Watching the soup and flowing water, the waves are bright and extinguishing - reading the novel "Condensing the Wind in the World" by Qi Confucian

Written by Chen Mo (Authoritative on contemporary research on Jin Yong's novels)

The novelist Qiru, after "Laughing with the Sword", once put aside his pen, and it was ten years. Now the chivalrous trail has reappeared, the Buddha feast has been reopened, "Condensing the Wind in the World", smiling and caressing Zen Feng. Buddhist and chivalrous friends, everyone is happy.

In the world of martial arts novels, Qi Ru is truly unique, on the one hand, because he "writes his own cultivation realm in martial arts novels" (see Qi Ru's "Condensing the Wind in the World Order"), and on the other hand, the creative process of martial arts novels has also become a unique way of practice for him. The author's resolute cessation (talking about killing on paper) was motivated by the virtue of a good life, sincerity, and compassion. Now that he has broken through the barrier, he created "Condensing the Wind in the World", and he really has a better understanding of the life and death of all beings, the cause and effect of the world.

One

I once said that reading Qiru's novels is like facing soup and flowing water. After watching "The Wind in the World", this impression is even more profound. First of all, it is extraordinary, surging and surging; secondly, it is said that it is full of passion, and the water network is dense and dripping; and again, it is undulating, sparkling, and full of Zen machines.

Reading Qiru's novel is also like watching a movie, the narrative unit of the novel is all the lens of the movie, and the structure of the novel is completely montage. Look at the beginning of "Condensing the Wind in the World", it is written that Mr. Yinda met Gong Tianxia three times in seven years, and combined different time and space shots with montages, which can be proved. This way of writing has broken the traditional norms of martial arts literature, and also changed the traditional way of narrative of novels, making the writing of novels more free, more modern, and more creative.

The narrative of "Condensing the Wind in the World" has reached a realm of freedom. While telling martial arts stories, while talking about Buddhism and Zen - quoting entire Buddhist scriptures to describe the characters' state of mind, quoting poems by Li Bai, Zhang Xian, Yan Shu, Zhang Xiaoxiang and others to describe the atmosphere of martial arts fights and the mental state of the characters, and even the environment lit by simple and poetic sentences such as "snow, Huayan Temple, light dance outside the Guanyin Temple" (page 174 of the first volume) are all clever combinations of talking about things and talking about Zen. However, this novel is not a "variation" of Buddhist scriptures, nor is it a "hundred metaphors" of Zen theory, but a free "integration of martial arts into Buddhism, human nature, art, literature, and history" (Appendix 2, "Writing Mood Narratives", p. 310).

This kind of free writing makes the novel obviously modern, even postmodern. Although "The Wind in the World" is a fictional ancient story, it contains the vision of modern people, the concepts of modern people, and the taste of modern people. One of the most typical examples is that the desperate battles of the martial arts characters in the book sometimes become the targets of the opening gambling matches of the six major gambling houses in the world, otherwise, enthusiastic viewers will feel regret and loss because they "have no sense of participation" (Volume 4, page 174)! The introduction of modern Western sports gambling into the world of ancient Chinese martial arts may seem unbelievable and incorrect, but the author has made sense to do so. First of all, it is to use the participation of the "audience" to dispel the bloody anger of martial arts and reform, and reform martial arts into competition. Secondly, it is to make a self-deconstruction or self-subversion of martial arts stories, reminding readers that they don't have to take it seriously, all these fights and life and death are nothing more than a game with rules, a kind of "saying".

There are many similar examples in this novel, and the most striking idea is the "Martial Arts Dictionary" formulated by Emperor Qinzhun and more than a dozen martial arts authority figures such as Yin, Ding, and Zang, that is, the "Xiaoxue One Night Hero List", that is, the ranking of the top 100 martial arts in the world in each year is announced on the night of Xiaoxue every year. This is obviously an introduction to the Chinese martial arts world of the Ming Dynasty in the early fifteenth century in the form of sports ranking lists, which at first glance is a bit jaw-dropping, and one may even think that the author is "making things up": the martial arts schools are intricate, there are thousands of martial arts figures, the categories of martial arts are strange, and the martial arts battles are full of tricks and most of them are avoidable.

This is understandable, but it is obvious that the first point of martial arts fiction is forgotten or ignored, which is its hypothetical. The "Martial Arts Dictionary" in "Condensing the Wind in the World" is equivalent to the "Bai Xiaosheng Weapon Spectrum" in Gu Long's novel "The Amorous Swordsman Ruthless Sword", Bai Xiaosheng alone can formulate the world's heroic weapon spectrum, not to mention a special organization under the leadership of Yin, Ding, and Tibet, not to mention the strong support of the emperor of the current dynasty? In the ancient royal autocratic society, as long as the emperor or the court wanted to do something, what could not be done?

