To resume our story, there was an old man in Xihe whose surname was Jiang and whose given name was Qing.¹ He had taken a wife from the He clan, who had not yet had a child. Of late, however, she had become pregnant and was already in her tenth lunar month. When she was about to give birth, there was a blaze of light, and they heard a prolonged commotion outside. When Jiang Qing heard the noise, he quickly opened the door to have a look, and saw several dozen people, each clutching a knife or wooden cudgel. They were going to all sides of Great King Mountain to surround a fierce tiger with a white forehead. Raising their voices and shouting loudly, the crowd had almost reached the door when Jiang Qing closed it tight. More than a dozen men rushed to Jiang Qing’s door in pursuit. Raising their voices they shouted, “It sprang inside!”

They shouted to Jiang to open the door; afraid, he sought to protect the people inside. The mob of people urgently banged on the door, shouting and yelling without cease. Alarmed, they said, “This is truly strange. We all clearly pursued it right here. We saw the huge, wild beast hurl itself against the door and go inside. How is it that there is no trace of it?”

The crowd dispersed in astonishment. When Jiang Qing closed the door and went inside, in the inner court he heard a baby’s cry.² The midwife reported, “Congratulations, Master! You have a daughter.” When Jiang Qing heard that a girl had been born, his feelings were a mixture of alarm and happiness. He feared that the tiger had come inside and would harm people, and he was happy that the birth had been without mishap. As a result, when the baby was a month old, she was given the name Mountain Birth (Shanyu).³ She was also called Tiger Courage (Hudan).

When Shanyu reached fifteen years of age, her nature was as violent as thunder. If any villager or neighbor slighted her, she slapped them right in the face. For those who were slapped it was no small matter: at first their faces merely felt hot, but before long there appeared the marks of her five fingernails. Everyone was afraid of her. When she was sixteen, her parents both died.⁴ Shanyu resolved not to marry, and quietly cultivated herself at home.

One day an old nun descended from the sky. She walked up to Shanyu and said, “Since we parted, have you been well?”⁵ Miss Jiang was dumbfounded. When she saw that it was an old nun, she asked, “Shifu [Master], why have you come?”

The old nun replied, “Because for you, Miss Jiang, to cultivate yourself all alone is very lonely. I have come especially to give you a little book that will dispel your sorrows.”

Then, from her sleeve, she took out a tiny book. On the cover was written “Secret Arts” (Mishu). Shanyu took the book and asked, “What marvelous arts does it have that I can use?”

The old nun replied, “This book of mine can cure all the contagious diseases of childhood, such as plague, smallpox, and all sorts of noxious evils. With higher cultivation, it can heal the eruptions of smallpox.”⁶

When Miss Jiang heard that there were these two medical arts, she was delighted. She asked, “Shifu, what nunnery are you from? What is your Buddhist name?”

The old nun said, “My nunnery is at the summit of Flag Mountain.⁷ My Buddhist name is Spontaneously Empty (Zikong). If you don’t consider it beneath you, someday let’s go together for a visit.”

Miss Jiang said, “If we can go together, of course I would like to go to your nunnery to pay a visit.”

The old nun said, “Since you have agreed, one day I will invite you, I promise.” And she said to Miss Jiang, “I’m leaving now. The day after tomorrow I will come to see you again.”

Miss Jiang said, “Since you have come here, stay for a few days. Why must you say goodbye?”

The old nun said, “That little volume, I’d best give it to you to read in peace. Of course I share your feelings about temporarily parting, and within a few days I will come again.” When she had finished speaking, she stepped into the rear garden and pulled out of her sleeve a fine, white silk handkerchief. With a shake in the air, it turned into a white crane. Then mounting the crane, she flew off into the sky.⁸ Miss Jiang saw her off from the rear garden, and went inside only when the crane had disappeared from sight.

Thereafter, each day she carried the book with her and used it to assuage her melancholy. When she had read the first half of the volume, she had completely memorized the secret arts; within a few days she had become completely familiar with the magical arts in the second half. Two days later, the old nun descended from the sky astride the white crane, bringing at her side a fierce, golden tiger. Together they came right into Miss Jiang’s house.

When Miss Jiang saw the old nun arrive, and saw the fierce golden tiger following her, tossing its head and lashing its tail, it was very frightening. She asked, “Shifu, why have you brought this lord of the mountains here today?”

The old nun answered, “Expressly in order to invite you to go with me to my nunnery. I’m only afraid that the road is long and the mountains rugged, making the journey a difficult one. For this reason, I have especially brought this tiger for you to ride.”

