The fictional character Xiaolongnu or Xiao Long Nuu (Trad. Chinese:小龍女;; Simp. Chinese: 小龙女; lit. 'little dragon girl' ) is a character from the Chinese wu xia novel The Great Eagle and Lovers (Shen Diao Xia Lu),1959, by writer Louis Cha under the pen name, Jinyong.

Xiao Long Nuu is a third generation disciple of the secret Ancient Tomb Sect (Gumu Bai), a kung fu school founded by Lin Chao Yin . Because all the disciples of Ancient Tomb were females, the kung fu of this sect is elegant, graceful, light, beautiful and harmless especially to the eyes of outsiders.

The history of Xiao Long Nuu's Kung Fu

According to the book, the Grand Ancestress of Ancient Tomb Sect Kung Fu, Lin Chao Yin was one of the foremost martial artists of Jiang Hu at the time. There was not anyone to match her, except the revered Taoist, Wong Chong Yang, who founded the Taoist philosophy of Quan Zhan Sect (All True Religion). Because of their great level of kung fu, the two naturally became rivals and dueled bitterly against each other.

The Strange Duel

In a story told by one of the Seven Elders of Quan Zhen, Qui Chu Ji , it is said that before Grand Ancestress Lin disappeared from the face of Jiang Hu, she and Elder Wong had a strange duel. Lin Chao Yin won that duel and as her price, she took the tomb built by Wong Chong Yang and spent the rest of her life there. Out of respect for her, Wong created a temple nearby in Zhong Nan mountain and it came to be known as the famous Chong Yang Palace.

The First Generation of Ancient Tomb

When Lin Chao Yin entered the tomb, she had a young maid with her. The maid became her first disciple but because Grand Ancestress Lin made a rule that her disciples should never leave the Ancient Tomb, the beautiful kung fu of their sect was not heard for a long time in Jiang Hu until it faded from the minds of the people.

Second Disciple Li

Lin Chao Yin's maid took another disciple and this was Li Mo Chou who fell in love with a man. As punishment, her master expelled her from Ancient Tomb. Later on, Li Mo Chou discovered that the man that she loved married another and she became bitter. She roams the land, her heart filled with hatred, killing and destroying. Because of this, people came to call her as the 'Serpent Demon' or 'Serpent Deity' for even though she was evil, she was also beautiful.

The Dragon of Ancient Tomb

Before Li Mo Chou , some unknown characters came to Chong Yang Palace in Zhong Nan mountain in the dead of the night. They were carrying a tiny baby girl which they left on the steps of the Taoist temple. The Taoist men were good people but they didn't know what to do with such a child. Finally, an old woman came from the woods and took the baby from them. This woman was of the Ancient Tomb and the disciples of Quan Zhen Sect respected her.

The baby grew to be a young girl and she was given the name Xiao Long Nuu (Little Dragon Girl). She replaced Li Mo Chou's position as heiress of Ancient Tomb Sect Kung Fu.

The Dragon's Disciple

When Li Mo Chou left the Ancient Tomb, she became a bitter woman. She soon began to spread false rumors about her disciple sister in Jiang Hu. She said that when Xiao Long Nuu turns eighteen, she would choose her husband who would then inherit the secret kung fu text of their school.

In response to this, several men came to Zhong Nan mountain seeking Long's hand in marriage. One of these men is Huo Du who is a prince of Mongolia. It was also around this time that Guo Jing, a famous hero came to Chong Yang Palace. He wanted to introduce his surrogate nephew, Yang Guo as a pupil of Quan Zhen Sect but the teenager rebelled against the strict rules of the sect and was soon expelled.

To fulfill a dying friend's wish, Xiao Long Nuu was forced to accept Yang Guo as a disciple even though it was against the rules of their sect. After years of training, master and pupil gradually developed deeper feelings for each other.

Notable actresses played Xiao Long Nu

• Idy Chan
• Carman Lee

External links

• Forgotten Heroes - LOCH '82, ROCH '83, HSDS '86
• Lair of the Condor - anime
• Jin Yong Reading Room - online translations