108 Stars of Destiny

The 108 Stars of Destiny are at the core of the plot of the classic Shui Hu Zhuan , commonly translated as ''Water Margin'', ''Outlaws of the Marsh'', or ''All Men Are Brothers'', edited by Shi Nai'an and Luo Guanzhong during the 13th century and 14th century. Suikoden is a translation for ''Shui Hu Zhuan'' which has been made into a series of .

Concept of 108 Stars of Destiny

Based on the Daoist concept that each person's destiny is tied to a Star of Destiny , the Stars of Destiny are stars that represent 108 demonic overlords who have been banished by the Daoist sage, Shang Ti. Having repented since their banishment, the stars are released from their place of banishment by accident, and are reborn in the world as 108 heroes who band together for the cause of justice.

The 108 Stars of Destiny are translated into the and the . Other titles for the Stars of Destiny include ''The 108 Stars of Heavenly Earth'' and ''The 108 Stars of Heaven and Earth''.

The 108 heroes in Water Margin

Bao Xu

Bao Xu is a character in the epic Chinese tale, ''Water Margin''.

Bao Xu was originally a bandit king on Kushu Mountain in Kouzhou. He had an ugly appearance, with a face shaped like the bottom of a wok, fierce bulging eyes and lips like a wolf's. He wielded a broad sword and excelled in martial arts. His only passion in life was to kill and plunder, thus earning him the nickname 'God of Death' . He also had a thunderous voice which sent enemies trembling.

When the Liangshan heroes were attacking Lingzhou, Xuan Zan and Hao Si-wen were captured by Shan Ting-gui and Wei Ding-guo. They were escorted as prisoners back to Dongjing. and Jiao Ting passed by Kushu Mountain and managed to persuade Bao Xu to join the Liangshan band. At that point, Hao Si-wen and Xuan Zan were being escorted past by the mountain. Bao Xu, Li Kui and Jiao Ting killed the guards and rescued the two heroes. Then, they went back to Liangshan together after Shan Ting-gui and Wei Ding-guo were subdued.

Bao Xu became one of the leaders of the Liangshan infantry and one of the 72 Earthly Fiends. After Song Jiang had obtained amnesty from the emperor, Bao Xu followed the heroes on their campaigns against the Liao Tartars and southern rebels, making invaluable contributions. During the Fang La campaign, Bao Xu and Li Kui were assigned to attack the northern gate of Hangzhou. Bao Xu killed the enemy leader Lian Ming and charged into the city. Unfortunately, Bao Xu was sliced into two by Shi Bao who had been lying in ambush inside the city.

Bai Sheng

Bai Sheng is a character in the ''Water Margin''.

'Daylight rat ' Bai Sheng was from Anle Village in Yuncheng Prefecture. He was a man without a decent job and was hooked to gambling. Once, he had served under Chao Gai and became good friends with him.

Later, Chao Gai and his six friends planned to rob the convoy of birthday gifts for Cai Jing and planned well to strike at Huangni Ridge. Huangni Ridge was located near Anle Village, so Chao and his friends stayed at Bai Sheng's house and waited. Later, they disguised themselves as travelling traders, while Bai Sheng helped them by pretending to be a wine-seller. Bai Sheng carried two buckets of wine and passed by the guards escorting the birthday gifts, trying to induce the thirsty guards into drinking his drugged wine. Yang Zhi, the leader of the guards suspected something and did not allow his men to drink the wine. Chao Gai and his friends then later bought the wine which was not drugged from Bai Sheng and drank it, showing the guards that the wine was alright. Yang Zhi then allowed his men to buy the wine and drink it, and this time, the wine was drugged. Yang and his men were knocked out and Chao and his friends robbed the birthday gifts easily.

Cai Jing was furious when he heard that his birthday gifts had been robbed and ordered the local government to arrest the robbers. He Qing, the brother of the chief constable He Tao, knew that Chao Gai, Bai Sheng and the others were the robbers and reported it to his brother. He Tao and his soldiers surrounded Bai Sheng's house at night and charged in. They searched everywhere for the loot and eventually found some valuables under Bai Sheng's bed. They brought Bai Sheng to the county office and had him interrogated.

Despite facing severe torture, Bai Sheng refused to disclose the names of the other people who robbed the birthday gifts. In fact, the government had already knew that Chao Gai was involved, so Bai Sheng confessed eventually, naming Chao Gai only, while saying that he did not know the other men who were involved. This had clearly shown Bai Sheng's strong feelings and loyalty towards his friends as he chose only to reveal Chao Gai, whom the government had already knew and not the others.

Chao Gai and his six friends managed to flee to Liangshan for refuge after receiving a warning from Song Jiang. Later, Wu Yong came up with a strategy and rescued Bai Sheng from prison and Bai Sheng joined the Liangshan band. After that, Bai Sheng too joined in the rescue of Song Jiang and Dai Zong from the execution ground in Jiangzhou.

Bai Sheng became one of the leaders of the Liangshan infantry and 72 Earthly Warriors. He followed the heroes on their campaigns after they had obtained amnesty from the emperor, and made great contributions to the imperial court. Bai Sheng died of illness after the battle of Hangzhou during the Fang La campaign.

An Daoquan

An Daoquan is a character in the epic Chinese tale, the ''Water Margin''.

An Daoquan was from Jiankangfu, and inherited medical skills passed down by his ancestors. He became a reowned physician and could treat all kinds of illnesses, thus he was nicknamed 'Holy Physician' .

When Song Jiang led the Liangshan heroes to attack Damingfu, he contracted a growth on his back and was forced to abandon the offensive and retreat back to Liangshan. Zhang Shun's mother had suffered from a similar illness as Song Jiang before, and was treated by An Daoquan. So, Zhang recommended An Daoquan to treat Song Jiang.

Upon reaching Jiankangfu, Zhang Shun immediately went to find An Daoquan. Initially, An agreed to take a trip to Liangshan, but then he was in love with a prostitute named Li Qiaonu. Li refused to let An Daoquan go after hearing about it. Zhang Shun heard all the conversation and he sneaked into Li Qiaonu's home in the night. Zhang killed Li Qiaonu and wrote with blood, 'An Daoquan is the killer', on the wall to frame An. When An Daoquan discovered it, he was shocked and had no choice but to follow Zhang Shun and join the Liangshan band.

In the end, An Daoquan managed to cure Song Jiang's illness within ten days due to his excellent medical skills. Since then, An became the physician of Liangshan, and was in charge of treating the heroes of their illnesses and wounds, thus earning respect from them. After the heroes had obtained amnesty from the emperor, An followed the heroes on their campaigns against the Liao Tartars and southern rebels. However, during the Fang La campaign, An Daoquan was summoned back to the capital city to treat the sovereign emperor of his illness on the eve of the battle of Hangzhou. An Daoquan became an imperial physician after that.

72 Earthly Fiends

The 72 Earthly Fiends or 72 Earthly Warriors refer to the two divisions amongst the 108 Liangshan bandits in the epic tale, the ''Water Margin''; the other division being the 36 Heavenly Spirits or 36 Heavenly Chieftains. This segregation essentially determined where the heroes were seated when they gathered for feasts and meetings in the grand hall of their lair.

The 72 in question were the less senior members, such as Zhu Wu, Bai Sheng and An Dao-quan.

36 Heavenly Spirits

The 36 Heavenly Spirits or 36 Heavenly Chieftains refer to the two divisions amongst the 108 Liangshan bandits in the epic tale, the ''Water Margin''; the other division being the 72 Earthly Fiends or 72 Earthly Warriors. This segregation essentially determined where the heroes were seated when they gathered for feasts and meetings in the grand hall of their lair.

The first 36 were the more senior members, such as the leader Song Jiang, the deputy Lu Junyi and the founding members such as Hua Rong and the Ruan brothers.

