The Phantom Sword and the Spirit Banner (Complete)

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

3.6

Word count: 326K words
Chapters: 16

Summary

This book is a companion volume to "Sword Net and Dusty Threads." It tells how "Jianghu vagabond" Qi Leming reforms from evil. Resentful that his father favors his senior fellow disciple Wei Chenggang, and at odds with his wife Zhuang Yingnan, who comes from a distinguished family, Qi Leming increasingly indulges in wine and women until husband and wife turn against each other and he leaves home. In a fight with the Five Elders of Wudang he is gravely wounded. Rescued by "Silver Fox," who comes from an evil sect, he hides in the wilderness for more than ten years before recovering his martial arts. His wife remarries Chu Jinsong, a hero of Yangzhou. Qi seeks revenge on Chu and intends harm to Wei Chenggang's son Wei Tianyuan. But he is ultimately moved by his own daughter Qi Shuyu and finally joins forces with Wei Tianyuan to destroy the poison-making apparatus of the imperial guard commander and the drug lord, the master of Baitou Mountain.

Editor's review

As a companion volume to "Sword Net and Dusty Threads," "Phantom Sword and Spirit Banner" shifts its focus from Wei Tianyuan's revenge to the reform of "Jianghu vagabond" Qi Leming. Resentful that his father favors his senior fellow disciple and estranged from his wife Zhuang Yingnan, Qi Leming sinks into wine and women; after a grave injury he is rescued by "Silver Fox" of an evil sect, hides for over a decade, and returns seeking revenge on Zhuang Yingnan, who has remarried, and her new husband Chu Jinsong, involving Wei Tianyuan as well. He is ultimately moved by his own daughter Qi Shuyu and joins forces with Wei Tianyuan to destroy the poison-making apparatus of the imperial guard commander and the master of Baitou Mountain. The book's appeal lies in the psychological turn of the "prodigal's return" and the redemptive power of father-daughter affection; Liang Yusheng writes Qi Leming's obsession and remorse with considerable nuance, and the line between good and evil is somewhat blurred by Silver Fox's evil-sect origins. The final joint victory carries Liang Yusheng's customary patriotic feeling. It suits readers who have read "Sword Net and Dusty Threads" and want to see the characters' later stories, and can also serve as a sample of Liang Yusheng's "in-between characters."

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who have read "Sword Net and Dusty Threads" and want to follow the characters' later stories
Traditional wuxia readers interested in the prodigal's return and father-daughter redemption
Readers who enjoy Liang Yusheng's patriotic themes and the trope of good and evil joining forces
Researchers interested in Liang Yusheng's later character portrayal and his "in-between characters"

Not a good fit for

Readers who have not read the companion volume and hope to read this as a standalone
Readers who prefer pure good-versus-evil opposition and do not accept villain-redemption narratives
Readers impatient with the slow buildup of a decade in hiding followed by a comeback for revenge

Reading tips

Be sure to read "Sword Net and Dusty Threads" first, or the background of the feud among Qi Leming, Wei Chenggang, and Wei Tianyuan will be hard to understand.
Focus on the father-daughter scenes between Qi Leming and Qi Shuyu; they are the emotional core of the book's turning point.
Note how Silver Fox's evil-sect origins affect Qi Leming's stance, to appreciate Liang Yusheng's handling of the boundary between good and evil.
Compare the final destruction of the poison apparatus with the wedding-hall abduction in "Sword Net and Dusty Threads" to see how the two books close their character lines.

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.

上册第一回花落水流几番离合丝连藕断难说恩仇
第二回怨气易消芳心难测武功虽失侠骨犹存1
第二回怨气易消芳心难测武功虽失侠骨犹存2
第三回欺世盗名假真莫辨舍身毙敌玉石俱焚
第四回境换情移空怀旧侣人亡物在相对无言
第五回谣诼纷纭问谁能解世途艰险岂得无愁
第六回好戏连场灵堂混战玲珑布局妙手解危1
第六回好戏连场灵堂混战玲珑布局妙手解危2
下册第七回纷乱残棋难防情变氤氲迷雾另有病因
第八回追究祸因变生肘腋难开心锁泪湿罗衣1
第八回追究祸因变生肘腋难开心锁泪湿罗衣2
第九回误会重重双雄决斗危机处处外祸齐来
第十回力歼奸徒冰台决斗惊闻叛乱大漠驰援
第十一回劫后重逢现身幽谷孽由自作曳尾泥涂1
第十一回劫后重逢现身幽谷孽由自作曳尾泥涂2
第十二回解脱尘丝仗他幻剑擘开世网奉我灵旗

FAQ

Must I read "Sword Net and Dusty Threads" before reading this?

It is advisable. This is a companion volume; the feud among Qi Leming, Wei Chenggang, and Wei Tianyuan, and Zhuang Yingnan's remarriage to Chu Jinsong, all originate in "Sword Net and Dusty Threads." Without the earlier book you can follow the main line, but the characters' motives and relationships will seem abrupt.

Is Qi Leming a villain or a positive character?

He is closer to an "in-between character." He sinks into wine and women out of family resentment and seeks revenge after his injury—there is a dark side to his actions; but Liang Yusheng writes him being moved by his daughter Qi Shuyu and finally joining forces with Wei Tianyuan to defeat the enemy, completing the prodigal's return. Note the layers of his obsession and remorse rather than simply labeling him a villain.

What is Silver Fox's background?

The book establishes that Silver Fox comes from an evil sect, rescues the gravely wounded Qi Leming, and helps him hide in the wilderness for over a decade to recover his martial arts. Her evil-sect background makes Qi Leming's stance more complex and is one expression of the book's less sharply drawn line between good and evil; see the relevant passages for details.

How does the book end?

Qi Leming is moved by his daughter Qi Shuyu and joins forces with Wei Tianyuan to destroy the poison-making apparatus set up by the imperial guard commander and the drug lord, the master of Baitou Mountain. The ending carries Liang Yusheng's customary patriotic feeling and also closes the two character lines of the companion volumes.

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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.