It is worth noting that the production of "Wulin Classics" in this novel is not only to simplify the narrative of the novel and introduce newcomers to the trend, so as to become a convenient way for readers to quickly understand the general trend of martial arts and its important characters. The production of the hero list actually has other important functions. First, it is convenient for the imperial court to recruit talents and buy people's hearts, so that the state can implement integrated rule over the rivers and lakes outside the normal social system. The second is to use these martial arts forces and martial arts figures to serve the imperial court society, because according to the rules and regulations of the "Martial Arts Code", the ranking of martial arts is not only based on their martial arts, but also according to their merits, that is, their contribution to society. The third is to use the psychology of the good name of the martial arts characters and the behavior of fighting for fame, and use the "Martial Arts Codex" to create internal disputes in the martial arts, ensuring that even if these martial arts characters are not used by the royal family, they will not create too much trouble for the dynasty because they are busy competing for fame and fortune - just look at how many challenges and troubles from other martial arts characters encountered by those top-ranked martial arts characters in the book, it will be clear at a glance. Therefore, the production and promulgation of the "Martial Arts Dictionary" seems to be the release of information on the ranking of martial arts majors, but it is actually a political means, or simply an important part of the political conspiracy of the emperor of the current dynasty.

Interestingly, in addition to the obviously official "Martial Arts Dictionary", there is also an unknown and more professional hero list, that is, the "Shenwu Soldier Book" secretly produced by Mr. Zang Bei Wu. Among the big celebrities in the "Martial Arts Dictionary", except for Xuan Renyun, there is no second person who can be selected into the "Ten Sons of Shenwu", that is, the top ten in the "Shenwu Soldiers"; and Chu Zhongchan, Mencius Ya and others who entered the list of "Ten Sons of Shenwu" have always been unknown in the martial arts of the rivers and lakes. This situation not only shows the limitations of the selection criteria of the famous "Martial Arts Dictionary", so that it cannot include the truly high-level heroes of the world, but also shows that "the name can be famous, the name is not famous" or "all names are false". This "Divine Warrior Book" is also where Mr. Zang Besku's "Bewu" lies. Therefore, many of the Central Plains martial arts elites who are among the best in the "Martial Arts Classics" can't stop the random impact of the soldiers who are like cutting melons and vegetables, and the ranking of the "Martial Arts Classics" is not as accurate as the "Shenwu Soldiers' Book", it is better to say that the name of the world itself contains too much falsehood.

That is to say, the list of heroes in the book is not a list of heroes in the world, but a list of heroes in the world. In the end, it's just an introduction, a handle.

Two

This novel is not a martial arts legend in the general sense, but uses martial arts stories to write about the world, and then uses the world to portray human desires, emotions and Buddha nature. The martial arts world and its contradictions and conflicts in the novel involve different groups, nations, countries, politics, economy, culture and other different levels, as well as different factors such as personal desires, interests, personality and dignity. This way of writing not only provides a solid realistic and reasonable foundation for the author's mysterious imagination and innovative fiction, but also constitutes the rich and complex plot and huge and exquisite structure of the novel, and makes the novel appear magnificent and majestic.

At first glance, this novel is like entering a labyrinth. The complexity of its narrative plot comes from the complexity of its narrative units and their relationships. It is not like the usual martial arts novels, which just tells the story of the struggle between good and evil between a martial arts group and an evil group, but depicts the complex relationship between different martial arts sects, different family clans, and different gang groups in the martial arts. From the pirate organization under the leadership of the East China Sea Emperor Pang Dongzhan to the Nine Eagle Bandits under the King of the Northwest Desert Land, from the Miaojiang Nine Star Sect in the south to the border county officials in the north, from the old character family to the Broken Smoke Villa, from the martial arts integrity represented by the three elders of Yin, Ding and Tibet, to the evil faction represented by the Demon Sect Master Fearless, the interests and contradictions between these interest groups have formed the basic horizon of the martial arts world in this novel.

Furthermore, the five sons of the Mongolian soldier king, led by Mr. Yumo, are of course also representatives of a kind of martial arts force, but their ideal goal is to serve the interests of the Mongolian nation, and even to restore the dominance of the Mongolian nation over the Central Plains. In contrast, the Central Plains martial arts naturally formed, or must form, a corresponding national martial arts, which forms the secondary platform of the novel's narrative.

