The First Family of the Martial World

Name: The First Family of the Martial World
ISBN: 9787539617633

金童Anhui Literature and Art Publishing House · ChinaJan 2023

3.2

Word count: 441K words
Chapters: 25
ISBN: 9787539617633

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Summary

Luo Cheng, a youth of upright and honorable character, moves Heaven with his filial devotion. To cure his mother's terminal illness, he seeks help from the mysterious underworld figure known as "Mr. Three Rings." But Mr. Three Rings, a master schemer, is setting a vast and sinister trap for Luo Cheng—framing him, planting false evidence, and seeking to ruin his reputation and drive him to self-destruction. Defying his relatives' and friends' desperate pleas and his fiancée's heartbroken departure, Luo Cheng resolutely sets out for the perilous, forbidden domain of the Tianxing Palace to obtain a miracle cure. There he is ambushed and hunted by the Three Leagues and Eight Sects of the martial world, plunging into crisis after crisis amid raging fire, falling boulders, and bloodshed… Facing death at every turn, Luo Cheng masters the supreme martial art of the "Myriad Phenomena Mind Method" and enters a spectacular, savage contest and slaughter against the demonic cult, defeating the chief villain, turning peril into safety, and winning several kindred spirits among the fairer sex—weathering storm after storm of shifting, unpredictable love.

Editor's review

"The First Family of the Martial World" is a highly representative full-length wuxia novel by the renowned martial-arts writer Jin Tong (real name Zhang Menghuan). This work was widely popular when serialized in Hong Kong's Ming Pao in the 1960s and 1970s, and was later collected into volumes, becoming an important milestone in Jin Tong's wuxia career. Set against a grand martial-world backdrop, the novel tells the legendary story of the Nangong clan—"the first family of the martial world"—amid intricate martial strife, the rise and fall of the clan, and personal loves and enmities. Jin Tong's wuxia writing is deeply influenced by Huanzhulouzhu, with a gorgeous and extraordinary style, unrestrained imagination, and at the same time a solid sense of history and delicate character portrayal. In this book he not only constructs a magnificent martial-arts system and world of Jianghu grudges, but also probes deeply into the profound contradiction and unity among family honor, personal destiny, and the chivalric spirit. Reading "The First Family of the Martial World," readers can not only enjoy the exhilarating satisfaction of traditional wuxia fiction—swift gratifications and repeated wondrous encounters—but also savor the author's deep reflections on human nature, ethics, and Jianghu morality. For veteran wuxia fans, this is a classic work that evokes deep nostalgia for the golden age of wuxia; for new readers, it is an excellent window into Jin Tong's unique wuxia aesthetic and the new-school wuxia landscape of mid-twentieth-century Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Veteran fans of traditional wuxia fiction, especially readers partial to the Hong Kong–Taiwan new-school wuxia style
Literary researchers or enthusiasts interested in the history of wuxia literature and hoping to learn about a representative work by Jin Tong (Zhang Menghuan)
Readers who enjoy family epics, the ups and downs of fate, and stories of complex character relationships
Readers seeking, beyond flashing blades and flying swords, to appreciate human depth and the meaning of chivalry

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking extremely fast pacing and web-novel-style gratification, lacking patience for a more classical style and buildup
Readers with no interest in traditional wuxia setups (such as sects, clans, and contests over secret manuals)

Reading tips

Read it as a wuxia family epic, following the flow of fate and the shifts in Jianghu standing of several generations of the Nangong clan
Pay attention to the author Jin Tong's descriptions of martial techniques and their moods, appreciating the imaginative martial world he builds under the influence of Huanzhulouzhu
As you read, consider the glory, responsibility, and shackles borne by the title "the first family of the martial world," and its profound influence on the choices of the characters

About the publisher

Anhui Literature and Art Publishing House China · Founded in 1984

Founded in 1984, Anhui Literature and Art Publishing House is a professional literary and art publisher. Its collection of 389 titles spans classic works, essays and miscellaneous writings, Eastern philosophy, folk literature, classical literature and design. Representative books include Lao She's Camel Xiangzi, Laozi's Dao De Jing, Luo Guanzhong's Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and the Shakespeare drama collection featuring Hamlet, King Lear, Macbeth and Othello, with Zhu Shenghao's translations adding luster to the series. Its author resources range from classic Chinese and foreign writers such as Lao She, Laozi, Luo Guanzhong and William Shakespeare to translators and authors including Zhu Shenghao, Li Chensen and Liang Sicheng. The publisher is characterized by its balance of Chinese and foreign literary classics with traditional culture titles, combining scholarly value with popular reading. Public information is limited, and the above is based mainly on the books in the collection.

版权信息
第一章三个圆圈
第二章法眼无双
第三章鞭下丧命七高手
第四章悟通神功丧敌胆
第五章花言巧语藏毒计
第六章独坐小楼娇容瘦
第七章天下第一帮
第八章急现天星旗
第九章预卜先知
第十章巫山得真经
第十一章一柱擎天
第十二章舌灿莲花起风云
第十三章夜盗续命散
第十四章英雄重逢
第十五章重九之约
第十六章天星蒙尘
第十七章枭雄远扬
第十八章鲤鱼奇阵
第十九章血战太行山
第二十章人蛇大战
第二十一章藏宝成灰
第二十二章烈火飞血
第二十三章血战钓魂堡
第二十四章敌踪渺渺

FAQ

Who is Jin Tong, the author of "The First Family of the Martial World"?

Jin Tong is the pen name of Zhang Menghuan, a famous wuxia novelist. He was one of the important Hong Kong wuxia writers of the mid-to-late twentieth century, serializing works in newspapers around the same time as masters such as Jin Yong and Liang Yusheng. His style is strange, bold, and gorgeous. His representative works include "The First Family of the Martial World" and "Record of the Sunken Sword and Flying Dragon," among others.

What is the story of this book mainly about?

Centered on the Nangong clan, "the first family of the martial world," the novel recounts the countless challenges, conspiracies, betrayals, and bonds of loyalty and passion it experiences in maintaining its lofty standing in Jianghu. The story contains both thrilling martial conflicts and wondrous encounters, and profoundly depicts the loves and enmities within the clan and the growth and transformation of its main characters.

What are the literary value and characteristics of this book?

This book is a concentrated expression of Jin Tong's wuxia aesthetic. Its value lies in combining unrestrained fantasy with solid knowledge of Jianghu ways and human relationships. Its literary characteristics include a grandly structured family-and-Jianghu history, gorgeous and detailed descriptions of martial scenes, deep reflection on the traditional chivalric spirit, and a narrative style with a classical flavor, giving it a unique place in the history of wuxia literature.

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About the author

金童 Author

Jin Tong is a Chinese author known for wuxia (martial arts) fiction. Reliable public information about the author's real name, dates of birth and death, nationality, and educational background remains limited and awaits further verification. Judging from the three works held in the collection—The Foremost Family in the Martial World (Wulin Di Yi Jia), Loyal Heart and Fair Lady (Chidan Hongyan), and The Divine Dragon Swordswoman (Shenlong Jiannü)—Jin Tong's writing centers on traditional wuxia themes. The titles feature typical martial-arts imagery such as the martial world, fair ladies, and swordswomen, suggesting an interest in Jianghu conflicts, chivalric love and hatred, and female knight-errant figures. Although the number of works is small, they show a clear orientation toward genre writing and have gained a degree of recognition among wuxia readers. Because of the lack of author statements and external reviews, the specific features of the writing style and the full course of the author's creative development are difficult to outline completely; nonetheless, the works can be understood within the popular reading tradition of Chinese wuxia fiction.