Why isn't the genre of martial arts novels called chivalrous novels?

Mr. Jin Yong has been writing martial arts novels for decades. He has created many unforgettable classic characters and plots in his novels. However, he was also aware of the changes in the wuxia novel market and the needs of readers. Mr. Jin Yong once said that the wuxia novel market began to decline in the 1980s and 1990s because readers began to pay more attention to other types of literature such as modern novels and detective novels. In addition, Mr. Jin Yong's works have also been adapted into movies and TV series many times, which also affected his enthusiasm for writing martial arts novels. Mr. Jin Yong also realized that his novel had reached a certain bottleneck and it was difficult to create more unique storylines and characters. Therefore, he decided to turn to other fields such as writing essays, novels, scripts, etc. to express his artistic pursuit and creative inspiration. Although Mr. Jin Yong had left the creation of martial arts novels, his works were still deeply loved by readers and became one of the classics of Chinese literature.

There were many reasons why there were no famous wuxia novels in the mainland. Wuxia novels have a place in Chinese culture, but the creation of wuxia novels in the mainland is not as active as in Hong Kong, Taiwan and overseas Chinese areas. Wuxia novels required a strong story, imagination, and plot tension. These elements required the creator to have a high level of literary accomplishment and experience in the creation process. The mainland's literary creation environment was relatively closed, and there was a lack of communication and collision between literary schools and creation methods. It was difficult to produce martial arts novels that were as influential as those in Hong Kong and Taiwan. The overall level of literary creation in the mainland was not as good as that in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and overseas Chinese areas. Wuxia novels were a necessity of literature, and the overall level of literary creation in the mainland was relatively low. It was difficult for influential wuxia novels like Jin Yong, Gu Long, Liang Yusheng, and Huang Yi to emerge. The mainland's literary creation paid more attention to mainstream literary schools such as realism and realism, while the creation of martial arts novels was relatively small. The choice of literary creation would also affect martial arts novels.

The Kung Fu of the Chivalrous Men was a fictional martial art in Journey of the Chivalrous Men. It could not be compared with the profound martial arts in Jin Yong's martial arts novels. The advanced martial arts in Jin Yong's martial arts novels included but were not limited to the Nine Yang Scripture, Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, Sunflower Manual, and so on. These martial arts could only reach the realm of perfection after a long period of cultivation. Although the Kung Fu of the Hero was also fictional, its appearance showed the author's imagination and exploration of martial arts.

The "martial arts" and "chivalrous" in Jin Yong's martial arts novels are important elements in Chinese traditional culture, with profound cultural implications and historical origins. "Martial arts" referred to physical training. The ability to master martial arts was a way of physical and mental training. In Jin Yong's novels, many characters could improve their martial arts skills and gain a foothold in Jianghu by practicing hard. At the same time," Wu " also represented the status and honor of Jianghu. Many protagonists in Jianghu displayed a strong martial force and fearless spirit by defeating strong enemies and protecting the weak to uphold justice. "Chivalry" referred to the spirit and behavior of serving justice, protecting the weak, and fighting evil. In Jin Yong's novels, many characters had a chivalrous heart. They took it upon themselves to help the weak and fight against evil, becoming respected heroes in Jianghu. At the same time,"chivalrous" also embodied a kind of moral concept and code of conduct, such as "justice is paramount","eliminate the violent and appease the good","do not seek personal gain" and so on. In Jin Yong's wuxia novels,"martial arts" and "chivalrous" were opposites and unified existences. Through "martial arts", one could show the strength and status of Jianghu. Through "chivalrous", one could reflect the pursuit of morality and spirit. In the process of reading, the readers can feel the existence of this opposition and unity, and draw profound cultural implications and life philosophy from it.

Beggar's Sect in Wuxia novels was usually called "gang" instead of "begging". This was because in novels, Beggar's Sect was not just a single individual but a group of people with common beliefs and goals. They weren't just beggars. They had a certain organization and discipline to carry out some tasks and missions together. Therefore, the word "gang" more accurately reflected the nature and characteristics of Beggar's Sect. In addition, the word "help" in the novel also had a symbolic meaning. It is often used to describe a powerful, organized force that not only shares common beliefs and goals, but is also able to unite and support each other in order to perform tasks more efficiently and effectively. Therefore, using the word "gang" could better convey the strength and influence of Beggar's Sect.

