《北游记》Vol. 2

Beneath the rock at the foot of the mountain lay several garments and headdresses. The turtle demon said, "Now that we have vast powers and can change our forms without limit, we lack only a lady to keep us company and share our pleasures. I am quite displeased in my heart." The other demon replied, "My worthy brother speaks well. We may order the lesser demons to go to every household and find out which has a beautiful woman, and then we'll seize two and enjoy them." Both were delighted by this, and at once they commanded the lesser demons to go out and scout.

Linbiao, the Prefect of Caozhou, had a daughter named Miss Jinju, sixteen years old, in the bloom of youth, with rosy lips, white teeth, and great beauty. Zhao Mo, the Judicial Officer, also had a daughter, named Jiaoniang, fourteen years old, with a graceful figure and clear, delicate features.

One day, Jinju and Jiaoniang were enjoying the flowers in the back garden when a minor demon spotted them. It hurried back to report to two demons, who at once rode a demonic cloud to the spot. Seeing the two young ladies strolling in the garden, beautiful in appearance, the demons were delighted. They cast their spells and chanted their incantations. In an instant a violent wind rose, and nothing could be seen before them. The maidservants were all knocked down by the gale. As the two young ladies were holding hands and trying to make their way out of the rear garden, each demon seized one of them, lifted her up, and carried her away on a cloud.

When the wind died down and the mist dispersed, the maidservants discovered that the young ladies were gone. Terrified, they had no choice but to report the matter to the Prefect and the Judicial Officer. Both men were greatly alarmed. After consulting together, they ordered their subordinates to draft formal documents, and then personally travelled by sedan chair to the City God Temple, where they burned the documents and presented them to the City God. Upon receiving the petition, the City God immediately ordered the minor underworld functionary Wuchang to issue writs and summon the Mountain Gods and Earth Gods of every district under the jurisdiction. Before half a day had passed, all the Earth Gods had arrived. The City God took his seat in the hall to hear the case. The Earth Gods knelt before the bench and asked, "What are the orders of the City God?" The City God said, "The Prefect of this city, Linbiao, and the Judicial Officer, Zhao Mo, each have a daughter. One day, while they were playing in the back garden, the girls suddenly vanished. The two men came to my temple, burned their petitions, and reported the matter, saying they do not know which demon has seized their daughters."

The City God (Chenghuang), the deity who oversees affairs of the netherworld in a given locality, addressed the local Earth Gods (Tudi): "Each of you governs your own territory and should know where the demons are. That is why I have summoned you to ask."

The Earth Gods reported: "We do not know which band of demons carried off the people. However, there are no demons in the mountains under our jurisdiction. Only Mount Wudang has two demons, and it is likely they who seized them."

The City God asked, "Who are those two demons?"

The Earth God replied, "One is a turtle demon and the other is a snake demon."

The City God asked further, "Why would Mount Wudang harbor these two demons?"

The Earth God said, "Long ago, Xuanyuan, the crown prince of the Kingdom of Jingluo, cultivated the Way on this mountain. One day, after his practice succeeded, he removed his internal organs and left them beneath a rock. The organs first absorbed spiritual energy, and over many long years the stomach became a turtle demon and the intestines became a snake demon. They now run wild through the mountain and cause terrible harm to people. The ones who carried off the two young women must be them."

The City God said, "Go and investigate this matter. If it is truly they who took the women, order them to return both women to their families at once."

The Earth God said, "Those two demons are greedy and insatiable, they prey only on humans, and their supernatural powers are vast. Why would they ever agree to return the people?"

The City God asked, "Then what should be done?"

The Earth God replied, "To rescue the two women, you must dispatch heavenly troops to do battle and surround the entrance of the Water-Fire Cave. Only then might they consent to release the women. Otherwise, it will be very difficult to save them."

The City God accepted this advice. He at once mustered his divine soldiers, marched straight to Mount Wudang, surrounded the mouth of the cave, and shouted war cries so loud that they shook the heavens.

The story then divides into two threads. First, the turtle and snake demons seized two young women and brought them back, happily setting out a banquet and intending to force them into marriage. The two ladies would rather die than agree, and the snake demon considered devouring them.

The turtle demon advised, "Younger brother, don't be so hasty. It is no wonder they refuse. They are women of the inner chambers, and having been suddenly seized by us, their tears have not yet dried. How could they agree to marry us at once? Better to have our young female demons attend them for a half month or a full month, and they will naturally change their minds. Why be so flustered? They have already been brought into my cave-dwelling. Are you afraid they will flee up to the heavens?"

Hearing this, the snake demon was very pleased and ordered the female demons to attend to the two women.

The two demons, the Turtle and the Snake, were drinking together when a deafening war cry rose outside the cave gate. A minor demon came rushing in to report: "The Lord of this prefecture, the City God (Chenghuang, the deity who oversees the affairs of the underworld for a region), heard that the two great kings had seized the young lady and brought her into the cave. He has led his divine soldiers here. He insists that if the great kings release the second young lady, he will call the matter settled. The great kings refuse to agree, so he means to break into the cave and spare no one he finds."

On hearing this, the Turtle and the Snake flew into a rage. They ordered the demon troops of the mountain to march out of the cave gate and form ranks to fight. The two demons shouted: "You are nothing more than a minister of the human world. You were granted a post as a divine official in the underworld only because you served your duties with loyalty. We were born of heaven and earth and attained our cultivation by learning the Dao. Our cave lacks a lady of the house, so we took the daughters of the Prefect and the Judge. What business is it of yours? How dare you lead soldiers to surround our gate on your own authority?"

The City God replied: "Monsters, you have a great deal of nerve! You have brought this disaster upon yourselves. The Judge and the officials of the prefecture have already sent their petition to my office, and how could I fail to investigate where the young ladies have gone on their behalf? Release the second young lady at once, and the whole affair will be wiped clean. If you hesitate even a little, I will seize you in an instant and deliver you to the Celestial Tribunal (Tianchao, the heavenly court that presides over judgment). Then you will have no mouth with which to argue your case."

Hearing this, the two demons thrust their spears straight at the City God, and he met them with his blade. They fought from noon until dusk, roughly five to seven in the evening, and neither side gained the upper hand. The demons then unleashed their supernatural powers. The Turtle transformed into a great mountain, the Snake coiled about its peak, and together they charged down upon him. The City God could not withstand them and fled in defeat. The two demons did not pursue him, but gathered their troops and returned to the cave.

The City God returned to his yamen, deeply troubled. The Earth God of Wudang came forward and said, "Your Honor need not worry. A few days ago I learned of a deity named Xuantian Shangdi (Emperor of the Dark Heavens). The Jade Emperor has sent him down to the mortal world to eliminate the demonic energies, and he now lives as a Daoist priest at the Sanqing Temple (Temple of the Three Pure Ones). He must have great spiritual powers. You should seek his help. If he will come forward, he is sure to subdue these two demons."

Hearing this, the City God went to the Sanqing Temple to pay his respects to the Patriarch. The Patriarch asked, "Why has the City God come here?" The City God replied, "This humble official has come about the harm done by the two demons of the Water and Fire Cave at Wudang. They have abducted the daughter of Lin Biao, the Prefect of this district, and the daughter of Zhao Mo, the Assistant Magistrate. The documents have already been sent to my office. I dispatched soldiers to capture them, but they could not defeat the demons. I have heard that the Emperor has been sent down to subdue demons, so I have come to plead with you. I beg you to save the lives of these two young women, to show your compassion, and to act as quickly as possible."

After listening, the Patriarch said, "Return now. I will go to the Water and Fire Cave at once." The City God thanked him and took his leave. The Patriarch intoned a true incantation, took up the Seven-Star Sword, and rode a cloud to the Water and Fire Cave to give battle. A minor demon went in to report to the two demons, who then came out of the cave.

There stood the Patriarch, holding the precious Seven-Star Sword, dressed in a yellow armor and brocade robe, with clear, refined features and a body radiant with golden light. He was none other than the Great General Zhenwu. The Daoist priest called out in a loud voice, "You two demons, do not behave so rudely! I have received the Jade Emperor's decree to come down and subdue demons. Surrender at once, or you will face the punishment of Heaven!"

The two demons replied, "Go back to your heavenly realm, and let us remain in the mortal world. What enmity do we have with you that you should come looking for trouble with us?"

The Patriarch said: "Heavenly law decrees that demons who lure away people's children and devour their flesh, bones, and blood shall fall into Fengdu (the underworld of the dead), and only after five hundred years may they be reborn as livestock. If you do not reflect on this, do you still dare to act so rudely?" Hearing this, the two demons flew into a rage and charged forward with their spears.

The Patriarch pointed his sword and summoned Bingding fire (bǐng dīng huǒ), the fiery force of the Southern Phase of Fire. The turtle belongs to Water, and at the sight of true fire it fled at once. The snake belongs to Fire, and unafraid of the flames, it grew even more vigorous and kept charging. The Patriarch then turned his sword northward and summoned Renguei water (rén guǐ shuǐ), the watery force of the Northern Phase of Water. When the snake felt true water descending, it could not resist and fled.

Seeing that the two demons had run off, the Patriarch entered the cave and found two young women weeping. He asked them why they were grieving. The women recounted how they had been seized while out on an excursion to enjoy the scenery. The Patriarch comforted them: "Young ladies, you need not weep. I am Lord Zhenwu (Zhēnwǔ), the Dark Warrior of the North, also known as Xuantian Shangdi (Xuántiān Shàngdì), the Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heaven, a revered deity of Daoism. The turtle and the snake have already been driven away by me. Close your eyes, and I will send you home."

The two young ladies bowed in thanks and closed their eyes. The Patriarch intoned the true incantation and, riding two auspicious clouds, carried them back to the residence in Caozhou prefecture. Jinju saw her father, Lin Biao, who asked: "You have been away from home for three days, and I have not seen any trace of you. How is it that you have returned?" Jinju replied: "My young mistress Jiaoniang and I went to play in the rear garden when a sudden gale rose, and the world before us went dark. We were seized by the two demons, the turtle and the snake, from Wudang Mountain. Father, you once submitted a petition to the Chenghuang (Chénghuáng), the City God, a local deity in charge of yin and yang affairs in the district, asking for help, but the City God could not overcome the demons..."

Later, the prefect received help from Zhenwu, the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Heaven of the Upper Realm (Zhenwu, a revered Daoist deity), who drove off the two demons. Zhenwu rode a cloud to carry the prefect's daughter home, and only then was her life preserved and she able to see her father again.

Pleased to hear this, the prefect asked, "What did the one who saved you look like?" The young lady replied, "The divine general had red lips and white teeth. His hair hung loose down his back, and his fair face bore three tufts of beard. He wore a purple robe tied with a jade belt, and he held a Seven-Star Sword in his hand."

Upon hearing this, the prefect immediately left the hall and summoned the Judicial Officer (tuiguan, an official title) to come and see him. Before long, the Judicial Officer arrived. When they met, the prefect recounted from beginning to end how his daughter had received Zhenwu's aid. The Judicial Officer said, "What your esteemed daughter describes is exactly what my own daughter told me. Since we have now been protected by a divine being, we ought to build a temple to give thanks." The prefect agreed, saying, "You are right."

Accordingly, the prefect ordered Xu Dexun to gather craftsmen and build a temple outside the north gate, on the scale of three halls and five wings. Inside, they sculpted an image of the deity with hair unbound and sword in hand. The prefect and the Judicial Officer, together with the young lady and their household, went to offer incense and give thanks. From then on, people came to pray there, and whatever they asked for was answered, and to this day the incense has never ceased.

Meanwhile, the two demons, driven away by the Patriarch, had nowhere to settle and were deeply resentful. The snake demon said, "Since coming here, I have been unbearably hungry, and for the moment we have no place to dwell. Why not, Elder Brother, transform yourself into a ferry boat while I become the bamboo pole? We can wait at the Three-Li Creek for travelers to come across the river. Once we carry them to the middle of the river, we sink them and devour them. Settling ourselves this way for the time being would be splendid, would it not?" The turtle demon was delighted, and so the two transformed themselves into a ferry and a pole and lay in wait there.

