The Legend of the Four Immortals

In the ancient kingdom of Dai Viet, during the reign of the Ly Dynasty, there lived four young men whose friendship was so strong it was said to rival the bonds between blood brothers. Their names were Thanh Long (Azure Dragon), Bach Ho (White Tiger), Chu Que (Vermillion Bird), and Huyen Vu (Black Tortoise)—though these were not their birth names, but titles they would earn through their legendary deeds.

These four friends came from different walks of life but shared a common spirit of adventure and an unshakeable loyalty to one another. Thanh Long was the son of a fisherman from the Red River Delta, blessed with wisdom beyond his years and the ability to communicate with water spirits. Bach Ho was a hunter from the northern mountains, renowned for his courage and his skill with weapons. Chu Que was a scholar from the imperial capital, gifted with knowledge of ancient magic and the ability to see into the future. Huyen Vu was a farmer from the central plains, known for his strength and his deep connection to the earth.

The four had met as children when their villages sent representatives to a great festival in the capital. Despite their different backgrounds, they immediately recognized kindred spirits in each other, and from that day they swore an oath of eternal friendship.

“Though we come from different places and follow different paths,” young Thanh Long had declared, “we are brothers in spirit. Let nothing ever break the bond between us.”

“Through storm and sunshine, war and peace,” Bach Ho had added, placing his hand over Thanh Long’s.

“In this life and all lives to come,” Chu Que had sworn, adding his hand to theirs.

“Until the mountains crumble and the seas run dry,” Huyen Vu had concluded, completing their sacred pact.

As they grew to manhood, the four friends pursued their different destinies but always maintained their connection. Thanh Long became a renowned navigator and protector of river communities. Bach Ho became a legendary warrior defending the mountain passes. Chu Que rose to become a court advisor and master of the mystical arts. Huyen Vu became a leader among farmers and a keeper of agricultural wisdom.

But despite their success in their chosen fields, each felt that something was missing from their lives—a greater purpose that could only be fulfilled by reuniting with their sworn brothers.

The call to that greater purpose came when Vietnam faced its greatest supernatural crisis in centuries. A powerful demon king named Ma Vang had escaped from the underworld and was spreading corruption throughout the spiritual realm. Ancient protective spirits were being enslaved or destroyed, sacred sites were being desecrated, and the boundary between the world of the living and the realm of evil spirits was beginning to dissolve.

The reigning emperor, desperate to save his kingdom, consulted the most learned scholars and powerful magicians in the land. All agreed that only a group of heroes with both extraordinary abilities and pure hearts could hope to defeat Ma Vang and restore the spiritual balance.

“But where can we find such heroes?” the emperor asked in despair.

Master Linh Minh, the court’s most senior advisor in mystical matters, had been studying ancient prophecies and star charts. “Your Majesty,” he said slowly, “the texts speak of four friends whose bond transcends mortal limitations. If such a bond truly exists, it might be strong enough to channel the power needed to face this demonic threat.”

Through his network of scholars and mystics, Chu Que learned of the emperor’s quest and immediately sent word to his three sworn brothers. Within days, all four had arrived at the imperial palace, ready to offer their services to their endangered homeland.

When the emperor met them, he was initially skeptical. These were clearly capable men, but they seemed rather ordinary compared to the legendary heroes described in the ancient prophecies.

“Your Majesty,” Chu Que said respectfully, “we may appear to be simple mortals, but the strength of our friendship has been tested by twenty years of trials. We believe that together we can accomplish what none of us could achieve alone.”

To prove their worthiness, the four friends were subjected to a series of tests designed to measure not just their individual abilities, but the power of their united spirits.

In the first test, they were challenged to cross a raging river during flood season without boats or bridges. Thanh Long called upon the water spirits he had befriended, but the current was too strong even for his allies. Bach Ho suggested they fight their way across, but the waters would have swept away any conventional assault. Chu Que consulted his magical knowledge, but no single spell was powerful enough.

It was only when all four joined hands and combined their different gifts—Thanh Long’s connection to water, Bach Ho’s physical courage, Chu Que’s mystical power, and Huyen Vu’s earth-grounding stability—that they were able to part the flood waters and cross safely.

In the second test, they were required to retrieve a sacred artifact from the peak of the highest mountain in the kingdom, a place where the air was too thin for normal humans to survive. Again, none of their individual abilities was sufficient, but when they worked together—Bach Ho’s mountain climbing skills, Thanh Long’s ability to find hidden water sources, Chu Que’s magical protection from the elements, and Huyen Vu’s endurance and strength—they successfully completed the quest.

The final test was the most difficult: they were required to enter the realm of spirits and negotiate the release of a celestial being who had been imprisoned by Ma Vang’s advance scouts. This required not just power and skill, but the ability to resist the demon’s corruption and maintain their pure intentions while surrounded by pure evil.

In the spirit realm, each friend faced terrible temptations designed to break their bonds with each other. Ma Vang’s demons offered Thanh Long dominion over all the waters of Vietnam if he would abandon his friends. They promised Bach Ho victory in every battle if he would betray his sworn brothers. They tempted Chu Que with unlimited magical knowledge if he would forsake his loyalty. They offered Huyen Vu eternal abundance for his lands if he would break his oath.

