In some folk tales derived from the novel, he is said to have learnt martial arts from Zhou Tong, who purportedly trained the Song dynasty general Yue Fei in archery.

Knowing Lin loves good weapons, Gao Qiu sends a man to trick him to buy a rare sword on the street.

Lin, carrying the sword, unsuspectingly enters the White Tiger Hall, where meetings on top-secret state matters are held and arms are prohibited.

At Wild Boar Forest, just as they are about to kill Lin after tying him to a tree, Lu Zhishen springs out from behind the trunk, disarms them, and wants to finish them off.

His impressive skill in thrashing a boastful and arrogant martial arts instructor, who lives off Chai, wins the scion's admiration.

Lu Qian bribes the chief warden and a jailer, and they work out a plan involving assigning Lin to be a solo watchman at a fodder depot.

On the day Lin Chong takes up his new duty, Lu Qian, Fu An and the jailer set fire to the depot after nightfall, certain that he must be trapped in the inferno.

At Liangshan, Wang Lun fears Lin Chong, with his superior fighting skill, will usurp his position, so he tries to send him away with excuse and gifts.

As Lin Chong pleads to stay, Wang Lun sets the condition that he must kill a man in three days and present the person's head as his ticket of enrolment.

Wang Lun comes to the scene, stops the fight, and invites Yang to join his band in the hope that he would be a counterweight to Lin Chong.

Wang Lun reluctantly lets Lin Chong stay and take the fourth position under himself, Du Qian and Song Wan.

When Chao Gai and his six friends come to Liangshan to seek refuge after being discovered by authorities to be the hijackers of birthday gifts in transportation to the Grand Tutor Cai Jing, Wang Lun again feels threatened.

After the amnesty, the Liangshan heroes are sent to fight the Liao invaders and put down the rebel forces of Tian Hu, Wang Qing, and Fang La in Song territory.