Jiuyin Zhenjing

Jiuyin Zhenjing
Traditional Chinese	九陰真經
Simplified Chinese	九阴真经
Literal meaning	Nine Yin True Classic
Transcriptions Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin Jiǔ Yīn Zhēn Jīng Cantonese (Yue) - Jyutping Gau2 Jam1 Zan1 Ging1

The Jiuyin Zhenjing, also known as the Nine Yin Manual, is a fictional martial arts manual from Jin Yong's Condor Trilogy.

Compilation history

The Nine Yin Manual is a compilation of numerous scrolls and ancient scriptures pertaining to psychic powers, healing techniques, martial arts classics and Taoist philosophy. It is compiled by Huang Shang (黃裳) on the orders of Emperor Huizong during the Song Dynasty. Huang's compendium became the first volume of the manual. During the compilation process, Huang enriched himself with Taoist knowledge and the principles of inner energy and qi. When combined with Huang's high level of intelligence, the knowledge he acquired during the compilation transformed him into an extremely powerful pugilist.

Soon after, the emperor appointed Huang to lead an army to eradicate the Ming Cult, sect which has its origins in Persia that has been involved in a number of anti-government activities. The Song army engages the cult in a fierce battle but fails to capture the cult's fortress. Huang fights with the cult's best fighters one-on-one and he slays every single one of them until he is forced to retreat due to exhaustion. In retaliation, the Ming Cult despatched its surviving best fighters to kill Huang's family for revenge.

Huang is enraged and he vows to destroy the cult. For the next four decades, Huang dedicated himself to experimenting with new techniques to counter those of the Ming Cult's martial arts. As many of the cult's members are affiliated with other sects, Huang had to develop new techniques which are capable of countering the moves of other sects' martial arts as well.

Huang succeeded in accomplishing his herculean task but his enemies had died during those four decades. Huang wrote the second volume of the manual, detailing his experiences and the new techniques and moves he had developed and innovated during his 40 years of study.^[1]

First martial arts contest on Mount Hua

The Nine Yin Manual is lost for several years after Huang Shang's death. When it reappears in the jianghu, it induces chaos as pugilists compete fiercely with each other to seize possession of the anthology of martial arts. Numerous lives were lost due to the ensuing chaos caused by the obsession with the manual. To prevent further bloodshed, the pugilists decide to stage a martial arts contest on Mount Hua to determine who will be the manual's rightful owner. The Five Greats - "Central Divine" Wang Chongyang, "Eastern Heretic" Huang Yaoshi, "Western Venom" Ouyang Feng, "Northern Beggar" Hong Qigong and "Southern Emperor" Duan Zhixing gather on Mount Hua and agree that the champion of the contest will gain sole possession of the manual.

After an intense competition which lasted for seven days, Wang emerges as overall champion and wins the manual for himself. Wang incorporates some of the manual's underlying principles into the martial arts of his Quanzhen Sect, most notably being the Big Dipper Formation. He leaves a part of the manual which holds the key to defeating the skills of the Ancient Tomb Sect in the tomb of his former lover and rival, Lin Chaoying.

Before his death, Wang passed the manual to his junior, Zhou Botong, warning Zhou not to let the manual fall into the wrong hands. Ouyang Feng had previously attempted to seize the manual during Wang's funeral after Wang's apparent death. However, Wang was still alive then and he caught Ouyang completely by surprise. Ouyang was defeated and he retreated. Wang also laid down a regulation that no member of Quanzhen is permitted to learn and use any of the skills in the manual.^[2]

Peach Blossom Island

After Wang Chongyang's death, Zhou Botong travels to Peach Blossom Island where Huang Yaoshi lives, to warn Huang not to think about stealing the manual. Huang tricks Zhou into allowing his wife, Feng Heng, to have a glance at the manual. Feng is reputed to have an eidetic memory and she memorises the text of the second volume after browsing through it once. She lies to Zhou that the manual is worthless, by reciting the text and claiming that it came from a book of childish rites she had read before. Zhou believes her and destroys the book in anger.

Feng writes the second volume of the manual from memory for her husband after Zhou left. Two years later, Huang's disciples, Chen Xuanfeng and Mei Chaofeng, decide to elope as they fear that their teacher might oppose their love relationship. They steal the copy of the manual and flee from Peach Blossom Island. Huang is furious when he finds out and he breaks the legs of his other disciples in anger and banishes them from the island. Feng attempts to write another copy for her husband but it is too much of a strain for her in her pregnancy then. She dies after giving birth to their daughter, Huang Rong. Huang Yaoshi is filled with grief and he vows to kill anyone who dares to learn anything from that manual which took the life of his beloved wife.

