nights the son appeared to his mother, each time
repeating his request. The last time he added: "Do not forget that by
nature I am ferocious; if you refuse my request evil will befall you."

His mother then sent builders to the mountain to construct a temple
to No-cha, and his image was set up in it. Miracles were not wanting,
and the number of pilgrims who visited the shrine increased daily.

Li Ching destroys his Son's Statue

One day Li Ching, with a troop of his soldiers, was passing this
mountain, and saw the roads crowded with pilgrims of both sexes. "Where
are these people going?" he asked. "For six months past," he was told,
"the spirit of the temple on this mountain has continued to perform
miracles. People come from far and near to worship and supplicate him."

"What is the name of this spirit?" inquired Li Ching.

"No-cha," they replied.

"No-cha!" exclaimed the father. "I will go and see him myself."

In a rage Li Ching entered the temple and examined the statue, which
was a speaking image of his son. By its side were images of two of
his servants. He took his whip and began to beat the statue, cursing
it all the while. "It is not enough, apparently, for you to have been
a source of disaster to us," he said; "but even after your death you
must deceive the multitude." He whipped the statue until it fell to
pieces; he then kicked over the images of the servants, and went back,
admonishing the people not to worship so wicked a man, the shame and
ruin of his family. By his orders the temple was burnt to the ground.

When he reached Ch'en-t'ang Kuan his wife came to him, but he received
her coldly. "You gave birth to that cursed son," he said, "who has been
the plague of our lives, and after his death you build him a temple in
which he deceives the people. Do you wish to have me disgraced? If I
were to be accused at Court of having instituted the worship of false
gods, would not my destruction be certain? I have burned the temple,
and intend that that shall settle the matter once for all; if ever
you think of rebuilding it I will break off all relations with you."

No-cha consults his Master

At the time of his father's visit No-cha was absent from the temple. On
his return he found only its smoking remnants. The spirits of his
two servants ran up lamenting. "Who has demolished my temple?" he
asked. "Li Ching," they replied. "In doing this he has exceeded his
powers," said No-cha. "I gave him back