The Smiling Proud Wanderer (笑傲江湖), by Jin Yong (Louis Cha, 金庸).
Audiobook in Chinese, read by Zhong WeiWei.
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The Smiling, Proud Wanderer is a wuxia novel by Jin Yong (Louis Cha). It was first serialised in Hong Kong in the newspaper Ming Pao from 20 April 1967 to 12 October 1969. The Chinese title of the novel, Xiao Ao Jiang Hu, literally means to live a carefree life in a mundane world of strife. Alternate English translations of the title include The Wandering Swordsman, Laughing in the Wind, The Peerless Gallant Errant, and The Proud and Gallant Wanderer. Another alternative title, State of Divinity, is used for some of the novels adaptations.
The plots initial development revolves around a coveted martial arts manual known as the "Bixie Swordplay Manual". The manual is an heirloom of the Lin family, who run the Fuwei Escort Agency, a private security service, in Fuzhou. Yu Canghai, the leader of the Qingcheng Sect, leads his followers to massacre the Lins and attempts to seize the manual for himself, but does not find it. Lin Pingzhi, the sole survivor from the Lin family, is saved by Yue Buqun, the head of the Mount Hua Sect, which is a member of the Five Mountains Sword Sects Alliance. Yue Buqun accepts Lin Pingzhi as an apprentice and trains him in swordplay.
The novels protagonist is Yue Buquns most senior apprentice, Linghu Chong, an orphaned, happy-go-lucky but honourable swordsman who has a penchant for alcoholic drinks. He befriends the notorious bandit Tian Boguang and saves Yilin, a nun from the (North) Mount Heng Sect, from Tians lecherous advances. In the meantime, Liu Zhengfeng of the (South) Mount Heng Sect announces his decision to leave the jianghu (martial artists community) and invites his fellow martial artists to witness his retirement ceremony. The event turns into a bloodbath when Zuo Lengshan, the chief of the Mount Song Sect, and other orthodox sects accuse Liu Zhengfeng of being unfaithful to their code by befriending Qu Yang, an elder of the "evil" Sun Moon Holy Cult. Liu and Qu are cornered by Zuo and his men and eventually commit suicide. Before dying, Liu and Qu give Linghu Chong the score of Xiaoao Jianghu, a musical piece they composed together.
Lin Pingzhis entrance into the Mount Hua Sect causes Linghu Chong to lose his romantic feelings for Yue Lingshan, Yue Buquns daughter, because she starts falling in love with Lin. Linghu Chongs association with unorthodox jianghu figures leads him into trouble; Yue Buqun punishes him by making him stay alone for a year in a secluded area on Mount Hua to reflect on his "misdeeds". He discovers carvings of swordplay techniques in a cave, practises them, and unknowingly familiarises himself with not only the skills of the other four sword sects, but also the counter-moves. He encounters Feng Qingyang, an elderly Mount Hua Sect swordsman, who teaches him the formidable skill "Nine Swords of Dugu".
The self-proclaimed righteous Five Mountains Sword Sects Alliance, though seemingly united, is constantly troubled by politicking among its members. Linghu Chong gets entangled in the internal conflict and ends up seriously injured while using his newly mastered skill to save his Mount Hua Sect fellows from attacks by Mount Song Sect members in disguise. Yue Buqun grows suspicious of Linghu Chong.