《搜神记》Vol. 2

This is the biography of Chan Master Baozhi, referred to in the text as “the Master” and also as “Bao Gong.” Chan Master Baozhi said, “In my former life, I received the Emperor’s merit and was able to be reborn in Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, the second heaven in the Buddhist realm of desire. Now I have revealed my original appearance as proof.” Yin Cong thanked him and then took his leave. This account appears in the Preface to the Liang Emperor’s Repentance.

In the winter of the thirteenth year of the Tianjian era under the Liang, as Chan Master Baozhi was about to die, he suddenly instructed the monks to move the temple’s statue of Vajrapani outside. Then he privately told someone, “The Bodhisattva is about to depart.” Less than ten days later, he died without illness. His body gave off a fragrant scent, and he was ninety-seven years old. Emperor Wu of Liang paid two hundred thousand coins for the hill called Dulongfu in front of Dinglin Temple, to use as his burial site. Princess Yongding contributed her personal allowance for daily expenses to build a seven-tier pagoda over the grave. Emperor Wu commissioned Lu Chui to compose the epitaph and bestowed jewels to adorn the pagoda.

In the seventh year of the Baoda era under the Southern Tang, Baozhi was posthumously given the title “Wondrous Awakening,” and his pagoda was named “Responding to the World.” In the seventh year of the Taiping Xingguo era under Emperor Taizong of Song, a man named Ke E from Shuzhou met an old monk on his way to Mount Wansui. The monk pointed to an ancient pine and told him to dig beneath it. There he found a stone engraved with a prediction from The Record of Bao Gong, foretelling the long-lasting fortune of the sacred dynasty. The court then sent an envoy to offer thanks and posthumously honored Baozhi as “Bao Gong, Wondrous Awakening.” In the early years of the Zhiping era, his posthumous title was changed to “Great Master of True Awakening of Daolin.”

According to the Records of Jiankang, Kaishan Temple kept Chan Master Baozhi’s shoes. In the early years of the Shenlong era under the Tang, Zheng Kejun took the shoes away and brought them back with him. A washing-bowl pond still remains in Chang’an: it is a square pond on the former site of Fayun Temple, two li west of the pagoda.

The Sixth Patriarch Lu, named Neng, was from Xinzhou in Guangdong. During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang, he was traveling to study Buddhism when he passed through Caoxi. Seeing the clear, fragrant stream, he chose the site to build a religious sanctuary and asked the landowner for a plot, saying only, “A piece of land as large as my robe is enough.” The landowner agreed. Lu spread out his robe, and the area it covered extended eighty li in every direction. The Sixth Patriarch’s sanctuary on Mount Nanhua stands there today. It is said that his body has been preserved ever since, and incense smoke has darkened his face to a glossy black, like lacquer.

In the bingzi year of the Yuan dynasty, Han troops thrust sharp blades into his abdomen. They found that his heart and liver were still like those of a living person, and so did not dare to attack him again. The Sixth Patriarch’s robe and alms bowl—the monastic garments and bowl passed down through the lineage—were all carried away. Among them were a robe bestowed by Emperor Xuanzong, woven with subtle landscape patterns; a bowl from the Western Heaven, as India was called in ancient times, made neither of bronze or iron nor of wood or stone; shoes from the Western Heaven, made neither of leather nor of wood; sixteen or seventeen leaves of the Qihua Jing; and a Buddha tooth kept in an exquisitely made silver box.

During the Yuan dynasty, a wicked dragon took up residence in a deep pool and harmed the people. The Sixth Patriarch said, “I’m only afraid you’ll become small.” The dragon indeed shrank, and the Sixth Patriarch put it into his alms bowl. It withered away in the temple and submitted to the Sixth Patriarch.

Bodhidharma was born on the fifth day of the tenth month.

Bodhidharma was the twenty-eighth patriarch. He traveled by ship from Tianzhu, the ancient name for India, to China. His conversation with Emperor Wu of Liang went nowhere, so he secretly made his way to Shaolin Temple on Mount Song, where he faced a wall for nine years. Afterward, he died seated upright and was buried on Bear Ear Mountain.

Song Yun of the Wei court was sent on an official mission to the Western Regions. On his return, as he passed through the Congling Mountains in the Land of the Lions, he saw Bodhidharma carrying a single shoe and walking away alone with a light step. Song Yun asked where he was going. Bodhidharma replied, “I am returning to the Western Heaven.” He then told Song Yun, “Your king has already died.” Bewildered, Song Yun took his leave and continued eastward. By the time he returned to court to report, Emperor Ming had died. After Emperor Xiaozhuang took the throne, Song Yun gave a detailed account of what had happened. The emperor ordered Bodhidharma’s tomb opened. Inside was only an empty coffin, with a single leather shoe left behind.

Chan Master Puan was born on the twenty-seventh day of the eleventh month.

Chan Master Pu’an was named Yin and was the son of the Yu family in Yichun County, Yuan Prefecture. He was born at the hour of the Dragon on the twenty-seventh day of the eleventh month in the fifth year of the Zhenghe era under Emperor Huizong of the Song (1115). When he was six, he dreamed that a monk pointed to his chest and said, “In time, you should awaken through your own insight.” After waking, he told his mother about the dream. She examined him and found a red mark on his chest, bright as a pearl. People called it the “cherry pearl.” Because of this, his parents agreed to let him leave home and follow the monk Xian of Shoulong Monastery.

Chan Master Pu’an shaved his head at twenty-seven and received the precepts the following year. Shaving the head and receiving the precepts were rites of entering monastic life. He was tall and striking in appearance, intelligent and quick-witted. Monk Xian held him in high regard and urged him to recite scriptures. He replied, “I have heard that the Buddha’s fundamental teaching prizes genuine insight within the mind. Merely reciting word by word and seeking understanding by following the text does not help one’s practice.” He then took leave of his teacher and traveled through the Lake and Xiang regions, where he met Master Zhong of Muan. He asked, “When all things return to the One, where does the One return?” Master Zhong raised his Buddhist whisk, a short rod held by Chan monks. Pu’an gained some insight from this.

Later, he returned to the monastery where he had first studied. In the year guiyou, people from nearby Cihua Monastery asked him to become its abbot, though the monastery had no permanent fields or income. He wore clothes made of paper, ate porridge in the morning and rice in the evening, and, apart from sitting in meditation, read only the Huayan Jing and related treatises. One day, he suddenly attained great awakening. Sweat covered his body, and he said joyfully, “Now I have personally entered into accord with the realm of the Huayan Jing.” He then composed this verse:

“I cannot lift it up, nor push it aside.

Why go still to Mount Heng or Tiantai?

No one can reach the gates of the six senses,

Yet a foreign monk comes all the way here.”

The “six senses” are sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and mind. In the verse, “foreign monk” refers to a monk from afar and may also carry an allusion to a Chan Buddhist story.

One day, a monk named Daocun suddenly arrived through the snow. At the sight of him, Chan Master Pu’an was delighted and said, “Here is the friend I never invited, who has come of his own accord.” The two then met.

One day, a monk named Daocun came to visit through a heavy snowfall. The master was delighted to see him and said, “Here is a friend I need not invite, who has come of his own accord.” The two sat down quietly and exchanged questions and answers. Later, the master lived in seclusion at a hermitage on the Southern Ridge and was known as “Pu’an.”

Afterward, he raised funds and recruited workers to rebuild the Buddha hall at Cihua Temple. Many people admired his spiritual attainment and came to seek his instruction, so the master taught each according to their needs, sometimes writing verses for them as well. When someone fell ill, he would gather medicinal herbs to treat them. During epidemics, he even went to places everyone else avoided and inscribed verses there. The people recovered. He also prayed for clear skies, drove away apparitions, and destroyed improper shrines; there were many occasions on which his spiritual power proved effective.

As a result, more and more people came to work: the wealthy donated money, the poor contributed their labor, and those with skilled hands offered their craft. The temple took on a completely new appearance. For a thousand li in every direction, people repaired roads and built bridges, gladly doing good deeds. All this came from the master’s teaching.

One day, the master asked for brush and ink and wrote a verse on the west wall of the abbot’s quarters:

In rain and in clear skies, the precious elephant appears;

East and west, north and south, the clouds churn in confusion.

Countless people lose the bright pearl and fall into calamity;

With many skillful transformations, I sweep away your delusions.

When he had finished, he said to everyone, “Since the Buddhas never appeared in the world, there is no such thing as nirvana. Whoever enters my room will surely attain complete understanding. Guard this understanding well; do not let it slip away.” He then asked for a change of clothes, sat cross-legged, and peacefully entered nirvana. It was the twenty-first day of the seventh month in the fifth year of the Qiandao era.

Later, the court posthumously bestowed on him the title “Chan Master Pu’an Jigan Miaoji Zhenjue Zhaoji.”

The Great Sage of Sizhou

The eminent monk Sengjia of Sizhou came to the Chang’an and Luoyang area to preach during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang. He later traveled through places such as Hao and Chu. Carrying a willow branch, he mingled among the monks. When someone asked his surname, he replied, “My surname is He.” Asked what country he came from, he answered, “I am from the country of He.”

Later, he wished to build a temple in the Sizhou area, so he lodged with the He Ba family, commoners of Suzhou. Master Sengjia said, “There was originally a Buddhist temple here.” People dug into the ground and indeed found an old stone plaque inscribed “Xiangji Temple.” It recorded that the temple had been built by the dragon-suppressing official of the Qi dynasty. They also unearthed a golden statue, which everyone took to be Dipamkara Buddha, a Buddha of the past. The master said, “This is King Buddha of Universal Light.” The temple was therefore named Xiangji Temple.

In the second year of Jinglong (708), Emperor Zhongzong of the Tang sent an envoy to invite Master Sengjia to court. The imperial carriage and retinue arrived, and the emperor treated him with exceptional honor, ordering him to stay at Dajianfu Temple. On the third day of the third month, the master died. The emperor ordered his body to be lacquered and a stupa built for him at Jianfu Temple. Suddenly, a foul odor spread throughout the city, so the emperor prayed for the master to be sent back to Linhuai. As soon as the prayer was completed, an extraordinary fragrance rose up intensely. The emperor asked Fang Hui, “Who was Master Sengjia?” Fang replied, “He was an emanation of the Bodhisattva Guanyin.” During the Qianfu era, the court posthumously honored him with the title “Master Who Realized Sainthood.”

Fu Dashi

Fu Dashi, whose personal name was Xi, was a native of Yiwu in Wuzhou. From childhood he was intelligent and had read the classics of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism. He called himself “the Eight Sages of Good Wisdom.” During the Tongyuan era of the Liang and Jin dynasties, he met an Indian monk named Song Toutuo. Song Toutuo told him, “You are an incarnation of Maitreya Buddha.” He then asked Fu Dashi to watch the surface of the water. Fu saw a round halo of light and a jeweled canopy appear in the water, and thereby understood the karmic ties of his past lives.

Fu Dashi asked where he should practice the Dao. Pointing to two trees beneath Song Mountain, Song Toutuo said, “That is a suitable place.” Fu Dashi built a hermitage there. In the third year of the Datong era, he built a temple on the same site. The temple built between the two trees is today’s Shuanglin Temple.

The temple preserves the Lotus Sutra, along with an iron plow, a bowl for alms, crystal prayer beads, a bronze crown depicting the Seven Buddhas, and other objects bestowed on Fu Dashi by Emperor Wu of Liang. It is said that these items remain there to this day. In his early years of Daoist practice, some people considered Fu Dashi’s conduct unconventional: he had neither entered monastic life nor shaved his head. But people believed he had already attained awakening and so need not wear the robes and headwear of a monk.

Twenty-five li south of Yiwu lies Yuhu Rock. Another story tells that fierce beasts once roamed the summit of Yunhuang Mountain, often attacking local residents. After completing his fasting rituals, Fu Dashi would take the leftover food to feed them. From then on, the tigers and other beasts hid away and stopped harming people. He also turned stones a clear, lovely shade of blue-purple, suitable for carving into prayer beads. A man surnamed Tao often made offerings to Fu Dashi. Pointing to the stones, Fu Dashi invoked a blessing, saying, “These stones are blue-purple and can be made into prayer beads.” He warned Tao that this craft would be passed down through generations and that only the Tao family could practice it; if anyone else tried to imitate it, the stones would shatter.

Later, Prince Zhongxian went to Wuzhou to excavate Fu Dashi’s tomb and tower, intending to move his remains to Pilong Mountain, but they could not be lifted. He therefore built Longhua Temple on the original site, fashioned an image of Fu Dashi from his remains, and enshrined it in the tower.

The Comprehensive Gazetteer records that Fu Dashi’s tomb lies among the rocks of Yunhuang Mountain. At the beginning of the Kaiyun era of the Jin, King Qian Yuanzuo of Wuyue sent people to retrieve his remains and bring them to Qiantang for burial. On the day the tomb was opened, two tigers crouched on the wall and roared; that night, lightning and thunder filled the valley. After the remains set out, the tigers followed all the way until the waters of the Xiazhu River blocked their path, whereupon they turned back.

The second lord of Guankou, a river god worshipped among the people, was born on the twenty-sixth day of the sixth lunar month.

The second lord’s surname was Zhao and his given name was Yu. He once lived in seclusion on Mount Qingcheng with the Daoist Li Jue. When Emperor Yang of the Sui heard of Zhao Yu’s abilities and virtue, he summoned him to serve as prefect of Jiazhou. West of the city ran two Lingyuan Rivers, where an old flood dragon wreaked havoc. Each spring and summer, as the waters rose, floods swept away fields and drowned or injured local people. Zhao Yu was furious. He prepared boats and led strong men and villagers to beat drums and shout from both banks, while he himself entered the water carrying a weapon. Before long, the river turned red, and thunderous roars sounded among the cliffs. Zhao Yu burst from the water, holding his weapon in his right hand and the flood dragon’s head in his left. Seven others had also helped him enter the water; they were known as the Seven Sages.

In the final years of the Sui, amid political turmoil, Zhao Yu abandoned his post and withdrew into seclusion. His whereabouts afterward are unknown. Later, when the river flooded, people in Shu saw him appear amid blue clouds and mist. Grateful for his beneficence, they built a temple to him at the mouth of the Guan River and offered sacrifices there. Emperor Taizong of the Tang bestowed on him the title “Great General, Divine Uncle”; Emperor Xuanzong added the title “King of Chicheng”; and Emperor Zhenzong of the Song named him “Perfected Lord of the Clear Source and Wondrous Way.”

Lord Xiao

Lord Xiao’s surname was Xiao and his given name was Boxuan. He had thick eyebrows, curly hair, and a fine beard, though his face looked as youthful as a boy’s. Upright and self-possessed, he did not speak or laugh frivolously. He clearly distinguished right from wrong, and people in his community often asked him to settle their disputes.

Xiao Boxuan died during the Xianchun era of the Song. He was later revered as a deity. He conveyed messages through young mediums and foretold good and ill fortune; his predictions often came true with the swift precision of a triggered mechanism. The villagers joined together to build him a temple at Taiyangzhou in Xingan County, praying for his protection over the area. During the Yuan, after his son Xiangshu died, he too manifested as a deity, and the two were worshipped together in the temple. In the early Hongwu era of the Ming, the court sent an official to make offerings there. In the seventeenth year of the Yongle era, his grandson Tianren died and manifested repeatedly, so he too came to be worshipped in the temple. The court issued an edict conferring on Lord Xiao the title “Heroic and Loyal Knight, Manifestly Responsive, Broadly Benevolent, Spiritually Connected Lord of the Water Palace.” He manifested his divine power in the area where the Jiu River meets the Yangtze, and came to be widely revered.