Chen Da (Water Margin)

Chen Da is a character in the epic Chinese tale, the ''Water Margin''.

Chen Da was from Yecheng. He was as strong as an ox, had a loud booming voice and was impatient and fiery tempered. He used an iron spear in combat and was nicknamed 'Stream-leaping tiger' .

Chen Da, along with Zhu Wu and Yang Chun became bandit leaders on Shaohua Mountain, and gathered an army under their command. Once, the stronghold lacked provisions and the bandits decided to attack the nearby Huayin Prefecture for provisions. Zhu Wu and Yang Chun advised Chen Da not to pass by the Shi Family Village along the way, but Chen refused to listen. Chen had a fight with Shi Jin, who refused to let him pass and was captured by Shi in the end.

Zhu Wu and Yang Chun came to plead with Shi Jin to free Chen Da and Shi was moved by their strong sense of brotherhood, so he freed Chen and became fast friends with the bandit leaders. Unfortunately, Shi Jin was betrayed by the hunter Li Ji and was forced to abandon his home and become a bandit as well with the three heroes on Shaohua Mountain. Once, Shi tried to assassinate Prefect He but failed and was captured. The Shaohua bandits sought help from Liangshan and eventually rescued Shi Jin. The Shaohua Mountain bandits then agreed to join the Liangshan band and Chen followed them to Liangshan.

Chen Da became one of the leaders of the Liangshan cavalry and 72 Earthly Warriors. After the heroes had obtained amnesty from the emperor, Chen followed them on their campaigns against the Liao Tartars and southern rebels, making great contributions. During the Fang La campaign, Chen Da was assigned to attack Yuling Pass. Chen was shocked to see Shi Jin being shot down by Pang Wanchun and tried to avenge Shi but he died under dozens of enemy arrows in the attempt along with another four heroes.

Chao Gai

Cháo Gài is widely considered as the founding father of the Mount Liang cause in the epic Chinese tale, the ''Water Margin''. He is not regarded as one of the official 108 heroes because of his premature fatal encounter with a poisonous arrow shot by the archery master Shi-wen Gong during a battle with the Zeng Family Village.

Nicknamed the "Heavenly King", Chao was once the headman of Dongxi Village and close friends with Wu Yong, Gongsun Sheng, Liu Tang and the Ruan brothers. He also had close relations with the constables Zhu Tong and Lei Heng as well.

Once, Liu Tang overheard news that an imperial convoy escorting some birthday gifts for the Imperial Tutor Cai Jing were to pass by near Dongxi Village. He fell asleep after getting drunk in a run-down temple and was mistaken by the patrolling Lei Heng as some wanted criminal and arrested. Later, Lei and his men stopped by Dongxi Village to have a short break and Chao Gai recognised Liu Tang who was held captive by Lei. Chao lied to Lei Heng that Liu Tang was his nephew and not some wanted criminal, so Lei eventually released Liu. Liu Tang was still unhappy for Lei Heng for arresting him for no reason earlier and tried to sneak up on Lei for revenge. The two had a fight which was later stopped by Chao Gai.

Liu Tang told Chao Gai and the others about the convoy of birthday gifts and they decided to rob it. The seven of them became sworn brothers and later disguised themselves as date traders. They managed to rob the convoy of birthday gifts, which was escorted by Yang Zhi and his soldiers who were also in disguise to avoid attention from bandits, by following Wu Yong's brilliant strategem and help from Bai Sheng.

Unfortunately, Bai Sheng was caught and despite facing severe torture, he refused to tell the authorities that Chao and the others were involved, although the authorities already knew. Song Jiang alerted Chao and the others that they were wanted by the government for robbing the birthday gifts, and they prepared to flee Dongxi Village. Zhu Tong and Lei Heng, who were assigned to arrest Chao and his friends, released them out of righteousness and friendship.

Chao Gai and his friends managed to flee to Liangshan for refuge after defeating He Tao's troops in a vicious battle. Wang Lun, the chief of the bandits on Liangshan allowed them to stay at Liangshan temporarily, though deep in his heart he was unhappy because the new heroes posed a threat to his position as chief. Wang Lun tried to send them away with valuable gifts, but Chao Gai and his friends protested that they had nowhere else for refuge and begged Wang to allow them to stay.

Lin Chong, under Wu Yong's clever urging, stood up for the heroes and killed the narrow-hearted and incompetent Wang Lun. Then, Lin invited Chao Gai to take over the new position of chief, which Chao agreed. Chao wasted no time in recruiting Wang Lun's previous deputies Song Wan and Du Qian.

Chao Gai participated in some campaigns against the enemies of Liangshan, but most of the time, he let Song Jiang lead the heroes in battle and remained in Liangshan. Once, he personally led the army against the Zeng Family Village, in which he met his fateful end. The Zengs had previously robbed a precious steed known as the 'Jade Lion' from Liangshan and had beaten up Liu Tang. Chao Gai was furious and wanted to teach the arrogant Zengs a lesson, who further infuriated him by insulting Liangshan, so he personally led a campaign against the Zengs. In the battle, he was hit in the forehead by a poisonous arrow shot by Shi-wen Gong, the archery master who served the Zeng Family Village.

Sadly, Chao Gai died a short while later from the poison in his wound. His dying words were; Whoever that can capture Shi-wen Gong will succeed me as chief.

Later, it was Lu Junyi who eventually captured Shi-wen Gong in battle and Shi was executed as a sacrifice to Chao's spirit. According to Chao Gai's dying words, Lu Junyi should be the eventual successor, but the Liangshan heroes preferred Song Jiang instead, so Song Jiang took up the position of chief with Lu Junyi in second position.

Chao's character was entirely consistent with the ideas presented in the Liangshan bandits' eventual manifesto, ''Delivering Justice on Heaven's Behalf''. His personal history as an official-turned-outlaw portended the way of life and recruitment policy of the Liangshan bandits.

Chai Jin

Nicknamed the 'Small Whirlwind' , Chai Jin was both a man of nobility and somewhat of an enigma in the epic tale, the ''Water Margin''. Although a senior member amongst the 108 heroes of Liangshan as a member of the 36 Heavenly Spirits, Chai's role throughout the story straddled between an idling aristocrat interested in hooking up with pugilists and a maverick who toyed with the status quo associated with his royal blood.

Biography

Chai Jin's ancestor was Chai Rong, Emperor Shizong of the Zhou Dynasty of the Five Dynasties period. After the Chenqiao Mutiny, Zhao Kuangyin, founding emperor of the Song Dynasty, took over the Chai Family's throne. Zhao Kuangyin still treated the Chai family well and granted them power. Chai Jin was born with eyebrows like those of a dragon, eyes like a phoenix's and red lips with white teeth. Chai Jin was always willing to help those in need, and got to know many heroes, thus he was greatly respected and loved by the people. Once, when Song Jiang killed Yan Poxi and fled to Cangzhou, it was Chai Jin who offered him shelter as according to the law, no officials could enter Chai Jin's mansion and arrest anyone. Chai had also offered shelter to Lin Chong and Wu Song before, as well as other heroes whom had been forced to commit crimes by the government.

Once, Chai Jin's uncle at Gaotangzhou was being bullied by 's relative, Yin Tianxi. Gao Lian was the cousin of Gao Qiu, the high-ranking, but corrupt, official in the Imperial Court and nemesis of the Liangshan heroes. Chai Jin's uncle died in front of him due to the wounds caused by Yin Tianxi. , who was with Chai Jin at that time, killed Yin Tianxi in a fit of anger. Gao Lian was furious and had Chai Jin locked up in the prison, disregarding Chai Jin's power and status. Li Kui, in the meantime, had escaped back to Liangshan Mountain for help.

