Tanzhi Jinglei

Tanzhi Jinglei (彈指驚雷), literally A Flick of the Finger, Startling Thunder, is a wuxia novel by Liang Yusheng. It was first published as a serial between 1 May 1977 and 9 March 1981 in the Hong Kong newspaper Chou Mo Pao (週末報). The novel is the third instalment in a tetralogy that concludes Liang Yusheng's Tianshan series, continuing from after Youjian Jianghu and Muye Liuxing, and followed by Juesai Chuanfeng Lu.

Set in 19th-century China during the Qing dynasty, the story follows Yang Yan, the son of the protagonists from Youjian Jianghu, as he navigates a world of fractured loyalties, generational feuds, and moral uncertainty. Blending martial arts adventure with psychological introspection, the novel reflects Liang Yusheng's late-career writing style, which is marked by greater emotional depth and attention to the moral consequences of violence. He also refined the image of the "cultured swordsman" and deepened the themes of vengeance, filial duty, and inner conflict.