Chinese Name: Tang Long

Japanese Name: Kinsenhyōshi Tōryū

Rank: 88th of the 108 Stars of Destiny

Nickname: Gold Coin Spotted Leopard 

Tang Long was a very large and strong man whose face was covered in pock-marks. His father had been a military official in Yanan Prefecture as well as a skilled ironsmith, and he was cousins with the military drill instructor Xu Ning (plate 59). After his father died, Tang Long lost all of his money gambling. He became a roaming blacksmith to earn a living, but his true passion was developing his skills as a fighter with the lance and the spear. 

Li Kui (plates 36; 81; 107) and Gongsun Sheng (plate 15) were passing through a town called Wugang. Li Kui went out to find Gongsun Sheng a vegetarian meal when he came across Tang Long performing a feat of strength for a crowd by wielding a massive iron mallet and crushing rocks with it. Unimpressed, Li Kui went over, took the mallet, swung it around with ease, then laid it gently on the ground. 

Tang Long was duly impressed and invited Li Kui to his home to join him in conversation. When they arrived, Li Kui noticed Tang Long had all the tools of a blacksmith. Tang Long told him he was indeed a blacksmith, but he also trained in the martial arts. Li Kui introduced himself as the Black Whirlwind from the outlaws of Liangshan Marsh. He told Tang Long the Liangshan stronghold was without a skilled blacksmith, and if he wished to join them, he would be a welcome addition. Tang Long was honored by the invitation, and he packed his belongings and joined Li Kui and Gongsun Sheng in their travels. Upon returning to the bandit stronghold, Tang Long was welcomed as a member of the legions at Liangshan Marsh.

Tang Long is depicted at work, checking the straightness of a metal bar. 

Kuniyoshi recreation