Song Jiang launched an assault on Gaotangzhou to rescue Chai Jin but Gao Lian countered Song Jiang's army and defeated Song Jiang's forces. Song Jiang was forced to invite Gongsun Sheng to counter Gao Lian. In the end, Gongsun Sheng broke through Gao Lian's defenses with his powerful strength and cleared the path for Song Jiang to conquer Gaotangzhou. The Liangshan heroes entered Gaotangzhou and killed Gao Lian, and rescued Chai Jin, who was on the verge of dying as Gao Lian had tortured him and hid him in a dry well.

Chai Jin eventually became the chief accountant of the Liangshan income and provisions . After Song Jiang had obtained amnesty from the Imperial Court, Chai Jin followed the heroes in their campaigns against the Liao troops and the rebels. When the heroes were attacking Fang La, Chai Jin managed to sneak into Fang La's territory and became Fang La's son-in-law. Chai worked as a spy and helped Song Jiang's forces to break through Fang La's defences and defeated Fang La. He was one of the few lucky survivors after the campaigns.

Later, due to his contributions to the Court, Chai Jin was offered an official position but he refused and chose to return home. Chai Jin led a happy life at home till the end of his days.

Cao Zheng

Cao Zheng was a character in the epic Chinese tale, ''Water Margin''.

Cao Zheng was born into a family of butchers in Kaifengfu and was once learnt martial arts from Lin Chong. He was an excellent butcher and earned himself the nickname 'Demon carver' . Once, Cao Zheng went to Shandong on a business trip. Unfortunately, he got himself into debt and owed the landlord a large sum of money and could not return home. He opened a rented restaurant to earn himself some money to repay the debt.

Once, Yang Zhi was put in charge of escorting the convoy of birthday gifts, but he was drugged and the gifts were robbed by Chao Gai and his friends. He felt very unhappy and went to Cao Zheng's restaurant for a meal without paying, and had a fight with Cao. Cao used a pole to hit Yang Zhi but he still lost to Yang Zhi, and he admitted defeat, becoming friends with Yang.

Cao Zheng persuaded Yang Zhi to join the bandits on Erlong Mountain, and on the way there, they met Lu Zhishen. Lu told them that Deng Long, the bandit leader, had refused to allow him to join the band and chased him away. Cao Zheng came up with a plan and he pretended to make Lu Zhishen drunk, then tied up Lu and pretended to escort him to Deng Long. There, Lu broke free and the three heroes killed Deng and took control of the stronghold. Later, the Erlong bandits aided the Liangshan heroes in conquering Qingzhou, and it was then when they joined the Liangshan band.

Cao Zheng became in charge of slaughtering cattle and poultry, just like a butcher as he once had been. After the heroes had obtained amnesty from the emperor, Cao Zheng followed them on their campaigns against the Liao Tartars and southern rebels, making great contributions. During the Fang La campaign, Cao Zheng was killed by a poisoned arrow during the battle of Xuanzhou.

Cai Qing

Cai Qing is a character in the ''Water Margin''.

Cai Qing was the younger brother of Cai Fu, and served as an executioner and jailer in Damingfu, Beijing with his brother. He had large eyes and thick brows, was a man of strong character, and loved to stick a flower in his hat, thus earning him the nickname 'Flower' .

Once, Lu Junyi was betrayed by his adulterous wife and housekeeper Li Gu and thrown into prison. Li Gu tried to bribe the Cai brothers to kill Lu Junyi, but the Cai brothers accepted a larger bribe from Chai Jin and agreed to look after Lu Junyi instead of killing him. After some discussion, the Cai brothers decided to help Lu Junyi so Lu was not sentenced to death and was only sentenced to exile at Shamen Island.

On the way there, the guards escorting Lu Junyi were bribed to finish him off along the way, but Lu's loyal servant Yan Qing appeared, killed the guards and rescued him. However, Lu Junyi was arrested once again later and sentenced to be executed. Cai Fu was assigned to be the executioner but he was unwilling to kill Lu Junyi so he deliberately lagged, giving Shi Xiu time to storm the execution ground and rescue Lu Junyi. However, Shi Xiu and Lu Junyi were unfamiliar with the roads and were captured once again. This time, Grand Secretary Liang was afraid that the Liangshan outlaws might come for Lu Junyi so he decided to use his prisoners as hostages, so he asked the Cai brothers to watch over them. The Cai brothers treated the prisoners well.

The Liangshan heroes infiltrated Damingfu during the lantern festival, while Chai Jin went to find the Cai brothers and they succeeded in releasing Lu Junyi and Shi Xiu. At the same time, the Liangshan troops stationed outside Damingfu launched an offensive, and managed to break through the defenses. There was great confusion and chaos in Damingfu and the Liangshan heroes succeeded in escaping back to Liangshan, while the Cai brothers followed them back.

Cai Qing became in charge of executing criminals in Liangshan alongside his brother. After the heroes had obtained amnesty from the emperor, Cai Qing followed them on their campaigns and was one of the few lucky survivors after the campaigns, but his brother perished during the Fang La campaign. He was offered and official post for his contributions to the imperial court and he went back to Damingfu with Guan Sheng.

Cai Fu

Cai Fu is a character in the ''Water Margin''.

Cai Fu was from Beijing and served as an executioner in the prison. Due to his excellent skills in carrying out executions by beheading, he was nicknamed 'Iron arm' . He shares the same nickname as the fictionalized persona of , the archery teacher of Song Dynasty General Yue Fei.

Once, Lu Junyi was betrayed by his adulterous wife and housekeeper Li Gu, and was thrown into prison. Li Gu then bribed Cai Fu to finish off Lu Junyi, but Chai Jin also appeared and bribed Cai Fu to take good care of Lu Junyi with an even much higher sum of money. After Cai Fu had discussed with his brother Cai Qing, they decided to help Lu Junyi. Thus, Lu Junyi's life was spared, and he was sentenced to exile in Shamen Island.

On the way, the guards escorting Lu Junyi there had been bribed to finish him along the way, but Lu Junyi's loyal servant Yan Qing killed the guards and rescued Lu Junyi. However, Lu Junyi was recaptured later on and was sentenced to be executed, with Cai Fu being the executioner. Just as the execution was about to take place, Shi Xiu stormed the execution ground in an attempt to rescue Lu Junyi. Cai Fu had initially wanted to spare Lu Junyi, so he had deliberately lagged for some time earlier before the execution. However, Lu Junyi and Shi Xiu were not familiar with the roads and were captured once again. Grand Secretary Liang was fearful that the Liangshan heroes might come for Lu Junyi so he decided to use Lu and Shi Xiu as hostages, so he asked the Cai brothers to guard them well. The Cai brothers treated the prisoners well.

Song Jiang sent some men to infiltrate Damingfu during the lantern festival. Chai Jin went to find the Cai brothers and persuaded them to open the prison gates, allowing Lu Junyi and Shi Xiu to escape. At the same time, the Liangshan troops stationed outside Damingfu launched an offensive, and succeeded in taking over Damingfu, creating great confusion and chaos inside the city. The Cai brothers requested Chai Jin not to harm the civilians, and Chai went to find Wu Yong, who issued an order not to harm the local civilians. Lu Junyi and Shi Xiu were rescued and the Cai brothers followed the heroes back to Liangshan to join the band.

Cai Fu became in charge of executing criminals in Liangshan. After the heroes had obtained amnesty from the emperor, Cai Fu followed them on their campaigns against the Liao Tartars and southern rebels. During the Fang La campaign, Cai Fu was critically wounded in the battle of Qingxi Prefecture and eventually died of his wounds after the battle.

Duan Jingzhu

Duan Jingzhu is a character in the epic Chinese novel the ''Water Margin''.

Duan was from Zhuozhou, Henan. He had red hair and a yellow beard, earning him the nickname 'Golden-haired dog' .

Duan used to steal horses from the north and once, he managed to steal a precious steed known as the 'Jade Lion' from a Jin prince. He planned to present the horse to Song Jiang but on his way to Liangshan, the 'Jade Lion' was stolen by the Zeng Family Village.

