

The following year, Lu was killed by a vengeful Yun in the Fire Nation Royal Palace, who blamed him for backing Jianzhu's bid to name Yun the Avatar. However, despite these growing differences, Lu did not participate in Hui's subsequent plot to bring down Jianzhu. Over time, Lu shifted closer to some of Jianzhu's rivals, siding with Chamberlain Hui during a political dispute in 296 BG and ultimately refusing his former disciple's request to lend money to aid in the long-term development of the Southern Water Tribe.

At some point, Lady Wumei died, negatively impacting Lu and contributing to the deterioration of his relationship with Jianzhu. Despite his efforts, the usual Earth Kingdom method to identify Kuruk's successor failed. įollowing the death of Kuruk in 312 BG, Lu took a leading role in the search for the next Avatar. Lu had many grandchildren, but considered none of them to have good leadership prospects, and did not consider any to be decent earthbenders. Lu took as his disciple Jianzhu, a young man from humble origins who, under the guidance of Lu and his wife, Lady Wumei, would later become the earthbending teacher of Avatar Kuruk and one of the most powerful people in the world. īy the late 4th century BG, the family's head was Lu Beifong, a cunning politician and earthbending master. As a financial powerhouse, nearly the entire Earth Kingdom was eventually known to bank with the Beifong family. Over several centuries, the Beifongs built their fortune through mercantile success and engendering social advancement, rising to become immensely wealthy and influential. The Beifong family traditionally lived in Gaoling, a town located within a mountain range in the southern Earth Kingdom. Important and influential members of the family include the powerful politician Lu Beifong the co-founder of the Earthen Fire Refinery, Lao Beifong his only child, Toph, a renowned earthbending master and the inventor of metalbending her two daughters, Lin and Suyin, the Chief of Police in Republic City and matriarch of the city of Zaofu, respectively and Baatar Jr., second-in-command of the former Earth Empire. The family, whose symbol is a flying boar, continues to be well respected and hold significant credibility in the Earth Kingdom. Originally based in the town of Gaoling, the Beifongs were renowned for their wealth and good connections with other noble families like the Pang and Yumsoon-Han families. The Beifong family, also called the "House of the Flying Boar", is a powerful and very influential Earth Kingdom noble family seated in Zaofu and Republic City. " The Metal Clan" (Suyin, Baatar, and their children).