Wuxia novels are usually categorized as light novels or wuxia novels, which are a genre of novels with wuxia as the theme. Although martial arts novels had a certain status and influence in the literary world, the main reasons why they could not become famous were the following: 1. Lacking literary value: Wuxia novels usually focus on powerful characters and thrilling battles, but they often lack true literary value. They were more of a source of excitement and entertainment than a source of deep thought and reflection. 2. Restrictions on the subject matter: The subject matter of Wuxia novels is usually limited. For example, Wuxia characters are usually loyal, upright, and brave, and plots that often fight against evil forces are more popular. This limitation of the subject matter might cause the plot and theme of the novel to lack depth and breadth, making it difficult to meet the standards required for a famous work. 3. Lacking historical value: Wuxia novels are usually based on fictional historical backgrounds and characters, so they often lack historical value. They were written more for the plot and characters than for history. 4. Restrictions on language and expression: Wuxia novels usually use spoken language and expression, so it is often difficult to convey complex thoughts and emotions. They usually put more emphasis on action and fighting than on expressing emotions and humanity. Therefore, although wuxia novels are a popular literary genre, they can't become masterpieces because they lack true literary value, depth and historical value, and their language and expression are limited.

Online novels were a broad concept that often referred to novels that were popular on the Internet, including various types such as fantasy, science fiction, fantasy, romance, and so on. Therefore, there was no special " novel " section. On the contrary, online novel forums, community, and blog platforms usually had all kinds of discussions, sharing, and recommendations about the novel. On these platforms, people could share their favorite novels, discuss the storyline, character setting, writing style, and so on. They could also recommend popular novels to each other. These platforms were often referred to as " novel sections ", but they were not the same as specialized novel publishing houses or publishing institutions. Online novels were an open and free creation and sharing platform where people could express their creativity and talent to create their own novels, and they could also share and discuss with other readers. Therefore, although there might be discussions and sharing about novels on the online novel platform and community, there was no special "novel" zone.

The current wuxia novels were not as popular as before mainly because they had gone through many alterations and cuts, as well as the development and changes of online literature. The early versions of martial arts novels usually contained rich plots, characters, and worldviews, but as time passed, these versions were often deleted or adapted due to copyright issues, resulting in a decline in the quality of the novel. The development of online literature also changed the fate of martial arts novels. The rise of online literature allowed more people to share and spread novels without relying on publishing houses or bookstores. This also led to the reduction and adaptation of the story plot and character creation in martial arts novels, as well as the commodification and entertainment of the plot. In addition, martial arts novels have also been competing with other types of novels in recent years, such as modern novels, science fiction novels, and horror novels. These types of novels attracted more readers and were closer to the lives and interests of modern people. To sum up, the current wuxia novels were not as popular as before mainly because they had undergone many alterations and cuts, as well as the development and changes of online literature.

Wuxia novels were not popular in foreign countries mainly because of the differences in cultural background and social environment. Wuxia novels usually described the grudges of Jianghu, the loyalty of heroes, martial arts secret manuals, and other traditional cultural elements. These elements did not have any special meaning in the culture of Western countries. The cultural values of Western society emphasize on selfishness, freedom, and equality, while martial arts novels usually emphasize elements such as Jianghu grudges, heroic loyalty, and martial arts secrets. These values are different from the values of Western society. In addition, wuxia novels were often violent and bloody, which was inconsistent with the values of western countries and could lead to discomfort and resistance from readers. Although martial arts novels were not popular abroad, many people in western society liked to read martial arts novels because the cultural elements and plots depicted in the novels could resonate with people.

A novel is a literary form that usually contains rich imagination and fictional elements, while a story is a more basic literary form that describes events and plots. Therefore, although novels and stories were both literary forms, novels were more professional and imaginative, which was a higher level of literary form.