After the Patriarch escorted the two young ladies home, he returned to pursue the turtle and snake demons. As he rode the clouds through the air, he saw that the two demons had transformed themselves into a punting pole. The Patriarch silently sneered, halted his cloud, and descended to the ground, where he took the form of a Daoist priest. He leapt onto the ferry, took up the bamboo pole, and slowly poled the boat out to the middle of the river.

The turtle demon was delighted and was about to unleash its supernatural powers, so it pretended to let the boat sink. Seeing this, the Patriarch intoned a true incantation (zhenyan) and, holding the Santai Qixing Jian (Three Platforms and Seven Stars Sword), a Daoist ritual sword, let his body grow to ten thousand zhang in height. The bamboo pole that the snake demon had transformed into was now gripped in the Patriarch's hand, and the snake, greatly alarmed, flipped over and plunged into the water. The turtle demon revealed its true form and tried to drag the Patriarch down to the bottom of the river. The Patriarch then displayed his divine power: his head reached the Thirty-Three Heavens, his feet trod across the Five Lakes and Four Seas, and he pressed the turtle and snake demons into the riverbed so that they could not break free.

Seeing that the situation had turned against it, the snake demon leapt into the air and cried out, "A celestial scripture has arrived!" Upon hearing that the celestial scripture had come, the Patriarch reached out to receive it. The turtle demon seized the opportunity and immediately fled. The Patriarch realized he had been tricked, but his regret came too late. Not knowing where the turtle demon had escaped to, he set out to search along the road.

Afterward, the two demons agreed to hide in an old well and wait for someone to come draw water, so they could seize and devour them. The local earth god (Tudi Shen) discovered this and was thrown into great alarm. He was on his way to report the matter to the local she (altar) office when he happened to meet the Patriarch coming forward. He knelt to greet him, and the Patriarch asked whether he had seen where the two demons, the Turtle and the Snake, had gone. The earth god replied that they were hiding in the well and meant to harm the villagers, and that he had been about to report it to the she office. The Patriarch said there was no need to report it and asked only to be taken to the well.

The earth god then led the Patriarch to the well. The Patriarch drew his Three Terraces Seven Ploughs Sword and recited a true incantation (zhenyan), the spoken spell used in performing a rite, pointing it into the well. The two demons came out of the well and engaged him in battle. The Patriarch then pointed his sword to the south and to the north, and water and fire immediately appeared, and the two demons were routed and fled. The Patriarch pursued them, and the demons slipped into a lotus root to hide. The Patriarch took up the lotus root and hacked at it from end to end. Trapped inside the root, the demons were terrified and at once shrank to the size of millet grains. The Patriarch broke off a piece of the root, and there they were, in the place where they had been hiding. The demons dropped to the ground and tried to escape, but the Patriarch chased them to a pomegranate tree, where he saw them burrow into a pomegranate to take cover. He pointed his Three Terraces Seven Stars Sword from south to north, and at once water and fire appeared. The branches and leaves of the tree shook, a red light dazzled the eye, and the whole tree was enveloped from root to crown. The two demons, afraid of water and fire, did not dare to flee. The Patriarch recited the incantation, and the water and fire grew fiercer still.

Trapped between fire and water, the two demons could not withstand either. The tortoise feared fire and the snake feared water, so they could only cry out repeatedly for mercy. The Patriarch asked whether they were willing to submit, and both agreed to pledge allegiance to the Supreme Lord. The Patriarch then halted the water and the fire.

The two demons came forward and prostrated themselves before the Patriarch. He asked them once more whether they sincerely wished to submit, and they replied that they would follow the Supreme Lord forever and would never rebel. The Patriarch then had them reveal their original forms. The snake appeared with a single horn, golden scales, and bones of iron. The tortoise bore on its back a pattern of the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams (Bagua), and it had three eyes and three tails.

Seeing their true forms, the Patriarch subdued them with the Seven-Star Sword, a magical blade symbolizing the Seven Stars of the Big Dipper. He then took out two fire elixirs and had the tortoise and the snake each swallow one. He warned them that the elixirs would remain in their bellies, and that if they ever dared to rebel, a single shout from him would ignite the elixir within them and take their lives. The two demons bowed and obeyed.

The Patriarch then led the tortoise and the snake up to the Heavenly Court to report these events to the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor was greatly pleased, named them the Generals of Water and Fire, and ordered them to accompany the Patriarch in his magic. After the Patriarch and the two generals expressed their gratitude, the Jade Emperor added that black qi was rising from the lower realm straight into the sky, and he commanded the Patriarch to go and disperse it completely. The Patriarch stepped forward and offered to descend again to handle the matter. The Jade Emperor was delighted and bestowed three cups of imperial wine upon him. After thanking the Emperor, the Patriarch left the Heavenly Court and, accompanied by the two generals, went to the Hall of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) to pay respects to the Three Pure Ones, the three highest deities revered in Daoism. The story next turns to how the Patriarch descended to the mortal world to disperse the black qi.

After receiving the order, the Patriarch went to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) Temple to pay his respects. Shangqing asked, "What brings you here today?"

The Patriarch replied, "This disciple has subdued the two generals, Water and Fire, and has returned to pay respects to the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor saw black qi rising to the heavens from the lower realm and issued an edict dispatching someone to investigate. This disciple was ordered to descend to the lower realm and clear away the black qi, but I do not know where it rises from or how it should be dealt with, so I have come specially to seek your instruction."

Shangqing said, "This black qi spreads from north to south and from west to east. It does not come from a single source. It is formed by many evil demons causing trouble together." The Patriarch asked, "Why has this black qi gathered?" Shangqing answered, "It is caused by the Black Qi Spirit making mischief in the human world. He calls himself the King of Black-Faced Mountain, and he has seven generals under him, named Li Bian, Bai Qi, Liu Da, Zhang Yuanbo, Shen Shigui, Shi Wengong, and Fan Chenqing. The Black Qi Spirit's surname is Zhao, his given name is Gongming, and his style name is Wenming. After he left the heavenly realm for the mortal world, no one restrained him, and day after day he wreaked havoc and preyed upon the common people. When he descended, he did not bring any magic treasures. Now he and his seven generals dwell in the Fengqing Cave in Xuzhou Prefecture, feasting on human flesh, and he often sends lesser demons to patrol the riverbank, seizing and devouring those who cross.

"Now, in Xi'an Lane in Xuzhou Prefecture, there lives a man named Zhan Lisheng, who ordinarily accumulates good deeds. He is away visiting as a guest. After you attained the Dao, he made a statue of you and has continued to offer you incense. Now he must travel out on an urgent matter, and he has to cross the river. Zhao Gongming has already sent one of his generals to guard the riverbank, so if Zhan Lisheng crosses, he will surely be killed. You should descend now and go quickly to the riverbank. First, you can save his life and honor the devotion he has shown in worshipping you. Second, you can subdue this band of demons. Would that not be excellent?"

The Patriarch bowed his thanks after hearing this and left the Three Pure Ones Temple (Sanqing Guan). He ordered his subordinates, the Water General and the Fire General, to transform themselves into three travelers and wait by the river to hail a ferryman. Soon a small boat appeared on the Yangtze, with a boatman at the bow who poled it slowly toward the bank with a bamboo pole. Suddenly a surge of black vapor burst out, and within it hid seven demons who rushed forward to seize the Patriarch and his two companions.

Seeing the demonic qi (qi) closing in, the Patriarch used his divine powers. Holding the Three-Platform Seven-Star Sword, with the Water General on his left and the Fire General on his right, he struck together with them and routed the demons completely. Unable to withstand the attack, the demons fled in disarray, returned to Qingfeng Cave, and reported everything from beginning to end to Zhao Gongming.

Zhao Gongming flew into a rage upon hearing the report. He armed himself and rode out to battle in person, where he met the Patriarch and hurled a stream of abuse at him. The Patriarch replied, "You were originally a fiend-god (shasheng) of the upper realms, one who governed fierce and malignant forces. Why did you not keep to your proper station, and instead come down to the mortal world to cause chaos? You have violated the celestial statutes. If you are willing to dismount and surrender, I will escort you to the Celestial Court to be tried, and the matter will be settled. But if you will not heed even these words, you will lose your life before long."

Zhao Gongming grew even more furious and struck at the Patriarch with his iron whip. The Patriarch raised his sword to meet him, and the two fought for more than three hundred bouts without either gaining the advantage. After a moment's thought, Zhao Gongming secretly ordered his subordinate Li to reveal his true form: a tiger-tail whip. This whip had thirty-two segments and measured thirty-three zhang in length. When swung, it felt as light as a goose feather, yet when it struck another, it weighed as heavily as Mount Tai. Li used his divine powers and took the field against the Patriarch.

Seeing this, the Patriarch ordered the serpent demon to reveal its true form. The serpent, thirty-two zhang long, coiled itself around the tiger-tail whip.

The Patriarch (Zushi) had barely caught sight of the serpent demon before he ordered it to reveal its true form. The serpent grew to thirty-two zhang in length and coiled around the whip, binding it so tightly and making it so heavy, like Mount Tai, that it nearly crushed Li Bian to death. Gasping for breath, Li Bian had no choice but to restore his own original form and wriggle free of the serpent's coils to flee. The Patriarch pursued them, and Gongming did not dare to resist. Nor could he make it back to his cave in time, so he had no choice but to ride off on an auspicious cloud.

The Patriarch charged into the cave and gave orders to the two generals, the Tortoise and the Serpent: "This demon, once defeated today, will flee on a cloud and must touch down forty li away. Hurry there on clouds and wait for it. The serpent spirit may transform into a great mountain, and the tortoise spirit into a single jujube-sized tea seed. Then turn this Seven-Star Sword into a Daoist temple named the Tongxian Guan (Temple of Universal Immortals). I will transform into a Daoist priest and chant scriptures inside the temple. The demon will surely come into the temple to drink tea. When it does, you must slip into its belly, and only then can it be captured."

The two generals accepted their orders and followed the Patriarch on clouds to a place called the Wansong Forest, where each took up his position as instructed. The Patriarch transformed into a Daoist priest and began chanting scriptures in the temple.

Zhao Gongming, defeated by the Patriarch, fled to Qingfeng Cave, but he found no place to settle, and his hunger was severe. Ahead he saw a Daoist temple from which came the loud sound of scripture recitation, and he went in. The Daoist priest received him and invited him to sit in the hall. Unable to bear his hunger, Zhao, the moment he entered, demanded that the priest bring him a meal.

The priest said, "Where have you come from, sir? The midday meal at the temple has already been eaten, and the evening meal has not yet been prepared; I can only offer you tea." Zhao then asked for a cup of tea and urged the priest to hurry and prepare food.

The Patriarch transformed the Tortoise Spirit into a jujube and placed it in the teacup, having Zhao drink it. Zhao swallowed the jujube into his belly. Seeing this, the Patriarch asked whether he recognized him. Zhao said he did not know who the Patriarch was. The Patriarch then turned and revealed his original appearance. When Zhao saw this, he tried to flee, and the Patriarch ordered the Tortoise Spirit to take effect within his abdomen. Zhao cried out loudly in pain and collapsed to the ground.

The Patriarch said, "The jujube you just swallowed was transformed by the Tortoise Spirit under my command. If you are willing to submit to me, I will give you two pills of elixir and have the Tortoise Spirit come out; if you are not willing, your life will be in danger." Hearing this, Zhao cried out repeatedly for help and expressed his willingness to submit. The Patriarch then gave him two Fire Elixirs to swallow and ordered the Tortoise Spirit to come out. Zhao bowed in submission, and the Patriarch was greatly pleased. Afterward, Zhao summoned his seven generals back, and together they returned to the Patriarch's allegiance.

The Black Tiger Spirit of the Upper Realm was originally a subordinate general of Zhao Gongming. Seeing that Zhao Gongming was not at its side, it transformed into a young woman, descended to the mortal world, and hid deep in the mountains. It often feigned weeping by the roadside, scheming to lure travelers in and devour them.

One day the Black Tiger Spirit took the form of a woman again and lay in the muddy ground beside the road, crying out for help. The Patriarch, together with Zhao Gongming and the two generals Shui and Huo, happened to pass by. The Patriarch saw through the disguise and recognized a demon. He reached out and gave a tug, and the creature fled in fright. The Patriarch pursued it, pointed his Seven-Star Sword at it, and it revealed its true form: a great tiger with black markings on its body. Zhao Gongming stepped forward and struck it with his whip. Seeing its master arrive, the Black Tiger knelt on the ground and begged for mercy. Zhao Gongming brought the Black Tiger before the Patriarch, who was very pleased.