Miss Jiang replied, “I’m afraid I’m not accustomed to riding tigers.”

The old nun said, “There’s nothing to be afraid of. Once you are astride him, he will go slowly as a matter of course. Furthermore, unlike ordinary tigers, he can call back the soul of a terror-stricken child and draw out poison.⁹ He doesn’t harm good people, as his nature is very good.”

Miss Jiang said, “I hadn’t realized that all along it had these marvelous attributes.” She packed a few pieces of clothing, locked the door, and she and the old nun went into the rear garden. The old nun first led the golden tiger and had Miss Jiang climb astride it. As before, she turned her handkerchief into a crane, and mounted it. With a shout, they departed, one bird and one beast, and flew into the clouds and mist.

In a short while, they alighted on the top of a high mountain. They took several steps and there was the nunnery. Miss Jiang dismounted the golden tiger and accompanied the old nun into the nunnery. It was secluded and elegant, peaceful and quiet, and all the articles laid out were implements of the immortals. A Daoist acolyte came out carrying two cups of fragrant tea. The old nun sat down according to the custom of guests and host.

Miss Jiang said, “My parents are dead, and I have no relatives, so I am all alone. But I am young. Today I have followed you, Shifu, to this nunnery, and I am completely happy. My desire is to join Shifu here to study magic. I don’t know if you are willing to accept me or not.”

The old nun said, “Since we like each other, of course I will grant your request. If there is anything you don’t understand in that book, I will certainly teach it to you.” From this time on Miss Jiang was at the nunnery as a companion to the old nun. We won’t talk about this further.

Now we will take up the story of Cinnabar Cloud Great Sage, who was earlier burned by the fiery jewel at Wangbeitai Peak so that his skin peeled and his fur smoldered. He had fled to the cave where monkeys dwelled at Panther Head Mountain to recuperate while his skin and fur healed. It had already been more than a year, and his skin and fur were as before.

One day he again transformed himself into a young scholar and traveled to West River, where he saw a young man who was very handsome and refined. Cinnabar Cloud Great Sage approached him and asked, “Elder brother, where are you going? What is your hometown, and where do you come from?”

The young man replied, “Your younger brother’s [i.e. my] family lives in Yangzhou.¹⁰ My surname is Yang and my given name is Shichang. I have come to Fuzhou on business and am staying at Nantai Houpu in your honorable town. I arrived here yesterday and am looking for an old friend. Because he has gone to Suzhou in search of a relative and hasn’t yet returned, I haven’t yet met up with him.”¹¹

Cinnabar Cloud Great Sage asked, “Elder brother Yang, who are the members of your family?”

Shichang replied, “My old mother is still alive. Serving and waiting on her is my wife, whose surname is Shen.”

Cinnabar Cloud Great Sage asked, “How long have you been here, elder brother?”

Shichang replied, “Because last month I was newly married, the first thing I did was consummate the marriage. Half a month later I came here. Why do you ask, respected elder brother?”

Cinnabar Cloud Great Sage answered, “Precisely because I have a relative there, too, in your honorable town. For this reason, when I perceived that you were from Yangzhou, I was anxious to speak with you. Please don’t take it amiss.” Then, with his hands clasped together, he bowed and departed.

Cinnabar Cloud Great Sage thought to himself about all that Shichang had said. Then he transformed himself so that his clothes and appearance and features were exactly like Shichang’s, and, facing north, somersaulted onto a cloud and rode off. When he arrived in Yangzhou he made secret inquiries about Yang Shichang’s family. After finding out everything through thorough investigation, he went to the gate and knocked. When Madame Lin hurried out to open the gate, she saw that her son had returned. Overcome with happiness, she asked, “My son, you said that you were doing business in Fuzhou. Was it profitable? How is it that you have returned so soon?”

Cinnabar Cloud Great Sage knew that this was Shichang’s mother. Putting on a smile, he said, “I went to Fu, where I turned over all my goods to the guild head to sell for me, and within a few days all had been sold. The capital and interest were borrowed by the guild head to use temporarily. He agreed to repay it at his convenience, when he will send it back. For this reason I have returned first.”¹²

Madame Lin said, “Since that is the case, go in and see your wife.”