Then, due to the kidnapping of eight princes and nobles, including Japan, Persia, Britain, France, and Italy, the martial arts battles in the novel have obvious "international" overtones, thus emerging as the third level of the novel's narrative, that is, national interest groups and their conflicts. Ashikaga Becky, Yanagi Tenshin, Yanagi Suigetsu, Yagyu Miku and other Fuso samurai entered the Central Plains, which was certainly a kind of martial arts force, but also represented foreign countries and races, and at the same time brought the idea of the country.

What is even more complicated is that the contradictions and conflicts between groups, nations, and countries have different clues or levels such as politics, economy, and culture.

The first is the political dimension.

The most powerful character in this book is not an ordinary martial arts person, but the Yongle Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, because he has unparalleled power and has always been unscrupulous. The existence of this character makes the martial arts in the novel shrouded in the clouds of politics, and also makes all the groups, characters and all their behavioral programs in the novel dyed with political colors.

The Demon Sect Master Zong Wudang and the Master and Son of the King of the Demon Sect in the book are actually not ordinary martial arts figures, but have their own independent political propositions and political goals, because they support the failed Emperor Jianwen, so they call themselves "Zhengming Sect", and the emperor of the current dynasty disdainfully calls them "Demon Sect". The makers of the "Martial Arts Dictionary" in the novel, Yin, Ding, Zang and others, because they were hired by the royal family, also have undoubted political status.

If we look at it a little more closely, the power struggle between the head of the old character family and its four treasurers and the grandmother, and the power conflict between Ashikaga Beige and his hidden Dai-Nippon Holy Sect, can also be said to be a variant of the political struggle.

The second is the economic dimension.

Economic interests and their contradictions can be said to be an extension of political interests and contradictions, and sometimes they are a potential cause of political struggles. Although the reasons for the division and integration of large and small groups such as civil society, nations, and countries are different, economic interests are always a constant motivation. The emphasis on economic reasons is a new feature of this novel, because in past martial arts novels, except for the simplest stories of treasure hunting, there are very few economic clues or themes involved. The novel "Condensing the Wind in the World" excavates the economic basis of the reality of survival in the martial arts society. As honestly said, "Since ancient times, many people have thought that the achievement of martial arts hegemony is based on martial arts alone. Hehe-he-I didn't think that the families and sects that could be passed down for more than a hundred years and have a permanent foundation almost all rely on strong financial resources. (Volume 1, p. 160).

The biggest difference between the time-honored family in the book and the martial arts family in other novels is that the author clearly writes about it as an economic community. The time-honored family is famous for its six major businesses: medicinal materials, weapons, silk cloth, market, construction and transportation, and its origin, support and development are all closely related to commercial trade and operation. It can be said that the consideration of economic interests is the most fundamental behavioral goal of the time-honored family, and it is also the highest behavioral law for its children. The conflict and hatred with the Ouyang family stemmed from economic interests, and the grandmother's unexpected secret marriage with the Ouyang family was also due to economic interests. Honest and others are everywhere to stir up trouble and stir up turmoil, just to find or make opportunities, which has also become an important driving force for the plot of the novel.

This is true of the old character family, and of course the same is true of other martial arts families and group factions and their mutual relationships. The Overlord of the East China Sea and his pirate organization, the bandits under the King of the Great Desert Land, the Nine Star Sect of Miaojiang who killed the sect leader of Qin, and the Chengjiabao of the Central Plains of the Cheng Yanfu brothers, all took the pursuit of wealth as their motivation and goal. Furthermore, this is true of the cult characters in the novel, as well as the heroic gentlemen such as Yin, Ding, and the three elders of Tibet: They not only cooperate to open teahouses and run their own businesses, but they even secretly hold shares in the world's six major gambling houses! Obviously, in the author's view, writing in this way does not affect the brilliance of heroic heroes, because pirates and evil people hope to live a good life, and righteous men and gentlemen also hope to live a good life; it is difficult to be a single person without money, and it is even more difficult to be a hero without money. Of course, modern readers are easy to accept this, because it is a problem that we all encounter in modern life.

Again, the cultural dimension.

Among them, the most important and prominent is of course the religious and cultural atmosphere created by the author, which has infiltrated and infiltrated the martial arts, behaviors, psychology and spiritual realms of almost all the characters. Needless to say, the martial arts of the professional monks of Shaolin Temple, such as Yin Zhen and Yin Xing, are also from the Buddhist family's "Great Freedom and Unphased Liberation Zen Gong"; In the novel, although not everyone practices Buddhist martial arts, when martial arts are practiced to the highest level, they always have to enter and exit the door of Buddhism and walk on the road of nature.