When the Jade Emperor held court, the Celestial Worthy of Wonderful Music reported that the Patriarch had descended to the mortal world and subdued Zhao Gongming, the "Killing Deity," along with the Black Tiger and others. The Jade Emperor was overjoyed and ordered the Celestial Worthy of Wonderful Music to carry an imperial edict down to the mortal world. Zhao Gongming was granted the titles "Grand Commandant of the Divine Residence of Zhao, the Lofty Immortal" and "Marshal Zhao, Golden Wheel Ruyi Enforcer," and was charged with holding a rope in his left hand to subdue tigers and a whip in his right hand to ward off evil. After Zhao Gongming expressed his gratitude, the Celestial Worthy of Wonderful Music returned to the Celestial Bureau. The Patriarch, together with Zhao Gongming and the two generals Shui and Huo, then set out to subdue the black vapor (qi).

Within the black qi lived a sand blade that was the spirit of Guan Yu's blade. It had cultivated itself into a demon and called itself "General Jinlie." It commanded three thousand soldiers of blades, all able to take human form, and it made its home on Mount Tiantai. Whenever someone passed below the mountain, it seized them, carried them into the mountains, hacked them to mincemeat, and devoured them.

One day, the Patriarch (Zushi) was touring the black qi and came to Mount Tiantai. The blade demon transformed itself into a man, tall in stature with very small feet, its whole body shining with golden light. When the Patriarch saw the golden light all over it, he knew it was a demon. He drew his Three-Terrace Seven-Notch Sword from his waist and struck at it. The blade demon met him in combat, and the two fought for more than a hundred rounds without either gaining the upper hand. The blade demon then unleashed its divine powers, and flying blades instantly filled the battlefield, gradually closing in on the Patriarch. Unable to withstand them, the Patriarch was struck by the flying blades and died on the battlefield. Seeing that the Patriarch had been wounded and had perished, the sand blade demon recalled its blade soldiers and returned to Mount Tiantai.

The Water General, the Fire General, and Zhao Gongming were grieved to see the Patriarch killed by the blades. The Water General said, "The two of us brothers can only watch here, and it will do no good. In my view, it would be better for Brother Zhao to stay behind and guard the Patriarch's body, while I and Brother Snake travel to the upper realms to pay our respects to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the three highest deities revered in Daoism, and ask how we might save the Patriarch." Zhao Gongming replied, "Your plan is excellent, younger brother. I will stay here and keep watch while the two of you set off at once."

After taking leave of Zhao Gongming, the Water and Fire Generals rode their clouds straight up to the celestial realm. They arrived at the Three Pure Ones’ Temple and paid their respects to the Three Pure Ones. The Three Pure Ones asked, “You followed your master down to the mortal world to subdue the black qi. Why have you come here?” The two generals, Turtle and Snake, then reported how they had encountered the Blade Demon and been wounded by its flying knives.

After hearing them out, the Three Pure Ones immediately issued a decree and summoned Venerable Miaole to the temple. Once Venerable Miaole had completed his bows, the Grand Supreme Elder Lord said to him, “Your disciple Xuanyuan went down to the mortal world and encountered the Sand Blade Demon. He was struck by a flying knife and has already died. The Water and Fire Generals have come to ask for help. Hurry down and revive your disciple, then subdue the Sand Blade Demon. If he is not treated in time, after ten days his corpse will turn to bloody water and can never be restored.” Venerable Miaole agreed. He took leave of the Three Pure Ones with the Water and Fire Generals, returned to the hall, and descended with them to the mortal world.

The Venerable arrived beside the corpse and recited a true incantation. Gathering the spirit and qi within himself, he sent them into the patriarch’s mouth and breathed into it three times in succession. The patriarch gradually regained consciousness. Seeing his master, he turned and bowed, thanking him for saving his life, then asked where the Blade Demon had come from. The Venerable said, “This is no ordinary demon. It is a magical treasure belonging to a disciple of Patriarch Pu’an, the Buddhist Chan master, and it fell into the mortal world, where it began causing trouble.” The patriarch asked, “Who was Chan Master Pu’an’s disciple?” The Venerable replied, “He was a man of the Three Kingdoms period, surnamed Guan, with the given name Yu and the courtesy name Yunchang.”

The Patriarch asked, “I have heard that Guan Yunchang (Guan Yu) was merely a loyal, righteous, and valiant general during the Three Kingdoms period. How could he enter the Celestial Court and be enshrined as a deity?”

The Celestial Worthy replied, “You do not know the whole story. Whenever the human realm has a loyal minister or filial son who is upright in conduct and free of selfish motives, the local spirits investigate and record his deeds, then report them to the Celestial Court. When his allotted years come to an end, he enters the upper realm, where rank is bestowed according to his merits, and he receives the Court’s stipends and blessings. This is not uncommon.

“Guan Yu was born during the Three Kingdoms period and never forgot loyalty and righteousness. Lü Meng laid a scheme against him, but even after death Guan Yu refused to yield. His heroic spirit scattered amid the dark winds, then gathered again in the clouds. One night, he encountered the Patriarch Pu’an, a Buddhist monk, sitting in meditation. As soon as Pu’an spoke, Guan Yu fell before the altar. The Dharma Master Pu’an then gave him the precepts and accepted him as a disciple.

“Later, when Pu’an attained the Dao, he brought Guan Yu to the Celestial Court. The Jade Emperor enshrined Guan Yu as the Great General of Loyalty and Righteousness, assigning him to guard the Heavenly Gate by day and govern Fengdu, the capital of the underworld, by night. Later, while listening to the Tathagata preach in the Western Heaven, Guan Yu learned of the suffering of rebirth. Feigning illness, he requested leave from the Celestial Court and secretly went to the Western Heaven with Zhou Cang and Guan Ping to hear the teaching. He did not take the Sand Saber with him, but left it at home. To his surprise, the demon seized its master’s absence to escape into the human realm and wreak havoc. If you wish to subdue the Sand Saber demon, you must go to the Western Heaven to find Guan Yu and ask him to return in person. Only then can it be brought under control.”

After hearing this, the Patriarch was delighted. He bade his master farewell and instructed Zhao Gongming and the Water and Fire Generals to guard the place. Then he mounted a cloud and set off westward to pay his respects to the Tathagata.

The Tathagata was expounding the scriptures and teaching the Dharma at Thunderclap Monastery when he saw an auspicious cloud drift into view. He said to Guan Yu, “The Supreme Emperor has run into trouble and has come to find you.” Guan Yu asked, “Why has he come to see me?” The Tathagata replied, “You will know soon enough.”

Before he had finished speaking, the Supreme Emperor entered from outside and bowed beneath the dais. The Tathagata stepped down and helped him to his feet. “I already know that the Supreme Emperor has come here to seek an audience,” he said. “Please sit. I have called Guan Yu here; tell him the whole matter in detail.” The Supreme Emperor agreed, and the Tathagata summoned Guan Yu to meet him. After they had exchanged greetings, the Supreme Emperor told him how the sand saber had become possessed.

Guan Yu said, “My saber has gone strange, and since the Supreme Emperor has personally come to summon me, how could I refuse? But I have devoted myself to the Buddhist teachings and came here to hear the scriptures; I have not yet understood them. How can I leave just like this? Let me go after I have attained awakening.”

The Tathagata said, “There is something you do not know. The Supreme Emperor is an incarnation of a strand of the Jade Emperor’s soul. Because his desires were not yet exhausted, he fell into the mortal world; now he has regained his original divine form. You are a subject and he is your sovereign. When a sovereign orders a subject to die, the subject has no choice but to die; when a father tells his son to die, the son likewise has no choice but to die. Since he has come in person, how could you not go with him?”

Guan Yu said, “Of course I will go. It is just that I have not finished hearing the scriptures. Where will I be able to hear them again later?”

The Tathagata replied, “Though you have not finished hearing the scriptures, if you pay homage to the Supreme Emperor here and take him as your master, then in every life to come you will no longer be entangled in the hardships of the mundane world. You will not need to keep listening to sermons on the Dharma, and you will still be able to escape the suffering of the cycle of rebirth.”

Guan Yu was delighted. He thanked the Tathagata and instructed Guan Ping and Zhou Cang to return home. Then he turned and paid homage to the Supreme Emperor as his master. The Supreme Emperor was overjoyed. He took leave of the Tathagata and led Guan Yu away from the Western Heaven. Riding on clouds, they descended to the mortal world to join the two generals, Shui Ren and Gongming. Everyone was happy.

Early the next morning, Guan Yu shouted loudly before Mount Tiantai. The blade spirit was drinking inside its cave. Hearing the cries outside, it grew furious, donned its armor, and came out to the cave entrance. It looked up and saw Guan Yu, nine feet and three inches tall, his face the color of a dark red date, dressed in a green robe and riding the Red Hare, his whole body bristling with killing intent. Recognizing its former commander, the blade spirit went weak with fear, reverted to its true form, and fell to the ground. Guan Yu stepped forward, seized it, and took it back to the Patriarch. The Patriarch was delighted and reported the matter to the Jade Emperor.

The Jade Emperor issued an edict appointing Guan Yu “Chongning Wangdao Taizhenjun Langling Guan Yuanshuai.” He was ordered to continue guarding the Gate of Heaven as before, and at night to oversee the Fengdu underworld prison—the Daoist realm of the dead—and patrol and inspect it. He held the Golden Fiery-Sand Saber in his left hand and the Purple Tenuity Edict Seal, representing the Purple Tenuity Emperor’s command, in his right. His left foot stood upon the Thunder-Beating Spirit, and his right upon the Fire Chariot, as he assisted the High Emperor in subduing demons and monsters. Guan Yu gave thanks for the favor.

The Patriarch subdued the two generals Lei and Tian.

After subduing the Sand Blade Spirit, the Patriarch continued on toward Yongzhou with Shuihuo and the others. Suddenly, he saw demonic energy flickering and resentment soaring into the sky. Looking up, he saw an old man approaching in tears. He went forward and asked, “Elder, why are you weeping so bitterly?”

The old man replied, “I live in Yongzhou. My name is Sun Hao, and there are seven people in my household. We have all observed a vegetarian fast for three months and three days.”

The Patriarch asked why they were fasting. The old man said, “I heard that someone who cultivated the Dao and attained the Way on Mount Wudang has now ascended to heaven. We are fasting during his birthday celebration to ask for his protection.” The Patriarch said, “You are celebrating his birthday with good intentions, so you should not come to harm because of it. Why, then, are you weeping like this today?”

“I’m not crying because of the fast,” the old man said. “Not far from here is Mount Divine Thunder. A demon has recently appeared there, wearing a Daoist crown, with a ghost’s head and three eyes, and carrying a mallet. He calls himself the ‘King of New Prosperity.’ He is insatiable in his lust. If a local family has an unmarried daughter and plans to set a wedding date, they must send her to the mountain the day before the wedding to spend the night with him. Only then may she marry the following day. If they refuse, he comes down from the mountain and kills the girl and her family. I have a granddaughter named Jinlian, whose wedding is set for tomorrow. After discussing it, our family decided to send her to him. But she refuses to go. If we don’t send her, I fear our whole family will not survive. That is why I weep in such sorrow.”

The Patriarch said, “I know the arts of magic and can rid you of this demon. Don’t grieve; I will save you.” Hearing this, the old man immediately bowed down.

The Patriarch told him to return home, continue fasting in peace, and make arrangements for his granddaughter’s wedding without worry. After thanking him, the old man went home. The Patriarch summoned Marshal Guan and told him to transform into a woman. Then the Patriarch transformed into an old man, and the two went together to the entrance of the cave on Mount Divine Thunder.

When the King of New Prosperity saw the old man bringing a woman, he was delighted. Just as he was about to leave the cave and carry her inside, the Patriarch gave a loud shout. Marshal Guan immediately revealed his true form and charged into the cave. The demon had no time to fight back before Marshal Guan seized him and brought him before the Patriarch. The Patriarch made him swallow a pill of fire, took him into his ranks, and appointed him as a general.

