In "The Swordsman", Linghu Chong had two "confinements". Once he was punished by his master to think about his mistakes on the cliffs of Huashan Mountain, and once he was half-actively and half-deceived into his good brother Xiang Wentian's rescue of the Sun and Moon God. The dir

Yan Liyuan

In "The Swordsman", Linghu Chong had two "confinements". Once he was punished by his master to think about his mistakes on the cliffs of Huashan Mountain, and once he was half-actively and half-deceived into the good brothers Wentian rescued the former teaching director of the Sun Moon God Sect and was imprisoned at the bottom of the West Lake for several months. These two "confinements" had a mixed significance to Linghu Chong's life. The first time he lost the heart of his childhood sweetheart in the loneliness on the top of the cliff, but he learned from Feng Qingyang how to walk with courage in the future. The Dugu Nine Swords of Jianghu. The second time he sat through the prison, he also learned the magic of absorbing stars and healed his internal injuries.

The period between these two "confinements" can be said to be the darkest passage for Linghu Chong in the book. He was seriously injured, suffered repeated changes, was also jealous of his relatives, and was extremely frustrated. But looking back, we will also find that this is an important part of Linghu Chong's "growth". The second "confinement" was a turning point. When Linghu Chong came out of confinement, he broke away from the famous religious order and identity baggage that restricted him in the past, and became a little proud of the world.

"Confinement" on the cliff, "self-deception" below the cliff

Linghu Chong was "confinement" by his master Yue Buqun for the first time, and he also brought a question to think about: In the future, when he sees people in the demon sect, will he hate evil as much as hatred and kill him? No forgiveness?

Yue Buqun said: "This matter is related to a major link in your future settlement and livelihood... There is no ambiguity in this." Although he is a hypocrite, this is the truth. He knows how to "settlement and livelihood" best. At that time, the division between good and evil in the world was just like the dispute between the Huashan Sword Sect and the Qizong line in the old days. The issue of stance was above all else. Therefore, although Yue Buqun still talks about "arrogance", "arbitrary nonsense" and other reasons for punishing Linghu Chong to face the wall, "the indistinguishability of good from evil" is actually the most essential problem. After all, Yue Buqun sincerely trained him as his successor at that time. If the future successor of the Huashan Sect is not firm, how will Huashan get along with itself in the decent martial arts world in the future?

Linghu Chong's unsteady stance is related to his experience at the foot of the mountain. Liu ZhengfengThe events that happened before and after "washing hands in the golden basin" were the first time that his worldview was impacted. The friendship between Liu Zhengfeng and Quyang is enviable. They seem to be really of noble character and do not care about the "distinction between good and evil" that is regarded as the golden rule by their masters. What's more, Qu Yang saved his life. And the character of Fei Bin from Songshan School is really disgusting. How can he have any kind of upright demeanor from a famous family?

But he quickly refirmed his position on the cliff of thinking. After all, he had been exposed to the master's logic since he was a child: Are the tragic things that the master's seniors told about the evil done by the demon are still false? Is it true that the demon sect Qu Yang's ancestors and grandsons saved him after he went down the mountain this time? As a hostile force, they must have ulterior motives.

Linghu Chong used the rigid logic of friend and foe to overcome his perceptual experience, but the abstract opposition between good and evil is, after all, a man-made order. It will inevitably shake or even collapse when it encounters reality. Such things will happen again and again in the future. In the end, Linghu Chong will escape from the logic of power struggle between ourselves and the enemy. People like him cannot be enveloped in concepts for their entire lives.

The second major event on the cliff is the junior sister's "change of heart". The confinement on Siguo Cliff was a turning point in the relationship between Linghu Chong and his junior sister Yue Lingshan. During this period, they became closer at first. However, since Linghu Chong accidentally deflected Yue Lingshan's sword, the relationship took a turn for the worse; and Yue Lingshan also gradually His affection turned to Lin Pingzhi .

