Actually I'm going to go with Lu Fengxian from Dagger Li as my guess.
Not from Sentimental Swordsmen Ruthless Sword. (Dagger Li)
Btw, why did you guys Li XunHuan would fit the clues?
Han Solo
My guess was because Li was broken hearted after giving up Lin Shiyin, causing him to leave wulin, abandon his official position, become a wanderer, but in the end, trouble still came looking for him because of his number 3 position in Bai Xiaosheng's Book of Weapons.
Lu Fengxian was also probably as he altered his arts from halberd to fist after his first defeat hurt him deeply, and it was also for his numerical position in the Book of Weapons.
Tian Shan Tong Lao?
My next guess is Wang Chonyang, but I think he already said wrong novel.
Additional clues for Guess #4
The founder of my family,
obtained a number.
For generations, we are
defined by it,
but truly only I deserved it.
Han Solo
Bah, and I was going to say Ah Jiu next..
Wild guess out of nowhere other than because his title has a number - Xie Xiaofeng from Third Master's Sword?
Correct.
Deliberately made the guess#4 more obscure.
Xie Xiao Feng abandoned his wealth and prestige
Xie Xiao Feng became Cat
However, eventually he was forced out to defend the title of the world number one.
The number(s) is an important element, as Xie Xiao Feng is the Third Master,
Their family has a plaque proclaiming them to be the number one sword in the martial world,
His famous opponent is Yan13, a name made up of 6 and 7,
Who had the famous 14th stance.
Han Solo
P/s: What do you guys think about Guess #4
I think the original clue fit a bit too many people. The additional hint may be too much, just associating him with a famous family might be enough as it eliminates a lot of people already.
Yup - the first clue could have been a lot of people, while the second one kind of indicated a certain person or at least story. I've never read Third Master's Sword, nor watched any serial. My only exposure to that storyline was the Shaw Brothers movie starring Derek Yee, and that was a while back, and yet it still made me think of him. Having said that, the Jibie clue also made me think of LOCH and run through the Mongolian camp one by one, arriving at Jibie second after Genghis Khan. Don't worry about clues being too easy or too hard.. if it's too hard, you can always add clues, and if it's too easy then anyone can guess them which makes it easier and more fun, instead of the rest of us having to watch the experts play.
hijack guess:-
Ten years a prisoner, yet
Ten years of youth preserved
Beautiful as a peacock
Cold as ice
Still I share the man I love
I've never read DOMD, but from the movies perhaps the fake Empress?