Juedai Shuangjiao (traditional Chinese: 絕代雙驕; simplified Chinese: 绝代双骄; pinyin: Jué Dài Shuāng Jiāo; lit. 'The Peerless Proud Twins') is a wuxia novel by Gu Long first published in 1966. The novel is about a pair of twin brothers who, because of a feud between two formidable martial artists, were separated at birth and raised on opposing sides. As of 2020^[update], it has been adapted into four films and eight television series.

Plot

Eighteen years ago, a handsome martial artist, Jiang Feng, was injured in a fight and coincidentally saved by the sisters Yaoyue and Lianxing of Yihua Palace, one of the deadliest martial arts clans in the jianghu (martial artists' community). Yaoyue fell in love with Jiang Feng, but he rejected her despite her beauty because her arrogance put him off. He fell in love with the sisters' servant, Hua Yuenu, impregnated her and fled with her. Jiang Feng's jealous servant, Jiang Biehe, betrayed his master and caused a group of bandits to attack Jiang Feng and Hua Yuenu shortly after Hua had just given birth to a pair of twin boys.

Although Jiang Feng and Hua Yuenu died, their sons were unharmed and discovered by Yaoyue and Lianxing. Yaoyue refused to forgive Jiang Feng for scorning her and vowed to take revenge by making his sons destroy each other. The sisters then adopt one of the boys, whom they name Hua Wuque. The other boy, known as Xiaoyuer, is initially saved by his father's sworn brother, Yan Nantian, a powerful swordsman, but later falls into the hands of the Ten Great Villains, a group of notorious criminals in the jianghu. However, the Villains did not harm Xiaoyuer and instead decide to raise him and train him to become the greatest villain in the history of the jianghu.

Hua Wuque grows up to be a good-mannered, refined gentleman well-trained in the elegant martial arts of Yihua Palace. On the other hand, Xiaoyuer is trained by the Ten Great Villains in a wide range of not-so-powerful martial arts and other skills such as theft, deception, the use of poison, and the art of disguise. Once he is old enough, the streetwise Xiaoyuer ventures out into the jianghu alone and relies on his wits and skills on a series of adventures. During this time, he gets embroiled in complicated romantic relationships with various women, including Tie Xinlan, Su Ying and Zhang Jing.

In the meantime, Yaoyue sends Hua Wuque to kill Xiaoyuer, lying to him that Xiaoyuer poses a dangerous threat to them. Against the backdrop of various escapades, the twins come to blows several times. Each of their encounters follows the same pattern. Hua Wuque is more powerful in martial arts than Xiaoyuer, but the latter always manages to survive by using his wits to escape from the former. The twins are initially hostile towards each other and have wildly different personalities; Hua Wuque is righteous, intelligent but naïve, while Xiaoyuer is expedient, streetwise and cunning. However, they gradually develop mutual respect and become friends after braving danger together. At the same time, they become entangled in a love triangle with Tie Xinlan.

Determined to make the twins kill each other, Yaoyue eventually forces Hua Wuque to challenge Xiaoyuer to a duel to the death. After Xiaoyuer is apparently killed by Hua Wuque during the duel, Yaoyue reveals the truth to Hua Wuque and tells him about her plan to make their father pay the ultimate price for scorning her. Hua Wuque is horrified after learning the truth and realising that Xiaoyuer is actually his twin brother. Just then, Xiaoyuer comes back to life, having feigned death earlier by consuming a special drug. The twins finally recognise and acknowledge each other as brothers, thus putting an end to Yaoyue's evil plan and ending the story on a happy note.

