In the final years of the Yuan Dynasty, Master Chongba, abbot of the Huangjue Temple in Haozhou, happened upon an ancient Northern Wei book called The Vast Scroll of Water and Sky in the temple's scripture chamber. It comprised eleven volumes, written in a dense and abstruse style. Master Chongba consulted many eminent scholars, but none could decipher even a fraction of it. Later, with the help of Liu Bowen, the "Sleeping Dragon of the Age," and his sworn younger brother, Meng Lingcheng, he managed to decipher the first three volumes.
The first volume, "Mountains and Rivers," described routes and waterways from the Central Plains to the Western Regions in great detail. The second, "The Art of Deception," contained the essential military strategies of renowned masters such as Sun Bin, the Sleeping Dragon, and Zhongda. The third, "Divine Dragon," was a handwritten work by Hua Tuo, the medical sage of the Three Kingdoms period. After reading the ancient book, Master Chongba realized that it truly contained everything under heaven and was full of profound insights. Unwilling to remain in monastic seclusion, he was stirred by worldly ambition and left the clergy. He and Liu Bowen and Meng Lingcheng became sworn brothers. Each of the three studied one volume. As the eldest, Chongba studied "Mountains and Rivers," while Liu and Meng divided the other two volumes, "The Art of Deception" and "Divine Dragon," between them.
After three years, they had all made great progress. From "Mountains and Rivers," Chongba learned of a miraculous stone called "Fengyun," said to greatly increase the strength of anyone who consumed it and even prolong their life. Following the book's instructions, the three found and consumed the Fengyun Stone. Each gained extraordinary abilities. They gathered many followers and, two years later, raised an army in Fengyang. After more than a decade of warfare, they defeated all their rivals. Chongba then proclaimed himself emperor in Yingtian and named his dynasty the Ming.
When Chongba ascended the throne, he resumed his family name, Zhu, and took the name Yuanzhang. He appointed Liu Bowen as Right Chancellor and Meng Lingcheng as Left Chancellor. Meng Lingcheng served for less than a year before retiring to the Great Snowy Mountains. Liu Bowen, meanwhile, devoted himself to serving Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang and ushering in the prosperous Hongwu era.
