In the Jin Dynasty, a man named Zhou Chu lived in Yixing. Tough, fierce, and fond of fighting in his youth, he was considered a scourge to his community.
At that time, a ferocious dragon in the river and a fierce tiger in the mountains of Yixing often injured and devoured people. The locals grouped them with Zhou Chu as the "Three Evils," with Zhou Chu being the most harmful.
Later, someone instigated Zhou Chu to kill the tiger and behead the dragon, hoping to eliminate two of the evils and leave only one.
Zhou Chu went alone into the mountains and killed the tiger. He then jumped into the river to fight the dragon. The battle raged for three days and nights, carrying them dozens of li downstream. Believing Zhou Chu had perished, the people celebrated jubilantly. To their surprise, he emerged victorious from the water.
Upon learning that his neighbors had celebrated his supposed death, Zhou Chu realized he was viewed as one of the evils. Determined to reform, he went to Wu prefecture to seek advice from the noted brothers, Lu Ji and Lu Yun.
Finding only Lu Yun at home, Zhou Chu confessed his past and his desire to change, but worried he was too old to accomplish anything. Lu Yun encouraged him: "The ancients were gratified to grasp the truth in the morning, even if they died by nightfall. How much more so for you with a promising future? What a man should fear is lacking aspiration. Why worry about achieving neither merit nor fame?"
From then on, Zhou Chu thoroughly reformed and strived for self-improvement. The tale of "Zhou Chu Eliminating the Evils" has been passed down through the ages.