Du Meng

Biodata

Background / History

Escape from Fallen Dragon Shoal

Du Meng survived the army’s defeat at Fallen Dragon Shoal and fled into the mountains with Zhang Xing. He attributed the defeat in part to a sudden rise in the tide, which allowed Dongyi troops to circle behind the army by boat; he repeated reports that the Sea-Averting Lord had secretly assisted them 2.

When Zhang Xing awoke in a ruined temple unable to walk properly, Du Meng carried him despite loudly protesting that he had no obligation to do so. During the ensuing earthquake, he reluctantly followed Zhang Xing’s compass-directed advice to return inside. He leapt across an opening fissure and rolled through the entrance with Zhang Xing, saving them both. From the temple, they witnessed the Mountain-Splitting Lord rise into the sky and fight an unseen opponent whom Du Meng identified as the Sea-Averting Lord 1 2.

The Mountain Village

After leaving the temple, the pair joined Han and Wang of the Longwater Army and gathered other routed soldiers along the trail. As rain and exhaustion wore down the group, Du Meng borrowed Zhang Xing’s compass to locate a village he remembered from a deceased comrade’s directions 3.

There, Du Meng intervened when a soldier attempted to force a widow to attend him alone. He dislocated the soldier’s jaw and limbs, dragged him outside, and beheaded him despite Han’s objections. Privately, he told Zhang Xing that the offender had implicated Han. Han had also repeatedly proposed becoming bandits, with Du Meng as chief and himself as second-in-command. Du Meng rejected the proposal and warned Zhang Xing not to face Han or Wang alone 3.

Betrayal and Death

That night, Han ambushed Du Meng and stabbed him three times in the chest and abdomen using true qi. Du Meng initially played dead, hoping to retaliate, but realized his injuries were fatal when he tried to rise. He nevertheless burst out of the burning house with his saber and feigned an attack while Zhang Xing was fighting Han 4.

After Han’s death, Du Meng admitted that he had intended to seize Zhang Xing’s compass. He regarded his wounds as retribution for betraying a companion who had survived death alongside him. He then asked Zhang Xing to return his body to Hongshan, explaining the importance his people placed on returning to their roots. Zhang Xing promised to bury him at home, and Du Meng died shortly afterward 4.

Return to Red Mountain

Zhang Xing preserved Du Meng’s body with Ice True Qi and transported it west, first by wheelbarrow and then on his own back. Bai Yousi later strengthened its preservation with golden true qi and carried it across the great river 5 6 10.

At Red Mountain, Zhang Xing learned that the Blood Springs had erupted a month earlier, causing landslides and cutting off the roads. He carried Du Meng through the mountains and discovered that his home had already been destroyed before their journey began. With Qin Bao’s help, he buried Du Meng and carved a grave marker from a door plank 11 12.

Military Records

During Cao Lin’s investigation of Zhang Xing, records for the candidate Zhang Xingyi listed a Red Mountain squadmate named Du Meng. Those records described recruitment at Ye Capital and a squad-wide transfer from the Central Rampart Army to the Shesheng Army before departure. The investigator suspected that Du Meng’s surname had been recorded with the wrong character; the information belonged to a proposed identification of Zhang Xing rather than a conclusively established record 33.

Appearance

Du Meng is tall and powerfully built, with slightly reddish skin and an intimidating face 1.

• Hair: Full beard and a crooked topknot 1.
• Face: Bulging eyes and a broad mouth 1.
• Voice: Rough, booming, and prone to thunderous shouting 1 3.

Personality

Du Meng’s abrasive speech contrasts with his willingness to shoulder responsibility for others. Although he threatens to abandon Zhang Xing, he continues carrying him through danger. He also takes charge of finding shelter for the exhausted soldiers and firmly refuses Han’s suggestion that they become bandits 1 3.

His respect for kindness is expressed through practical acts. Believing Taishang Laojun helped them survive, he refuses to burn the temple’s altar table, bows when the building finally collapses, and asks Zhang Xing how to establish a household shrine in gratitude 2.

He is not free from greed: the compass’s usefulness tempts him to steal it. His final confession acknowledges that intention without excuse, even as Zhang Xing continues trying to help him 4.

Abilities & Skills

Strength and Saber Combat

• Carries the incapacitated Zhang Xing through repeated tremors and across collapsing ground 1.
• Overpowers the soldier threatening the widow, dislocating his jaw and limbs before executing him with a long saber 3.
• Claims he would not fear fighting Han even with Wang assisting him; this is his own assessment, not a demonstrated victory 3.

Observation and Compass Use

• Deduces that Zhang Xing’s compass responds to an invocation and the destination held in the user’s mind, without requiring true qi 3.
• Successfully uses the borrowed compass to guide the routed soldiers to shelter 3.
• Recognizes Han’s bandit ambitions and uses the offending soldier’s execution to test and intimidate him 3.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Long saber: His principal weapon, carried on his back during the retreat and used to execute the abusive soldier 2 3.
• Zhang Xing’s compass: Borrowed to find shelter; Du Meng later confesses his intention to appropriate it. Zhang Xing retrieves it as Du Meng is dying 3 4.

Relationships

• Zhang Xing — Fellow soldier and companion whom he protects during the retreat. Zhang Xing fulfills his burial request and later remembers him as someone he had trusted with his life despite their brief acquaintance 1 4 12 20.
• Han — Longwater Army soldier who proposes making Du Meng a bandit chief, then fatally ambushes him after their dispute in the village 3 4.
• Unnamed deceased comrade — Previously pointed out his home village to Du Meng. Du Meng invokes that connection when defending its inhabitants from the routed soldiers 3.
• Bai Yousi — Helps preserve and transport his body during Zhang Xing’s journey to return him home 10 11.
• Qin Bao — Assists Zhang Xing with Du Meng’s burial 12.

Legacy

• Returning Du Meng home gives Zhang Xing a concrete purpose in an unfamiliar world—something he considers unquestionably right before beginning a new life 6.
• Du Meng’s death convinces Zhang Xing of the need to act decisively against enemies while also deepening his appreciation for comrades’ and innocent people’s lives 20.
• His grave marker reads: “Grave of Du Meng, a wanderer from Red Mountain.” Zhang Xing carves it in simplified Chinese 12.

Notable Quotes

“My good brother, I'll make sure you get out of this chaos alive, and I'll return your treasure whole and unharmed.” 3

“Of course we can't become bandits.” 3