At the same time, Song Jiang had just returned from a campaign and met Duan. Duan told Song Jiang about everything and Song Jiang sent him back to Liangshan. Chao Gai heard about the arrogance of the Zengs and their attitude towards Liangshan and decided to personally lead his heroes to attack the Zeng Family Village and teach the Zengs a lesson. Unfortunately, Chao was killed by a poisoned arrow from Shi-wen Gong.

Later, Duan Jingzhu, Yang Lin and Shi Yong went to the north to purchase horses for Liangshan and on the way, their horses were stolen by Yu Bao-si, who presented the stolen horses to the Zeng Family Village. Song Jiang led the Liangshan heroes to attack the Zeng Family Village and subdued Yu Baosi, conquered the Zeng Family Village and avenged Chao Gai, and also got back the stolen horses.

Duan Jingzhu became one of the leaders of the Liangshan infantry and 72 Earthly Fiends. After the heroes had obtained amnesty from the emperor, Duan followed them on their campaigns against the Liao Tartars and southern rebels, making great contributions to the imperial court. During the Fang La campaign, Duan followed Ruan Xiaoqi and the Liangshan navy on a naval assault on the Qiantang River. Unfortunately, the strong winds swept the boats into the open sea and the boats sank. Duan was not a swimmer and eventually drowned.

Du Xing

Du Xing is a character in the epic Chinese tale, the ''Water Margin''.

Du Xing was from Zhongshanfu. He was born with an ugly appearance, thus earning him the nickname 'Demon face'. Once, he went to Jizhou to trade and killed a fellow trader and was arrested. Du Xing spent his time in prison by chatting with the chief jailer about martial arts, and they became good friends. In the end, Yang Xiong managed to get Du Xing out of prison.

After Yang Xiong had killed his adulterous wife, he decided to flee to Liangshan for refuge together with Shi Xiu and Shi Qian. On the way, they passed by the Zhu Family Village, and Shi Qian was captured after he stole a chicken. Yang Xiong and Shi Xiu made their way to the Li Family Village for help. Du Xing happened to be the housekeeper of , the master of the Li Family Village. Du Xing brought the two men to see his master and Li Ying decided to help by writing a letter to the Zhus, requesting that they release Shi Qian. Du Xing delivered the letter, but the arrogant Zhu brothers refused to release Shi Qian and tore up the letter, and made all kinds of rude remarks. Li Ying heard about it and was furious, so he brought his men to confront the Zhus, but he was hit in the arm by an arrow from Zhu Biao. Du Xing, Yang Xiong and Shi Xiu managed to rescue Li Ying and brought him back to the Li Family Village.

Later, after Song Jiang and the Liangshan heroes had conquered the Zhu Family Village, they sent Xiao Rang to disguise himself as an official and pretend to arrest Du Xing and Li Ying. Halfway, the other Liangshan heroes appeared and 'rescued' them. Then, Li Ying and Du Xing followed the heroes back to Liangshan to join the band.

Du Xing became in charge of hearing about news from customers in his restaurant near Liangshan, and played an important role in receiving the imperial envoy from the emperor who granted the heroes amnesty. After the heroes had been granted amnesty, Du Xing followed them on their campaigns against the Liao Tartars and southern rebels. He was one of the few lucky survivors after the campaigns and was granted an official post for his contributions to the imperial court. Later, he heard that Li Ying had resigned from his official post and returned home to Dulong Ridge. Du Xing also decided to resign and he went back with Li Ying, where he enjoyed a peaceful and luxurious life till the end of his days.

Du Qian

Du Qian , nicknamed 'One who scales the heavens' , was a character in the epic Chinese tale, the ''Water Margin''.

Du Qian was one of the pioneers of Liangshan. He and Wang Lun once sat for the imperial examination, but failed to perform exceptionally well, and they sought shelter in Chai Jin's residence. Later, the two men went to Liangshan and set up a bandit stronghold, with about 800 bandit troops under their command. Song Wan joined in later on and he took up the third position in Liangshan.

After Lin Chong had killed the evil Lu Qian and his men, abandoned the burnt storage field, he fled to Liangshan for refuge. The narrow-hearted and jealous Wang Lun refused to allow Lin Chong to join the Liangshan band. After constant persuasion from Song Wan, Du Qian and Zhu Gui, Wang Lun agreed but Lin Chong has to fulfill the traditional requirement in joining Liangshan; Lin has to kill a person and present his head to the chief within three days to prove his loyalty.

Lin Chong finally engaged Yang Zhi after a long wait, but neither emerged the winner in the fight. Eventually, the fight was halted by Wang Lun and Wang agreed to let Lin join the band. Later, Chao Gai and his six friends fled to Liangshan for refuge after having robbed the convoy of birthday gifts, but Wang Lun once again tried to send them away with the same method he used on Lin Chong. Lin Chong killed the incompetent and jealous Wang Lun after being smartly persuaded by Wu Yong, and the charismatic Chao Gai assumed the new position of chief.

Du Qian became one of the leaders of the Liangshan infantry and 72 Earthly Fiends, and participated in many battles with the enemies of Liangshan, making great contributions. After the heroes had obtained amnesty from the emperor, Du Qian followed them on their campaigns. During the Fang La campaign, Du Qian was assigned to attack Qingxi Prefecture, but he was trampled to death in the battle by enemy cavalry.

Dong Ping

Nicknamed the 'General of Double Spears' , Dong Ping was one of the most feared and highly ranked warriors in the epic Chinese tale, the ''Water Margin''.

Dong Ping was from Shangdang, Hedong. He served in Dongpingfu as a defending general. Besides, being skilful with his double spears in combat, he was also a man of romance, music and other arts.

When Song Jiang attacked Dongpingfu, he sent Yu Bao-si and Wang Ding-liu as envoys to hand the declaration of war to the governor. The governor was shaken, but Dong Ping calmed him down and suggested killing the envoys. In the end, the governor chased the envoys out after having them severely beaten up.

Shi Jin had a good relationship with Li Ruilan, a prostitute in Dongpingfu, and he volunteered to sneak inside the city and act as a conspirator. Unfortunately, the pimp reported Shi Jin to the county office and Shi was arrested. Song Jiang immediately selected his troops for an offensive on Dongpingfu. Dong Ping rode out to challenge the Liangshan heroes but neither side won.

Then, Song Jiang lured Dong Ping into a trap and caught him. Dong Ping decided to join the band after being persuaded by Song Jiang. He tricked the governor into opening the gates and so the Liangshan heroes conquered Dongpingfu easily, and rescued Shi Jin.

Dong Ping became one of the 5 tiger generals of the Liangshan cavalry and 36 Heavenly Spirits and followed the heroes on their campaigns against the Liao Tartars and the southern rebels. During the Fang La campaign, Dong Ping and , the 'Featherless Arrow' were assigned to attack Dusong Pass. Dong Ping's left arm was injured by cannon fire but he continued fighting with Li Tianrun, but was forced to retreat. Zhang Qing rushed to continue the fight but was killed by Li Tianrun. Fuming, Dong Ping tried to avenge Zhang but was sliced into two from behind by Zhang Tao.

Ding Desun

Ding De-sun is a character in the epic Chinese tale the ''Water Margin''.

Ding Desun was 's loyal servant, alongside Gong Wang. His face and neck was covered with battle scars, thus earning him the nickname 'Arrow-shot tiger' . He excelled in martial arts as well just like Gong Wang and few were his match.

When the Liangshan heroes led by Lu Junyi attacked Dongchangfu, they were severely defeated by Zhang Qing and even after Song Jiang came with reinforcements, the Liangshan heroes still could not win Zhang Qing. Zhang Qing defeated about fifteen of Liangshan's top generals. Eventually, Ding Desun was trapped by Lu Fang and Guo Sheng, then, Yan Qing fired an arrow which hit Ding's horse, and the wounded horse threw Ding to the ground. Lu and Guo then easily captured Ding. In the end, Zhang Qing was subdued by the Liangshan heroes and he agreed to join the Liangshan band. Ding Desun and Gong Wang also joined the band as well.

