Chinese Name: Cai Fu

Japanese Name: Tetsubihaku Saifuku 

Rank: 94th of the 108 Stars of Destiny

Nickname: Iron Arm

Cai Fu was the chief warden and executioner at the prison in Daming Prefecture. His younger brother Cai Qing (plate 80) worked with him as a jailor and assistant executioner. Cai Fu was known for his ability to decapitate a prisoner with a single stroke of his sword which earned him his nickname, “Iron Arm”.  

Lu Junyi (plate 68) was awaiting execution at the Daming prison. The Liangshan bandits had been sieging the city to try and rescue him—Liangshan’s leaders considered him a valuable asset and wanted him to join their ranks. Cai Fu and Cai Qing were put in charge of guarding Lu Junyi while he awaited execution, and not wanting to anger Liangshan’s leaders, the Cai brothers did their best to take excellent care of him while under their supervision.

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Liangshan’s strategist, Wu Yong (plate 14), had devised a plan to rescue Lu Junyi during the city’s annual lantern festival. The large crowds drawn to the festival provided the perfect opportunity to sneak many of the bandits into the city disguised as merchants. As the rest of the troops waited outside the city walls, the Blue Cloud Tower inside the city was set on fire as a signal for everyone to attack simultaneously.

When the time came, Cai Fu assisted Liangshan’s outlaws in breaking Lu Junyi out of the prison while the city was being sacked. Cai Fu and Cai Qing then followed them back to the bandit stronghold, and knowing they would be implicated in the escape, the two brothers joined with the legions at Liangshan Marsh. 

While making their escape, Cai Fu urged Chai Jin (plate 11) to order his soldiers not to harm the citizens, to which he tried to do. But, when the fight was over and the city of Daming was destroyed, 30,000 government soldiers and 5000 civilians had been killed.  

Cai Fu is shown in this diptych (plates 79 and 80) deflecting an arrow in battle, back to back with his brother Cai Qing as they escape Daming Prefecture.

Isaac Nichols original