Old Daoist Liu

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Liu Fujing (刘福景) 14 20
Alias(es)	Old Daoist Liu; Slovenly Daoist; Lord Liu; Daoist Liu 7 9 20
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Divine Firmament Sect (former disciple); Heavenly Supervision Department, Flying Fish Guard (Bronze-Rank Badge-holder) 27 107
Occupation/Role	Daoist cultivator, talisman master, Flying Fish Guard investigator, Chen Yan's mentor and final master 15 16 108
Cultivation	Dao Foundation, formerly at the middle stage before his final transmission 15 108
Status	Deceased; died peacefully after passing his legacy and cultivation to Chen Yan 108
First Appearance	Chapter 7 (as the Slovenly Daoist) 7

Background / History

Liu Fujing was an orphan from Shanxi Town whom a master took into the Divine Firmament Sect. He considered his own aptitude mediocre and remained at the Dao Foundation realm throughout his life, though he continued fighting demons and protecting ordinary people. 107

Near the end of his lifespan, Liu prepared a grave for himself at the mass grave outside Shanxi Town and placed his lineage inheritance there. His encounter with Chen Yan changed those plans; Liu regarded their meeting as fate. 107

He initially refused Chen Yan's request to become his disciple, believing Chen's luck was poor and later fearing that his own limited remaining time would prevent him from teaching properly. Despite this, he introduced Chen to Daoist cultivation, supplied him with scriptures and talismans, and repeatedly protected him in battle. 20 33 108

When his lifespan finally ran out, Liu formally accepted Chen as his final disciple in spirit. He passed on the Divine Firmament Sect's Thunder Department Seal and used his remaining cultivation to elevate Chen from the middle stage of Essence Cultivation to the middle stage of Fetal Breathing before dying peacefully. 108

Appearance

Old Daoist Liu usually appeared as a disheveled elderly Daoist, with white hair, a ruddy complexion, and clothing marked by grease and neglect. Shortly before his death, he cleaned himself up and wore a brand-new Daoist robe. 20 65 107

• White-haired, elderly appearance with a healthy ruddy complexion. 20 65
• Habitually sloppy and unkempt, contrasting sharply with more formally dressed Daoists. 20
• Frequently carries talismans concealed in his sleeves and drinks from a wine gourd. 15 107
• His final appearance was marked by an ashen face, dim eyes, and clear signs of approaching death. 107

Personality

Liu is cantankerous, miserly, and fond of wine. He complains about lacking money, bristles at insults to his reputation, and often trades sarcastic remarks with Chen Yan. 9 20 27

Behind his gruff behavior, he is compassionate and principled. He performs soul-saving rites for villagers, investigates supernatural murders, and acts immediately when he discovers that a child has been transformed into a donkey through the forbidden Art of Animal Creation. His hatred for Mount Lao Dao stems from its association with evil cultivators and cruelty. 17 20 54

He recognizes Chen Yan's exceptional talent early, though he expresses that admiration through exasperation and blunt insults. Over time, their banter develops into trust, guidance, and a genuine master-disciple bond. 22 27 33 108

Abilities & Skills

Dao Foundation Cultivation

Liu is a Dao Foundation cultivator whose Daoist arts give him a major advantage over Blood Qi martial artists at range. His cultivation remained at the Dao Foundation realm for most of his life. 15 17 107

• Uses Magic Power to activate talismans and Daoist rites. 15 17
• Demonstrates speed sufficient to seize Chen Yan before he can react. 22
• Possesses broad knowledge of cultivator realms, magic tools, sects, and the Heavenly Supervision Department's treasury. 15 27

Talisman Arts

Liu is an accomplished talisman user, employing blue talismans in combat and investigation. 17 42

• Evil-Slaying Talisman — Creates a high-speed explosion of fierce flames capable of severely destroying a Skin-Peeling Puppit's body. 17
• Fire talismans — Destroyed Wu Yan's flying Yin Fire Talisman Sword before it could assassinate the exhausted Chen Yan. 39
• Dragon Soaring Jade Divine Talisman — Enhances the user's sense of smell to track ghosts, evil spirits, and lingering supernatural traces. 15 22 42
• Provided Chen Yan with an Evil-Slaying Talisman and later the teachings needed to begin talisman study. 29 33

Occult Investigation

Liu combines talisman arts with practical investigative work as a Flying Fish Guard. 15 28

• Detected a strong osmanthus scent on human skins left by Skin-Peeling Puppets, establishing a key lead in the investigation. 15
• Ordered Deng Hong to trace the victims' final movements, disappearances, and connections to osmanthus fragrance. 28
• Recognized the Art of Animal Creation and exposed the supposed “spiritual donkey” as an abused child transformed by forbidden Daoist arts. 54
• Identified the threat posed by Skin-Peeling Puppets and warned Chen Yan that ordinary weapons could not effectively harm Malevolent Spirits. 7 8