Ding Desun became one of the leaders of the Liangshan infantry and 72 Earthly Warriors. After the heroes had obtained amnesty from the emperor, Ding followed them on their campaigns against the Liao Tartars and southern rebels. During the Fang La campaign, Ding followed Lu Junyi to attack Wengzhou, but lost the battle and had to retreat. Zhu Wu devised a strategy and told the heroes to lie in ambush in their camp, as he expected Fang La's forces to launch a sneak attack at night. Truly, Zhu's prediction was right and the Liangshan heroes scored a great victory against Fang La's troops. Ding Desun was bitten by a poisonous snake in the bushes and died shortly afterwards from poisoning.

Deng Fei

Deng Fei is a character in the ''Water Margin''.

Deng Fei was from Xiangyangfu, Huguang. He had a pair of fiery-red eyes thus earning the nickname 'Fiery eyed Suan-Ni' . He used a long iron chain in battle.

Deng Fei was Yang Lin's friend, and once Yang Lin and Dai Zong passed by Yinma River, they met Deng Fei and his gang, then became fast friends. Deng Fei, along with Pei Xuan and Meng Kang disguised themselves as government soldiers, then to join the Liangshan band.

Deng Fei became one of the leaders of the Liangshan cavalry and 72 Earthly Fiends. After Song Jiang had obtained amnesty from the emperor, Deng Fei followed the heroes on their campaigns against the Liao Tartars and southern rebels, making great contributions. During the Fang La campaign, Deng Fei followed Lu Junyi to attack Dusong Pass. Lu sent Deng Fei, Ou Peng, and as scouts to find out about the land around the pass. Suddenly, the enemy troops charged out of the pass and killed Zhou Tong when he was not looking. Deng Fei and the others managed to escape in time.

Eventually, Lu Junyi and the heroes conquered Dusong Pass, and Lu combined forces with Song Jiang to attack Hangzhou. Deng Fei, Suo Chao and a few other heroes were assigned to attack the northern part of the city. Suo Chao fought with Shi Bao, but was killed when Shi Bao hit him with his club. Deng Fei was furious and tried to avenge Suo, but Shi Bao was faster than him, and eventually Deng Fei was sliced into two by Shi Bao.

*Note: Suan-Ni is a mythical creature in Chinese mythology.

Dai Zhong

Dai Zhong is a character in the epic tale, the ''Water Margin''. He was also known as Dai Zong .

Dai Zong served as a jailer in Jiangzhou.He had a wide face, squarish mouth and a lean body. He had a special magic ability which enabled him to travel over long distances. To travel 500 li, he would require two talismans tied onto his legs. To travel 800 li, he would require four talismans. Due to this ability, he was nicknamed the 'Magic Traveller'.

Dai Zong was a good friend of Wu Yong, and when Song Jiang was exiled to Jiangzhou, Dai took good care of Song after reading the letter Song brought with him from Wu Yong. In Jiangzhou, Song Jiang wrote a poem urging rebellion against the government in a drunken state and was arrested. Dai Zong suggested to Song Jiang that he act like a lunatic. Huang Wenbing sensed that Song Jiang was not insane at all and suggested that Song Jiang be tortured. Dai Zong tried his best to help Song Jiang but could not. Cai Jiu sent Dai Zong to the capital city, but Dai went to Liangshan for help instead. Wu Yong came up with a plan and invited Xiao Rang and to help. Xiao Rang forged a letter by Cai Jing and Jin Dajian came up with a seal similar to Cai Jing's. In the letter, it was stated that Song Jiang was to be released immediately.

Dai Zong returned with the letter to Jiangzhou and handed it to Cai Jiu. Unfortunately, Huang Wenbing discovered the forgery as Jin Dajian had made a mistake. Cai Jiu was furious and had Dai Zong arrested as well. Both Song Jiang and Dai Zong were scheduled to be executed, but the Liangshan heroes stormed the execution ground and rescued them. Once, Song Jiang contracted an illness due to a growth on his back, and was in a critical situation. Zhang Shun went to find An Dao-quan, the famous doctor, and Dai Zong transported An swiftly back to Liangshan with his magic power. Thus, Song Jiang was saved in time.

Dai Zong became the overall-in-charge of the Liangshan scouting team, which gathered information from the enemy. During the battle against the Zeng Family Village, Dai made a great contribution by speeding towards the village twice and back, bringing with him news of the situation, paving the way for victory.

Dai followed the heroes on their campaigns against the Liao Tartars and southern rebels. He was one of the few lucky surviving heroes after the campaigns. He was given the an official post in Yanzhou. However, he resigned and went to a temple where he led a reclusive life. Months later, Dai died after laughing non-stop.

Hao Si-wen

Hao Si-wen is a character in ''Water Margin''.

Hao Siwen was the sworn brother of Guan Sheng. Once, his mother had a dream that the celestial *Jing-Mu-An was coming into the human realm, and she became pregnant after that, giving birth to Hao Siwen. Thus, Hao Siwen earned the nickname 'Jing-Mu-An' . Hao Siwen excelled in martial arts, and served as Guan Sheng's subordinate.

When Xuan Zan recommended Guan Sheng to be the man to subdue the Liangshan rebels, Hao Siwen followed Guan Sheng into battle. Guan Sheng initially gained the upper hand, but Huyuan Zhuo tricked Guan Sheng into a trap and Guan was caught. Hao Siwen fought with Lin Chong, then Hua Rong joined in the fight. Hao could not resist both heroes at the same time, so he retreated. Later, Hao was captured by Hu San Niang.

Song Jiang treated his captives with respect and Guan agreed to join the band. Hao Siwen and Xuan Zan also agreed. When Shan Ting-gui and Wei Ding-guo attacked Liangshan, Guan volunteered to fight the enemy. Xuan Zan and Hao Siwen also followed Guan Sheng into battle. Shan Tinggui lured Hao Siwen into the enemy formation, where Hao Siwen was captured. Hao Siwen was then escorted as a captive to Beijing but Bao Xu and ambushed the guards along the way and rescued Hao Siwen.

Hao Siwen became one of the leaders of the Liangshan cavalry and was one of the 72 Earthly Warriors. He followed the heroes on their campaigns against the Liao Tartars and southern rebels, making invaluable contributions. During the Fang La campaign, Hao Siwen and Xu Ning attacked the northern gate of the city. They saw the gates wide open and tried to rush in, but fell into an ambush at the drawbridge. Xu Ning fought for his life and managed to escape, but Hao Siwen was caught. Hao Siwen met with a gruesome death when Fang Tianding dismembered his body and displayed his severed head to the Liangshan heroes.

*Note: Jing-Mu-An is a mythical figure in Chinese mythology.

Han Tao

Han Tao is a character in the ''Water Margin''.

Han Tao was from Dongjing and proved to be excellent in martial arts. He wielded a long spear, and served as a military instructor in Chenzhou. He was nicknamed the 'Ever-victorious general' .

Gao Qiu was furious with the Liangshan heroes when they conquered Gaotangzhou and killed his cousin , so he sought help from the emperor, asking the emperor to send an army to subdue the outlaws. The emperor sent Huyuan Zhuo, along with Han Tao and Peng Qi as the vanguards to attack Liangshan. Han Tao fought with Qin Ming, but could not resist Qin's blows and barely escaped under Huyuan's protection.

