The story of the Yue Maiden is probably one of the earliest martial arts hero stories on record. The story of "the Yue Maiden waving her sword" was included in the ancient Chinese book Wuyue Chunqiu (The Spring and Autumn Annals of Wu and Yue). It's about an unknown girl living in the deep mountain forest during the period of King Goujian of Yue. The girl loved swordplay since a child. So much so, that she created a unique set of sword routines based on her own experience and understanding. 

Fan Li (an advisor in the state of Yue) heard about the girl and invited her to be the army instructor in the capital city. On her way to the capital, the girl encountered Lord Yuan, an old swordsman, who challenged her to a fight. The two snapped off bamboo branches as swords to fight against each other. After three defending moves, the girl beat Lord Yuan at one stroke. Being defeated, Lord Yuan jumped up in the tree and fled away.                                   

Later, the girl discussed swordsmanship with King Goujian of Yue and showcased her skills on the spot. Unsurprisingly, she beat some one hundred opponents all alone. King Gojian granted her the title of "Yue Maiden" and taught her sword routines to military officers of the Yue State. Jin Yong's novel Sword of the Yue Maiden is based on this very story.