The years surrounding the Second World War were a time of great political and social turmoil in China, and people's lives were nearly intolerable. During this time, while Grandmaster Yong Yan was traveling from mountain to mountain, he met an army major general, Zhou Qian Chuan, who was also a Western medical doctor. Major General Zhou had serious internal cracking in his liver caused by the violent vibrations of a bomb that had exploded very close to him. He had tried all the famous Western medical doctors and no one could heal him. Grandmaster Yong Yan befriended the major general, treating and curing his ailments with Emei Qigong healing techniques.

Overwhelmed with joy and gratitude, the major general immediately decided to leave all his responsibilities to become a monk and to serve this great man who had restored his health. Grandmaster Yong Yan refused his request to become a monk but allowed him to come to Emei Mountain to study under him. Zhou Qian Chuan studied under and served Grandmaster Yong Yan for 13 years, and then the Grandmaster ordained him as the first layman to receive the title Lineage Holder. So it was that Zhou Qian Chuan became the 12^th Lineage Holder of Emei Qigong. Grandmaster Yong Yan then left Emei Mountain and went to Southwest China, to the Kangding area. And as he had foreseen, monks were imprisoned or killed and many of the monasteries on the mountain were destroyed, including the Golden Summit Monastery.

The newly ordained Grandmaster Zhou stayed on Emei Mountain but often came down and traveled to the Kangding area to relieve people from the suffering of the war.