Huyuan Zhuo then deployed his chain-linked armoured cavalry to attack the heroes and won a complete victory. However, Tang Long suggested to Song Jiang to get help from Xu Ning, who had the strategy to win Huyuan Zhuo's cavalry. Indeed, Xu Ning did overcome Huyuan Zhuo's cavalry, and defeated the imperial troops. Huyuan Zhuo and Han Tao escaped in a frenzy. Later, Han Tao entered a shop opened by Liu Tang and Shi Qian by mistake, and was caught, then sent to Liangshan. Song Jiang treated Han Tao with respect and managed to persuade the latter to join the Liangshan band.

Han Tao became one of the leaders of the Liangshan cavalry and 72 Earthly Fiends. He followed the heroes on their campaigns against the Liao Tartars and southern rebels, making invaluable contributions. During the Fang La campaign, Han Tao was assigned to attack Changzhou. He was shot in the face with an arrow by Gao Keli, and fell off his horse. Then, Zhang Jinren speared Han Tao in the throat, killing him.

Guo Sheng

Guo Sheng is a character in the ''Water Margin''.

Guo Sheng wore a similar headdress to Lu Fang's, donned a white robe, covered by a suit of silvery-white armour, along with a silver belt. He rode on a snow-white steed and wielded a white spear similar to Lu Fang's.

Guo was from Jialing, Xichuan. Initially, he made a living by selling , however, his goods were lost in the river during a storm. Thus, he had no money to return home. Guo learned the skill of using his halberd from Major Zhang in Jialing and became an expert, so he was nicknamed 'One as good as Rengui' or 'Benevolent Aristocrat'.

Guo heard that Lu Fang was an expert in using the spear as well and decided to challenge him to a duel. Both men duelled for more than ten days but neither emerged the winner. At that time, Song Jiang and Hua Rong passed by and stopped the duel. Song Jiang managed to persuade Lu Fang and Guo Sheng to join the Liangshan band.

Guo Sheng became one of the leaders of the Liangshan cavalry and 72 Earthly Fiends. He and Lu Fang had protected Song Jiang from danger many times before, making great contributions. After Song Jiang had obtained amnesty from the emperor, Guo Sheng followed the heroes on their campaigns. During the Fang La campaign, Guo Sheng was assigned to attack Wulong Ridge. He took the lead in charging up the slope towards the enemy, but was killed by boulders rolled down by the enemy.

In Jinyong's Legend of the Condor Heroes, Guo Sheng was said to be the ancestor of the protagonist Guo Jing.

Guan Sheng

Nicknamed the 'Great Blade' , the '''' Guan Sheng bore an uncanny resemblance to Guan Yu - simply because he was a direct descendant of the famous general of the . Brandishing a halberd, majestic in appearance and skilful in the art of war, it is little wonder that Song Jiang was eager to have the imperial general on board. Flanked by his aides Xuan Zan and Hao Si-Wen, Guan Sheng was fearless in making a frontal assault on Liangshan but as it were, he was ambushed eventually although he did succeed in capturing a few of Song's followers. Perhaps, just like his more famous ancestor, pride was to be his undoing when he fell into the trap laid by his opponents. Nonetheless, he became a vital member in the Liangshan contingent. Standing at about 8 feet 5-6 inches, Guan had a long beard, long brows and eyes like those of a phoenix.

In order to win him over, Song Jiang suggested that Huyuan Zhuo pretend to be a turncoat and lure Guan Sheng into an ambush, which Guan Sheng did fall into eventually and was captured. Guan was persuaded by Song Jiang to join the Liangshan band in their mission to carry out the Will of Heaven, to fight the corrupted government and bring peace to the nation. With that, Guan became one of the five tiger generals of the Liangshan cavalry and one of the highest-ranked members amongst the 36 Heavenly Spirits.

Once, Cai Jing sent Shan Ting-gui and Wei Ding-guo against the bandits. The two generals were well-versed in attacking the enemy by water strategies and fire strategies respectively. Guan Sheng volunteered to face Shan and Wei, aided by Xuan Zan and Hao Si-Wen. Unexpectedly, Xuan and Hao were both captured. Guan managed to capture Shan by luring him and then knocking him off his horse. Shan decided to join the Liangshan band, and he also managed to persuade Wei Ding-guo to join the band as well.

After the quelling of the Fang La revolt, Guan Sheng was one of the few survivors from Liang Shan , and was rewarded by the Imperial Court with his previous office. One day, Guan Sheng drank a little too much after training his cavalry, and he slipped and fell from his horse. He died shortly afterwards.

Gu Dasao

Gu Dasao is a character in the ''Water Margin''.

Gu Dasao was one of the three female characters among the Liangshan heroes and was married to Sun Xin. She was the cousin of Xie Zhen and Xie Bao. Gu had thick eyebrows and large eyes, along with a plump face and thick waist, and wore several decorative ornaments on her head and wrists. She was different from normal women of her time as she did not know how to handle common household affairs, and was only interested in martial arts. She was quite good in her skill with the cudgel and spear, and could take on twenty to thirty men at the same time. She was so fearsome that she often took great initiative in violent plannings and killings. Sometimes, she even beat up her husband when angered, thus earning her the nickname 'Female tiger'.

Gu Dasao ran a tavern in Dengzhou and once, she heard from Yue He that the Xie brothers had been arrested and sentenced to death. She discussed with her husband and they came up with a plan to rescue the Xie brothers. With the combined efforts of Gu Dasao, Sun Xin, Sun Li, Zou Run, Zou Yuan and Yue He, they succeeded in raiding the prison and rescuing the Xie brothers. Then, they fled to Liangshan for refuge.

Gu Dasao made her first contribution to Liangshan when she followed her husband and brother-in-law to become conspirators from within the Zhu Family Village, aiding the Liangshan heroes in conquering the Zhu Family Village. Along with her husband, Gu Dasao became in charge of hearing about news from customers in a tavern which they ran near Liangshan, and they played an important role in receiving imperial envoys and guests-of-honour to Liangshan.

After the heroes had been granted amnesty, Gu Dasao followed them on their campaigns against the Liao Tartars and southern rebels, making great contributions to the imperial court. She was one of the few lucky survivors after the campaigns and was offered an official post for her contributions. She then went back to Dengzhou to take up her official post together with her husband and brother-in-law.

Films and TV adaptations

In the 1997 TV serial from Mainland China based on the novel, Gu Daosao was played by Zhang Xiuyan. In the serial, she threatened to fight to the death with Sun Li when the latter refused to join Liangshan after she told him that she had raided the prison to rescue the Xie brothers. It was then when Song Jiang appeared and managed to persuade Sun Li to join Liangshan. She was killed during the Fang La campaign, but in the novel she survived and took up her official post.

Gongsun Sheng

Gongsun Sheng , nicknamed Dragon in the Clouds , was a Taoist priest and one of the pioneering members and most senior 36 Heavenly Spirits of the Liangshan bandits in the epic tale Water Margin. Gongsun stood at about 8 feet and had 'eight-character ' eyebrows, almond-like eyes and had a noble appearance. He was known to be able to perform magic and could summon the wind and bring the rain, ride the mist and drive the clouds - such was his sheer power and mystique.

He joined Chao Gai and Wu Yong to form the Righteous Seven with the Ruan brothers and Liu Tang. Together, they would attack the convoy of the Birthday Gifts, as vividly depicted in the opening chapters of the story. Despite his many contributions, Gongsun missed his mother and wanted to return home to visit her. He also sought to retire from the cause to study with Luo Zhenren, self-proclaimed immortal Taoist magician.

It took Dai Zong and a great amount of determination to bring him back to the Marsh when Song Jiang and his men were embroiled in a crisis, while attacking Gaotangzhou to rescue Chai Jin from the clutches of . Gao Lian used some dark magic but his evil magic was broken by Gongsun Sheng's own magic which was more powerful. And when Song Jiang sent Shi Jin to attack Mangdang Mountain, Shi lost the first battle due to the magic powers of Pan Rui. Gongsun Sheng came to the rescue yet again and broke Pan Rui's magic charms. Later, Pan Rui decided to join the Liangshan band and learn Taoist magic from Gongsun Sheng.

