Chapter 8: The origin of the Temple of Generals?

The "Maoshan sect" that we are going to talk about, which is now widely spread in Guangdong, Guangxi, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Hong Kong and other places, in fact, they are neither out of the "Three Maoists" nor out of Laojun Li, but from "the White Lotus sect" in the Qing Dynasty evolved out of several small sects.

When mention "the White Lotus sect" seems to have been associated with sorcery and rebellion, but during the Qing Dynasty most people of "the White Lotus sect" went work underground. And rarely come out to fight politics, much of which has been converted to rational faith.

Among them, "Qinglian sect" is the most powerful one of practising magic. In the history of this sect, there was a master who could use "The Miracle Fighters" and was familiar with the magic of transformation. Many generations of believers will use the spell water mantra, to retreat Evil Spirit, so there is a better reputation among the people. The "Qinglian sect" is best at the magic of separating the spirit into the body. Of course, it was termed "The Magic Fist". Only a bowl of clear water, burning Sandalwood, then painting mantra above the water, after drinking the water, that is, a God possessed. Since can fight called "The magic of Shaolin Kung Fu. ". Men and women can both learn. Therefore, there is now a Maoshan sect has The "magic of Shaolin Kung Fu."

Now, on the altar in the south area, it would say, "Shaolin Master" or "Shaolin Youth Master," the Patriarch of this sect, not the monks of the Henan Shaolin Monastery, the altar map passed down from generation to generation is only written as "the true hierarch of Shaolin", and "the true hierarch of White Lotus", which can be seen with obvious similarity with "the White Lotus sect".

But the name of their sect was so conspicuous that the Qing government arrested them everywhere. Then simply changed its name to "Maoshan". Why? Because there was once a leader in the history of "the White Lotus sect" called Ziyuan Mao. The Surname "Mao" spelt the same as "Mao" for "Maoshan". Hence the name of this sect was changed to "Maoshan".

In addition, the ancestors of the "Maoshan Sect" were believed to be the Billiard Monk. Strangely, how a monk can be the founder of a mainly mysterious sect? It is said that the monk was born from a free egg and was born with powerful abilities.

This monk was not only born strangely; later fate is also very different. It was said that he learned "Ruyi Book of Magic" from Yuan Gong in the Mountain of Cloud and Dream. Yuan Gong is actually a white ape, which is the protagonist of the story of "white ape steal peach". The story told about the white ape guarded the "Ruyi Book of Magic", this book is all about the magic of divine transformation, and it is straightforward and easy to learn.

Yuan Gong passed the contents of the book to the Monk and then burned the book. So, the monk with a whole skill down the mountain to found the "Maoshan sect". Therefore, those who speak of supernatural transformations, flying away from the land and most of the magic in this class was from the "Maoshan sect". However, it is impossible to verify why this sect was named "Maoshan". But the magic of this sect must have a close relationship with the magic system in the Mountain of Cloud and Dream.

All these formed the various factions of the present "Maoshan sect" in multiple places.

Strictly speaking, only the Zhengyi Dao belongs to the Orthodox "Maoshan sect", but Wenbin's sect can be said to be an "illegitimate child", and has countless connections with the orthodox faction. However, due to the continuous war later, Chinese Taoists have gradually separated and disappeared in a long history. Left with only a few people really know about Taoism. Those who know a little were claimed themselves to be professional Taoist, to show others about Geomantic Omen and to do practices. Taoist priests and Taoist temples have now become a career and a scenic for tourism, there are hardly any people who are devoted to Taoism.

Anyway: that afternoon my father took tools went to the Temple of Generals with Wenbin. After smashing the bronze lock a few times, the hall, which had been closed for many years, was opened to the world again. A blast of mold rushed, and they both covered their noses, a glance over, apart from the central place of the vermilion coffin, nothing else, even in the daytime, this scene is indeed scary enough.

Wenbin went in first. When he noticed the murals on the wall, he was obviously a little surprised. After thinking for a moment, he turned his eyes to another wall. That wall was the one I saw which painted with characters. But he looked at those characters for a whole afternoon, just as he got meditated. My father looked at him on the side so did not dare to speak, can only stand on the side, until the sun goes down, Wenbin turned to my father said: "Let's go".

