Du Dajin

Du Dajin

Contents

Du Dajin (simplified: 都大锦, traditional: 都大錦, pinyin: Dū Dàjǐn, jyutping: dou1 daai6 gam2) was chief of the Dragon Gate Armed Escort (龙门镖局) and a lay disciple of the Shaolin Order. He was known in the jianghu as the “Many-Armed Bear” (多臂熊) for his skill with thrown weapons. His failure to escort Yu Daiyan safely to Wudang led to Yu Daiyan’s crippling and the destruction of his armed escort.

Biography

At the Dragon Gate Armed Escort

Du Dajin had trained at Shaolin as a lay disciple before establishing the Dragon Gate Armed Escort in Lin’an. He accepted Yin Susu’s commission of two thousand liang of gold to escort the injured Yu Daiyan from Lin’an to Mount Wudang. Yin Susu had wounded Yu Daiyan with mosquito-whisker needles to seize the Dragon-Slaying Dao and arranged the escort to return him to Wudang.

The handover

At the foot of Mount Wudang, six men claiming to be disciples of Zhang Sanfeng approached Du Dajin and asked to receive Yu Daiyan. Du Dajin did not verify their identity and handed Yu Daiyan over. The six were actually agents of the Mongol Prince Ruyang; a disciple of Western Regions Shaolin’s Vajra School, Asan, used his powerful Vajra fingers to cripple Yu Daiyan, leaving him paralysed for life.

Destruction of the armed escort

Because Du Dajin had failed to deliver Yu Daiyan safely, Yin Susu had the Dragon Gate Armed Escort wiped out. Du Dajin and his family and staff were killed. The massacre was staged to implicate Zhang Cuishan, drawing him into the investigation and his eventual meeting with Yin Susu.

Personality and traits

Du Dajin was experienced in armed escort work but was careless at a critical moment. His failure to confirm the identity of those who received Yu Daiyan allowed Yu Daiyan to fall into enemy hands and triggered the chain of events that led to the armed escort’s destruction and the broader conflict between Wudang, Shaolin, and the Tianying Order.

See also

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