Chapter 007: Origins

As for whether that shaman had any real abilities, I'm not sure. He was, after all, just a baozi (steamed bun) seller who occasionally did some feng shui readings for others. It was fine for fooling the old folks in the countryside.

When the shaman came to our house and examined me, he said our house was missing something, which was why it couldn't keep the spirits away. What was missing, you ask?

In rural houses, there is a room called the "main hall," which we now refer to as the living room. Back then, the hall was the first room you entered after opening the main door, usually a square-shaped space. Most families would hang a painting or calligraphy on the main wall of this hall. Some had portraits of Chairman Mao, others had deities or landscapes, and it was often paired with couplets on either side. This setup was called a "central hall painting."

The original purpose of these central hall paintings was purely decorative, but over time, they evolved into a marker that this room was inhabited, serving to tell wandering spirits that people lived here and to keep them away. As our hall had just been repainted, we hadn't hung up the central hall painting yet.

The shaman explained everything with great confidence, and even my mother, a staunch atheist, began to waver. She asked what we should do next. After accepting a 20-yuan red envelope, the shaman gave us a talisman, instructed us to burn it to ashes, mix it with water, and have me drink it.

I later learned that this talisman was a real one, known as a "Celestial Master's Talisman," but it only had the shape, without the proper imprint, so it was entirely useless. After I drank the water, my stomach started to hurt severely, and I had convulsions. I was rushed to the hospital in the middle of the night, and my life was only saved through emergency treatment. The shaman was so frightened that he didn't dare come out to sell baozi for days, fearing that my mother would seek revenge. He even had someone return the red envelope, and never dared show off his skills again. This incident almost caused a serious rift between my mother and grandfather.

However, even after being hospitalized, my condition didn't improve, and I eventually fell into a coma, just like what had happened to my aunt years ago. Doctors couldn't identify the cause, and after transferring to many hospitals, the diagnosis remained the same. When my grandmother heard about my illness, she suggested that my mother seek out Zha Wenbin. My mother initially refused, but eventually, with no other options, she had my father go and invite Zha Wenbin to take a look. She knew about what had happened with my aunt, but deep down, she still didn't believe in such things. At that point, though, she was willing to try anything.

When Zha Wenbin arrived, I had already been brought back home. After hearing about my condition, he began asking about where I had recently been. For some reason, my first instinct was to think of that General's Temple, but I hadn't mentioned it to my family because I feared being scolded.

I felt surprisingly comfortable around this uncle, so I told him about my visit to the General's Temple and what I saw there. Upon hearing that I had climbed into the temple, my grandfather almost fell off his chair in shock, exclaiming, "You little rascal! You're really bringing disaster upon yourself!"

Wenbin said that this matter was very unusual and that it seemed like I wasn't afflicted by an ordinary evil spirit, but something more complex. He didn't have a clear answer at that moment, so he planned to visit the temple the next day to investigate further. Upon hearing that the shaman had drawn a talisman and mixed it with water for me to drink, Wenbin said it was nothing but trickery. Talisman papers without the proper stamp not only have no effect, but can also anger the spirits, which worsened my condition. My mother, enraged, was on the verge of tearing down the shaman's baozi stall.

That night, Wenbin stayed at our house, and strangely enough, I had the best sleep I'd had since falling ill.

The following events were relayed to me by my mother: Early the next morning, Wenbin, accompanied by my father, went to the General's Temple. Upon seeing the temple, Wenbin took a few steps back and said, "It seems there really is something wrong here. I didn't expect to find this kind of thing here!" My father asked what was going on, but Wenbin didn't respond, instead asking if my father knew the origins of the General's Temple. My father shook his head.

Looking at the now weathered walls, Wenbin sighed, "This may not be a General's Temple at all! It could be a Taoist temple, but not of the righteous kind—it might be an evil sect's temple!"

After saying that, Wenbin asked my father to gather some people, as they would need to open the main hall, which had been sealed for years. Wenbin, meanwhile, needed to return to prepare some things.

Back at our house, Wenbin began telling my father more about the history of this General's Temple.

So, who exactly is Zha Wenbin? To understand that, we need to delve into the Taoist tradition in China. Taoism as we know it today consists of three main sects: Zhengyi, Quanzhen, and Miaozhen.

Among these, the most famous one we often see in TV shows or novels is the Maoshan sect, also known as Maoshan Taoists.

The Maoshan sect indeed has a long history. It is a branch of Taoism, founded by Taoist Tao Hongjing during the Southern Qi and Liang dynasties. Since Tao Hongjing practiced Taoism on Mount Mao and revered the Three Mao True Lords as ancestors, the sect became known as the Maoshan sect. The sect primarily studied texts like the Shangqing, Lingbao, and Sanhuang scriptures, worshipping deities such as the Primordial Heavenly King, the Great Dao Sovereign, and the Supreme Emperor.

In the Northern Song Dynasty, the Maoshan sect became one of the three major talisman sects, along with Longhu Mountain and Hecaoshan, collectively known as the Three Mountain Talismans sects. After the Yuan Dynasty, it was incorporated into the Zhengyi sect, which is the dominant form of Taoism today.

The first head of the Maoshan sect was Tao Hongjing, who later passed the position to Master Zang Jin. Zang Jin, in turn, had a lay disciple named Ling Zhengyang, whom he taught many Taoist practices. For unknown reasons, Ling Zhengyang was eventually expelled from Maoshan. Ling devoted himself to Taoist study for the rest of his life and founded a sect derived from Maoshan, called Tianzheng Dao. However, due to its strict rule of passing down teachings only to one disciple per generation, it remained a low-profile sect. By the time the teachings reached Zha Wenbin's generation, he was the 27th successor. Due to historical events, much of the knowledge had been lost, leaving Zha Wenbin with only a handful of Taoist secrets, the sect's seal, and the Seven Star Sword, handed down by his master before his passing.

As for the orthodox Maoshan sect, it, too, underwent significant changes over time.