Cinnabar Cloud Great Sage went into the chamber. There he saw a young woman whose beauty was like flowers and jade. Secretly feeling very pleased, he said, “When I, your husband, was away, it must have caused you, my dear wife, to feel very lonely.” Madame Shen saw that her husband had returned, and she felt so happy! From this moment, Cinnabar Cloud Great Sage lived comfortably in the Yang household. But by chance, only five days later the real Yang Shichang of Fuzhou packed up, returned home, and knocked on the door. At this time Cinnabar Cloud Great Sage was sleeping peacefully in Madame Shen’s bed, and Madame Shen was knitting in the room. When Madame Lin heard the knock at the door, she hurried to open it to see who was there and, once again, she saw her son!

Astonished, she asked, “When did you come back?”

The real Shichang said, “I, your son, just returned today.”

Madame Lin was greatly alarmed. Terror-stricken, she said, “Five days ago you came home and you are now sleeping in your wife’s room.”

When the real Shichang heard this, he immediately became very angry and rushed into Madame Shen’s chamber, where he saw a man sleeping soundly. In a rage, the real Shichang slapped him. Cinnabar Cloud Great Sage awoke with a start from his dream and saw that the real Shichang had returned. Defiantly, he demanded, “Who are you? What place is this that you recklessly enter another person’s house in such a way? You pay no attention to what’s right or wrong. You swagger into my chamber, and you even dare to wake me up. How do you justify this? Surely you wouldn’t claim that there is no law!”

The real Shichang said, “I am none other than Yang Shichang. From childhood I grew up here, and everyone knows me. You are a fiend from what place? What evil art are you employing that you dare to transform yourself into my likeness and come here and brazenly appropriate my wife? You even dare to argue with me. How could I be willing to give up and leave you here?”

The two Shichangs, each claiming that the other was an imposter, carried on arguing. The wife, Madame Shen, looked at the two men: there was no difference in their appearance, and their speech and voices were identical, so it was impossible to distinguish who was real and who was false. Not even Shichang’s mother could tell the difference. She just stood there dumbfounded, watching the two of them quarrel.

Cinnabar Cloud Great Sage said, “In this peaceful and just world it is outrageous that such a thing could happen. What excuse could there be for a wicked fiend like you?”

To Madame Lin he said, “Mother, you and my wife needn’t worry. I am going to take him to the magistrate to get to the bottom of this.” When he had finished speaking, he grabbed the real Shichang. Using his demon strength he shoved him several times, pushed him out the door, and, raising his fists, struck the real Shichang on the back several times. The real Shichang, unable to withstand his enemy, could only wail and take to his heels.

When Cinnabar Cloud Great Sage had driven the real Shichang away with his blows, he returned to the house very pleased with himself. To Madame Lin and his wife he said, “That there could be a fiend like that in broad daylight! If I hadn’t come back from Fuzhou, this fiend would have taken my wife. If I hadn’t beaten him, he would still be violently disputing and falsely claiming her.” The old woman and her daughter-in-law only saw that one had come back, the false one having simply run away after being beaten, and their minds were at ease.

Now we will turn to the real Shichang, who had run away wailing after being beaten by the imposter. He recalled that the imposter had said that he was going to go to the magistrate to argue the matter and request an investigation. “I will also go to the magistrate and beat the drum and bring this injustice to his attention,” he said. Then he rushed to the county yamen and beat the drum. When the yamen runner heard the sound of the drum, he hurried to seize the man who was beating it. The magistrate ascended the hall, and the yamen runner escorted in Yang Shichang, who knelt down.

The magistrate pounded on the table and berated him, “What grievance do you have that you dare to beat the yamen drum?” Yang Shichang wept till his face was covered with tears. Then he recounted the whole story about the false Shichang. The magistrate was shocked, and said, “Since there is this fiend, I will immediately order eight runners to go to the Yang house and seize the false Shichang and Madame Lin and Madame Shen and bring them here. I will hold a hearing to determine who is genuine and who is the imposter.”

Shichang was turned over to be held by runners. The eight runners hurried to the Yang house and went in. They seized Cinnabar Cloud Great Sage, Madame Lin, and Madame Shen, and brought them to the yamen, where the magistrate ordered the two Shichangs to be brought in for interrogation. When the real Shichang ascended the hall, the magistrate saw that the two Shichangs were identical in appearance. He called Madame Shen and asked, “Of these two Shichangs, which is genuine?” Madame Lin and Madame Shen believed that the imposter was the real one. As before, the entire family of mother and wife had no doubt. When the yamen runners reported to the magistrate that the imposter had disappeared, the magistrate said, “The fiend is going back to the Yang house.” Then he ordered the real Shichang to be brought in, and the runner escorted him in. The magistrate said, “That fiend has escaped, and I figure that he is once again in your house. You, however, can’t go back, because I’m afraid that he will try to harm you again. This magistracy will give you five taels of silver. You can go elsewhere and appeal to someone who has magic powers to seize this fiend. Only in this way will you be able to protect the lives of your family.”

