Shi Xiu
Brought up in Jiankang Prefecture, which is present-day Nanjing in Jiangsu, Shi Xiu 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.