¶ Bing Lieu
Also: Alastar Lupin
¶ The Mighty Sorcerer from Yurasiu
Bing Lieu, or Alastar Lupin, as his real name was, brought a lot of trouble to Takuan and his companions.
The sorcerer dedicated his entire life to the pursuit of power. His diligence and talent attracted the attention of the Dark Lord himself, who appeared before the sorcerer and entrusted him with a mission to travel to Chinayindu and acquire magical items. In return, the Dark Lord promised Alastar Lupin power that could only be matched by the celestial beings.
¶ Bing Lieu in Chinayindu
Upon arriving in Chinayindu, Alastar Lupin adopted a new name, Bing Lieu, and settled in Mandalay, known throughout the country for its traders and craftsmen.
Through deceit, cunning, and sorcery, Bing Lieu advanced toward his coveted dream. On his journey, he encountered Soliang and his companions, and he also crossed paths with Takuan.
Another sorcerer, who clung to Lupin like a burr to a horse’s tail and followed him to Chinayindu, kept getting in his way and causing him a great deal of inconvenience. Although Bing Lieu was a much more powerful sorcerer, his comrade somehow managed to constantly pour sand into his shoes.
If you want to find out how Bing Lieu hunted for magical items and how his encounter with Takuan ended, read the second book of ‘Takuan’s Adventures’ titled ‘Hunters of Weredemons.’ And if you want to find why he ended up in Chinayindu in the first place, and if he fulfilled his quest, read the last book titled ‘Envoys of Celestials.’
¶ Quotes
“Nothing of the kind,” the merchant replied. “But I have a customer in Kruitep who appreciates magicks.”
The merchant had lied. He did not have any buyer of magicks in Kruitep. For that matter, he had become a merchant no more than a month ago, when he arrived from across the Everlasting Ocean. In truth, he himself was a sorcerer who roamed Chinayindu in search of magical implements. The name of the sorcerer was Bing Lieu, and we know him already – though Bing Lieu had not yet reached the monastery of the Golden Peak at this point in our story.
Lupin and Bricabrac were sorcerers who got their magicks from ancient spell books. Bricabrac read only a few and, having memorised a dozen spells, began to boast of them right and left. By contrast, Lupin approached the matter of sorcery with all seriousness. Delving deep into ancient libraries, he attracted the attention of the Dark Lord of Under, who, one moonless night, appeared to the magician just as suddenly as the beautiful goddess Xiwanmu had appeared to the monk named Soliang.
Like an ominous shadow, the Dark Lord emerged behind Lupin’s back and spoke the words: “Alastar Lupin, confessor of arcane power and master of magic spells! The Dark Lord himself, the patron of weredemons of the Under, has come to you with an order. I command you to travel to the other side of the Everlasting Ocean, to the land of Chinayindu.”