Characters

Main characters

• Xiaoyu'er (小魚兒; Xiǎoyúér; 'Little Fish'), born Jiang Xiaoyu (江小魚; Jiāng Xiǎoyú), is Jiang Feng and Hua Yuenu's son. He was raised by five of the Ten Great Villains and trained to become a great villain. Though his body is covered in scars due to his brutal upbringing, he possesses considerable charm and rugged good looks, which allow him to leave a lasting impression on every woman he meets. Although a respectable fighter, Xiaoyuer prefers to rely on his intelligence, cunning, and a variety of skills such as thievery and deception to overcome challenges. However, when he encounters Hua Wuque, he realises that he cannot rely on tricks alone to stay alive, so he starts honing his fighting skills and ultimately turns into a formidable martial artist in his own right. Although his tough upbringing causes him to adopt a callous, hedonistic persona in public, he has a strong moral compass and is naturally kind and protective of others.
• Hua Wuque (花無缺; Huā Wúquē) is Xiaoyuer's fraternal twin brother, and the heir to Yihua Palace and its only male resident. Bearing a striking resemblance to his father, he looks extraordinarily handsome and has a more androgynous appearance compared to his brother. He is highly respected in the jianghu for his formidable prowess in martial arts and his gentlemanly, graceful manners. However, he has a tendency to suppress his emotions and has a naive outlook towards life.
• Tie Xinlan (鐵心蘭; Tiě Xīnlán) is Tie Zhan's daughter. Although she has a beautiful appearance and seems soft-hearted, she is actually strong-willed, brash and extremely stubborn. A decently good fighter, she has been trained by her father to use the "Berserk Hundred Hits" (瘋狂一百零捌打). She falls madly in love with Xiaoyuer even though he initially treats her badly. She later falls in love with Hua Wuque, who has strong feelings for her. This results in her becoming entangled in a love triangle between the brothers, and she often has to intervene to prevent them from fighting.
• Su Ying (蘇櫻; Sū Yīng) is Wei Wuya's foster daughter. Spoiled, arrogant, scheming and anti-social, she is well-versed in medicine and extremely cunning but quite mediocre in martial arts. Her intelligence enables her to manipulate many martial artists, while her beautiful appearance and indifferent personality are similar to those of Yaoyue and Lianxing – which was why Wei Wuya adopted her. When she meets Xiaoyuer, she falls in love with him and decides to follow him until she wins his heart. She is more intelligent than him and knows how to bend him to her will.
• Yan Nantian (燕南天; Yàn Nántiān), nicknamed "Best Divine Swordsman Under Heaven" (天下第一神劍), is Jiang Feng's sworn brother and one of the most powerful martial artists in the novel. His prowess in swordplay is unmatched in the jianghu and his "swordsman aura" can be even felt from a distance. Massive in stature and dressed like a pauper, he is so powerful that he can shave a man bald in a single sword movement without the man noticing it. After he is ambushed and knocked unconscious by the Ten Great Villains, he is revived by Wan Chunliu, who kept him alive under the pretext of using his comatose body to test new drugs. When he regains consciousness, he realises that he has lost his prowess in martial arts, so he trains for many months to regain his powers and eventually surpasses his original self. He serves as Xiaoyuer's role model and trains him in martial arts.
• Lu Zhongyuan (路仲遠; Lù Zhòngyuǎn), nicknamed "Great Hero of the Southern Sky" (南天大俠), is Yan Nantian's close friend and one of the most powerful martial artists in the novel. In his prime, he had defeated Du Sha before but had lost to Wei Wuya and had disappeared from the jianghu for several years before reemerging. He dies after falling into a trap set by Jiang Yulang.
• Jiang Feng (江楓; Jiāng Fēng), nicknamed "Yulang" (玉郎; 'Jade Young Man') was Xiaoyuer and Hua Wuque's father. He met Hua Yuenu of Yihua Palace, fell in love with her and eventually eloped with her. He committed suicide to join his wife after she was killed.

Yihua Palace

• Yao Yue (邀月; Yāoyuè) is the first mistress of Yihua Palace and a formidable martial artist. Although she possesses beauty, charisma and skill, she is described by Jiang Feng as "not a living person or human being, but fire, a block, ice or a sword instead". Jiang Feng rejects her and elopes with Hua Yuenu. Angered, Yaoyue pursues and hunts down the couple. After Jiang Feng and Hua Yuenu die, Yaoyue intends to kill their twin boys but Lianxing stops her. The sisters choose one of the twins and raise him as their son and groom him to be the heir to Yihua Palace.
• Lian Xing (憐星; Liánxīng) is the second mistress of Yihua Palace and Yaoyue's younger sister. She is described to be a sweet and pretty woman whose beauty surpasses that of a flower blooming in spring. According to Xiaoyue'er, in comparison to Yaoyue, Lianxing is warmer in character than her sister. This is confirmed by Tie Pinggu, because Lianxing, like Yaoyue, had also fallen in love with Jiang Feng, but was afraid to express her feelings for fear of her sister. After Jiang Feng and Hua Yuenu die, Lianxing saves the twins by suggesting to make them kill each other when they are grown up instead of killing them now. Throughout the novel, it is hinted that Lianxing, unlike Yaoyue, does not take the revenge plot seriously. Hua Wuque sees Lianxing as a mother-figure and treats her with love and respect. Compared with Yaoyue and Yan Nantian, Lianxing is slightly weaker in martial arts than her sister, but equal to Yan Nantian.
• Hua Yuenu (花月奴; Huā Yuènú) was a servant of Yihua Palace. She met Jiang Feng by chance, fell in love with him, and eventually eloped with him. She was killed shortly after giving birth to Xiaoyuer and Hua Wuque.
• Tie Pinggu (鐵萍姑; Tiě Pínggū) is a servant of Yihua Palace who helps Xiaoyuer escape from Yaoyue. She is deceived by Jiang Yulang and loses her virginity to him, and is used as bait to lure Xiaoyuer into a trap. After she is abandoned by Jiang Yulang, she feels dejected and chooses to join Hu Yaoshi and the Twelve Zodiac. She is ultimately revealed to be Li Dazhui's daughter from .
• He Lu (荷露; Hé Lù) is a servant of Yihua Palace.

