- "You won't survive if you can't even defeat me."
- ―Xiuying to Ryo.
Xiuying Hong (Hànzì: 红秀瑛, Pinyin: Hóng Xiù Yīng, On'yomi: Kō Shūei) is a Tai Chi Martial Artist and master of the Man Mo Temple in Scarlet Hills, Wan Chai, where she goes by the name of Lishao Tao (Hànzì: 桃李少, Pinyin: Táo Lǐ Shǎo, On'yomi: Tō Rishō).
Master Chen tells Ryo Hazuki to get into contact with "Lishao Tao" when he arrives in Hong Kong, and he is unaware of her gender. Xiuying is well known and respected in the area.
Appearance[]
Xiuying is Chinese and is 168 cm tall. She has long dark brown hair tied into a ponytail and brown eyes. She has two different attires that she primarily wears. One is a dark red long-sleeved shirt with a orange belt with a yellow buckle and a light brown skirt with dark red boots. The other is a bright blue sleeveless Chinese robe with no pants and black sandals.
Personality[]
- "Are you taking this seriously?"
- ―Xiuying egging on Ryo during their spar
Xiuying dodging Ryo with ease.
Xiuying is an internal martial artist of an unspecified Taijiquan style and Bajiquan. She's the head of the Man Mo Temple. The full extent of her skills is unclear, but she has earned the rank of master at the age of 26. This makes her one of the youngest successors of a martial arts school. She either earned it through sheer talent or from family inheritance (many schools transfer their power to the next master based on relations and rarely about combat ability). Although young, she's well versed in Taoism, history, and internal martial arts, specializing in literary and martial arts.
Xiuying is a very thoughtful person and always thinks ahead before taking action. She does not speak much nor does she show much expression, but she hides a great deal of sorrow in her eyes. Xiuying encountered Ryo at the temple and decided to help him on his quest to find Lan Di. Realizing he's far from ready to face Lan Di in mortal combat, she took him into the temple and trained in mind, body, and spirit in hopes Ryo can continue his journey with greater combat skill, patience, and having control over his anger for Lan Di.
She is admired for her beauty and wisdom among the people of Wan Chai, and is greatly respected as a person. Mingyi Ye, the owner of Wise Men's Kung Fu even says that he wouldn't mind if she married his grandson, Mingzhen Ye, who is an assistant instructor at the Guang Martial Arts School. The majority of the staff at Man Mo Temple greatly respect her. She is the role model of Fangmei Xun and one of the Temple's apprentices, Jiliang Chang, and they insipire to be like her. Shiquan Fu, the lazy apprentice of the Temple seems to just respect her for her physical appearance, rather then for her personality or knowledge. He says she sometimes gives him the "sweets".
Biography[]
She and her brother Ziming Hong were both orphaned as children because their parents were murdered. They stayed at an orphanage where Fangmei Xun would eventually also stay at. They also grew up in the Thousand White Convent in the Thousand White Building in Kowloon.
Xiuying begging Ziming not to seek revenge.
Ziming planned to join the Chi You Men, believing that they would know who was responsible for the murder of his parents. Promising that he would return afterward, Ziming gave Xiuying half of his Yin Yang stone, keeping the other half with him. Xiuying never saw Ziming again after that moment, and she fears he has fallen onto the wrong path.
Xiuying used to live in the Yan Tin Apartments, and she currently lives in the Da Yuan Apartments.
Shenmue II[]
Xiuying teaching Ryo how to clear his mind by catching falling leaves.
Upon hearing Ryo is seeking for Lishao Tao, Xiuying has Hanhui Liu speak to Ryo to tell him he must learn the four wude first.
Eventually, Xiuying reveals her identity. She lets Ryo sleep in her room for a few days, although she asks him to do some work at the temple by airing books. She is reluctant to help Ryo in his quest because she believes he is falling onto the wrong path. She tries to show Ryo this and that his skills are not good enough to encounter Lan Di with but her advice isn't enough to stop him.
Xiuying confronting Dou Niu.
Xiuying comes to Ryo's aid numerous times, even going to Kowloon at one stage and saving him from Dou Niu. She lets him rest at her childhood chapel in the Thousand White Building. She asks him to not seek revenge and follow the path of evil, but he ignores her and leaves.
As Ryo leaves Hong Kong, she gives him half of a Yin Yang stone, not telling him that the other half is, or was, in her brother's possession.
Shenmue III[]
In Hotel Niaowu, if Ryo calls Fangmei, she says that Xiuying is worried about Ryo. Ryo tells Fangmei to pass on a "hi" to her.
Shenmue the Animation[]
Xiuying Hong in the Animation.
Xiuying appears in the anime adaptation. She first appears in Episode 6.
Quotes[]
- "I have this single wish... I've been praying everyday to have my wish granted... Seems like you have one, too." (Xiuying when Ryo asks why she was at Man Mo Temple, not knowing she's the master.)
- "Are you taking this seriously?" (Xiuying after effortlessly dodging Ryo's attacks when they spar for the first time.)
- "What are you thinking? You're sleeping on the sofa." (Xiuying to Ryo when he questions where he'll be sleeping in her room, since there's only one bed.)
- "You could have knocked." (when Ryo opens her room door and sees her crying looking at her brother's photo)
- "You still don't understand. Martial arts are used to protect people's lives. If you use your fists otherwise, you will walk on the path of evil, too!"
- "Fine. Do as you wish."
Etymology[]
- Xiuying means "show, beautiful, elegant, excellent, handsome, luxuriant, outstanding" (秀) (xiu) and "crystal, lustrous" (瑛) (ying).
- Hong means "red, revolutionary/revolutionist, bonus" (红).
Alias[]
- Lishao means "plum" (李) (li) and "less, little, few, small, young, lack, lose, be short, be missing, son of a rich family" (少) (shao).
- Tao means "peach/peach tree/peach-shaped thing" (桃).
Trivia[]
- Kenji Miyawaki designed Xiuying. He had a clear picture in his mind of her dancing in a moonlit night, that is why he made her outfit bright blue like it was reflecting the moonlight. She was also one of the first fully formed characters.
- Xiuying had been scheduled to be a young female martial artist ever since the game was in development for the Sega Saturn.
- Xiuying's zodiac sign is Gemini, year of the rat, and she has a A blood type.
- Xiuying's English voice actress in Shenmue II is Lisle Wilkerson, who also is the English voice actress for Joy, Yuan and some minor characters in the games.
Gallery[]
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Shenmue Wiki has a gallery for Xiuying Hong. | 
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