After traveling another thirty-odd li, they came to a mountain called Luozhuya. The Patriarch gave one of the commanders accompanying Marshal Guan and the others a Fire Elixir, a medicinal pill in Daoist lore, and took him into service as an officer.

The Patriarch and his commanders continued on. After traveling another thirty-odd li, they reached Luopo Mountain. In the mountain was a cave called Sanliao Cave, where a lord named Tian Hua lived. He often sent lesser demons down the mountain to patrol and stop travelers, demanding silver as a toll. If anyone could not pay, he ordered the Thunder God to strike them dead, then had a great wind carry their bodies into the cave, where their hearts and livers were cut out, soaked in wine, and consumed.

One day, as a lesser demon was stopping travelers at the foot of the mountain, the Patriarch arrived with his commanders. The demon came forward and demanded toll money. Seeing demonic energy fill the sky, the Patriarch recognized the demon for what it was, drew his Three-Tai Seven-Star Sword, a magical sword in Daoist lore, and struck at it. The demon fled, and the Patriarch pursued it to the cave.

The demon ran inside and reported what had happened to Lord Tian Hua. Enraged, Tian Hua immediately performed a spell in the cave, summoning divine thunder to crash down outside. The Patriarch raised his Seven-Star Sword toward the thunder and cried, “Halt!” The thunder stopped in midair. When Tian Hua saw that his thunder spell had failed, he charged out of the cave with a spear to fight the Patriarch. He could not defeat him and was about to flee back inside when Marshal Zhao cast out a Fire Cord, a rope empowered by fire magic, bound him, and brought him before the Patriarch.

Tian Hua repeatedly begged for mercy and offered to surrender. The Patriarch accepted his submission, took out a Fire Elixir for him to swallow, and enlisted him as an officer. In this way, the Patriarch had won over two commanders. He then submitted a report to the Jade Emperor, who was greatly pleased. The Jade Emperor appointed King Xinxing and Tian Hua the two marshals Leikai and Goub i, ordered each to carry a command token, and commanded them to follow the Patriarch in subduing demons. King Xinxing and Tian Hua bowed in thanks for the Emperor’s grace.

The Patriarch led the generals onward. After traveling seventy li, they met an old man named Zhang Wan. Seeing that the group looked like Daoist practitioners, he stepped forward, bowed, and asked where they were going. The Patriarch replied, “My disciples and I travel from place to place, subduing demons and banishing evil.” The old man told them that near his home stood Mount Touge, where a demon lived. The demon never showed itself, but could use the wind to blow precious objects people admired, along with beautiful women, into its cave and keep them for itself. The old man asked the Patriarch to go and subdue the demon, ridding the people of this menace.

After taking leave of the old man, the Patriarch led the generals to Mount Douge and shouted a challenge into the hills. A demon emerged from its cave, with red hair and fangs, carrying a wind wheel and a great saber. It charged at the Patriarch, who raised his sword to meet it. After twenty exchanges, Guangze—the demon’s name—still could not prevail. It recited a spell and set the wind wheel spinning. A violent gale sprang up, scattering the Patriarch’s generals and blowing the Patriarch beyond the Thirty-Two Heavens.

The Patriarch was astonished. He had been blown to the front of a great hall, whose plaque read “Hall of the Unborn.” Inside, he saw a Daoist wearing a Daoist cap and robe. He stepped forward, bowed, and asked the man’s name. The Daoist said his surname was Qi, his given name Zhao, and his Daoist title Immortal of the Water Terrace. The Patriarch told him how the wind had carried him away while he was subduing the demon.

The Immortal of the Water Terrace smiled and said, “You are an emanation of the Golden Palace, and yet you do not know this art?” The Patriarch replied that he truly did not. The Immortal explained that this wind was the pure Qi of the north wind, governed by Guangze. Gathered in one place, it could be used to harm people; dispersed, it brought coolness to all under Heaven. He took out an immortal elixir and said it had been refined through countless ages of tribulation, using wind and fire. He gave it to the Patriarch, telling him to hold it in his mouth during battle so the wind could not move him.

The Patriarch accepted the elixir, bowed in thanks, and left the hall. Riding the clouds, he returned to Mount Douge, reunited with the generals, and told them what had happened. They were all delighted.

Early the next morning, the Patriarch held the elixir in his mouth and challenged the demon at the mountain. Great King Guangze set the wind wheel spinning again, but the gale could not move the Patriarch. Great King Guangze was stunned and had no time to respond before the generals rushed forward and seized him. He knocked his head on the ground and begged to surrender, and the Patriarch was greatly pleased. Then an imperial decree from Heaven arrived, appointing Guangze Marshal Zhou of the Wind Wheel and ordering him to follow the Patriarch in practicing the Dao. What happens next? Let us hear the story in the next installment.

In Ninghai County, Shandong, there was a demon with no visible form who would appear in people’s dreams, calling himself Zhang Jian. He spread epidemics such as measles and smallpox, killing the children of local families. Whenever an infectious disease took hold, children would catch smallpox or measles, and some would die.

The Patriarch came to the area and saw a demonic cloud drifting through the sky. In the cloud was a man with handsome, refined features, wearing a Erlang helmet and escorting three children. The Patriarch recognized him as Zhang Jian, drew his Three Platforms Seven Stars Sword, a Daoist ritual implement, and slashed through the air. Zhang Jian flew into a rage, drew his sword, and fought back. They fought fifty rounds without either gaining the upper hand. Zhang Jian demanded, “You and I have no quarrel. You are in the Upper Realm, and I am in the Middle Realm. Why don’t we each keep to our own place?” The Patriarch replied, “Because you spread epidemics and harm the people, I have come especially to subdue you.” Zhang Jian said nothing more and resumed the fight. The Patriarch summoned his generals, who rushed forward together. Unable to hold them off, Zhang Jian retreated into his cave and shut the entrance tight, refusing to come out.

The Patriarch then devised a plan. He had the snake spirit take the form of a child and cry outside the cave entrance. A lesser demon captured it and brought it before Zhang Jian. Thinking he had caught a child, Zhang Jian opened his mouth to eat it. The snake spirit immediately resumed its true form and shot into Zhang Jian’s belly, writhing and crawling inside him. Overcome with pain, Zhang Jian collapsed to the ground. From inside his belly, the snake spirit said, “Open the cave entrance and welcome my master and his companions in, and you’ll be fine. If you refuse, I’ll torment you to death from inside your belly.” Zhang Jian quickly opened the entrance, welcomed the Patriarch and the others into the cave, and knelt to beg for mercy.

The Patriarch was pleased. He gave Zhang Jian a pill of Fire Elixir to swallow and told the snake spirit to come out of his belly. After an imperial decree from Heaven arrived, Zhang Jian was appointed “Marshal Zhang, the Utterly Loyal.” Holding a pestilence hammer, a weapon used to unleash epidemics or perform related spells, he followed the Patriarch in casting spells to aid the people. The Patriarch then left Ninghai County.

More than a hundred li from the county seat stood a mountain called Flame Mountain. As dusk fell, the Patriarch and his companions planned to rest in the mountains. Suddenly, they saw a mass of demonic cloud, and everyone was startled. A demon appeared, wearing a Daoist crown and carrying a fire-wheel saber. Before him, a lesser demon held up a red banner bearing the words “King Xie Shirong of Water-Difficulty City.” He charged down from the sky.

The two marshals, Guan and Zhao, advanced to meet him. Xie Shirong spat out true fire. Its flames flickered and its waves of heat pressed in, defeating the two marshals. Seeing this, the Patriarch drew his Three-Tai Seven-Star Sword and went to their aid. Xie Shirong spat fire again, so the Patriarch recited a spell and summoned the Turtle General. Holding a Six-Star Sword, the general pointed north and drew forth the true water of the Kan position. Kan is one of the Eight Trigrams’ directions and, in Daoist divination, corresponds to water. The Patriarch led his followers in an attack. Xie Shirong belonged to fire, and when the true water arrived, the flames went out. Chilled all over, he retreated into his cave, shut the entrance, and refused to come out.

Seeing that Xie Shirong would not fight again, the Patriarch devised a plan. He had the Turtle Spirit transform into a lesser demon and descend from the sky to the cave entrance, where it fought with the other lesser demons and seized the chance to approach Xie Shirong. The Turtle Spirit revealed its true form, and water flooded the cave. Terrified, Xie Shirong fled outside. The Patriarch pointed his sword, and true fire from the Kan position surged up like a heavenly blaze, blocking the cave entrance. Xie Shirong could not escape and was chilled to the bone. The lesser demons cried out in distress as the water drowned them. Soaked through and shivering, with nowhere to turn, Xie Shirong was seized by Tian Hua, who charged into the cave, and brought before the Patriarch.

The Patriarch asked whether Xie Shirong was willing to submit. Nearly drowned, Xie Shirong had no choice but to yield. The Patriarch displayed his powers, drew three parts of true fire from the Kan position, gathered it into a pill, and gave it to Xie Shirong to swallow. He then submitted a memorial to the Jade Emperor. Delighted, the Jade Emperor sent his chief decree officer to deliver an edict, appointing Xie Shirong as the Fire Virtue Heavenly Lord Xie. He granted him a golden whip to carry and a fire-wheel saber to wear, and ordered him to follow the Patriarch in spreading the Dao. After giving thanks, Xie Shirong left Flame Mountain with the other generals.

The Patriarch left Flaming Mountain and came to Kunlun Mountain. Six demons lived in the mountain, calling themselves “the Six Poisons of Heaven, Earth, Sun, Moon, Year, and Hour.” They often released poisonous fumes beside the road to harm people, and travelers passing by were frequently injured.

When the Patriarch reached the foot of the mountain, he saw the demons gathering and said to his generals, “The demons here are no ordinary creatures. There is a strange glow in the mountain, so poisonous fumes must be hidden inside. Everyone should be careful.” Before he could finish speaking, a fierce wind suddenly swept in. The Patriarch raised his Three-Tai Seven-Star Sword to defend himself, but the poisonous fumes struck him head-on and knocked him down. He fell unconscious. The generals scattered in every direction. After a while, the fumes cleared, and the generals gathered to look for the Patriarch. They found him lying on the ground, insensible, and were all greatly alarmed.

Marshal Guan and the others looked at one another, unable to think of a way to save their master. Marshal Guan said to the generals, “Stay here and watch over our master. I’ll go to the Upper Realm and seek the counsel of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the three highest deities honored in Daoism.” The others agreed, and Marshal Guan rode a cloud to the Upper Realm. He paid his respects to the Three Pure Ones and told them how the Patriarch had been poisoned and had fallen unconscious.

The Three Pure Ones said, “These are six deputy generals under Zhu Yanfu of Kunlun Mountain. They are called the Six Poison Gods. They carry poison bags and cause trouble at the foot of the mountain. To save your master, you must go to Kunlun Mountain and ask Zhu Yanfu to come. Only he can save him.” Marshal Guan said, “I’m afraid that if I go, Yanfu will refuse to come and save our master.” The Three Pure Ones replied, “You can ask him, but he may not be willing to set out. That man has a magical treasure called the ‘Poison Bag.’ It is extremely powerful.”

“We will go with you. First, we’ll revive your master, then go to meet him. If he refuses to surrender, use a stratagem to capture him when your master goes to subdue the Six Poisons.”

Marshal Guan was delighted to hear this. He rode the clouds with the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) to Mount Kunlun. They saw toxic vapors enveloping the Patriarch, who lay unconscious. The Three Pure Ones recited a sacred formula and waved their fans, dispersing the vapors. They then sprinkled pure water over the Patriarch and breathed upon him three times. Gradually, he awoke. Seeing the Three Pure Ones, he quickly bowed before them.

“You lost your senses because you were struck by the vapors of the Six Poisons,” they said. “To dispel this poison, you must go to the summit of Mount Kunlun and seek Zhu Yanfu. Only then can it be removed.”

The Patriarch asked, “What means should I use to dispel the poison?”

The Three Pure Ones replied, “If you go into battle, that man will surely open his poison sack and trap your officers inside. I have a precious fan called the Carefree Fan. It has endured countless tribulations, and no evil influence or demon dares approach it. A single wave will disperse the toxic vapors. Take it and give it to your officer Xie Tianjun. He is an incarnation of the Fire Virtue Star. In battle, if you see Zhu Yanfu open his poison sack, have Xie Tianjun enter it carrying this fan, then use fire. The sack will burn through, and the man will no longer be able to trap you. Then you can capture him. If Zhu Yanfu surrenders, return the fan to Heaven. Do not fail.”