Later in the story, Gongsun Sheng followed the pact signed with the Imperial Court and went out on expeditions with the band. They defeated the invading troops from the North and several other Southern rebels. When the Liangshan heroes were at war with the rebel, Tian Hu, Gongsun Sheng used his powerful magic to defeat Tian Hu's magician Qiao Daoqing, thus clearing all obstacles needed to eliminate Tian Hu. After Wang Qing, another rebel, had been eliminated, Gongsun Sheng retired and went to study Taoism. Despite making great contributions to the Court, he refused to accept an official post. He went back to Jizhou where he practised Taoism with his soul and mind.

Gong Wang

Gong Wang is a character in the epic Chinese tale, ''Water Margin''.

Gong Wang was 's loyal servant alongside with Ding De-sun. He had tattoos all over his body which are like the spots on a tiger, and a tattoo of a tiger's head on his neck, thus earning him the nickname 'Flowery-necked tiger' . Gong Wang excelled in martial arts and fought well on foot and horseback.

When Lu Junyi led the Liangshan heroes to attack Dongchangfu, they were defeated in two battles by Zhang Qing. Song Jiang came with reinforcements, but Zhang Qing defeated more than fifteen top generals of the Liangshan army. Once, Gong Wang was trapped in battle by Lin Chong and Hua Rong, making him anxious and confused. He threw a javelin at them, but missed and were captured by Lin and Hua instead. Later, Zhang Qing was eventually subdued by Liangshan and he joined the Liangshan band. Gong Wang and Ding Desun also joined the band as well.

Gong Wang became one of the leaders of the Liangshan infantry and 72 Earthly Fiends. After the heroes had obtained amnesty from the emperor, Gong Wang followed them on their campaigns against the Liao Tartars and southern rebels, making great contributions. During the Fang La campaign, Gong Wang followed Huyuan Zhuo to attack Deqing Prefecture. He pursued Huang Ai, but unfortunately, he fell into a stream and was speared to death by enemy troops.

Huangfu Duan

Huangfu Duan is a character in the ''Water Margin''.

Huangfu Duan was from Youzhou, and was born with a weird appearance. He had green eyes and long yellow beard which gave people an impression that he was not of the Han ethnic group. Thus, he was nicknamed 'Purple-bearded uncle' .

Huangfu Duan served as a veterinarian in Dongchangfu. He specialises in healing wounded horses and curing them of their illnesses. He could cure 408 different types of diseases contracted by horses and was rumoured to possess the ability to bring dead horses back to life.

After the Liangshan heroes had conquered Dongchangfu and subdued , Zhang joined the Liangshan band. He also recommended Huangfu Duan to join the Liangshan band as well. Song Jiang was overjoyed and immediately agreed.

Huangfu Duan became the veterinarian of Liangshan and was in charge of taking care of the horses. After Song Jiang had obtained amnesty from the emperor, Huangfu Duan followed the heroes on their campaigns against the Liao Tartars, Wang Qing and Tian Hu. On the eve of the Fang La campaign, the emperor summoned Huangfu Duan and Jin Da-jian back to the capital city, so they did not participate in the campaign. Huangfu Duan then continued to serve as an imperial veterinarian.

Huang Xin

Huang Xin is a character in the epic Chinese novel, ''Water Margin''.

Huang Xin was from Qingzhou, where he served as a general. He was exceptionally good in martial arts, which earned him fame throughout Qingzhou. Once, he boasted that he could subdue the outlaws on Qingfeng Mountain, Erlong Mountain and Taohua Mountain. Thus he earned himself the nickname 'Suppressor of Three Mountains' .

Once, the governor of Qingfeng Fort, Liu Gao, captured Song Jiang. Governor Murong of Qingzhou sent Huang Xin to escort Song back to Qingzhou. Huang Xin believed Liu Gao's words that Hua Rong was planning to betray him, so he tricked Hua to a banquet under the pretext that he wanted to resolve the conflict between them. Halfway during the banquet, Huang Xin's soldiers ambushed Hua Rong and captured him.

With the two prisoners, Huang Xin made his way back to Qingzhou. Along the way, Yan Shun, Wang Ying, Zheng Tian-shou and the bandits from Qingfeng Mountain attacked Huang Xin. Huang Xin could not resist all three men at the same time so he retreated. The Qingfeng bandits then rescued Song Jiang and Hua Rong. Later the Qingfeng bandits also captured Qin Ming, who agreed to join the band. Qin Ming had taught Huang Xin martial arts before, so he managed to persuade Huang Xin to join the band as well. With Huang Xin's help, the heroes conquered Qingfeng Fort and killed Liu Gao with his family, then fled to Liangshan for refuge.

Huang Xin became one of the leaders of the Liangshan cavalry and 72 Earthly Fiends. After Song Jiang had obtained amnesty from the emperor, Huang Xin followed the heroes on their campaigns against the Liao Tartars and rebels. He was one of the few lucky surviving heroes after the campaigns, and took up his official post again in Qingzhou as a reward.

Hua Rong

Nicknamed the 'Little Li Guang' , Hua Rong is a major character in the epic tale, the ''Water Margin''. He is well respected for his loyalty and courage in battle.

In the novel, Hua Rong is described as having red lips and white teeth, a handsome and youthful face, a narrow waist, and broad shoulders. He had the ability to tame wild steeds, but is especially renowned for his archery skills, and could pierce a willow leaf with a well-aimed arrow from a distance of over a hundred steps. He is named after Li Guang, a Chinese general during the Han Dynasty also renowned for his archery skills. In Chinese tradition, Hua Rong is often attributed to be sharp, refined, and quick, like the bow and arrow.

Being extremely charismatic, Hua Rong is influential in persuading other warriors to join the Liangshan cause, most notably Qin Ming, a warrior of great strength and reputation. In fact, Qin's entire family is slaughtered by the imperial troops when they learned of his defection, and this left Qin deeply embattled for some time. However, he is soothed slightly as Hua Rong's younger sister was granted to him in remarriage.

Before joining the Liangshan cause, Hua Rong was one of the military commanders of Qingfeng Fort in Qingzhou, serving the Imperial Court. Once, Hua invited Song Jiang to join him. While Song was on the journey, he was kidnapped by the bandits of Qingfeng Mountain. The chief, Yan Shun, recognised his identity and had heard of his reputation before so Yan released Song. Also, Wang Ying from Qingfeng Mountain had also kidnapped a woman, who was Liu Gao's wife. Liu Gao was the official in charge of Qingfeng Fort. Song Jiang persuaded the lustful Wang Ying to release Liu Gao's wife and continued on his journey to meet Hua Rong. Later, Liu Gao's wife sought revenge by asking her husband to have Song Jiang arrested for being in league with the Qingfeng bandits.

Hua Rong wrote a letter to Liu Gao demanding Song Jiang's release. Liu refused and then Hua brought his soldiers to Liu's place and rescued Song Jiang. Song Jiang and Hua Rong were later caught again when Liu Gao sought help from the governor of Qingzhou, who had sent Huang Xin to help. Huang Xin and his troops were escorting Song and Hua as prisoners pass Qingfeng Mountain, when Yan Shun and his bandits attacked and rescued Song and Hua, while Huang Xin escaped in a frenzy.

Infuriated, the governor sent Qin Ming to subdue the Qingfeng bandits. Qin fell into Song Jiang and Hua Rong's trap and was caught. Qin initially refused to join the bandits but was later forced to join eventually after his entire family was slaughtered and their bodies hung outside the city walls. Having reached a point of no return, Qin persuaded Huang Xin to join them as well and open the gates of Qingfeng Fort. The Qingfeng bandits stormed into the fort and killed Liu Gao and his family. Then, they went to Liangshan Mountain with Song Jiang leading the way.

