Liu Jingzhuang, though not heavily featured in “Sword Coming,” leaves a profound mark through his lessons, suffering, and the reflection of the conflict between pure heart and the harsh path of cultivation. He is portrayed as a tragic figure, further elaborating on the themes of “cultivating the heart” and “cultivating the Dao” in Fei Wo Si Cun’s works.

Background and Relationship with His Master

Liu Jingzhuang is a disciple of Ruan Qiong – the leader of the Fengxue Temple in Bao Ping Continent, and a top-tier old monster in terms of cultivation. From a young age, Liu Jingzhuang demonstrated qualities of kindness, humility, and resilience, which made Ruan Qiong cherish him. He was once considered the most promising candidate to become a “closed-door disciple” – the master’s heir.

Good Heart, Limited Cultivation: Despite possessing noble moral qualities, Liu Jingzhuang lacked the talent to achieve breakthroughs in cultivation. His progress was slow, even with more effort than his peers. This left Ruan Qiong with both pity and helplessness, because in the world of cultivation, Dao attainment is crucial for survival.

Father-Son Relationship with Ruan Qiong: Ruan Qiong regarded Liu Jingzhuang as his own son, not only teaching him but also investing a great deal of effort in finding spiritual medicines and cultivation techniques to help his disciple progress. However, all efforts were in vain, making the relationship heavy with expectations and disappointment.

The Incident of Demonic Deviation and Painful Departure

Liu Jingzhuang’s cultivation career ended tragically when he suffered demonic deviation – a common accident for cultivators due to inner demons or backlash from cultivation techniques.

Reason: Possibly stemming from the pressure of meeting his master’s expectations, coupled with inferiority about his low cultivation level. Liu Jingzhuang forced himself to practice advanced techniques beyond his capabilities, leading to severe damage to his Dao foundation.

Role of Ruan Xiu: Ruan Qiong’s daughter, Ruan Xiu – a mysterious figure with the identity of “reincarnated Fire God” – saved Liu Jingzhuang in time. However, after this incident, his Dao foundation almost collapsed, and he lost all cultivation ability.

Decision to Leave: Becoming a burden, and not wanting to continue disappointing his master, Liu Jingzhuang painfully and quietly left Fengxue Temple. He gave up his identity as a disciple, wandering the world like a mortal, with no one knowing his whereabouts.

Role and Symbolic Meaning in the Story

Lesson for Ruan Qiong

Liu Jingzhuang became Ruan Qiong’s nightmare, making the old monster cautious when accepting disciples. This is evident in Ruan Qiong’s attitude towards Chen Ping’an – the protagonist with a similar heart to Liu Jingzhuang. Although Ruan Qiong greatly appreciated Chen Ping’an, he firmly refused to accept him as a disciple, fearing a repeat of the “good heart, weak Dao” situation.

Mirror of Cultivation Destiny

Conflict Between Heart and Dao: Liu Jingzhuang represents those who truly want to cultivate but lack talent and are crushed by the cruel rules of the cultivation world – where strength is truth.

Impermenance of Karma: Even with a pure heart, he could not escape the karma caused by his own greed (greed for techniques, greed for progress). This is also a reminder that “cultivating the heart” is more important than “cultivating power.”

Connection with Ruan Xiu

Before Ruan Xiu left Bao Ping Continent, Liu Jingzhuang found her one last time. This detail reveals a deep relationship between the two:

Possibly Ruan Xiu once had special feelings for Liu Jingzhuang, or regarded him as a brother.

The final meeting carries the nature of “settling karma,” like saying goodbye to the past, before Ruan Xiu embarked on the path of Godhood.

Impact on Other Characters

Chen Ping’an: Even without meeting directly, Chen Ping’an vaguely understood that without special opportunities, his fate might be like Liu Jingzhuang’s. This prompted him to seek a unique cultivation path, combining “cultivating the heart” and “cultivating the sword.”

Ruan Qiong: Liu Jingzhuang’s tragedy changed Ruan Qiong’s teaching methods, placing greater emphasis on the balance between disciples’ hearts and their Dao attainment.

Liu Jingzhuang is not just a supporting character, but the soul of the profound philosophy in “Sword Coming.” He represents the powerlessness of humans in the face of fate, the contradiction between desire and reality, and also reminds us that on the path of cultivation, a good heart does not guarantee the favor of heaven, but evil intentions will surely encounter great disaster. His disappearance leaves a void in the reader’s heart, questioning the true value of cultivation and the meaning of “being human.”