After hearing this, the Patriarch bowed deeply in thanks. The Three Pure Ones rode the clouds back to the heavenly palace, and the Patriarch immediately instructed Xie Tianjun to carry out the plan.

The next morning, the Patriarch rode a cloud to the summit of Mount Kunlun with the assembled generals and entered to pay a visit to Zhu Yanfu. Zhu Yanfu sat upright and motionless. The Patriarch stepped forward and saluted him, but Zhu Yanfu remained seated and asked arrogantly, “Who are you?”

The Patriarch replied, “I am General Zhenwu, sent down by the Jade Emperor to eliminate the dark force.” Zhu Yanfu asked, “Why have you come here to eliminate it?” The Patriarch said, “There are six kinds of evil below the mountain. I have heard that your officers are causing disorder and harming people. Please go and subdue them.”

Zhu Yanfu said, “You claim to have been sent to eliminate the dark force, yet you want to deal with my officers. If you cannot even subdue them, how dare you come before me?” The Patriarch answered, “I was ordered to eradicate all demons and dark forces. I serve the Jade Emperor and rid the people of harm. Now I ask you to go there, and you answer me with such words?”

Zhu Yanfu shouted, “Stop this nonsense! If you do not leave at once, I have a magical treasure that can contain every one of you and turn you into pus within seven days.” Hearing this, Celestial Master Xie suppressed his anger and stepped forward to curse Zhu Yanfu. Zhu Yanfu said nothing. He took out a poison bag and hurled it into the air, and the assembled generals fled in every direction.

Celestial Marshal Xie stood upright before the steps, holding a fan, but trapped inside a poison sack. The Patriarch and the others fought their way out of the encirclement and clashed fiercely with Yanfu. Celestial Marshal Xie set fire to the sack from within and burned his way through it. When Yanfu saw the sack split open, he was astonished. Celestial Marshal Xie struck him on the head with his fan. Yanfu could no longer escape and fell to the ground. The generals and soldiers seized him, and he knelt down in surrender.

The Patriarch used a Golden Elixir to mend the poison sack, then took out a Fire Elixir and had Yanfu swallow it. The Jade Emperor issued an edict appointing Yanfu “Marshal Zhu, Who Commands the Defeat of Those Who Disbelieve in the Dao,” granting him a golden hammer to carry and five poison sacks, and ordering him to follow his master in practicing the Dao. After Zhu Yanfu gave thanks, he told his master he wished to descend the mountain. He opened the poison sack, gathered all six poisonous creatures into it, and then returned to see the Patriarch. The Patriarch was delighted.

Yanfu said, “Now I have gathered up all the poisonous Qi. I fear that in the future people throughout the realm will call every kind of malign influence ‘the Qi of the Six Poisons’ and falsely claim, in my name, that they can collect poisonous Qi. I would like to eliminate these impostors.” The Patriarch replied, “Very well.”

To learn what happened next, hear the story in the next installment.

Just as the Patriarch was about to lead everyone onward, a cloud of auspicious vapors suddenly descended. Western Venus, the star deity of Daoist mythology, stood upon it, bearing the Jade Emperor’s command. He read aloud:

“Since you entered the Dao, I have been greatly pleased. The dark Qi in the Middle Realm is now gradually fading. I never imagined that Huaguang would still refuse to mend his ways: he struck My Crown Prince, and now he has set fire to the Southern Heaven’s Baode Pass, throwing the Celestial Palace into chaos. My ministers have recommended you, saying that you belong to the Ren-Gui Water of the north, one of the Five Phases, and can subdue the Bing-Ding Fire of the south. You can bring Huaguang to heel. Upon receiving this command, go at once. You must not disobey!”

After thanking the Celestial Emperor and receiving his command, the Patriarch ordered his generals to follow the Taibai Star and ride the clouds together into the inner gate of the Celestial Palace. There they happened to encounter Huaguang. The Patriarch drew his Three-Tai Sword and shouted, “Who goes there? Show some respect!”

Huaguang replied, “I am famous around here for loving wine and women. They call me the Spirit Official Ma of Wine and Women.” The Patriarch asked, “Are you the same Huaguang as before?” “I am,” Huaguang said. The Patriarch challenged him: “What wrong has the Jade Emperor done you, that you dare set fire to the Southern Heaven Gate?” Huaguang answered, “You’re in the north, and I burned the south. What has that to do with you?”

“I have come by the Jade Emperor’s command to arrest you,” said the Patriarch. “Surrender peacefully and that will be the end of it. If you refuse, you’ll soon be reduced to nothing.” Huaguang was quick-tempered. He made no reply, but raised his spear and thrust it at the Patriarch.

The Patriarch displayed his supernatural powers, his head reaching the Thirty-Three Heavens and his feet spanning the Five Lakes and Four Seas. Seeing this, Huaguang transformed himself into a being with three heads and six arms, and fought the Patriarch. The Patriarch directed his generals to attack from all sides. Huaguang was soundly defeated and fled north. The Patriarch pursued him, so Huaguang hurled a triangular golden brick. With a sweep of his banner, the Patriarch captured it. Anxious, Huaguang then cast out his Wind and Fire Wheels, but the Patriarch took them too, using his Seven-Star Sword. Next Huaguang threw a fire elixir, which the Patriarch swept away as well. With no way to advance or retreat, Huaguang had no choice but to fight for his life.

“Three heads and six arms” is a common supernatural transformation in tales of gods and demons, describing a figure able to wield several weapons and use multiple magical arts at once.

The Patriarch summoned the northern Ren and Gui waters (in Daoist cosmology, Ren and Gui correspond to water in the north), flooding Huaguang and pressing him to the ground. He then used a water-subduing staff to pin down Huaguang’s limbs, leaving him unable to move. Huaguang had originally formed from a lamp flower before the Tathagata. Later, the Tathagata recited a true-word spell, allowing him to take shape. As Huaguang was a spirit of fire, a vital force of fire, he could not escape when confronted with the northern waters, and so the Heavenly Sovereign captured him.

The Patriarch said, “You beast, ignorant of how the world works, you actually dared to attack the prince! Now that I have caught you, what have you to say?” Pinned down by the water and unable to move his limbs, Huaguang wept and said, “Your disciple was forced by Deng Hua. I truly had no choice but to do this. Now that the Heavenly Sovereign has caught me, I beg you to show mercy and save me.”

The Patriarch said, “If you are willing to mend your ways and return to the right path, I will take you into my service as a general.” Huaguang quickly agreed: “If the Heavenly Sovereign will save me, I am willing to submit and will never dare rebel again.” The Patriarch then took out a water-gathering pearl (a ritual implement that gathers water), transformed it into a grain of rice, and told Huaguang to swallow it. “I will save you,” he said. Huaguang had no choice but to swallow it. The Patriarch warned him, “This grain of rice is my water-gathering pearl transformed. Once you have swallowed it, if you ever again harbor thoughts of rebellion, I need only recite a spell, and the water in your belly will surge. Within seven days, you will turn into water.”

Huaguang said, “I am indebted to the Heavenly Sovereign for saving my life. I am willing to follow you forever.” Hearing this, the Patriarch picked up the water-subduing staff and released Huaguang.

Huaguang said to the Patriarch, “Thank you for taking me in, Master. But the celestial troops are pursuing me relentlessly. How can I escape Heaven’s grasp?” The Patriarch replied, “You are, by nature, a star of fire. You can flee south.” Huaguang said, “My master has taken all my magical treasures. How can I possibly escape?” The Patriarch then returned the treasures he had taken earlier. Huaguang bade farewell to the Patriarch and descended to the human realm.

The Patriarch returned to Heaven and entered the court to pay his respects to the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor asked, “I ordered you to capture Huaguang. Did you catch him?” The Patriarch replied, “I did indeed subdue Huaguang.” The Jade Emperor asked, “If you caught him, why did you not bring him here for me to punish?” The Patriarch reported, “In my view, Huaguang did not rebel deliberately. He was driven to it by circumstances and truly had no other choice. I respectfully ask Your Majesty to pardon him and let him go to the human realm to help subdue the Black Qi. If he renders meritorious service, he can later use that service to atone for his offense.” The Jade Emperor granted the Patriarch’s request.

The Patriarch then asked the Jade Emperor for permission to descend to the human realm and subdue the Black Qi himself. The Five Emperors were delighted to hear this. They personally bestowed three cups of imperial wine on him, adorned him with colorful regalia, and saw him off from the court. After giving thanks, the Patriarch led his generals from the Golden Hall, passed through the Southern Heavenly Baode Gate, and descended to the human realm. As usual, he led his generals on patrol. When they reached a village under the jurisdiction of Huaizhou Prefecture, they saw a man approaching in tears. The Patriarch went up to him and asked, “Why are you weeping so bitterly?” The man replied, “My surname is Li, and my given name is Zhoufang. A monster came to our village the year before last. At night, it appeared in the villagers’ dreams and said its surname was Dang and its name Guiji. It was black all over, and ordered everyone to build it a temple. Every year at the Dragon Boat Festival, we had to offer it the Three Sacrificial Animals and wine—livestock and other offerings. If we failed to do so, it would take five people from the village every day. At first, no one believed it, but then its words came true: fifteen villagers died in succession over three days. The people had no choice but to pray, build a temple, and make offerings. Sure enough, the village was safe for a year. Now the Dragon Boat Festival is approaching again, and another five villagers…”

The old man said, “The Dragon Boat Festival is nearly here. The demon sent word through the dreams of everyone in the village. He says that this year he wants no animal offerings or wine; he wants only my daughter brought to the temple to keep him company for a year. On the same day next year, he will send her back. If we refuse, he will kill everyone in the village. I have only this one daughter, but if I don’t send her, everyone’s lives will be in danger. On the day of the festival, the villagers will come to my house, seize my daughter, and take her to the temple. I am torn and can do nothing, so I weep in grief.”

The Patriarch said, “Old sir, there is no need to grieve. My disciples and I have a way to subdue this demon.” Li Zhoufang heard this and bowed to the Patriarch. The Patriarch said, “There is no need for ceremony. Go home without worry; I will make the arrangements.” Li Zhoufang took his leave of the Patriarch and went home.

The Patriarch summoned Zhu Yanfu and had him transform into a woman. Then the Patriarch took on Li Zhoufang’s appearance and instructed the others to lie in wait beside the temple and send Zhu Yanfu, in his female form, inside. A minor demon reported this to Dang Guiji. Delighted, Dang Guiji came out of his cave, happily descended the steps, and carried the woman into the cave. At that moment, the Patriarch revealed his true form and drew his Seven-Star Sword. Marshal Zhu also returned to his original form. As Dang Guiji tried to flee, the serpent demon leapt down from its perch and coiled around him, knocking him to the ground. Dang Guiji repeatedly begged for mercy.

The Patriarch asked, “Are you willing to surrender?” Dang Guiji answered again and again that he was. The Patriarch took out a fire pill and made him swallow it. Then he set fire to the temple and submitted a memorial to the Heavenly Emperor, requesting that Dang Guiji be appointed Marshal Dang of Examination and Discipline, with a bamboo clapper in hand, to follow the Patriarch in subduing demons and banishing evil spirits. After Dang Guiji gave thanks for the favor, the Patriarch led everyone onward.

The villagers saw that the fire in the temple had gone out and everyone was safe, so they all bowed toward the sky in gratitude. The Patriarch, Zhenwu, witnessed this with his discerning eye and rode the clouds back. He found everyone gathered by the boat, bowing in worship. Someone said, “If the immortal had not saved us, our whole village would surely have suffered disaster. May we ask your honored name?”

The Patriarch wrote the six characters “General Zhenwu of the North,” then rode the clouds up into the air. His hair hung loose, he stood upon a tortoise and a serpent, and he held a Three-Terrace Seven-Star Sword. The people looked up and saw him, and one after another they bowed in worship. In an instant, the Patriarch vanished. The villagers then built a temple and made an image of the Patriarch to enshrine there.

