Myths and ghost stories are generally linked to feudal superstitions, coupled with the rapid development of science now, myths, ghost culture and other old things should be thrown into the trash can and forgotten in the corner of history.
In fact, this is a kind of wrong concept of thought, whether it is myth or ghost culture, it is based on people's portrayal of real life, and to some extent, it is based on the concept of punishing evil and promoting good in the world.
Of course, many mythical stories also contain positive thoughts such as family affection, love, and brotherhood and sisterhood. As a branch of traditional Chinese culture, the culture of gods and ghosts also has a very positive side.
Just like the god of death "black and white impermanence", although their appearance is frightening, the reason why they can become gods and immortals must have a legendary experience, and their stories are also very warm, but also let the world experience what is the deep sense of righteousness.
So who was the "black and white impermanence" before he was born, and why did he become the god of death in hades, specifically doing the work of seducing the soul?
One
In Fuzhou, Fujian during the Western Jin Dynasty, there were a pair of good friends who played from childhood to adulthood, one named Xie Bi'an and the other named Fan Wushou.
Xie Bian was tall and thin, but his skin was very white.
Fan Wushou is also tall and thin, but his skin is dark, especially his face, which is a fight with Bao Qingtian's black face.
The Western Jin Dynasty did not yet have a system of imperial examinations, and as people at the bottom of society, they had no room to rise, and could only climb at the bottom.
Fortunately, the two were physically strong, and eventually became local catchers and fast hands.
Here a little knowledge is popularized, and the capture and fast hand are actually the fast catches after the Ming Dynasty, which is a result of the reform of officials by Zhu Yuanzhang in the Ming Dynasty.
Prior to this, the capture was mainly responsible for the duties of arrest, summons, and investigation, while the kuaishou was a well-trained official who followed the catcher.
To put it bluntly, Kuaishou is the person who rushes to the front under the command of the capture.
So the black-faced Fan Wushou became a fast hand, and sometimes before he could shoot, his black face scared people enough.
Xie Bian became a catcher, although his status was a little higher than That of Fan Wushou, but the two were brothers and sisters, and they seemed to be inseparable from each other.
In fact, before the two people were on duty, because of their deep friendship, they had already become brothers with different surnames, so after the mission, the two cooperated with each other, very tacit understanding, even if they met the Jiangyang thief, the two were also the same hand to catch.
Unfortunately, when they went out of the city to handle the case, they encountered a once-in-a-lifetime heavy rain, which changed their fate in life.
Two
Around June and July, the two were ordered to go out and arrest a thief from Jiangyang.
You know, Fujian in June and July is in the rainy season. Coincidentally, the rain at that time was a continuous rainstorm that occurred once in a century.
However, the two did not know that when they first arrived at the Nantai Bridge, the rain poured down.
The river under the Nantai Bridge had actually dried up long ago, so Xie Bian asked Fan Wusu to hide from the rain under the bridge, and he hurried home to get two umbrellas so that he could continue to hurry.
However, the torrential rain was like a note, when Fan Wushou found that the river had swelled, he did not choose to leave, but held the bridge pillar, holding in his heart the belief that if his brother did not come, the water would not go.
As a result, Fan Wusheng was drowned by water.
When Xie Bian arrived, he couldn't find Fan Wushou. He knew that his brother must have drowned in the river, and he was so distraught that he thought he had killed him.
To this end, he took the rope used in handling the case from his body and hung himself on the pillar of the Nantai Bridge, which is why Bai Wuchang always looks like a hanging ghost.
After the two died, they came to the underground mansion, and the king of Yan was very touched when he learned of their deeds, so he wanted to keep the two. In view of the fact that the two were formerly trappers and fast hands, the King of Yama decided to make the two men the impermanence of the soul and become the tolerance of the prefectural government.
Of course, because the two are white and black, the world calls them "black and white impermanence."
Since then, the two of them and minotaur have been collectively known as the "Four Ghosts of Impermanence". In a modern fashionable phrase, it is "Difu F4".
Three
The story behind "black and white impermanence" can make people feel what is deep and righteous, and also reflects the most sincere feelings of the ancients for friendship.
In particular, Xie Bi'an, when he believed that his brother's death was caused by his own arrangement, he did not steal his life, but obeyed the oath of "dying on the same day in the same month of the same year" when he was worshipped, and chose to hang himself.
But we can imagine that when the two met in the underground mansion and Fan Wushou saw his brother hanging the ghost, it must have been a scene full of brothers' tears.
At this time, we may have long forgotten the terrible appearance of black and white impermanence, but we will feel sorry for them.
In fact, any mythological story can be traced, and the incarnation story of "black and white impermanence" actually has a similar story in "Zhuangzi".
This story is the famous love story in Chinese history, "Soul Breaking Blue Bridge".
The story tells that during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, a man named Ozai and a beloved woman met under the bridge. Unfortunately, the sky was not beautiful, and suddenly the rainstorm was pouring down, and the river was soaring. Ozai did not choose to leave, but chose the belief that the woman would not come and the water would not go.
As a result, Ozai was drowned by the water holding the bridge pillar.
The bridge in the story is recorded in the "Xi'an Fu Zhi" and is the Lanxi Bridge in Lantian County, Shanxi. Therefore, this story has become the "Soul Breaking Blue Bridge" sung by posterity.
The two stories are very similar, the difference is that Fan Wushou is waiting for a brother, reflecting brotherhood. And the tail is waiting for the woman, reflecting love.
But no matter what, they have achieved "holding the pillar of faith", that is, to be trustworthy.
Therefore, the legend of "black and white impermanence" is likely to originate from this story, and it is also a portrayal of real life and emotions.
References: Folk Tales, Xi'an Chronicle