Carpenter Li

Biodata

Background / History

Carpenter Li lived through an earlier Hu raid on Yang Family Village, before it became Yang Family Fort. As a young man, he witnessed the previous Yang Clan head kill more than a hundred Hu riders with the ancestral saber, succumb to Sha Qi, kill several clansmen, and take his own life after briefly regaining control. The massacre left Li permanently fearful of bloodshed and of Sha Qi entering the body 5.

He later learned carpentry and became known for helping diligent young workers. When the refugee Du Chengfeng arrived at Yang Family Fort, Li offered to supply rafters and help build him a small courtyard for five hundred coins; he completed the house after Du saved enough money 1.

Role in the Hu Raid

When the Hu attacked Yang Family Fort, Li pulled Du Chengfeng into the fortified manor and urged him to seek safety 1 2. He defended the wall with a wooden spear despite never having killed even a chicken and being prone to fainting at the sight of blood 5.

Li had personally built the fort gates from eighteen premium hardwood trees, making the doors a foot thick. He recognized the danger posed by the bloodstained battle-axe of the armored Hu commander and ordered the defenders to throw logs and stones before the warrior could reach the gates. The effort failed when the axe split a log and smashed through the gates in a single blow 5.

During the battle, Li confronted Du Chengfeng after the latter was consumed by Sha Qi and prepared to continue killing after the Hu had been defeated. Though terrified and physically shaking, Li called Du back to awareness, causing him to collapse instead of slaughtering the fort's survivors 7 8.

Personality

Li is charitable, practical, and deeply compassionate. He helped Du Chengfeng settle in as an outsider, continued assisting him after the fort's destruction, and considered Du a fundamentally kind person even after seeing him lose himself to slaughter 1 8 17.

He is acutely afraid of blood, killing, and Sha Qi. His fear is rooted in the earlier Yang Clan tragedy and reinforced when his family was terrorized by a Sha Qi-tainted kitchen knife 5 19. However, fear does not prevent him from acting when people he cares about are in danger; he manned the fort wall and later stood directly in Du Chengfeng's path 5 7.

Abilities & Skills

Carpentry and Construction

Li is an experienced carpenter capable of producing both defensive structures and tailored household or workshop furniture.

• Built Yang Family Fort's heavy hardwood gates, using eighteen large trees he found near the settlement 5.
• Helped build Du Chengfeng's small courtyard and previously sold him furniture at a low price 1 10.
• Made a custom wooden sharpening bench with a fitted whetstone slot, designed around Du's posture and habits; its comfort improves Du's sharpening efficiency 17.
• Guided the Yang Clan's reconstruction of their ancestral hall after it burned down 43.

Improvisation and Household Knowledge

• Used connected bamboo tubes to bring water to the injured Du while keeping a cautious distance from the great saber 9.
• Owns a goods cart and can guide travel between Yang Family Fort and Ji Town 18.
• Keeps homemade loose white liquor, which Du considers especially suited for sharpening his saber 32.

Relationships

• Du Chengfeng — Neighbor, friend, and trusted “brother.” Li helped him establish his first home, saved him from a Sha Qi-fueled rampage, and continued supporting his preparations against Hexi Qing 1 7 10 17 32.
• Yang Xuan — Leader of Yang Family Fort. Yang Xuan explained the danger of the murder weapon Li had brought home and worked alongside him in the aftermath of Du's rampage 8 19.
• Li's wife and two sons — His unnamed family. A Sha Qi-tainted kitchen knife caused all three severe nighttime hallucinations and fear 19 20.

Notable Quotes

“Monster!” 5

“Brother Du! Wake up!” 7

Trivia

• Li's tolerance for alcohol is only about two taels; he passes out after drinking beyond that amount 20 32.
• He once bought a supposedly cheap butcher's knife in Ji Town, only to discover it was a murder weapon. After burying it outside the village, he later saw the same knife being resold by the swindler who had deceived him 19.