Good-looking with thick eyebrows, eyes like those of a fenghuang and a sparse beard on his chin, Yang Xiong, whose body is covered with tattoos of flowers, resembles Guan Suo but has a pale complexion.

A skilled fighter from Henan, Yang Xiong works as a chief prison warden and executioner in Jizhou (薊州; present-day Ji County, Tianjin).

One day, after beheading a criminal, Yang Xiong is showered with gifts from grateful onlookers as he makes his way back to his office through a busy street.

Shi Xiu is sharp-eyed and soon detects that Yang's wife Pan Qiaoyun is having a secret affair with the monk Pei Ruhai.

One night, Shi Xiu ambushes and kills Pei Ruhai in a deserted lane outside Yang Xiong's house when the monk is leaving it after a tryst with Pan.

Now quite convinced by Shi, Yang Xiong lures Pan Qiaoyun to Mount Cuiping (翠屏山; in present-day Jizhou, Hebei) under the pretext of visiting his ancestors' graves.

Shi Qian steals the inn's only rooster to cook for a meal as the place has nothing nice to offer, sparking off a fight between the three and the innkeeper.

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