Yang Sanlang

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Yang Sanlang (杨三郎)
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Yang Clan of Jizhou; Yang Family Fort
Occupation/Role	Fiercest of the Yang Clan's younger generation; commander of the fort's able-bodied defenders
Status	Alive 43
First Appearance	Chapter 2

Background / History

Yang Sanlang gained local fame in Jizhou after killing a man who insulted the Yang Clan and its ancestors during a dispute with a neighboring village over water. His thrown spear pinned the man to the ground, scattering the opposing youths. His willingness to kill made him one of the Yang Clan's most feared young men. 2

When Hu light cavalry threatened Yang Family Fort, he assessed the fort's defenders and proposed using the clan's ancestral treasured blade. With no grinding craftsmen available, he advocated forcing able-bodied refugees to sharpen it despite the danger of Sha Qi, declaring that he would pay any price to preserve the Yang Clan. He selected Du Chengfeng to grind the blade. 2

After Du Chengfeng emerged from the ancestral hall carrying the awakened blade, Yang Sanlang was overwhelmed by terror at his killing intent and could not order the nearby clansmen to strike while Yang Xuan restrained him. 4 Following the Hu raid, he attempted to kill the unconscious Du Chengfeng with his signature throwing spear, but the ancestral blade cut the spear apart before it could strike. 8

His attempts to reclaim the ancestral treasured blade repeatedly failed. He tried to assassinate Du Chengfeng with a sequence of javelin attacks, only to be defeated unarmed and thrown to the ground using wrestling. Humiliated, he demanded death rather than accept defeat, but Du Chengfeng dismissed him and told him to go home. 14

Yang Sanlang later knelt outside Du Chengfeng's courtyard to beg for the blade and attempted to steal it. The weapon's Sha Qi incapacitated him, exposing the gap between his bravado and his fear. 20 21 Though the clan came to accept Du Chengfeng's protection, Yang Sanlang continued to warn that Yang Family Fort was placing its future—and its ancestral weapon—in the hands of an outsider. 16 36

After another failed plea, he accepted Du Chengfeng's challenge to build his own name rather than rely on an inherited blade. In despair, he attempted suicide, but the tree branch broke. He then found an old curved saber in the mud and took it as a sign that the Yang ancestors still watched over him. 37 By the time the ancestral hall was being rebuilt, he had begun practicing with this curved saber, intending to win renown as his ancestors had. 43

Appearance

Yang Sanlang is a short-bearded, powerfully built man who wears fitted work clothes. He is described as strong as a tiger, with a “leopard's head and ringed eyes.” 2 4

• Short beard. 2
• Powerfully built physique. 2
• Normally carries or keeps a supply of throwing spears during combat. 13 14
• Later carries an old curved saber recovered from the mud. 37 43

Personality

Yang Sanlang is fiercely devoted to the Yang Clan, particularly its ancestral legacy and treasured blade. His loyalty is expressed through extreme, often reckless action: he is willing to sacrifice refugees, commit assassination, humble himself, or even offer his life if he believes it will protect the clan. 2 8 36 37

He initially bases much of his identity on his reputation for courage and killing. Du Chengfeng's repeated mercy and effortless victories shatter that self-image, leaving Yang Sanlang humiliated and desperate for acknowledgment. 14 21 Despite this instability, his concern that the clan relies too heavily on Du Chengfeng proves more clear-sighted than the rest of the clan's optimism. 36

Abilities & Skills

Javelin Throwing

Yang Sanlang's signature skill is throwing heavy javelins with lethal force and varied trajectories.

• Killed a man during the water dispute by pinning him to the ground with a thrown spear. 2
• Used a heavy throwing spear in an attempt to kill the unconscious Du Chengfeng. 8
• Can throw direct piercing attacks, including a charge-assisted throw fast enough to blur the shaft. 14
• Can spin a javelin in flight to sweep across a wider area like a long staff rather than strike a single point. 14
• His attacks failed to hit Du Chengfeng, who evaded the first four throws and countered the fifth at close range. 14

Leadership and Fort Defense

As one of the Yang Clan's strongest younger members, Yang Sanlang commands Yang Family Fort's able-bodied men during the Hu attack.

• Counted forty-six weapon-capable men within the fort, including himself. 2
• Participated in selecting strong refugees for the fort's emergency defense preparations. 2
• Advocated decisive use of the ancestral treasured blade when he believed the fort could not endure until reinforcements arrived. 2

Saber Training

After losing access to the ancestral treasured blade, Yang Sanlang begins practicing with an old curved saber in an effort to follow his ancestors' example. 37 43

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Throwing spears / javelins — His preferred weapons and the basis of his local reputation. 2 8 14
• Old curved saber — Recovered from the mud after his failed suicide attempt; he later trains with it. 37 43
• Yang Clan ancestral treasured blade — The clan heirloom he seeks to recover from Du Chengfeng; it remains in Du Chengfeng's possession. 20 36 37

Relationships

• Yang Xuan — His clan uncle and elder; Yang Sanlang respects him deeply, but repeatedly clashes with his more pragmatic approach to Du Chengfeng and the ancestral blade. 2 4 16 36
• Du Chengfeng — Former refugee whom Yang Sanlang chose to sharpen the ancestral blade; Yang Sanlang later tries to kill, steal from, beg, and bargain with him in pursuit of the blade. Du Chengfeng repeatedly defeats and spares him. 2 8 14 21 37
• Yang Clan of Jizhou — His primary loyalty. He sees the clan's ancestral saber and independence as matters worth any personal sacrifice. 2 36 37
• Yang Family Fort's younger generation — Initially follows his leadership in the fort's defense; later many reject his objections and support keeping Du Chengfeng in the fort. 2 16

Notable Quotes

“What battle has ever been fought without deaths? So long as the Yang family can be preserved, I will pay any price.” 2

“As long as I live, I will wash away this humiliation.” 14

“That is the ancestral treasured saber of the Yang Clan of Jizhou. This saber must remain in Yang Family Fort.” 36