Stills from the 1996 TVB version of "The Swordsman", Linghu Chong and his junior sister

On the surface, this is a long-distance relationship problem. When Linghu Chong was just sentenced to solitary confinement, this external test may actually become a catalyst for their emotions at the beginning. However, due to being unable to see each other for a long time, misunderstandings arose that could not be easily explained. Linghu Chong lived a completely lonely life again, and being alone made people anxious ("I always spend a long time alone on the cliff, and I have a bad temper"). If one party has someone like Lin Pingzhi getting along day and night, it will be difficult to keep their relationship unchanged.

But on the other hand, Thinking Over the Cliff only provides a situation that exposes the existing problems in their relationship.Until Linghu Chong went to Si Guo Cliff, the relationship between him and his junior sister was actually just childhood sweethearts at most. The title of "little junior sister" to "good girl" was a huge progress. In this state, even if Linghu Chong felt that they were in harmony, it was only a "tacit understanding". In an emotional relationship, having an unspoken "tacit understanding" is a wonderful expectation, but most of the time it may just be indulged in imagination.

And this is the deepest problem in their relationship, or in other words, the most fundamental problem in Linghu Chong's entire life before his transformation. In his relationship with his junior sisters, and even in his entire life, he imagined playing the role of others. He was the eldest disciple of the gentleman Jian Yue Buqun, and he wanted to set an example for his junior brothers and sisters. This kind of acting is by no means forced, but has already been internalized as part of his self-understanding. Therefore, it is not good to be uninhibited, and it is not good to openly express love to the junior sister.

He may have this idea because his master, Yue Buqun, is so cautious and disciplined, and his relationship with his master's wife is so respectful. Yue Buqun is his "father" and role model in his life, but he is also the force that restrains and suppresses his self-growth, becoming the source of his self-deception. In his life, Linghu Chong strives to act as a qualified disciple of the Huashan Sect in his interactions with his junior sister, and their relationship is inevitably based on acting and imagination. What the junior sister likes is the senior brother who is first-class in martial arts and reliable. It is the "senior senior brother" he strives to play, but it is not his original temperament. He himself finally realized this. After the death of his junior sister, Linghu Chong said to Ren Yingying : "My junior sister admires my master. The man she likes must be dignified, serious and taciturn like her father. I am just her playmate, She never... never respected me. "The "respect" mentioned here is the "respect" that one can still understand and appreciate after understanding the unruly "Linghu Chong", just like Yingying did.

Therefore, his love for his junior sister did not become his motivation for self-realization. Instead, together with his master and the overall atmosphere of the Huashan Sect, it always suppressed his nature. Si Guo Ya seems to provide an "isolated" situation, but isn't this a metaphor for their ongoing relationship? Linghu Chong grew up among the crowd in Huashan Mountain, but his true self has always been hidden in that unnoticed corner on the top of the cliff in Huashan Mountain.

During this confinement, Linghu Chong also learned the Dugu Nine Swords, which made him passively involved in the dispute over the routes of the Huashan Sect Sword Sect Air Sect. Since then, he has deviated more and more from the path chosen by Yue Buqun, but the further away from the prescribed path, the closer he is to his own heart. The road to Swordsman began with this "confinement" at the top of the cliff.

Before and after being imprisoned: Why is he so proud of the world?

