Chinese culture is broad and profound, and when ancient people commented on some celebrities, they liked to add some titles, such as "saint", "immortal", "Buddha", etc., in order to highlight the extraordinary nature of these people. In the whole process of historical development, there are probably a few who can serve as the "holy" character, among the "eight saints" in China's history, we are most familiar with the "Wensheng" Confucius, in addition, "Martial Saint" Guan Yu, "Poetry Saint" Du Fu, "Painting Saint" Wu Daozi, "Medical Saint" Zhang Zhongjing, "Tea Saint" Lu Yu, "Book Saint" Wang Xizhi, these seven monsters are also very famous figures, but only this eighth "Sword Saint", few people know.
Speaking of swordsmanship, there are actually many masters. Especially in the Tang Kaiyuan period, when sword dancing was a very popular thing, among them, Li Bai was a swordsmanship enthusiast, and the sword dance technique was also extraordinary, known as a "ranger"; in addition, Gongsun Daniang was known as "a dance sword instrument moving the four directions". However, compared to the "Sword Saint", it is really a small witch.
The person who served as the "Sword Saint" was named Pei Min, a person during the first year of the Tang Dynasty. He began to learn swordplay at a young age, and later became an envoy of Long Hua and has been guarding Beiping. However, there were many tigers in Beiping, and according to the "Tang Guo History Supplement", Pei Min once killed 31 tigers in one day, which was enough to see his courage. In the New Book of Tang, it is recorded that General Pei Min had accompanied the governor of Youzhou, Sun Qi, on the Northern Expedition, but was besieged, and Pei Min drew his sword at that time and repelled the enemy and broke the siege.
In addition, in the Tang Dynasty Li Kang's "Du Yi Zhi" also mentioned that in the Kaiyuan year, after Pei Min's mother died, he asked the great painter Wu Daozi at that time to paint the ghost of his mother, but was asked by Wu Daozi to "trade", Wu Daozi said: I have not painted for a long time, this suddenly wants to paint, there is really no inspiration, or you will give me a sword dance, so maybe my inspiration will come.
Without saying a word, Pei Min took off his filial piety clothes and took up his sword and danced like a stream of clouds. This picture is also recorded in the "Du Yi Zhi": he "threw his sword into the clouds, tens of feet high, if the electric light shot down, the hand was sheathed, the sword penetrated through the air, and thousands of viewers were all cold and frightened." You see, the sword suddenly towered into the sky, the sword flashed, like the lightning dazzling, the sword was thrown into the air tens of meters, when the sword fell, said that it was late and fast, he could still catch it steadily. Wu Daozi was overjoyed, and sure enough, he inspired himself, and with a stroke of his pen, he completed the mural that Pei Min requested.
What is the concept of ten feet tall? Yizhang is now equivalent to 3.333 meters, so if you calculate it, ten zhangs will have 33.333 meters, which can be said to be quite high, at this height, Pei Min can still safely catch the sword, which can be said to be quite powerful. Wang Wei once said in his work "Gift to General Pei": "The sword around the waist is seven stars, and the bow is carved on the arm." Seeing that there are people in the clouds, I know that there are generals in the sky. In Wang Wei's view, Pei Min was a god-like figure, not an ordinary person, and similarly, it was shown between the lines that Pei Min's martial arts were indeed amazing. It is rumored that even Li Bai once worshiped Pei Min as a teacher to learn swordplay, saying that a famous master is a high disciple, and it is no wonder that Li Bai's swordplay can be higher than ordinary people, and it is because there is such an excellent master.
Although Pei Min was powerful, his fame in history was far lower than that of other "Seven Saints". First, swordsmanship was only more popular during the first year of the Tang Dynasty, and then it was slowly less sought after; second, in the Song Dynasty, it was heavy on literature and light on martial arts, and swordplay, as the "martial" side, did not have much advantage in spreading, and gradually it was forgotten by the public. However, Pei Min, as a "sword saint", is still worthy of admiration by our future generations