Ma San

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Ma San (马三)
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Blackwater Gang; External Affairs Hall 13 27
Occupation/Role	Lu Shaolin's subordinate; patrolman, village guard, and later gate guard at Lu's county-seat residence 13 29 48
Status	Active 50
First Appearance	Chapter 13

Background

Before joining the Blackwater Gang, Ma San worked as a broker. His familiarity with the county seat's Brokerage Office, servant contracts, and its protections for servants remains useful to Lu Shaolin's household management 48.

Ma San was assigned alongside Li Si as one of Lu Shaolin's two dock subordinates when Lu formally joined the Blackwater Gang as a junior leader. He subsequently followed Lu into the External Affairs Hall, accepting the greater danger of demon-hunting work because he had no family obligations tying him to the docks 13 27.

Personality

Ma San is taciturn, stern-faced, and blunt. He usually contributes only short, practical remarks, contrasting sharply with the more sociable and talkative Li Si 15 18.

Beneath this cold exterior, he is compassionate and protective. He immediately sought Lu Shaolin's permission to stop Ma the Second from taking Dong Linger as payment for debt, then personally forced the Little Knife Society enforcer to release her 22.

He is notably loyal and dutiful. Ma San follows Lu's assignments without complaint, volunteers for dangerous or inconvenient tasks, and remains behind to guard Lu's residence when the other subordinates leave 27 45 48.

Abilities & Skills

Combat and Guard Duty

Ma San carries a saber and has enough fighting ability to overpower Ma the Second, but he has not reached the Skin Refinement Realm. Lu specifically orders him not to engage River Demons directly 22 30.

• Defeated and drove off Ma the Second while rescuing Dong Linger 22.
• Served on dock patrols, village watches, and Black Calamity operations under Lu Shaolin 15 29 32.
• Used his own blood to lure Walking Corpses into Lu Shaolin's attack range 33.
• Promptly reported rescue fireworks from a neighboring fishing village, enabling Lu to rescue the trapped patrol squad 30.
• Limitation: Lacks the strength to fight River Demons safely on his own 30.

Horsemanship and Hunting

Ma San is an experienced rider who taught Lu Shaolin how to mount, control, and ride a horse. He also participated in hunting trips and used a borrowed hunting bow while training with Lu 28 30.

• Rode a yellow-dappled horse after joining the External Affairs Hall 28.
• Helped Lu quickly learn to ride and gallop 28.
• Accompanied Lu on hunting expeditions and practiced archery 30.

Brokerage Knowledge

Ma San's former work as a broker gives him practical knowledge of servant placement and contracts 48.

• Explained that servants must consent to contracts.
• Described the Brokerage Office's regular inspections and servants' right to terminate contracts after verified abuse 48.
• Assisted Lu in selecting and contracting the twin maidservants Nian Chun and Nian Qiu 49.

Relationships

• Lu Shaolin — His boss and principal ally. Ma San has served under Lu since the dock assignment, followed him into the External Affairs Hall, and acts as a reliable guard, messenger, escort, and practical adviser 13 27 29 48.
• Li Si — Former fellow dock subordinate. The two bicker over their aptitude and differ sharply in temperament, but work effectively together under Lu 18 20. Li Si remained behind for his wife and children when Ma San chose to enter the External Affairs Hall 27.
• Dong Jia and Dong Linger — Ma San rescued Dong Linger from the Little Knife Society, escorted Dong Jia to retrieve their belongings, and later helped move both sisters into Lu's county-seat residence 22 23 48.
• Feng Tie — Fellow External Affairs Hall subordinate who serves alongside Ma San in Lu's squads and household 34 48.
• Li Cai — Fellow subordinate under Lu. Ma San helped bring him into the group and later assisted in relocating Lu's household 38 48.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Dock Patrols

Ma San begins as one of Lu Shaolin's two assigned dock subordinates. During these patrols, he establishes his reserved disposition and helps explain the docks' social environment, though Li Si handles most conversation 13 15.

When the Dong sisters are targeted by Ma the Second, Ma San acts as Lu's enforcer. With Lu's authorization, he beats down Ma the Second and secures Dong Linger's release 22.

External Affairs Hall Transfer

Unlike Li Si, Ma San accepts Lu's offer to transfer into the External Affairs Hall. He receives a black External Affairs token and a horse, then accompanies Lu into the more dangerous work of guarding fishing villages from River Demons 27 29.

At the outpost, he shares watches, learns hunting and archery from Lu, and raises the alarm when another village requests aid. His report allows Lu to arrive in time to save four trapped guards from a powerful River Demon 30.

Rainstone Village Corpse Collection

During the Rainstone Village Black Calamity, Ma San becomes central to Lu's corpse-collection scheme. He lures Walking Corpses with blood, pushes carts through the village, and repeatedly transports bodies for Lu to inspect 33 34.

Although he is unsettled by Lu's fixation on touching corpses, he adapts by anticipating his boss's preferences; he obtains a reclining chair for Lu's temporary camp 33.

Household Guard

After Lu becomes External Affairs Hall Master and moves into a three-story county-seat loft, Ma San takes a side room by the gate and serves as the household's guard. He continues assisting Lu with practical matters, including moving the Dong sisters, visiting the Brokerage Office, and contacting Li Si 48 50.

Trivia

• Ma San's former profession as a broker surprises Lu Shaolin, who jokes that his taciturn nature may explain why he eventually entered gang work 48.
• Li Si describes him as “cold on the outside but warm-hearted underneath” 22.