Wulin Hero Terminology

Terms and Phrases:

Yóuxiá (yao-SHE-ah): Literally meaning "wandering force", this is a term generally used to describe the heroic martial heroes of the Wuxia genre in question. Sometimes shortened to just "xiá", the phrase is often compared with knight-errants, or ronin samurai, but while similar a key difference is that ANYONE can be a xiá, and the title is not limited to a noble class like the other two titles. In effect this means it is extremely difficult to determine who is and isn't xiá on sight alone. Note that not ALL practitioners of martial arts are xiá; the term is applied specifically to individuals who practice martial arts who are directly involved with Wulin matters.

Qi (shee): Also called chi or ki, depending on translation or culture. Literally meaning "breath", qi is a biological force generated by all human beings in wuxia stories by breathing, as the name suggests. All human beings have and generate qi in minimal amounts (though having a parent or parents with powerful qi can increase one's natural level at birth), for the most part it's useless without training. Improving your natural reserve of qi is difficult, requiring grueling training focused purely on improving one's natural energy reserves and generation or special diets/medicines; physically exercising your muscles will NOT improve your qi. When improved and trained qi can be used for seemingly unlimited purposes, presuming sufficient training and amounts of it to perform the task. Since qi is directly related to breath, anything that restricts or inhibits breathing or prevents blood flow (blood being the carrier of oxygen throughout the body) hampers one's ability to properly manipulate or use qi.

Dantien (daan-tee-yen): Loosely translated as "energy center", the dantien is the semi-physical location where most of the bodies' qi resides and pools when not in active use, located in the abdomen. From the dantien qi circulates through the body via breathing and blood vessels, increasing in amounts circulated when martial arts are used. It is possible to damage or "shatter" the dantien by precisely striking the location with a blow of great force, though this is generally very difficult and generally requires the individual to remain perfectly still or even allow it to happen. Once the dantien is shattered circulation of large amounts of qi becomes impossible, and while this in no way hampers the biological processes of life it prevents the individual from ever practicing martial arts again.

Jianghu: Literally meaning "Rivers and Lakes", this term refers to the World of Martial Arts existing alongside and parallel to the secular world. Compare to the "Wizarding World" of the Harry Potter novels; it is not a world in it's own right, but a world existing side-by-side with our own, with only individuals who are "in the know" able to tell you the details. Certain groups and professions are considered "by the shore" of the jianghu, such as innkeepers, brothels, coachmen and coaching houses, as well as other professions where xia are likely to meet or visit.

Wulin: The Martial Brotherhood. Literally meaning "martial forest". If the Jianghu is the world wuxia takes place in then the Wulin is the culture that inhabits that world. Describing the Wulin in full is impossible; a bewildering array of clans, sects, alliances, cults, schools, and houses inhabit the Wulin and even more individuals populate it. The Wulin is a society with many subtle and strange customs and rules, but there is one virtue that all the Wulin holds sacred; martial skill. Freed of class, gender, religious, and social restrictions (at least in theory), sheer martial power becomes the sole determining factor in one's fame and status in the Wulin. The web of personal debts, alliances, betrayals, loves, and relationships each xia builds as time goes on is all geared around conflict and the goal of attaining greater martial strength and power. Without conflict and competition there is only stagnation, and no way to prove your power or test your limits.

The Code of Xia: The Chivalrous Virtues which all xia in theory aspire to achieve. Note that two individuals with these same virtues can (and often do) come into regular conflict over them. They are;
-KUAN (Benevolence): Altruism and kindness. Aiding the meek out of the goodness of your heart.
-BA (Force): Power and skill. Displaying not only raw power but true mastery over yourself and your abilities is Ba, while simply slaughtering foes is not.
-XIN (Honor): Proper behavior and sense of obligation. Repaying debts and obligations, obeying social norms even at a cost to yourself is honorable.
-ZHONG (Loyalty): Placing the interests of superiors, friends, schoolbrothers or allies above your own. You can be more Loyal to a theory or cause rather then an individual.
-YI (Righteousness): Justice and righting wrongs. Exposing and defeating evil, destroying corruption, and disrupting unfair or corrupt social orders is righteous.

Retirement: Thanks to the chaos (and high mortality rate) of xia lifestyles, certain older or more accomplished individuals may wish to retire from the Wulin. When this decision is made they invite both enemies and allies to a ceremony where they metaphorically wash their hands of all martial matters, freeing them of responsibilities and debts in the Wulin under the understanding that they will no longer practice or train their martial arts nor pass down their skills to another. Frequently this is done to spend their days with their families, but this isn't always the case. Though retirement is in theory inviolable, sometimes more nefarious individuals will choose not to honor it.

"Crouching Tigers and Hidden Dragons": A shortened version of the phrase, "Be wary in the Wulin, for it is full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons." Since it is difficult to detect a xia in the Wulin and in theory anyone could be one, danger is often said to be around every corner since anyone could be a potential ally or enemy or rival hiding in wait.

"The River should not muddy the waters of the Well": A phrase referring to the old Wulin tradition of settling all affairs of the Wulin within the Wulin itself, and keeping matters out of the secular world. While the individual xia is a potent force, the armies of the secular world are endless by comparison, and no matter how mighty the xia he is still mortal. This tradition is often considered a way to ensure the secular world does not simply destroy the Wulin in it's entirety for being a threat to it, by making all Wulin affairs mostly irrelevant to people and nations outside the jianghu. This tradition is probably broken more then any other in the Wulin, as it is far too easy for a powerful, wealthy, and well-connected xia to influence the world around him in some way, even by accident.