Juedai Shuangjiao

Plot

Characters

Protagonists

• Jiang Xiaoyu, better known as Xiaoyu'er aka Little Fish or Small Fry, is Jiang Feng and Hua Yuenu's son. When they died, Xiaoyu'er was initially saved by Yan Nantian, Jiang Feng's sworn brother. After Yan Nantian was injured by the Five of the Ten Great Villains, he was spared and subsequently raised by the Five Villains who intended to train him into a great villain. Everyone in the Villainous Valley calls him Xiaoyu'er, the little fish that slipped through the net. Though his body is covered in scars due to his brutal upbringing, Xiaoyu'er possesses considerable charm and rugged good looks which allow him to leave a lasting impression on every woman he meets. Although his tough upbringing causes him to adopt a callous and hedonistic persona in public, Xiaoyu'er actually has a strong moral compass and is naturally kind and protective of others. When he was young, Wan Chunliu once praised him for not having lost his consciousness despite having grown up in such an environment. While he was trained to be a respectable fighter, Xiaoyu'er prefers to rely on his intelligence, cunning, and a variety of skills such as thievery and deception that were imparted to him by his villainous tutors to overcome challenges. However, when he encounters the lethally effective Hua Wuque, Xiaoyu'er realizes that tricks alone cannot be relied upon to keep him alive, and devotes himself to improving his fighting abilities. He ultimately finds a martial arts manual and learns the advanced styles set out in it, growing into a formidable martial artist in his own right. He manages to grow close to Hua Wuque despite them having to duel to the death orchestrated by Yaoyue, and is elated to learn they are twins.
• Hua Wuque is Xiaoyu'er's twin brother. He is raised by the two masters of the Yihua Palace to be the heir and given the last name "Hua" which represents Yihua Palace. He bears a striking resemblance to his father and has a more androgynous beauty than his brother. Wuque is highly respected by in the jianghu for his formidable prowess in martial arts and is gentlemanly, poised and courteous. He often dresses in white and carries a noble and peaceful charisma. Even Xiaoyu'er is impressed by his skills and elegance, admitting that his name which means "flawless" suits him well. However, he has a tendency to suppress his emotions and has a pessimistic outlook towards life. He would rather hold back his feelings than let them trouble the ones he love. In his relationship with Tie Xinlan, he often quietly takes care of her instead of showing his affection openly. He experiences worry, disappointment and heartbreak during his time spent with Xiaoyu'er and Tie Xinlan and becomes a more mature person. He grows throughout the story through his many encounters, becoming smarter and managing to trick some of the enemies. He grows close to Xiaoyu'er despite their predestined duel to the death orchestrated by Yaoyue. While he has no intention to kill Xiaoyu'er himself, he also does not want to disobey his two masters. When Xiaoyu'er sets the date for their final dual in three months, Hua Wuque is relieved that he can put aside Yaoyue's order and enjoy being friends with Xiaoyu'er for a short period of time. Right before the final duel, he makes the decision to never hurt Xiaoyu'er and secretly plans to sacrifice himself. When all is revealed, he is happy to learn that he is twins with Xiaoyu'er and reaffirm their bond as brothers.
• Tie Xinlan is the daughter of Tie Zhan, one of the Ten Great Villains, and extremely beautiful in appearance. She appears to be softhearted but is actually strong-willed and brave, although she could also be quick-tempered and stubborn at times. She is a decent fighter and was trained in the skill 'Berserk Hundred Hits' by her father. At the beginning of the story, she crosses paths with Xiaoyu'er while traveling alone to look for her missing father. When they first meet, Xiaoyu'er treats her badly like he does to all women, but they grow closer over time and Tie Xinlan falls madly in love with him. She later meets Hua Wuque who deeply admires her and is willing to risk his own life defending her. She becomes entangled in a love triangle between the brothers and often has to intervene to prevent them from fighting. She is the first person to notice the resemblance between the two brothers, saying that they have similar-looking eyes and eyebrows. Even after falling for Hua Wuque, she retains a close bond with Xiaoyu'er and ultimately cares for him as a close friend and fears for his safety. The night before the duel, she openly admits her feelings to Hua Wuque and decides to die with him if he ends up getting killed. In the end, she is happy that the duel between the brothers does not end in either deaths and marries Hua Wuque for good.
• Yan Nantian, nicknamed "Best Divine Swordsman Under Heaven", is the most powerful martial artist in the novel. He is Jiang Feng's sworn brother. His prowess in swordplay is unmatched in the jianghu and his "swordsman aura" can be even felt from a distance. He is said to be so powerful that he can shave a man bald in a single move without the person noticing. He is massive in stature and dresses like a pauper. He is ambushed by the Ten Great Villains and enters a coma. He is revived by the physician Wan Chunliu, who kept him alive under the pretext of using his comatose body to test new drugs. He awakens only to find that he has lost most of his original abilities, and trains for long months to regain them, eventually even surpassing his previous level of power. He serves as Xiaoyu'er's role model and trains him in martial arts.
• Su Ying is Wei Wuya's foster daughter. She is spoiled, arrogant, scheming and anti-social. She is well-versed in medicine and extremely cunning but has no significant martial arts skills. Her intelligence enables her to manipulate many martial artists throughout the novel. Her beautiful appearance and indifferent personality are similar to those of Yaoyue and Lianxing – which was why Wei Wuya adopted her. When she meets Xiaoyu'er, she falls in love with him and decides to follow him until she wins his heart. She is more intelligent than him and knows how to adapt her behaviour according to his mood, making her different from the other girls that Xiaoyu'er met. She risks her life twice to save Xiaoyu'er who later reciprocates her feelings and they become a couple in the end.