To go deeper, although not everyone in the novel knows Buddhism and martial arts, everyone is shrouded in Buddhism and Zen. In the book, the truth is revealed under the perspective mirror of the Buddha's eyes, simply put, everyone has desires and emotions. Complex emotions such as lust for profit, lust,*, lust for fame, lust for power, desire for health, desire for longevity, and hatred, disgust, fear, loss, confusion, and so on that grow or derive from them. These emotional desires are the fundamental motives of human behavior, and they are also the underlying motives of the narrative plot of the novel. It's just that some motives are very clear, while others are relatively subtle; some people's desires are strong and undisguised, while some people's desires are weak and self-controlled; some people—such as the wise eye at the beginning of the novel, and the later Pang Dongzhan—can realize and liberate themselves in time, while some people are always in the chaos and conflict of fame and fortune, and they can never let go and be at ease. All of these not only constitute the bizarre humanistic scenery in the novel, but also the author's cultivation and construction-Buddhism-Bitter Sea Ci Navigation Map.

Interestingly, the author's Buddhism and Zen discourse not only contain the essence of classical Buddhism, but also dissolve into modern values. The Sky Survey and Dragon Hunting Expedition in the book, almost in front of the heroes of the world, said that he wanted to see if Tang Ningfeng, the champion of the new martial arts, "is suitable to be my Langjun", which is a typical example. The author knew that "it would have been impossible for a woman to say such a thing in those times" (album 1, p. 229), but she still asked her to make this declaration, and it was really impossible to tell whether it was "the lion roaring of the Buddha" or "the lion roaring of the Buddha".

One thing is very clear, that is, the author intends to let Long Zheng, a heroine, launch a challenge to traditional gender culture in advance, and the above words are her first drink. Looking at the battlefield of thousands of troops, the two beauties of the Imperial Dragon Hunt and Ashikaga Becky calmly commanded Ruo Ding, which made Tang Ningfeng, the champion of martial arts, ashamed of himself, and I believe that all female readers will raise their eyebrows for it. Looking at the young Yin Xiaodie's commander of the inner guards, Miss Zang's extrajudicial understanding of the strong master Shengzu, Miss Zang's tangible and invisible "image building" of Yu Huan, and the mysterious female killer Li Moning's strong impact on the male dominance of the killer world, it is obvious that not only is challenging the limitations of traditional women's status, thus adding infinite brilliance to the image of women, but also launching a "female revolution" five hundred years in advance. At the same time, it is also a modern interpretation of ancient Buddhist thought: the author's "intervention in history" is obviously out of the Buddhist concept of equality of all beings, in this case, how can we tolerate gender inequality, and how can we agree with the absurd judgment that "women are inferior to men since ancient times"?

Three

It is worth noting that the author does not adopt traditional utilitarian judgment for this intricate relationship, but adopts a detached position and intelligent observation. In martial arts novels, the distinction between good and evil is taken for granted, and even becomes a sacrosanct principle. Jin Yong's novel creation has been seriously questioned because of his "chivalrous spirit gradually disappearing and evil spirit growing", because the description of the characters in Jin Yong's novels breaks the traditional convention of sanctifying positive heroes and demonizing negative evil characters. The characters of Qiru novels rarely go to the extreme of sacralization/demonization of such a simple distinction between good and evil, and this "Condensing the Wind in the World" is a wisdom Buddha gaze, perceiving the truth of human nature, breaking the stereotypes of good and evil, and breaking the barriers of gods and demons.

The most representative example is, of course, the group represented by Zong Wuxing and Zong Wang's master and son in the novel, ostensibly a religious sect, but in fact a political organization, calling itself the "Zhengming Sect", while those in power unceremoniously call it the "Demon Sect". This allows us to see that the so-called "Orthodox Religion" or "Demon Religion" is actually nothing more than political propaganda and naming: claiming to be righteous is certainly a kind of political propaganda, and being called a demon is also a kind of political naming. Zong Wudaunt's claim to be righteous does not mean that he must be righteous, and the fact that those in power call him a demon does not mean that he must be a demon. The image of Zong's father and son in the novel is precisely between the good god and the evil demon, which is deeply humane, and the personalities of the father and son are not the same. Zong fearlessly escaped death, and Zong Wangshi went mad, which is not only the plot of the narrative, but also a symbol of fate.

Another example is the image treatment of the five sons of the Mongol soldier king. According to the traditional cognitive conventions and judgment rules, it should be me who is good and the enemy is evil; and then our heroes should be sacred, and the enemy's head should be demonized accordingly. But in Qiru's pen, this is not the case at all.

