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Wu Yong is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Chinese Classical Novels. Nicknamed "Knowledgeable Star", he ranks third among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny.
Taking Wu to his house, Chao Gai discloses Liu's heist proposal. Wu suggests roping in the three Ruan brothers as the current team of three is too small. He goes to the fishing village where the fisherman brothers live, pretending that he has come to buy fish from them. Step by step he coaxes them to reveal they are unhappy with their poverty and want a change in their lives. When he is sure that the brothers are disgruntled and loathe the oppression by officials, Wu reveals his real purpose in calling. The Ruans welcome the invitation. The team at last comprises seven people, with Gongsun Sheng, a Taoist priest, joining in.
Wu devises the hijack plan, which involves Bai Sheng, a loafer who has once received help from Chao Gai. Bai poses as a wine seller while the seven disguise themselves as date merchants, with Yellow Mud Ridge identified as where they would strike. Bai crosses the ridge carrying two buckets of wine when Chao's group and the gift-escorting party led by Yang Zhi are resting there in the shades of trees away from the blazing sun. Yang forbids his men, who are extremely thirsty, to buy any wine from Bai out of caution. Then Chao's group buy a bucket from him. Liu Tang pretends to want a free scoop from the second bucket. As soon as he has had a sip, Bai snatches the ladle from him and pours the remaining wine, now laced with drug, back into the bucket. As both buckets seem safe, with Liu looking all right from the sip he stole from the remaining one, the soldiers badger Yang Zhi to allow them to quench their thirst. Yang relents and even he himself takes a sip. Once they become numb in their limbs and fall over, the seven men cart away the valuables.
Wang Lun, the leader of Liangshan, is unwilling to accept the group, fearing they would usurp his position. Sensing that Lin Chong, who has joined Liangshan earlier but has been cold-shouldered, resents Wang, Wu Yong instigates him to kill the leader. Chao Gai is then elected the new chief of Liangshan, with Wu Yong taking second position. Then, Wu deploys the men of Liangshan for a battle that wipes out the soldiers sent from Jizhou to eliminate them.
All his time at Liangshan Wu Yong is the band's chief strategist. He uses his wiles to force several heroes held in esteem by Liangshan, such as Lu Junyi, Xu Ning and Zhu Tong, to join the stronghold. His astute mind helps Liangshan clinch victories in many military campaigns.
Wu Yong assists Song to become Liangshan's chief after Chao Gai died, although Chao's last word is that his successor is whoever captures the person who shot him. Lu Junyi seizes Shi Wengong, Chao's killer, but he faces widespread opposition apparently abetted by Wu. In the end Lu takes second position after Song.
Wu Yong is skeptical about Song Jiang's quest for imperial amnesty, but he casts his lot with him nevertheless. Without his support, Song could not have sold the idea to the rest. Following amnesty from Emperor Huizong, the Liangshan outlaws are sent to beat back invaders of the Liao dynasty and put down rebel forces in Song dynasty territory. Wu Yong's strategies help Liangshan win many battles.
Wu Yong is one of the few Liangshan heroes who survive the Emperor-ordered campaigns. He is awarded an appointment at a prefecture for his contributions. One night, Song Jiang and Li Kui appear in his dream, telling him that they have been poisoned by corrupt officials in the imperial court. Wu Yong travels to Song's grave in Chuzhou (楚州; present-day Huai'an, Jiangsu), where he meets Hua Rong, who has had a similar dream. Overcome with grief, they hang themselves from a tree near the grave.
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