Lord Yan

Yan Gong’s surname was Yan and his given name was Shuzai. He was from Qingjiang Town in Linjiang Prefecture. He had thick eyebrows and a long beard, a dark complexion, and throughout his life he deeply hated wickedness. Local people worshipped him, and the imperial court bestowed on him the title “Heroic Protector, Manifestly Responsive, Broadly Beneficent, and Spiritually Connected Lord of the Water Office.” He displayed his divine power in the waters where Jiujiang meets the great river.

Yan Gong loathed evil as though it were his sworn enemy. Whenever someone did something wicked, people would say, “Could Yan Gong really not know?” This shows how deeply they both respected and feared him. Early in the Yuan dynasty, his abilities earned him a post in government, where he served as director of the Brocade Bureau. Later, he resigned because of illness and set out for home by boat, but suddenly died aboard. His attendants prepared the burial goods in accordance with ritual. Before the boat reached home, however, his family saw him riding past through the open countryside, dressed as he had been before. Everyone said they had seen him. More than a month later, his body arrived. To everyone’s astonishment, the day his family said they had seen him was the very day he had died. When they opened the coffin, it was completely empty, and so the story spread that he had become an immortal through “corpse liberation.” After learning what had happened, the elders and villagers built a temple to worship him. He repeatedly manifested his efficacy across the rivers and lakes. In our dynasty, the Ming, the court bestowed on him the title Marquis of Calming the Waves.

The Three Water Offices of the Yangzi River

The History of the Five Dynasties records that when the Yang family ruled independently along the Yangzi, they designated Matang as the Upper Water Office and built its temple on the southern side of the mountain. They designated Caishi as the Middle Water Office, built its temple below Caishi Mountain, and made its deity a king. In the Song dynasty, the title was further expanded to “King of Manifest Efficacy, Sagely Favor, Loyalty, and Aid, Who Brings Peace to the River.” Jinshan was the Lower Water Office, and its temple stood within Jinshan Temple.

Our dynasty collectively calls the deities worshipped at these three sites the gods of the Water Offices. It is said that when boats reach the middle of the river, the gods will respond if called upon and petitioned. Boatmen passing through generally prepare livestock and silk to offer in prayer. Today, local government offices also hold regular rites of sacrifice.

Chen Yaozi, an official of the Northern Song, anchored his boat at Sanshan Shoal. An old man told him, “A strong wind will blow tomorrow at noon. If your boat continues on, it will surely capsize. You would do well to wait it out.”

The next day, the sky was clear, without a cloud in sight. The people aboard asked whether they should cast off and set sail. Chen Yaozi said, “Let us wait a little longer.” The other boats traveling with them all left the shore. Suddenly, dark clouds gathered in the northwest and a violent wind sprang up. It snapped trees and sent sand swirling through the air; waves rose as high as mountains, and most of the other boats sank.

As Chen Yaozi marveled at what had happened, he saw the old man again. The old man said, “I am the River’s Youyi Spirit, a water deity who patrols its waters. Knowing that you will one day rise to the office of chancellor, I came especially to warn you.” Chen Yaozi asked, “How can I repay your kindness?” The old man replied, “I seek no repayment. By custom, the dragon spirits are bound to protect an honored person wherever he passes. I only hope to receive a copy of the Golden Light Sutra, a Buddhist scripture. With its power, I may perhaps rise a little in rank.”

Chen Yaozi agreed. After reaching the capital, he sent three copies of the Golden Light Sutra to Sanshan Shoal and cast them into the water. The old man said, “I asked for just one copy, but you bestowed three. As a result, I have been promoted several ranks.” Then he departed.

The Lord is the deity of Dongting Lake. His temple stands at Longdui. According to legend, a scholar named Liu Yi, who had failed the imperial examinations during the reign of Emperor Zhongzong of Tang, was returning to his hometown when he reached Jingyang and met a shepherdess. She told him, “I am the younger daughter of the Lord of Dongting. After I married the second son of the Lord of Jingchuan, a maidservant deceived me and I was cast aside, reduced to this plight. I would ask you to carry a letter back for me.” Liu Yi demurred, saying he did not know where to deliver it. She replied, “On the northern shore of Dongting Lake there is a large orange tree. Knock on it three times, and someone will answer.”

Liu Yi followed her instructions. A burly man emerged through the water and led him into the lake. At the Lingxu Hall, Liu Yi took out the letter and handed it to the Lord of Dongting. The Lord wept and said, “It was my fault that my frail daughter had to suffer.” A short while later, a red dragon flew away. Soon, a figure returned surrounded by a glow of red light: the very woman to whom Liu Yi had delivered the letter. The Lord of Dongting hosted Liu Yi at a banquet in the Biyun Palace. The Lord’s younger brother, named Qiantang, said to Liu Yi, “Jingyang cast this woman aside. I would like to entrust her to you, so that you may marry.” Liu Yi dared not accept and took his leave. Later, he married a woman surnamed Lu. She was the Dragon Maiden, and the two returned together to Dongting.

The Xiang Lord

According to the Classic of Mountains and Seas, two daughters of the Emperor lived on Dongting Mountain. Legend has it that when Shun died in the region of Cangwu during his southern tour, his two consorts failed to reach him in time and later drowned between the Yuan and Xiang rivers. People built temples for them, and they came to be known as the “Xiang Lords.” There are temples to the Xiang Lords at the mouth of Dongting Lake and on Junshan.

Long ago, when Qin Shi Huang crossed the river during his southern tour, a great wind arose. He asked what kind of spirits the Xiang Lords were. A court scholar replied, “They were the daughters of Yao and the consorts of Shun.” Qin Shi Huang grew angry and ordered the trees on the mountain cut down, leaving its slopes bare. In the Tang dynasty, Han Yu erected a stele there. Li Bai wrote in a poem: “The Emperor’s daughters went to the Xiao and Xiang, and never returned; only autumn grass remains beside Dongting. Lightly brushed, the clear lake opens like a jade mirror; painted in colors, the scene is Junshan.” Liu Yuxi wrote: “The lake’s light and the autumn waters blend together; with no wind on its surface, the pool seems like a mirror newly polished.”

Seen from afar, Dongting Mountain is a lush green, like a green snail set amid heaps of silvery snow.

The Old Mother of Chaohu

According to the Qingsuo Gaodie, one day in ancient Chao the river suddenly swelled, then soon receded into its former channel. A gigantic fish weighing ten thousand jin lay in a ravine. It died three days later, and everyone in the whole prefecture ate its flesh. Only one kind-hearted old woman refused to eat it.

Suddenly, an old man told her, “That was my son. He met with this misfortune. Since you did not eat his flesh, I will repay you generously. When the stone tortoise at the eastern gate turns red around the eyes, the city is about to fall.” The old woman went to check every day. A child played a trick on her, painting the stone tortoise’s eyes red with cinnabar. When she saw this, the old woman hurriedly fled to the mountain. Soon afterward, the city fell and became a lake: this was Chaohu. Later, people built a temple on Gushan Island in the lake to worship the Old Mother. All who sailed past would pay their respects. A poem by Luo Yin contains the lines: “I ask about the events of that year, when the waters swallowed the city; / Already thousands of years have passed since the Qin and Han.”

The Lake Deity of Guanting

The lake deity had no known name and often manifested around Gongting Lake in Nankang Prefecture. When the deity appeared, dark clouds covered the sky and its voice surged like rushing tides. It could also divide the winds, preventing boats to the north and south from sailing with a favorable wind. The deity could part the waves as well, as though entering the sea with a numinous rhinoceros horn in hand—a legendary object said to part the waters.

The prefectural governor revered the lake deity, but also feared it might endanger boats. He therefore built a shrine beside Gongting Lake and offered sacrifices there at fixed times each year. When people made requests, the deity’s responses came true, and boatmen from near and far relied on its protection. When the Song-dynasty poet Qin Guan lived by the lake at Xizhu Pavilion, he dreamed that the lake deity presented him with a poem:

“I wonder whether spending the night on the waters of Fenfeng Inlet

Can compare with sleeping peacefully at Xizhu Pavilion on an autumn night.

I hear that your writing is unsurpassed beneath heaven;

With Mount Lu before you, what more need be said?”

The Immortals of Jiuli Lake

There were nine brothers of the He family, though the period in which they lived is unknown. They cultivated the Dao in the mountains northeast of Xianyou County, and the mountain came to be called Jiuxian Mountain. They also lived by a lake, where they refined elixirs. When the elixirs were ready, each of the nine mounted a red-colored immortal …

The nine brothers of the He family lived in an era that can no longer be established. They practiced the Dao in the mountains northeast of Xianyou County, and so the mountain came to be called “Nine Immortals Mountain.” Later, they settled beside a lake and refined elixirs. Once the elixirs were complete, each brother rode away on a red carp, and the lake was therefore called “Nine Carp Lake.” A temple stands beside it, and is said to be remarkably efficacious.

In years when the great imperial examinations were held, scholars from the prefecture would come here to seek omens in dreams, like Cao Cao and Cai Yong, who also believed in such omens. Huang Mengliang of the present dynasty, moved by this custom, wrote a seven-character regulated verse to record it:

The men have ascended to immortality, and the carps have become dragons; who built the Immortals’ Palace above the lake?

A pill furnace remains on the rock, with water murmuring past; clouds veil the jade towers in an ethereal scene.

The azure crow, a legendary sacred bird, comes and goes, still reflected in the night moon;

The blue peach blossoms bloom and fall, accompanied by the spring wind.

This journey is not to seek a dream omen like Deng Sheng’s, but to meet the Stone Lord on that bridge.

Sea deity refers to Hai Ruo, the sea god of ancient legend. According to the story, Qin Shi Huang built a stone bridge so he could cross the sea and watch the sunrise. The sea deity then commanded the stones to build the bridge. When Qin Shi Huang asked to meet him, the sea deity said, “Do not try to see clearly what I look like.” Qin Shi Huang agreed. At their meeting, however, people skilled in painting who stood nearby drew the sea deity’s entire appearance. Angered, the sea deity said, “The emperor has broken his promise. Leave at once!” There is now a temple to the sea deity in Wendeng County.

Tide deity refers to Wu Zixu. People say that he appears with the tide, riding in a white carriage and on a white horse.

Water deities refers to Yuqiang and the River Earl.

Wave deity refers to Chuanhou.

Mr. Kuangfu of Mount Lu was surnamed Kuang, named Xu, and styled Junping. He was from southern Chu and was known as Mr. Kuangfu. Naturally intelligent and possessed of a spiritual gift, he showed a desire to transcend the mundane world even as a child.

This gentleman’s surname was Kuang, his given name Xu, and his courtesy name Junping. He was from Nan Chu and was known as “Master Kuangfu.” Naturally intelligent and gifted, he showed an early inclination to leave worldly life behind. During the reign of King Wu of Zhou, he became a disciple of Lao Pin and learned the Way of longevity. He then built a thatched hut by Tiger Creek on Mount Nanzhang and lived there in seclusion. The hut was empty except for a couch and a few bamboo manuscripts. King Wu summoned him to leave the mountain many times, but he never answered the call. Later, he met a youth who taught him the secret methods of the immortals, and through these he attained the Dao.

When Emperor Wu of Han toured the south, he climbed Mount Tianzhu to make offerings and once paid his respects to Master Kuang from afar. Later, after shooting and killing a flood dragon in the Xunyang River, Emperor Wu enfeoffed Master Kuang as “Illustrious Duke of the Southern Pole” and ordered a shrine built beside his former home at Tiger Creek. The prefectural governor, Heng Yi, later moved the shrine to the mountain entrance. Whenever the area suffered disasters such as drought, floods, or epidemics, people prayed to him and were said to receive responses.

The Mountain Deity of Mount Suling

The shrine to the Mountain Deity of Mount Suling stands on Mount Lumen, southeast of Xiangyang Prefecture. Records say that when Emperor Guangwu of Han was at Lqiu, he dreamed that a deity came to pay him a visit. The deity wore white robes and feathered garments, a plain headcloth, and a black sash. The emperor asked which deity he was, and the figure replied, “I am the Mountain Deity of Mount Suling.” He then listed several things, one by one, and departed when he had finished.

At the time, the attendant Xiyu was traveling with the emperor. The next day, Emperor Guangwu told Xiyu what he had seen in his dream. Xiyu said that he had had the same dream, with every detail exactly matching. Later, Emperor Guangwu enfeoffed Xiyu as Marquis of Xiangyang and ordered him to build a shrine to the mountain deity. He also had two stone deer set up on either side of the sacred avenue before the shrine. The people consequently called it “Lumen Temple,” and stories spread of the shrine’s striking supernatural manifestations.

The Tang poet Meng Haoran once wrote: “Gradually we come to Mount Lumen; the mountain’s colors are clear and bright, and its green slopes look pale and delicate. I once heard that Pang Degong went up the mountain to gather herbs and never returned. The traces of his seclusion are still here, but the lofty spirit he embodied has long since passed from us.”

The Mountain Deity of Xinluo

The shrine to the Mountain Deity of Xinluo stands in the Tingzhou area of Fuzhou. Tingzhou was originally Xinluo County during the Jin dynasty.

Fuzhou Tingzhou has a shrine to a deity. Tingzhou was originally Xinluo County during the Jin dynasty; it was only in the Tang dynasty that it began to be named “Ting.” The Universal Geography records that toward the end of the Kaiyuan era, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Sun Fengxian, the magistrate of Xinluo County, was sitting in his office in broad daylight when he saw a spirit. The spirit said, “I am the mountain god of Xinluo. I have come to ask the prefect for an ox to sacrifice and enjoy.” Sun Fengxian asked to offer a sheep and a pig in place of the ox. The spirit grew angry, and an epidemic then spread widely; Sun Fengxian also fell ill and died. Later, someone wrote this poem:

The cliffs of Xinluo Mountain rise steep and sheer; spirits and demons dwell together, and a grotto heaven appears.

A sheep and a pig stand beside the hollowed wine vessel; floating clouds come in dreams, and are not worth begrudging.

The God of Shemu Mountain

Shemu Mountain lies in Yangchun County, Zhaoqing Prefecture. A cloud spirit, a legendary mountain deity, dwells there: when clouds and mist cover the summit, rain falls; when they clear, the weather turns fair. On the mountain’s southern slope stands a shrine to the God of Shemu Mountain. The Han court bestowed on this deity the title “Marquis of Abundant Blessings,” and its miraculous deeds were especially renowned. Local people worshipped it for generations. When calamities such as droughts, floods, or epidemics struck, their prayers were often answered.

According to an old account, a man surnamed Li from Jiangnan had no son. One night, he dreamed that the deity had taken birth in his household and become his descendant, so he named the child Li Fu. Li Fu later passed the jinshi examination and rose through official ranks to become prefect of Chunzhou. As he set out to take up his post, he bade farewell to his mother, saying, “I fear I will not return from this journey.” When he reached Chunzhou, he went to pay his respects at the shrine on Shemu Mountain. Seeing the shrine gate, he felt he had seen the place before. Not long afterward, he died.

After Li Fu was born, worship at the shrine ceased; after his death, the shrine’s miraculous power returned. People therefore believed that when Li Fu was born, the deity had appeared in the human world. Chunzhou in the Tang dynasty is today’s Yangchun County.

Wan Hui, honored as Duke of the State; Marshal Zhao and Marshal Peng; Marquis Runze, Marquis Weiji, and Marquis Lingzhen; Lord Cui, General Fubo, and Commander Mi; Prefect Song, Magistrate Gan, and Magistrate Lu; Lord Jiang of Hangzhou, Lord of Haoli, and General Zu; Hua Qing, the spirit of Mount Hua, the incense worship of the Nie family; and Emperor Zhuangwu Jiang.