  Yihua Palace

• Yaoyue is the first master of Yihua Palace. According to Lianxing, before Yaoyue and Yan Nantian mastered all their respective skills, Yaoyue was slightly better than Yan, making her the most powerful martial artist at the beginning of the novel. Although she possesses beauty, charisma and skill, she is described by Jiang Feng as "not a living person or human being, but fire, a block, ice or a sword instead". Jiang Feng rejects her and elopes with one of Yihua Palace's servant girls, Hua Yuenu. Yaoyue is angered and she pursues and hunts down the couple. After Jiang Feng and Hua Yuenu die, Yaoyue intends to kill their twin boys but Lianxing stops her. The sisters choose one of the twins and raise him as their son and groom him to be the heir to Yihua Palace. After all the years, she still could not forget Jiang Feng. The thought of Jiang Feng, Hua Yuenu, and their two sons pains her deeply. Throughout the story, Yaoyue is determined to have Hua Wuque and Xiaoyu'er fight to death without revealing the real reason to either of them. This revenge plot appears to be the only thing that has kept her going. When Xiaoyu'er emerges from death, destroying her plan, Yaoyue seems to lose the purpose of life and runs away with the body of Lianxing.
• Lianxing is the second master of Yihua Palace and Yaoyue's younger sister. She is described to be a sweet and pretty woman whose beauty surpasses that of a flower blooming in spring. According to Xiaoyue'er, in comparison to Yaoyue, Lianxing is warmer in character than her sister. This is confirmed by Tie Pinggu, because Lianxing, like Yaoyue, had also fallen in love with Jiang Feng, but was afraid to express her feelings for fear of her sister. After Jiang Feng and Hua Yuenu die, Lianxing saves the twins by suggesting making them kill each other when they are grown up instead of killing them now. Throughout the novel, it is hinted that Lianxing, unlike Yaoyue, does not take the revenge plot seriously. Hua Wuque sees Lianxing as a mother-figure and treats her with love and respect. Compared with Yaoyue and Yan Nantian, Lianxing is slightly weaker in martial arts than her sister, but equal to Yan. During the final duel, Lianxing attempts to talk Yaoyue out of her it in order to save Hua Wuque and Xiaoyu'er; however, Yaoyue does not listen and instead kills Lianxing for intervening.

  Good Characters

• Wan Chunliu is an old physician with excellent medical skills who resides in the Villainous Valley. He is righteous and kind in nature, but puts on a poker face in front of the Great Villains. He is an early teacher to Xiaoyu'er and treats him like a grandson. He lets Xiaoyu'er hang around while he practices; as a result, Xiaoer'yu becomes quite knowledgeable about medicine and poison at an early age. Wan Chunliu tells Xiaoyu'er about Yan Nantian's fight with the Five Villains that led to Yan's injuries and coma. Yan Nantian ultimately recovers after almost two decades under Wan Chunliu's continuous care. Before Xiaoyu'er and Hua Wuque's final duel, Wan Chunliu helps Xiaoyu'er make a special drug to fake his death.
• Gu Renyu is nicknamed "Jade Faced Divine Fist". He is honest, simple and easily embarrassed. He practises his family's martial art 'Gu Family Divine Fist', which blends in well when combined with Zhang Jing's palm skills. He tends to be referred to as Ms. Gu due to his beauty. He is shown to be kind and gentle in nature, even managing to easily befriend Xiaoyu whom he places great trust in and vice versa. He is initially ordered by his mother to woo Murong Jiu, but falls in love with Zhang Jing instead and eventually marries her.
• Black Spider is a martial artist who dresses in a tight black suit and has a mechanical device strapped to his wrist capable of shooting spider web fluid at enemies. He is an expert in qinggong and is capable of scaling walls with his 'Flying Silver Threads' skill. He considers Xiaoyu a "jerk" due to his scheming nature but the two ultimately become close friends. He has a strong personal ego and likes to play the role of an older sibling to his friends but is reserved, wearing a mask and later a black veil to hide his identity. He is in love with Murong Jiu but is afraid of confessing to her so he always watches her from a distance. When Murong Jiu ventures into the jianghu, he follows her closely and protects her with his life. He marries Murong Jiu eventually.
• Shen Xi is the clan master of E'mei clan and a martial artist of high renown. He is one of the most honorable martial artists in the story and not blinded by lies or wealth. Unlike most characters, he sees the good in Jiang Xiaoyu and trusts him, even aiding him in revealing Jiang Biehe's crimes.

