The Black Cat Beneath the Moon of Chang’an

During the reign of Empress Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty, something strange appeared in the palace at Chang’an. A black cat had become something else — no longer a mere animal, but a creature twisted by grievance. Its claws were like hooks, its eyes blood-red, prowling the corridors at night. The palace maids were terrified. The eunuchs couldn’t sleep. Wu Zetian summoned the master Ye Fasan and his disciple immediately.

The young Ye Zongsheng arrived with his master. In the moonlight, the creature appeared — fur as dark as the night sky, eyes flickering with eerie red light. Ye Fasan spoke gravely: “This spirit was once a soul carrying deep grievance. It is consumed by resentment.” Ye Zongsheng drew out a Daoist Talisman, sending a burst of golden light toward the creature. Ye Fasan summoned a spiritual hound — a flash of white that clashed with the black cat. The creature turned to dark mist, trying to escape, but was restrained by Ye Zongsheng’s incantation.

Ye Zongsheng stopped the attack and spoke quietly: “You carry a grievance. I can help you release it.” The creature seemed to respond — a flicker of confusion crossed its eyes. Ye Zongsheng began chanting incantations. A warm, steady energy moved through it, and the resentment slowly dissolved. It transformed into a beam of white light and vanished into the night sky.

Peace returned to the palace. Wu Zetian spoke with genuine respect: “You are both remarkable. Ye Zongsheng — so young, yet so skilled. Not only skilled in the arts, but guided by compassion. You resolved the grievance without taking the creature’s life. That is rare.” She personally offered wine and presented Ye Zongsheng with a jade token: “Carry this, and you may enter the palace freely. Whenever you are needed, come.” Ye Zongsheng accepted with a bow: “We are honored by Your Majesty’s trust. We will not fail it.”

Word of that night spread through both the court and the public. It earned the Xuanling Lineage the trust of the imperial family and ordinary people alike — and laid the foundation for what the Lineage would become in the centuries that followed.

Note: The Spiritual Embrace and Empowerment Ritual — a ceremonial practice unique to the Xuanling Lineage, carried through over a thousand years of unbroken transmission. Rooted in the Taoist understanding that all beings possess spirit, it seeks to deepen the spiritual bond between humans and their animal companions.