The Birth of Ren Zu

Ren Zu was born from the Blue Sea of Life into a savage primordial world filled with dangers far beyond human capability.

At the beginning, humans were weak, insignificant creatures.

Ren Zu constantly faced:

• terrifying beasts
• starvation
• isolation
• aging
• despair
• death

Unlike later cultivators, Ren Zu possessed no overwhelming power.

He survived because he learned how to use Gu worms.

The Beast Dilemma and Humanity’s First Struggle

One of Ren Zu’s earliest enemies was the beast known as Dilemma.

Dilemma cornered Ren Zu repeatedly, forcing him into impossible situations where every choice carried suffering.

This established one of the legends’ earliest lessons:

Human life is a constant struggle against impossible circumstances.

To survive, Ren Zu began seeking powerful Gu worms.

Strength Gu — The Price of Power

Main Gu

• Strength Gu

The Story

Ren Zu encountered Strength Gu and begged for power to survive the cruel world.

Strength Gu agreed, but demanded payment.

Ren Zu sacrificed his youth.

In exchange, he gained immense strength capable of overcoming countless dangers.

For a time, he flourished.

But as he aged, Strength Gu gradually abandoned him because strength respected only vitality and youth.

Meaning

Strength Gu symbolizes:

• physical power
• survival
• labor
• human capability

But its betrayal reveals an important truth:

Power is temporary.

Wisdom Gu — Knowledge at the Cost of Life

Main Gu

• Wisdom Gu

The Story

After obtaining strength, Ren Zu sought understanding.

He approached Wisdom Gu, hoping knowledge could help him overcome the world’s dangers.

Wisdom Gu demanded his middle age as payment.

Ren Zu agreed.

With Wisdom Gu’s aid, he became intelligent and insightful, understanding many truths about existence.

However, Wisdom Gu eventually abandoned him as well once he became old and frail.

Meaning

Wisdom Gu represents:

• intelligence
• understanding
• calculation
• enlightenment

But Ren Zu learned:

Wisdom alone cannot defeat mortality.

Old Age — The Great Equalizer

After losing both Strength Gu and Wisdom Gu, Ren Zu became weak and old.

For the first time, he truly understood helplessness.

The legends portray old age almost like a living calamity.

It strips humans of:

• vitality
• power
• confidence
• independence

Even the first human could not escape it.

Hope Gu — The Most Important Human Path Gu

Main Gu

• Hope Gu

The Story

Surrounded by despair and abandoned by nearly everything, Ren Zu prepared to give up.

At that moment, Hope Gu appeared inside his heart.

Unlike other Gu worms, Hope Gu demanded no payment.

Its light allowed Ren Zu to continue walking forward despite overwhelming suffering.

Hope Gu became the core of Human Path.

Meaning

Hope Gu symbolizes:

• perseverance
• persistence
• human resilience

The legends repeatedly emphasize:

As long as humans still possess hope, they can continue struggling.

Hope is portrayed not as optimism, but as refusal to surrender.

The Three Predicaments

Ren Zu eventually encountered the three great Predicaments of humanity:

• Old Age
• Loneliness
• Death

These are among the deepest symbolic entities in the legends.

No matter how powerful humans become, they can never completely avoid them.

Each predicament represents a universal human suffering.

Loneliness — Ren Zu’s Greatest Pain

Among all his sufferings, loneliness hurt Ren Zu the most.

Strength could not cure it.

Wisdom could not cure it.

Even hope could only lessen it temporarily.

Desperate for companionship, Ren Zu traveled to the Blue Sea of Life and created his ten children.

This decision changed the history of the world forever.

Rules Gu and Regulation Gu — Understanding Reality

Main Gu

• Rules Gu
• Regulation Gu

The Story

Ren Zu later encountered Rules Gu and Regulation Gu, two Gu worms representing the laws governing existence itself.

Using them, he attempted to capture Longevity Gu.

This was one of humanity’s first attempts to challenge natural law.

Meaning

These Gu symbolize:

• order
• natural laws
• structure
• systems

The legends suggest:

Humans survive by understanding and manipulating the rules of reality.

Longevity Gu — Humanity’s Eternal Dream

Main Gu

• Longevity Gu

Life + Time \rightarrow Longevity

The Story

Ren Zu pursued Longevity Gu in hopes of escaping death.

Although he managed to approach it through Rules Gu and Regulation Gu, true immortality remained beyond his grasp.

Even the first human could not fully conquer death.

Meaning

Longevity Gu represents:

• immortality
• survival
• fear of death
• humanity’s refusal to disappear

The legends make it clear:

Humans endlessly pursue immortality because they fear meaninglessness.

Attitude Gu and Mask Gu — Society and Identity

Main Gu

• Attitude Gu
• Mask Gu

The Story

As Ren Zu interacted with the world, he realized survival required more than power.

He used Mask Gu to conceal his true self and Attitude Gu to change how others perceived him.

These Gu helped him navigate dangerous relationships and social conflicts.

Meaning

Together, they symbolize:

• social adaptation
• deception
• identity
• performance

The legends imply:

Civilization forces humans to wear masks.

Love Gu — Humanity’s Most Uncontrollable Force

Main Gu

• Love Gu

The Story

Love Gu repeatedly interfered in the lives of Ren Zu and his children.

Unlike other Gu worms, Love Gu was irrational and uncontrollable.

Sometimes it helped humans.

Sometimes it destroyed them.

Desolate Ancient Moon’s tragedy was heavily influenced by Love Gu’s unpredictable actions.

Meaning

Love Gu represents:

• emotional chaos
• attachment
• irrationality
• sacrifice

The legends portray love as both beautiful and catastrophic.

Fate Gu — The Enemy of Humanity

Main Gu

• Fate Gu

Humanity ; vs ; Fate

The Story

As Ren Zu watched all ten children perish, he realized the true source of humanity’s suffering:

Fate Gu.

Fate Gu controlled destiny itself and ensured humans remained weak and limited beneath Heaven.

No matter how talented his children became, fate eventually crushed them.

This revelation transformed Ren Zu’s struggle into a rebellion against Heaven itself.

Meaning

Fate Gu symbolizes:

• predetermined destiny
• cosmic order
• Heaven’s control

Human Path emerged specifically to resist Fate Gu.

Ren Zu’s Final Refinement

After all ten children died, Ren Zu gathered their corpses and inheritances.

He realized every child failed because they represented extreme, unbalanced aspects of humanity.

So he performed the ultimate Human Path refinement.

Using:

• himself
• his children
• their emotions
• their failures
• their desires
• their Gu inheritances

he created the modern human race.

Humans became weaker individually than the ten children, but gained adaptability and balance.

This became humanity’s true strength.

The Meaning of Ren Zu’s Story:Meaning of all Gu

Ren Zu’s life represents the complete human experience:

The Legends of Ren Zu ultimately argue that humanity is defined not by perfection, but by struggle.

Humans suffer.

Humans fail.

Humans age and die.

Yet humans continue resisting Heaven itself.

That endless resistance is the essence of Human Path in Reverend Insanity.