p1004650630 Xiao Ao Jiang Hu (XAJH) 2001
This first review is based on Jin Yong’s Xiao Ao Jiang Hu (????) aka Blood Cold Proud Hot, aka State of Divinity, aka Smiling Proud Wanderer, aka Laughter in the Wind. A direct transliteration would be “Laughter at the Martial World”. This version is produced by China’s CCTV in 2001
Prior to this 2001 version there were various adaptations from Hongkong, Singapore as well as Taiwan. This version is produced by Zhang Ji Zhong.

Cast

Somehow I was totally hooked the very first time when I watched it. I’d managed to get the vcd set from a sales girl who had immigrated from China, and who received it from her uncle when he came to visit her in Singapore. I paid her SGD$40 for it which was a fair price.

I was blown away by the music, the sword-fighting choreography, the incredible China scenery, the chemistry of the 2 main leads; Li Ya Peng and Xu Jing who was 29 at the time of shooting the series. Jin Yong purists condemned this version in all related discussion forums due to certain liberties taken by the producer in this adaptation. But even Jin Yong is not above making substantial changes to his novels of late.

The story revolves around a young man (Lin Hu Chong) of a reputable school at a time of great changes within the martial arts world (jiang hu). He’s a young man of great principles and given to following his conscience; often at odds with his martial arts school and master. At that time, his school is part of an alliance of the 5 Peaks schools and dedicated to eradicating a particular sect called the Sun-Moon Holy Sect which the alliance deemed as evil because of their unorthodox beliefs and practices.

LHC has various early encounters with an elder of this sect and came to realise that all is not so simple as good vs evil; seemingly evil people has righteous principles whereas seemingly righteous people has evil intentions motivated by greed. LHC also encountered a high ranked young woman (Ren Ying Ying, excellently portrayed by Xu Qing) in the Sun-Moon Holy Sect who seems intent on making trouble for him at all times.
LHC was the senior disciple of his school under the mentorship of his master and his wife. He was fond of their daughter (Yue Ling Shan) as they grew up together.

LHC’s friendship with the Sun-Moon elder resulted in him being penalised by his master who felt such actions brought danger to his school due to the intent of one of the other schools to dominate the alliance and usurp the leadership. As time pass, the feelings of YLS for LHC changed due to the close interaction of YLS and another young man. Knowing this and being helpless to do anything to change the situation resulted in LHC becoming depressed and resorted to heavy drinking. His skills at this time was not very high and resulted in being internally injured in fights trying to defend his schools from rogue elements. While he was forced by his master to isolate himself in a mountain cave to reflect on his “unbecoming” conduct he was trained in a lost art by a hidden master of his school.
Thus, he gained exceptional sword skills while his internal energy is still low.

He continued to encounter RYY who although was able to defeat LHC at those times chose not to kill him as she had taken a fancy to him. LHC was finally cast out of his school by his master who blamed LHC for deeds that he himself had committed. He also unknowingly rescued RYY’s father and learned his special energy absorbing skill. His relationship with RYY developed into love due to her utter dedication to him; even to the point of endangering her own life, and that moved him.

Due to the machinations of his master who caused the death of the mistress of the Heng Shan school, LHC was obliged to take up the leadership of that school which at that time was comprising of Buddhist nuns. He was so well regarded by the fringed elements of the unorthodox sect that they too joined his adopted school. This does not sit well with his former master who was jealous of LHC’s growing reputation in jiang hu.

LHC joined with RYY and her father to help him regain the leadership of the Sun-Moon sect which was usurped by the father’s right-hand man and who had latter imprisoned him. This man had learned an unorthodox form of sword art that required the emasculation of the practitioner in order to master it. Unknown to LHC, his former master had also learned a variation of this deadly art. His former master had stolen the manual and then pushed the blame to LHC.

His former master used his art to gain leadership of the Alliance of the 5 Peaks and merged all the schools into one and totally under his control. His aim was to then eradicate the Sun-Moon sect to cement his reputation and then overtake by force if necessary the wu lin leadership that was then dominated by the alliance of Shaolin Temple and Wu Dang.
He tried to force LHC to join with him against the Sun-Moon by kidnapping RYY. Fortunately, she was rescued by LHC, and in the final fight at the grounds of the Sun-Moon sect was forced to defeat and kill his former master.

LHC and RYY were finally able to fulfill their heart felt wish to retire from wu lin and live a solitary life together in isolation and making music together.

This adaptation is by far my favourite wuxia series and I never tire of watching it.
This series is full of memorable fight scenes but my personal favourite is in the bamboo forest where LHC, accompanied by RYY, is resting from his injuries. They were surrounded by gangs from both rogue, alliance as well as Sun-Moon. The fight is long and both RYY and LHC took turns fighting with RYY playing the gu zhen to boost LHC’s internal strength while he is fighting. Truly unforgettable scene and right up till now at 2007 I have yet to see any other series’ fight scenes that could match that of XAJH 2001.

Links:
Wikipedia
sodcctv
Pantee Tripod (exceptional site)
Lanny

Discussion Forum
SPCNet China Series

Novel Translation
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