But the four friends’ bond proved stronger than any temptation. Each drew strength from the others, and together they not only resisted the demons’ offers but actually defeated the guards and freed the imprisoned celestial being.

Impressed by their success in all three tests, the emperor formally appointed the four friends as his champions against Ma Vang. But as they prepared for their ultimate mission, Master Linh Minh took them aside for a private warning.

“Brave warriors,” he said gravely, “you have proven your worthiness, but you must understand the full cost of what you are undertaking. To defeat Ma Vang will require you to channel divine power through your mortal bodies. This will transform you permanently—you will gain the strength to face the demon king, but you will also become something more than human. You will become immortal guardians, forever responsible for protecting the spiritual balance of our land.”

The four friends looked at each other, understanding the weight of this revelation. They would gain great power, but they would also be giving up their normal human lives—their chance for families, for aging peacefully in their home villages, for the simple pleasures of mortal existence.

“Brothers,” Thanh Long said quietly, “we swore an oath to be together until the mountains crumble and the seas run dry. If accepting this transformation means we can fulfill that oath while serving our people, then I am ready.”

“Our friendship has already given us more than any normal life could offer,” Bach Ho agreed. “If we can use it to save our homeland, the sacrifice is worthwhile.”

“Knowledge without wisdom is empty,” Chu Que added. “And wisdom without the power to help others is useless. This is our chance to make our learning truly meaningful.”

“The earth has nourished us all our lives,” Huyen Vu concluded. “Now we have the opportunity to nourish it in return.”

The transformation ritual took place at the Temple of the Four Directions, an ancient sacred site where the boundaries between the mortal and divine realms were thinnest. As the four friends joined hands in the center of the temple, celestial energy began to flow through their united spirits.

Thanh Long felt the power of all waters flowing through him—rivers, lakes, seas, and rain clouds. His mortal form became infused with the essence of the Azure Dragon, guardian of the eastern seas.

Bach Ho felt the courage and strength of all the earth’s predators flowing through him. His human body was transformed by the spirit of the White Tiger, protector of the western mountains.

Chu Que felt the wisdom and foresight of all flying creatures flowing through him. His scholarly nature was elevated by the power of the Vermillion Bird, guardian of the southern skies.

Huyen Vu felt the endurance and patience of all earthbound creatures flowing through him. His farmer’s strength was magnified by the essence of the Black Tortoise, guardian of the northern lands.

But most importantly, their bond with each other was not diminished by these individual transformations—it was strengthened. They had become not just four separate immortal guardians, but a single unified force with four aspects.

The battle with Ma Vang took place in both the physical and spiritual realms simultaneously. The demon king was enormously powerful, wielding dark magic that could corrupt mountains, poison rivers, and turn the living into undead servants.

But the Four Immortals fought as one being with four bodies. Thanh Long called forth great floods to wash away the demon’s corrupt minions. Bach Ho struck with the fury of a thousand tigers, his weapons blessed with celestial fire. Chu Que wove protective spells around the kingdom while simultaneously casting binding magic to trap the demon. Huyen Vu anchored their combined power in the stability of the earth itself, preventing Ma Vang from using his chaos magic to scatter their unity.

The battle raged for seven days and seven nights, shaking the very foundations of heaven and earth. But in the end, the pure intentions and unbreakable bond of the Four Immortals proved stronger than the demon king’s hatred and greed.

As Ma Vang was finally defeated and banished back to the deepest levels of the underworld, the Four Immortals felt their mission complete—but their responsibility just beginning.

From that day forward, they became the invisible guardians of Vietnam’s spiritual realm. Thanh Long watches over all bodies of water, ensuring that river spirits remain benevolent and that fishermen and travelers on waterways are protected. Bach Ho roams the mountains and forests, keeping dangerous supernatural creatures in check and protecting hunters and travelers from spiritual threats. Chu Que oversees the balance between knowledge and wisdom, inspiring scholars and leaders while preventing the misuse of mystical arts. Huyen Vu maintains the spiritual health of the land itself, ensuring good harvests and protecting farmers from supernatural blights.

Though they rarely appear in physical form, the Four Immortals’ presence can be felt throughout Vietnam. When impossible obstacles are overcome through the power of friendship and cooperation, when communities unite to face challenges that no individual could handle alone, when loyalty and sacrifice triumph over selfishness and corruption, people say that the Four Immortals are near.

The legend of their friendship became one of Vietnam’s most beloved stories, teaching generations that the bonds between true friends can transcend death itself, and that when people unite with pure hearts and noble intentions, they can accomplish miracles that seem impossible to individual effort.

To this day, temples and shrines throughout Vietnam honor the Four Immortals, not just as powerful protectors, but as the ultimate example of friendship transformed into divine service. Their story reminds all Vietnamese that the greatest strength comes not from individual achievement, but from the willingness to share both burdens and blessings with those we hold dear.

And when friends gather to pledge their loyalty to one another, they often invoke the names of Thanh Long, Bach Ho, Chu Que, and Huyen Vu—the four who proved that true friendship is indeed eternal, and that love strong enough can transform even ordinary mortals into immortal guardians of all they hold sacred.