Valley of Evil

The "Ten Great Villains" (十大惡人) are ten notorious criminals in the jianghu who live in Valley of Evil (惡人谷) in the Kunlun Mountains. In spite of their collective nickname, they are not an official group per se because they often operate independently. Besides, their notoriety is due more to their various eccentricities and quirks rather than actual villainy. Five of them raised and trained Xiaoyuer.

• Du Sha (杜殺; Dù Shā), nicknamed "Blood Hand" (血手), is a ruthless killer who has a metal hook to replace his right hand after it is cut off by Yan Nantian in a fight. Despite his notoriety, he stands by his principles and genuinely cares for Xiaoyuer.
• Tu Jiaojiao (屠嬌嬌; Tú Jiāojiāo), nicknamed "Neither Male Nor Female" (不男不女), is highly skilled in the art of disguise and his/her true sex cannot be determined. He/she taught Xiaoyuer how to disguise himself and how to flirt with women.
• Haha'er (哈哈兒; Hāhāěr), nicknamed "A Dagger Hidden Behind a Smile" (笑裡藏刀), is a fat monk originally from Shaolin. He is notorious for putting people off guard by smiling at them and pretending to be friendly, and killing them with a dagger when they are unaware.
• Li Dazui (李大嘴; Lǐ Dàzuǐ), nicknamed "Does Not Eat Human Heads" (不吃人頭), is a cannibalistic killer known for eating his victims' entire bodies except their heads, hence his nickname. He previously married Tie Wushuang's daughter but killed and ate her in anger after learning that she had an affair behind his back.
• Yin Jiuyou (陰九幽; Yīn Jiǔyōu), nicknamed "Half Human, Half Ghost" (半人半鬼), is highly skilled in qinggong and specialises in disguising himself as a ghost to scare people.
• Tie Zhan/Iron Warrior (鐵戰; Tiě Zhàn), nicknamed "Crazy Lion" (狂獅), is Tie Xinlan's father. Notorious for challenging others to fights, he goes berserk in fits of rage and has injured innocent people before.
• Xuanyuan Sanguang (軒轅三光; Xuānyuán Sānguāng), nicknamed "Evil Gambler" (惡賭鬼), is an ugly-looking, one-eyed gambler.
• Xiao Mimi (蕭咪咪; Xiāo Mīmī), nicknamed "Takes No Responsibility for Killing People with Her Charm" (迷死人不賠命), is a beautiful woman notorious for seducing many martial artists in the jianghu.
• Ouyang Ding (歐陽丁; Ōuyáng Dīng) and Ouyang Dang (歐陽當; Ōuyáng Dāng), nicknamed "Would Rather Die Than Suffer a Loss, Risk His Life to Gain Any Advantage" (寧死不吃虧、拚命佔便宜), are a pair of identical twin brothers who pretend to be a single person (Ouyang Ding Dang) to con others.
• Bai Kaixin (白開心; Bái Kāixīn), nicknamed "Harm Others With No Self Benefit" (損人不利己), is a lecherous hooligan notorious for sowing discord among others. He plots with Ma Yiyun to kill all the other Villains.
• Wan Chunliu (萬春流; Wàn Chūnliú) is a physician who moved to Villains' Valley after killing 98 patients due to an accidental mistake. He is held in high regard by the Villains as he is the only person in the valley who is trained in medicine.

Murong family and associates

The Murong family is an influential and well-connected family of nine sisters based in Jiangnan who specialise in qinggong and the use of anqi (projectile weapons). Their power and influence stem from the sisters' marriages to other notable figures in the jianghu.

