The Tiger Killers

Part Two of The Marshes of Mount Liang by Shi Nai'an and Luo Guanzhong

John Dent-Young, Alex Dent-Young

• Publisher: The Chinese University of Hong Kong
• Year: 1997
• eBook ISBN: 9789622017511

The Tiger Killers is the second volume of a new translation of the Chinese classical novel generally known as The Water Margin. Like the first volume, The Broken Seals, it follows the fortunes of various outlaw heroes as they move through a world of treacherous officials, jealous toadies, bullying gaolers, hired assassins, foolhardy generals and cannibalistic innkeepers. This volume contains some of the most famous scenes in the novel, starting with the episode in which Wu Song gets drunk at the tavern, ascends the pass in late evening and kills a notorious man-eating tiger with his bare hands. His subsequent encounter with his midget brother's flirtatious wife, Jinlian or Golden Lotus, and her vain attempt to seduce him lead into a tale of adultery, callous murder and bloody vengeance. The second half of the book is concerned with Song Jiang's attempts to serve out his prison sentence honourably and avoid becoming an outlaw, until he is unjustly condemned to death for a misconstrued poem. Towards the end of this volume we meet the violent Li Kui, variously known as Iron Ox or Black Whirlwind, who also turns out to have a way with tigers. This volume consists of chapters 23 to 43 of the full 120-chapter version of the novel by Shi Nai'an and Luo Guanzhong. It is the first English translation based on this version.

Table of contents

• Title page
• Copyright page
• Contents
• Acknowlegements
• Introduction
• Chapter 23 Chai Jin entertains his guests with class; Wu Song kills the tiger of Jingyang Pass!
• Chapter 24 Mrs. Wong does brisk trade in sin; The Young’un’s miffed and barges in!
• Chapter 25 The old woman tells his Nibs the plan; The adulteress poinsons her old man!
• Chapter 26 Uncle Ho attends the funeral and steal ssome bones; Wu Song makes an offering of some human heads!
• Chapter 27 On the Mengzhou road the Ogress sells meat pies; Wu Song meets the Gardener at Crossways Rise!
• Chapter 28 Wu Song cuts a dash in the Fortress of Peace; The Young Master’s ousted from Happy Woods!
• Chapter 29 The Young Master reigns again on the Mengzhou road; Wu Song drinks his fill and beats the Door-God!
• Chapter 30 The Young Master makes three visits to Death Row; Wu Song reaps havoc at Flying Clouds Quay!
• Chapter 31 In Ducks and Drakes Tower the General’s bloodwill spill; The false pilgrim Wu Song comes to Centipede Hill!
• Chapter 32 Wu Song gets drunk and beats Red Star; The Dandy treats Song Jiang with honour!
• Chapter 33 Song Jiang goes to see the lights; Hua Rong with his colleague fights!
• Chapter 34 On the Qingzhou road, the Tamer fights a battle; Thunderclap comes to the field of desolation!
• Chapter 35 Shi Yong delivers a letter at the inn; The Tamer shoots a goose on the wing!
• Chapter 36 The professor speaks of the Magic Messenger; Song Jiang meets the White Water Dragon!
• Chapter 37 Song Jiang is chased by Mu Hong, the Unstoppable; The pilot acts up on the river at night!
• Chapter 38 Song Jiang ang the Magic Messenger get together; Iron Ox and White Eel have a set-to in the river!
• Chapter 39 Song Jiang writes a poem, he should have known better; The Magic Messengercarries a forged letter!
• Chapter 40 The heroes of Mount Liang raid the execution ground; Twenty-nine leaders at White Dragon temple assemble!
• Chapter 41 Song Jiang plans the capture of Wuweijun; White Eel takes Bee Sting Huang alive!
• Chapter 42 The mystic books received in Dead-End Village; Song Jiang meets the Mystic Lady!
• Chapter 43 The false Li Kui robs travellers on the highway; Iron Ox kills four tigers on Yiling Heights!