Hua Rong eventually became one of the eight vanguard generals of the Liangshan cavalry and 36 Heavenly Spirits, and was massively involved in many of the military campaigns against the imperial troops. After the Liangshan bandits had obtained amnesty from the Imperial Court, Hua followed the heroes as they went on campaigns against the Liao Tartars and the southern rebels such as Fang La. Hua was one of the few lucky heroes who survived the campaigns and made it back to the Court. Due to his contributions, Hua Rong was given a high-ranking military post. However, hearing that Song Jiang and Li Kui were framed by corrupt officials and had committed suicide, Hua Rong was filled with grief. Hua and Wu Yong went to Chuzhou, where they hung themselves from a tree beside Song Jiang's grave.

Films and TV adaptations

In the 1997 TV serial from Mainland China based on the novel, Hua Rong was played by Xiu Qing. Also, he did not die by hanging himself beside Song Jiang's grave, but died together with Song Jiang by consuming poison. Also, he wielded a pair of short spears in battle unlike what was described of him in the novel.

Hu San Niang

Hu San Niang is a character in the ''Water Margin''.

Hu San Niang is the daughter of Lord Hu of the Hu Family Village at Dulong Ridge. She wore a golden helmet, a red robe covered by a suit of armour and a silk belt. She was good-looking and was an expert in martial arts. She wielded a pair of sabres into combat and could resist many enemies at the same time, thus earning herself the nickname 'Ten feet of Green' .

When the Liangshan heroes were attacking the Zhu Family Village, Hu San Niang came to the Zhus' aid. She challenged the heroes in battle and was met on by the lustful . Wang Ying announced that he would capture Hu and make her his slave, but he was no match for Hu and was captured by Hu instead. Hu San Niang then continued fighting with Ou Peng and Ma Lin without any sign of weariness, and pursued Song Jiang. Song lured her into an ambush and she was eventually caught by Lin Chong, and escorted back to Liangshan.

Hu San Niang's elder brother Hu Cheng came to plead with Song Jiang to release his sister, and Song Jiang agreed that he would release her if Hu Cheng can capture one of the Zhus in exchange for her. The Liangshan heroes managed to conquer the Zhu Family Village in the end, and Hu Cheng captured Zhu Biao, hoping to exchange him for his sister. However, killed Zhu Biao and tried to kill Hu Cheng, blaming that Hu Cheng's sister was the one responsible for Wang Ying's capture. Then, Li Kui charged into the Hu Family Village and killed all the Hus, but Hu Cheng escaped.

Back in Liangshan, Song Jiang managed to persuade Hu San Niang to join the Liangshan band, and she became his sworn sister. Song Jiang offered to be the matchmaker, and Wang Ying and Hu San Niang were married. Hu San Niang became one of the leaders of the Liangshan cavalry along with her husband.

After the heroes had obtained amnesty from the government, Hu San Niang followed the heroes on their campaigns against the Liao Tartars and southern rebels. During the Fang La campaign, Hu San Niang and her husband were both assigned to attack Muzhou. They faced Zheng Mojun in battle and Wang Ying was slain by Zheng. Hu San Niang was shocked and tried to avenge Wang Ying but was killed by Zheng Mojun's flying bricks in the end.

Films and TV adaptations

In the 1997 TV serial from Mainland China based on the novel, Hu San Niang was played by Zheng Shuang. She was trampled to death by Fang Mao's horse and died together with her husband when both of them tried to entrap Fang.

Hou Jian

Hou Jian is a character in the epic Chinese tale, ''Water Margin''.

Hou Jian was from Hongdu, and was once a reowned tailor. Besides being a legendary tailor, he excelled in martial arts as well, learning from Xue Yong. Due to his dark complexion, his skinny and agile body, he was nicknamed 'Long-armed ape' .

Once, after Song Jiang had been rescued from the execution ground in Jiangzhou, he sought revenge on Huang Wenbing who had caused him to be almost executed. Hou Jian was working as a tailor in Huang's residence at that time. Xue Yong went to find Hou Jian and Hou Jian agreed to help the Liangshan heroes. Hou Jian told the whereabouts of Huang's family to the heroes and the heroes tracked down Huang's family and killed them. Huang was shocked upon hearing the news and rushed home from Hangzhou. On the river, Li Jun and Zhang Shun capsized his boat and captured Huang. In the end, the evil Huang Wenbing was killed by . Hou Jian then left and followed the heroes to Liangshan.

Hou Jian became in charge of making flags, banners and clothing for the heroes, and made great contributions to Liangshan in battle as well. After the heroes had obtained amnesty from the emperor, Hou Jian followed the Liangshan heroes on their campaigns against the Liao Tartars and southern rebels, making great contributions to the imperial court. During the Fang La campaign, Hou followed Ruan Xiaoqi and the Liangshan navy as they tried to infiltrate the enemy through a water route. Unfortunately, the fleet encountered a storm which swept their ships far out to sea. The ships sank and Hou Jian drowned as he was not a swimmer.

Jiao Ting

Jiao Ting is a character in the ''Water Margin''.

Jiao Ting was from Zhongshanfu, and inherited a set of martial arts from his ancestors, who laid down a law that this set of skills should only be passed from father to son in the Jiao family. Thus, Jiao Ting excelled in martial arts, but was forbidden to take in any students. He also led an anonymous life, with no one knowing his real name or identity, earning himself the nickname 'Unnamed one' .

Once, Jiao Ting wished to join the bandits on Kushu Mountain in Kouzhou. On the way there, he met , who was on his way to Lingzhou to kill Shan Ting-gui and Wei Ding-guo. The hot-tempered Li Kui was unhappy when Jiao Ting kept staring at him and raised his fists, wanting to fight Jiao Ting. Jiao Ting was unfazed by both Li Kui's bravado or his fearsome beastly appearance. Jiao Ting proceeded by punching Li Kui in the face then easily knocked Li Kui to the ground after wrestling for a short while. Li Kui was so impressed with Jiao Ting and asked for his name, then invited Jiao Ting to join the Liangshan band.

Later, Guan Sheng lost the first battle at Lingzhou, which ended with the capture of Xuan Zan and Hao Si-wen, Guan's deputy generals. The guards were then assigned to escort Xuan and Hao as prisoners back to Dongjing, but Jiao Ting, Li Kui and Bao Xu intercepted them on the way, killed the guards and rescued the two men. Eventually, the Liangshan heroes managed to subdue Shan Ting-gui and Wei Ding-guo, and Li Kui, Jiao Ting and Bao Xu went back to Liangshan along with them.

Jiao Ting became one of the leaders of the Liangshan infantry and one of the 72 Earthly Fiends. After the heroes had obtained amnesty from the emperor, Jiao Ting followed them on their campaigns against the Liao Tartars and southern rebels. During the Fang La campaign, he was assigned to attack Runzhou but died in the battle.

Jiang Jing

Jiang Jing was a character in the ''Water Margin''.

Jiang Jing was from Tanzhou, Hunan. He once failed in an imperial examination, and after that he shifted his focus from books to martial arts. He was an expert in martial arts, mathematics and in deploying troops, so he was nicknamed the 'Magic mathematician' .

Once, Chao Gai led the Liangshan heroes to storm the execution ground in Jiangzhou to rescue Song Jiang and Dai Zong. On their way back, the heroes passed by Huangmen Mountain, where Jiang Jing, Ou Peng, Tao Zong-wang and Ma Lin. They stopped Song Jiang and wanted to join the Liangshan band, which Song agreed.

Jiang Jing became an accountant in Liangshan, and was in charge of making records of their exports and imports of provisions. After the heroes had obtained amnesty from the emperor, Jiang followed the heroes on their campaigns against the Liao Tartars and southern rebels. He was one of the few lucky survivors after the campaigns and he took up an official post. However, he felt homesick and resigned. Then, Jiang Jing went back to Tanzhou and lived peacefully as a commoner.