All Men Are Brothers – [Shui Hu Chuan] – Prologue #11

All Men Are Brothers – [Shui Hu Chuan] – Prologue #11

“CHANG, THE HEAVENLY TEACHER, CHIEF OF THE TAOISTS, BESEECHES THE GODS TO DRIVE AWAY THE EVIL FLUX. THE COMMANDER HUNG, IN HEEDLESSNESS, FREES THE SPIRITS.”

But the Commander smiled and said, "You speak like a fool. Such as you have made magic out of nothing and you have deceived the good common people, and so with this purpose have you prepared a place like this and you have falsely said the kings of devils are locked here that you may make people see how great your power is. But I have read many books and where have I seen that the kings of devils were locked anywhere? Where spirits and devils dwell is some place very far from men. I do not believe there are kings or devils in here. Open the door for me with all speed! I would see how these kings of devils are."

Again and again did the abbot say, "This temple must not be opened lest some fierce evil will be stirred up and men will be harmed with it."

Then was the Commander filled with great rage and he pointed at the Taoists and said, "If you do not open it for me, I shall return to the Emperor and I will say you held me and would not let me read the imperial mandate before you and that you disobeyed the imperial command and would not let me see the face of The Heavenly Teacher and then I will tell him that you have secretly builded such a temple as this and pretend you have locked the kings of devils in it, so that you sow such superstition among the people. Then shall your priestly pledges be taken from you and you shall be branded and exiled to some far evil place and there shall you suffer."

Now the abbot and the others feared greatly the power of the Commander and so they could but call some working priests to come, and first they tore off the paper seals and with an iron hammer they beat upon the great lock. Then they pushed open the doors and they all went into the temple. All was darkness there nor could anything be seen.

The Commander bade the working priests bring some ten-odd torches and light them and bring them thither. When they came in and lighted all the place about there was nothing anywhere except a stone tablet standing in the center, and it stood some five or six feet high.

 

Beneath it was a stone turtle and it was already half sunken in the earth. When the light fell on the stone tablet upon the face of it were carved ancient dragon and phoenix letters and they were heavenly words and sacred signs such as men cannot read. When the light shone on the back of the tablet there were four true letters written large, saying, “To be opened by one surnamed Hung.”

 

<Continued – Prologue #12>