In fact, in this book, the king of soldiers, Yumo, can be said to be the most humane, charismatic and heroic image, and it is also the object of the author's highest respect and the most emotional pour. The other four sons, namely Swallowing the Star, Chasing the Sun, Killing, and Leaving the Soul, when they first appeared, seemed to really have demonic energy, but with the development of the plot and the deepening of understanding, their demonic arrogance was all humanized and neutralized by the divine qi. The image of the lore is extremely ugly, but when we know that it was caused by poisoning in order to save Yumo, we can't help but be moved by his brotherhood, heroism and noble spirit, so we have to admit that this "Mongolia's first beautiful man" is both on the outside and the outside.

Because of this, although Yu Mo and others are not friends of Tang Ningfeng and Gong Tianxia, they are rivals who respect each other - as the author says: "Many times, because of their different positions, they have become respectable enemies with each other. (Volume II, Appendix, p. 309). And the so-called "enemy" may only be people who have a different position in front of them. (Volume 2 Appendix, p. 310) Yumo and others' encroachment on the Central Plains martial arts was nothing more than their own national interests, and Tang Ningfeng, Gong Tianxia and others were also hostile to them for their own national interests and dignity. The hostility between the two sides is nothing more than a difference in position, and it is by no means a basis for sacralization and demonization.

There is a more prominent example, that is, the depiction of the image of Liu Potian, the teacher of the king of soldiers. No one knew that Liu Poyan, the owner of Poyan Mountain Villa, also had a brother Liu Potian, no one thought that this Liu Potian was disabled but superhuman, and of course, no one thought that the military advisor of the fifth son of the invincible Mongolian soldier king was actually him, so this character left a deep impression. It is worth noting that in the conflict between Mongolia and Han, this character openly stood on the side of Mongolia and betrayed his own nation and motherland, whether it is according to traditional concepts or modern value judgments, this character is an out-and-out "traitor" - Liu Poyan is extremely uneasy about his brother's behavior and position.

However, we see that in this novel, the author does not make a simplistic judgment and demonization of Liu Potian's image. On the contrary, in the specific narrative process, the author excavates the unique personality and psychological causes of this character. The most important reason for this character's life choice is, of course, his disability. Specifically, it was because he had received too much discrimination and insult in his hometown and motherland that he did not find any sympathetic gaze, let alone respect, on the contrary, the five sons of the Mongolian soldiers, especially Mr. Yumo, respected him as a man and cared for him, which undoubtedly played a decisive role in his "direction of life". It is clear that in emphasizing this point, the author has a deep sympathy and understanding for this character: sympathy for his disability and the misfortunes that come with it, and for his emotional extremities and impulsiveness, as well as psychological hatred and perversion. From the fact that he killed hundreds of villagers in revenge for his humiliation, to the fact that he finally became the army of the Mongolian alien soldiers, it was completely in line with the logic of his psychological development.

If this is the case, a very serious question arises for the vast number of readers, that is, which is more important than the dignity of the individual and the interests of the nation? Qiru did not directly answer the question he raised, after all, this question contains the complex factors of Liu Potian's perverted ways of defending his dignity by killing people with revenge and serving other races, and although he can understand it, it is difficult to agree with it. For Chinese readers, this is obviously a question that is rarely encountered and rarely mentioned, so it is also a "good question" to consider.

Four

The biggest idea of the novel "Condensing the Wind in the World" is, of course, the image conception and shaping of the protagonists Tang Ningfeng and Gong Tianxia. If we say that in Tang Ningfeng's body, we can still see the shadows of predecessors such as Su Xiaosoul and Li Naofo, and the image of Gong Tianxia is definitely from the author's new creation - the peculiarity of this person is that he can not only understand the language of birds and beasts, but also understand the hearts of all beings, and then love all things as himself. Therefore, at the beginning of the novel, Mr. Yinda meets Gong Tianxia three times in seven years, and each time he finds that he is saving animals in danger.

Gong Tianxia is naturally close to all animals in the world, but he is often silent about humans, and seems to be quite indifferent. On the surface, he looks like a copy of Jin Yong's golden lion king who "would rather believe in animals than people", or like a copy of Gu Long's image of Ah Fei who "sleeps with wolves and is the enemy of people". In fact, his silence, almost the silence of Shakya, can not only contemplate himself, but also gain insight into the hearts of the world, and the highest level of communication is silent. And his indifference is like the mercy that comes from the past, not to pity himself, but to pity the world, the warmest flame is pure green, and the deepest compassion seems to be merciless. Even his pale and thin face is a reflection of the sorrow and suffering of the world. Therefore, in the preface to the novel, the author simply says that this person "is like a bodhisattva-like holy Gong Tianxia, who can almost be my manifestation of the imitation of Buddha nature." 」

