Do note that I am posting information on some of the characters you may or may not encounter when starting and completing Main and Side quests in the MMO, Swordsman Online. If you think any characters are missing but supposed to be here, drop me a comment and I will edit it again. Also, I don't own the copyright to the images nor information. Images originally belonged to the MMO, Swordsman Online while information was gathered from Wikipedia :D

Lynhu Tsong: (令狐沖; Línghú Chōng) is the scruffy, happy-go-lucky protagonist of the novel. He is an orphan and was raised by Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze as their most senior apprentice. He learns the 'Nine Swords of Dugu' from Feng Qingyang and becomes a formidable swordsman. His sudden and tremendous improvement in swordplay causes his teacher to suspect him of having stolen the Bixie Swordplay Manual and mastered the skill. Even after his expulsion from Mount Hua, he remains loyal and respectful towards his teacher. Although his kind nature and heroic attributes make him a likeable person, they also negatively influence him by increasing his affiliations with jianghu lowlifes, resulting in him being misunderstood by his fellows and other orthodox sects. He retires from the jianghu eventually to lead a peaceful life with Ren Yingying.

Yue Buqun: (岳不群; Yuè Bùqún) is the leader of the sect also second generation of the hua shan sect. He is an expert in using the 'Violet Mist Divine Skill' (紫霞神功). Although he is nicknamed "Gentleman Sword" (君子劍) for his seemingly gentlemanly conduct and behaviour, as the story progresses, he gradually reveals his true personality – a bigoted, selfish and power-hungry hypocrite. He lusts for the Lin family's Bixie Swordplay Manual and plots an elaborate scheme to seize it, after which he castrates himself to fulfil the prerequisite for learning the swordplay. He is incidentally killed by Yilin while attempting to trap and kill his rivals inside a cave on Mount Hua.

Nin Zonzeh: (宁中则; Nìng Zhōngzé), nicknamed "Heroine Ning" (寧女俠), is Yue Buqun's chivalrous and kindly wife and junior in hua shan sect. She is also the only person who believes Linghu Chong's innocence in the theft of the Bixie Swordplay Manual. She loses her will to live after seeing her husband reveal his true colours and eventually commits suicide after being humiliated by the Mount Hua Sect's enemies.

Yue Lingshan: (岳灵珊; Yuè Língshān) is Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze's daughter and Linghu Chong's first romantic interest. She falls in love with Lin Pingzhi later and marries him. However, she eventually learns that she is actually a pawn in a struggle for power between her husband and father. Lin Pingzhi kills her after she refuses to follow him to join Zuo Lengshan.

Lin Pinzhi: (林平之; Lín Píngzhī) is Lin Zhennan's son and the sole survivor of the Lin family, who were massacred by the Qingcheng Sect. Yue Buqun sympathises with him, accepts him as an apprentice, and arranges for a marriage between him and Yue Lingshan. Driven by hatred and resentment after discovering Yue Buqun's ulterior motives, he becomes increasingly vicious and brutally kills his family's murderers in revenge but is blinded by Mu Gaofeng. He is eventually imprisoned in an underground dungeon by Linghu Chong, who agreed to Yue Lingshan's dying wish to spare her husband's life.

Lu Dayo: (陆大有; Lù Dàyǒu) is Yue Buqun's sixth student. He is nicknamed "Sixth Monkey" (六猴兒) for his monkey-like behaviour and affinity with primates. He is very close to Linghu Chong and even once stole their teacher's 'Violet Mist Divine Skill' manual to help his senior recover from his injuries. He is murdered by Lao Denuo.

Zuo Lengshan: (左冷禅; Zuó Lěngshàn) is the ambitious and ruthless leader of the Mount Song Sect (嵩山派) and chief of the alliance. He practises a skill, 'Freezing Inner Energy' (寒冰真氣), which allows him to freeze his inner energy to sub-zero temperature and increase its power tremendously. He sends Lao Denuo to infiltrate the Mount Hua Sect and steal the Bixie Swordplay Manual from Yue Buqun. He does not know that the manual is a fake one and practises the techniques described in the book. He then calls for a special assembly of the alliance and attempts to intimidate the other four sects into submitting to him. He is defeated and blinded by Yue Buqun, who uses the real Bixie Swordplay against him, and then pretends to concede his position as the alliance chief to Yue. Later, he leads his followers to Mount Hua to kill Yue Buqun, but Yue sees through his plan and traps them inside a cave. The trapped martial artists start killing each other out of paranoia and mistrust. Zuo Lengshan is eventually killed by Linghu Chong.

Sister Jade: (儀琳; 仪琳; Yílín) is Dingyi's student and the daughter of Monk Bujie and Mute Granny. She falls in love with Linghu Chong after he rescues her from Tian Boguang's sexual advances, but has to suppress her feelings because she is forbidden by her vow of celibacy.

Mo Dah: (莫大; Mò Dà) is the mysterious leader of the Mount Heng Sect (衡山派), who is known for playing melancholic tunes on a huqin, where his sword is concealed. His swordplay techniques, which correspond with music themes, are very fast and unpredictable. He is the sole surviving person from his sect at the end of the novel.

Liu Zenfy: (刘正风; Liú Zhèngfēng), nicknamed "Third Master Liu" (劉三爺), is Mo Da's junior. He plays the dizi and befriends Qu Yang of the Sun Moon Holy Cult, who shares the same passion for music with him. The duo compose the music piece Xiaoao Jianghu (笑傲江湖) together. He intends to leave the wulin and invites fellow martial artists to witness his retirement ceremony. During the event he is confronted by Zuo Lengshan and his followers and comes under attack. While fleeing together with Qu Yang, he meets Linghu Chong and passes him the music score for Xiaoao Jianghu. He and Qu then commit suicide by bursting their arteries with their inner energy.

Ren Yingying: (任盈盈; Rén Yíngyíng) is Ren Woxing's daughter. Although she is intelligent and caring towards her subordinates, she can be ruthless and cold blooded at times. She meets Linghu Chong in Luoyang while in disguise as a guqin-playing old woman, and falls in love with him after being attracted by his chivalrous personality. She succeeds her father as the cult's leader after his death, but eventually retires to lead a reclusive life with Linghu Chong.

East the Invincible: (东方不败; Dōngfāng Bùbài, "Invincible East") is the leader of the Sun Moon Holy Cult (日月神教; Rì Yuè Shén Jiào), an "unorthodox" martial arts sect. In his quest to dominate the wulin (martial artists' community), he castrated himself to fulfil the prerequisite for learning the skills in a martial arts manual known as the Sunflower Manual(Chinese: 葵花宝典; pinyin: Kuíhuā Bǎodiǎn), and became a formidable martial artist after mastering those skills.

Lan Fenghuang: (蓝凤凰; Lán Fènghuáng; "Blue Phoenix") is the leader of the Five Immortals Cult (五仙教). She attempts to cure Linghu Chong of his internal injuries but fails. She becomes Linghu Chong's godsister later.

 Chiu Yang: (曲洋; Qū Yáng) is an elder of the cult who plays the guqin. He befriends Liu Zhengfeng, who shares the same passion for music as him, and composes the musical piece Xiaoao Jianghu with him. He commits suicide together with Liu Zhengfeng when both of them are cornered by Zuo Lengshan's followers. Before dying, he and Liu pass the score of Xiaoao Jianghu to Linghu Chong.

Chiu Fayan: (曲非烟; Qū Fēiyān) is Qu Yang's granddaughter. She is killed by Fei Bin.