Faraway Wanderers — Summary

Faraway Wanderers
—— a careless tale from jianghu.1
by Priest

Once plunged into rivers and lakes2, time urges
Youths and elders from lakes and rivers.

This is the story of a chief spy from the Imperial Secret Service who quits the court, to drift jianghu.

The world under the skies is vast,
Wherever there is man, there are lakes and rivers. 

Notes:

1. Jianghu (lit. “rivers and lakes”) is a hard to translate concept that designates the marginal fringe of society that doesn’t obey the Imperial Court’s rule. Half-legendary, half-historical, it is a liminal and lawless world populated by martial arts heroes, bandits, vagrants, priests and monks, but also demons, gods and immortals from folk tales. Jianghu is the default setting for Chinese historical fantasy.

Geographically, it’s traditionally set in the southern regions of China, after the seminal text Water Margins.

Metaphorically, the fierce battles taking place in jianghu represents the human struggle within any social environment.

I've seen some explanations on the internet that attempt to translated jianghu as "the pugilists' world" or "martial arts' world". These translation are restrictive and essentially wrong. The terms jianghu goes back two thousand years, before the formalisation of the wuxia genre. And if pugilists and martial arts heroes both dwell in jianghu, they do not define it. It is jianghu — as the quintessential concept of the human struggle in a lawless environments, like fishes in rivers and lakes — that defines them.

Note that the novel's original title 天涯客 (Tianya Ke, lit. "guest of the skies and horizons") is a direct reference to Du Fu's use of the term 江湖客 (Jianghu Ke, lit. "guest of jianghu") in his poems.

2. See above.

Misc. note: There are two main subgenres in Chinese fantasy. Wuxia (lit. “martial arts heroes'') and xianxia (lit. “immortal heroes''); their protagonists all dwell in jianghu. Faraway Wanderers (on which the web-series Word of Honor is based) is wuxia as the story revolves around martial arts clans/schools. In contrast, the BL novel on which The Untamed is based is xianxia, as its story revolves around Daoist clans/sects and magical powers. Though the delineation between the two subgenres is sometimes tenuous.

