In the early years of the Tang Dynasty, Ming Chongyan, the eldest legitimate son of the prefectural governor of Yuzhou, was fascinated by Taoist arts and immortality from childhood. He happened upon a reclusive Taoist who taught him secret illusion techniques, and those skills eventually made him a favored guest of the imperial Tang clan. One day, however, a young Taoist suddenly appeared in the market before Chang'an's city gate. In broad daylight, he used an illusion to conjure a "Golden-Armored Divine General," several zhang tall, atop the city tower. Countless officials and commoners in Chang'an witnessed it with their own eyes! When Ming Chongyan heard this strange tale from his disciple, his face went pale. That night, Ming Chongyan was murdered in his own residence. Witnesses said the "Golden-Armored Divine General" had appeared there. His death brought to light an incident from twenty years earlier and further plunged the court into political turmoil.
