. He was born in A.D. 798 at Yung-lo
Hsien, in the prefecture of Ho-chung Fu in Shansi, a hundred and twenty
_li_ south-east of the present sub-prefecture of Yung-chi Hsien (P'u
Chou). He came of an official family, his grandfather having been
President of the Ministry of Ceremonies, and his father Prefect of
Hai Chou. He was 5 feet 2 inches in height, and at twenty was still
unmarried. At this time he made a journey to Lu Shan in Kiangsi,
where he met the Fire-dragon, who presented him with a magic sword,
which enabled him at will to hide himself in the heavens.

During his visit to the capital, Ch'ang-an in Shensi, he met
the Immortal Han Chung-li, who instructed him in the mysteries of
alchemy and the elixir of life. When he revealed himself as Yuen-fang
Hsien-sheng, Lue Yen expressed an ardent desire to aid in converting
mankind to the true doctrine, but was first exposed to a series of
ten temptations. These being successfully overcome, he was invested
with supernatural power and magic weapons, with which he traversed
the Empire, slaying dragons and ridding the earth of divers kinds
of evils, during a period of upward of four hundred years. Another
version says that Han Chung-li was in an inn, heating a jug of
rice-wine. Here Lue met him, and going to sleep dreamed that he
was promoted to a very high office and was exceptionally favoured
by fortune in every way. This had gone on for fifty years when
unexpectedly a serious fault caused him to be condemned to exile,
and his family was exterminated. Alone in the world, he was sighing
bitterly, when he awoke with a start. All had taken place in so short
a space of time that Han Chung-li's wine was not yet hot. This is the
incident referred to in Chinese literature in the phrase 'rice-wine
dream.' Convinced of the hollowness of worldly dignities, he followed
Han Chung-li to the Ho Ling Mountains at Chung-nan in Shensi, where
he was initiated into the divine mysteries, and became an Immortal.

In A.D. 1115 the Emperor Hui Tsung conferred on him the title of Hero
of Marvellous Wisdom; and later he was proclaimed King-emperor and
Strong Protector.

There are various versions of the legend of Lue Tung-pin. One of these
adds that in order to fulfil his promise made to Chung-li to do what
he could to aid in the work of converting his fellow-creatures to the
true doctrine, he went to Yuech Yang in the guise of an oil-seller,
intending to immortalize all those who did not as