Emperor Zhuangwu Jiang

The general of Jiankang Prefecture, Emperor Zhuangwu Jiang, was named Ziwen and came from Yangzhou. At the end of the Han dynasty, he served as a county lieutenant in Moling. While pursuing bandits to the foot of Mount Zhong, he injured his forehead and died.

Early in the reign of Lord Wu, one of Ziwen’s former subordinates saw him on the road. Ziwen rode a white horse and held a white-feather fan, with attendants just as he had had in life. The former subordinate was terrified and turned to flee. Ziwen caught up with him and said, “I will become the local earth god here and protect the people. You should build a temple for me. If you do not, I will send insects into people’s ears and bring disaster.”

The ruler of Wu dismissed this as demonic talk. But soon a strange illness caused by insects entering people’s ears broke out, and many died. Those responsible for ritual offerings and spirit rites could not cure it. Ziwen said again, “If you do not make offerings to me, there will be a great fire.” That year, fires indeed broke out repeatedly. He then said, “If you do not make offerings to me, there will be a great epidemic.” The ruler of Wu became deeply worried, so he bestowed on Ziwen the title Marquis of Zhongdu, granted him a seal and ribbon, and built a temple at the foot of Mount Zhong. The mountain was also renamed Mount Jiang to proclaim his miraculous power.

During Su Jun’s rebellion in the Jin dynasty, the emperor dreamed that Marquis Jiang said, “Su Jun is in revolt. I will help you put him down.” Su Jun was later executed, and Marquis Jiang was further honored with the title Chancellor of State.

During the Taiyuan era, Fu Jian of Former Qin invaded. From afar, he saw the Jin army arranged in orderly ranks. He also saw the vegetation on Mount Bagong, which all seemed to take human form, and was seized with fear. Earlier, when Sima Daozi, Prince of Kuaiji, heard that Fu Jian was advancing, he had assembled a ceremonial procession and musicians, then gone to Mount Jiang to pray for the deity’s aid. When Fu Jian looked out at the scene, it seemed as if divine forces were helping the Jin army.

In the second year of the Yongchu era under Emperor Gao of the Song, the court issued an edict prohibiting popular shrine worship that did not conform to ritual norms. The rites for Jiang Ziwen and others were also abolished. Later, the court further honored Jiang Ziwen with the titles Chancellor of State and Grand Commander of All Military Affairs, Both Within and Beyond the Court, and enfeoffed him as Prince of Jiang.

During the Yongming era of the Qi dynasty, when Cui Huijing rebelled, the court welcomed the deity Jiang into the imperial city to pray for protection. After the rebellion was suppressed, his divine title was elevated again. The temple was also renovated: its main gate was called the Gate of Divine Radiance, its middle gate the Gate of Flourishing Goodness, its outer hall the Imperial Mountain, and its inner hall the Divine Abode.

Emperor Wu of Liang once made offerings to the deity Jiang but received no response, so he sent someone to burn down the temple. Before the envoy had gone halfway, a violent storm suddenly broke out, shaking the palace buildings. Emperor Wu was frightened and made offerings again; only then did the storm stop.

Under the Southern Tang, the deity Jiang was honored as Emperor Zhuangwu, and the temple was renovated once more. Xu Xuan was commissioned to compose an inscription recording the related events in detail. The temple later suffered a fire, but was rebuilt and expanded several times. The court bestowed on it the name “Benevolent and Illustrious.” In the twentieth year of the Hongwu era of the Ming, the temple was moved to the southern side of Mount Yingwu, and Liu Sanwu was commissioned to write its account. Local people call it one of the “Ten Temples.”

Emperor Wulie of Changzhou (the Wulie Emperor worshipped locally in Changzhou)

The Loyal and Blessed Great Emperor Wulie, surnamed Chen and named Guoren, with the courtesy name Zhiwei, was from Jinling in Changzhou. His grandfather, Chen Song, served the Chen dynasty as a Palace Guard officer, while his father, Chen Jiming, held the post of Gentleman of the Palace Secretariat, an official responsible for attending the ruler and offering remonstrance.

Chen Guoren was born at noon on the fifteenth day of the third month in the second year of Taiqing under the Liang (548). Handsome and striking in appearance, he had a skull raised like the legs of a cauldron and unusual bone structure. Everyone thought him extraordinary. He could write essays at eight and had read widely in the histories by thirteen. In the first year of Tiankang under Emperor Taidi of Chen (566), he passed the civil service examination at the age of eighteen, answering policy questions on the palace steps. He was then appointed Investigating Censor and later promoted to Regional Inspection Commissioner for Jiangxi Circuit.

Chen Guoren was exceptionally wise and courageous, and well versed in military strategy. During his twenty-five years in Chen service, his filial piety, loyalty, and virtue benefited the people, and his reputation for authority spread far and wide. After the Sui dynasty was founded, he did not take office. When Emperor Yang of Sui made a southern tour to Jiangdu, bandits rose across the region. Having heard of Chen Guoren’s reputation, the emperor issued an order appointing him to suppress them. Believing he could not refuse when the people needed relief from harm, Chen accepted the command and set out.

In the fifth year of Daye (609), he was appointed Commandant of Righteous Service. After suppressing a rebellion in the Changbai Mountains area, he was promoted to Grand Master for Court Audiences. He later put down an army of one hundred thousand rebels led by Le Botong in Jiangning and was awarded the title Grand Master of the Silver Seal and Blue Ribbon. He then suppressed a force of two hundred thousand bandits led by Lou Shigan in Dongyang, after which he entered the capital to serve as Grand Minister of Works.

Near the end of the Sui dynasty, Shen Faxing raised an army in Wuxing and sought to seize Changzhou Commandery. Though harboring evil designs, he pretended to be Chen Guoren’s ally. At the time, the bandit leader Li Zitong had gathered tens of thousands of men and stationed them north of the Yangtze, secretly coordinating with Shen Faxing. Yet he feared Chen Guoren’s might and dared not cross the river.

On the eighteenth day of the fifth month in the second year of Wude under Emperor Gaozu of Tang (619), Shen Faxing feigned illness and hurriedly sent for Chen Guoren. With no choice but to go and visit him, Chen was poisoned while drinking at the banquet. He rushed home and immediately summoned the eminent monk Lin, renowned for his medical skill, to treat him. According to the medical practice of the time, the intestines and stomach had to be washed with water in a secluded, unoccupied place to expel the poison. Chen Guoren’s wife, Lady Shen, secretly watched from beside a pond and touched something connected with the treatment. Realizing there was no hope of saving him, Chen entrusted Lin and his consorts Han and Zhang with his wishes: he would donate his residence and the granary to the south to build a monastic retreat, and convert the eastern residence into the Chongshi Monastery. After giving these instructions, he died at the age of seventy-two.

When Shen Faxing heard that Chen Guoren had died, he thought he had succeeded. But Chen Guoren’s numinous spirit seemed still to be present, and his loyal and heroic presence became even more manifest. One day, as dark clouds filled the sky and wind and rain plunged everything into gloom, Chen Guoren suddenly appeared in a majestic form and shot a divine arrow that killed Shen Faxing. The bandits scattered as a result. This account of Chen Guoren’s supernatural appearance and the killing of Shen Faxing conveys his numinous power in protecting the state and its people.

An emperor of the Tang dynasty once erected a stele in his honor and posthumously conferred on him the title King of Blessing and Favor, Wulie. The Later Zhou dynasty later elevated him to the rank of emperor. In the fourth year of Xuanhe under Emperor Huizong of Song (1122), the court granted his temple the plaque “Blessing and Favor.”

The empress of the Great Emperor Wu Lie Xian Ling Zhao De was Empress Shen of Wu Lie. Another empress was Lady Zhang, titled “Han Hou Zan You.” The god’s father was enfeoffed as Marquis Qi Ling, and his mother, Lady Duan, was titled Lady Yi De. His stepmother, Lady Yi, was titled Lady Jia De. The Zhou dynasty later granted him an imperial title, and in the fourth year of the Xuanhe era under Emperor Huizong of the Song, his temple was given the name “Fu Shun.”

The god’s son was enfeoffed as Marquis Zan Hui Ji Mei, and his second son as Marquis Xie Ying Ji Shun. His grandson was a chushi, a person who had not entered official service.

The Purple Grand Commandant who assisted the deity was named Ke Hong and was titled General Lan Ling. There is also a record of the “Five Ministers of Yangzhou.”

In Yangzhou there were five gods of manifesting spiritual power and service, surnamed Mao, Xu, Zhu, Jiang, and Hao. They became sworn brothers while living in Yangzhou and enjoyed hunting. In former times, tigers and wolves were numerous in the area, and the people were often harmed by them.

One day, the five encountered an elderly woman beside a mountain stream and went over to speak with her. She said she had no family or friends and usually relied on the stream water to stave off hunger. The five invited her to their home, gave her a place to stay, and honored her as their mother, caring for her for some time.

Later, when they returned from a hunt one day and found that their mother was missing, they searched everywhere for her. At that time, tigers often stalked them, so they joined forces and pursued them vigorously. A tiger came toward them in the mountains, then lay down on the ground as if willingly submitting. From then on, the tiger attacks ceased.

In gratitude for the five gods’ virtue and loyalty, later generations built a temple and made offerings to them. When people prayed for something, their requests were often answered at once. The temple now stands east of Mount Jinkui, in Dongxing Township, Jiangdu County. During the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui, the five gods once protected the imperial progress and were granted the title “Situ.” In the Tang dynasty, they were further ennobled as marquises.

In the xinchou year of the Shaoding era under Emperor Lizong of the Song, the rebel Li Quan repeatedly invaded the area. The people prayed to the gods and divined an inauspicious outcome, so they cut the statues. Within three days, Li Quan was killed at Xintang, his limbs scattered in every direction—a fate strikingly like the injuries he had inflicted on the statues. After the rebellion was put down, the local official Zhao Fan personally led his subordinates to the temple to offer sacrifices and give thanks to the gods. He expanded the temple, recorded their unseen assistance in battle, and petitioned the court to grant them honors. The court bestowed the temple plaque “Yingxian” (“Manifest Spiritual Power”) and further ennobled the five gods as marquises.

Later, when Grand Councilor Jia Sidao took office in the area, he prayed to the gods: when he sought rain during a drought, rain fell; when he feared that days of continuous rain would cause flooding, the skies cleared; when he prayed for a fire to be extinguished, the flames died down; and when he hoped for snow, his wish was answered auspiciously. The scripture says that the five gods protect the state and bring peace to the people, manifesting their power time and again. Jia Sidao also petitioned the court to grant them royal titles: the first was named “King Lingwei Zhonghui Lanshun,” the second “King Lingying Zhongli Fushun,” the third “King Lingzhu Zhongwei Zuoshun,” the fourth “King Lingyou Zhongji Zhushun,” and the fifth “King Lingyong Zhonglie Chuxiang.”

The Hegemon-King of Western Chu

The Hegemon-King of Western Chu refers to Xiang Yu. His temple lies forty li northeast of Hezhou. According to legend, the Wu River is where he once failed to cross. The mountain is not high, and its vegetation is dense, yet it carries a grim, desolate air that makes people afraid to approach. The temple keeper built a thatched hut at the foot of the mountain, but still dared not go near the temple.

According to an old account, the temple originally faced the river, and boats often ran aground there. Later, a passerby comforted Xiang Yu by saying, “The Han house now belongs to someone else.” After that, the temple gate changed its orientation.

During the Shaoxing era of the Song dynasty, the Jin ruler Wanyan Liang intended to cross the river. He sought an oracle at the temple, but received no favorable answer. In anger, he ordered the temple burned. Before long, a large snake appeared in the distance. The woods behind the temple and its roof beams roared like drums, as if thousands of soldiers were shouting. Wanyan Liang was terrified, and his attendants fled in panic.

Xu Biao wrote this poem:

There is no need to grieve in vain over centuries of rise and fall;

The Han dynasty’s achievements now lie among desolate ruins.

Only the grasses of Consort Yu remain in the fields,

Seeming to dance on in the spring breeze, long and unceasing.

The Benevolent and Brave King Wu’an, Born on the Thirteenth Day of the Fifth Month

The Benevolent and Brave King Wu’an was surnamed Guan, named Yu, and styled Yunchang. He was from Jie Liang in Puzhou. At the end of the Eastern Han dynasty, he and Zhang Fei of Zhuo Commandery assisted Liu Bei in raising an army against the disorder of the times. Later, Liu Bei visited the thatched cottage on Wolong Ridge in Nanyang three times to invite Zhuge Liang to serve him. Zhuge Liang helped Liu Bei divide the realm and establish the kingdom of Shu.

Liu Bei appointed Guan Yu to defend Jingzhou. Later, Lü Meng laid a scheme, and Guan Yu refused to submit; in the end, he was killed. The court posthumously granted him the title of Grand General, and his remains were buried on Mount Yuquan. The local people remembered his kindness and offered sacrifices each year at the appointed time. Because legend held that he protected the state and brought peace to its people, the temple was bestowed the name “Benevolent and Brave King Wu’an.” Emperor Huizong of the Song later further honored him with the title “Perfected Lord of the Way of Chongning.”

King of Lingling

The King of Lingling was surnamed Tang, named Shiyu, and styled Changtu. He was originally from Lingling.

Tang Shiyu, courtesy name Changtu, was a native of Lingling. His family had lived for generations at Long Cave, southwest of Yongzhou Prefecture. During the reign of Emperor Zhaozong of Tang, bandits rose up, and Tang Shiyu organized local troops to defend the community. Liu Jianfeng appointed him prefect of Yongzhou. In the early Guanghua era, Ma Yin attacked Yongzhou again. Tang Shiyu refused to yield even at the cost of his life and was ultimately killed in battle.

Later, people heard the sound of drums and gongs coming from the cave, and witnessed strange manifestations there by day on several occasions. Once, a piece of wood floated out of the cave and came to rest at Shike Peak. People returned it to the river, but the next morning it had floated back. This happened several times. During a drought, people prayed to the deity for rain, and rain soon fell. They carved the piece of wood into a divine image and offered it worship. Today, temples to him stand south of the prefectural city and at Shijing Bank, and he is said to be remarkably responsive to prayers. The Ma regime of Hunan enfeoffed him as a king, and the Song dynasty later bestowed further titles on him several times.

King Huiying

King Huiying’s surname was Ouyang and his given name was You. He once served as governor of Wenling. While traveling by boat on the Daqian River in Shaowu, he drowned. Later, people built a temple to worship him at Daqian, believing that he manifested in wondrous ways. When droughts or floods occurred, people prayed to him and often received a swift response.

According to the Record of Dreams at the Shrine, Li Gang of the Song dynasty once visited the temple to pay his respects. In a dream, the deity received him and invited him to take the seat of honor, but Li Gang firmly declined. The deity said, “In the future, I will still rely on you to preside over great affairs.” Li Gang later did indeed become chancellor. When the deity received an additional title, Li Gang also took part in signing the edict.

When Ye Zuqia went to the capital to sit the provincial examinations, he dreamed that the deity placed a piece of dog meat on a table and told him to eat it, then pointed to a bundle of bamboo beneath the hall. At the time, he did not understand what this meant. The following year, he passed the examinations as the top candidate and only then grasped the meaning: a piece of dog meat placed on a table alluded to “top candidate,” while the bamboo alluded to “policy essay.” There are many other accounts of such efficacious manifestations. Today, the temple is called the Huiying Temple.