Yang Shichang took the silver. Wailing continuously, he bowed to the court and said, “I have a home I can’t return to, and a state I can’t rely on to protect me. Where am I supposed to find someone with magic powers?” Crying and wailing, he had no alternative but to thank the magistrate and go. He left the yamen but did not dare return home. When it got to be evening, he spent the night at the Five Brilliant Spirit-Officials Temple in the city.¹³ That night he was all alone, with no one for company. Thinking of the family he could not return to, he felt cold and lonely, and couldn’t stop two tears from rolling down his cheeks. In front of the table at the Spirit-Officials temple, Shichang sobbed out the whole story of how the fiend had usurped his wife and home.

When he finished his account, he fell asleep with his head on the table, where he slept till the third watch. The Spirit-Officials sent the Peach and Willow Generals to Shichang in a dream. The two generals helped him up and said to him, “The fiend in your household is inflicting a curse on it and is scheming to appropriate your wife. You can go to Xiadu in Fuzhou to request the help of Chen Jinggu, who can drive out this fiendish monster. She has just left the magic school at Mount Lü. Moreover, this fiend is her nemesis. Eliminate this fiend and you will preserve your whole family intact.”

When they finished speaking, Shichang awoke with a start, his entire body drenched in sweat. He remembered everything that was said in the dream and expressed his thanks, saying, “The enlightened spirits have instructed me what to do. It goes without saying that there is indeed this extraordinary person. I will go to Fuzhou immediately and search high and low for her.” Then he bowed in thanks to the Spirit-Officials, left the temple, and set out for Fuzhou. We won’t speak of this any further.

Now we will return to Chen Jinggu, who was studying magic at Mount Lü. Perfected Lord Xu taught her how to make lightning strike and thunder roll, how to summon the wind and pray for rain, how to shrink distances and soar into the sky, how to move mountains and overturn seas, how to drive out diseases and expel fevers, how to decapitate fiends and seize demons, how to smelt bones to perfect people, and how to snatch back souls and return them to their bodies. She had mastered all of these magical arts, but there still remained to be taught the arts of helping fetuses, rescuing women in childbirth, protecting infants, and aiding children.

Jinggu said, “I, your disciple, made a vow to never marry, so studying a further three [years] would be of no benefit. I am adamant that I will never marry.”

Perfected Lord Xu said, “You say you will not marry, but how can you defy your parents’ command to do so?”

Jinggu replied, “I have neither elder brothers nor younger brothers. I will not leave my parental home to marry, rather I will stay there to take care of them. This is certainly not unfilial.”

Master Xu saw that she was adamant about not studying these things, and said to her, “Since you won’t learn how to help fetuses and save women in childbirth, I won’t force you. But refusing to marry up until now is also your karma. It has already been three years, and you have completely mastered various arts. But your parents are now in trouble at home. You may go to save them from calamity, in order to preserve their lives. But men bring a wife into the home, and women leave home to marry. This is the way of the world, so you will not be able to defy your parents’ command.”

When Jinggu heard Master Xu say that her parents were in trouble, she turned pale with alarm. She knelt before the master and begged him to tell her what arts could save them. The master said, “Your father has a carbuncle on his back, and your mother has an ulcer on her hand. What’s needed is for you to cut from your left arm a piece of flesh to patch their wounds. Then they will heal.” The master himself wrote a talisman, and burned it so that the ashes fell into water. “Use the ashy water to rub into the place where you cut out the piece of flesh, and it will be healed forthwith.” Then he gave her a sword for decapitating fiends, a register of talismans, a rope for binding demons, and other such treasures.¹⁴

Jinggu put the sword on her back, took the talisman register and other items, and wrapped them in a cloth that she carried over her shoulder. She looked exactly like an immortal maiden. She wiped the tears from her eyes and said goodbye to her teacher. The master sent the two Great Protectors, Wang and Yang, to secretly lead five divisions of spirit soldiers and five hundred horses to go along with her as an escort to carry out the missions she commanded.¹⁵ When Jinggu heard about these bodyguards—the two Great Protectors, Wang and Yang—and that they would bring spirit soldiers and horses and obey her command, she was overjoyed. She bowed to the master and said goodbye.

