Lü Dongbin, the Immortal Joyful Freedom

Author: Zhou Zhuojie
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-10-01
Features: Lü Dongbin encounters the renowned courtesan Bai Mudan in Luoyang, who exudes an ethereal charm, and finds great benefit in her presence. The two become deeply connected, engaging in numerous intimate encounters without ever revealing their secrets. Ultimately, Lü Dongbin uses his secret arts to transform Bai Mudan into a immortal. Adapted from the author's long mythological novels The Legend of the Seven Fairies and Zhao Gongming, the God of Wealth, the 28-episode TV series A New Match Made in Heaven and the 28-episode TV series The God of Wealth Arrives (also known as The Legend of the God of Wealth) garnered significant attention in society. Adapted from the short story The Tale of Xing Xiuzhuang, the opera Record of a Court Trial in Play won the "Flying Appliance Award" from China's State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television. The author is hailed as the "Mysterious Talent of Chu Tian," "The Ghostly Talent of East Hubei," "Master of Chinese Mythological Fiction," and "Father of Chinese Series Mythological Novels." The People's Daily has published six feature articles on Zhou Zhuojie; the Oriental magazine, sponsored by the "All-American Writers Association of the United States," published a long feature titled Zhou Zhuojie and Chinese Mythology, introducing the author and his works to American readers. China Central Television has broadcast his documentaries twice. The renowned host Cui Yongyuan once invited him as a guest on Cui's Storytelling. The works revolve around the love entanglement between Bai Mudan and Lü Dongbin, centered around the event of the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea, culminating in Three Plays on Bai Mudan. The narrative adopts a grand and expansive structure, intertwining tales such as the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea, Slaying the Yellow Dragon with a Sword, and the story of the Yellow Crane Tower within the backdrop of investigating Bai Mudan, visiting the Moonlit Pavilion three times, marriage and madness, sending Bai Mudan's spirit to reincarnate, and the Jade Emperor's wrathful beheading of Bai Mudan. The author delicately portrays the millennium-long bond between Lü Dongbin and Bai Mudan, using witty and engaging prose to thoroughly depict Lü Dongbin's multiple reincarnations and repeated gender-related misconducts. At times, the story leaves readers in stitches; at others, it delights and refreshes their senses.