The Legend of the Released Blade

The Legend of the Released Blade is a long wuxia-xianxia novel by the web author Aurora North, serialized on Zongheng Chinese Network. It runs to 422 chapters and is complete. Set against the fall of the state of Jin, the capture of its capital Shangling by the Dagan army of the state of Jiang, and the death of Emperor Qianhua of Jin for his country, the story follows the surviving prince Lu Fei, who finds a mysterious weapon called the Released Blade amid the ruins, setting off a martial-world feud centered on the blade. The protagonist, Lu Li, is drawn into it against his will after encountering the Released Blade—the man harbors a secret, and so does the blade. The author unfolds the narrative in six volumes titled after lines from the I Ching, such as "The Hidden Dragon Does Not Act" and "The Dragon Appears in the Field," weaving traditional wuxia elements—armored armies, sieges and defenses of cities, duels of martial arts—with xianxia-tinged lore such as the legend of the Released Blade and the lineage of the Blade Saint, forming a tale of martial-world grudges and political intrigue within a historical romance framework. Told in chapter form, with titles like "Autumn Rain," "Master Xu of the North City," "Red Sleeves Add Fragrance," "Questions and Answers," and "The Might of the Released Blade," it balances tension and repose, closing with the chapter "Stabbing Xu," which delivers the final revelation of the blade's secret. Its style is that of traditional wuxia in a serious dramatic register, attentive to character relationships and planted foreshadowing, suited to readers who love classical wuxia storytelling of "one blade, one man, one whole martial world."