My father did not dare to ask anything. Wenbin requested my father to re-lock the door and told my father to go back home first. He gave my father a symbol rune and which need to stick in the front door of my home. Also asked my father to hold me, do not let me go anywhere and he will be back in a few days. Wenbin disappeared for three days, and I did seem to be getting better. I was able to eat something. My mother seemed to see hope and prayed for Bodhisattva at home all day. Three days later, Wenbin came back, he took a look at me first, then he asked my father out.

Wenbin told my father that, according to his theory, the Temple of Generals could have had two origins:

The first inference is recorded in ancient books. He went back to consult the manuscript left by his master and found this passage: the man here was a general before he died, because he killed too many people, hence he was enveloped by Evil Spirit. At the same time, the knife he used has been stained with the blood of many people, so there are a lot of souls of deads gathered in this knife. This made the evil on the general's body get even worse. Over time, originally surrounded evil spirit get stronger, now get into the body of the general, leading to the general became the devil. No one in the world can control him, even the emperor could not control him. So many people together put him to death.

For people who has evil spirit often have resentment when they die, so often cremated secretly after their death. Then people have the ability to steal their bodies buried in the mountains, often the Taoist is pleased to Solve the Evil Spirit and lead the resentment. So temples like this are often built. When there is a devil which is hard to control, the Taoist often to suppress and hold it with the "Taoist Sanqing" and engraved the wall with auspicious beast to avoid disaster

This means there had a general in unknown dynasty, who became a demon after his death, and in order to suppress this "killing demon", this temple was specially built to delete it. Because in the period of Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, local people were almost killed here, therefore, the historical materials at that time could not be found. Also, the cultural revolution destroyed the "four old", destroyed many ancient ruins, hence who is the general also cannot be verified.

The second inference is that this temple was a Taoist temple, and it is very likely that it was built by the legendary Billiard monk, who has powerful magic. It must have been a Taoist temple where many people came to make a pilgrimage, and according to Wenbin's observation, here is a water dragon and a small Green Dragon where the two dragon heads meet, which said to be excellent Geomantic Omen, it should not look as scary as it is now.

He went on to say that after the monk passed away, he handed down the sect until something happened that caused the disappearance of this sect. In the late period of Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, when all the people here disappeared, another branch of union was moved here. This branch should be the "Qinglian sect". In order to prevent the Qing dynasty from exterminating it in those days, it was called a branch of the "Wumen of Maoshan", so it was renamed the Temple of Generals. Which then continue to do some covert activities through this temple, because Wenbin in the pair of blackened walls vaguely saw the white lotus pattern which belongs to the "Qinglian sect".

But what puzzled him was the pattern of characters, which, he inferred, was written in a particular Taoist script that ordinary people could not understand. And who was connected to Taoism would be ingested by those, it is very likely to be the legend of the Palace of Heaven "Ruyi Book of Magic". But just with his current knowledge, he cannot understand the meaning of it, but even so, he has reached a qualitative leap in the realm of practice.

After hearing this, my father also did not understand. But he was most concerned about what had happened to me. Wenbin said, I showed no signs of being haunted by hungry ghosts, he opened his "sky-eyes" and saw only a dark cloud and an auspicious cloud billowing up and down over my head. The reason for this, he can't crack it yet, and he may have to dig deeper to find out.

As the saying goes, If you want to know the truth, you have to risk your life to try. Wenbin decided to wait until midnight when the cold air was most reliable, and then go to the Temple of Generals to find out what really happened. This time he was fully prepared, not just one person, also specifically asked my father to find two pig-killing artisans with a pig-killing knife to go. The countryside has not yet banned guns at that time. Hence my father carried the family's shotgun went with them.

Wenbin pulled out the seven-star sword and the big seal before he went in the temple. He walked in the front, two pig-killers stood guard outside the door in case something happened, and my father stood beside him. This time Wenbin did not choose to look at the wall, he went straight for the unknown coffin, which he felt must have been something wrong with it.

Before the opening of the coffin, firstly, Wenbin put a stick of incense in front of the coffin. If the incense can be burned out smoothly, then it will prove that the casket will not be in great trouble. If the incense burns out in half and stop, that means the holder in the coffin doesn't want you around anymore.

After the incense was burned, Wenbin bowed his hand to the coffin again. When it was half-cooked, there was no difference at all. Only the dark clouds in the sky that night covered the moon and made it look very dull. The lighting tool was three miner's lamps, which shone in this small temple, but always feel out of reach, as if there is a feeling of being swallowed.

Wenbin then burned incense to the Supreme Lord in the wall, and began to open the coffin…