Deng Fei

Deng Fei is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 49th of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 13th of the 72 Earthly Fiends. He is nicknamed "Fiery Eyed suan-ni".

Background

Deng Fei is from Xiangyang (present-day Xiangcheng District, Xiangfan, Hubei). He has a pair of fiery red eyes that earns him the nickname "Fiery Eyed suan-ni".^[1] Deng Fei wields a long iron chain with spikes in combat. He is one of the leaders of a bandit gang operating in the Yinma River region.

Joining Liangshan

Deng Fei is a close friend of Yang Lin. Once, Yang Lin and Dai Zong pass by Yinma River and they meet Deng Fei and his gang. They become friends and Dai Zong invites them to join the outlaw band at Liangshan Marsh. Deng Fei, Pei Xuan and Meng Kang disguise themselves as soldiers and travel to Liangshan.

Campaigns and death

Deng Fei becomes one of the leaders of the Liangshan cavalry after the Grand Assembly. He follows the heroes on their campaigns against the Liao invaders and rebel forces after they have been granted amnesty by the emperor.

During the Fang La campaign, Deng Fei follows Lu Junyi to attack Dusong Pass. Lu Junyi orders Deng, Ou Peng, Li Zhong and Zhou Tong to scout the area around the pass. Suddenly, enemy troops charge out from the pass and kill Zhou Tong while he is distracted. Deng Fei and the others manage to escape in time. The Liangshan heroes capture the pass later.

Lu Junyi's army merges with Song Jiang's in a co-ordinated attack on Hangzhou later. Deng Fei, Suo Chao and other heroes are assigned to lead the attack on the northern part of the city. Suo Chao fights with Shi Bao and dies when Shi Bao strikes him with his club. Deng Fei attempts to avenge Suo Chao but Shi Bao moves faster than he does and slices him into two before he could do anything.

Notes and references

• (Chinese) Li, Mengxia. 108 Heroes from the Water Margin, page 99. EPB Publishers Pte Ltd, 1992. ISBN 9971-0-0252-3.