Lu Ren

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Lu Ren (陆仁)
Alias(es)	“Boss Lu Ren,” used by Luo Dehu and other recruits 7 8
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Mighty Far Hall; Huang Family formerly; Gu Family subsequently 5 27 43
Occupation/Role	Inner Court disciple; former Huang Family Attendant martial artist 27 43
Bone Aptitude	Upper B-grade—the highest among the ten Huang-sponsored recruits 5
Cultivation	Minor accomplishment of Qi Gathering 49
Status	Alive and affiliated with the Gu Family in his latest documented appearances 43 49
First Appearance	Chapter 5 5

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Turtle-Snake Great Stance — Initiation / Beginner	10 11	First of the ten recruits to reach initiation, taking less than five days. Qualified for fist instruction and received gifts and increased sponsorship.
Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist — Beginner	16	Reached beginner proficiency after seven days of practicing the fist technique, on his twelfth day at Mighty Far Hall. Earned another increase in Huang Family support.
Qi Gathering	27	Broke through after two months of martial training. Entered the Inner Court and became a Huang Family Attendant.
Explosive Bear Force — Comprehended	40	Had already comprehended this advanced application of Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist when Xu Yang caught up with him.
Qi Gathering — Minor Accomplishment	49	Reported that he had reached this stage two months earlier. Claimed he could defeat Xu Yang within three moves; the claim was not tested.

Background / History

Selection and Early Training

Lu Ren entered the Huang Family’s sponsorship program as the most talented of ten boys selected from nearly two hundred candidates. His upper B-grade aptitude was considered exceptional even across Qingyuan County. His heavily patched clothing suggested a poor background, but the Huang Family immediately supplied him with a fine set of cotton clothes 5.

At Mighty Far Hall, Luo Dehu singled him out as the recruits’ prospective leader. Lu Ren initially accepted the idea that the boys should remain united and later agreed to help those who had not memorized the Turtle-Snake Great Stance. He abandoned the teaching effort once it began interfering with his own practice 5 7 8.

His rapid progress attracted attention beyond the newcomer group. After he reached stance initiation, Gu Fang and Jiang Ping gave him valuable medicinal gifts, established disciples offered to train with him, and Huang Jin increased his allowance. Luo Dehu and five other recruits gathered around him, while Xu Yang, Zhang Hong, and Zhang Yong remained separate 11.

Rivalry with Xu Yang

Lu Ren initially regarded Xu Yang as a potential follower whose martial prospects could make him useful in the future. He supported the possibility of greater Huang Family investment in Xu Yang and joined him in resisting Zhou Yang’s insults 12 15.

That cooperation ended as Xu Yang repeatedly reached training milestones only one day behind him. Lu Ren questioned why resources recovered after Liu Guangfa’s expulsion should be shared with Xu Yang, then confronted him over the importance of innate aptitude. Xu Yang pointed out that Lu Ren’s greater funding had not widened the gap between them. They openly severed ties, and Lu Ren intensified his training 16.

After reaching Qi Gathering, Lu Ren again offered to accept Xu Yang as a follower. Xu Yang did not answer. Lu Ren also feared that another promising martial artist might cause the Huang Family to divide its resources, and made undisclosed arrangements before Xu Yang’s breakthrough 27 28.

Their first physical clash followed Xu Yang’s successful Qi Gathering breakthrough. Lu Ren tried to protect Luo Dehu from Xu Yang’s retaliation for disparaging remarks, then attacked Xu Yang himself. Their palm strikes forced both men backward. Lu Ren privately recognized that Xu Yang’s foundation and true-qi reserves might equal or exceed his own; Sun Tao stopped the confrontation before it continued 29.

Huang Family Attendant

The Huang Family hired Lu Ren for fifteen taels a month, provided a courtyard residence, and hosted a celebratory banquet. Its leaders chose to support him alone rather than employ the other sponsored recruits if they became martial artists 27 28.

His new position also gave him influence among fellow disciples. Although Xue Fangsheng had previously dismissed his attempt to invoke Lin Cheng’s authority, Lu Ren later secured an assurance that Xue would not harm the recruits attending his banquet 26 28.

Lu Ren accepted a marriage alliance with the Huang Family but explicitly rejected the prospect of marrying into its household. When Luo Dehu failed his Qi Gathering breakthrough, Lu Ren refused to maintain him as a dependent and told him to return to ordinary life 33 35.

Departure for the Gu Family

Lu Ren’s intended bride, the Huang Family’s Third Miss, was assaulted by Jade Butterfly. Xu Yang later taunted him about the engagement, provoking a confrontation that Sun Tao again prevented from becoming a fight 39 45.

According to Zhang Hong’s account, Lu Ren refused to proceed with the marriage, and the young woman subsequently died by suicide. The Huang Family accused him of ingratitude, while he accused them of disregarding his reputation. After several days of conflict, he resigned as their Attendant and left their courtyard residence 43.

Lu Ren had secured the Gu Family’s backing beforehand. A Gu Family expert at great accomplishment of Qi Gathering negotiated his departure, and the Huangs reportedly received twice the value of the resources spent on him. Fellow disciples later speculated that the Gu Family wanted his talent to support its eldest young master’s ambitions in the Martial Examination’s Dragon Ascension rankings 43 46.

Appearance

• Early clothing: He initially wore heavily patched clothes; the Huang Family replaced them with a fine cotton outfit after discovering his aptitude 5.
• Bearing: Early shyness gave way to youthful confidence and a more heroic air as his training progressed 5 11.
• During stance initiation: His skin turned crimson, with pronounced bands of muscle visible beneath it 10.

