Lu Ya Zhenren
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Lu Ya Zhenren (Chinese: 陸壓真人; pinyin: Lù Yā Zhēnrén), commonly known as Lu Ya (陸壓), is an immortal from the classic Chinese gods-and-demons novel Investiture of the Gods (Fengshen Yanyi). Although portrayed as an independent immortal (sanxian) in the novel, scholars have identified the character as a literary adaptation of the Daoist immortal Lü Dongbin.
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Legend
In Fengshen Yanyi
Unlike most of the immortals in the novel, who belong to either the orthodox Chan Sect (阐教) or the rival Jie Sect (截教), Lu Ya Zhenren is introduced as a Sanxian (散仙), an independent immortal with no affiliation to either sect. He lives on Mount West Kunlun (西昆仑) and states that he is not subject to the Three Sects, the Heavenly Court, or the Western Paradise. When he first arrives at the Zhou camp, he recites a poem in which he claims to have existed before the creation of heaven and earth and to serve no supreme patriarch or emperor.[1]
Although he remains independent, Lu Ya Zhenren assists Jiang Ziya and the Zhou forces against several of their opponents. He first appears during the campaign against the Jie Sect immortal Zhao Gongming, whose Dinghai Pearls (定海珠) have defeated several Chan Sect immortals, including members of the Twelve Golden Immortals. Rather than fighting Zhao Gongming directly, Lu Ya Zhenren gives Jiang Ziya the "Nail-Head Seven Arrows Book" (钉头七箭书, Dingtou Qijianshu), a ritual involving an altar and a straw effigy representing Zhao Gongming. After twenty-one days of ritual observance, Jiang Ziya shoots three peach-wood arrows into the effigy's eyes and heart, killing Zhao Gongming from a distance.[1]
Lu Ya Zhenren's most prominent magical treasure is the "Immortal-Slaying Flying Knife" (斩仙飞刀, Zhanxian Feidao). It is kept inside a red gourd and appears as a white light that transforms into a winged figure with a human head. After Lu Ya Zhenren bows to it and says, "Please turn around, baby" (请宝贝转身, Qing baobei zhuanshen), the figure turns and decapitates its target.[2] Lu Ya Zhenren uses the weapon to kill Bai Jian (白鉴) and Yu Yuan (余元). Near the end of the novel, Jiang Ziya borrows the weapon to execute Daji after ordinary executioners are unable to carry out the sentence because of her supernatural abilities.[3]
Lu Ya Zhenren also uses several escape techniques. When he is trapped inside the Nine-Bend Yellow River Array (九曲黄河阵) created by the Sanxiao Sisters, he transforms into a beam of light and escapes.[4] Later, when Kong Xuan attempts to capture him with the Five-Colored Light (五色神光), Lu Ya Zhenren senses the danger and leaves before the attack reaches him.[5]
After helping the Zhou army overcome the final Jie Sect formations, Lu Ya Zhenren bids farewell to Jiang Ziya, leaves the Immortal-Slaying Flying Knife in his care, and returns to Mount West Kunlun.
