Character Profile: Ling Yao

Ling Yao is the prince of Xing, the country to the east of Amestris, with a great desert separating the two countries. Ling came to Amestris to seek after immortality for Xing's dying emperor. He believes the Philosopher's Stone is the secret behind immortality, possibly unaware what the stones are made of. He travels with two bodyguards, Lan Fan and her grandfather, Fu. The first time Edward encounters him in Brotherhood, he's found by Alphonse as a starving man, passed out in the alley between two automail shops in Rush Valley. He tries to get information about the Philosopher's Stone from the Elrics by having Lan Fan and Fu fight Ed and Al. Later on in Central, Ling displays his own ability to fight against King Bradley. Here he learns that both Gluttony and Bradley are really homunculi.

After Ed, Ling, and Envy are accidentally swallowed by Gluttony then reemerging from his stomach, they meet Father. At first Father considers Ling to be just another worthless human pest. But later, when he's restrained by Gluttony, Father decides to give him Greed's stone and make Ling the new Greed, a human-based homunculus. At first he's just Greed in Ling's body. However Ling is able to maintain his individuality admits the well of souls in the stone and can speak with Greed and after awhile is able to switch places with Greed for a given amount of time, allowed by Greed.

There is one time where Ling switched without Greed's permission. When Fu was fighting Bradley and is near to death, Ling comes out instantly and carries Fu away from Bradley. Then when Fu dies, Ling is able to come out and grieve for him and at the same time promise the dying Buccaneer to guard the gate of the Central Headquarters until General Olivier Armstrong gave out the all-clear signal.

After Father's defeat, Ling, Lan Fan, and May return to Xing, carrying Fu's body for immediate burial. He's also has secured a strong foothold with a bottle of the Philosopher's Stone. Later after the two-year gap, he's seen as the emperor of Xing with Lan Fan guarding him.

Ling Yao is a Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood character who comes into the show by Al finding him fainted from hunger in Dublith. Ling is looking for immortality and has come to research alchemy in Amestris. He asks Ed and Al if they have heard of the philosopher's stone. They don't answer to him and Ling's servants come and attack them.

Later on in the anime, Ling decides to let Father put the philosopher's stone in him and after that Ling and the homunculus Greed shared his body.