The Curved Sword
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Summary
Fang Yuncheng (Iron-Faced Bodhisattva), master of Iron Fan Manor in Shandong, has agreed to a mid-autumn duel with the Shaolin monk Jingchen, whose old palm wound from three years ago has worsened. To prepare for the danger, he takes in the destitute youth Yang Zhenyuan as a disciple and teaches him Taiji Palm, the Thirteen Wondrous Sword Strokes, and the exclusive Arc Blade technique. Meanwhile, Fang's son Fang Jianxiong returns from Liaodong and bears a misunderstanding-based grudge against Yang Zhenyuan, while Fang's concubine Hu and the accompanying martial instructor Zhang Yu secretly plot trouble. On the eve of mid-autumn, Jingchen arrives with his junior brother Juechen and eminent Shaolin monks seeking vengeance, abducting Fang Jianxiong and Fang Yuncheng's daughter Fang Huizhen; Yang Zhenyuan repeatedly risks himself to rescue them. Fang Yuncheng tracks the matter to Mount Song, stumbles into Hidden Dragon Manor of the great bandit leader Iron Flying Dragon Jiao Zhaoqing, and is surrounded.
Editor's review
The Arc Blade is one of Zheng Zhengyin's more representative wuxia works. The story begins at Iron Fan Manor in Shandong and unfolds around the three-year pact between Fang Yuncheng and the Shaolin monk Jingchen, advancing layer by layer from taking a disciple and transmitting skills to the mid-autumn vengeance and then to the predicament at Hidden Dragon Manor on Mount Song, with tight pacing and mounting suspense. The descriptions of Taiji Palm, the Thirteen Wondrous Sword Strokes, and the exclusive Arc Blade technique reflect the author's solid grounding in martial detail, with moves echoing the characters' personalities and circumstances. The character relationships are intricate: Fang Jianxiong's misunderstanding and the secret trouble stirred up by Hu and Zhang Yu interweave internal family conflict with external feuds, heightening the narrative tension. As a reissue of a public-domain old-school wuxia novel, this book suits readers interested in the trajectory of Republican-era wuxia and serves as an introductory work for understanding Zheng Zhengyin's "martial-combat wuxia" style. Readers may wish to note how the author uses fight scenes to drive the plot and uses sect feuds to reflect human affairs, appreciating the narrative pleasures of old-school wuxia beyond the thrill of vengeance.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers who enjoy Republican-era old-school wuxia and want to understand Zheng Zhengyin's martial-combat style
- Readers interested in detailed descriptions of traditional martial techniques and themes of sect feuds
- Readers of popular fiction who like interwoven multi-thread character relationships and revenge suspense
- Collectors who wish to supplement their wuxia reading lineage with public-domain reissues
Not a good fit for
- Readers who prefer modern, fast-paced web wuxia with strong reversals
- Readers impatient with the narrative manner and historical background of old-school novels
- Readers expecting romance or light comedy elements
Reading tips
- First sort out the three-way relationship among Fang Yuncheng, Jingchen, and Yang Zhenyuan, then enter the mid-autumn vengeance main line; reading will be smoother.
- Slow down at fight passages and note the correspondence between technique names and the characters' circumstances.
- Annotate the misunderstanding between Fang Jianxiong and Yang Zhenyuan to better grasp how internal family conflict drives the plot.
- After finishing the Hidden Dragon Manor section on Mount Song, look back at earlier foreshadowing to better appreciate the author's careful plotting.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 弧形剑
- 第一章 铁扇庄掌震少林僧
- 第二章 方云程义收良善子
- 第三章 救师妹杨振远涉嫌
- 第四章 惨别离义传弧形剑
- 第五章 义侠儿临危偏遇救
- 弧形剑（续集）
- 第一章 双小被劫，铁扇庄凶僧施辣手
- 第二章 跟踪蹑迹，走荒山午夜获敌踪
- 第三章 双小脱困，宿野店父女喜相逢
- 第四章 夜入嵩山，方云程误闯隐龙庄
- 第五章 父子被困，太极掌力战少林僧
- 第六章 玉石俱焚，老方丈铁掌降群丑
FAQ
I haven't read other works by Zheng Zhengyin. Can I read this one directly?
Yes. The story is relatively self-contained; the main characters and feud threads are established at the outset, and it does not depend on prior works. First-time readers of Zheng Zhengyin can treat it as a sample of his martial-combat wuxia style, noting how the martial descriptions work with the character relationships.
Are there many fight descriptions, and will it be hard to read?
There are many fight scenes, with dense technique and sect names, which is characteristic of old-school martial-combat wuxia. If unfamiliar at first, grasp the main line of who fights whom and why; there is no need to scrutinize every move, and you will gradually adapt to the author's narrative rhythm.
Is it suitable as extracurricular reading for middle school students?
It can serve as extended reading for interested junior and senior high students, but the book involves revenge, sect strife, and internal family plotting, so it is better attempted by those with some reading patience. Parents or teachers can guide attention to characters' choices and consequences rather than only the fight scenes.
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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.