Jinggu put the sword on her back, took her leave, and went out the gate to the mountain. The master followed her as far as the gate, where he said to her, “Proceed straight ahead, and don’t look back. When you reach the bank of the river there will be a boat. Now go!”

Jinggu saw that the master had come to see her off, and said, “I am very fortunate that you, Master, didn’t turn me away. I am an ordinary disciple, so I have no way to repay you. I can’t bear to leave you.” She kowtowed and took her leave of the master.

The master repeated, “As I said, go straight along the path.”

Jinggu replied, “Then I will now say goodbye to you.”

After taking twenty-four steps, fearing that the master had not yet gone back into the grotto, she turned to look back. Sure enough, she saw that he had not yet gone in. She said, “Master, please first go in. I should go.” The master nodded. Having seen that Jinggu had taken twenty-four steps before looking back, he beckoned to her. Seeing his gesture, Jinggu hurried back to him, saying, “Your disciple, having already set out, is very fortunate to be called back by you. What lesson do you have for me?”

The master said, “I called you back for no other reason than because you have not learned the arts of aiding fetuses, saving women in childbirth, protecting infants, and helping children. For this reason I called you back. Wait a few days, then go. In the course of things, learning these arts will be of use.”

But at this time Chen Jinggu was very anxious to return home to save her parents from calamity, so she said, “Your disciple has been very fortunate to receive your instruction. I have mastered all of the arts, with the exception of these four. These I will not learn.”

Master Xu said, “Learn these arts, as they have marvelous uses, and learning them will be to your advantage. And you will not be turning your back on everything you have achieved in the three years since you arrived at Mount Lü.”

Jinggu replied, “Your disciple is very fortunate to have been taught by you in this way. I have already internalized many marvelous things. How could all the marvelous effects be in these four arts? I greatly fear entering the polluted childbirth chamber, so learning these arts is not appropriate for me.”

Master Xu turned this over in his mind and said to himself, “Jinggu’s heart is like iron or stone. She refuses to learn these arts.” He sighed and said to himself, “I don’t dare divulge the secrets of Heaven.” To Jinggu he said, “Since you refuse to study these four arts, I won’t try to compel you. But when you reach twenty-four years of age you will no longer be allowed to use the magic implements, nor will you be permitted to chant incantations, or write talismans, and so on. You will be just as you were before you studied magic. You will live quietly, and keep yourself safe and sound.”

Jinggu kowtowed, and said, “I sincerely respect the master’s command.”

When Master Xu finished with his instructions, he ordered her to return home, and went back into the grotto. When Jinggu saw that he had gone back inside, she set out with her mind at ease. When she reached the foot of the mountain a dragon boat was there waiting, and she embarked. In a short while she had crossed to Dragon Pool Pass, where she set out for Xiadu and home.

When Jinggu arrived at the doorstep, she saw that the door was ajar. She went inside and entered her parents’ bedroom, where she saw her mother and father lying in bed, moaning and crying out with pain. Jinggu knelt at their bedside and cried, “Mother, Father, your daughter has come home!”

Chen Chang opened his eyes and looked at her. Astonished, he asked, “Are you really none other than our daughter, Jinggu?”

To which Jinggu replied, “Indeed, I am.”

Her mother, Madame Ge, was overjoyed. She quickly got out of bed and, helping Jinggu to her feet, said, “Daughter, it’s been three years since you ran away. Where did you go? That year just when I was urging you to get dressed, I suddenly saw a god in gold armor brandishing a cudgel. When he beat your father on the back, the other end of the cudgel grazed my hand, and we both fainted and fell to the floor. All of the relatives and neighbors heard the commotion and came upstairs to rescue us. When we two old people regained consciousness, we searched everywhere for you, but you were nowhere to be seen. Some suspected that a fiend had dragged you off, while others speculated that you had fled to the ends of the earth. At that time, the Liu family had come to meet you, the bride, and escort you to your new home, but when they saw this remarkable state of affairs, they had no choice but to return home empty-handed. Later, your father handed over to Lin Bashu the full one hundred pieces of silver and the betrothal money from the Lius, and he went to Gutian. On account of this bizarre affair, he begged the Lius to take back their gifts and betroth their son to a better family. Who would have guessed that the Liu family’s son had a heart as resolute as iron or stone? They wouldn’t take back the betrothal gifts! They said they would extend the time limit for our family to find you, and if our daughter never came back, he would never again take a wife. If you came back, the marriage bond would still be there. But first he would go to Luoyuan to take up his post, so he handed back all of the original betrothal gifts to Lin Bashu to bring back. In Luoyuan they asked friends and relatives to search for you, but there was no news. Where did you go? It’s been three years and only now have you come back. You can tell your mother the truth.”

