When Li was born, the doctors told her parents that there had been some trouble during the delivery. Both mother and daughter were healthy and strong, but her mother's womb had been left barren and would could not carry any more children. This news upset her father greatly as he was heir to the Hua family wushu fighting style Long Jingshin. For generations the first born Hua son has passed along the Long Jingshin style as well as two very old and precious family heirlooms: the Dragon Heart and Dragon Claw. As the first born son of his father, it was Hua Xianjin's responsiblity to pass these three special gifts to his first born son and he feared that without any further chance of a male heir, this longstanding tradition would die out. Because of his frustration he at first shunned his infant daughter, but Li's mother was very vocal against his foolishness and forced him to hold and attend to his daughter. He came around and cursed himself for thinking he could ever deny his own blood. However, the dilemma of how he could carry on the Hua family tradition weighed heavy on his mind and continued to trouble him. He considered teaching his first daughter, or perhaps adopting a son, but neither of those solutions felt right in his heart. One night a dragon maiden appeared in his dreams and told him that all was not lost, that the Hua family tradition would indeed live on and in fact grow stronger. The maiden told him that there would be no harm in altering the tradition slightly and suggested that he should perhaps think to teach the Long Jingshin style to his second daughter. When he awoke he immediately shared this dream with his wife who agreed whole-heartily with the mysterious vision. She felt in her heart that her daughter had a special destiny waiting for her.
Hua Xianjin began instructing Li in the Long Jingshin fighting style when she turned three years old as was the tradition. Li immediately took well to the lessons with a passion her father couldn't ever have dreamed possible. By the time she was six years old she was mastering skills he had not even begun to learn until he was twelve. She proved to be a very dedicated and intelligent girl and easily juggled her father's lessons with her other studies very well. Even when her father had to be away, she would train on her own for no less than four hours a day.
Li had many friends, but her best was Chen Wenchi, a girl her age from a neighboring home. When they were seven years old they pledged their undying friendship under a blooming peach tree in Li's family garden. Li and Wenchi became bloodsisters, vowing that although they came from different families, in their hearts they would forever be sisters.
When Li was eleven years old her Arcainian cousins Kain and Nancy came to live with her family. Kain and Li were as close as brother and sister from day one and shared in many adventures. They trained together, went to school together, and got into trouble together. Growing up Kain and Li got into many scuffles with other children, most usually standing up to bullies for smaller and weaker children. It was not uncommon to see Li fighting with boys three or four times her size and win without breaking a sweat. In fact, the only beatings she ever really got was from her mother who didn't deem it very maidenly for her daughter to be fighting; afterall, what parent would want a daughter-in-law who beat up their son? Li's father joined her mother in verbally chiding the girl, but deep down one could see the pride glowing in his eyes. There were many times he had in fact turned a blind eye to such reports that Li had bested some young punk.
At fifteen Li's family moved from Fuzhou to Wuhan, a large trading city on the Yellow River. A year later a fire broke out in Fuzhou, destroying Wenchi's home and killing everyone except for her. Wenchi went to live with the Hua family in Wuhan. Shortly thereafter Kain moved back to Arcainia to join the army. Li continued to study her fighting style and she and Wenchi looked after Nancy until it was time for her to go home. When Li accompanied Nancy back home this was the first time she had ever been to the Old World and she instantly fell in love. Not long after this Kain was dispatched onto a quest and when Li returned back to China she also took Nancy with the plan being that as soon as Kain's quest was completed he would go back to China for a short vacation and thereafter return back with Nancy. Kain's best friend James Raptor had just returned home from his Auset Knight studies at the Grand Temple of Auset and when invited by Kain to accompany him to China eagerly jumped at the chance.
True to her mother's predictions, Li did not have many suitors due to her reputation. This sit just fine with Li as she had yet to meet a man that turned her head. Besides, she was too busy for a husband. Or so she thought. When James was introduced to the Hua family it was love at first sight for Li. By the time Kain, Nancy, and James boarded a ship for home James and Li were courting one another. They constantly wrote letters to each other and looked for any excuse to be together. Finally James made a special trip to Wuhan to propose marriage to his true love's parents. Just the proposal was cause for grand celebrations as Li's mother silently breathed a sigh of relief. The wedding was planned, but on the eve of the special day James was called off to duty as a Knight of Auset to aid the dwarves in the Dwarf & Goblin War. Though tremendously disappointed the lovers rejoiced that as soon as James returned they would be married. With one final kiss James departed his dear, sweet Li for battle and never returned as in the final battle of the war James was felled by an arrow in the back by his turncoat friend Samhus Garrison. James's body was never recovered and Li still clings to the hope that her husband is alive and will return to her. She moved into the wedding home her parents had bought for her with her bloodsister Wenchi and together waited for his return. In order to keep up the house and provide for themselves Li and Wenchi took up jobs as waitresses at a local teahouse called The Dragon's Flame. A year after James was lost in battle, Kain was sent to China on a special mission to stop the cult of the evil Gong Gong from raising the terrible demon. Alone on the mission, Kain recruited Li to help him. En route to the Witch Mountains to face the cult, the pair was met by a Chinese dragon. They were taken before the mystical Council of Dragons to face the powerful emperor of dragons. They respected Kain as the son of the great Slayer of Kitrad Doe, but also took a great interest and fascination with Li. They provided transport to the Witch Mountains and after a terrific battle Li and Kain came out victorious. The Council of Dragons praised both Kain and Li. The emperor of China upon hearing that a woman had impressed the Council of Dragons offered Li a job at the Wuhan military fort as a trainer for the newly recruited soldiers. After proving herself to the soldiers Li was found to be a tremendous asset to the fort.
A year later Samhus Garrison returned to her life, this time in the guise of a potential suitor for Wenchi. Li, not realizing who the man was, left town for a friend's wedding. Upon returning home she found that Garrison, enraged that his advances had been shot down, attacked Wenchi. Li returned home just as he slit the poor girl's throat. During the ensuing fight both Li and Garrison were injured, but it was him who took the greater beating before escaping. Li vowed over her fallen sister's body that she would avenge her death. The tragedy was too much for Li's heart to handle and so she was sent to stay with Kain and Nancy so that they could help her morn the loss of their friend and sister. Originally planning to only stay a few months, Li as lived with Kain and Nancy for over a year, maintaining the house and honing her fighting skills in preparations to avenge both Wenchi and James.
Although she has trained her entire life to fight, she is in actuality very peaceful and nonviolent unless provoked. She does not go out looking for fights, but will never back down from a challenge especially if her family or friends are in danger. She hates rude people, and she dispises bullies. She always stands up for the weak or the wronged, verbally and physically if need be. She knows she is a great fighter and can be very cocky and insulting to her opponents.
She is extremely loyal and unselfish and she always thinks of others before herself. She will not think twice about leaping into danger or even sacrificing her own life if it will save a friend in need. She is honest and true to her heart. She truly believes James Raptor is alive and that they will one day be reunited, but if she does indeed find out that she has lost him, she will never give her heart to any other.