King Weihuixiansheng

The deity’s surname was Wu, and his given name was Yuan.

The deity’s surname is Wu, his personal name is Yuan, and his courtesy name is Zixu. He was the son of Wu She, a high official of the state of Chu. King Ping of Chu believed slanderous rumors and killed Wu Zixu’s father, Wu She, and his elder brother, Wu Shang. Wu Zixu fled to the state of Wu and explained to its king the advantages of attacking Chu. Wu and Chu went to war, and the Wu army duly won, then advanced into Ying, the capital of Chu. Wu Zixu had King Ping’s tomb opened and struck his corpse three hundred times.

Later, Wu attacked the state of Yue. King Goujian of Yue withdrew to Kuaiji and asked to become a servant of the king of Wu. The king agreed, but Wu Zixu urged him to refuse. The king would not listen. Grand Steward Pi supported Wu Zixu’s advice, so the king gave Wu Zixu a Shu Lou sword and ordered him to kill himself. Before dying, Wu Zixu said, “I fear the state of Wu will be destroyed.” When the king heard this, he flew into a rage, placed Wu Zixu’s body in a leather sack, and cast it into the river. The people of Wu mourned him and built a shrine for him by the river, giving it the temple title “King of Awe, Blessing, Manifestation, and Sainthood.”

Great King of Jinshan

The Great King of Jinshan’s surname was Huo and his personal name was Guang. He was a great general of the Han dynasty. The Records of Local Anecdotes (Qijiu zhuan, a text recording old local accounts) says that when Sun Hao, ruler of Wu, fell ill, he was so restless and agitated that he could not control himself. He ordered his officials to visit and pray at sacred shrines and renowned temples in various places, but received no response.

One day, at the fifth watch, just before dawn, a deity appeared in a dream to a young palace eunuch responsible for conveying messages and said, “The illness will pass; the illness will pass.” The spirit medium in charge of divination and sacrifice asked him, “Which deity are you, and what do you govern? Why have you come to foretell good or ill fortune?” The spirit replied, “I am Huo Guang of the Han dynasty. The areas around Jinshan and Xianhai are often afflicted by winds and tides. I will lead my subordinates in guarding that region, and have come especially to report an auspicious sign to the emperor.” The next day, Sun Hao’s illness did indeed abate. People then built a temple to Huo Guang east of the county seat of Haiyan County in Jiaxing, giving it the temple plaque “Manifest Loyalty.” Among the people he was known as the “Great King of Jinshan.”

Duke Wanjiong of Jiuguo

Wan Huigong, known as “a native of Zhouque Township,” was surnamed Zhang. He was born on the fifth day of the fifth month in the sixth year of the Zhenguan era of the Tang dynasty (632). He was born with an intellectual disability and did not speak until he was eight or nine. In daily life, he would let out long cries and behave without restraint, as if mad; the people of his village could never make sense of him.

One day, he asked his family to sweep the courtyard, saying that an honored guest would visit. That same day, the Buddhist monk Xuanzang, who had returned from the Western Regions, came to see Wan Huigong. Wan Huigong asked him about India’s customs and landscapes, describing them as though he had seen them with his own eyes. Xuanzang was deeply impressed, bowed to him, and acknowledged his insight.

Wan Huigong had an older brother named Wannian. After their father went on campaign in Liaodong, their mother, Lady Cheng, longed for her husband and wanted news of him. Wan Huigong said it would be easy to find out. After taking leave of his mother, he set out and returned that same evening. When he brought back a letter, the neighbors were astonished. A divine guard named Chongyan also accompanied him.

In the fourth year of the Xianheng era (673), Emperor Gaozong of Tang summoned Wan Huigong, but he did not answer the summons. Empress Wu, however, bestowed on him a brocade robe and a jade belt. On the eighth day of the twelfth month in the second year of the Jingyun era (711), Wan Huigong died in Chang’an at the age of eighty. At the time, an extraordinary fragrance filled the air. In the Song dynasty, he was posthumously granted the title Minister of Works and the honorific title “Duke of the State.”

Marshal Zhao, one of Daoism’s protective deities, was born on the fifteenth day of the third month.

Zhao Gongming’s surname was Zhao and his personal name was Gongming. He came from Zhongnan Mountain. From the Qin dynasty onward, he lived in seclusion in the mountains, devoting himself to cultivating the Great Dao. After his practice bore fruit, by decree of the Jade Emperor he was summoned to serve as deputy marshal of the Divine Empyrean.

The scripture says that the Marshal emerged from “the luminous court, the empyrean expanse, the heaven of wisdom and awakening, the dark Brahma realm of transformation,” and dwells in the Qian position. This signifies Metal and Water joined together, appearing as black. He wears an iron crown and holds an iron whip, symbols of Metal and Water in union. His dark face and beard signify the North, whose color is black; his tiger mount signifies Metal. The scripture also describes his image and role as “Metal within Water”: he displays his might through thunder. Mount Taihua’s Western Terrace is his residence, while the Golden Wheel symbolizes the West, which belongs to Metal.

By command of the Heavenly Gate, the Marshal carries out affairs across the Three Realms, inspecting the Five Directions and overseeing the Nine Provinces. He serves as Grand General Who Attends the Hall and Censor Attendant of the Northern Pole. When the Celestial Master Zu of the Han dynasty was cultivating the Great Elixir, dragon spirits petitioned the Heavenly Emperor to send fierce divine officers to protect him. The Marshal therefore received the Jade Emperor’s decree and was invested with the title “Zhao Marshal of the Mysterious Altar of Orthodox Unity.” “Orthodox” means that evil spirits cannot intrude; “Unity” means single-mindedness without admixture. This is a weighty office. After the Celestial Master ascended, Zhao Marshal guarded the sacred mountains of Longhu for a long time. Today, when rites of ordination and transmission are conducted at the altars of the Three Origins, he governs rewards and punishments for all who do good and earn merit, repent their faults, or stubbornly refuse to change. For this reason, the Mysterious Altar of Longhu is regarded as a divine office that administers rewards and punishments.

The Marshal’s subordinates include the Eight Fierce Kings and Generals, corresponding to the Eight Trigrams; the Six Poisonous Great Gods, corresponding to the Celestial Sha, Terrestrial Sha, Year Sha, Month Sha, Day Sha, and Hour Sha; the Thunder Gods of the Five Directions and the fierce troops of the Five Directions, corresponding to the Five Phases; and twenty-eight generals corresponding to the twenty-eight lunar mansions. The Generals of Heaven and Earth symbolize the opening and closing of Heaven’s Gate and Earth’s Portal. The Generals of the Water and Fire Camps symbolize the cycle of spring’s growth and autumn’s reaping.

Driving thunder, raising clouds and bringing rain, summoning wind, dispelling epidemics and evil spirits, protecting the sick, and averting calamities are all among the Marshal’s important duties. When a just legal case is being suppressed, he can bring about its resolution. He can also help ensure success and harmony for those seeking wealth through fair trade. People may pray to the gods for any rightful matter.

The scripture concludes by listing Zhao Marshal’s many honorific titles: Holy Lord of the First Firmament; Great Commander-in-Chief of the Jade Office of the High Divine Empyrean; Inspector of the Five Directions; Chief Overseer of the Community Altars of the Nine Provinces; Grand General Who Attends the Hall; Leader of Thunder; Deputy Marshal and Censor Attendant of the Northern Pole; Great Commander-in-Chief of the Three Realms; Marquis of Manifested Primordial Radiance and Heroic Power; Controller of Earth and Settler of Destinies; Director of the Encampment; Commander-in-Chief of the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions; Mysterious Altar of Orthodox Unity of the Upper Clarity; and Zhao Marshal of the Flying Tiger, Golden Wheel, and Powerful Dharma.

Marshal Peng

Marshal Peng’s surname was Peng, and his given name was Tingjian. He once served as magistrate of Chong’an County. When putting down bandits, he swept through them with irresistible force. For his military achievements, during the Zhizheng era of the Yuan dynasty he was gradually promoted to deputy commander-in-chief of the Fujian Pacification Commission. At that time, bandits were causing unrest in one place after another, and Peng Tingjian subdued them all.

Later, his horse stumbled and he met with disaster: bandits wounded him with their blades. His body stood rigidly upright and did not fall. His eyes gazed upward, while his beard and hair streamed as if stirred by the wind. The bandits were afraid to approach him. After some time, order was restored, and his former subordinates sent his coffin back to Chong’an. The local people mourned and remembered him as though they had lost their parents. They built a shrine and made a statue in his honor, and generations continued to offer sacrifices there. Whenever drought, flooding, or epidemic disease struck, people hurried to pray to him, and the spirit soon answered their pleas. The people called him “Marshal Peng.” This belief later spread to neighboring counties, where the statues enshrined to him were also considered efficacious.

Marquis Runji

Marquis Runji was originally He Yuan, a general of the He Lu in the Northern Wei dynasty. He once led troops to camp at Mount Baibiao in Fenzhou. His soldiers were desperately thirsty, but they could find no water, and the troops grew fearful and unsettled. He Yuan dismounted at a certain spot, paid reverence to Heaven, and vowed to stake his life in his plea. Suddenly, his horse pawed at the ground, and a spring burst forth.

The spring flowed without interruption from then on, irrigating fields and bringing lasting benefit to local people. The villagers built a temple for him at the foot of Mount Baibiao, where his spiritual efficacy was especially renowned. The Song dynasty bestowed on the temple the name “Water Marsh” and granted him the title “Marquis Runji.” In the eleventh year of the Hongwu era of the Ming dynasty, the court further enfeoffed him as “Spirit of the Horse-Paw Spring on Mount Baibiao.” Local officials held sacrifices in spring and autumn.

Marquis Weiji

Marquis Weiji’s surname was Li, and his given name was Lu’an. The accounts of his spiritual efficacy around Mount Baibiao in Jizhou were especially renowned. The Song dynasty bestowed on the temple the name “Water Marsh” and granted the deity the title “Marquis Runji.” In the eleventh year of the Hongwu era of the Ming dynasty, the court enfeoffed him as “Spirit of the Horse-Paw Spring on Mount Baibiao,” and local officials held sacrifices in spring and autumn.

His surname was Li and his given name was Lu’an. He was from Tongzhuang in Changxing County, Jizhou. He was born on the jia-shen day, the eighteenth day of the first month in the third year of Chongning under Emperor Huizong of Song. As he grew up, his nature proved unusual: he was solemn and did not speak readily. When good or ill fortune was about to befall people in his village, he could often foresee it and warn them in advance.

At eighteen, in the third month of the third year of Xuanhe, he suddenly told his neighbors and fellow villagers, “I am going to Jiaoxi in Shandong to serve the state. I fear I will not return for several years.” Having said this, he sat upright and passed away. Later, he manifested his power many times in his home village, foretelling whether the year’s harvest would be abundant or poor and whether the early wheat crop would fare well or badly. His predictions were conveyed through spirit mediums and proved as exact as a seal matching its impression or a contract matching its counterpart, without the slightest error. The village elders therefore joined together to build a shrine where incense could be offered and sacrifices made. Emperor Ningzong bestowed on the temple the name “Manifest Response,” and Emperor Lizong conferred on him the title “Marquis of Awe-Inspiring Aid.”

Marquis Lingpai

Li Shan was from Sanyong in Weizhou. During the reign of Emperor Shizong of Later Zhou, he served as a military commander. Skilled in horsemanship and archery, he rendered meritorious service to the state. Later, when he became gravely ill, many people came to visit him. He said nothing else, telling them only, “I have been appointed General of Shanxi Qi River.” After speaking, he died. Later generations built a shrine for him here. During the Kaiyuan era of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, the court bestowed on him the title “General Lingpai.” In the eighth year of Dazhong Xiangfu under Emperor Zhenzong of Song, he was further granted the title “Marquis Lingpai.”

Lord Cui of the Prefecture

Cui Fujun, a deity revered by later generations, was a native of Gucheng in Qizhou. His father, Cui Rang, and his wife devoutly prayed for a child at a sacred mountain. That night, they both dreamed of an immortal boy holding a box. Cui Rang asked what was inside. The boy replied, “This is a gift bestowed on you by the Celestial Emperor. You and your wife are to take it.” He opened the box, revealing two pieces of fine jade. Each spouse swallowed one. When they awoke, the wife was pregnant. Ten months later, on the sixth day of the sixth month of the second year of the Daye era under the Sui, she gave birth to a son. His appearance was striking, unlike that of ordinary people. As a child, he studied under a teacher and could recite more than a thousand characters each day. He never joined his companions in play, so he was given the name Ziyu.

In the seventh year of the Zhenguan era under the Tang Taizong, the court issued an edict calling for worthy and capable men from across the realm to serve in the capital. Cui Fujun was among them. He was granted the qualification to serve as a county magistrate and was later appointed magistrate of Changzi County in Dizhou. He was upright and impartial, and his judgments were careful and perceptive. The local people said that by day the magistrate handled affairs among the living, while at night he heard cases in the underworld, where the dead were said to be tried.

At the beginning of the fifth month, he told the people that on the fifteenth and sixteenth days of that month they must not kill animals or hunt birds. Anyone who disobeyed would be punished both by the county authorities and in the underworld. Some people secretly left the city and shot a rabbit. When they returned, the gate officers searched them, discovered the rabbit, and brought them to the county office. Cui Fujun asked, “You knew the rule and broke it. Would you rather be punished here at the county office, or in the underworld?” They replied, “We would rather be punished in the underworld.” Thinking the journey there was far away, they paid little heed to the matter. Cui Fujun sent them home. That night, just after they had lain down, an official in yellow summoned them to a courtroom. They saw Magistrate Cui dressed in the robes and crown of the King of the Underworld, reviewing their offenses. According to their crimes, he ruled that some would lose years of life, some would suffer harm to their descendants, and some would have their official stipends reduced. He then ordered them home. When they awoke, they all found the experience astonishing.

One day, a gate officer reported that a fierce tiger was blocking the road at Penghuang Ridge and attacking people. Cui sent his subordinate Meng Wan with an official document to the mountain shrine to arrest the tiger. When the tiger emerged, it took the document in its mouth and followed the officer to the county office. Cui rebuked it: “You are a beast, yet you have taken human lives. What punishment do you deserve?” On hearing this, the tiger struck the steps and died. The people built a shrine to Cui while he was still alive, honoring his spiritual power.

In the seventeenth year of the Zhenguan era, Cui Fujun was promoted to magistrate of Ganyang County in Cizhou. He continued to handle affairs in the underworld and vindicated the two sons of an old man named Yang in a dispute over debts. Later, he became magistrate of Wei County in Weizhou, and went to take up his post with Old Man Yang. Five li southwest of the county there was a river that rose in summer, flooding and washing away the people’s fields. Cui set up an altar by the river, wrote a prayer, and petitioned the Celestial Emperor. Before long, a huge snake surfaced and died, and the river gradually subsided. The local people also built him a shrine while he was still alive.

One day, while Cui and Old Man Yang were playing chess, several messengers in yellow suddenly arrived, carrying an imperial mandate and saying that they had come on the Celestial Emperor’s orders. A ceremonial procession followed. Someone in it carried a jade tablet, wore a jade belt and purple robes, and the procession bore banners of the Five Sacred Mountains. More than a hundred others came to pay their respects, then stood to one side as music played on flutes, pipes, and strings. A divine being then led in a white horse. Cui Fujun asked everyone to wait a moment, then called his two sons and told them that he was about to leave this life and that they must not grieve too much. He wrote a hundred-character inscription to instruct them. His two sons wept and bade him farewell. After speaking, Cui Fujun died at the age of sixty-four.

