Fan Tianfeng (simplified: 范天峰, traditional: 范天峰, pinyin: Fàn Tiānfēng, jyutping: faan6 tin1 fung1) was one of Li Zicheng’s four elite bodyguards who protected the rebel leader during his uprising against the Ming dynasty. He was a sworn brother of Hu Yidao, Miao Renfeng, and Tian Guinong, and together they were entrusted with Li Zicheng’s precious saber and the secret of his hidden treasure.
Biography
Service to Li Zicheng
Fan Tianfeng, along with Hu Yidao, Miao Renfeng, and Tian Guinong, served as one of the four bodyguards protecting Li Zicheng during his rebellion against the Ming dynasty. These four men were sworn brothers, bound by loyalty and martial honor, and were entrusted with protecting Li Zicheng’s most valuable possessions—his precious saber and the secret of his hidden treasure.
The four bodyguards were legendary martial artists, each possessing exceptional skills. They were tasked with safeguarding Li Zicheng’s legacy, which would become the source of a century-long feud between their descendants.
The legacy and the feud
After Li Zicheng’s death, the four bodyguards became the guardians of his treasure and saber. However, a tragic misunderstanding arose between the families, leading to generations of conflict and revenge. The descendants of these four families—Hu, Miao, Fan, and Tian—became locked in a cycle of violence and hatred that would span over a century.
While Fan Tianfeng himself does not appear as an active character in Flying Fox of the Snowy Mountain, his legacy and the role of his family in the ongoing feud are central to the novel’s background. The story reveals how the actions and misunderstandings of these four bodyguards shaped the destinies of their descendants, particularly Hu Fei and Miao Ruolan.
Personality
As one of Li Zicheng’s four bodyguards, Fan Tianfeng would have been characterized by exceptional martial prowess, unwavering loyalty, and a strong sense of honor. His position as a sworn brother to Hu Yidao, Miao Renfeng, and Tian Guinong suggests that he was a man of integrity and martial virtue, though the details of his character are not extensively explored in the novel.
Relationships
- Li Zicheng (Master): The rebel leader whom he served as a bodyguard.
- Hu Yidao (Sworn Brother): One of the four bodyguards, with whom he shared a bond of brotherhood.
- Miao Renfeng (Sworn Brother): One of the four bodyguards, with whom he shared a bond of brotherhood.
- Tian Guinong (Sworn Brother): One of the four bodyguards, though Tian Guinong’s descendants would become antagonists in the feud.
Legacy
Fan Tianfeng’s role as one of Li Zicheng’s four bodyguards is crucial to understanding the historical background of Flying Fox of the Snowy Mountain. The four bodyguards’ shared responsibility for Li Zicheng’s treasure and saber created the foundation for the century-long feud that drives the novel’s plot. While Fan Tianfeng himself does not appear directly in the story, his legacy and the role of the Fan family in the ongoing conflict are integral to the novel’s exploration of family feuds, revenge, and the consequences of past actions.
The story of the four bodyguards serves as a reminder of how loyalty and honor can be corrupted by misunderstanding and greed, leading to generations of conflict that ultimately require truth and reconciliation to resolve.