 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 <unk> ( <unk> ) and , learning the true essence of Shaolin <unk> , becomes proficient in things both literary and martial . Tan 's other students include the future generals Jin Tai ( <unk> ) and Zong Ze ( <unk> ) and the future Water Margin outlaws Sun Li and <unk> <unk> . As a young man , Zhou catches the attention of Judge <unk> <unk> 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 <unk> 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 <unk> . Sun later becomes an outlaw under <unk> <unk> and helps defeat the evil Zhu Family , who learn military arts from his classmate <unk> <unk> . 