Later, he rendered further service and was enfeoffed as Grand Administrator of Yuzhang. He understood the people’s likes and dislikes, appointed suitable officials and dismissed unsuitable ones, and governed with clarity, bringing peace to the people and achieving notable results. Afterward, he led troops in garrison around Pingxiang and died in battle during Wang Dun’s rebellion. Fifty li east of Pingxiang County stood a temple dedicated to him; according to legend, it marked the place where he died. Stories of his miraculous responses spread widely, and he became renowned in the region.

During the Song, the region suffered a severe drought, with no rain for several months. Repeated prayers by the authorities had no effect. The elders advised them to pray to Lord Gan. At first the prefect, Zu Wuze, was reluctant, but he eventually followed their advice, bathed and observed purification, then went to worship at the shrine. Afterward, torrential rain fell, and the people were blessed with a harvest. Successive generations continued to confer honorific titles on him. The present dynasty rebuilt the shrine, and the authorities made offerings there each spring and autumn.

Lord Lu

Lord Lu’s temple stands below Mianshi Mountain in Deqing Prefecture. It is said to be highly efficacious, and local people come there to pray for blessings and protection.

According to the Yijianzhi, when Lu Jia of the Han dynasty was sent on a mission to Nanyue, the king of Nanyue, Wei Tuo, once went boating with him. When their boat reached this place, Lu Jia prayed silently: “If I can persuade the king of Yue to acknowledge the emperor as his sovereign, I will wrap this stone in brocade and offer it to the mountain spirit in gratitude.” After returning from his mission, Lu Jia planted flowers and plants here at dusk as a substitute for the brocade, repaying the mountain spirit. People later built a temple and made offerings here because of this.

During the Song dynasty, a man named Liang Tai was traveling to the capital by boat and passed beneath the stone. That night he dreamed of a guest who introduced himself as “Lord Lu” and said, “I have been here, frustrated and unfulfilled, for more than a thousand years. Fortunately, you have come. I hope you will leave me a poem.” When Liang Tai awoke, he felt the encounter was extraordinary. He went to pay his respects at the temple, inscribed a poem on its wall, and departed.

Local elders pass down the story that Mianshi Mountain got its name because Lu Jia set up a splendid brocade tent here while on his mission to Nanyue. This account is recorded here as well.

Lord Jiang of Hangzhou

This deity’s surname was Jiang, and his family had lived in Hangzhou for generations. During the Jianyan era of the Song dynasty, he bought grain each year after the autumn harvest and stored it. When grain prices rose, he continued to sell it at the original, lower price. In years of poor harvest, he sometimes lowered the price further for those suffering from hunger.

As he lay dying, he told his two younger brothers, “You must keep a compassionate heart and do as much good as you can.” The people of his home district joined together to make a statue of him, in gratitude for his benevolence. His statue is said to be highly efficacious, and people come in an unending stream to pray and consult divination.

Early in the Xianchun era, the court bestowed the temple plaque “Vast Blessings.” In the sixth year of Xianchun, the pacification commissioner Qian Shuoyou petitioned the court to ennoble Lord Jiang and his two younger brothers as marquises. The first was given the title Marquis of Trustworthy Compliance, the second Marquis of Trustworthy Response, and the third Marquis of Trustworthy Protection.

Lord Zhao of Haoli

Lord Zhao of Haoli was from Haoli Village in Chang’an. His family had farmed for generations, making their living by cultivating the land. Lord Zhao later passed the imperial examinations. Upright and impartial, he submitted remonstrances to the throne many times, but his advice was never accepted. He then struck his head against the steps and died.

People in the commandery built a shrine for him. The shrine now stands twenty li west of Chang’an, with his tomb beside it. During the Yanhe era of Emperor Ruizong, the court conferred on him the title Marquis of Upright Service. Among the people, he is known as “Lord.”

General Zu

This general’s origins are unknown, and no definite name has been handed down. His temple stands alone in Jiujiang, where local people built a shrine to worship him. Today, his temple still stands twenty li west of Chang’an, with a tomb beside it. During the Yanhe era of Emperor Ruizong of the Tang, he was granted the title “Marquis of Upright Rank,” and among the people he was commonly called “Lord Chancellor.”

General Zu

General Zu’s origins are unknown, and no definite name has been handed down. His temple stands alone beside Jingxing Lake in Jiujiang. The statue inside is solemn, and the temple has long been regarded as exceptionally efficacious. Local residents and travelers passing by boat worship there with great care and reverence.

According to the collected works of Ouyang Zhan of the Tang dynasty, Yan Gong, a native of Lu, once served as governor of Huzhou. Huzhou produced stone suitable for carving steles. While transporting some of it back, he stopped his boat at Jiangzhou. A flood dragon and shellfish came to his aid, guiding the boat straight to the middle of the lake. There, dense woods and steep cliffs enclosed a beautiful landscape, and a shrine to General Zu stood among them. Yan Gong donated funds to build a pavilion, named it “Zu Pavilion,” and composed an inscription, which he carved into a stele to record the event.

Long ago, someone passing by General Zu’s temple wrote these lines:

Green mountains appear and disappear, seeming to have no end;

Green waters rise and fall, flowing to and fro.

Ask about the general’s deeds in years gone by,

But his bones lie buried somewhere near Dongting.

Hua Qing

Hua Qing’s surname was Hua and his given name was Jingding. He was originally from Chang’an. His temple is in Shuguan Town, Meizhou.

Records say that during the Zhide era of the Tang, Hua Jingding followed Cui Guangyuan into Shu. For his service in suppressing Duan Zizhang, he was enfeoffed as Duke of Jiaxiang County. Later, he fought fiercely against powerful bandits from the hour of Chen until the hour of You, and nearly all his men were wiped out. He fought on alone from horseback. Though his head had been cut off, he remained astride his horse, holding a long halberd. When he reached the town, he dismounted to wash his hands. A woman spinning silk happened to say, “How can you wash your hands without a head?” He immediately fell to the ground and died. Local residents buried him by a stream, and people of every later generation built temples to worship him, believing his spiritual signs to be strikingly evident.

Du Fu wrote:

In Chengdu there is a valiant general, Hua Qing;

Even children just learning to speak know his name.

He deploys his troops with the speed of hawks and magpies,

His force like wind and fire;

At the sight of the enemy he charges forward,

As though his body itself had grown light.

The Spirit of Mount Hua

There were three gods: Fuqiuxi, who lived during the Jin dynasty; his disciple Wang Bao; and another disciple, Guo Si. Together they were known as the “Three Immortals of the Canopy.” Their place of worship was at Mount Xianhua in Chongren County, Fuzhou. A tall shrine stood on the mountain, rising into the clouds. It was famous for the remarkable efficacy of its divine powers. When calamities, strange occurrences, illness, or epidemics arose, scholars and common people alike would go to the shrine to pray.

Those who came to pray would observe a fast beforehand. On the appointed day, they brought offerings such as incense and silk and proceeded in order. When someone arrived, the others made way; those leaving could only stand with their hands clasped at the roadside, not daring to breach the proper order. The sounds of prayer carried across the countryside. The scene was much like the rites performed by people who went to Mount Tai or Mount Taihe to pay their respects and pray.

An ancient poet once wrote:

Treading past spring stones beside a green mountain stream,

The water seems to pierce the vermilion caverns of the Immortals.

I ask again what Immortal Fuqiu is doing:

Why not head east and gaze upon the boundless fields?

The Nie Family’s Incense and Worship

The Nie family was renowned for its offerings of incense and worship. The family lived in Wangjiadu, Nanchang. It is said that the family had an elderly woman named Nie Shanggan, who was exceptionally kind and virtuous. A man well versed in fengshui once came and stayed at her home. She treated him with courtesy and was never neglectful of him. He once told her, “I will surely repay your family handsomely.”

Later, the man indeed showed the Nie family a burial site and told them to lay their ancestors to rest there. He also offered this blessing: “May your family have someone serving as an official in the underworld in every generation.” From then on, every generation of the Nie family had someone who became a numinous spirit and manifested miraculous responses. The people of the region came to worship them in great numbers.

The image of Nie the First Official wore official robes and looked like a living person. The images of Nie the Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Officials wore military attire and resembled armored warriors. There was also Nie the Ninth Attendant, the youngest of them, who became a god. Local people often referred to these gods collectively as “the Nie Family’s Incense and Worship.”

During the Kaiyuan era of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang dynasty, a Daoist named Lü Weng stopped to rest at a farmhouse north of E County. There he met a young man named Lu Sheng, who lamented his poverty and hardship. At the time, the host was cooking a pot of millet. Lü Weng handed Lu Sheng a pillow and said, “Rest your head on my pillow, and you can enjoy a life of riches and honor, with everything going your way.”

Lu Sheng rested his head on the pillow and fell asleep. He dreamed that he passed through an opening in the pillow and entered a house in the dream, where he married a beautiful woman of the Cui family. The following year, he passed the jinshi examination. He went on to hold a succession of official posts, eventually becoming Director of the Secretariat, and died at the age of eighty. When he woke, Lü Weng was still beside him, and the millet the host had been cooking had not yet finished.

Lu Sheng rose and thanked Lü Weng. “This is the method you used to dispel my desires,” he said. Later, people built a shrine to Lü Weng and made offerings to him. When floods, droughts, or epidemics struck, people prayed to him, and their prayers were answered.

The Huangniu Temple stands in Huangniu Gorge, west of Yiling Prefecture in Jingzhou. According to legend, the Yellow Ox spirit helped Yu the Great control the floods, earning merit and appearing in miraculous manifestations many times. During the Shu-Han period, while Zhuge Liang was governing Shu, an old man told him of the Yellow Ox spirit’s deeds. Zhuge Liang valued its work in controlling the floods and believed that its manifestations had protected the people. He therefore ordered a temple built here, which came to be known as the Huangniu Temple.

In the Song dynasty, Su Shi wrote:

The stone cliffs rise sheer beside the river, leaving no path; on the mountain stands a yellow ox, unwilling to pull a cart.

Travelers before the temple marvel and tremble with awe. They kneel and bow, dance, beat drums, and play the flute, then slaughter a white ram as an offering.

The ox plowing the fields below the mountain suffers from having to work from dawn. Its horns rub against the cliffs, and all four hooves are worn raw.

It has only half a bundle of grass and is often hungry. Looking up at the distant yellow ox, it feels that it can never reach it.

The Immortal Master Huang, surnamed Huang and seventh in birth order, was from Shanghang. He practiced shamanic arts and could use spells to whip demons and drive away monsters. His temple stands southwest of Shanghang County seat. It was originally located among the stone gorges of Zhongliaochang, then later moved here.

According to legend, mountain spirits and stone demons once caused trouble. The shaman Huang Qigong subdued them with talismanic arts, then vanished into the rock and never emerged. A human figure can be faintly seen reflected on the cliff face; from a distance, it resembles an image of the Immortal Master Huang. In former times, someone wrote this poem:

This sight was wrought neither by an immortal’s magic nor by the mischief of ghosts, yet it gives rise to mist and clouds.

Since the Immortal Master entered the mountain stone, grasses and trees have flourished for many years.

The spirit of the Jiangdong oracle lots was surnamed Shi and named Shigu. He was from Gan County during the Qin dynasty. The text records that he…

The spirit of the oracle is surnamed Shi and named Gu. He was from Gan County during the Qin dynasty. After his death, he became a deity. In drizzly, misty weather, late at night, or under a hazy moon, people in the area often saw him coming and going with a large retinue, like a high-ranking official. He had probably received an appointment in the underworld, where he was responsible for handling affairs. People built a temple for him and offered jade objects and fragrant herbs. When they went to ask about good or ill fortune, the answers seemed to appear right before them. They came to trust his power more and more, and compiled one hundred rhymed verses, numbering them in sequence as oracle texts for drawing lots. The deity used these verses to answer questions, and the results of people’s divinations increasingly came true.

His temple stood outside the prefectural city of Ganzhou, five li east of the Gong River, so the oracles came to be known as the “Jiangdong Efficacious Lots,” a distinguished name passed down through generations. Song Lian once wrote an account of the matter.

Lord Xieji

Lord Xieji refers to two deities, brothers surnamed Zeng. In life, they prized integrity over wealth and were generous in giving. They were especially close as brothers. During the incessant warfare of the Three Kingdoms period, the two withdrew together to Mount Jiuzi in Qingyang, now known as Mount Jiuhua. After their deaths, they manifested their powers to protect the people from disasters and ward off calamities, accomplishing great deeds. The local people admired and remembered them gratefully, so they built two temples to worship them, one east of Mount Jiuhua and the other west of it. During the Daguan era of the Song dynasty, the court bestowed the temple name “Shrine of Harmonious Aid.” To this day, people continue to worship them devoutly, and their prayers and petitions are often answered.

Marquis Lingyi

The Marquis Lingyi was surnamed Gou; his personal name is not recorded. He was from Longzhou in Fengxiang Prefecture. There was a shrine to the left of the seat of government in Longzhou. According to the inscription on its stele, in the second year of the Dali era of the Tang dynasty, the old prefectural city was in dire straits because of a lack of water. The Gou family donated land to build a city, and the prefectural seat was moved here.

Hou Gou

Hou Gou (surname Hou, given name Gou); his name can no longer be verified. He was from Longzhou in Fengxiang Prefecture. To the left of the Longzhou government offices stood a shrine. Its inscription records that in the second year of the Dali era of the Tang dynasty, the city’s defenses were in a difficult state. Just then, Gou offered land for the construction of a city wall, and the city was moved and rebuilt on that site. The military officials considered this arrangement convenient, so they built a shrine to him and offered sacrifices there. In time, Gou’s spirit became renowned, and prayers to him were often answered. The Song court bestowed on him the title “Marquis of Numinous Righteousness” and granted his temple the name “Peace and Protection.” Our dynasty later repaired and expanded his shrine, and more people came to oversee the sacrifices.

Zhang Zhaolie

Zhaolie, surnamed Zhang, was from Huatai during the Five Dynasties period. After his death, he became a spirit whose manifestations proved efficacious. His temple stood in Qianyang County, Langzhou Prefecture. During the Song dynasty, the bandit Pan Zongyan led his followers to attack the city. Before they had even reached the moat, they saw the city’s troops come out to fight: some had blue faces and long fangs; some had red beards and red hair; others had oxen’s necks and horse faces, with four hands holding a pair of forks. The tallest were more than a zhang high, while the shortest were less than two or three chi. They leaped and shouted as they surged forward, breathing flames and raising clouds of smoke. Their forms were strange and varied, like ghosts and demons. The bandits fled in terror, trampling one another, and scattered far away. Later, Huang Anjun and Cao Cheng also came to attack the city, but it was never taken. People said this was all due to the power of Zhang Zhaolie’s spirit. The court issued an edict granting him the title of king and naming his temple “Radiant and Fierce.” Our dynasty later honored him further and repaired the place of worship.

Seventh Lord Zhang

Lord Zhang, seventh among his brothers, was from Macheng County during the Song dynasty. He once studied Daoist arts under an extraordinary master, grasped their essential principles, and gained the ability to summon and command spirits and know of matters in the netherworld. He therefore destroyed temples along the river and struck at the prisons. At that time, fighting broke out east of the city. Our dynasty later honored him further and repaired the place of worship.

Seventh Lord Zhang

Zhang Xianggong, whose surname was Zhang and who was seventh among his siblings, came from Macheng County in the Song dynasty. He once studied Daoist arts under an extraordinary master and mastered their essentials. He could command ghosts and spirits and knew of affairs in the netherworld. For this reason, he destroyed temples in places along the river and struck the jailers.

