Li Feng

Biodata

Power Progression

Appearance

• A young man with a broad, square face 4.

Personality

Li Feng is proud of his aptitude and openly contemptuous of weaker trainees. He repeatedly calls others “trash,” regards Lin Fan as an inferior, and treats advancement as a means of gaining power over his peers 6 7 11. His arrogance does not prevent him from training diligently: he continues practicing at night, and Zhang Yu remarks on his hard work despite his talent 10 11 16.

His ambition overrides loyalty to his followers. He takes their medicinal food even though losing it threatens their chances of remaining in the martial arts hall. When they resist, he beats them and permits Zhao Tao to abuse them; after their departure, he dismisses them as unworthy even to be his dogs 9 12 13.

Li Feng restrains himself when violence could damage his prospects. He avoids a dormitory brawl that might attract the instructors’ attention and backs down when Lin Fan threatens to destroy the medicinal food he needs. Conversely, the instructor’s favoritism emboldens him to threaten crippling Lin Fan without expecting punishment 6 9 13.

Abilities & Skills

Iron Cloth Shirt

Li Feng’s principal documented defensive art strengthens his body and toughens his skin 7 13 14.

• Hardened skin: At entry level, the instructor’s fingernail leaves only a white mark; he withstands a more forceful test after reaching minor accomplishment 7 14.
• Increased strength: His minor-mastery breakthrough produces an immediate surge of strength, which he uses in a fistfight against Lin Fan 13.
• Combat limitations: Major accomplishment does not compensate for his lack of developed combat techniques. Lin Fan uses Gale Leg and Gang-Breaking Fist to evade, strike, and trip him during their public confrontation 36.

Endurance

• Withstands six trips down the training slope before fainting during the initial training period, earning rare praise from the instructor 5.
• Lasts until his seventh roll before losing consciousness the following morning. Lin Fan’s apparent earlier collapse is deliberate concealment rather than evidence of inferior endurance 7.

Body Tempering

• Reaches initiation in five days according to Chen Yang’s public announcement. No further Body Tempering advancement is documented in the supplied chapters 48.

History

Rear Courtyard Training

Li Feng distinguishes himself among the Human Stake candidates by becoming the first to stand after the punishing slope exercise. He earns an extra serving of medicinal food at every meal and attracts the instructor’s approval through his endurance 4 5.

His rivalry with Lin Fan begins when Zhao Tao tries to take soap for washing Li Feng’s clothes. Lin Fan beats Zhao Tao and refuses Li Feng’s demand to stop. When Wang Wu and three roommates stand beside Lin Fan, Li Feng leaves rather than risk a larger fight, threatening that they will eventually kneel and beg him 5 6.

After reaching entry level in Iron Cloth Shirt, Li Feng benefits from increasingly blatant favoritism. He attempts to stomp on the apparently unconscious Lin Fan and later relies on Zhao Tao to seize medicinal food from Jiang Tong. When Lin Fan forces him to accept a division of Jiang Tong’s food, Li Feng pressures his own followers into surrendering their portions 7 8 9.

The four other roommates eventually resist. Li Feng beats them and takes their meals anyway, allowing Zhao Tao to continue humiliating them. They subsequently kill Zhao Tao, conceal his body, and flee. Li Feng believes all five followers have simply left and dismisses their loss 12 13.

Human Stake and Alliance with Zhang Yu

Upon reaching minor mastery, Li Feng attacks Lin Fan expecting an easy victory. Their fight ends in an apparent draw because Lin Fan conceals his superior progress. Li Feng threatens revenge once he reaches major mastery; the following morning, the instructor confirms his breakthrough and escorts him to the outer courtyard 13 14.

Li Feng quickly establishes an alliance with Zhang Yu, the outer courtyard’s eldest senior brother. He asks Zhang Yu to remove Lin Fan, but Young Master Tang’s interest in Lin Fan complicates their plans. They instead pursue indirect harassment, including obstructing instruction and arranging for Lin Fan to share the notoriously violent Lu Hao’s room 15 16 18 19.

When Lin Fan receives an opportunity to become Yue Shan’s disciple, Li Feng orders Zhang Yu to prevent him from attaining the required major accomplishment in Iron Cloth Shirt. Zhang Yu responds by arranging for Lu Hao to break Lin Fan’s limbs and for Bone-Eroding Powder to be added to his medicine 34.

Public Defeat and Failed Retaliation

An assembly celebrates Li Feng’s major accomplishment in Iron Cloth Shirt and impending discipleship under Hall Master Ma. After Lin Fan defies Zhang Yu, Li Feng attacks under the pretense of offering guidance. Lin Fan dodges his punch, strikes his nose and cheek, and trips him in front of the assembled disciples 35 36.

Humiliated by their laughter, Li Feng demands that Zhang Yu cripple Lin Fan and arrange an opportunity for him to kill Lin Fan personally. The retaliation fails to prevent Lin Fan from becoming Yue Shan’s disciple, news that provokes furious, jealous outbursts from Li Feng 36 38 39.

Appointment as Outer Courtyard Senior Brother

Chen Yang nominates Li Feng as the next outer courtyard eldest senior brother, praising his five-day advancement to Body Tempering initiation. His cultivation is below the major-accomplishment standard previously associated with the position, but the announcement of his talent wins support from the disciples 48.

Yue Shan objects, prompting a public duel in which Chen Yang severely injures and humiliates him. After Chen Yang also knocks aside Lin Fan and Yang Kuan, no one dares oppose the nomination. The hall master formally appoints Li Feng, who takes the platform with his head held high 49.

The appointment helps prompt Lin Fan to evacuate his rear-courtyard friends to the Tang Family Estate. With Yue Shan injured and Li Feng holding authority over the outer courtyard, Lin Fan believes remaining at the hall would expose them to retaliation 50.

Relationships

• Lin Fan — Rival and intended victim. Their dispute escalates from the soap incident into repeated attacks and schemes to cripple or kill Lin Fan. After Chen Yang secures Li Feng’s appointment, Lin Fan privately vows to kill them both 6 34 36 49.
• Zhang Yu — Ally and principal collaborator against Lin Fan. Despite his senior position, Zhang Yu seeks Li Feng’s approval and carries out schemes on his behalf 16 18 19 34.
• Hall Master Ma — Master. Li Feng’s major accomplishment in Iron Cloth Shirt leads to his entry into the inner courtyard as Ma’s disciple 35 40.
• Chen Yang — Patron of his appointment as outer courtyard senior brother. Chen Yang promotes his talent and defeats Yue Shan after Yue Shan objects to the nomination 48 49.
• Hu Gao — Rear-courtyard instructor who favors Li Feng, rewards his progress, and overlooks his exploitation of other trainees 7 10 15.
• Zhao Tao — Follower who demands goods and medicinal food in Li Feng’s name. His abuse of their four roommates, enabled by Li Feng, leads to his death at their hands 5 9 12 13.
• Wang Wu and Lin Fan’s roommates — Opponents who refuse to abandon Lin Fan during the dormitory confrontation. Li Feng extends his threats to them as well 6.

Notable Quotes

“Lin Fan, just you wait. You'll kneel and beg me, and that day won't be far off!” 6

“Since he needs greater mastery of Iron Cloth Shirt to become the head steward's disciple, then make sure he never achieves greater mastery of Iron Cloth Shirt.” 34