Yan Shun was a travelling trader initially, but he suffered a great loss and became an outlaw at Qingfeng Mountain with Wang Ying and Zheng Tian-shou. Once, Song Jiang was making his way to Qingfeng Fort to meet Hua Rong and passed by Qingfeng Mountain along the way. Yan Shun's bandits captured Song Jiang and were about to kill him when Song Jiang sighed to heaven. Yan Shun found out Song's identity and was shocked, and released Song immediately. Yan treated Song well, much like his own brother. Then, the lustful Wang Ying captured a woman, who was Liu Gao's (governor of Qingfeng Fort) wife.
