Action Scene as Romantic Expression: The Chongling Sword Technique

 This is the second of two planned entries on action scenes as vehicles for character moments in wuxia, and particularly in Jin Yong's oeuvre. The first, which discusses a major fight scene in Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils (天龙八部), can be found here. This post will discuss a key action scene from The Smiling Proud Wanderer (笑傲江湖).

( spoilers for The Smiling Proud Wanderer )

Jin Yong has, of course, written a number of romantic sword-based action scenes, among them Yang Guo (杨过) and Xiaolongnu (小龙女) fighting side-by-side using different but perfectly complementary techniques in Return of the Condor Heroes (神雕侠侣), and Zhao Min (赵敏) pulling three suicidal moves in a row in order to save Zhang Wuji's (张无忌) life in The Heaven Sword and the Dragon Sabre (倚天屠龙记). But for my money, this is his best swordfighting-as-romance scene to end all swordfighting-as-romance scenes.