胜复赛
- （二十）五岳铲内奸
- （二十一）同心齐断金
- （二十二）兄弟并称雄
- （二十三）金钟罩魔化
- （二十四）武林卫大梁
- （二十五）遭遇墨离支
- （二十六）临危任盟主
- （二十七）老大现真身
- （二十八）激活神能量
- （二十九）麒麟胜穷奇
- （三十）黑洞屡历险
- （三十一）禁术斗疯狂
- （三十二）家仇得终了
- （三十三）智取少胜多
- （三十四）大败岳国军
- （三十五）远赴涉险途
- （ 三十六）计破鸿门宴
- （三十七）瓦解敌盟军
- （三十八）阿庭转战机
- （三十九）世界复安宁
- （ 四十）辗转求解药
- （四十一）药王除瘟疫
- （四十二）重识剑无殇
FAQ
I've never read a wuxia novel—can I start with this one?
Yes. The book begins with the protagonist setting out with his sword at eighteen, and relationships unfold gradually along the journey; it does not depend on prior books. However, there are many gangs and characters, so on a first read it helps to jot down names and relationships; the later reversals will then be easier to follow.
Is "Sword Without Wound" just the name of a martial art in the book?
Not entirely. It is both the martial-arts premise the protagonist masters and a vehicle for the book's inquiry into the nature of power. While reading, note how his circumstances and state of mind change each time he uses power; the ending's insight into the meaning of "Sword Without Wound" is where the book's theme lands.
Are there many reversals, and should I guard against spoilers?
The reversal about the brother's identity is one of the book's key turns; on a first read, it is best not to look at the ending or others' summaries first. The early section has many details of the characters' time together, precisely laying groundwork for the later collapse of trust, so reading in order gives the fuller experience.
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About the author
杨炅灵
Author
Yang Jiongling is an author about whom little public information is currently available. Only one work is known under this name, Sword Without Sorrow (Jian Wu Shang), which belongs to the wuxia novel genre. Because the relevant materials are scarce, nothing can be confirmed about the author's nationality, life experience or creative background, and any introduction must center on this single work. Judging from the title and the genre classification, Sword Without Sorrow is a wuxia-themed work, which gives readers a basic sense of Yang Jiongling's writing direction: a narrative set in a martial arts world of flashing blades, with the chivalry, grudges and weapon imagery common to wuxia fiction. With so little information about the author, it would be inappropriate to make excessive inferences about style or influence, but it can be confirmed that Yang Jiongling has come to readers' attention through Sword Without Sorrow, and that a fuller picture of this author's work remains to be revealed by more titles and materials.