The account then repeats how the Patriarch rode the clouds into the sky, with his hair loose, standing upon the tortoise and serpent and holding the Three-Terrace Seven-Star Sword; after the people bowed, he disappeared, and the villagers built a temple to enshrine him. The meaning of “Xi’an zi” is unclear, so it is rendered as written.

There was a place in Xi’an Prefecture called Black Pine Forest, where a demon named Kang Xi lived. He wore a helmet like Erlang’s, had three tufts of beard, and carried a melon-shaped hammer. From Ren­sheng Cliff, he stirred up trouble and worked his mischief.

The Patriarch led his generals to Black Pine Forest. Kang Xi transformed himself into a bandit and blocked their way, demanding gold, silver, treasures, and meat as toll payment. The Patriarch said, “We are monks. How could we have gold, silver, treasures, or meat?” Kang Xi replied, “If you have none, then agree to my demand three times, and I’ll let you pass.” The Patriarch said, “Since we truly have no goods, I can agree ten times.”

Before the Patriarch had finished agreeing, Kang Xi recited a spell. A bronze bell flew down from midair and covered the Patriarch. Kang Xi then returned to his cave. The generals went forward to lift the bell, but no matter what they did, they could not move it. They were all distressed and troubled, so they sent the snake demon to seek out the Celestial Worthy of Wondrous Music, a Daoist deity.

The Celestial Worthy asked the snake demon, “You followed your master to subdue demons. What brings you here?” The snake demon told him that the Patriarch had been trapped beneath a bronze bell. The Celestial Worthy immediately descended to the mortal world with the snake demon. He recited a sacred spell, took out a bowl of purified water, and sprinkled it toward the east. An east wind blew the bronze bell open, but the Patriarch had already died inside it. The Celestial Worthy placed a single Rebirth Elixir, a medicine that restores life, in the Patriarch’s mouth, then breathed on him three times. The Patriarch awoke and bowed to thank him.

The Patriarch asked about the demon. The Celestial Worthy said, “This demon is on good terms with the Daoist Yan in the rear cave. Daoist Yan is not in the cave now, and I don’t know where he has gone. I’ll transform into a Daoist, and you into an immortal elixir. I’ll carry you there, and the demon won’t suspect a thing. Once it swallows my elixir, we’ll be able to subdue it.” The Patriarch was delighted by this plan, and he and the generals waited at the foot of the mountain in Black Pine Forest.

The Celestial Worthy used his power to transform into a Daoist, while the snake demon became an immortal elixir and had the Daoist deliver it. A little demon informed Kang Xi, who came out to greet the visitor. The Daoist said, “I have long heard of Your Majesty’s renown. I heard that yesterday you exhausted yourself with worry. Two immortal elixirs have been prepared in my cave. I would not dare take them myself, so I respectfully offer you one, in the hope that it will add a hundred years to your life.” Kang Xi was delighted. After thanking him with a bow, he took the elixir and swallowed it.

The Celestial Worthy asked, “Do you recognize me?” Kang Xi replied, “Why are you talking nonsense? We have known each other for a long time; we are old friends. How could I not recognize you?” The Celestial Worthy Miaole said, “I am not a Daoist,” and revealed his true appearance to Kang Xi. At the sight of him, Kang Xi turned pale with shock. The Celestial Worthy said, “The immortal elixir you just swallowed was actually the snake demon in disguise. You once trapped the Patriarch beneath a bell, so I have come to subdue you.” Kang Xi refused to believe him. The Celestial Worthy called out to the snake demon, and the snake began crawling in response inside Kang Xi’s belly. Overcome by unbearable pain, Kang Xi fell to the ground. The Celestial Worthy asked, “Are you willing to surrender?” Unable to bear the pain, Kang Xi had no choice but to agree.

The Celestial Worthy sent the Patriarch into the cave to fetch a pill of fire elixir. He gave it to Kang Xi, stopping the pain, then summoned the snake demon out. Afterward, the Celestial Worthy Miaole rode the clouds up to Heaven and reported the matter to the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor appointed Kang Xi Marshal Rensheng Kang, and gave him a golden axe to carry as he helped the Patriarch subdue demons.

The Patriarch received a manifestation of Ziwei.

In a village in Guizhou Prefecture stood a bridge called the Bridge of Communion with the Spirits. Tens of thousands of ghost soldiers lived beneath it. They came out late at night and vanished at dawn, their cries and wails terribly mournful. Among them was a leader named Pang Qiao, who wore a golden circlet. Every day, from dusk until late at night, no one dared cross the bridge or sail beneath it. If a boat passed, the ghost soldiers dragged its occupants into the water and devoured them, leaving no bodies behind. The locals therefore dared neither to cross the bridge nor to take their boats out.

The Patriarch arrived at the bridge with his generals and rested there at dusk. At the first watch of the night, gusts of eerie wind arose and ghostly cries rang out. The Patriarch warned his generals, “There are demons here too. Everyone, be on your guard.” Before he had finished speaking, the ghost soldiers charged onto the bridge and seized at them. The Patriarch and his companions fought back with their swords. The ghost soldiers were defeated and fled into the water. The two generals, Turtle and Snake, and Jin Liesha pursued them into the water and fought. The ghost soldiers reported the battle to Pang Qiao.

Pang Qiao stormed out of his cave and ran into the two generals, Turtle and Snake. After a fierce fight, they could not hold their ground and retreated to the bank. Pang Qiao pursued them, where he met Marshal Zhu and fought him in turn. Marshal Zhu cast out the Five Poisons Bag, a magical treasure used to subdue demons and malign spirits, and captured Pang Qiao inside it. He then brought him before the Patriarch. Pang Qiao bowed his head and submitted. The Patriarch gave him a pill of human elixir, a medicinal pill for people to take, and told him to swallow it. He then wrote a memorial to the Jade Emperor. The Emperor issued an edict appointing Pang Qiao Marshal of Primordial Qi, bestowed a golden saber on him, and ordered him to follow the Patriarch in subduing demons.

The Lord of the Ziwei Star met with a calamity and descended into the mortal realm, being reborn into the household of Elder Gao Lin in Xichuan. By the age of fifteen, he was handsome and had been given the name Gao Yuan. During the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui, court official Lu Pingshu submitted a memorial stating that the emperor had no son to succeed him. His only daughter, Princess Yusheng, was now grown, and could be married to a suitable consort; perhaps she might bear a crown prince. Emperor Yang accepted the proposal and set up a decorated tower to invite suitors.

Gao Yuan was still unmarried. When he heard that the court was seeking a consort for the princess, he went to the tower. Seeing his refined appearance, the princess tossed him a jade-thread whip, choosing him to enter the court. Emperor Yang was delighted, bestowed on Gao Yuan the title of imperial son-in-law, and held a banquet for the assembled officials.

The next day, Emperor Yang held court. The official who presented memorials reported that an urgent dispatch had arrived from the frontier. It said that a northern foreign king had raised an army in rebellion and was attacking the border passes. Furious, Emperor Yang asked his ministers for advice. Lu Pingshu proposed sending the newly appointed imperial son-in-law to lead the troops, with Yang Qinhu, son of Yang Liji and a warrior of unmatched strength, as the vanguard. Only then, he said, could they defeat the invading forces. Emperor Yang accepted the proposal and ordered Yang Qinhu and the imperial son-in-law to lead the army into battle.

When the imperial son-in-law reached the frontier, he fought the foreign general Nadata’er. Unable to withstand Yang Qinhu, Nadata’er was defeated and fled. Pressing their advantage, the imperial son-in-law ordered the troops to pursue. Countless enemy soldiers were killed or wounded, and the foreign king fled back north. The imperial son-in-law returned to court with his army to report the victory, greatly pleasing Emperor Yang.

Even so, Emperor Yang remained troubled that he had no son to succeed him. He held Zhaijiao purification rites throughout the day to pray for blessings and offer worship to the gods, but did not personally ascend the altar to pay his respects. At night, he entertained himself with music in the palace, while also planning to extort the wealth of the people throughout the realm.

One year, on the seventh day of the seventh month, the Heavenly Emperor was in high spirits. Yet day and night he was troubled by the thought that he had no son to succeed him. He spent all his time setting up altars and offering prayers. Emperor Yang of Sui, however, did not go to the altar himself to pay his respects. Instead, he spent his days and nights in the palace making music and entertaining himself, plotting how to seize the wealth of the people throughout the realm.

At that moment, a star fell from the sky into the Princess’s husband’s residence, shining brightly. It was the Ziwei Star, a heavenly body that symbolizes the emperor. In a dream, the Princess’s husband had once paid his respects at the Golden Palace, the Heavenly Emperor’s dwelling, before returning to the human world. This was how the star came to be.

Emperor Yang was drinking in the palace when he saw the star’s light. Startled, he did not know what it was and asked his court attendants, “Where did that strange creature land?” The officials replied that it had fallen into the Princess’s husband’s residence. Emperor Yang flew into a rage.

The next day, Emperor Yang held court and summoned the Princess’s husband. After the formal greetings, he said, “I made you my son-in-law, but in three years you and my daughter have had no children. Yesterday I saw a shining object fall into your home. It must be a demon.” He then ordered the man’s execution.

The Princess’s husband was terrified. He knocked his head on the ground and pleaded, “I am from the Western Regions, the son of Gaolin. How could I be a demon? I beg Your Majesty to spare my life and give me another year. If we still have no children, I will willingly accept punishment. I am certainly no demon.” Emperor Yang’s anger eased somewhat, and he agreed. After leaving court, the Princess’s husband returned home and told the Princess what had happened.

The Princess was deeply frightened. Every night she burned incense in the rear garden and prayed to have a child. One day, she fell asleep there and dreamed that Taibai Jinxing, the Venus deity from the West, appeared to her. He said, “Your father has no Dao and should have no descendants. Your husband is a star from Heaven, banished to the human world for offending the Jade Emperor. He will have no children now, either.” With that, he departed.

When the Princess awoke, she told her husband the next day about Taibai Jinxing’s message in her dream. The Princess’s husband wept bitterly, said farewell to her, and then hanged himself in the rear hall. Seeing what had happened, the Princess wept and went to the palace to report it to Emperor Yang. She then prepared a coffin and buried her husband.

After the imperial son-in-law hanged himself, his soul drifted about. The Earth God recognized him as the Ziwei Star and was about to take him to meet King Yan, when the Patriarch happened to arrive with his generals, following the black qi. The Earth God stepped forward and reported what had happened to the imperial son-in-law. The Patriarch then told him to bring the man over. The imperial son-in-law recounted everything that had happened. The Patriarch wrote a memorial and reported the matter to the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor pardoned the Ziwei Star’s past offenses, bestowed on him the title “Heroic Nine Heavens-Born Marshal Gao,” and gave him a bronze sword for his left hand and a golden basin for his right. In the basin lay a purple-gold crown for binding his hair. The Jade Emperor ordered him to follow his master in subduing demons. Marshal Gao bowed and thanked him for the favor.

The Patriarch Enlists the Five Thunders and Five Sounds

In western Sichuan stood a mountain called Chasi Mountain. The people there had built a temple, in which five statues were enshrined. They were named Zhou Chang, Zhao Guang, Shi Ding, Liu Ze, and Pei Jian. The Patriarch and his generals followed the black qi to the mountain. A sudden downpour caught them there, so they went into the temple to shelter from the rain. Just as they were about to sit down, they sensed demons’ qi rising throughout the temple. The Patriarch looked up and saw that the five statues could move. The five figures immediately began fighting.

As the Patriarch was about to lead everyone out through the temple gate, the sky suddenly darkened. Clouds and mist filled the air, and thunder roared, shaking heaven and earth. The Patriarch could not move; his head throbbed, his vision swam, and he collapsed unconscious. Marshal Guan was alarmed. He hurried forward, lifted the Patriarch onto his back, and carried him out of the temple, but the Patriarch remained unconscious. The generals anxiously discussed what to do and decided to have Marshal Gao ride the clouds to summon the Celestial Worthy of Wondrous Joy to save the Patriarch.

At that time, the Celestial Worthy of Wondrous Joy was seated in the Hall of Long Life. Seeing Marshal Gao arrive, he asked, “You are following your master to subdue demons. Why have you come here?” Marshal Gao then told him that the Patriarch had lost consciousness in the temple, that the generals were worried, and that they had agreed to ask the Celestial Worthy of Wondrous Joy to come and help.