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CHARACTERS LIST

Faraway Wanderers SummaryFaraway Wanderers a careless tale fromjianghu.1by PriestOnce plunged into rivers and lakes2, time urgesYouths and elders from lakes and rivers.This is the story of a chief spy from the Imperial Secret Service who quits the court, to driftjianghu.The world under the skies is vast,Wherever there is man, there are lakes and rivers.Notes:1.Jianghulit. rivers and lakes is a hard to translate concept that designates the marginal fringe of society that doesn't obey the Imperial Court's rule. Half-legendary, half-historical, it is a liminal and lawless world populated by martial arts heroes, bandits, vagrants, priests and monks, but also demons, gods and immortals from folk tales. Jianghu is the default setting for Chinese historical fantasy.Geographically, it's traditionally set in the southern regions of China, after the seminal text Water Margins.Metaphorically, the fierce battles taking place in jianghu represents the human struggle within any social environment.I've seen some explanations on the internet that attempt to translatedjianghuas "the pugilists' world" or "martial arts' world". These translation are restrictive and essentially wrong. The termsjianghugoes back two thousand years, before the formalisation of the wuxia genre. And if pugilists and martial arts heroes both dwell in jianghu, they do not define it. It is jianghu as the quintessential concept of the human struggle in a lawless environments, like fishes in rivers and lakes that definesthem.Note that the novel's original title Tianya Ke, lit. "guest of the skies and horizons" is a direct reference to Du Fu's use of the term Jianghu Ke, lit. "guest of jianghu" in his poems.2.See above.Misc. note:There are two main subgenres in Chinese fantasy.Wuxialit. martial arts heroes'' andxianxialit. immortal heroes''; their protagonists all dwell in jianghu. Faraway Wanderers on which the web-series Word of Honor is based iswuxiaas the story revolves around martial arts clans/schools. In contrast, the BL novel on which The Untamed is based isxianxia, as its story revolves around Daoist clans/sects and magical powers. Though the delineation between the two subgenres is sometimes tenuous.CHARACTERS LISTEnglish NameChinese NameGenderRole/RelationshipOccupationClan/FactionAssociated LocationsAliasesAppears in chp.Misc.AxinaliMaleGreat Shaman's bodyguard26BeiyuanMaleLord Seventh26Cao WeiningMaleLast discipleJianghu heroQingfeng-SwordTaihang15Concierge16Deng KuanMaleGao Chong's discipleJianghu heroGao ClanDongting16Duan PengjuMaleZhou Zishu's former employeeChief SpySkylightImperial Palace1Fang BuzhiMaleInfamous larcenistThiefN/AN/ANine-Claws Fox Spirit16Deformed left hand and inexisting genitalsFeng XiaofengMaleJianghu heroDirt Duke20DwarfGao ChongMaleClan ChiefGao ClanDongtingThe Iron Judge15Gao HuiMaleMurdered disciplineJianghu heroGao Clan27Gao XiaolianFemaleGao Chong's daughterJianghu heroGao ClanDongting16Great ShamanMaleShaman of Nanjiang26Gu XiangFemaleSidekickServantDemonic Fellowship, Devils' ValleyGreen-Bamboo Ridge, Windcliff MountainN/A2Pretty and sassyHelianyiMaleZhou Zishu's former employerEmperorImperial CourtImperial PalaceEmperor Rongjia1N/AHis Eminence CimuMaleClan ChiefShaolin TempleShaolin Temple, Henan19Honour TokenJiang CheMaleFriend to Zhao JingJianghu heroN/AN/AThe One-Eyed Warrior9N/ALiang JiuxiaoMaleZhou Zishu's junior co-discipleZhou ClanFour Seasons Estate, Imperial Court12LutaMale26MiaomiaoFemaleWen Kexing's motherJianghu heroPhysicians Valley23Mo HuaikongMaleCao Weining's shishuJianghu heroQingfeng-SwordTaihang24Mo HuaiyangMaleCao Weining's shifuClan ChiefQingfeng-SwordTaihang16Mu YungeMaleYu Tianjie's friend, victimClan ChiefMu ClanBrokesword Hill's Estate9Broken swordOld BiMaleZhou Zishu's former helpSpySkylight formerly, Zhou ClanFour Seasons Estate, Imperial CourtN/A1N/AOld BiMaleZhou Zishu's former helpSpySkylight formerly, Zhou ClanFour Seasons Estate, Imperial Court1Old LiMaleSaves Zhang ChenglingJianghu hero, FisherN/AN/AN/A2Swears a lotOld LiMaleSaves Zhang ChenglingJianghu hero, FisherN/ASuzhou2Swears a lotOld MengMaleDigged Wen Kexing outJianghu villainDevils ValleyGreen-Bamboo Ridge, Windcliff Mountain14Old maid3Prince of NanningQin SongMaleMercenary recruited to kill Zhang ChenglingAssassinN/AN/AMystic Melody8Eunuch, ZitherServer 115Server 219Su YueMaleWen Kexing's acquaintanceCourtesanN/AYangzhouN/A13N/ASun DingMaleKills Yu Tianjie, Fang BuzhiJianghu villainDemonic Fellowship, Devils' ValleyGreen-Bamboo Ridge, Windcliff MountainThe Mourning-Groom Devil10Birth mark on faceTaishan GrandmasterTaishan SchoolTaishan15The Ancient MonkMaleHighly skilled m. artistJianghu heroN/AEverbright MountainN/A9N/AThe MountainMaleJianghu hero20GiantThe Poisons KingMaleAs skilled as ZZSJianghu heroN/ASouth Sea's Guanyin Hall9Wen KexingMaleRomantic InterestBeauties chaserDemonic Fellowship, Devils' ValleyGreen-Bamboo Ridge, Windcliff MountainThe Devil Lord2ShamelessWen RuyuMaleWen Kexing's fatherJianghu heroThe Sage Doctor22Xue FangMaleKills Mu YungeJianghu villainDemonic Fellowship, Devils' ValleyGreen-Bamboo Ridge, Windcliff MountainThe Hanged Devil5Buck toothedYe BaiyiMaleJianghu heroEverbright MountainThe Ancient Monk19Honour TokenYu QiufengMaleHuashan School's GrandmasterClan ChiefHuashan SchoolHuashan24Yu TianjieMaleHuashan School's heir, victimJianghu heroHuashan SchoolHuashanN/A9N/AZhang ChenglingMaleSidekickOrphanZhang ClanZhang EstateN/A3Cries then loses weightZhang YusenMaleZhang Chengling's father, victimClan ChiefZhang ClanZhang Estate, SuzhouN/A3N/AZhao JingMaleFriend to Zhang YusenClan ChiefZhao ClanZhao Estate, TaihuThe Swordsman of Autumn Mountain9Honour's TokenZhou ZishuMaleProtagonistFormer Chief Spy, VagrantSkylight formerly, Zhou ClanFour Seasons Estate, Imperial PalaceZhou Xu, Sir Zhou1Nailed