Personality

Lu Ren begins as shy, self-conscious, and susceptible to praise. Luo Dehu’s flattery encourages his desire to lead the recruits, but he quickly prioritizes his own advancement when teaching others proves costly. By the time Xu Yang reaches stance initiation, he is already thinking in terms of useful followers and future influence 5 7 8 12.

His confidence develops into entitlement and competitive insecurity. He resents sharing resources, worries that Xu Yang will threaten his patronage, and treats Luo Dehu’s failed breakthrough as the end of his usefulness. Huang Jin becomes concerned that his arrogance could harm the Huang Family 16 28 30 35.

His self-assurance is not unshakable. Kong Yu’s unexpectedly rapid advancement shocks him after he initially dismisses the rival prodigy’s achievement. Nevertheless, he later describes his former competition with Xu Yang as immature and claims Xu Yang is beneath him 42 49.

Abilities & Skills

Upper B-Grade Bone Aptitude

Lu Ren’s constitution gives him a substantial advantage in foundational training 5 10.

• Possesses strong stamina, recovery, digestion, and responsiveness to stance practice 10.
• Produces the best initial attempt at the Turtle-Snake Great Stance among the ten recruits, despite still making many mistakes 6.
• Does not eliminate resource constraints: learning the cost of serious training initially makes even him uncertain about his prospects 8.

Turtle-Snake Great Stance

Lu Ren learns Mighty Far Hall’s foundational stance from Lin Cheng and is the first newcomer to achieve initiation 6 10.

• The stance nourishes qi and blood, conditions the body, repairs hidden injuries, and may prolong life 6.
• Memorizes the full sequence early, but initially lacks enough understanding to teach it reliably 7 8.
• Continues practicing it after entering the Inner Court 39.

Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist

Lu Ren gains access to fist instruction after stance initiation and advances quickly through its beginner training 11 16.

• Receives repeated sparring assistance from senior Inner Court disciples 33.
• Comprehends Explosive Bear Force, the technique’s core force application, before Xu Yang does 33 40.
• Becomes one of Lin Cheng’s favored recipients of personal instruction when Raging Wind Hall’s new prodigy intensifies competition between the schools 41.

Qi Gathering Combat

Lu Ren’s Qi Gathering breakthrough grants him true qi and establishes him as a recognized martial artist 27.

• Uses true qi in a powerful palm strike against Xu Yang 29.
• Initially matches the newly advanced Xu Yang closely enough that both retreat from their collision 29.
• Later becomes noticeably stronger than Xu Yang’s publicly demonstrated level, benefiting from substantially greater cultivation funding 39.
• Reaches minor accomplishment, but his later assertion of a three-move victory over Xu Yang remains unverified 49.

Equipment / Items

• Fine cotton clothes — Supplied by the Huang Family following his aptitude examination 5.
• Five-year-old wild ginseng root — One of the congratulatory gifts received from Gu Fang and Jiang Ping after stance initiation 11.
• Body-Refining Medicinal Pack — Received alongside the ginseng to support physical conditioning 11.
• Courtyard residence — Provided when he became a Huang Family Attendant; vacated when he severed ties with them 27 43.

Financial and Training Support

Support	Details
Meal plan	Three taels monthly; unlimited meat, a choice of several meats, and medicinal ox blood 7.
Stance-initiation allowance	Increased from eight to ten taels after his breakthrough 11.
Fist-training allowance	Another two-tael increase was announced after beginner fist proficiency; the stated total monthly investment reached thirteen taels 16.
Huang Family Attendant stipend	Fifteen taels monthly, an unusually generous rate associated with exceptional talent 27.
Gu Family backing	Arranged before his departure from the Huangs; included intervention by a great-accomplishment Qi Gathering expert 43.

Relationships

• Xu Yang — Fellow recruit, prospective follower, and eventual rival. Their cooperation breaks over resources and competitive progress; their hostility later becomes physical 12 15 16 29.
• Luo Dehu — Flatterer and early follower who fetches his meals and promotes his reputation. Lu Ren abandons him after his failed breakthrough 11 29 35.
• Qian Jiaxing — Joins Lu Ren’s faction and helps summon him during Xu Yang’s breakthrough. Later regrets choosing Lu Ren, recognizing that he is treated as a disposable subordinate 16 29 30.
• Lin Cheng — Martial instructor and hall master. Gives Lu Ren favored attention, though Lu Ren’s expectation that he would intervene against Xue Fangsheng proves misplaced 6 26 41.
• Sun Tao — Senior disciple who oversees early training, welcomes him into the Inner Court, and repeatedly prevents fights with Xu Yang 6 27 29 39.
• Gu Fang — Senior sister and early benefactor. Her family later becomes his new patron 11 43.
• Jiang Ping — Senior brother who gives him a medicinal gift and later shares his dismissive assessment of Xu Yang’s prospects 11 49.
• Huang Jin — Sponsor’s representative who rewards his progress but grows concerned about his character and loyalty 11 16 30.
• Huang Ping — Strongly favors Lu Ren as the Huang Family’s principal martial investment; later regards his departure as betrayal 13 45.
• Huang Family Third Miss — Intended bride in a marriage alliance. Lu Ren refuses the marriage after Jade Butterfly assaults her; her subsequent suicide precipitates his break with the family 39 43 45.

Notable Quotes

“I admit you have some comprehension, but let me tell you this: martial cultivation depends primarily on innate aptitude.” 16

“I'm willing to enter a marriage alliance, nothing more. If they want me to marry into their family, the Huang Family falls a little short.” 33

“I was immature before and wanted to surpass him. Looking back now, it's laughable that I actually set my sights on someone inferior to me.” 49