Liang Song

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Liang Song (梁松)
Alias(es)	Master Liang
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Former patron of Bidan Tea House; mentor to Lin Zheyu and Han Mo
Occupation/Role	Martial artist; martial-arts instructor
Martial Realm	Blood Energy Realm; reached the third Blood Energy Transformation at his peak 22
Status	Departed Songyi City; current whereabouts unknown 37 38 50
First Appearance	Chapter 3

Background / History

Liang Song was already a respected martial artist more than a decade before Lin Zheyu met him. According to Jia Yanyong, the Flying Rainbow Gang would have needed to show him respect in his prime. An injury from his earlier life crippled his right foot and caused his martial progress to stagnate; age and declining health later weakened his cultivation further. 20 22

He lived at 33 Jin Dong Street in a large, flower-filled courtyard. Although he regularly attended Bidan Tea House to listen to stories, he kept a low profile and was known to disappear for days at a time without explaining his whereabouts. 3 4 15 18

After becoming interested in Lin Zheyu's stories—especially heroic tales—Liang Song agreed to teach him basic martial arts. He initially stressed that Lin was too old and physically weak to make rapid progress, but Lin's perseverance and extraordinary aptitude gradually convinced Liang Song to teach him more seriously. 3 6 15 18

Before leaving Songyi City, Liang Song accelerated Lin Zheyu's instruction, passing on practical combat experience, the Golden Goose Technique, medicinal formulas, and the Turtle Breathing Technique. He left to visit old friends and settle old grievances, warning Lin Zheyu and Han Mo that chaos could bring demons and monsters into the world. 19 22 31 33 37

Appearance

Liang Song appears to be a slovenly, unremarkable older man, concealing considerable martial strength beneath his casual manner.

• Looks to be around fifty years old. 3
• Has long, messy, shoulder-length hair and a scruffy beard. 3
• Walks with a limp caused by a crippled right foot. 3 22
• His limp becomes nearly imperceptible when he seriously performs martial arts. 6
• Keeps a courtyard densely planted with exotic purple flowers, which he carefully waters and trims himself. 4 31

Personality

Liang Song is reserved, independent, and unconcerned with outward appearances. He often sits alone by a window drinking wine and watching the street, and he does not explain his periodic absences even to Lin Zheyu. 3 7 18

Despite his rough presentation, he possesses a strong sense of righteousness. He admires heroic figures who fight demons and injustice, and he prefers tales of upright martial heroes over scholar-romance stories. 7 10 11

As an instructor, Liang Song is blunt and pragmatic. He repeatedly warns Lin Zheyu that overtraining causes lasting injuries, insists that martial arts are meant for real combat, and subjects his student to harsh sparring to build practical awareness. 10 19 21 27

Abilities & Skills

Blood Energy Realm Cultivation

Liang Song is a Blood Energy Realm martial artist whose peak attainment was the third Blood Energy Transformation.

• His cultivation declined due to his crippled foot, age, and worsening health. 22
• His physical power remains far above Lin Zheyu's during their early sparring sessions. 21 22
• He can suppress Lin Zheyu even while matching or slightly lowering his own strength to Lin's level, relying on superior experience and combat awareness. 27

Bull Fist

Liang Song teaches Bull Fist, a widespread hand-to-hand martial art derived from the movements and momentum of a wild bull.

• Demonstrated enough force with Bull Charge to crack a wooden post. 6
• Teaches its eight basic forms and 128 variations. 6
• Explains that the art is easy to learn but difficult to master, with potential to reach the perfection of Organ Refining. 6
• Instructs Lin Zheyu in its corresponding Internal Breathing Method and Bone Forging applications. 15 16 19

Golden Goose Technique

The Golden Goose Technique is Liang Song's primary martial art: a second-rate leg technique centered on mobility, explosive attacks, and unusual footwork.

• Specializes in offensive legwork, speed, agility, and evasive movement. 22
• Allows its user to advance offensively or retreat defensively. 22 23
• Can cultivate toward the peak of the Blood Energy Realm. 22
• Its principal limitation is that legs lack the dexterity of fists and palms despite their superior explosive force. 22
• Liang Song personally mapped circles and arranged wooden stakes in his courtyard to train Lin Zheyu in its footwork. 23

Practical Combat Instruction

Liang Song possesses extensive real-combat knowledge and trains his students to prioritize survival rather than formal martial etiquette.

