The Boundless Sword

A martial arts school that was established on the Boundless Mountain (Wu2 Liang4 Shan1 无量山) of Nanzhao (Nan2 Zhao4 南诏) during the short-lived Later Han empire (Hou4 Han4 后汉, 947 A.D. to 950 A.D.) in the Five-Dynasties period (Wu3 Dai4 五代, 907 A.D. to 960 A.D.). The leader of the school made his home in the Palace of the Lake of Swords, and left specific instructions that disallowed anyone -- including disciples and close acquaintances -- from wandering around the mountains behind the Palace (Chapter 1).

After the school split into three factions -- the East (Dong1 Zong1 东宗), the North (Bei3 Zong1 北宗) and the West (Xi1 Zong1 西宗) -- during the reign of Song Renzong, the Benevolent Ancestor of Song (Song4 Ren2 Zong1 宋仁宗, 1022 A.D. to 1063 A.D.), the students of the factions would meet once every five years at the Palace of the Lake of Swords for a competition of martial arts and swordplay. The winning faction would then be able to occupy the palace for the next five years. Each competition consisted of five rounds of sword-fights, in which the winner of three of these rounds would be named the final victor (Chapter 1).

[Note: Song Renzong was also known as Mingxiao, the Emperor of Brilliant Piety 明孝皇帝, Zhao Zhen 赵祯].

Decades earlier, the northern faction had occupied the Palace of the Lake of Swords after winning the competition, only to be defeated five years later. Furious, the leader of the northern faction led his disciples all the way to Shanxi (Shan1 Xi1 山西) and never returned for another fight. In addition, he did not stay in contact with the leaders of the other two factions. In the decades that ensued, the eastern faction had won the competition four times, while the western one did so thrice (Chapter 1).

Disciples of the eastern faction, which was led by Zuo Zimu, included:

• Gan Guanghao 干光豪 - senior disciple of Zuo Zimu, together with Gong Guangjie (Chapter 1). Eloped with a female peer by the surname of Ge from the western faction (Chapter 2). Killed together with Ge Guangpei (the female peer who had become his wife) by Mu Wanqing when they tried to silence Duan Yu (Chapter 3). Described by Yu Guangbiao as a lazy man who was not diligent in practising his swordplay, but lecherous enough to have some success in deceiving young women with sweet talk. Yu also did not believe that Gan could escape from Holy Emissary Fu, given his comparatively weak martial arts skills, so Yu concluded that Gan (and Ge Guangpei) had been reduced to a pool of pus and blood by the Poisonous Bovine Vermillion Toad. Qian Guangsheng offered a different theory for the disappearance of Gan and Ge: that both of them had fallen into a ravine to their deaths in a fit of passion (Chapter 5).
• Gong Guangjie 龚光杰 - middle-aged man; defeated Zhu of the West during the inter-faction martial arts and swordplay competition. Sent by Zuo Zimu to challenge Duan Yu because the latter had laughed at him (Gong) earlier. Senior disciple of Zuo Zimu, together with Gan Guanghao. Died after touching a letter from the Society of Divine Farmers that was laced with poison (Chapter 1).
• Qian Guangsheng 钱光胜 - instructed by Xin Shuangqing to take Duan Yu down the cliff, as ordered by Holy Emissary Fu from the Palace of the Gifted Vulture. In the 2nd edition, this man was named Wu Guangsheng 吴光胜. Viewed the control of the Palace of the Gifted Vulture over The Boundless Sword as a mix of the good and bad; although the organisation had lost its freedom, it had gained a powerful protector in return. Could not accept Xin Shuangqing as the leader of the new 'Boundless Cave' because the western faction of The Boundless Sword had always been weaker than the eastern one. Had never been particularly quick-witted. Became completely incapacitated after all his internal strength was absorbed by Duan Yu (Chapter 5).
• Rong Ziju 容子矩 - Zuo Zimu's younger brother-at-arms; not as good as Zuo in martial arts skills but certainly far better than Gong Guangjie. Died after the Society of Divine Farmers used a poisonous liquid to leave a message on his chest for The Boundless Sword (Chapter 1).
• Shen, Uncle 沈师伯 - older uncle-at-arms of Gan Guanghao and his peers; saw the silhouettes of the Sword Deities on the Boundless Jade Wall when he was young (Chapter 2).
• Tang, Older Brother 唐师哥 - an older brother-at-arms from whom Qian Guangsheng heard the the Palace of the Gifted Vulture occupied The Boundless Sword because of the Boundless Jade Wall (Chapter 5). Seized by Mrs Wang from the Highland Manor of Camellias; buried alive by Wang's maidservant at the foot of the Building of the Red and Rosy Clouds simply because his Song-territory hometown was within 500 li (250 km) of Dali City. While he was named as 'Tang Guangxiong' 唐光雄 in the 2nd edition, he remained simply as 'the one surnamed Tang' 姓唐的 in the 3rd edition (Chapter 12).
• Wu Guangsheng 吴光胜 - see Qian Guangsheng.
• Yu Guangbiao 郁光标 - instructed by Xin Shuangqing to take Duan Yu down the cliff, as ordered by Holy Emissary Fu from the Palace of the Gifted Vulture. Older brother-at-arms of Qian Guangsheng. Became completely incapacitated after all his internal strength was absorbed by Duan Yu (Chapter 5).

Disciples of the western faction, which was led by Xin Shuangqing, included:

• Ge Guangpei 葛光佩 - young woman; eloped with Gan Guanghao from the eastern faction (Chapter 2, surname only). Had a few white pox-like spots on her left cheek. Killed together with Gan Guanghao (who had become her husband) by Mu Wanqing when they tried to silence Duan Yu (Chapter 3, named in full).
• Zhu 诸 - young man; lost to Gong Guangjie of the East during the inter-faction martial arts and swordplay competition (Chapter 1).

The Boundless Sword was renamed 'The Boundless Cave' (Wu2 Liang4 Dong4 无量洞) after it accepted the sovereignty of the Palace of the Gifted Vulture and became its vassal entity (Chapter 5).