Because of this, this character did not have a name at first—nameless, which is a characteristic of Buddha-nature—until Tang Ningfeng gave him the name Gong Tianxia at his master's instructions: to make it easier for the world to call him, and at the same time to remind him to "respect the world". Interestingly, since he was on the hero list of "Martial Arts Classics", and was also tied with Tang Ningfeng as the champion of the new martial arts, Gong Tianxia not only became famous, but also became famous overnight. From the obscure and unknown to the world-famous Gong Tianxia, it seems that he has gone from one extreme to another, but no matter what the situation, Gong Tianxia is always so indifferent. Although he is not a person who chases fame, he is not simply "seeing" and rejecting fame, but fundamentally has no such thoughts! It is like that when he is unknown, it is still like that when he is famous, this is what makes Gong Tianxia different.

Gong Tianxia's martial arts are comparable to the "Great Freedom and Phaseless Liberation Zen Gong" that is comparable to the "Great Momentum to the Phaseless Prajnaparamita Divine Skill" of the predecessor martial arts master Su Xiaosoul, and the wonderful purpose is to be able to achieve the realm of great freedom, non-appearance, liberation and Zen enlightenment, so that "the air is not empty, there are no moves, and there are no tricks, and the luck is through the gods". It is not so much his martial arts as a portrayal of Gong Tianxia's personality and soul. Because Qi Ru's novels, like Mr. Jin Yong's novels, the martial arts of the main characters are specially tailored and tailor-made, and martial arts are actually an important part of the characters' personalities.

Everywhere Gong went, there were always animals with him, and the most striking of them was, of course, the Vimo dog - this big dog image is another successful idea in "Condensing the Wind in the World". It is not uncommon to write about all kinds of animals in martial arts novels, but I am afraid that no animal image can compare with the image of Vimo in this book, because this dog is not only an ordinary animal, but a character that cannot be ignored in the novel. What's more, it is not only spiritual, but also deeply Buddha-like, and the origin of the name Vima Dog is because it listens to the Vimala Sutra and is intoxicated with joy. In fact, it is not only Gong Tianxia's partner and comrade-in-arms, but also his shadow and doppelganger - the Vimo dog is of course also a manifestation of Buddha nature.

The reason why the images of Tang Ningfeng and Gong Tianxia are the biggest creativity of this novel is because the images of these two protagonists can be divided into two, and at the same time, they can also be combined into one, that is to say, Ningfeng and the world are actually each other. In this year's "Martial Arts Dictionary", the reason why Tang Ningfeng and Gong Tianxia are tied for the top positions in martial arts is not because the martial arts careers of these two people are inseparable, but because these two people are fundamentally inseparable from each other. They are both disciples of the Master of the Path, which actually means that they were born from the same Path. They also practice the Great Freedom Liberation Meditation Exercises, which actually means that they are also at ease and have the same Buddha-nature wisdom and compassionate heart. It's just that Gong Tianxia represents the tranquility of Buddha nature, while Tang Ningfeng represents the liveliness of Buddha nature, Gong Tianxia represents the inner part of Buddha nature, and Tang Ningfeng represents the outer appearance of Buddha nature, Gong Tianxia represents the natural freedom of Buddha nature, and Tang Ningfeng represents the human feelings of Buddha nature. Therefore, in the novel, Gong Tianxia always seems to have no desires, no sorrows and no joys, while Tang Ningfeng has ordinary human emotions and desires, and his basis and saying is: "Who said that heroes have to live a life that is not human every day" (album 3, p. 197)

If the Vimo dog is Gong Tianxia's shadow and doppelganger, then Tang Ningfeng is undoubtedly Gong Tianxia's more important shadow and doppelganger. It is more accurate to say that the Vimo dog Ning Feng Tianxia is still an illusion, and Tang Ning Feng, Gong Tianxia, and Vimo Da Dog are actually simulations, shadows or clones of Buddha nature. In this way, Tang Ningfeng, Gong Tianxia and Vimo Dagu form a special "trinity", which is of course not the trinity of the Holy Father, the Holy Son, and the Holy Spirit in the sense of Western Christianity, but the unique trinity of Buddha nature, human nature, and understanding in Eastern Buddhism, or the trinity of freedom, nature, and freedom. Such a trinity is the biggest idea of the novel "Condensing the Wind in the World", and it is also the biggest Zen machine of this book.

