Sha LiFei

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Sha Guangsheng (沙光生)
Alias(es)	Sha LiFei (沙里飞); “Brother Wu Ma”
Gender	Male
Occupation/Role	Jianghu wanderer; wheat-harvester contractor; member of the Twelve Yuan Chen
Affiliation	Twelve Yuan Chen
Status	Alive
First Appearance	13

Background / History

Sha Guangsheng adopted the self-bestowed alias Sha LiFei while wandering the Jianghu. Though the name initially invited ridicule from those familiar with Jianghu customs, it eventually eclipsed his real name. He is a fellow disciple of Li Hu, Li Yan’s father, under a renowned old swordsman. Unlike Li Hu, who became the famed “Guanzhong Sick Tiger,” Sha remained active around Guanzhong’s villages and avoided Chang’an, making a living from his modest reputation. 13

After Li Hu’s death, Sha took over the work of organizing seasonal wheat harvesters from several villages. He recruits laborers, secures harvesting jobs around Xianyang and Xingping, and takes a share of the earnings. His annual visits to the Li household are partly a Jianghu courtesy for benefiting from Li Hu’s former connections. 13

Sha initially approached Li Yan with self-serving motives. Having offended a disciple of Zhou Pan, he deliberately exposed Li Yan’s identity in Xianyang and arranged the confrontation with Meng HaiCheng in hopes of gaining an ally against the Xianyang Divine Fist Society. He also used his knowledge of Li Hu’s suspicious death to force a conversation after Li Yan confronted him. 17 18

Over time, Sha became a trusted member of Li Yan’s circle. He accompanies Li Yan, Wang Dao Xuan, Lu San, and others through conflicts involving Jianghu factions, ghosts, evil arts, and the Shu King Residence. He later takes part in the Twelve Yuan Chen, where his self-created reputation finally gains wider recognition. 116 357 522

Appearance

Sha LiFei presents himself as an intimidating Jianghu hero, a look that impresses village children despite his less-than-glamorous reputation among experienced martial artists. 13

• Tall, with a face of rough flesh and a full beard. 13
• Completely bald, with a smooth, shiny scalp that he frequently touches. 13
• Typically wears a gray cloth shirt and black trousers. 13
• Carries twin sabers at his waist. 13
• Rides an old but reliable yellow-maned horse. 13

Personality

Sha is slick, thick-skinned, socially adept, and highly attentive to reputation. He judges people by appearance, understands Jianghu etiquette, and is skilled at maintaining connections with people regardless of whether they like him. His ability to ingratiate himself, talk his way through situations, and avoid major losses has kept him afloat despite his middling martial talent. 13 19

He is also opportunistic and greedy. He eagerly seeks betting profits from Li Yan’s arena bout, covets valuables such as the Buddhist Treasure and artifacts recovered from Ghost Sect members, and readily claims that words can be “worth a million soldiers.” 35 151 242 83

Despite these traits, Sha gradually proves loyal and dependable. He assists Li Yan in dangerous situations, rushes to his aid alongside the Six Idlers of the Bamboo Grove, and accepts the risks of an Ancient Witch ritual to awaken his own Spiritual Power. 467 591

Abilities & Skills

Guanzhong Quick Saber

Sha is a blade wielder trained in the same lineage as Li Yan’s Fast Blade style. His saber technique improves through repeated sparring with Li Yan.

• Maintains a ready stance with his hands close to his saber hilt, allowing him to draw quickly or flee if a situation turns unfavorable. 15
• Kills several armed guards swiftly aboard a boat; his Guanzhong Quick Saber is noted to have become faster. 214
• Carries twin sabers, though he is not regarded as an exceptional martial artist early in the story. 13 19
• Remained at the peak of Manifested Strength for years before benefiting from Li Yan’s sparring and guidance. 83 214

Firearms and Marksmanship

Sha develops an increasing focus on firearms, eventually combining battlefield planning with ranged attacks.

