guard, Sun Li and his group attack them from within their ranks, seizing victory for Liangshan. Attempt to save Lu Junyi The story of Lu Junyi, a wealthy squire and a consummate fighter, starts with Liangshan setting him up to appear to be a rebel against the government. Lu is arrested in Daming prefecture, where he lives, and is sentenced to exile at Shamen Island. Lu's steward Li Gu, who takes over his property as well as his wife, bribes his two escorts to murder him on the way. But Lu is rescued by his servant Yan Qing, who kills the two guards. However, Lu, weak from days of torture, is caught again in an inn when Yan goes look for food. This time Grand Secretary Liang Shijie, the governor of Daming, immediately sentences him to death. Meanwhile, Yan Qing, who is rushing to Liangshan to seek help, runs into Yang Xiong and Shi Xiu, who are going to Daming to check on Lu. Yang returns to Liangshan with Yan while Shi Xiu continues on to Daming. Shi is shocked to learn that Lu is to be beheaded soon. He goes to the second floor of a restaurant where he could overlook the execution ground. Just as Cai Fu, the executioner, is about to chop off Lu's head, Shi Xiu leaps off from the building, shouting "Liangshan fighters are all here!", which stuns everyone at the scene. Personally slaying dozens of soldiers, policemen, and security guards, he successfully drags Lu away through the panicked crowd. But they are eventually outnumbered and captured. When Shi Xiu is brought before Liang Shijie, he berates the official in a booming voice, calling him "a slave of a slave's slave". Shocked by Shi's fearless look and defiant words, Liang decides to keep them alive as they could be used as bargaining chips if Liangshan attacks. After some fruitless battles with Daming, Liangshan sends some chieftains to infiltrate the city on the night of Lantern Festival. They break into the jail and rescue Shi and Lu. Death Shi Xiu is appointed as one of the leaders of the Liangshan infantry after the 108 Stars of Destiny came together in what is called the Grand Assembly. He participates in the campaigns against the Liao invaders and rebel forces in Song territory following amnesty from Emperor Huizong for Liangshan. In the battle of Yuling Pass (昱嶺關; near