Song Zhuoyang

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Song Zhuoyang (宋卓阳)
Alias(es)	Sunlit Sword 73
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Song family of Qu City; later Shen Shixu’s household 73 84
Occupation/Role	Martial artist; later Shen Shixu’s guard 73 84
Spouse	Jiang Miaokong 160
Status	Alive; exonerated of the Song household massacre 81 160
First Appearance	Introduced through Jiang Miaokong’s account 73; appears directly during questioning in prison 76

Background / History

Early Life and Meeting Jiang Miaokong

Song Zhuoyang was the eldest son of a wealthy, well-known family in Qu City. He left home at a young age to study under a martial arts master and became renowned in the martial world as the Sunlit Sword. His younger brother, Song Xianghe, loved and admired him 73 78 82.

He first encountered Jiang Miaokong during a burglary. Seeing Xianghe’s jade ring in Jiang’s possession, Song assumed it had been stolen and demanded its return. During a subsequent chase, both men fell off a cliff and spent two days stranded below. They resolved the misunderstanding: Xianghe had given Jiang the ring willingly 73.

Song later caught Jiang stealing again, but pleaded for leniency, saving him from losing both hands. Determined to stop his thefts, Song followed him everywhere and even tethered Jiang to himself to prevent his escape. Their enforced companionship lasted more than half a month 73.

The Song Household Massacre

While Song and Jiang were in nearby Minglu City, the Song household was massacred, leaving 164 people dead. On the night of the killings, Jiang tried to escape Song’s supervision by getting him drunk; both became intoxicated and spent the night together. When Song subsequently brought Jiang home to meet his family, they discovered the massacre, and Song was arrested 73.

Their alibi was corroborated by an innkeeper and stallholders whose stalls they had damaged. Nevertheless, the victims’ wounds were attributed to Song’s Sunlit Sword, and an eyewitness claimed to have seen him leaving the residence with the bloodied weapon. The conflicting evidence prevented his execution but left him imprisoned while Jiang sought help from Shen Shixu 73.

Song spent more than half a month in prison. Although he was not tortured, grief and wrongful accusation left him noticeably thinner, dispirited, and mentally exhausted 81.

Exoneration and the Killer’s Capture

The investigation uncovered a man who closely resembled Song but lacked the small mole beneath his lip. A waiter’s testimony established the lookalike’s existence, providing grounds for Song’s release and exoneration 80 81.

Song willingly acted as bait to draw out his family’s killer. He and Jiang visited crowded places in Qu City while public notices spread news of his release. The culprit, He Chenyang, followed them to Jiang’s rented courtyard, drugged Jiang, and held him hostage to torment Song 81 82.

After noticing Xiao Jinyi nearby, Song questioned He Chenyang to distract him and learn the motive for the killings. Xiao disarmed the attacker, allowing Song to pull Jiang to safety. Shen then revealed that He Chenyang was Song’s cousin: their mothers were sisters. He had murdered the household out of jealousy, without knowing that the victims were his own relatives 82 83.

Life After Qu City

Song decided to leave Qu City with Jiang. Because Jiang wanted to study painting under Shen Shixu, Song took a position as Shen’s guard. During their journey, he cared attentively for Jiang, bringing him water and gathering wild fruit 84 87.

When Shen Zexi explained that Jiang had risked his life seeking help for him, Song resolved to treat Jiang as well as possible and never let go of his hand. By their later visit to Shen’s parents, Jiang openly introduced Song as his husband 87 160.

Appearance

• Face: Slightly elongated, with thick, blade-shaped eyebrows, clear eyes, a high, straight nose, and somewhat full lips 79.
• Build: Tall and powerfully built; slightly shorter but more robust than Xiao Jinyi, without being bulky 79.
• Distinguishing mark: A small brown mole beneath his lip, crucial to distinguishing him from He Chenyang 79 80.
• Usual equipment: Carries a cloth-wrapped sword on his back 79.
• After imprisonment: Considerably thinner and lacking vitality despite having tidied his appearance before meeting Shen 81.

Personality

Song is upright, chivalrous, and stubborn. He opposes theft but is not indifferent to a thief’s welfare: he intervenes to spare Jiang mutilation, then personally undertakes the task of reforming him. Jiang describes him as rigidly proper and persistent enough to be difficult to escape 73 81.

His attachment to Jiang develops into openly expressed gratitude and practical devotion. He thanks Jiang for refusing to abandon him, becomes frantic when Jiang is unconscious, and later follows him closely while anticipating his everyday needs 82 83 87.

Despite the devastation of losing his family, Song cooperates with the investigation and accepts personal danger as bait, declaring himself willing to do anything necessary to identify the killer 81.

Abilities & Skills

Martial Arts and Swordsmanship

• Trained under a master from a young age and earned a recognized reputation as the Sunlit Sword 73 78.
• Employed as Shen Shixu’s guard after leaving Qu City 84.
• Recognizes Xiao Jinyi’s Cold Ice Palm demonstration through his familiarity with martial arts 85.

Lightness Skills

• Moves rapidly enough that Jiang Bin remarks on his and Jiang Miaokong’s speed when they run ahead into Furong Alley 108.
• Earlier, Jiang’s superior lightness skill allowed him to escape Song’s pursuit 73.

Hunting and Craftsmanship

• Takes turns with Xiao Jinyi hunting game during the return journey and cleans the catches before handing them to Uncle Zhang to cook 87.
• Makes Shen Father a reclining chair by hand, carefully finishing it without splinters. Shen Father praises both its comfort and Song’s craftsmanship 160.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Sunlit Sword — His associated weapon; the apparent match between it and the massacre victims’ wounds initially implicated him 73.
• Cloth sword wrapping — His sword is described as wrapped in cloth and carried on his back 79.

Relationships

• Jiang Miaokong — Husband. Their relationship begins with pursuit and attempted reform, then deepens through intimacy, Jiang’s efforts to clear Song’s name, and Song’s devoted care afterward 73 87 160.
• Song Xianghe — Younger brother and Jiang’s friend; admired Song deeply and died in the household massacre 73 82.
• He Chenyang — Cousin and near-identical lookalike. His jealousy drives him to massacre Song’s family, frame Song, and threaten Jiang 81 82 83.
• Shen Shixu — Investigator who clears his name and later becomes his employer. Song serves as his guard while Jiang studies under him 81 84.
• Xiao Jinyi — Helps organize the trap for He Chenyang and rescues Jiang during the hostage confrontation; later shares hunting duties with Song 80 83 87.
• Shen Father and Shen Mother — Jiang’s teacher’s parents, whom the couple greets respectfully. They accept the couple’s handmade gifts and give both men first-meeting red envelopes 160.