Dai Zong is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature.

He can cover 800 li in a day on foot by incanting a magical spell to activate power in two talismans tied to his legs.

When Song Jiang is exiled to Jiangzhou as a mitigated sentence for killing his mistress Yan Poxi, he passes by Liangshan and meets Wu Yong, who writes a letter for him to take to Dai Zong.

After reading Wu Yong's letter, Dai Zong apologises and makes all efforts to ensure Song has a comfortable life in prison.

One day Song Jiang, feeling miserable over his misfortunes, writes a poem on the wall of a restaurant after getting drunk.

The seditious poem is discovered by a petty official Huang Wenbing, who reports it to Cai Jiu, the prefect of Jiangzhou.

For example, when Song Jiang is thwarted by the sorcery of Gao Lian in his military attack on Gaotangzhou (高唐州; around present-day Gaotang County, Shandong) to rescue Chai Jin, Dai Zong is despatched to Jizhou (薊州; present-day Ji County, Tianjin) with Li Kui to locate the Taoist magician Gongsun Sheng, who could rival Gao.

In another instance, Dai brings the physician An Daoquan speedily back to Liangshan to cure Song Jiang of a deadly tumour.

Dai Zong is appointed as the chief of Liangshan's scouting team after the 108 Stars of Destiny came together in what is called the Grand Assembly.

He participates in the campaigns against the Liao invaders and rebel forces in Song territory following amnesty from Emperor Huizong for Liangshan.