Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils
Louis Cha
 The plot is made up of several separate yet intertwining story lines, revolving around the protagonists Qiao Feng, Duan Yu and Xuzhu. The complex narrative shifts from the initial perspective of Duan Yu to the other characters' and sometimes back. Duan Yu is a young, naive prince of the Kingdom of Dali. Despite the long tradition of the practice of martial arts in the royal family, he refuses to learn martial arts due to Buddhist influence and his disdain for bloodshed. When his father tries to force him to learn martial arts, he runs away from home. Ironically, he acquires three of the most powerful skills in the novel and becomes immune to poison after consuming the Zhuha, a poisonous toad known as the "king of all venomous creatures". During his adventures, he encounters several beautiful young maidens, and falls in love with them. However, one by one, these maidens are revealed to be actually his half sisters due to his father's past illicit affairs with several women. Of these maidens, he is extremely obsessed with Wang Yuyan, who resembles a statue of a fairy-like lady he chanced upon before. He tries to win her heart but she has no feelings for him as she has a crush on her cousin Murong Fu. Duan's love life ends on a happy note when Wang finally realises that he is the one who truly loves her and they are married and live happily ever after. (In the latest revision, Duan Yu and Wang Yuyan's romance is marred by a series of incidents, causing the couple to be separated.) Qiao Feng is the charismatic chief of the Beggars' Sect, who possesses strong leadership qualities and exceptional prowess in martial arts. He falls from grace after he is revealed to be a Khitan, and after he is wrongly accused of murdering several fellow pugilists to conceal his identity. He becomes an outcast and the prime enemy of the Han Chinese wulin (martial artists' community). He is forced to sever ties with them and engages them in a one-man bloody battle in which he kills many, including some old friends. Qiao Feng leaves to verify the claims that he is a Khitan and investigate the mysterious murders. He is accompanied by A'zhu, who is in love with him and stands by him. After a long journey in disguise, he finally concludes that he is indeed a Khitan and he assumes his ancestral name "Xiao Feng". Tragically, he makes a major blunder after being tricked into believing that Duan Zhengchun (A'zhu's father) is responsible for his parents' death. He kills A'zhu by mistake, who is in disguise to defend her father. Xiao Feng regrets and has since left Song territory with A'zi, A'zhu's younger sister, whom he had promised to take care of. A'zi has a strong crush on him, but Xiao Feng does not like her at all for her mischievousness and sadism. Xiao Feng wanders into Liao territory, where he becomes a powerful noble after forging a strong friendship with the ruler, Yelü Hongji. When Yelü Hongji decides to invade Song, Xiao Feng attempts to dissuade him as he still values his past relations with the Han Chinese. Ultimately, Xiao Feng commits suicide to prevent war between Song and Liao after taking Yelü Hongji hostage and making him swear that he will never invade Song. Xuzhu is a monk from the Shaolin Sect, described to have a kind hearted and submissive nature. He believes strongly in following the Buddhist code of conduct and refuses to break it even when faced with life-threatening situations. He follows his elders to a meeting once, which marks the start of his adventures. Coincidentally and by sheer luck, Xuzhu breaks a weiqi formation and becomes the successor of the Carefree Sect and inherits the powers of Wuyazi. Subsequently, he encounters Tianshan Tonglao and other acquaintances of Wuyazi and learns martial arts from them. He becomes the leader of several unorthodox sects in the jianghu by chance again. Overwhelmed by the sudden influx of heavy responsibilities and his major leap in martial arts prowess, Xuzhu desires to detach himself from all these duties and return to his former monastic life. However, he is unable to wrench himself free from the various tribulations and dangers that lie ahead; he is no longer regarded as a Shaolin student and has no choice but to accept his fate. Xuzhu has a pitiful parentage, as he is revealed to be the illegitimate son of Shaolin's abbot Xuanci and Ye Erniang of the "Four Evils". His reunion with his parents is fated to be the first and also the last. Again by coincidence, Xuzhu becomes the prince consort of Western Xia due to a previous affair with Princess Yinchuan, to whom he is happily married.