Divination and Physiognomy

Liu practices Six Yao divination and can read physiognomy, though he openly admits that this is not his strongest discipline. 20

• Determined that Zhang Yuanlin's apparent vitality conflicted with a physiognomy suggesting that his lifespan should have ended. 20
• Acknowledges that destiny contains variables and that his own divinatory readings may be mistaken. 20

Soul-Saving Rites

Liu can conduct rituals addressing possession and damaged souls. 18 20

• Performed a soul-saving ritual that revived Wang Ying after a supernatural affliction. 20
• Wang Ying survived, though her depleted yang energy required months of recovery. 20

Cultivation Transmission

At the end of his life, Liu used an anointing-like transmission to pass his remaining Magic Power to Chen Yan. 108

• Reduced his own cultivation from Dao Foundation middle stage to Fetal Breathing early stage during the transfer. 108
• Raised Chen Yan from Essence Cultivation middle stage to Fetal Breathing middle stage. 108
• Entrusted Chen with the Divine Firmament Sect's inheritance rather than binding him to a restrictive sect life. 108

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Fish Dragon Saber — Led Chen Yan to the mass grave where the saber was recovered from an iron box; Chen later purchased and named it. 8
• Evil-Slaying Talismans — Blue talismans used to burn and destroy evil beings. 17
• Dragon Soaring Jade Divine Talisman — Talisman used for supernatural tracking through enhanced smell. 15 42
• Tai Wei Three Sections Eight Sceneries Twenty-Four True Records — Daoist talisman scripture given to Chen Yan after Liu recognized his potential. 22 30
• Shang Qing Xuan Jing Qi Induction Art jade slip — Cultivation art supplied to Chen Yan. 41
• Black Brocade Flying Fish Dao Robe — Spirit-silkworm-silk Flying Fish Guard robe provided to Chen Yan. 43
• All-Encompassing Great Tonic Soup — Ten-day medicinal supply given to Chen Yan to support his cultivation. 43
• Thunder Department Seal — Divine Firmament Sect seal passed to Chen Yan as Liu's final inheritance. 108

Relationships

• Chen Yan — Initially a wary buyer and temporary assistant, then Liu's trusted partner, protégée, and final disciple. Liu teaches and protects Chen while Chen ultimately calls him “Master.” 7 16 22 108
• Fa Cai — Regularly bickers with the cat, whom he threatens with talismans after being scratched; despite this, he recognizes Fa Cai's unusual nature. 15
• Deng Hong — Heavenly Supervision Department subordinate tasked by Liu with tracing the Skin-Peeling Puppets' victims and clues. 28
• Yuantong — Acknowledges the Luanchan Temple disciple's skill while showing open contempt for Yuantong's master, Kongdu. 53
• Zhang Yuanlin — Met Zhang as a fellow Daoist and immediately found his physiognomy unnaturally contradictory. 20
• Situ Yun — Hostile old acquaintance from Mount Lao's Ghost Dao; their reunion reveals unresolved history and mutual enmity. 55 57

Story Role / Major Arcs

Shanxi Town Investigation

Liu first meets Chen Yan while posing as a slovenly Daoist asking for silver. He teaches Chen a means of confronting Malevolent Spirits, reveals himself as a cultivator, and leads him to the Fish Dragon Saber. 7 8

He brings Chen into the Tianmen Village case as his assistant. There, the pair investigate Skin-Peeling Puppets, assist villagers facing possession, and uncover clues pointing toward the larger Skin-Peeling Method conspiracy. 16 17 20

Mentor to Chen Yan

After witnessing Chen's rapid martial progress, Liu provides the Tai Wei Eight Sceneries Record, Daoist cultivation resources, talismans, and practical instruction. He repeatedly reacts with disbelief to Chen's breakthroughs while continuing to guide him. 22 27 33 43

Liu also teaches Chen about the Heavenly Supervision Department's merit system and helps direct the investigation toward the mastermind operating in Shanxi Town. 27 28

Conflict with Mount Lao and the Rebirth Cult

Liu intervenes to save Chen from Wu Yan's Yin Fire Talisman Sword and later confronts a Mount Lao Daoist using the Art of Animal Creation. 39 54

When Situ Yun appears, Liu stands alongside Chen Yan and Yuantong against the Ghost Dao successor. He continues supporting Chen through the battle against the Skin-Peeling Demon and witnesses Chen's rise into a figure capable of killing renowned Dao Foundation prodigies. 55 57 100

Final Legacy

As his lifespan ends, Liu reveals his Divine Firmament Sect past and formally accepts Chen as his last disciple. He gives Chen the Thunder Department Seal, transfers his remaining cultivation, and dies peacefully. 107 108

Chen later visits Liu Fujing's tomb and buries the broken Fish Dragon Saber with him. 109