Chinese Name: Tong Wei 

Japanese Name: Shutsudōkō Dōi

Rank: 68th of the 108 Stars of Destiny

Nickname: Cave Dragon

Tong Wei, and his younger brother Tong Meng (plate 94) were salt smugglers on the Xunyang River. They also assisted Li Jun (plate 61) on the boat he captained on the Yangtze River. Tong Wei and Tong Meng were both excellent swimmers and were known for their ability to fight underwater. 

On their way to Jiangzhou Prison, Song Jiang (plate 107) and his military escorts stopped at Li Li’s (plate 31) inn for a meal. Li Li routinely served his customers spiked drinks to render them unconscious, rob them, butcher them, and use their meat as filling in buns to serve to other unwitting customers. Li Li had not had any business in a long time and was happy to receive the three travelers and brought them drugged wine. Not long after they began to eat and drink, Song Jiang and his two escorts fell unconscious. Li Li grabbed Song Jiang, dragged him to the back room, and lifted him up onto a cutting block. 

Li Jun, Tong Wei, and Tong Meng arrived just before Li Li was about to dispatch Song Jiang. They told Li Li they were searching for the famous Song Jiang and he was supposed to be passing by there sometime that day. Li Li told them he had captured two soldiers escorting a prisoner but he had not yet killed them. He took Li Jun to the back room, and upon examining the unconscious man, Li Jun realized it was in fact Song Jiang. The three drugged men were revived, introductions were made, and they all went back to the main room of the restaurant for food and drink. Enthralled by the famous hero in their midst, his stories and adventures, they tried to convince Song Jiang to stay there instead of continuing on his way to prison. Song Jiang declined, saying he did not want to dishonor his father. Finally Song Jiang and his escorts continued on their way to Jiangzhou Prison. 

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As the story continued, Song Jiang was sentenced to death for writing a seditious poem on the wall of a restaurant. The bandits at Liangshan as well as a group led by Li Jun, including Tong Wei, set out to rescue him. The rescue was a success and on their return to Liangshan’s stronghold, everyone who’d come to aid in Song Jiang’s rescue, including Tong Wei, was invited to become members of the outlaws of Liangshan Marsh. 

Isaac Nichols original