Shi Xiu is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Daredevil Third Brother", he ranks 33rd among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny. Background Brought up in Jiankang Prefecture, which is present-day Nanjing in Jiangsu, Shi Xiu is a tall, muscular, and good-looking young man, who has learnt martial arts since childhood. Intolerant of bullying, he often jumps into frays to help the party being victimised, even at the risk of his own life. He is thus nicknamed "Daredevil Third Brother". He travels around with his uncle, a tradesman always on the move. After his uncle died, he suffers losses and could not afford the journey home. He ends up in Jizhou (薊州; present-day Ji County, Tianjin), where he makes a living by selling firewood. Meeting Yang Xiong One day, when passing a busy street carrying firewood, Shi Xiu comes upon Yang Xiong, the chief warden of Jizhou's prison, being attacked by a group of hooligans. Yang has just executed a prisoner and is showered with gifts by cheering onlookers as he heads back to office. Coveting the gifts, the thugs pretend to greet him and then lunge forth to restrain him. Seeing that Yang is ambushed and outnumbered, Shi plunges into the scuffle and helps him drive away the attackers. Grateful to Shi Xiu, Yang Xiong requests that they become sworn brothers. Yang Xiong invites Shi Xiu to live with him and sets up a meat shop for him to run. Shi Xiu is sharp-eyed and soon detects that Yang's wife Pan Qiaoyun is having a secret affair with the monk Pei Ruhai. He informs Yang Xiong about it. However, Yang goes to dine with his colleagues after the tip-off and in a drunken state chastises his wife for being unchaste when he gets home. He forgets the scolding the next day, which allows the woman to turn the table on Shi Xiu before Yang questions her. She lies that she has rejected Shi's advances, inducing Yang to conclude that Shi has bad-mouthed her so as to save himself. Believing his wife, Yang signals to Shi that their ties are severed by closing the meat shop. Knowing he has been maligned, Shi is determined to clear his name. One night, Shi Xiu ambushes and kills Pei Ruhai in a deserted lane outside