LI-BABAI

Also known as LI-BA-BAI, LI-PA-PAI, LI-KUAN, LI-K'UAN

Immortal [DAO]ist sage with eight hundred plum-colored boils.

He turned up one day in the state of Wu, having spent the past eight hundred years in a cave for reasons best known to himself. The locals rallied round and gave him a place to stay, where he set up his 'Lu'. Which was a place of meditation not dissimilar to the modern variety.

LI-BABAI, who suffered from a strange skin condition, had a rich sponsor who wished to learn the immortality secrets from him.

"My boils must be licked away first," says Li.

"I'll set the servants on it," says Mr Moneybags.

"No, you must do it yourself," demands Li.

After it hadn't worked, LI-BABAI opted to be bathed in wine from a million bottles. This really does work, but the wine must be full-bodied red with a rich plummy flavor. And then he ascended to Heaven, leaving behind his Earthly remains.