Liu Maolin

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Liu Maolin (刘茂林)
Alias(es)	Fourth Senior Brother
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Sun Clan Martial Arts School; Liu Family Medical Hall
Occupation/Role	Formal disciple under Sun Yong; fourth-ranked official disciple; young master and later second-in-command of Liu Family Medical Hall 3 41
First Appearance	Chapter 3

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Inner Force	12	Already possessed Inner Force and held a far higher mastery of Mountain Collapse Fist than Yang Jing; used controlled sparring to instruct him. 12
Hidden Strength	21	Demonstrated Hidden Strength while explaining its principles and later served as one of Yuhe County’s foremost experts beneath the rare Transforming Strength powerhouses. 21 25

Background

Liu Maolin comes from a family of physicians and had studied under Sun Yong for many years, becoming the fourth of the master's official disciples. He is described as warm-hearted, honest, and approachable, regularly guiding other disciples at the Sun Clan Martial Arts School. 3

He initially held a poor opinion of Yang Jing, who once spent his time following Lu Yang’s group rather than concentrating on training. Yang Jing’s abrupt dedication to martial arts changed Liu Maolin’s view; curiosity led him to offer pointers, and continued interaction convinced him that Yang Jing was focused, steady, resilient, and trustworthy. 7 8 21

After attaining Hidden Strength, Liu Maolin began shifting part of his attention from cultivation toward the Liu family’s medical-clinic and medicinal-herb business. By the time Yang Jing entered Hidden Strength, Liu Maolin was regarded as the medical hall’s second-in-command. 25 41

Appearance

Liu Maolin is a dark-skinned, broad-framed martial artist, noticeably bulkier than Yang Jing. 12 17

• Often trains in simple martial attire, including a moon-white training outfit. 25
• Wears leather gloves while sparring. 33
• Appears in more refined brocade clothing when handling Liu Family Medical Hall affairs. 41

Personality

Liu Maolin is easygoing, candid, and deeply considerate toward those he accepts as his own. Rather than merely offering verbal advice, he carefully moderates his strength in sparring to expose flaws in Yang Jing’s stance, force application, and technique without injuring him. 12 21

He values diligence and character over raw aptitude. While many disciples dismiss Yang Jing’s low-grade root bone, Liu Maolin continues to encourage him because of his discipline, composure under criticism, and reliability. 15 21

He is also generous in practical ways. He shares nourishing fierce-beast meat with Yang Jing, secures him paid work at the medical hall, supplies information for the Parade Ground Trial, and supports him openly during his matches. 17 21 43 79

Abilities & Skills

Hidden Strength

Liu Maolin is an experienced Hidden Strength martial artist capable of applying force with precision, adhesion, redirection, and sudden changes in pressure. 21 25

• Uses a sticky, coiling force to neutralize or restrain an opponent’s movements. 21 25
• Can demonstrate Hidden Strength through force that bulges his clothing and stirs grass into eddies. 21
• Pressured newly advanced Yang Jing with up to ninety percent of his power during a controlled spar. 39
• Is considered among Yuhe County’s leading martial artists below Transforming Strength experts. 25

Mountain Collapse Fist

As a senior disciple of Sun Yong, Liu Maolin has extensive mastery of the Sun Clan Martial Arts School’s core martial art. 12

• Teaches Yang Jing to stabilize his waist, hips, and stance so that force does not scatter. 21
• Explains that Bright Strength requires both explosive release and controlled retraction. 21 33
• Applies Elbow Thrust, Mountain Pushing Style, and other forms with controlled precision. 25 33
• Explains the distinction between Bright Strength’s external force and Hidden Strength’s ability to penetrate through openings and undermine an opponent’s foundation. 25

Family Palm Technique

Having lost confidence in reaching Transforming Strength in the near future, Liu Maolin begins cultivating his family’s inherited palm technique alongside Mountain Collapse Fist. 40

Medical-Hall Management and Intelligence

Liu Maolin assists in managing the Liu Family Medical Hall and its medicinal-herb trade. 21 25 41

• Arranges escorts for medicinal-material shipments. 21 46
• Uses the medical hall’s broad city network to investigate the Great Fortune Gang for Yang Jing. 26
• Provides Yang Jing with historical records and strength assessments for the Parade Ground Trial. 43

Items and Resources

• Fierce beast meat — Regularly shares bear meat and other nourishing meats with Yang Jing. 17 21
• Parade Ground Trial booklet — Gives Yang Jing a blue-bound record of the previous five years’ trials and past successful candidates. 43
• Healing pills — Provides Yang Jing with pills before his first-place match against Shen Lie. 61
• Hundred Herbs Spirit Pill — Delivers Jin Lian’s pill to Yang Jing without immediately revealing its source, so the revelation will not affect Yang Jing’s condition during the trial. 73

Relationships

• Yang Jing — Junior brother, sparring partner, and close friend. Liu Maolin guides his martial development, celebrates his breakthroughs, finds him work, and repeatedly supports him through the Parade Ground Trial. 12 17 21 42 62 79
• Sun Yong — Master at the Sun Clan Martial Arts School; Liu Maolin is Sun Yong’s fourth official disciple. 3
• Old Master Liu — Father and head of the Liu family’s medical-hall business; works with Liu Maolin to employ Yang Jing and arrange dangerous medicinal-material escorts. 42 46
• Zhao Yuman — An acquaintance through the Zhao Clan Escort Agency. Liu Maolin attempts to arrange a match between her and Yang Jing. 35 41
• Jin Lian — Longtime acquaintance. Liu Maolin recognizes the value and intent behind the Hundred Herbs Spirit Pill she sends to Yang Jing. 73

Story Role

• Yang Jing’s early mentor — Notices Yang Jing’s transformation from a distracted disciple into a committed martial artist and becomes his principal sparring instructor. 7 8 12
• Medical-hall patron — Hires Yang Jing as a guest scholar after his Bright Strength breakthrough, offering ten taels of silver and ten jin of bear meat each month for two escort assignments. 21
• Senior Guest Official negotiation — After Yang Jing reaches Hidden Strength, helps secure his promotion to Senior Guest Official of Liu Family Medical Hall, including thirty taels of silver and five Spirit Fish per month. 42
• Parade Ground Trial supporter — Encourages Yang Jing to enter the trial, supplies intelligence, worries for his safety against Shen Lie, and celebrates his fourth-place finish. 42 43 61 79

Notable Quotes

“If you really run into trouble, don't keep it from us. We're martial brothers—there's nothing we can't talk about.” 26