Dongfang Bubai

Dongfang Bubai, literally "Invincible East", is a fictional character in the wuxia novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer by Jin Yong.

His castration and supreme prowess in martial arts make him one of the most memorable characters in Jin Yong's wuxia universe even though he appears in only one chapter of the novel.

[1] Dongfang Bubai makes his dramatic physical appearance in only one chapter of the novel, but his character is pivotal and indispensable to the essence of the story and is continually referenced in vital ways throughout the plot.

Dongfang Bubai's captivating and provocative character has enabled his role to be largely expanded in films and television series adapted from the novel.

Through a scheme, he ousts Ren Woxing from power, imprisons him in an underground dungeon in Hangzhou, and thereafter seizes the leadership position.

Ren Woxing eventually escapes from the dungeon with Linghu Chong's help and gradually wins back allegiance from his former followers.

The Sunflower Manual was written by a eunuch from a previous dynasty era and was passed down for 300 years until it fell to the hands of Reverend Hongye, who is the abbot of Putian Shaolin.

Nevertheless, Yue Su and Cai Zifeng managed to integrate what they learnt from the manual into their existing skills and made significant improvements in their mastery of martial arts.

At the same time, this also resulted in a rivalry between Yue Su and Cai Zifeng because they started concentrating on qi (inner energy) and swordplay techniques respectively.

While working with Yue Su and Cai Zifeng, Duyuan himself gradually became increasingly obsessed with the Sunflower Manual and his mind was totally corrupted by it.