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天猛星霹雳火 秦明 Qin Ming He was one of the highest ranking compatriots of Song Jiang and one of the 36 Heavenly Spirits. Before he joined the Liangshan heroes however, he was formally a commander of the Qingzhou troops serving the Imperial Court. Nicknamed 'the Thunderbolt' (霹雳火), or 'the Thunderclap', and famed for his almost barbaric temper (which is continuously and repeatedly emphasized over the course of the novel) and thunderous voice, Qin Ming was peerless in the use of the toothed-mace and even the great Zhang Qing found him a handful. Respected for his strong sense of loyalty and bravery, it was the latter that would cost him his life when he was killed in the battle against Fang La. Qin Ming eventually became one of the five tiger generals of the Liangshan cavalry and 36 Heavenly Chieftains, and managed to gain his revenge on Governor Murong later on. Qin followed the heroes through many famous skirmishes against villages and the imperial government and enjoyed tremendous success. In the later chapters, when Song successfully sought the amnesty, the heroes were drafted to fight off the invading Liao Tartars and subdue the other rebels such as Tian Hu, Wang Qing and Fang La. In the end, when Qin Ming was attacking Qingxi prefecture during the calamitous Fang La campaign, he and Fang Jie had a fierce fight. Du Wei threw his flying daggers at Qin Ming; Qin dodged the daggers but was speared by Fang Jie when he was not looking and fell from his horse and died. Information from Wikipedia. Bottle painting by Li Yaming |