Linghu Chong's second confinement was at the bottom of the West Lake. Comparing the two confinements, we can find that Linghu Chong's self-perception and world view have undergone a great transformation. He learned the Star Absorbing Technique in the cell to dissipate the tangled internal energy. He originally planned to practice Huashan Internal Kung Fu again, but he soon changed his mind and thought: "Master has expelled me from the Huashan Sect, so why should I practice the Huashan Sect's internal Kung Fu again? Martial Arts There are many internal skills in various sects, so I would learn from Brother Xiang, or from Yingying, but what’s the matter?” When Renwoxing invited him to join the Sun Moon God Sect, he even felt a little sleepy for a while. "Heartbeat", only when Ren Woxing threatened with the star-attracting method of , did he resolutely refuse to comply. He made the choice only because he resisted power and "just hoped that Xian Yun Yehe would become an independent person without any sect in the world", rather than based on the identity of good or evil sects. He still misses the past of the Huashan Sect and wants to return to the Huashan Sect. "My martial arts skills have never been as high as this moment in my life, but I have never been so lonely and desolate." However, after that, he had many opportunities to return to the Huashan Sect (Wudang Yamashita Chongxu's promise, Shaolin Temple Yue Buqun's hint), he chose to follow the higher value in his heart. He was exiled - and at the same time he chose himself and became an abandoned disciple of Huashan, although he still had a strong urge to be nostalgic. Breaking free from the prison of identity, he felt free, but also felt the loneliness and pain that freedom brings.

After escaping from the West Lake prison, he rescued the disciples of Hengshan and led a group of heroes to the Shaolin Temple to rescue Ren Yingying. He even took over Hengshan and helped Ren Woxing seize the throne. He also refused to join the Sun Moon Sect and participated in the fight for the head of the Five Mountains Sect. What we rely on is definitely not the "good and evil" based on the sect's identity, but the inner standard. It can be said that the second "confinement" can almost be regarded as the node where Linghu Chong completed his transformation. Not only because he learned the star-absorbing method, finally overcame serious physical injuries, and also gained abilities that cannot be underestimated, but also because he had so many experiences before. After many setbacks and encounters, he finally completed his ideological transformation. The logic of power struggle and decent identity that once enveloped him on the cliff have given way to the pursuit of a true free state: he values ​​love and righteousness ( Therefore, he did not disenchant the Huashan Sect and Yue Buqun until much later), and he also insisted on justice in his heart, but most importantly, he would never associate with any kind of power or follow any kind of abstract slogan.

So, how did the experiences between the two confinements enable him to complete his transformation?

The first thing is naturally the setbacks. After Linghu Chong learned the Dugu Nine Swords, he was seriously injured by Peach Valley Six Immortals and lost all his martial arts. Also, because of the Dugu Nine Swords, he was deeply jealous of his master Yue Buqun. He witnessed the relationship between Yue Lingshan and Lin Pingzhi. Close, of course, the heart was cut by a knife. In Luoyang, he drank and gambled excessively, and was beaten black and blue by the gangsters. He was extremely embarrassed. In the end, he was expelled from the sect by Yue Buqun, and he was filled with grief. These lowest moments allowed him to see firsthand the warmth and warmth of human nature. The members of the Jindao Wang Family and the Huashan Sect based their suspicions and insults on him based on the "Evil Sword Manual", which made him see the greed for profit behind the words of good and evil. In the past, everyone in the sect only regarded him as a senior brother and disciple, but now they regard him as an ambition. At home, no one understands or trusts him as a flesh-and-blood person (except the master’s wife).

In contrast, there is the generosity and generosity of those wealthy people in the world. In the chapters from Chapter 12 to Chapter 20, Linghu Chong is always ill, and strange people and strangers always come to treat him. The plot can be said to be full of twists and turns. This was also the most novel experience for Linghu Chong. Along the way from Luoyang to wubagang, his horizons expanded like never before. He met all kinds of people and saw many human natures between good and evil. Maybe, it may be as ghostly and weird as the leader of the Five Immortals Blue Phoenix , but innocent and cute, or it may be as weird as Zu Qianqiu and the old man, but with good intentions. Of course, there are also sinister and slippery people such as You Xun. A real life experience Shake those rigid binary standards for the first time. We often ignore the impact of actual walking and environmental changes on people, but it is extremely important. This journey is Linghu Chong's journey out of Huashan in the true sense. It is not only a physical escape, but also a withdrawal from life experience.

