Fan Rui is a sorcerer-warrior in Water Margin, nicknamed the Demon King of Chaos. He commands a force at Mount Mangdang with Xiang Chong and Li Gun, riding a black horse and carrying a meteor hammer and the Demon King sword. Confident in his magic, he plans to challenge and absorb Liangshan’s power.
When the two sides meet, Fan Rui recites spells that raise violent winds, flying sand, and darkness while Xiang Chong and Li Gun lead shield-bearing troops into battle. His arts are formidable but cannot overcome the formation and Daoist methods of Gongsun Sheng. After the Mount Mangdang band is defeated, Fan Rui accepts Liangshan and later studies more orthodox Daoist techniques under Gongsun Sheng.
At the great assembly he ranks sixty-first among the 108 Stars and serves with the infantry leaders. He continues to use both sorcery and weapons in Liangshan’s campaigns, often fighting beside Xiang Chong and Li Gun. Unlike most of the stronghold’s martial heroes, Fan Rui combines battlefield command with wind-raising ritual magic, which gives him a distinct role among Song Jiang’s followers.