• Spends significant time tinkering with firearms and considering how to integrate them with martial arts. 347
• Uses Divine Firearms during the ambush at the Yang family ruins, coordinating with Lu San’s timing and cover. 545
• Demonstrates marksmanship and battlefield leadership while directing his team’s defense. 545
• Successfully forges a new firearm through the Heart Blood Forging method. 734

Spiritual Power

Sha undertakes an Ancient Witch ritual to awaken his Spiritual Power, accepting the associated danger with Lu San’s support. 467

• Awakens his Body Mystical Power. 625
• Uses the White-Robed Great Being’s prayer beads to stabilize his spirit. 625
• Constructs the first floor and becomes a cultivator. 625

Jianghu Knowledge and Negotiation

Sha’s greatest early strength is his grasp of Jianghu customs, connections, and practical survival.

• Organizes laborers and negotiates harvest work across Guanzhong. 13
• Recognizes suspicious circumstances, such as a child abduction likely motivated by prepared revenge rather than chance. 60
• Acts as Li Yan’s principal intermediary when dealing with outsiders, owing to Lu San’s dislike of such interactions. 467
• Questions and intimidates captured opponents for information. 763

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Twin sabers — his usual bladed weapons. 13
• Divine Firearms — used in coordinated combat against the Shu King Residence’s ambush. 545
• Heart Blood Forged firearm — newly forged personal firearm. 734
• White-Robed Great Being’s prayer beads — stabilize his spirit during early cultivation. 625

Relationships

• Li Yan — Fellow disciple’s son, initially a potential ally Sha tries to exploit; later a trusted companion who helps him improve in martial arts and prioritizes his safety. 17 83 474 591
• Li Hu — Sha’s fellow disciple under a renowned old swordsman; Li Hu’s reputation and local connections enabled Sha’s harvesting work. 13
• Li Gui — Li Yan’s grandfather; openly distrusts Sha’s performative annual visits and cheap gifts. 13
• Wang Dao Xuan — Traveling companion and frequent target of Sha’s unpaid debts; later a fellow member of the Twelve Yuan Chen. 23 357 543
• Lu San — Close teammate who insists on helping Sha awaken his Spiritual Power and accompanies him in seeking ritual materials. 467
• Wu Ba — Sparring partner and fellow combatant; fights beside Sha’s group during the Yang family ruins ambush. 347 545
• Hong YeCha — Travel companion whom Sha persistently calls “Hong Jie” after descending Tai Bai Mountain. 127
• Meng HaiCheng — Xianyang Divine Fist Society disciple; Sha arranges his confrontation with Li Yan to create an ally against Zhou Pan’s faction. 17 18

Story Role / Major Arcs

Wheat Harvester Leader and Xianyang Contact

Sha arrives at Li Family Fortress to recruit harvesters and perform his annual courtesy visit to the Li family. Li Yan seeks him out because Sha knows people connected to the Xuan Gate. 13

He leads Li Yan toward Xianyang, arranges contact with Daoist Wang, and manipulates the clash with Meng HaiCheng to draw Li Yan into his dispute with Zhou Pan’s disciples. 17 18 23

Early Companion of Li Yan

Sha becomes part of Li Yan and Wang Dao Xuan’s travels, providing social connections, practical intelligence, and occasional comic friction. He assists during the investigation into Li Hu’s death and related Jianghu dangers. 18 60 116

Twelve Yuan Chen

Sha becomes one of the Twelve Yuan Chen alongside Li Yan’s companions. He takes pride when the group’s secret sign becomes recognized and someone addresses him as “Brother Wu Ma.” 522

He serves as a combat organizer during the Yang family ruins ambush, using Divine Firearms while Lu San manages timing and aerial cover. 545

Awakening as a Cultivator

Believing conventional martial arts and firearms insufficient against supernatural threats, Sha agrees to an Ancient Witch ritual to awaken Spiritual Power. His Body Mystical Power later awakens, and he becomes a first-floor cultivator with the aid of prayer beads. 463 467 625

Later Investigations

Sha continues operating independently with companions during major investigations, including the search for Lu Lao Hei’s reincarnation and the paper-figure incident in Tai’an. His decisiveness and interrogation skills become increasingly prominent. 543 763

Trivia

• “Sha LiFei” was a nickname Sha invented for himself; his real name is Sha Guangsheng. 13 522
• He presents cheap pastries as prestigious gifts, but Li Gui sees through the act immediately. 13
• Sha once lost all his money to a supposed Jianghu “big brother” who abandoned him near Mount Shaoshi, forcing him to beg his way back to Chang’an. 637
• He believes skilled speech can be more valuable than military force. 83