The Celestial Worthy of Wondrous Joy was sitting upright in the Hall of Longevity when he suddenly saw Gao Shuai arrive. “You went with your master to subdue demons,” he asked. “How did you come here?”

Gao Shuai told him how, after entering the temple, they had been struck by thunder, and his master had fallen unconscious and could not be roused.

The Celestial Worthy explained, “The five deities in that temple are the Five Thunder Gods. Thunder sounds only when they fight among themselves. Since your master is injured and unconscious, hurry to the Eastern Heaven and ask their commander to come. Only then can the monster be subdued.”

Gao Shuai asked who commanded them. “The Thunder Lord’s surname is Deng and his given name is Cheng; he is known as Lord Deng. He lives in Taihua Palace. Go and summon him at once.”

Gao Shuai took his leave of the Celestial Worthy and went to Taihua Palace to pay his respects to Lord Deng. Lord Deng asked him, “I heard you were following General of the North to suppress the black vapor. What brings you here?”

Gao Shuai explained that he had accompanied his master to subdue a demon and encountered a temple. Inside were five deities who suddenly began fighting, making thunder roar. After his master walked out of the temple, he fell unconscious and could not be roused. Gao Shuai added that the Celestial Worthy of Wondrous Joy had identified the five deities as Lord Deng’s subordinates. He asked Lord Deng to order them subdued and to help awaken his master.

After hearing him out, Lord Deng descended to the mortal realm with Gao Shuai. Once he had met the assembled generals, Lord Deng performed a spell: he held water in his mouth and sprayed it onto the Patriarch’s face. The Patriarch immediately awoke and bowed to thank him. Lord Deng shouted at the temple gate and raised his command tablet toward it. The Five Thunder Gods knelt before him.

Lord Deng pointed south, and five Thunder Spirits appeared, each with a pointed beak and chicken wings, holding a spiked hammer. Once the five deities had revealed their true forms, they turned into five drums, which the Five Thunder Gods took into their custody. “I will not keep these five thunder drums,” Lord Deng said. “Take them with you to subdue the demon.”

The Patriarch was delighted. Lord Deng returned to Taihua Palace, while the Patriarch set out again, now accompanied by the Five Thunder Gods.

They came to a place in the mountains called White Crag Mountain. There was a cave on the mountain called White Stone Cave. A demon lived inside. He had begun as a writing brush belonging to Immortal Jiang, but after cultivating, he became a spirit. His surname was Tian, and his given name was Guai. He also commanded twelve junior officers named Mountain Demon, Water Demon, Stone Demon, Crag Demon, Metal Demon, Wood Demon, Earth Demon, Fire Demon, Mud Demon, Sand Demon, Human Demon, and Star Demon.

Tian Guai possessed a magical treasure: a paper booklet of a little over thirty pages, with extraordinary powers. Whenever someone came along, he had only to unfold the booklet, and that person would be drawn inside. Tian Guai would then take them back to the cave and eat them.

One day, as Tian Guai was leaving the cave, he happened to encounter the Patriarch. The master and his disciples were caught off guard. Two of Tian Guai’s followers unfolded the paper booklet, drew the entire party inside, and carried them back to the cave. Tian Guai was delighted. He ordered his followers to prepare a feast, planning to release the Patriarch and the others from the booklet so he could eat them. The captives heard this and were terrified.

Marshal Ma reassured them: “Don’t worry. This booklet is made of paper. I have a fire pill on me. Everyone, hold on to your weapons and get ready.” With that, Marshal Ma took out the fire pill, and Marshal Zhou set his wind wheel spinning. The flames inside the booklet caught the wind and grew stronger and stronger, until they burned through the paper. The captives each seized a weapon and fought their way out. Tian Guai fled with the booklet.

The Patriarch, Marshal Deng, and Marshal Gao had not yet managed to escape when Tian Guai carried them away along with the booklet. The other marshals could not find the three of them and grew deeply worried. After discussing what to do, they went to pay their respects to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) and report what had happened. After hearing them out, the Three Pure Ones immediately summoned Venerable Miaole and told him: “Your disciples are now in danger. Tian Guai has drawn them into the booklet, and they cannot escape. The marshals have come to ask for help. You should go and rescue them.”

Venerable Miaole said: “To rescue the three of them from the booklet, we must turn to its owner, Immortal Jiang. Only if we summon Immortal Jiang can they be saved.” The Three Pure Ones then ordered him to set out at once with the marshals.

The Celestial Worthy took leave of the Three Pure Ones—the collective name for the three revered deities Yuqing, Shangqing, and Taiqing—and arrived at the summit of White Rock Mountain. He entered the hermitage to pay a visit to the Perfected One. The Perfected One came out to welcome him. After they had exchanged greetings, the Celestial Worthy asked, “Is your magic treasure still here?” The Perfected One replied, “I entrusted my magic treasure to Tian Guai to guard. It was left in the cave.”

“Since it is still here, bring it out and let me see it,” said the Celestial Worthy. The Perfected One went into the cave to look for it, but could not find it. Alarmed, he came out and told the Celestial Worthy. The Celestial Worthy smiled and said, “You endured trials and passed through five hundred kalpas to obtain this treasure, yet you did not take care to guard it. I have come precisely because of your treasure.”

The Perfected One asked, “Since you have come for my treasure, you must know where it is. Please tell me where to look.” The Celestial Worthy said, “The Northern Perfected Warrior General received the Jade Decree to descend to the mortal realm and eliminate the black Qi. When he came to White Rock Mountain, he encountered your guard, Tian Guai. He opened the magic treasure and entered my disciples into its register. You do not yet know this. Hurry and rescue my disciples and retrieve the treasure, lest you violate the laws of Heaven.”

The Perfected One was greatly startled. He went with the Celestial Worthy to the cave entrance and called for Tian Guai to come out. Hearing that his master had arrived, Tian Guai immediately came out to greet him, accompanied by twelve demon generals. At the sight of them, the Perfected One instantly revealed his true form: three eyes, a blue-green face, and fangs. With a thunderous shout, he made all twelve demons reveal their true forms. Tian Guai also showed his real appearance: he was a great writing brush, lying on the ground and crying out in pain.

The Perfected One scolded Tian Guai, pointed to the paper register, and identified the names of three people, including the Patriarch. He then seized Tian Guai, reclaimed the register of magical records, and ordered Tian Guai to pledge allegiance to the Patriarch. The Perfected One took leave of the Celestial Worthy and returned to the cave. The Celestial Worthy summoned Tian Guai and told him to follow his master and cultivate magical arts. Then he took leave of his master and returned to Great Cao. The Patriarch gave Tian Guai a pill of fire elixir to swallow, then set out with him. What happened next will be told in the next installment.

The Patriarch took his leave of the Perfected One and the Celestial Worthy, then continued on with his generals for another day until they reached Mount Zihua. In the mountain was Yellow Sand Cave, home to a demon named Yutian. He had a dragon’s body and a ghost’s head, and possessed a magical treasure called the Canopy That Shrouds the Sky. With five thousand demon soldiers under his command, he often caused trouble around Mount Zihua and harmed the people.

As the Patriarch and his companions arrived at the foot of the mountain, a mass of demonic clouds came rolling toward them. Yutian tossed the Canopy That Shrouds the Sky into the air. At once, it blocked their vision, so they could no longer see one another. Before the Patriarch and the others could respond, the canopy swept them inside and pinned them to the ground, leaving them unable to escape. Only the Heavenly Lords Deng and Xin, who had fallen behind, avoided being swept in. They rode the clouds to Taihua Palace and reported what had happened to the Celestial Worthy Miaole.

“This trouble was caused by no other magical treasure than the Southern Canopy of Heavenly Lord Zhang An,” said the Celestial Worthy Miaole. “There is no need to worry. I will go with you to see Heavenly Lord Zhang and have him rescue your master.” With that, he set out with the two of them for the palace where Heavenly Lord Zhang resided.

Heavenly Lord Zhang was meditating in his palace. When he saw the Celestial Worthy Miaole and the others arrive, he invited them in and asked why they had come. The Celestial Worthy Miaole recounted what had happened. “This is my fault,” said Heavenly Lord Zhang. “Celestial Worthy, there is no need for you to descend to the mortal realm in person. The two of you and I can go together.” Pleased by his response, the Celestial Worthy Miaole took his leave of Heavenly Lord Zhang and returned.

After hearing this, the Heavenly Venerable was very pleased. He took leave of General Zhang, who then rode the clouds with the other two into the sky to survey the scene. They saw a mass of yellow cloud lingering without dispersing. It was the Sky-Covering Canopy. General Zhang ordered the two generals Deng and Xin to descend and fight Yutian. They obeyed, taking up their weapons. Seeing this, Yutian also rallied his little demons to meet them in battle. The two sides fought for three hundred rounds, yet neither could prevail.

From the clouds, General Zhang saw how the battle was going. He pointed his sword, held water in his mouth, and sprayed it out. The Sky-Covering Canopy revealed its true form: it was an upside-down Thunder Command Plaque. General Zhang picked up the plaque and performed a spell, reciting an incantation. He reached out and beckoned, and the canopy revealed its true form as a yellow flag. General Zhang pulled the flag open, freeing the Patriarch and his disciples.

Once freed from beneath the Sky-Covering Canopy, the Patriarch was about to ask what had happened when the two generals, Deng and Xin, told him the whole story. The Patriarch was very pleased. General Zhang then withdrew his power and ordered Yutian to submit to the Patriarch. He returned to the Celestial Bureau, an office within the Heavenly Court, and reported to the Jade Emperor.

An imperial decree arrived, appointing the three generals as gods of the Thunder Gate and placing Generals Deng, Xin, and Zhang in charge of the Thunder Department. After that, they went to Xinjiang County in Chengpan Prefecture, where they each took charge of the Thunder Gate alongside Zhang An. The Patriarch was very pleased and gave them Fire Elixirs and food. Another imperial decree appointed Yutian as Marshal of Rain Who Subdues Demons and Monsters. He was to carry the yellow Thunder Command Flag, remain by the Patriarch’s side, and follow him as he spread the Dao and transformed others. The Patriarch also gave Yutian Fire Elixirs and food, then continued on his way with the others.

They came to a place called Black Tiger Mountain. Two mighty gods lived in the mountains: one, surnamed Ren, was named Wubie; the other, surnamed Ning, was named Shikua. They wielded moon axes and preyed on living beings in the human world. They often made trouble, seized people, and carried them into their cave, where they made the people into meat buns and ate them.

One day, the Patriarch and his companions came to Black Tiger Mountain. At the sight of them, two demons hurled their axes. These were lunar axes that had long been used to harm people throughout the mortal realm. The demons often wreaked havoc, dragging people into their cave and making meat buns out of them.

Marshal Ma, a Daoist guardian deity, was startled when the axes flew toward them. He immediately hurled a fire pellet, refining the jade axes until they fell to the ground. Then Marshal Ma covered the two demons with a golden bell, captured them, and brought them before the Patriarch. The demons kowtowed and begged for mercy, saying they were willing to surrender. The Patriarch gave them the fire pellet and made them swallow it. What happened afterward is left for the next installment to tell.

The Jade Emperor sent an emissary to destroy the villagers.

The Patriarch was delighted to have subdued Generals Ren and Ning. After traveling for several days with his generals, he arrived at Mount Heavenly Fire. A demon lived on the mountain, surnamed Liu and named Hou. He carried a flying whip and rode a fire cart. Each year, the people at the foot of the mountain had to offer a boy and a girl as sacrifices to him. If they failed to perform the sacrifice, he would often set fires and burn down their homes.

That year, the man in charge of the sacrifice was surnamed Li and named Shan. He bought a boy and a girl from a poor family and took them to the cave, intending to sacrifice them to Liu Hou. The children knew nothing of the ways of the world. Their parents had no money and, with no other choice, had sold them. On the day of the sacrifice, they began to weep loudly at the temple gate. The Patriarch and his companions happened to arrive there. They went over to ask what was wrong. In tears, the children explained what had happened, and the Patriarch was deeply shocked.