• Murong Yi (慕容依; Mùróng Yī) is the oldest of the nine sisters. Her husband is Chen Fengchao (陳鳳超; Chén Fèngchāo), who is nicknamed "Beautiful Jade Swordsman" (美玉劍客).
• Murong Shuang (慕容雙; Mùróng Shuāng) is the second of the nine sisters and the most powerful in martial arts among them. Her husband is Nangong Liu (南宮柳; Nángōng Liǔ) of the Nangong family.
• Murong Shanshan (慕容珊珊; Mùróng Shānshān) is the third of the nine sisters. Her husband is Qin Jian (秦劍; Qín Jiàn), the leader of the wulin alliance in Guangdong and Guangxi.
• Fourth Lady Murong (慕容四姑娘; Mùróng Sì Gūniáng) is the fourth of the nine sisters. Her husband is Mei Zhongliang (梅仲良; Méi Zhòngliáng), who is nicknamed "Plum Flower Gentleman" (梅花公子).
• Fifth Lady Murong (慕容五姑娘; Mùróng Wǔ Gūniáng) is the fifth of the nine sisters. Her husband is Luo Mingdao (駱明道; Luò Míngdào), who is nicknamed "Divine-Eyed Scholar" (神眼書生).
• Sixth Lady Murong (慕容六姑娘; Mùróng Liù Gūniáng) is the sixth of the nine sisters. Her husband is "Little White Dragon" (小白龍).
• Seventh Lady Murong (慕容七姑娘; Mùróng Qī Gūniáng) is the seventh of the nine sisters. Her husband is Liu Heren (柳鶴人; Liǔ Hèrén), who is nicknamed "Scholar of Dongting" (洞庭才子).
• Eighth Lady Murong (慕容八姑娘; Mùróng Bā Gūniáng) is the eighth of the nine sisters. Her husband is Zuo Chunsheng (左春生; Zuǒ Chūnshēng), who is nicknamed "Guest of Ten Thousand Flowers" (萬花客).
• Murong Jiu (慕容九; Mùróng Jǐu) is the youngest of the nine sisters. She seems very cold towards people because she practises the "Rock Altering Divine Skill" (化石神功), which allows her to cultivate inner energy by suppressing her emotions. When Xiaoyuer accidentally disrupts her practice, she swears vengeance on him and apparently kills him, but he survives and disguises himself as a ghost to scare her. Eventually, she is moved by Black Spider's love towards her and marries him.
• Black Spider (黑蜘蛛; Hēizhīzhū) is a martial artist who dresses in a tight black suit and has a mechanical device strapped to his wrist capable of shooting spider web fluid at enemies. He is an expert in qinggong and is capable of scaling walls with his "Flying Silver Threads" (銀絲飛渡). He has a strong ego and likes to play the role of an older sibling to his friends. Although he is in love with Murong Jiu, he is afraid to confess to her so he only watches her from a distance. When Murong Jiu ventures into the jianghu, he follows her closely and protects her with his life. They are married eventually.
• Gu Renyu (顧人玉; Gù Rényù), nicknamed "Jade Faced Divine Fist" (玉面神拳), is a cousin of the Murong sisters. An honest and simple man, he is easily embarrassed. He practises his family's fist movements, which complements Zhang Jing's palm skills. He is initially ordered by his mother to woo Murong Jiu, but falls in love with Zhang Jing instead and eventually marries her.
• Zhang Jing (張菁; Zhāng Jīng), nicknamed "Little Fairy" (小仙子), is beautiful in appearance but fiery-tempered. Although she is not powerful in martial arts, her moves are very fast so she proves a challenge to stronger fighters. To comfort her mother, she accompanies Tie Xinlan to find the treasure left behind by her mother's ex-lover, Yan Nantian. Along the way, she meets Xiaoyuer, who gives her her first kiss. She ultimately marries Gu Renyu.

Jiang family

• Jiang Biehe (江別鶴; Jiāng Biéhè) is Xiaoyuer's primary nemesis. He was originally Jiang Feng's servant and was previously known as Jiang Qin (江琴; Jiāng Qín). He betrayed his master for monetary rewards and became an influential nobleman and martial artist. Though brutal and ruthless, he is highly intelligent and adept at deception. Over the years, he has cultivated the public image of a hero, while secretly engaging in criminal activities. When Xiaoyuer attempts to expose his hypocrisy, he attacks Xiaoyuer verbally and accuses him of committing the very atrocities he is responsible for. He is ultimately defeated and crippled by Yan Nantian, who sends him to Xiaoyuer. Xiaoyuer spares his life and allows him to leave.
• Jiang Yulang (江玉郎; Jiāng Yùláng) is Jiang Biehe's son who has a pale complexion and feminine appearance. Trained by his father in martial arts, he was groomed to support his father in his quest to dominate the jianghu. He is good at charming and seducing women, and his many "trophies" include Tie Pinggu.