Meanwhile, Zhou Botong realises that he has been fooled by Huang Yaoshi and he returns to Peach Blossom Island to confront Huang. He keeps pestering and harassing Huang to hand over the manual to him. Huang is unable to defeat Zhou and he can only keep Zhou on his island as a captive by preventing Zhou from leaving the island for the next 15 years. As for Chen Xuanfeng and Mei Chaofeng, they start practising the skills in the manual. However, they make a wrong interpretation of the manual's underlying principles and master an unorthodox version of a skill known as "Nine Yin White Bone Claw" (九陰白骨爪). The evil skill requires human sacrifice during practice and instills fear in many pugilists by mere mention of its name. Apart from that, the couple also learn the "Heart-shattering Palm" (摧心掌) and Mei masters the "White Boa Whip Skill" (白蟒鞭法). Chen and Mei become known as "Twin Killers in the Dark Wind" for using the skill to commit several atrocities and terrorize the jianghu.

The couple settle in Mongolia to avoid pursuit from their enemies in China. They meet Guo Jing and the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan and they engage in a fierce battle. Chen is stabbed and killed by the young Guo. Mei is blinded by Ke Zhen'e's poison darts during the battle but she manages to flee with her husband's dead body. As Chen had tattooed the text of the manual on his chest, Mei skins her dead husband and takes the grisly text with her. Later, she meets Yang Kang, who offers her shelter in an underground room in his house, and teaches him the "Nine Yin White Bone Claw" in return.

Guo Jing

Years later, Mei Chaofeng encounters Guo Jing and the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan again at Guiyun Manor on Lake Tai and they engage in a battle. Zhu Cong pickpockets Mei when she dusts her clothes after the fight and obtains the human skin copy of the manual and leaves it in Guo's possession.

When Guo goes to Peach Blossom Island to seek Huang Rong's hand-in-marriage, he meets Zhou Botong there and they become sworn brothers. Zhou still has with him a copy of the original first volume of the manual and he shares it with Guo. The first volume and the human skin copy of the second volume are then recompiled and imprinted in the memories of both of them. The manuals are destroyed later in the wake of a bitter argument.

Guo incorporates parts of the manual's skills into his own repertoire of martial arts and becomes an even more formidable pugilist. The power of his "Eighteen Dragon-subduing Palms" is enhanced after the Nine Yin Manual worked wonders by increasing his inner energy. His future spouse, Huang Rong, also benefits from the manual as well. They also subsequently pass their knowledge to Yideng, and their teacher, Hong Qigong, to help them recover from their respective injuries.

Many decades later, after realizing that Xiangyang (and the Song Dynasty) will eventually fall to the Mongol invaders, Guo writes a copy of the Nine Yin Manual from memory and hides it inside the Heaven-reliant Sword (the third edition states that it is hidden on Peach Blossom Island instead). He gives this sword to his younger daughter, Guo Xiang, who will become the founder of the Emei Sect in the sequel novel.

Ouyang Feng

Ouyang Feng forces Guo Jing to produce a copy of the manual for him in his bid to become the supreme pugilist in the wulin. Guo writes a fake copy of the manual, with some changes to the text which are only noticeable to a really seasoned pugilist. Some numbers were changed and verses were written reversely.

When Huang is taken hostage by Ouyang later, Ouyang forces her to translate the last few verses in his copy obtained from Guo. Huang subtly changes the translated text and causes further complications to the manual in Ouyang's possession. The result of all those "edits", ironically, increases Ouyang's powers but it also turns him insane.

Emei Sect

Guo Xiang founds the Emei Sect and she is the only person who knows the secret within the Heaven-reliant Sword. The secret is only passed down from the sect's leader to her successor. A century later, Zhou Zhiruo succeeds Miejue as leader of the sect and she is tasked with retrieving the secret manual in the sword to glorify Emei. Zhou breaks the sword by clashing it together with the Dragon-slaying Saber and obtains the Nine Yin Manual hidden in the sword. She practiced the shortcuts inscribed on the manual and instead, mastered the "Nine Yin White Bone Claw" and the "Heart-shattering Palm" just as the "Twin Killers in the Dark Wind" have done before, along with the "White Boa Whip Skill". Zhou also teaches the "Nine Yin White Bone Claw" to Wudang Sect's renegade, Song Qingshu.

Zhou encounters a descendant of the Condor Hero Couple (Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü), the Yellow Dress Maiden, while wreaking havoc in the jianghu after Zhang Wuji betrayed her love. The Maiden uses the pure martial arts from the Nine Yin Manual, and defeats Zhou easily. Later, after Zhou is injured by the "Xuanming Divine Palm" (玄明神掌), Zhang Wuji uses his "Nine Yang Divine Skill" to heal her, but it also negates her "Nine Yin Inner Energy".

However, years before Zhou finds the Nine Yin Manual, Ming Cult member Chang Yuchun was injured by an unknown monk who works for the Yuan government, who used the "Heart-shattering Palm" on him. Chang's injury is so severe that he only manages to live until the age of 39.

Notes

1. ^ Cha, Louis. The Legend of the Condor Heroes (射鵰英雄傳). Hong Kong Commercial Daily, 1957 - Chapter 16
2. ^ Cha, Louis. The Legend of the Condor Heroes (射鵰英雄傳). Hong Kong Commercial Daily, 1957 - Chapter 16