Poets take roles of kungfu masters

Bu Feiyan, 26, in costume

IT is hard to associate the soft-spoken and sleek-haired Xin Xiaojuan (Bu Feiyan is her penname) with the hard-kicking kungfu heroes she writes about in her martial arts novels.

The 26-year-old is as devoted to the world of kungfu as her characters are to the spirit of xia (chivalry, see the definition in "Bonus Point") even in a time when many see the concept as redundant.

She says: "Xia is the spirit that drives the weak to defy the strong. In old novels, it's a conflict between external forces, but for me, it's a struggle between good and evil within a person's heart."

Xin attempts to create a "crystal palace" within her stories. "It's a place that symbolizes an ideal world, where everyone lives with true freedom and dignity in their heart," she says, her voice bouncing with excitement as she talks.

Xin grew up reading Louis Cha and Gu Long's novels, and later became fascinated with Tang and Song poems. However, despite her attraction to these ancient literature works, Xin was only inspired to write her own stories after meeting some student poets at Peking University.

She was struck by their moral values and ideals. She then used their nature as a prototype for a new type of hero in her novels.

"They changed my idea of what strength is," says Bu. "Unlike traditional heroes, they look physically fragile. However, their minds are free and they have the inner strength to overcome negativity."

The spirit of xia also influences Bu's own outlook on life. She's self-conscious and tries not to listen to the negative ideas being whispered in her ear by critics.

"Many writers only care about sales and this ruins their careers," she says. "They should write with greater sincerity."

Xin is also greatly concerned by the fate of underprivileged people in society. "I don't agree with the cold logic that only the strongest survive as taught by the old school kungfu masters. Every life is equal spiritually and should be respected," she says.

Despite Xin's belief in xia, she does not see it as some kind of world-saving philosophy. However, she does think it can help individuals achieve salvation, as it promotes self-discipline.

"In this age, there are few chances for people to fight for justice, but we can still suppress the badness that secretly grows in our own hearts," she says. "If there were no one else watching, would you let your child chase or hit a dog just for fun? This is a question every person needs to answer."

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生词：
defy 违抗, 挑衅

sleek 顺滑的

fragile 脆弱的

underprivileged 弱势的，下层的

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