Lao Rongzhi was born on December 25, 1974, in Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province, China. She was the youngest of five siblings. Her parents originally came from Huangmei, Hubei, and both worked for SINOPEC Jiujiang Company. Her father served as a security guard at the oil depot, and her mother worked as a family worker for the company.

Lao had a good start in her education. In 1989, she graduated from junior high school with excellent grades. This achievement allowed her to attend Jiujiang Normal College, where she trained to become a preschool teacher. She completed her studies in 1992 and began working as a primary school Chinese language teacher at the school of the Jiujiang Company.

In 1993, while she was still teaching, Lao met Fa Ziying through a friend. Fa was known to have a criminal history, having served time for fighting. Despite knowing this, Lao began a relationship with him. However, their relationship took a dark turn when Fa raped her on a date, which led to her becoming pregnant. Afterward, he forced her to have a medicated abortion. This abusive relationship continued, and she became pregnant again a few months later, resulting in another abortion.

Around this time, the school where Lao worked faced rumors of closure, which made her feel depressed about her future. After teaching for about two years, she chose to resign from her job. Her family did not support her decision to start a business with Fa, and tensions arose, especially with her mother. Eventually, her family allowed her to leave with Fa.

Lao and Fa left Jiujiang in May 1995 with 6,000 yuan, hoping to start a business in Shenzhen and Shanghai. Their venture was unsuccessful, and they soon ran out of money, leading them to return to Jiujiang in December 1995. After a short stay, they left again in early 1996. While living in Shenzhen, they struggled to make ends meet, and Lao began to work as an escort to cover their living expenses.

In May 1996, Lao Rongzhi and her partner, Fa Ziying, arrived in Nanchang. They committed their first murder there, targeting a local businessman named Xiong Qiyi. Lao lured him to her apartment, where Fa attacked him with a knife, tied him up, and stole valuable items. After taking Xiong's life, they dismembered his body and concealed it in trash bags. That same night, they broke into Xiong's home and attacked his wife, Zhang Li, and their three-year-old daughter. Fa tied them up and ultimately killed both victims, leaving their bodies alongside Xiong's dismembered remains.

Following this, the duo moved to Wenzhou in October 1997. They robbed another escort, Liang Xiaochun, who worked at a KTV club. They broke into her apartment under the pretense of renting it, where Fa assaulted her and forced her to call another woman, Liu Suqing, to come over. Both women were tied up and later killed after Fa and Lao stole money and valuables from them.

In September 1998, they relocated to Changzhou, where they kidnapped an auto repair shop owner, Liu. Fa stabbed Liu and made his wife deliver a ransom. Fortunately, Liu and his wife survived after begging for their lives, while they were the only ones to escape unharmed amid this violent spree.

They then traveled to Hefei in June 1999. There, they kidnapped a man named Yin Jianhua. After taking him hostage, they attempted to extort money from his wife. In a brutal act, Fa killed a carpenter, Lu Zhongming, to demonstrate their willingness to commit murder. Yin was also killed when his wife failed to deliver the ransom on time. The police discovered both bodies weeks later when neighbors reported foul odors from the apartment.

After Fa's arrest on July 23, 1999, Lao fled and continued to evade capture for two decades. She was ultimately arrested on November 28, 2019, in Xiamen. Authorities later connected her to the crimes committed alongside Fa. Her trial began in December 2020, where she was charged with multiple counts of murder, kidnapping, and robbery. Despite her claims of being a victim herself, the court found her guilty.

Lao Rongzhi was sentenced to death and executed on December 18, 2023, concluding her long saga of crimes that resulted in the deaths of several individuals.