  Villains

• Jiang Biehe is Xiaoyu'er's primary nemesis. He was originally Jiang Feng's servant and was previously known as Jiang Qin. He betrayed his master for monetary rewards and became an influential nobleman and martial artist. He is brutal and ruthless by nature, but also intelligent and adept at deception. He is hailed as a "Hero of Jiangnan" for pretending to perform heroic and kind acts, while secretly conducting wicked deeds such as extortion and assassinations. When Xiaoyu'er attempts to expose his hypocrisy in public, he attacks Xiaoyu'er verbally and accuses him of committing the very atrocities he is responsible for. However, this backfires when he is tricked into revealing his involvement in those atrocities. He is eventually captured and crippled by Yan Nantian with all his martial art skills stripped away. Yan Nantian sends him to Xiaoyu'er for punishment but Xiaoyu'er ultimately decides to spare his life.
• Jiang Yulang is Jiang Biehe's son, who was named after Jiang Feng's nickname. He is trained by his father in martial arts and groomed to support his father in his quest to dominate the jianghu. He has a pale complexion and appears feminine. He is deceitful and calculative with decent martial art skills. He and Xiaoyu'er have many encounters throughout the story and even Xiaoyu'er is not able to outwit him easily. He is also an expert in charming and seducing women, and his many "trophies" include Tie Pinggu, who eventually succeeds in getting revenge and murdering him with poison.
• The Ten Great Villains are ten notorious criminals in the jianghu. In spite of their collective nickname, they are not an official group per se because they often operate independently. Furthermore, their fame is due more to their various eccentricities and quirks rather than actual villainy. Most of the ten are not even evil at all. The five who raised Xiaoyu'er are Du Sha, Haha'er, Tu Jiao Jiao, Li Dazhui and Yin Jiuyou. They develop an emotional attachment to the boy and treat him with a degree of affection. As such, Xiaoyu'er respects them as his surrogate parents and manages to convince Yan Nantian to spare them. By the end of the novel, all of the original ten are dead except for San Guang, who has become a close friend with Xiaoyu'er, and Tie Zhan, who reunites with his daughter Tie Xinlan.
• The Twelve Zodiac are a group of bandits named according to the twelve Chinese zodiac signs. They are led by the "Rat" Wei Wuya, a paraplegic yet incredibly dangerous martial artist. Eighteen years ago, a few of them conspired with Jiang Qin and attacked Jiang Feng and Hua Yuenu for a big amount of money that they thought the couple were carrying. When Lianxing, the second master of Yihua Palace, arrived at the fight scene, she immediately killed the "Chicken" and "Pig" zodiac members who had badly injured the couple. Wei Wuya didn't participate in the flight himself, but knows about Jiang Qin's betrayal to Jiang Feng. Towards the end of the story, Wei Wuya attempts to kill Xiaoyu'er, Su Ying, Yaoyue and Lianxing by trapping them in his cave. The group almost dies from dehydration but manages to escape when Xiaoyu'er discovers a secret path that leads them outside.

  Xiaoyu'er's Love Interests

• Taohua is a nomadic girl living on the plains. She is the first maiden Xiaoyu'er meets on his adventures. She plays a hospitable host to him.
• Zhang Jing is nicknamed "Little Fey". Although beautiful in appearance, she is extremely brutal. She has a fiery temper and hates evil to the core. Although not a very powerful martial artist, her moves are very fast, making her a formidable challenge even to more powerful opponents. Once, to comfort her mother, she decides to find the treasure left behind by her mother's ex-lover, Yan Nantian. She follows Tie Xinlan, who finds the treasure and meets Xiaoyu'er along the way. Xiaoyu'er ever kiss her in the cheek. Ultimately marries Gu Renyu.
• Murong Jiu is a member of the Murong family. She seems very cold towards people because she practises the 'Rock Altering Divine Skill', a form of martial arts that cultivates inner strength by suppressing the emotions. Once, Xiaoyu'er disguises himself as a vengeful ghost to scare her and captures her. She falls in love with him afterwards but ultimately marries Hei Zhizu, who known as Black Spider. In the end, she and Xiaoyu'er became friends.
• Tie Pinggu is a servant in Yihua Palace. She helps Xiaoyu'er escape from Yaoyue. She is deceived by Jiang Yulang and loses her virginity to him, and is used as a bait to lure Xiaoyu'er into a trap. After she is abandoned by Jiang Yulang, she feels dejected and chooses to join Hu Yaoshi and the Twelve Zodiac. She is the daughter of the "cannibalistic" Great Villain Li Dazui.
• Hai Hongzhu is the only child of Hai Laodie, the leader of a wandering performance troupe. Xiaoyu'er disguises himself as "Hai Xiaodai" and sneaks into the troupe. She meets him and falls in love with him. Xiaoyu'er refuses to admit that he is actually Hai Xiaodai after he saves her from danger in subsequent events.
• Duan Sangu is Duan Hefei's daughter. She dresses up as a man to help her father with his business. She appreciates Xiaoyu'er's talents and recruits him to be in charge of the medicine shop. She helps Xiaoyu'er once in solving a mystery case. Xiaoyu'er influences her to dress like a woman.

  Adaptations

Films

Television

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Video games

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