• Teaches dozens of combat scenarios and hundreds of post-battle analyses accumulated over most of his life. 19
• Emphasizes exploiting advantages, adapting to unfavorable situations, and understanding the cruelty of actual fights. 19 21
• Uses harsh sparring—including repeated kicks—to force Lin Zheyu to improve his reactions and combat awareness. 21 27
• Instructs Lin Zheyu on fighting armed opponents by exploiting the relative flexibility of unarmed combat. 30

Medicinal and Breathing Methods

Liang Song has substantial knowledge of martial training medicines and internal cultivation.

• Provided Lin Zheyu with a Qi-Replenishing and Blood-Nourishing Decoction formula for recovery and foundational conditioning. 4
• Later gave formulas suited to Organ Refining and Blood Energy Realm cultivation, including Blood-Nourishing Bone-Strengthening Soup. 33
• Taught the Bull Fist Internal Breathing Method, which strengthens the body through controlled abdominal breathing and rhythm. 15 16
• Possesses the Turtle Breathing Technique, a Grandmaster-created art intended to preserve vitality, lock in Blood Energy, delay aging, and conceal one's strength. 31

Projectile Skill

Liang Song can use ordinary chopsticks as lethal projectiles.

• Once pierced the palms of three burly men with chopsticks without even looking up. 3

Equipment / Items

• 33 Jin Dong Street courtyard — Liang Song's former residence and training ground, later used by Lin Zheyu. 4 39
• Wooden training posts and stake formations — Used to teach Bull Fist, Golden Goose footwork, and sparring movement. 6 23
• Medicinal prescriptions — Includes qi- and blood-nourishing decoctions and advanced Blood-Nourishing Bone-Strengthening Soup formulas. 4 33
• General's Tears — His preferred wine at Bidan Tea House. 3

Relationships

• Lin Zheyu — Martial-arts student and favored storyteller. Liang Song first teaches him basic stance work, then increasingly advanced techniques after recognizing his exceptional aptitude. Their relationship remains informal at first, though Lin consistently addresses him as “Master.” 3 4 15 18 22 31
• Han Mo — Earlier student and City Guard centurion. Liang Song introduces Han Mo to Lin Zheyu and has the two spar so that Lin can learn to fight saber users. 29 30
• Wu Yinghe — Bidan Tea House manager who introduces Lin Zheyu to Liang Song and recounts Liang's chopstick feat. 3
• Flying Rainbow Gang — Liang Song considers its leader, Xu Jingwu, merely “so-so” in strength; the gang was reportedly more cautious of Liang in his prime. 10 20

Story Role / Major Arcs

Lin Zheyu's Initial Training

Liang Song agrees to teach Lin Zheyu after enjoying his stories, but begins with the Horse Stance to repair Lin's poor physical foundation. Once Lin meets the one-hour stance requirement, Liang Song introduces him to Bull Fist and the first realms of martial cultivation. 3 4 5 6

Recognition of Lin Zheyu's Talent

Lin's rapid advancement to Bone Forging and his quick mastery of the Bull Fist Internal Breathing Method astonish Liang Song. He responds by giving Lin more focused instruction in Bone Forging, combat experience, and practical fighting. 15 16 18 19

Transmission of Advanced Arts

Recognizing that he will soon leave Songyi City, Liang Song passes on the Golden Goose Technique, advanced medicinal formulas, and the Turtle Breathing Technique. He also arranges sparring with Han Mo to broaden Lin's experience against weapons. 22 23 29 30 31 33

Departure from Songyi City

Liang Song announces that he is leaving to settle old matters and may never return. Before departing, he advises Lin Zheyu and Han Mo to continue cultivating carefully and warns them of dangers emerging amid the world's chaos. 19 37 38

Notable Quotes

“We martial artists should subdue demons, eliminate devils, sweep away all injustices in the world, and restore a bright and clear heaven and earth to the human realm!” 7

“The best way to deal with danger and protect yourself is to become stronger, not to disguise yourself as a weakling.” 31

“Martial arts cannot be rushed; it requires a balance of tension and relaxation.” 23

Trivia

• Liang Song's handwriting is described as wild, unrestrained, sloppy, and extremely poor. 4
• He initially refuses any formal apprenticeship ceremony and says he has not yet decided whether to formally accept Lin Zheyu as a disciple. 4
• He is Lin Zheyu's most generous supporter at Bidan Tea House, once tipping him fifty wen for a performance he particularly enjoyed. 7
• He complains about Lin Zheyu's scholar-centered romance stories while continuing to attend them enthusiastically. 10