The Snorter in turn was slain in this fight by Marshal Chin Ta-sheng, ‘Golden Big Pint,’ who was an ox-spirit and endowed with the mysterious power of producing in his entrails the celebrated niu huang, ox-yellow, or bezoar.  Facing the Snorter, he spat in his face, with a noise like thunder, a piece of bezoar as large as a rice-bowl.  It struck him on the nose and split his nostrils.  He fell to the earth, and was immediately cut in two by a blow from his victor’s sword.

After the Chou dynasty had been definitely established Chiang Tzu-ya canonized the two marshals Heng and Ha, and conferred on them the offices of guardians of the Buddhist temple gates, where their gigantic images may be seen.

Blue Dragon and White Tiger

The functions discharged by Heng and Ha at the gates of Buddhist temples are in Taoist temples discharged by Blue Dragon and White Tiger.

The former, the Spirit of the Blue Dragon Star, was Teng Chiu-kung, one of the chief generals of the last emperor of the Yin dynasty.  He had a son named Teng Hsiu, and a daughter named Ch’an-yue.

The army of Teng Chiu-kung was camped at San-shan Kuan, when he received orders to proceed to the battle then taking place at Hsi Ch’i.  There, in standing up to No-cha and Huang Fei-hu, he had his left arm broken by the former’s magic bracelet, but, fortunately for him, his subordinate, T’u Hsing-sun, a renowned magician, gave him a remedy which quickly healed the fracture.

His daughter then came on the scene to avenge her father.  She had a magic weapon, the Five-fire Stone, which she hurled full in the face of Yang Chien.  But the Immortal was not wounded; on the other hand, his celestial dog jumped at Ch’an-yue and bit her neck, so that she was obliged to flee.  T’u Hsing-sun, however, healed the wound.

After a banquet, Teng Chiu-kung promised his daughter in marriage to T’u Hsing-sun if he would gain him the victory at Hsi Ch’i.  Chiang Tzu-ya then persuaded T’u’s magic master, Chue Liu-sun, to call his disciple over to his camp, where he asked him why he was fighting against the new dynasty.  “Because,” he replied, “Chiu-kung has promised me his daughter in marriage as a reward of success.”  Chiang Tzu-ya thereupon promised to obtain the bride, and sent a force to seize her.  As a result of the fighting that ensued, Chiu-kung was beaten, and retreated in confusion, leaving Ch’an-yue in the hands of the victors.  During the next few days the marriage was celebrated with great ceremony in the victor’s camp.  According to custom, the bride returned for some days to her father’s house, and while there she earnestly exhorted Chiu-kung to submit.  Following her advice, he went over to Chiang Tzu-ya’s party.

In the ensuing battles he fought valiantly on the side of his former enemy, and killed many famous warriors, but he was eventually attacked by the Blower, from whose mouth a column of yellow gas struck him, throwing him from his steed.  He was made prisoner, and executed by order of General Ch’iu Yin.  Chiang Tzu-ya conferred on him the kingdom of the Blue Dragon Star.