Chaoshan folklore
In Chaoshan regional mythology, Lu Ya's origins differ from his portrayal in the Investiture of the Gods narrative. Some local traditions claim that he existed before the creation of the universe, being formed by Hongjun Laozu together with a regional deity named Haichao Shengren (海潮聖人). These traditions further elevate his position within the divine hierarchy, portraying him as a figure who eventually became the teacher of the Jade Emperor.[6]
Regional oral folklore
In some regional oral traditions, Lu Ya's name is associated with ducks because of the similar pronunciation of ya (鸭, "duck"). These traditions give the character different names and roles from those in Investiture of the Gods.[7]
One tradition changes his name to Liuya Daoren (六鸭道人, "Six Ducks Daoist"). In this story, Liuya Daoren survives a great flood because he is a duck. A snake lives inside a large gourd floating on the floodwaters, and Liuya Daoren incubates the gourd, from which the deity Hongjun Laozu (鸿钧老祖) is born. The story therefore presents Liuya Daoren as older than Hongjun, and the two later argue over their seniority. The tradition also gives a different account of his encounter with Zhao Gongming. Liuya Daoren learns Zhao Gongming's birth details (生辰八字) by flying past the forest when Zhao is born and later uses the information in a ritual involving a straw effigy that lasts 49 days, compared with the 21-day ritual in Investiture of the Gods.[7]
In Jiangsu, related traditions associate Lu Ya with local Earth-diver creation stories. The Anthology of Chinese Folk Tales: Jiangsu Volume (中国民间故事集成·江苏卷) records names including Lüya Daoren (绿鸭道人, "Green Duck Daoist") in Funing County and Lu Ya (陆鸭, "Land Duck") in Danyang. In these stories, a flood covers the world and the duck figure is sent by deities, including Rulai Buddha, to retrieve mud from the bottom of the primordial waters. The mud is then used to form the land and mountains. The Danyang version also contains a saying about Lu Ya's antiquity: "First there was earth, then heaven, Land Duck was before them" (先有地，后有天，陆鸭在之先).[7]
Interpretation and origins
Scholars have identified Lu Ya's literary prototype as Lü Dongbin, one of the Eight Immortals of Daoism. In a 2018 study, Chen Hong of Nankai University argues that Lu Ya's introductory poem in Chapter 48 deliberately echoes Lü Dongbin's poem Qixi (七夕). Lu Ya describes himself as "a guest from Kunlun" (昆仑客), while Lü Dongbin's original poem refers to its author as "a guest from Tiantai" (天台客); both poems also share the line "an old house south of the stone bridge" (石桥南畔有旧宅). Chen argues that these textual similarities indicate that the author modeled Lu Ya on Lü Dongbin, reflecting the latter's popularity and religious significance during the Ming dynasty.[8] A 2025 article published by Guangming Daily likewise interprets Lu Ya as a literary adaptation of Lü Dongbin, arguing that his identity as an independent wandering immortal (sanxian) draws on the hermit ideals traditionally associated with Lü Dongbin.[9]
Lu Ya has also been discussed in debates over the authorship of Investiture of the Gods. Although the novel is traditionally attributed to Xu Zhonglin, some scholars have proposed that it was written by the Ming dynasty scholar Lu Xixing. Under this interpretation, Lu Ya is seen as the author's self-insert. Supporters of the theory point to a linguistic connection with Lu Xixing's hometown of Xinghua, where his ancestral village was named "Luya" (陆鸭), a homophone of "Lu Ya" (陆压) in the local Xinghua dialect. They argue that this wordplay, together with the shared surname "Lu" (陆), was intended as a literary signature identifying Lu Xixing as the novel's author.[10]
Worship
Lu Ya is worshipped as a deity in the Chaoshan region of Guangdong. His local worship is strongly associated with a legend from the Second Sino-Japanese War. According to local lore, when Japanese aircraft bombed Huilai and Jinghai in April 1935, residents claimed to have witnessed Lu Ya manifest in the sky. The legend states that he used a magical flower basket to capture the falling bombs and redirect them into the sea, saving the towns from destruction.[6]
Through the migration of Chaoshan communities, Lu Ya worship spread to Hong Kong. He is enshrined at the Lingnan Ancient Temple (嶺南古廟) in Yau Tong. The temple maintains two distinct statues: one representing Lu Ya Zhenren (陸壓真人), the immortal figure from the novel, and another representing Lu Ya Zhenjun (陸壓真君), a locally venerated deity believed to guard the Eastern Gate of Heaven.[6]
In popular culture
In 21st-century Chinese internet literature, particularly the "Honghuang" (Primordial) genre associated with web novels such as Buddha is the Dao, Lu Ya's background has been expanded and reinterpreted. A 2025 article in the Beijing Daily discusses a modern interpretation of Lu Ya as the "Tenth Golden Crow" (第十金乌). In this version, he is the sole surviving son of the mythological emperor Di Jun after the archer Hou Yi shoots down his nine brothers. The article describes this origin as a modern development rather than an account found in traditional mythology.[11]
Another saying that became popular in online fiction is the rhyming couplet "First there was Hongjun, then Heaven, but Daoist Lord Lu Ya was there even before" (先有鸿钧后有天，陆压道君还在前). Modern stories use the saying to portray Lu Ya as an ancient figure who predates major Daoist deities. The idea that Lu Ya was a disciple of the fictional Founding Spirit (创始元灵) is likewise associated with modern internet fiction rather than the original Ming dynasty novel or traditional Daoist texts.[7]