At that time, a fire suddenly broke out in the southeastern corner of the city. It spread toward more than a hundred households, throwing the whole city into panic. Zhang Xianggong came out of prison, mounted a white horse, and held a short staff. When he pointed east, the fire there went out; when he pointed west, the fire there went out as well. The fires to the north and south were extinguished in the same way, and the blaze was soon subdued. He then rode to Wunao Mountain in the city’s northwest, where he and his horse vanished.

When the authorities heard what had happened, they sent people to investigate. They found the prison gate still shut as usual, and everyone was astonished. A temple was built where he had vanished. It is said that if a visiting scholar accidentally left clothing on the road, no one dared take it. If deceitful or unruly people came, they would lose their way and be unable to find the exit. People say that his miraculous power is manifest and effective throughout the local area, more than any other.

Geng Qigong

The temple of Geng Qigong stands fifteen li northwest of Gaoyou in Yangzhou Prefecture. Local elders say that he came from the area around Liangshan Marsh in Dongping and was born with a chivalrous spirit. When he laid a hand on his sword and shouted, his hair stood on end—a trait for which he was especially renowned.

Geng Qigong

The temple of Geng Qigong stands fifteen li northwest of Gaoyou in Yangzhou Prefecture. Local elders say that he came from the area around Liangshan Marsh in Dongping and was a born hero. When he laid a hand on his sword and shouted, his hair stood on end, giving him the bearing of the ancient warriors Meng Ben and Xia Yu. The Liangshan Marsh area had long been known as a gathering place for heroes. Geng Qigong roamed there freely, and even the leader held him in awe and bowed to his command.

Later, when the army marched south, he died of illness within the prefecture. Many miraculous events were said to have followed, and he often answered people’s prayers. The Song court bestowed on him the title “Kangze Xia” (“Hero of Abundant Blessings”). To this day, local residents and passing boats continue to offer him sacrifices.

General Sun

General Sun Shan, whose surname was Sun and whose given name was Shan, lived during the Five Dynasties period. His temple stands west of Ninghua County town. Whenever someone fell ill or drought struck, prayers to him were answered.

According to legend, a thief stole some jewelry from local people. Worried that he could not keep the stolen goods hidden, he concealed them beneath the statue’s pedestal. When he returned to check on them a short while later, the jewelry was gone. He searched repeatedly but could not find it, and suspected someone else had taken it. Ten days later, the owners consulted one another and came together to swear before the deity. As they had just begun to bow, they saw something yellowish-white showing through a gap between the bricks. When they opened it, they found the stolen jewelry. There are many accounts of General Sun Shan manifesting his power. Li Gang of the Song dynasty wrote in a poem:

“I do not fear a long southward journey in straw sandals;

May the divine banner manifest its power and help me win the northern campaign.

I drink a cup of wine and wipe away my tears;

Amid the vast clouds and mist, where are the Two Capitals?”

General Zhang

General Zhang, whose surname was Zhang and whose given name was Xiaozhong, came from the Huai region. His temple is on Mount Yuzhen in Anren County, Raozhou Prefecture.

According to the records, when Yuan forces reached Anren, the regional surveillance commissioner Xie Fangde ordered Zhang Xiaozhong to lead troops against them. The two sides formed opposing lines at Tuanhuping and faced each other for several days, fighting several engagements. When their arrows ran out, Zhang Xiaozhong wielded a pair of swords and killed more than a hundred enemy soldiers before he was struck by an arrow and died. After the enemy forces entered Anren, drums and horns suddenly sounded together at the southeastern corner of the city in the middle of the night, and shouts filled the air, as if thousands of troops and horses were advancing. The enemy general hurriedly rose to investigate. The moonlight was dim and the stars sparse. He saw General Zhang riding a white horse, swinging his two swords as he charged back and forth through the clouds and mist. The enemy general then bowed and begged forgiveness.

After the fighting ended, local people often saw General Zhang riding a horse with a sword in hand, as though still angered by injustice in the world. They built a shrine at the place where he had fallen in battle and made offerings to him. Many accounts tell of his manifestations. Ouyang Yan of the Yuan dynasty once wrote a record about him.

King Shunji

King Shunji’s temple stands on Mount Haocheng in Xinjian County. Locals commonly call him “Little Dragon.” According to legend, he was the son of the great serpent slain by the two Perfected Ones, Hao and Xu. The Song dynasty bestowed on him the title King Shunji, and he is said to have manifested his power in many wondrous ways. Ouyang Yan of the Yuan dynasty once wrote a record about him.

This temple stands on Mount Haocheng in Xinjian County. Local people commonly call it the “Little Dragon Temple.” According to legend, this little dragon was the offspring of a great serpent slain by the Perfected Ones Hao and Xu. The Song court bestowed on it the title “King Who Brings Peace and Aid.” Emperor Zhenzong of Song personally composed an inscription on a stone warning against harming flood dragons. During the Xining era, the court sent Lin Xiyi of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices to make an offering. A strange serpent suddenly appeared above the written prayer. At the ceremony the following day, it raised its head and looked at the assembled people. When the rites were complete, it slithered past the table and soon entered the tent. As Lin Xiyi was returning, the serpent coiled around the carriage axle and accompanied him all the way to Poyang Lake, then disappeared.

Later, Su Shi was returning north from Hengpu. His boat stopped beneath the Iron Boat Shrine, where he suddenly noticed an ancient stone and an arrow on the bank. He passed them around for the people with him to see, but accidentally dropped them into the river. He then prayed to the deity, vowing to leave the objects in the temple, and sent people underwater to search for them. They found them at once. Su Shi therefore wrote this account.

The Dragon Lord of Hengpu

The Dragon Lord’s name is unknown. Its temple stands in the administrative seat of Nanan Prefecture, Jiangxi. Hengpu was the name of an ancient commandery. According to the Record of Words and Deeds, Hengpu lies in the south, where even in the depths of winter there is no snow, and epidemics are therefore frequent. The local people have a temple to the Dragon Lord, and prayers to the deity are often answered.

Zhang Jiucheng said, “Though I hold no official post under Nanan, year after year I draw on the court’s stipend. Why not consider how I might benefit the people here?” He then prayed to the Dragon Lord. At dawn the sky was bright with sunlight, but in an instant it filled with dark clouds. By evening, snow lay an inch deep, and the people were all amazed at this extraordinary event.

At the time, Zhang Jiucheng was Vice Minister of Rites. Qin Hui disliked his discussion of government affairs, so he demoted him to serve as a commandery governor. Later, Qin Hui prompted remonstrance officials to accuse him of slandering the court, then demoted him again, sending him to the Nanan Army. This was the matter Zhang Jiucheng spoke of in his prayer to the Dragon Lord. The court later rebuilt the Dragon Lord’s temple and made the sacrifices there more elaborate.

The Five Dragon Deities of Daozhou

The temple stands beside Five Dragons Well in Daozhou. According to Yan Shu’s Leiyao, during the Tang dynasty, Yangcheng was appointed governor of Daozhou. When passing through Xiangyang, he was visited by five old men who said they were from Chongling. Yangcheng gave them bolts of silk and asked where they lived. They replied that they lived five li northwest of the city. When Yangcheng went to find them, he saw only Five Dragons Well; the silk he had given them lay beside the well. He therefore built a temple for the old men, where signs of the miraculous appeared repeatedly in later years. The temple’s plaque bore the name “Chongying.” Someone once wrote this poem on its wall:

In the mountain cold, a hibernating dragon suddenly awakens;

An old man in yellow emerges from beneath the rocks.

Holding a curved cane of thousand-year-old vine,

As if afraid to startle the world, he conceals his name.

“Marquis of Manifested Power” was the title bestowed on the deity enshrined in this temple.

Zhaoling Hou, the marquis deity enfeoffed by Daoism, was Zhang Lusi, a native of Nanyang. In the early Sui dynasty, his family lived in Baisha Village, Pinshang County. At sixteen, he passed the examination in the Classics. During the Jinglong era of the Tang, he served as magistrate of Xuancheng and became known for his ability. His wife, Lady Shi, bore him nine sons.

After resigning from his post in Xuancheng and returning home, Zhang Lusi often fished north of Jiaoshi Terrace. One day, he looked back and saw palaces and pavilions where he had been fishing. He went inside and took up residence there, thereafter going out at night and returning in the morning. One morning, his face looked unusually pale and cold, so his wife asked what was wrong. Zhang Lusi said, “I am a dragon. Zheng Xiangyuan, who lives here, is also a dragon, and he is fighting me for this place. Tomorrow we will settle who prevails. Have our nine sons help me. I will be the one wearing red silk; Zheng Xiangyuan will wear blue silk.”

The next day, the nine sons shot arrows at the man in blue silk. After being hit, he fled in anger, pursued by Zhang Lusi. The places they passed became ravines and streams that ran all the way to the Huai River. The man in blue silk escaped to the western hills of Hefan, where he died. The place was therefore called Longxue Mountain, or Dragon’s Lair Mountain. All nine sons turned into dragons, while Lady Shi was buried at Guanzhou. Zhang Lusi’s elder brother held the post of Horse and Foot Envoy. His descendants settled across Pin Mountain, and their tombs can still be seen there. Zhao Geng, a commoner of the Tang, wrote an account of these events, which were also passed down by word of mouth among the elders of the Huai region. Ouyang Xiu included a related account in his Collected Inscriptions.

From the Jinglong era of the Tang onward, the people of Pin worshipped Zhang Lusi at Jiaoshi Terrace, generation after generation. In the second year of the Qianning era of the Tang, Governor Wang Jingyao began expanding Zhang Lusi’s temple. During the Qiande era of the Song, a severe drought struck Caizhou. Having heard of Zhang Lusi’s efficacy, Governor Si Chao built a shrine to him in Caizhou. Rain fell afterward, and Tao Gu, Academician-in-Attendance at the Hanlin Academy, wrote an account of the event. People came to worship from across Huainan and the regions of Chen, Cai, Xu, and Ru.

During the Jingde era, Zhang Bing, an Admonition Official, received an imperial order to repair the shrine at Pinshang. During the Xining era, Zhang Hui, a Director of the Bureau of Honors, submitted a memorial requesting a noble title for Zhang Lusi. The court then enfeoffed him as Marquis Zhaoling and Lady Shi as Madam Rouying. There are five caves in the temple, where miraculous signs often appear and clouds and rain emerge. At times, objects thrown into one cave reappear elsewhere. In recent years, someone found a shed skeleton in the pool. When struck, it rang like metal or stone, and its weight seemed to change. It is now kept in the temple.

In the autumn of the sixth year of the Yuanyou era, a severe drought struck. The prefect Su Shi, then an Academician of the Longtu Pavilion and Left Court Gentleman for Audience, had the skeleton brought to a temporary shrine beside West Lake. He prayed there with officials and local people, and a response soon followed. He then had the temple further repaired.

Dragons of Yangshan

This temple is dedicated to two Dragon Gods and stands on Yangshan in Yuanzhou Prefecture. According to legend, a local person once brought the Dragon Gods’ remains to a shrine by West Lake, where officials and common people prayed together. The Dragon Gods responded as swiftly as an echo, and the people then made further repairs to the temple.

Dragons of Yangshan

This temple is dedicated to two Dragon Gods and stands on Yangshan in Yuanzhou Prefecture. According to legend, a local man named Xu Fan was once traveling by boat past Mount Dagu when he met two scholars surnamed Xiao. They said that they lived on Yangshan in Yichun, so Xu Fan invited them to travel back with him. When the boat reached Pudong, the two took their leave and agreed to meet again at the stone bridge. Later, Xu Fan went there as promised, but saw two dragons. Only then did he realize that they were the Dragon Gods of Yangshan.

During the Huichang era of the Tang dynasty, a thunderstorm broke out one night, and the temple was moved to Wenmingqing, south of the prefectural city. The Song court bestowed on it the plaque “Responsive Blessing.” The temple was renovated during the Yuan dynasty. Whenever people faced difficulties, they prayed with devotion, and every request was answered. In our dynasty, the gods were granted the title “Gods of Great Yangshan,” and sacrifices were offered in spring and autumn. There was also a branch shrine at Linggang in Fenyi County, said to stand where the Dragon Gods had once moored their boat.

Yellow Stone Elder

The shrine to the Yellow Stone Elder stands south of Gucheng Mountain in Dong’e County. Long ago, Zhang Liang of the Han dynasty met an old man at the Yi Bridge in Xiapi. The old man sat with his legs crossed and told Zhang Liang to put his shoes on for him. Zhang Liang reluctantly held back his irritation and did as he was told. The old man was pleased and said, “Young man, you can be taught.” He then gave Zhang Liang a book and told him, “In thirteen years, at the foot of Gucheng Mountain in Qi, that yellow stone will be me.”

Zhang Liang later studied the book and put its strategies to use. He assisted Emperor Gaozu of Han in destroying the Qin dynasty and defeating Xiang Yu, bringing peace to the realm, and was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Liu. As foretold, Zhang Liang found the yellow stone at Gucheng Mountain, treasured it, and built a shrine to honor it. Our dynasty expanded the temple and ordered the official in charge of sacrifices to hold a rite there each year on the eighteenth day of the third month.

Stone God

East of the prefectural city of Lianzhou stands a shrine. According to legend, long ago a fisherman was fishing at sea when he saw a huge, disc-shaped stone drifting in with the tide. Convinced it was an object inhabited by a spirit, he prayed, “If I catch enough fish to fulfill my wish, I will build a shrine and make offerings in gratitude to the spirit.” His wish was indeed granted. He carried the stone ashore by boat and discussed where to build a temple for it. When they reached Yangmei Mountain, the rope suddenly snapped, and the stone could not be moved again. So people cleared away the thatch where the rope had broken, set up pillars, and built a shrine there to enshrine the stone. Prayers for relief from floods, droughts, epidemics, and other calamities often received a response. Once, someone passing by the shrine wrote this poem on its wall:

The giant Ao, the great sea turtle, cleaved chaos with immense force; the numinous stone rose high, pointing straight to the heavens.

In the sixth month, cold snow flew beneath the moon. At night, dragons and oyster spirits danced, and the waves seemed to weep along with them.

There are two sacred stones in Chuxiong. One lies five li west of Nanan Prefecture: a colossal stone more than ten zhang high. The Meng rulers, who governed the Nanzhao and Dali regions, called it “the spirit of the Southern Sacred Peak, guardian of the border.” Each year, local people place gold on its summit. Prayers offered to it often receive a response. The other stands atop Lumo Mountain, thirty li southwest of Chuxiong County. It rises upright like a person and is about eight chi tall, with a protruding top that looks like a tilted hat. Local people carefully worship it, affixing gold leaf to its surface. Someone once wrote this poem:

Who would have thought that beyond Jinma and Biji there lay another remote and desolate land?

Ancient snow still clings to the shadowed cliffs; the sacred stone stands alone, enduring for thousands upon thousands of years.

In Rulin Township, Xingguo County, there is a stone tortoise. Its body is rounded like a tortoise, complete with head, neck, and back. Its shape resembles the Eight Trigrams, and its markings symbolize the courses of the sun and moon and the turning of the Northern Dipper’s handle. The local people found it extraordinary and moved it elsewhere, but the next day it had returned to its original place. They tested this repeatedly and found the same result each time, so they offered sacrifices to it at appointed times.

The Zhong Spirit

Seven li south of the city of Lianzhou lies a bay where rushing waters surge and carve out a deep, broad expanse, connected to rivers and the sea. Whenever drought strikes, local people often come here to pray for rain.

