法苑珠林 31.58

31.58

壽光侯者。漢章帝時人也。能𠜨百鬼眾魅。令自縛見其形。其縣人有婦為魅所疾侯為𠜨之時大蛇數丈死於門外樹。樹有精。人止者死。鳥過者墜。侯𠜨之樹盛夏枯落。有大蛇長七八丈。懸死其間。章帝聞之徵問。對曰有之。帝曰。殿下有怪。夜半後常有數人絳衣被髮持火相隨。豈能𠜨之。侯曰能此。小怪耳帝。偽使人為之侯。𠜨三人三。人登時著地無氣帝驚曰。非魅也。朕相試耳。即使便解之。

The Marquis of Shouguang was a man of the time of Emperor Zhang of the Han dynasty. He was able to bind hundreds of ghosts and numerous demons, forcing them to tie themselves up and show their forms. A woman in his county was afflicted by a demon, and when the marquis bound it, a great serpent several zhang long died outside the gate. At a tree there was a spirit: those who rested [beneath it] died, and birds flying past plunged down. When the marquis bound it, the tree's foliage withered and fell in the height of summer, and a great serpent, seventy or eighty feet long, hung dead in its midst. When Emperor Zhang heard of this, he summoned him for questioning. [The marquis] replied, 'It is indeed so.' The emperor said, 'There is an anomaly below the palace hall. After midnight, there are often several people in crimson robes with disheveled hair carrying torches and following one another. Are you able to bind them?' The marquis said, 'I can; this is but a minor anomaly.' The emperor deceitfully had men act it out. The marquis bound the three men, and immediately the three fell to the ground breathless. The emperor said in astonishment, 'They are not demons; I was merely testing you!' He then had him release them at once.