 Zhou is born in Shaanxi and trains in the martial arts from a young age . He is taken as one of the pupils of Shaolin master Tan Zhengfang ( 谭正芳 ) and , learning the true essence of Shaolin Kungfu , becomes proficient in things both literary and martial . Tan 's other students include the future generals Jin Tai ( 金台 ) and Zong Ze ( 宗澤 ) and the future Water Margin outlaws Sun Li and Luan Tingyu . As a young man , Zhou catches the attention of Judge Bao Zheng and enlists in the military as an officer . His superiors take note of his great skill after he helps his classmate General Jin battle Liao Tartars in northern China and install him as a teacher in the Capital Imperial Martial Arts School . The school has three teaching positions named in order of prestige : " Heaven , " " Earth , " and " Man . " Since he has the greatest skill , he occupies the Heaven position . He uses this post and his friendship with General Zong to get their classmate Sun Li installed as the Superintendent of Forces of Dengzhou . Sun later becomes an outlaw under Chao Gai and helps defeat the evil Zhu Family , who learn military arts from his classmate Luan Tingyu . 