According to legend, during the Zhenghe era of the Song dynasty, a bell from Lingjue Temple flew away in the middle of the night. The monks heard only a roar like thunder and rain, and had no idea where the bell had gone. At dawn the next day, it suddenly fell from the sky. The monks saw that it was still wet. Afterward, residents along the bay said that a bell rang there every night, and supposed that the bell was fighting a dragon. Only after the monks chiseled off the dragon horns on top of the bell did the ringing stop. People later came to call the body of water “Bell Bay.”

Even now, when a fierce typhoon strikes Bell Bay, something blue-black, about the size of a cartwheel, rises from the heart of the waves. It resembles a pavilion and has a remarkably free, unrestrained shape. Those well versed in such matters say it is the Bell Spirit.

The Horse Spirit

The Horse Spirit is named Bu and, according to legend, governs misfortunes that befall horses. People built temples and made offerings to it. The Rites of Zhou records that in winter the xiaoren, an official responsible for horse administration, sacrificed to “Ma Bu”—a reference to this spirit. A related commentary states: “Ma Bu is the spirit that brings calamities upon horses.”

On Liangzi Lake, south of Wuchang County, stands a temple to the Horse Spirit. Local custom formerly held that people made offerings in the second month of each season. According to the Rites of Zhou, however, the rite was held at a great marsh on a yang day—that is, a day whose Heavenly Stem was Jia, Bing, Wu, Geng, or Ren. Today, most people in the county make offerings at the temple during the Dragon Boat races on the fifth day of the fifth month. This probably reflects an old custom passed down from the Wu region.

An ancient poet wrote:

The palace of the King of Wu has long since crumbled into dust;

Wild crows cry, and secluded flowers bloom on, welcoming spring as before.

Beside Liangzi Lake, traces of the warhorses remain;

They too once thundered through the memories of Wuchang’s people.

The Green Snake Spirit

In Huan County, Qingyang Prefecture, there is a shrine. According to an early account of the temple, during the Tang dynasty the military governor Yang Chaochen led his troops to Fangqu, intending to build a city, open roads, and cut timber to block the Tibetans’ route. The army was suffering from a severe lack of water when a green snake suddenly descended from a steep place and slithered along the ground. Following the tracks where it had passed, people discovered water flowing from the same spot. Yang Chaochen ordered them to build embankments around the spring. The water gathered into a deep pool, giving the soldiers an ample supply to drink. The Tibetan army did indeed withdraw in full. Astonished, Yang Chaochen reported the matter to the court. The court issued an edict ordering a shrine to be built in honor of the green snake and named the spring “Responsive-to-the-Sage Spring.” Later, the spirit revealed its efficacy, and the people competed to offer sacrificial animals and silk. When nearby areas suffered droughts or floods and epidemics, they too often relied on the spirit’s protection.

The Golden Horse and the Jade-green Rooster are two spirits. The Golden Horse Shrine stands west of Golden Horse Mountain, and the Jade-green Rooster Shrine stands east of Jade-green Rooster Mountain. Researchers say that during the reign of Emperor Xuan of the Han, a ritual master claimed that a Golden Horse and a Jade-green Rooster could be found in Yizhou and summoned through sacrifice. The court therefore sent Wang Bao to perform the rites, but he died after arriving in Shu. Yan Shigu held that the Golden Horse took the form of a golden horse, while the Jade-green Rooster took the form of a green rooster. Others say the two mountains face one another, with Dian Lake between them. Their cliffs rise high and lush, and the lake is deep and clear; moonlight is reflected on its surface, while clouds and mist drift around the peaks. It is one of Yunnan’s scenic wonders. The spirits of the Golden Horse and the Jade-green Rooster therefore manifest their efficacy through these two mountains.

A poem by Zhang Xiongfei of the Yuan dynasty reads:

Leaving the Vermilion Bird Tower before the northern palace gate, I look south

and see the Jade-green Rooster among the clouds.

The jade seat is moved to the purple terrace;

dew wets the golden earth where the immortal grasses grow.

After the rain, the dragon returns to its cave;

when the wind rises, the tiger crosses the stream.

Seeking plum blossoms, I pass through a bamboo path;

gathering herbs, I climb the stone steps among the pines.

Golden Essence

The Metal Essence is formed from the vital energy of the planet Venus. Tradition has it that during the Han dynasty, a man surnamed Zhang, named Jinhua, lived in Ningdu County. His daughter was named Liying. From birth, Liying showed auspicious signs and could foretell the good and ill fortune people would encounter. Fifteen li northwest of the county seat stood a mountain called Xinglü Guiran, a renowned mountain in the area. When Liying was fifteen, she entered the mountain to cultivate herself and later attained the Dao.

Wu Yin, Prince of Changsha, heard of her and wanted to marry her, but Liying refused and climbed to the summit. At first she said, “There is a stone chamber in the mountain that leads into a grotto-heaven, a Daoist realm of immortals. If it can be opened through, we will be able to meet.” Wu Yin then ordered a large force of soldiers to excavate it. Once they had broken through the chamber, they saw Liying suspended in midair, riding a purple cloud. She said, “I am formed from the vital energy of Venus, and came down to this mountain especially to govern this place.” With that, she departed. Later generations therefore named the mountain Mount Jinjing. Daoists list it as the thirty-fifth blessed land, a famous mountain and immortal realm.

The Fire Essence was born on the thirty-second day of the sixth month.

The deity’s surname was Song, and his name was Wuji. He lived during the Han dynasty. He was born with extraordinary powers: his skin could transform into fire, which is why he was called the Fire Essence. During the Tang dynasty, Niu Sengru established a temple to worship him and pray for protection against fires. The temple stood seven li east of the Wuchang prefectural city. It was originally called the Temple of Minister Song; later, to avoid a taboo in the name of Yang Hao, it was renamed the Grand Inspector’s Temple.

According to records, when Wei Jian of the Tang dynasty was appointed military governor of the Wuchang Army and was about to take up his post, he dreamed of a distinguished figure dressed in red, accompanied by several dozen attendants, who knocked at his door and called on him. The figure said, “You will govern Ezhou, by the river at Wuchang. The place where I live is old and in ruins; only you can repair and restore it.” After arriving, Wei Jian asked about the Temple of Wuji and discovered that the deity’s statue was the very figure he had seen in his dream. He therefore demolished the old temple and rebuilt it. During the Shaoxing era of the Song dynasty, the prefect Wang Xin expanded the temple again. After it was rebuilt during the Ming dynasty, people called it the Hall of the Fire Star. Today, the Fire Star temples throughout the Jiangdong region all enshrine this deity.

Chen Bao

Twenty li east of Baoji County in Fengxiang Prefecture stands a shrine. According to legend, Duke Wen of Qin found a strange stone on the northern slope of Chencang and built a shrine to worship it. The spirit often appeared at night, shining like a shooting star as it flew in from the southeast and gathered at the shrine. The shrine walls were shaped like a rooster, and the sound it made resembled a rooster’s crow. When pheasants called at night, people sacrificed a mountain bull to the spirit, which they called “Chenbao.”

A Tang poet wrote:

A river flows on, its waters serene and clear as a painting;

Two green mountains stretch before the eye, like peaks of emerald brows.

The wild ford at Fufeng leads toward Mount Hao;

The shrine of the Chenbao spirit stands reflected in Weicheng at sunset.

General of the Black Waters

Just outside the north gate of Fengyang Prefecture’s city, near the Huai River, the bank often collapsed, bringing disaster to the people. During the Jiading era of the Song dynasty, General Chai, the prefect, cast an iron statue of a general and engraved a prayer on it: “On the bank of the Huai River north of Haozhou, please guard this place for countless ages.” Afterward, the river ceased to cause trouble, and people built a temple over the iron statue. Residents flocked to worship there, and their prayers were always answered.

Wooden Hermit

This spirit had no name, and no one knows in which dynasty it first appeared. People carved a piece of wood into a human figure and enshrined it in a temple twenty li east of Laichang County. According to legend, a piece of wood had once been scorched by fire. It took on a human shape, was later carried here by water, and was enshrined by the monks, who built a shrine for it. Han Yu of the Tang dynasty wrote:

Scorched by fire and carried by water, how many years had it passed through?

The root looked like a head and face, the trunk like a human body.

By chance it was given the name “Wooden Hermit,”

And countless people came to pray for blessings.

During the Song dynasty, a county magistrate prayed for rain, but his plea went unanswered. He then discussed splitting the wooden figure up for firewood. Before long, heavy rain fell, providing abundant water and securing the harvest. The magistrate then restored the figure and repaired the temple. From then on, the spirit remained as responsive as before. In the present dynasty, the temple was rebuilt.

The Spirit of Moche

The temple of Shizhou Guard stands west of the city. Shizhou Guard borders the Luopu tribes to the southwest. The Luopu were brave and warlike, and repeatedly raided the frontier. A general named Meng Shu led troops against them, but after several battles he still could not win. Deeply troubled, Meng Shu lay down to sleep at night in the central command tent, his head resting on his weapons. Suddenly he dreamed of a divine being who said, “I am King Moci. I know your campaigns are going badly, and I am willing to help you.” In a daze, Meng Shu thanked him. When he awoke, he hurried to look around and could still hear the sound of blades and horses. The next day, in battle, the Luopu scattered eastward and fled westward, as though enemy troops were attacking them from both front and rear. They then disbanded their forces, bowed down, and surrendered. From then on, King Moci showed his divine power. Whenever the people of Shizhou made offerings and prayed to him, they felt his help.

The Yellow Demon Spirit

The dynasty, surname, and personal name of the Yellow Demon Spirit are unknown. His temple stood around the Xigui Gorge, where local people revered him, believing that his powers were great and that his responses were often effective. The Huanyu Ji records that during the Xiantong era of the Tang dynasty, Xiao Gou was demoted from his post as You Shi and sent to Qianzhou in the south. As he traveled through the Three Gorges and passed Zigui, he dreamed of a divine being who said, “I am the Yellow Demon Spirit. I dwell in the northwest corner of the Purple Tenuity Palace, and I will help you leave this place.”

A record of the temple also says that when Li Jifu was leaving his post in Zhongzhou, the waters of the gorge river were surging. Suddenly, a divine being rose from the water and steadied his boat. Li Jifu asked which spirit he was, and the spirit replied, “I am the Yellow Demon Spirit.” During the Song dynasty, when Kou Zhun passed Chitan Rapids, a divine being likewise helped his boat travel downstream. When Kou Zhun asked who he was, the being identified himself as the Yellow Demon Spirit. There are many accounts of the Yellow Demon Spirit appearing to help people; only a few of the more important ones are recorded here.

King Xiang

King Xiang’s surname was Xiang and his given name was Fu. He was from Dongyang in Guizhou. One night, King Xiang’s mother, Lady Yi, dreamed that a huge, brilliantly shining star fell into her hands.

The man surnamed Wang, whose given name was Fu, came from Dongyang County in Guizhou Prefecture. One night, his mother, Lady Yi, dreamed that an enormous star fell into her hands, shining brilliantly. She swallowed it. When she awoke, she found herself pregnant, and after twenty-six months she gave birth to Wang Fu.

Wang Fu could not speak when he was born. At the age of seven or eight, he saw a Daoist priest writing talismans. He tugged at the priest’s robe and cried urgently, “Me! Me!” From then on, he spoke as fluently as an adult. As he grew older, he became even more skilled in Daoist arts. The incantation water and talisman methods he used did not simply copy old methods from others, yet none failed to work.

After Wang Fu died, he became a deity in the place where he was born. He could bore through mountains and pierce stone: sometimes he would enter one side of a mountain and emerge in an instant from the other, no matter how high or thick it was. At times, he could split a rock and hide inside it. His wondrous manifestations were too numerous to count. The villagers built a shrine to worship him, and their prayers were answered.

The Bamboo King

The Bamboo King was the Marquis of Yelang. His temple stood below Dongwen Mountain, southeast of the garrison city of Shizhou. The Records of the Huayang Kingdom relates that, long ago, a woman was by the water when three sections of bamboo drifted between her feet. A baby’s cries came from within them. She split open the bamboo, found a baby boy inside, and adopted him.

When the child grew up, he distinguished himself through courage and strength. He established himself as king of Yelang and took Bamboo as his surname. When Emperor Wu of Han pacified the southwestern tribes, the Yi and Liao peoples asked for the king of Yelang to be installed as their ruler. Later, the Son of Heaven enfeoffed his three sons as marquises. After the Bamboo King died, people enshrined him alongside his father in the temple. During the Chongning era of Emperor Huizong of Song, the court bestowed the temple plaque “Numinous Blessing.” His descendants gradually multiplied, and the rites of worship grew ever more grand. In the present dynasty’s official sacrifices, he is referred to simply as “the Spirit of the King of Yelang.”

Panhu

Panhu was a dog deity, said to be the ancestor of the tribal peoples around Changsha and Wuling. His temple was built on Mount Wu in Luxi County.

According to legend, during the reign of the Gaoxin clan, the Quanrong rebelled. The court offered a reward: whoever brought back the head of Hao, the Quanrong general, would be given a young woman in marriage. At the time, the emperor kept a dog named Panhu. Panhu went into the mountains and returned to the palace carrying a human head in his jaws. Everyone recognized it as General Hao’s head.

The emperor was delighted, but thought that Panhu was an animal and could not marry his daughter, so he considered other ways to reward him. When the young woman heard this, she said that a ruler must not break his promise and asked to fulfill the marriage agreement. The emperor had no choice but to agree. Panhu carried her into a stone chamber in the southern mountains. More than three years later, she gave birth to six sons and six daughters.

After Panhu died, his children married one another. Their mother returned to the emperor and reported what had happened. The emperor sent people to bring them back, but they were dressed in colorful, ragged clothing and spoke a language that was hard to understand. In time, their descendants multiplied and became the people now known as the Wuling Man. Locals still have a custom of not eating dog meat, and Panhu’s temple is considered highly efficacious.

End of In Search of the Supernatural, Volume Five.

Contents of Volume Six: The Heavenly Consort, the Silkworm Maiden, the Blue-Clothed Deity, the Goddess, the Plain Maiden of White Water, the Great Immortal Ma, the Holy Mother, Wen Xiaotong, and the Filial and Brave General.

Lady Lingze, commonly known among the people as the Lady of Butterfly Reef, was also called Lady Shunyi, the Lady of the Stockade Commander, Lady Chengjing, and Lady Yao. Other names for deities listed in the catalogue include Cao E, one of the two filial daughters; the Five Plague Envoys, the Five Thief Generals, the Raiding and Sweeping Envoy, Lord Zengfu, the Gate of Blessings, Prosperity, and Wealth, the Door Gods Shentu and Yulei, who were said to guard gates and drive away ghosts; Zhong Dao, or Zhong Kui; the Director of Destinies; the Ao spirit; the Toilet God; the Road-Opening God, accompanied by an edict; and the two Wengzhong spirits. These are the names of the deities recorded in the catalogue. The catalogue ends here.

The birthday of the Heavenly Consort (Tianfei), also known as Mazu, falls on the thirty-second day of the third month.

The Heavenly Consort was from Putian and was the daughter of Lin Yuan, a circuit inspector during the Song dynasty. From birth, she possessed extraordinary spiritual powers and could foresee people’s good and ill fortune. After her death, local people built a temple for her on Meizhou Island, which lies in the sea southeast of Xinghua Prefecture, facing the Ryukyu Kingdom across the water.

During the Xuanhe era of the Song dynasty, Lu Yundi was ordered to sail to Goryeo. A gale suddenly struck during the voyage, and all the ships sank except the one carrying Lu Yundi. The Heavenly Consort manifested atop its mast and protected the crew, guiding them safely across the sea. From then on, successive dynasties continued to confer honors upon her, eventually granting her the title “Heavenly Consort.” Further honors were bestowed during the Hongwu and Yongle eras of the Ming dynasty. Today, an auxiliary shrine dedicated to her stands within the prefectural city, and the authorities hold rites in her honor in spring and autumn.