Twelve Zodiacs

The "Twelve Zodiacs" (十二星相) are a group of bandits ranked according to the twelve Chinese zodiac signs.

• The Rat is represented by Wei Wuya (魏無牙; Wèi Wúyá), Su Ying's foster father and the most powerful in the group.
• The Ox is represented by Huang Niu (黃牛; Huáng Niú; 'Yellow Ox').
• The Tiger is represented by Bai Shanjun (白山君; Bái Shānjūn), Ma Yiyun's husband and the second most powerful in the group.
• The Rabbit is represented by Hu Yaoshi (胡藥師), who eventually marries Tie Pinggu.
• The Dragon is represented by an unnamed member who serves as the group's nominal leader and is only mentioned by name in the novel.
• The Snake is represented by Bishe Shenjun (碧蛇神君; Bìshé Shénjūn; 'Green Snake Divine Gentleman').
• The Horse is represented by Ma Yiyun (馬亦雲), who is originally Bai Shanjun's wife. She marries Bai Kaixin later and plots with him to kill the "Ten Great Villains".
• The Goat is represented by Bai Yang (白羊; Bái Yáng; 'White Goat').
• The Monkey is originally represented by Jinyuanxing (金猿星; Jīnyuánxīng; 'Golden Ape Star') and later Xianguo Shenjun (獻果神君; Xiànguǒ Shénjūn; 'Fruit-Offering Deity').
• The Rooster, also known as Sichenke (司晨客; Sīchénkè; 'Reporter of Daybreak'), is represented by five or six members.
• The Dog, also known as Heiquanxing (黑犬星; Hēiquǎnxīng; 'Black Dog Star'), is represented by six or seven members.
• The Pig is represented by Heimianjun (黑面君; Hēimiànjūn; 'Dark-faced Gentleman').

Others

• Taohua (桃花; Táohuā; 'Peach Blossom') is a nomad maiden from the Mongolian steppes. She is the first maiden Xiaoyuer meets on his adventures and she plays a hospitable host to him.
• Hai Hongzhu (海紅珠; Hǎi Hóngzhū) is the only child of Hai Laodie, the leader of a wandering performance troupe. Xiaoyuer disguises himself and sneaks into the troupe, where she meets him and falls in love with him.
• Duan Sangu (段三姑; Duàn Sāngū) is the daughter of Duan Hefei, a wealthy merchant. She appreciates Xiaoyuer's talents and recruits him to be in charge of the medicine shop. On one occasion, she helps Xiaoyuer solve a mystery.
• Taoist Shenxi (神錫道長; Shénxī Dàozhǎng) is the leader of the Emei School.
• Liu Yuru (柳玉如; Liǔ Yùrú) is nicknamed "Snow Blossom Saber" (雪花刀).
• Feng Tianyu (馮天雨; Féng Tiānyǔ) is nicknamed "Divine Dragon Sword from Guanwai" (關外神龍劍).
• Zhao Quanhai (趙全海; Zhào Quánhǎi) is the leader of an alliance of 17 security companies.
• Wang Yizhua (王一抓; Wáng Yīzhuā), nicknamed "Sees People as Chickens" (視人如雞), is an elderly martial artist specialising in the "Eagle Claw".
• Master Huangji (黃雞大師; Huángjī Dàshī) is the abbot of Rooster's Crow Monastery on Mount Wutai.
• Xiaoyun Jushi (嘯雲居士; Xiàoyún Jūshì) is an expert in qigong and a close friend of Master Huangji.
• Sun Tiannan (孫天南; Sūn Tiánnán) is the leader of the Tiannan Sword School.
• Qiu Qingbo (邱清波; Qiū Qīngbō) is the head of the Qiu family of Zhejiang specialising in using the spear.

Adaptations

Films

Television

Comics

In 1997, Hong Kong cartoonist Ho Chi-man drew a manhua series for the novel.

Wong Yuk-long's comic, Force of Buddha's Palm (如來神掌) has a long story arc which reproduces much of Gu Long's novels. This story arc was included in an English translation published in the United States by Jademan Comics from 1989 to 1993.

Ho Che Wen created three comic series based on this story under the title The Impeccable Twins. The first series follow the novel but the second and the third series expand on events after the end of the novel.

Animation

In 2022, Tencent released the donghua (chinese animation) version on WeTV Indonesia,^[2] Thailand, and China.

Video games

• 新絕代雙驕 (1999)
• 新絕代雙驕 II (2000)
• 新絕代雙驕 III (2002)
• 新絕代雙驕online (2005)
• 新絕代雙驕前傳 (2006)