Foreword:
This article mainly talks about the three years of Renzong Jiayou, when the plague was prevalent, ‘Hong Taiwei’ was ordered by the emperor to go to Longhu Mountain in Xinzhou, Jiangxi Province, and announced that Zhang Zhenren, the celestial master of Sihan, would come to fight the epidemic. Captain Hong went up the mountain to ask for a meeting with the Celestial Master, but failed. Returning to the abbot, despite the dissuasion of the Taoist priests, he opened the “Temple of Conquering Demons” and released demons, which caused great disaster. He instructed his entourage to conceal and let go of the demon, falsely report to the Celestial Master to eliminate the plague, and received a reward from Renzong.
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, the world is in great chaos, and they have been disturbed for more than fifty years. Zhao Kuangyin and Chenqiao mutiny were inspected in front of the Hou Zhou Palace, and a yellow robe was added. The capital was Bianliang in Tokyo, the country was called the Great Song Dynasty, and he was Emperor Taizu Wude. Taizu passed the throne to his younger brother Taizong, Taizong passed the throne to Zhenzong, and Zhenzong passed the throne to Renzong. For more than 90 years, Heqing Haiyan, the world has been at peace. Who could have imagined that the extreme joy and sadness of life, in the spring of the third year of Emperor Renzong Jiayou, the plague in the south of the Yangtze River spread, and soon spread to the East and West Beijing. Bao Qingtian, the prefect of Kaifeng, who is in charge of Nanya, took out his salary and gave out decoction and medicine, but to no avail, more and more patients. Emperor Renzong had no choice but to take the minister’s suggestion, write an imperial decree in his own hand, drop an imperial incense stick, and send the imperial envoy to the front of the palace to call Hong Xin an angel.
Hong Xin received the imperial decree and brought dozens of entourages, and went straight to Guixi County, Xinzhou, Jiangxi. More than a day later, Hong Xin and his party came to Xinzhou, and the officials greeted them. The next day, they accompanied Tai Lieutenant Hong to the foot of Longhu Mountain. The abbot of the Qing Palace on Longhu Mountain led the disciples, tolling the bells and drums, fragrant flowers and candles, and welcomed Hong Xin and his party to the mountain. When he came to the Sanqing Hall, Hong Xin asked for the imperial edict and asked, “Where is the celestial master? Please invite him to take the imperial edict.” The abbot said: “Master Taiwei, this generation of celestial masters is called Xujing Tianshi, and he has a high temperament. I live in a Mao hut on the top of the mountain, not in this palace.” Taiwei Hong asked, “What should I do?” The abbot said: “The Son of Heaven wants to save the people, he can only ask the Taiwei to fast and bathe, recite the imperial decree, burn royal incense, and walk up the mountain. Only by bowing to the heavenly master can you see it.” The captain said, “I’ve been here since the capital, and I’ve been a vegetarian all the way. How can I be dishonest? Tomorrow I’ll follow your words and walk up the mountain.”
The next day before dawn, the Taoist priests waited on Taiwei Hong to bathe in fragrant soup, changed into cloth and linen shoes, ate vegetarian food, wrapped the imperial decree in yellow cloth, carried a silver incense burner on his back, burned royal incense, and pointed out path and send him up the mountain. Hong Xin recited the name of Tianzunbao, climbed the mountain alone, climbed two or three hills, and walked about two or three miles. His feet were sore and weak, and he felt a little unhappy. Just then, a thunderous roar was heard, and a fierce tiger jumped out from behind the pine tree. Hong Xin cried out in surprise and fell to the ground. The fierce tiger looked at him, roared for a while, and jumped down the mountain.
After the tiger had gone for a long time, Hong Xin got up, packed the incense burner, and walked forward again. Not too far away, he was muttering to himself again, complaining that he was frightened. Unexpectedly, a gust of wind blew, and a flower snake jumped out from the bamboo forest on the side of the mountain. Hong Xin threw the incense burner and exclaimed, “This time I’m done!” and fell to the edge of a large stone. The snake was coiled beside Hong Xin, with golden eyes, a blood-red tongue, and a burst of poisonous gas on his face before slipping down the mountain. Hong Xin got up and scolded the Taoist priest for being rude. If he couldn’t see the Heavenly Master, he would go back and settle the account with the Taoist priests.
Hong Xin was about to move forward when he heard a melodious flute sound from far to near. When he looked up, it was a Taoist boy, riding a yellow ox backwards, blowing an iron flute, and turning around the valley. Daotong said with a smile: “Heavenly Master has rushed to the capital to make 3,600 copies of Luotian Dajiao to pray for the plague.” Hong Xin heard this and thought of the fright he had just suffered, so he turned and went down the mountain.
Returning to the Shangqing Palace, Hong Xin complained that the Taoist priests should not lie to him to go up the mountain, and was almost buried in the stomach of a snake. The abbot said that the tiger and the snake were both the celestial masters who tried to test his sincerity, and the little Daoist was the celestial master. Since the celestial master knew that the sage had called him, he had already left at this time, so I asked the captain to stay for a few days and have some fun. Afterwards, the abbot set up a banquet to invite the Taiwei to drink and drink until late.
After breakfast the next day, the abbot and other Taoist priests accompanied Hong Xin on a tour of the mountains.
Hong Xin visited various palaces, and finally came to a palace in the right corridor. He saw that the door of the palace was locked with a large lock with the thickness of an arm, and the plaque in front of the eaves was written with the four golden characters of “The Temple of Conquering Demons”.
Hong Xin asked, “What kind of hall is this?” The abbot said, “This is where the Great Tang Emperor Dongxuan blocked the Demon King. Every generation of Celestial Masters must add a cover to prevent the descendants from opening it.”
Hong Xin said, “I want to see what the Demon King looks like.”
The abbot hurriedly said, “Grand Commander, this hall must not be opened.”
The captain was angry and said, “You don’t let me see it. When you return to the imperial court, I will tell the emperor that you have violated the imperial edict and will not let me see the heavenly master. Falsely claiming to be the Demon King of Suppressing Locks, confounding the public with slanderous words, and consigns you all to suffer in remote military prefectures!”
The abbot could not be forced, so he had to call in a few fire workers, smashed the iron lock, and opened the door of the temple. Hong Xin walked in, and there was nothing inside.
He ordered more than ten torches to be lit by people, and saw a huge stone tortoise in the hall carrying a stone tablet with four characters inscribed on it: “Open in case of flood.”
Hong Xin said: “You don’t let me see it, but I don’t know that you were destined to teach me to see it hundreds of years ago. You can call me a few more people and use a hoe and shovel to dig it up!”
The end of Hong Xin releases the demon: the one hundred and eight heroes of Liangshan:
The abbot hurriedly tried to persuade him, but how could he be able to persuade him? Everyone pried open the slate, and Hong Xin probed into it and saw that it was a dark crypt. Suddenly, there was a thunderous sound in the crypt, and a black gas rushed out, toppling half of the corner of the temple, and rushing straight to the sky for half of the sky, scattered in a hundred and ten golden lights, and went to all directions. Everyone was shocked, hugging their heads and running away. Hong Xin was stunned, he didn’t dare to stay any longer, he hurriedly packed his bags, and led the concubine down the mountain. These golden lights were reincarnated as the one hundred and eight heroes of Liangshan.