Jinggu then told her the whole story of how she had been taken to Mount Lü by Liangnü to study magic. She told how the two of them had traveled to Wangbeitai Peak and had been assaulted there by a fiend and a demon, how Liangnü had thrown a fiery pearl at them, and how only in this way were they able to escape. She told how she pulled out a hairpin and made a vow to go study the magic arts and then come back. She told how she had sworn to capture the fiendish monster and the demon spirit; and after she had arrived at Mount Lü to study magic, how fortunate she was to be accepted as a pupil by Perfected Lord Xu, who taught her all the various magic arts. Of how, yesterday, when she heard the master’s instructions and he told her that her parents were in trouble, she had taken her leave, bowed in thanks to the master, and come home in order to save them.

Then she approached the bed and said, “Father! I can heal the carbuncle on your back. You and Mother needn’t worry.”

Her father said, “But you refused to marry and ran away! We lost face! Furthermore, we two old people have no son. We only have you, a daughter. You will be the death of us. It’s as if we never gave birth to you. Why did you return? No one knows about it yet. Go back right away! There’s no need to stay home. It will only cause trouble. If the Liu family in Gutian hears about it, then they will immediately come to claim you as a bride, but you have already vowed never to marry. What good people the Lius are! Don’t stay here. Avoid causing them to bring an accusation in court, provoking a big fight. If you go away you can avoid a disaster that would grievously harm your parents. If you don’t leave immediately, you might as well just go buy some arsenic and kill the two of us old people. Then, with us dead, you can do as you like.”

When Jinggu heard what her father said, she threw herself at his feet. Drenched in cold sweat, she said through her tears, “Father! Your daughter is unfilial to cause you and Mother to worry like this. If I were again to commit such an offense, it would be unforgivable. I’m willing now to marry, and no longer dare oppose you. It’s only that when I was studying magic, I took a pin from my hair and vowed that when I had completed my studies I would capture the fiend and demon, in order to revenge myself. I would like to wait a few months. Only then will I dare to comply with your wishes.”

When Chen Chang heard his daughter say that she was willing to marry, he rejoiced. He said to her, “If you are willing to marry, the Liu family has already waited three years, so a few more months should not be a problem. Even if it’s as much as a year and a half, they would be willing. Enough said! Stop your wailing!”

Jinggu asked her mother, “While I was away for three years studying magic, who did you call on to manage the household affairs?”

Madame Ge replied, “For major tasks outside the household, such as finding a doctor and buying medicine, it was all your cousin Shouyuan. For minor tasks within the house, we always called on An Tong. Right now your cousin Shouyuan is out buying medicine. He, too, studied to be a Daoist master. He has hung up a sign saying ‘Elevating the Left Behind.’ ”

Jinggu said, “There’s no need to take medicine. I can heal you myself.” Then she ordered An Tong to place an incense table in the hall and light candles and incense. She let down her hair, put on a cap, and around her waist tied a magic skirt. In her left hand she grasped the sword, and in her right hand a horn. With her steps she traced out the Big Dipper, chanted sutras, and carried out Daoist procedures. She kowtowed to Master Xu of Mount Lü. Then she took the sword and pressed it on her father’s back. She cut away the filthy blood, quickly taking a piece of flesh from her own arm to cover the wound. With the water that contained the ashes of the burned talisman, she sprayed her father’s back, and in an instant it was healed.

Then she cut out a small piece of flesh from her right hand. She went into the bedroom, and from her mother’s right hand she cut out the infected tissue of the ulcer, and covered it with the piece of her own flesh. Again she sprayed the burned talisman water onto the graft. It, too, was entirely healed and no longer hurt! Only then did she leave the hall. She chanted incantations over the bowl of talismanic water, and applied it to the spot where she had cut out her flesh. Leaving neither blood nor a scar, it was just as if she had never cut it. The two old people, back and ulcer healed, got out of bed and moved around. They were exactly as before! Chen Jinggu then sent An Tong to collect the incense table and various articles. She wrapped up all her Daoist implements neatly and tidily, and put them away.

Suddenly someone burst into the room and was about to speak. At this point there is something to tell you. Her magic saved Fujian and left a thousand ancient traces. Her spirit power spread throughout Fujian, and, ever after, her statues were revered. For ten thousand years incense and candles have been burned in her honor.

If you want to know who the person was who burst in, then read the next chapter.