It is worth noting that the title of this novel is "Ning Feng Tianxia", and Tang Ning Feng, Gong Tianxia - and Vimo Big Dog - are of course the protagonists of this novel, but this work is different from traditional novels in that it does not make its protagonists absolutely superior, or only write around the growth experiences or life choices of these two characters, making the novel a biography of the two protagonists, but allows Tang Ningfeng and Gong Tianxia to share the length of the novel with other characters, including their friends, partners, lovers, comrades-in-arms and enemies. In doing so, it not only embodies true equality, but also includes the Zen machine: that everyone has a Buddha nature, and all things have a Buddha nature. The so-called lush yellow flowers are nothing more than ordinary water, and they all become avenues. Relatives, friends, lovers, or passers-by, enemies, and enemies are not only the basis for the existence and behavior of the Condensing Wind, but also the purpose of the existence and behavior of the Condensing Wind, and the proof of the existence and behavior of the Condensing Wind and their significance. Human nature is like water, personality is like waves, condensing the wind and the world such a big wave, without the waves composed of countless others, it will not become a river, a river and a sea, and it will not become a world.

Five

The mystery of Qi Confucian's novels lies in his compassionate heart, the concept of equality of all beings, and the modern humanistic consciousness of respecting the individual's position and the value of his individuality. The so-called compassion and the so-called equality of all beings are actually the love and respect for life. Life, on the other hand, is not an abstract concept, but always exists in the form of a concrete, or more precisely, an individual. It is impossible to be compassionate for the lives of all beings without paying attention to the form and value of the individual's life. The above wonderful argument about the "enemy" is based on this understanding and respect for the individual.

The biggest key to "Condensing the Wind in the World" is the author's attention and respect for individual life. The characters in it are not constrained by their affiliations, groups, nations, countries, etc., nor are they limited by political, economic, cultural, religious or gender identities, but allow each specific character to make their own unique life choices according to their own identity, position and personality in these complex social relationship networks, so that this novel presents a variety of personality landscapes. The importance of life and its individuality is not only the practical basis for the equality of all beings, but also an important principle of literary creation.

Focusing on the individual's personality in the course of his or her life makes the narrative of this novel more variable, and the variables are naturally greater. Love at first sight, turning into enemies, shaking hands to become friends of life and death, flashing thoughts and good and evil, the "impermanence" of life is manifested in karma, the root is in the choice of the personality subject, and the deeper root is of course the impulse of life and the essence of human nature. With different identities, different positions, different environments, different emotions, different personalities, and different emotional psychology, how many characters and stories can be arranged and combined, how many life karma meetings, and how many levels or sides of human nature can be arranged? If the world is a river, then everyone is a drop of water, or a wave, or in the mainstream, or in the tributary, or in the undercurrent, or in the backflow, if the world is an ocean, then everyone is a river, or turning east, or bending west, or going south, or bending north, but in the end there is always a common direction. The novel "Condensing the Wind in the World" and the characters in it are regarded as such.

Needless to say, Tang Ningfeng and Gong Tianxia have different personalities, that is, Yu Huan, who is similar to Tang Ningfeng's behavior, is actually one step faster than his impulsiveness and one step slower in introspection, with a smaller horizon and a greater pride. Among the three elders of the martial arts, Mr. Yinda is frank and upright, Mr. Dingda is profound and tortuous, and Mr. Zangda has a unique eye. Among the three people in the world, Xuan Renyun is open-minded and fluent, Bu is calm and rational, and Sima Wusheng is fiery and thunderbolt. Among the five sons of the king of soldiers, Yumo has the wind of a king, the arms of a Buddha, the wisdom of swallowing stars and the act of saving poverty, chasing the sun has the spirit of heroism and the heart of repaying gratitude, and the lore has the perverseness and the righteousness of sacrifice, and the soul has partiality and loyalty. The second collector, the eldest lady hides the snow and the spring wind, smart and warm, and the second lady hides the elegant and sunny sun, and the warm transpiration. There are many other characters that do not need to be listed one by one. The author not only pays attention to the character of the character, but also pays more attention to the life state of the character and the different life course.

It is worth noting that the behavior of the characters in the book changes randomly, and the appearance of the character will only disappear after several changes, which makes people's nature come to light. Master Zongwang held Shaolin Yinzhen hostage, saved people first in order to save his father, and went in and out between the demon road and the Buddhist way. Yang Yan wanted to kill the sect master, and once he passed the test of life and death, he actually rescued each other, and the grudge was extinguished, but the adult became a close friend. Kuang Shanhai, the world's most famous and strange man, actually has a selfish heart and a violent nature, and a text message from the senior wise man Yan Long Yueyu made his grudge against him for forty years turn into a smile from Jiaye. The two elders of Qiankun, who were enthusiastic about fame and fortune, actually sighed in tears in Gong Tianxia's embrace, and then changed their positions. Not to mention, emotions change with the situation, and natural and artificial performances are often indistinguishable, so you can't stereotype each person in this book until the dust settles. Compared to those images that are self-explanatory at a glance, the characters in this book are clearly closer to the true face of human nature.