Marshal Ma, one of the Daoist guardian deities, heard their story and was furious. He rescued the children, raised his golden spear, and charged into the temple. There he met Liu Hou, who came to fight with his flying whip in hand. They clashed. Marshal Ma hurled a golden brick and knocked Liu Hou to the ground, then brought him before the Patriarch. The Patriarch was delighted.

Liu Hou bowed before the Patriarch and said he was willing to surrender. The Patriarch took him in and gave him a fire elixir to swallow. He then wrote a memorial to the Five Emperors, the five directional Heavenly Emperors venerated in Daoism, and appointed Liu Hou a Heavenly Lord of the royal household. From then on, Liu Hou carried his flying whip and rode his fire cart as he followed the Patriarch in cultivating the Dao and putting it into practice.

One day, while the Jade Emperor was holding court, the Kitchen God of Banzhu Village—the deity who oversees the hearth fires and watches over good and evil among mortals—stepped forward to report: “There are three hundred hearth fires in Banzhu Village. The people do no good deeds and live by wrongdoing. They are extremely wicked and do not believe in Heaven or Earth.”

The Jade Emperor was furious. He approved the Kitchen God’s report, summoned Zhong Shigui, the envoy who spreads pestilence, and ordered him to descend to the human world and unleash an epidemic that would wipe out the whole village. Zhong Shigui obeyed and came down to earth. The local Earth God came out to greet him. Zhong Shigui said, “The Five Emperors heard the report and were greatly angered. They said that the people of this village do not believe in good and evil and should be wiped out, so they sent me here. Tomorrow, during the hour of the Snake (9 to 11 a.m.), put this medicine into every well. Once the people drink the water, an epidemic will spread through the village and kill them all.”

The Earth God replied, “It is true that the people here do not believe in good deeds and deserve punishment. But among them is a man named Lei Qiong, who makes his living selling tofu. He is kind-hearted, often does good deeds, and willingly gives to those in need. He should not be harmed.” Zhong Shigui said, “The good man should be saved, but the rest must not be spared.” With that, he handed the medicine to the Earth God.

The Earth God took the medicine, transformed himself into an old man, and went to wait beside a well. Just then, Lei Qiong came to draw water for making tofu. Standing behind him, the Earth God said, “Take back as much water as you can. Tomorrow, during the hour of the Snake, poison will be put into this well. Anyone who drinks it will die, so be sure not to drink it.” Lei Qiong turned around at the sound of the voice, but saw no one. Astonished, he thought, “If a deity really intends to poison the well tomorrow and kill everyone in the village, now that I know, how can I keep quiet and look after only my own life? I would rather die myself. If I can save the whole village, that will count as hidden virtue—doing good without seeking reward. As the old saying goes: ‘Better to believe it may be true than to believe it cannot be.’”

Early the next morning, Lei Qiong went to wait by the well, wanting to see whether things would happen as he had been told. Sure enough, he saw an old man approaching with a packet of medicine, about to drop it into the well. Lei Qiong rushed forward and seized the packet. The Earth God was startled and moved to take it back, but the old man swallowed the medicine in one gulp. He immediately contracted the plague and fell dead to the ground, his limbs turning blue and black.

The Earth God hurriedly took the old man’s three Hun and six Po—the souls that, according to Daoist belief, leave the body when a person dies—to the Celestial Palace to report to the Jade Emperor. After hearing the report, the Jade Emperor sighed and appointed Lei Qiong Marshal of Epidemics, the Awe-Inspiring Spirit. He bestowed on him a commoner’s cap and awarded him a golden flower and a gold plaque. The plaque was engraved with the words “Unhindered Through the Heavens,” meaning Lei Qiong could pass freely through the gates of Heaven and descend to the human world to assist his master.

After thanking the Jade Emperor, Lei Qiong asked him to pardon the people of an entire village, and the Jade Emperor agreed. Lei Qiong returned to Banzhu Village and appeared to the villagers in a dream, urging them to mend their ways and do good. He then went to pay his respects to the Patriarch. Overjoyed, the Patriarch led everyone to Red Cloud Mountain in Shaanxi, where a demon surnamed Tian and named Wen was causing trouble. Seeing this, Lei Qiong, Marshal of Epidemics, raised the Qionghua. This ritual instrument, formed from the righteous Qi of Heaven and Earth, could be wielded to keep evil forces from causing harm; yet in its final manifested form, it was simply a jade cup and an iron tablet. Lei Qiong handed these two instruments to the Patriarch for inspection. Delighted, the Patriarch bestowed them on Lei Qiong for his use.

Everyone left Red Cloud Mountain and made their way to Lingmi Mountain. In the mountain stood a secluded cave called Pure Seclusion, whose master was named Shi Cheng. He was a demon, wearing a helmet like Erlang’s. His face was fair and his lips red. He carried a magical Thunder Whip and could summon the twelve zodiac animals—the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig—to fight for him.

When Deng, Xin, and Zhang arrived, they each brought out their magical weapons as soon as they met him. Caught off guard, Shi Cheng was quickly captured and taken to pay his respects to the Patriarch. Shi Cheng bowed before the Patriarch and pledged his allegiance. Delighted, the Patriarch wrote a memorial to report the matter to the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor issued an order appointing Shi Cheng Marshal of Divine Thunder and commanding him to follow his master.

The master and disciple then came to a place called Mount Gathering Tigers. Two demons lurked in the mountain: one, surnamed Wang and named Tie, had a fair complexion and carried a long spear; the other, surnamed Gao and named Tong, wielded two large axes. They often transformed into tigers and hid beside the stream at the foot of the mountain. Whenever someone passed by, they dragged the person up the mountain and slowly devoured them.

The Patriarch sent Master Zhao to fight them. Master Zhao battled the demons for more than nine hundred rounds, but neither side could gain the upper hand. Zhao cast out a fire rope, while Black Tiger Wang Tie hurled a flying spear and summoned a divine tiger from the eastern mountain to pounce on and bite him. Gao Tong then threw a jade axe and summoned a divine tiger from the western mountain to aid them. Unable to hold his ground, Master Zhao had to retreat.

Seeing this, Marshal Ma, the Spirit Official, flung a fire elixir into the air. It burned the demons, leaving nine out of ten badly wounded or dead; the survivors fled into the cave and hid. Marshal Ma then cast out a golden bell, trapping and knocking down the two demons. He captured them and brought them before the Patriarch, who was delighted and wrote a memorial reporting the matter to the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor issued an edict appointing Wang Tie King of Tiger Mound and Gao Tong Marshal Gao the Second, and ordering them to follow the Patriarch in spreading and practicing the teachings. The rest of what happened will not be recounted for now.

“Mount Meng releases prisoners into the immortal path” is a sentence appended at the end of the passage. It means that Mount Meng released the prisoners, enabling them to enter the immortal path.

Many prisoners were held in the jail in Guangxi Prefecture. Among the jailers was a man named Meng Shan, whose duty was to guard the prisoners.

One year, on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth lunar month, the prisoners filled the jail with their cries, their sorrowful wailing shaking the heavens. Meng Shan asked them, “You never used to cry. Why are you all so grief-stricken today?” They replied, “We may not be good people, but we do have some filial feeling. The year is nearly over, and we cannot see our parents. We miss them deeply, and cannot hold back our tears.”

Meng Shan was moved by their words and said, “I’ll make an exception and let you go home for the New Year. You must all return on the fifth day of the first lunar month next year. Don’t make trouble for me.” The prisoners thanked him and went their separate ways, swearing they would return. On the fifth day of the first lunar month the following year, they all came back to the jail as promised. Meng Shan checked the prison register, which listed the prisoners, and found all eight hundred accounted for. He was delighted. From then on, every year on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth lunar month, he let the prisoners go home for the New Year. They all returned on the fifth day of the first lunar month the following year, and were grateful for his kindness.

One day, Meng Shan said to the prisoners, “If you’re willing to mend your ways and leave here as decent people, I’ll set you free right now. What do you say?”

The prisoners said, “If the prison official responsible for guarding us had been willing to let us out, how could we dare do wrong again? But you have saved so many of us. Your own life may now be in danger. How can we simply walk away?” Meng Shan replied, “If you can mend your ways and do good, I have my own means of escape. There is no need to worry about me.” Hearing this, the prisoners bowed and thanked him. One by one, they left the prison and went far away to other regions.

A little over a month later, Prefect Teng Gongyi came to the prison. Finding not a single prisoner there, he was greatly shocked and questioned Meng Shan. Meng Shan reported, “I was the one who let them go. They will return before long.” The prefect flew into a rage, had Meng Shan beaten forty times with a staff, and ordered him to bring back the eight hundred prisoners. After being punished, Meng Shan took a spear and walked out through the prison gate, making his way to Wadang Mountain. He planted the spear in the ground and sighed, “Though I have been punished by the prefect today, I have no complaint. I gave up my own life to save eight hundred people. What could I possibly resent?” Just as he was about to throw himself onto the spear, the Earth God transformed into a white rabbit and pulled it down. Meng Shan tried to impale himself three times, and each time the rabbit pulled the spear down.

When the Five Emperors learned what had happened, they immediately sent Lord Futian with a Jade Edict—the Celestial Emperor’s decree—to appoint Meng Shan Marshal Meng of Fengdu, a divine general of Fengdu. Wearing an ordinary people’s cap with a golden flower tucked into it, carrying a Yellow Dragon Spear and stepping upon a blue cloud, Meng Shan was ordered to go north and assist the master. He entered the court to give thanks and paid his respects to the Patriarch, who was greatly pleased.

The Patriarch and his party arrived at Chen Sand Grounds. A demon named Yang Biao was causing trouble there, greedily devouring human lives. It had dug many deep pits underground. Travelers passing by at dusk might fall into one, where Yang Biao would seize and eat them.

As the Patriarch and his generals continued on, they saw demonic energy rising everywhere and shrouding Chen Sand Grounds. The Patriarch said, “Demonic energy fills the way ahead. There must be a demon there. Which general dares to subdue it?” Marshal Zhao charged forward first, but fell into a stone pit and could not fight Yang Biao. Seeing this, the Patriarch drew his sword and went to rescue him, but fell into the pit himself. The Water and Fire Generals quickly jumped down and carried the Patriarch on their backs. The Water General cast a spell, conjuring a reverse-flowing dragon that burst open the pit and turned it into a great river. Only then did they all manage to get out. Seeing the pit collapse, the demon tried to flee, but it was too late: Marshal Zhao captured him and brought him before the Patriarch.

At that moment, an imperial decree from the Celestial Emperor descended, appointing Yang Biao Marshal of the Earth Spirits, a divine general who governed the earthly realm, and ordering him to bear arms and assist the Patriarch in carrying out the Dao. The Patriarch was delighted. He gave Yang Biao a Fire Elixir to swallow, then had him join the party.

After leaving Chen Sand Grounds, they arrived at Longmen Stockade. A demon named Li Zhailong used magic to block their way. Marshal Zhu stepped forward and cast out his Five Poisons Bag, capturing Li Zhailong inside and bringing him before the Patriarch. An imperial decree descended, appointing Li Zhailong Vanguard Marshal Li. He was given a copper hammer and a helmet embroidered with the character “yong,” meaning “brave,” and ordered to follow the Patriarch in subduing demons and dispelling evil. Marshal Li gave thanks, paid his respects to the Patriarch, and was also given a Fire Elixir to swallow.

What happened next? Hear the rest in the next installment.

The Patriarch left Longmen Cave and came to Ziqing Cave. A demon named Fu Ying blocked his way. At his waist he carried a magical treasure called the Demon-Illuminating Mirror. When he cast the mirror into the air, a flash of light would leave people dizzy and disoriented.

As the Patriarch led his followers onward, Fu Ying stepped in front of them and barred the road. The soldiers raised their weapons and moved to seize him, but Fu Ying cast up the Demon-Illuminating Mirror, and they were immediately overcome with dizziness. Seeing this, the Patriarch went forward to face him himself. Fu Ying used the mirror again. The Patriarch pointed his sword south and summoned the Bing-Ding Fire, symbolizing the power of the Fire Phase in the south, to refine the mirror and render it useless. Taking advantage of the moment, the Patriarch moved in and seized Fu Ying. Fu Ying bowed his head and begged for mercy, offering to surrender.

The Patriarch gave Fu Ying a Fire Elixir to swallow, then wrote a memorial and submitted it to the Celestial Emperor.