Chinese Name: Li Gun 

Japanese Name: Hitentaisei Rikon 

Rank: 65th of the 108 Stars of Destiny

Nickname: Flying Divinity  

Li Gun and Xiang Chong (plate 64) were Fan Rui’s (plate 65) assistants. Fan Rui was a Taoist sorcerer and leader of the bandit gang at Mount Mangdan. Li Gun and Xiang Chong were both deadly accurate with throwing knives and they each carried twenty-four knives attached to their shields. Li Gun also carried a sword, while Xiang Chong carried a javelin.                                                

The Liangshan bandits learned of a plot by Fan Rui and his men to attack their stronghold to gain supremacy of the area. Shi Jin (plates 1; 4; 9) from Mount Shaohua had recently joined with Liangshan, and having made no contributions at that point, volunteered himself and his men to ride out and confront the bandits of Mount Mangdan. 

Shi Jin and his bandits rode to the foot of Mount Mangdan ready for battle. Fan Rui, having been alerted by a scout, sent a team led by Li Gun and Xiang Chong.  They rode down the mountain and began hurling their throwing knives making it impossible for Shi Jin to engage them. Shi Jin and the other Liangshan leaders fell back, and the majority of their men scattered. 

Song Jiang (plate 107), Wu Yong (plate 14), and Gongsun Sheng (plate 15), soon arrived with 3000 soldiers from Liangshan to aid Shi Jin and his men. Gongsun Sheng noted there were blue lanterns on Mangdan Mountain which indicated that Fan Rui was using sorcery. Being a sorcerer himself, it was left to Gongsun Sheng to devise a plan of attack. 

The Liangshan bandits met the Mount Mangdan bandits in a square formation. Fan Rui used his magic to kick up a dust storm which blocked out the sun, and thinking this gave them the advantage, his army charged forward. The Liangshan square formation opened up and surrounded Fan Rui’s men on three sides. Liangshan’s men began firing arrows and nearly all of  Mangdan’s bandits turned and fled. Gongsun Sheng implemented his sorcery to create fierce winds to trap the remaining Mangdan forces, and Li Gun and Xiang Chong were among them. They were captured and taken to Liangshan’s leaders.` 

Song Jiang went to greet the prisoners and bring them wine. He conveyed his immense esteem for them and offered them a place among their ranks. Li Gun and Xiang Chong were so taken aback by Song Jiang’s generosity and kind nature, they immediately swore their allegiance to him. They returned to Fan Rui and shared their experience with him, convincing him to join with Liangshan as well.

Li Gun is shown here scouting the valley below as Shi Jin and his troops arrived for battle.  

Kuniyoshi recreation