What is more noteworthy is that although the characters in the book are varied, their behaviors are ever-changing, and the relationships between the characters are intricate, they still have their common characteristics, that is, everyone is born with Buddha nature, and everyone has a kind, compassionate and noble side. This is the "Buddha Truth" of the Book of Confucianism, and it is also the ideological theme of the book "Condensing the Wind in the World". Therefore, although there is a gap between the newcomer and the old on the list of martial arts heroes, there will still be touching pictures of helping the old and the young at critical moments; although there are contradictions between the decent and the evil factions, there are still good feelings in addition to life and death; Mongolian Tatars and the Central Plains martial arts are enemies, but there is still mutual respect between the leaders; although Ashikaga Becky is from a foreign country, her actions are often unexpected and touching. Perhaps the most prominent example is the pirate king Pang with blood on his hands, who fights and has an epiphany to save the little monk. At least as far as I can see, there are no real heinous people in this book. Therefore, half of this comes from the author's insight and understanding of human nature, and half of it comes from the author's understanding and preaching of Buddha-nature.

Human nature is as mixed as forest recklessness, and good and evil are uneven, but the author's goal is to discover the roots of Buddha nature in the complex behavior of the characters and their psychological states. One of the most typical examples is the honesty of the time-honored family. The author also seems to have a preference for this complex character, so in the appendix of the novel, there are actually two articles dedicated to this honesty (i.e., "Writing a Short Narrative of Feelings" No. 3, and "The Story of the Honest Shopkeeper", see pages 311 and 319 of the second album of "The Wind in the World", respectively). The youngest shopkeeper in the family of old characters looks a little like the once-unknown protagonist Yang Fan in Gu Long's novel "Big Man", but "dishonest honesty" has a richer foundation, more complex personality traits, and deeper human connotations than Yang Fan's image.

As the shopkeeper of a family of old characters, this short and fat but well-developed head, with slit-like eyes but open eyes, and a mediocre but superhuman appearance, is first and foremost a shrewd businessman, and secondly a tough samurai. Therefore, he is always mercenary, and in order to achieve his own goals, he often does whatever it takes. The most typical example is that for the sake of the medicinal materials and weapons business of the time-honored family, he did not pay any attention to the chivalrous style of martial arts and the morality of the rivers and lakes, lit fire everywhere, provoked contradictions and conflicts, and even did not hesitate to oppose Tang Ningfeng and other decent people in martial arts. To put it simply, this guy looks like an out-and-out badass. However, on the other hand, this person is loyal to the family, affectionate and righteous to his subordinates, diligent and diligent, and kind to people, but a little respectable and lovely.

What is really noteworthy is his several unexpected and unconventional behaviors. Once, he actually wanted to kidnap the Sky Survey and the Dragon Hunting Expedition, the reason was that the young man couldn't help but fall in love with this beautiful female catcher, and decided to perform a thrilling scene of the battlefield to rob his relatives on a whim. With Long Zheng's nobility and character, with the atmosphere and situation at the time, and with his honest behavior and style, this thing is unusual and obviously unreasonable. But that's what happened. The significance of this behavior is not only to show the "other side" of honesty's character, such as adventure, toughness, impulsiveness, etc., but more importantly, Long Zheng's attitude to honesty is like a neutron impact that leads to emotional nuclear fusion, and then responds to the strong call for emotional release and will liberation in the heart that has been ignorant or bound, thus changing the psychological and emotional structure and life trajectory of honesty. Obviously, the author values and even encourages this kind of "unconscionable banditry" that violates the law against law enforcers. The reason is that in doing so, honesty is more like a normal young man. Interestingly, Long Zheng kept saying that he wanted to find him to "settle this account", but he never asked him to settle the account.

Another time, it was honestly on the orders of the family's highest authority, the grandmother, that he had to kill Ouyang Mengxiang, the heir of the Ouyang family, and then blame Tang Ningfeng. With the supreme authority of the grandmother in the family, with honest loyalty to the family business, with his consistent style and ability, he should do it and be able to complete the task. But this time, the honest but soft bubble hard drag, never dry. The only reason is that it is not in line with his inner principle, that is, not to kill women and to treat women well. If he wants to investigate deeply, I'm afraid he doesn't want to blame Tang Ningfeng for this—even though Tang Ningfeng is not his friend, and it won't help his family business. This shows that although honesty is mercenary, his heart still has its kind and noble side.