The Master Who Always Took His Disciple’s Side
If there were an award for the most protective teacher in Investiture of the Gods (Fengshen Yanyi), Taiyi Zhenren (太乙真人) would almost certainly win it.
Unlike Yuanshi Tianzun, who remains distant and solemn, or Randeng Daoren, whose wisdom often lies hidden behind calm calculation, Taiyi feels surprisingly human. He is powerful, decisive, and unwaveringly loyal to one person above all others:
Nezha.
And if one word defines him throughout the novel, it is this:
He is unapologetically protective of his disciple.
A Disciple Chosen Before Birth
Taiyi did not simply happen to meet Nezha.
Long before Nezha was born, he already knew that the spirit of Lingzhuzi would descend into the human world.
When Lady Yin finally gave birth—not to a child, but to a mysterious ball of flesh after three years and six months of pregnancy—Li Jing nearly struck it apart with his sword.
Taiyi arrived at precisely that moment.
He immediately recognized the child as the destined disciple he had long expected.
There were no tests.
No examinations.
No lengthy initiation.
His decision was simple:
“This child is mine.”
He accepted Nezha as his disciple and presented him with the Qiankun Ring and the Huntian Ribbon, two treasures that would become inseparable from Nezha’s identity.
From the very beginning, Taiyi was not discovering his student.
He had been waiting for him.
When His Disciple Caused Trouble, His First Instinct Was to Protect Him
Nezha soon created chaos on an unimaginable scale.
He killed the Yaksha Li Gen.
He slew Ao Bing, the Third Prince of the Eastern Sea.
He stripped the dragon prince of his dragon tendons.
The Dragon Kings of the Four Seas demanded justice.
Taiyi knew perfectly well who had caused the disaster.
Yet he never reacted by scolding Nezha or questioning his actions.
His attitude was closer to:
“The damage is done. Now let’s deal with it.”
Throughout the novel, Taiyi’s instinct is remarkably consistent.
He protects first.
He lectures later—if at all.
Even Shi Ji Niangniang Became an Unfortunate Victim
Perhaps the clearest example of Taiyi’s personality comes during the famous encounter with Shi Ji Niangniang.
The incident began entirely because of Nezha.
While practicing archery, he accidentally shot and killed Caiyun Tongzi, Shi Ji’s young attendant.
By any reasonable standard, Nezha was at fault.
Shi Ji merely came seeking an explanation.
Instead, Nezha fled back to his master’s mountain.
Taiyi refused to surrender his disciple.
The conflict escalated into a battle between immortals.
In the end, Taiyi produced the Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Hood and reduced Shi Ji to ashes.
The result was almost absurd:
Nezha caused the trouble.
Taiyi cleaned it up.
Shi Ji came seeking justice.
She was the one who died.
Many readers cannot help but smile at this episode.
This master really did stand by his disciple—no matter what.
His Disciple Died? Then He Simply Built Him a New Body
When the Dragon Kings forced Li Jing into an impossible position, Nezha chose to sacrifice himself.
He returned his flesh to his mother.
He returned his bones to his father.
To everyone else, this marked the tragic end of a brilliant young hero.
Taiyi refused to accept it.
His response was straightforward:
“My disciple is not finished.”
Gathering lotus flowers, lotus leaves, and lotus roots, he fashioned an entirely new body for Nezha.
Through Daoist magic, flesh grew from lotus petals, bones from lotus roots, and Nezha was reborn.
This miraculous resurrection became one of the defining moments of Chinese mythology.
Nezha was no longer bound by the mortal body given to him by his parents.
He had become the legendary Lotus Incarnation.
Nezha Wanted Revenge. Taiyi Gave Him More Weapons.
After returning to life, Nezha did not immediately join King Wu’s campaign against Shang.
He wanted revenge.
In his eyes, he had already repaid his parents by returning the flesh and bones they had given him.
The debt between father and son had been settled.
Yet Li Jing had gone further, destroying the shrine that housed Nezha’s spirit and nearly condemning him to eternal extinction.
This could not be forgiven.
Taiyi knew exactly what his disciple intended to do.
Did he stop him?
Not really.
Instead, he continued equipping Nezha for the journey.
The Wind-and-Fire Wheels.
The Fire-Tipped Spear.
One divine treasure after another found its way into Nezha’s hands.
Many modern readers cannot resist laughing at the scene.
Most teachers would say,
“Calm down. Don’t do anything reckless.”
Taiyi’s response was closer to,
“Take these weapons with you.”
Only after the conflict spiraled beyond anyone’s control did Randeng Daoren intervene, presenting Li Jing with the Golden Pagoda that finally allowed father and son to reach an uneasy reconciliation.
He Believed Nezha Would Grow
Despite his obvious favoritism, Taiyi was not blind.
He knew Nezha was impulsive.
Rebellious.
Quick-tempered.
Forever getting into trouble.
Yet he never stopped believing in him.
Instead of abandoning his disciple after every disaster, Taiyi repeatedly gave him another chance.
Another treasure.
Another lesson.
Another life.
In the end, the fearless child who challenged dragons and defied heaven became one of the greatest warrior deities in Chinese religion.
More Than a Master
Li Jing gave Nezha life.
Taiyi Zhenren gave him a destiny.
The first birth came from his parents.
The second came from his teacher.
One gave him a body.
The other gave him purpose.
Seen this way, Taiyi Zhenren is far more than Nezha’s master.
He is the mentor who recognizes a hero before anyone else does, rescues him when everyone believes he is lost, and never stops believing that his flawed, troublesome disciple will one day become something extraordinary.