An ancient poet once wrote:

The stars slant northward in a sweeping line;

The immortal realm of Penglai faces east.

The autumn sky stretches high above white isles;

The rising sun turns the sea waves red.

“Silkworm Maiden.”

During the reign of Gaoxin, a young woman in Shu named Can Nü lived there. Her family name is unknown. Her father was abducted, and the only thing left at home was the horse he had ridden. Missing her father, Can Nü was so grief-stricken that she could not eat. Her mother then swore before everyone, “Whoever brings her father back, I will give my daughter in marriage.”

The horse heard this and leapt up, broke its reins, and galloped away. A few days later, the father returned, riding the horse. From then on, the horse kept neighing without pause. The mother told the father what she had sworn publicly. He said, “That was an oath made to a person, not to a horse. The horse truly did a great service by rescuing me, but we cannot marry our daughter to it as the oath promised.”

When the horse heard the father say this, it galloped even more wildly. The father grew angry and wanted to kill it. The horse continued to run, so the father shot it with an arrow. He laid its hide out to dry in the courtyard. Suddenly, the hide sprang up, wrapped around Can Nü, and carried her away. More than ten days later, the horse hide came to rest in a mulberry tree. Can Nü had transformed into a silkworm: she ate mulberry leaves, spun silk, and formed a cocoon, then wove silk into clothing for people to wear. One day, riding on a cloud with the horse, Can Nü said to her parents, “The Lord on High saw that I had not forgotten the kindness shown to me, and granted me the rank of a Heavenly Immortal Consort.”

The Green-Clad Deity

The Green-Clad Deity is Cancong, a figure from ancient Shu legend. According to tradition, Cancong was first a regional lord in Shu and later became its king. He once toured the countryside dressed in green, teaching the people to raise silkworms. Grateful for his kindness, local people built a shrine in his honor and offered sacrifices to him.

His shrines are found throughout the western regions, and are said to be highly efficacious. People commonly call him the “Green-Clad Deity.” Qing Shen County is also said to have been named after him. Xie Fangde’s Song-dynasty poem “On Silkworms” reads:

Raising silkworms and weaving silk sustains a livelihood and nourishes society; their blessings endure through the generations.

The silkworm, skilled at spinning, does not envy the spider’s clever web. Farmers feed the worms mulberry leaves and urge them to form cocoons, while the weaving maidens, too, are hurried to weave their cloth.

The silkworm rises three times and lies dormant three times, following the changing seasons; the course of life and death is likewise arranged by Heaven’s decree.

Once the cocoons have been presented, boiled, and reeled into silk, the first cloth woven from it is made into the ritual robes of the ruler.

The White-Water Plain Maiden

The Plain Maiden

The Plain Maiden is a goddess of heaven. Long ago, in the region of Min, there was a man named Xie Duan. He was kind by nature and lived alone in a poor, humble house. One day, while out walking by the river, he saw a large river snail lying on its back, shaped like a dou measure. He found it strange and charming, so he took it home, cared for it attentively, and treasured it greatly.

Whenever Xie Duan went out, he locked the door securely. Yet when he returned, he found a meal laid out on the table, as though prepared for a banquet to welcome guests. Deeply puzzled and afraid, he asked the elders of the village for advice. Someone told him, “It must be that strange creature you are keeping that is causing this.” Xie Duan then thought of the snail. Watching it in secret, he saw a woman of extraordinary beauty emerge from its shell.

Xie Duan stepped forward, bowed, and asked her who she was and why she had come. The woman made no secret of it and replied, “I am the Plain Maiden of White Water in the Celestial River. The Celestial Emperor sent me to prepare your meals. Now my term of service has ended, and I must leave; that is why you have seen me. When I go, I will leave the shell for you.” Xie Duan used the shell to store grain, and the rice inside was always filled to overflowing.

Today, thirty li northwest of Fuzhou, there is a river called the Luo River. It is said to have received its name from this story.

The Great Immortal Ma

The Great Immortal Ma, whose surname was Ma, came from Jingling County in Quzhou Prefecture. His family was poor, but he dutifully cared for his aunt, earning firewood and rice by working for others. He often struggled to provide for her, yet endured every hardship without ever neglecting his duty.

One day, he met an extraordinary person who taught him a method for becoming an immortal and said, “In recognition of your devotion in caring for your aunt, take this method, and you need no longer worry about providing for her daily meals. Do not speak of it lightly to others.” Ma followed the instructions, and from then on he could provide his aunt’s meals every day without having to labor and roam in hardship. She was cared for properly and enjoyed her later years in peace. Before long, Ma too died, following his aunt, and passed away peacefully.

The villagers honored him, built a shrine in his name, and worshipped him there for generations. Their prayers were often answered. When floods or droughts, illness, or epidemics struck, they were often swiftly dispelled. Accounts of him include an inscription written by Li Yangbing and a record of the renovation of the Great Immortal Ma’s temple by Liu Ji, the Earl of Sincerity, during the present dynasty.

The Holy Mother

The Holy Mother was from Hailing. When she grew up, she married a son of the Du family. By nature, she was generous and devoted to helping others. She took Liu Gang as her teacher and studied the arts of becoming an immortal and protecting herself; in time, she mastered them. The Du family did not believe in her abilities and reported her to the authorities, who imprisoned her. Before long, the Holy Mother escaped through a crack in the prison wall and ascended into the clouds high above.

People built a temple to honor and worship her. Whenever she manifested, a blue crow appeared at the place of worship. When someone came to pay respects, the crow would fly off and call out, as if responding to the worshipper’s intentions. If someone had lost something and came to ask where it was, the crow would land where the thief had hidden it. As a result, the local people developed a custom of leaving lost property untouched. In the early years of the Dade era of the Yuan dynasty, people built another temple sixty li east of Jiangdu County in Yangzhou, where her responses to worship became even more pronounced. The present dynasty later bestowed an additional title upon her.

Wen Xiaotong

Wen Xiaotong, surnamed Wen, was a woman of the Qin dynasty. Her temple stood in Xiajiang Town, eighty li south of Xingan County in Linjiang Prefecture. According to tradition, an elderly woman surnamed Wen was passing by Cheng Stream when she found a gigantic child and hid him in her home. The child later gave birth to seven dragons and sent them into the river. Whenever the old woman went to the riverbank, the dragons would offer her delicious fish, as if providing for her.

After the old woman died, she was buried beside Cheng Stream. When her grave was about to collapse, thunder and lightning broke out overnight, accompanied by fierce wind and rain; sand and stones flew through the air. At daybreak, people discovered that her grave had moved to a high ridge on the north bank of the river. The villagers thought this extraordinary and built a shrine to her. During the Tang dynasty, the court bestowed upon her temple the name “Xiaotong” (“Filial Piety and Spiritual Response”). The Yuan-dynasty writer Jie Si composed an account of her; another record says that the old woman was from Yuecheng. During the Taihe era of the Tang dynasty, Lu E dreamed that the old woman said to him, “You are about to become a county magistrate in Jiangxi.” He later became magistrate of Fenyi County and built another temple to her. Lu Zhao wrote an account of it.

The Filial and Heroic General

The general was named Mulan and was from Zhucheng in the state of Chu.

The Filial and Heroic General

General Mulan was named Mulan and was the daughter of the Zhu family in Chu. She went to war in the west in her father’s place and won many honors. After her death, people built a temple to honor her. The Tang dynasty posthumously bestowed on her the title “General of Filial Valor.” Today, temples to her stand on Mount Mulan in Huangpi County, Hubei, and in Wan County, Hebei. Prayers there are often said to receive a divine response. Huangpi is her hometown, while Wan County is believed to have been along the route she took on her western campaign. The following lines are quoted from an ancient Yuefu poem:

“Click, click”—Mulan weaves at the doorway.

No sound comes from the loom or the shuttle; only a woman’s sighs can be heard.

Last night she saw the conscription notices: the Khan was calling up troops on a vast scale.

There are twenty volumes of notices, and her father’s name appears in each one.

Her father has no grown son, and Mulan has no older brother.

She is willing to buy a saddle and horse and go to war in her father’s place.

Lady Lingze

Lady Lingze’s surname was Sun. She was the sister of King Hao, Sun Quan, and a consort of Liu Bei, the Emperor Zhaolie of Shu Han. According to tradition, Sun Quan followed Zhou Yu’s plan and laid a trap in Jingzhou under the pretext of marrying his sister to Liu Bei. When the boat reached Digang, Lady Sun saw through the scheme and threw herself into the river. Another account says that, on hearing of Emperor Zhaolie Liu Bei’s death, she was overcome with grief and drowned herself.

Later generations built a temple to her on Mount Niaoji. Tradition places her burial site west of present-day Wuhu County. She is said to have manifested her miraculous power on many occasions. When Emperor Gao of the Ming dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, raised an army and crossed the river, he too received unseen help from the divine. After ascending the throne, he bestowed on her the title Lady Lingze and ordered the temple repaired and expanded. A regulated verse poem composed by Zhu Yuanzhang himself was engraved on the temple plaque. Many scholars mocked and criticized it, yet the temple remains a remarkable sight in the Yangtze, and Lady Lingze’s responses to prayers are said to be highly efficacious.

Lady Shunyi

According to the Miscellaneous Records of Fengjing, during the Dali era of the Tang dynasty, a girl surnamed Chen lived in Gutian County, Fujian. She was unusually clever from birth and could predict whether things would happen; most of her predictions came true. When she played, she often cut paper into shapes such as kites and butterflies, then sprinkled them with water. The paper figures would flutter up and down. When she sprinkled water on pieces of wood, they turned into oxen and horses more than a foot long. She would call out and direct them, and they would act as she commanded.

At times she liked to eat and could consume several dou in one meal; at other times she went for days without food and remained unharmed. Everyone thought her extraordinary, and even her parents could not control her. She died before she married. Afterward, she spoke through the body of a child and delivered messages to people. Villagers asked her about droughts and floods, fortune and misfortune, and everything she said came true. They therefore built a temple and offered sacrifices to her. The Song court posthumously bestowed on her the title “Lady Shunyi.” Many accounts from later generations tell of her divine manifestations, and even today she is worshipped in many parts of Fujian.

Lady of the Garrison

The lady’s surname was Yu, and she had a temple at Mazhaigang in Yingde County. According to an old tradition, when Huang Chao captured Xihengzhou near the end of the Tang dynasty, Yu put on armor and a helmet herself and led her brothers and local militia in resistance. Huang Chao’s forces then withdrew north, and Yu died in battle. The villagers built a temple where she fell and worshipped her there. Her temple repeatedly manifested its power.

During the Jiatai era of the Song dynasty, a bandit commander and his men passed through Mazhaigang. Suddenly, fierce winds swept out of the temple, accompanied by thunder, lightning, torrential rain, and hail. The bandits were terrified, abandoned their armor and weapons, and fled, bringing peace to the area. When the matter was reported to the court, it granted the temple the plaque “Aid from the Unseen.” During the Jiading era of the Song, another minor disturbance arose. After the local militia prayed at the temple, they fought the bandits and won three battles in a single day, whereupon the bandits scattered. The court then further bestowed on her the title “Lady Zhengshun Xianyou,” and Lin Zisheng wrote an account of the event. In the final years of the Song, when warfare spread across the land and Mongol forces ravaged many regions, the area around Yingde alone remained peaceful. Some people believed this was entirely due to the deity’s protection.

Lady Xian was from Gaoliang and the wife of Feng Bao, governor of Gaozhou under the Chen dynasty. When the Sui dynasty subdued the Chen in its early years, the people of Lingnan jointly chose Lady Xian as their leader. She defended the region and resisted the Sui army, but later submitted to the Sui. Afterward, Li Qianshi, the Sui inspector of Gaozhou, and Zhong Xuan, the tribal king of Panyu, rebelled in turn; Lady Xian defeated and pacified them both. She received titles repeatedly and was eventually enfeoffed as Lady of Qiao. After her death, she was given the posthumous title “Sincere and Reverent.” Her temple stands east of the county seat of present-day Dianbai County, and neighboring counties also have shrines dedicated to her. Whenever people pray to her, their prayers are answered.

The Song-dynasty poet Su Shi wrote:

Lady Xian, wife of Feng Bao, was a woman of resolve and virtue in ancient times; the fief of Lady Nie was here as well.

She earned distinction under Emperor Wu of Liang and was appointed to the office of Kaifu under Emperor Wen of Sui.

Through the troubled political changes of three dynasties, she held fast to her original purpose and was never changed by worldly ways.

With her embroidered banners, she brought long-standing unrest to an end; with rhinoceros-hide armor and weapons, she overcame the lingering fears.

In the early Hongwu era of our dynasty, Lady Xian was enfeoffed as Lady of Gaoliang Commandery, and sacrifices were offered to her each year in midwinter.

Lady Yao

The woman surnamed Yao was named Zhenshu. She was the daughter of a local resident during the Heping era of the Han dynasty. After her death, she manifested her spirit, and people built a temple for her in Dongmo Village, east of Boluo County.

During the Song dynasty, Chen Yaozuo was serving temporarily as prefect of Huizhou. He set out with Xu Shen, a scholar from Chaozhou. They moored their boat by the shore and soon saw more than a hundred people in armor, directing and shouting orders with great solemnity. They said, “Tonight the chief minister and the transport commissioner will stay here.” They warned that the slightest negligence would not do. Chen Yaozuo found this most strange. The next day, he asked about the place and learned that the temple of the spirit Lady Yao stood there. Later, Chen Yaozuo became chief minister, and Xu Shen became transport commissioner for the circuit; events thus matched what the spirit’s attendants had foretold.

In addition, west of Boluo, there was a woman surnamed Chen during the Liang dynasty. Her father, Yingzhi, died at the age of eighty. She was his only child, and she too died from overwhelming grief. The villagers made an image of her and built a shrine for worship. She was enfeoffed as Lady of Changfu and was renowned for her efficacy; prayers for rain were answered as well.

Cao E

Cao E was from Shangyu. Her father, Cao Xu, could play the zither and sing, and also worked as a ritual specialist. In the early years of the Han’an era, on the fifth day of the fifth month, he drowned while greeting the River God by the county riverbank. His body was never found. Cao E was then fourteen. She cried out along the riverbank day and night without stopping; after seventeen days, she threw herself into the river and died.

During the Yuanjia era, people built a temple for her east of the prefectural city of Shaoxing. E Zi of the commandery composed the inscription, and Cai Yong wrote the characters on the stele. It bore the cryptic phrase, “Yellow silk, young woman; grandson of a daughter, mortar for chaff.” It is said that a spiritual response was manifested there, and people in the region have continued to honor and make offerings to Cao E.

There was also a girl named Zhu E from the same county, who had been raised by her grandmother since childhood. When someone in the village tried to kill her grandmother, ten-year-old Zhu E rushed forward to protect her. She was struck more than ten times and died. Later, people made a statue of her and worshipped her alongside Cao E.

Filial Daughters

The filial daughters lived during the Tang dynasty. They were the daughters of Ge You of Gexu, Jinxian County. There was a silver mine in the area. Ge You was responsible for managing its affairs, but the silver ore ran out and he lost his family’s entire estate; he still could not repay what was owed. Unable to bear seeing their father suffer, his two daughters threw themselves into the furnace used to smelt silver ore and died. Their father was released as a result, and the silver mine was closed.

Later, a young man studied at Cuiyun Temple in the county.