The Li Yiliao 李一了

Li Yiliao was a native of Yixian County, Anhui Province, during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644).

His courtesy name was Chidu, and he was also known as Chedu. In his youth, he was fond of wandering through the streets and markets, and spent money as recklessly as water.

At the age of forty, he became emaciated due to illness and was on the verge of death. It was then that he became a Taoist monk, and was taught the technique of cultivating the "huandan" (the "reverted elixir," a core concept in Taoist inner alchemy, believed to be the essence of spiritual and physical refinement). He changed his name to Yiliao. After living (in the Taoist temple) for three years, he traveled to Tianmu Mountain with his master. Later, his master passed away in peace; Li Yiliao then built Shinan Nunnery (a Taoist hermitage) in Wannian County for his master as a memorial. Subsequently, he traveled around famous mountains and great rivers across the country, and made companions with figures such as Yan Pengtou (a Taoist hermit) from Taihe Mountain and Tongmao Daoren (the "Taoist with a Copper Hat") from Zhongnan Mountain.

From that time on, his reputation spread far and wide, and princes, nobles, and senior officials competed to present him with gifts and supplies. Li Yiliao was skilled in medical arts—when treating illnesses, he did not rely on medicinal herbs or elixirs. Instead, he would observe the patient’s complexion and perform Taoist rituals, with a treatment course usually lasting seven days. For severe cases, he would extend it by another seven days; for extremely serious ones, he would use Taoist talismans and incantations, all of which proved effective. He was also proficient in Taoist health-preserving and daoyin techniques (daoyin refers to traditional Chinese body exercises that combine breathing regulation, body movements, and meditation to maintain health and vitality). He could eat nine meals a day, and also had the ability to go without food for nine days.

He lived to the age of eighty-nine, but still looked like a man in his forties. Details of his life story can be found in Gazetteer of Yixian County (Yixian Zhi).