Chinese Name: Lu Zhishen

Japanese Name: Kaoshō Rochishin

Rank: 13th of the 108 Stars of Destiny

Nickname: Flowery Monk

Lu Zhishen, originally named Lu Da, had been a Garrison Major for the imperial army. He had a round face, bushy beard, large nose mouth and ears, and flower tattoos decorating his body. He was nearly 8 feet tall with a 50 inch waist.

Early in the novel, Lu Da is forced into hiding for killing a butcher named Zheng. Zheng had convinced a desperate young woman to be his concubine, but soon threw her from his home and accused her of owing him a large sum of money. She was forced to concede to his demands for repayment, and having no other means of attaining money, took up singing at a local wine shop for tips. One day, as Major Lu Da was drinking there, she confided her troubles to him. Enraged by such an injustice, he paid a visit to Butcher Zheng. A fight ensued and Lu Da killed Zheng with three blows of his fist.

Lu Da went on the run to escape prosecution for murder. He traveled to the monastery on Mount Wutai where he became a monk, and was given the name Lu Zhishen. While there, he had a blacksmith fashion him a monk’s staff made of iron weighing 62 “jin” (about 82 pounds), which was his primary weapon throughout the novel. But, true to his nature, Lu Zhishen went on a drunken rampage, assaulted the monks, and trashed the monastery. He was evicted and sent to the great Xiangguo Monastery in the Eastern Capital to become a gardener. He eventually abandoned that monastery as well.

Lu Zhishen went on to become leader of the bandits of Mount Lianglong: an abbot named Deng Long and several of his fellow monks, had renounced their monastic vows and amassed a gang of 500 bandits—they resided on Mount Lianglong and pillaged the surrounding villages; Lu Zhishen killed Deng Long and took over as their new leader.

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Later in the story, Lu Zhishen and his army of brigands came together with the bandits of Mount Taohua, Mount Baihu and Liangshan Marsh, to defeat General Huyan Zhuo (plate 55). Realizing the advantages from joining forces, Lu Zhishen and his bandits, as well as the bandits of Mount Taohua and Mount Baihu, remained at Liangshan Marsh and became a part of their legions.

Lu Zhishen is depicted here at Xiangguo Monastery. He met the vagabonds who lived in the area, and they brought him a roasted pig and wine to pay him homage. While they sat eating and drinking together, the vagabonds began complaining about the noisy crows in a nearby willow tree. One of the vagabonds was about to get a ladder to destroy the nest but Lu Zhishen interceded. He grabbed the willow tree by it’s base with his bare hands, pulled it out by the roots, and the crows scattered. For more on Lu Zhishen, see plate 10.

Isaac Nichols Original