Another influencing factor that cannot be ignored is art. In any era frozen by the power struggle mentality, art may become the last barrier to freedom. Yue Buqun talked about benevolence, justice and morality, and probably read a lot of sages' books, but he just couldn't understand the musical connection between Qu Yang and Liu Zhengfeng, and his attitude towards life was rigid. (Actually, if you think carefully about "The Swordsman", those who are obsessed with art are mostly of noble character, such as Mo Da, such as Mei Zhuang Three Friends, and the problem with black and white pieces is probably because in chess, calligraphy and painting, only the goal of chess is Win.) But Linghu Chong is not like this, he desires to be free and easy. Learning the art of wine and music from Green Bamboo Man Ren Yingying in Green Bamboo Alley added another possibility of transcendence to his life. He can find the comfort of this worldly life in the music of Green Bamboo Lane. This is also a kind of beautiful enlightenment. In life, there are not only power disputes in the world, not only debates between good and evil, but also music and wine. This is also a pursuit of life.

Stills from the 2001 version of "The Swordsman", played by Qu Liu Ensemble

Of course, the most important thing is that for the first time in his life, Linghu Chong has friends and confidants. In the Huashan sect, he is the senior brother, and the status among the senior brothers is the most important. The relationship with Yue Lingshan is also more like brothers and sisters than like-minded partners.It wasn't until he talked to Ren Yingying in Green Bamboo Alley that he was able to let go of the self-deception of his identity, forget about the anxiety of not being a role model, and be able to confess his heart frankly. And when he left the Shaolin Temple, desolate and desolate, he saw Xiang Wentian under siege by everyone, and felt heartbroken at the sight. One of them was heroic in doing things, and the other was heroic in intervening. Between life and death, the so-called "loyalty" emerged. . The establishment of these friendships was in no way influenced by status or power. Linghu Chong had never thought that Ren Yingying was the saint , nor did he know Xiang Wentian's identity. In their eyes, Linghu Chong was naturally just a decent person. Young boy, it is precisely because of this that this kind of friendship is more sincere. Linghu Chong had heard about love and righteousness in the past, but had no real experience of it. It wasn't until he had real friends and confidants that he realized how priceless love and righteousness was, far better than many words such as good and evil, black and white.

The encounter between Linghu Chong and Ren Yingying is the most important reason why he is proud of the world. If Yingying hadn't been masked in Green Bamboo Alley, it would have been difficult for him to throw away all the disguises and veils from the beginning. He was himself from the beginning, which was the true basis of his relationship with Ren Yingying. In front of Yingying, he can break free from the shackles of his identity as a disciple of Huashan. He no longer acted or deceived himself. He finally had the opportunity to be honest with himself and finally gained the possibility of freedom. From Yingying's perspective, when she escaped from the power network of the Sun Moon Divine Sect, didn't she also want to escape the shackles of her identity as the "saint aunt" of the Divine Sect? In the divine religion, everyone regarded her as a saint and worshiped her. This environment made her suffocating. Only in Green Bamboo Alley, someone called her mother-in-law, and they knew her true identity but didn't care. For each of them, the other is the most valuable one, and they have the same yearning. But only in a relationship can they truly practice sincerity and freedom. If Linghu Chong just escaped from the Huashan Sect, and if Ren Yingying just played the piano in Green Bamboo Alley all her life, how could she be so "smiling and proud"?

Stills from the 1996 TVB version of "The Swordsman"

"The Swordsman" is not only about freedom, but also about "confidant". Many people read "Swordsman" and lamented that Linghu Chong was not able to be absolutely free in the end. But they may have missed the most important point. "Swordsman" is originally a piano and Xiao ensemble. It is true that one person can play as high as he wants and as low as he wants, but that is no longer the case. "Swordsman" tells the story of how people become themselves in a rigid era of power struggle, and that is never something that one person can accomplish.

Editor in charge: Gu Ming

Proofreader: Zhang Yan