In the mist-shrouded peaks of Ming Mountain, overlooking the winding currents of the Yangtze River, lies the city of Fengdu. It is a place where the veil between the world of the living and the realm of the dead is said to be thinnest. To the locals and the pilgrims who travel there, it is not merely a collection of temples, but the administrative center of the afterlife, governed by the complex bureaucracy of Diyu. Within this spectral hierarchy, no figures are more recognizable or more feared than the Heibai Wuchang—the Black and White Guards of Impermanence. Their duty is ancient and absolute: when a person’s time on the mortal plane has reached its end, these two deities appear to capture the soul and lead it across the threshold of the Ghost City for final judgment.
The White Guard, whose name is Xie Bi'an, is a figure of startling proportions. He is described as being exceptionally tall and thin, his skin as pale as the finest porcelain. He wears a flowing white robe that seems to shimmer with a ghostly light, and upon his head sits a high hat bearing the inscription 'You Have Also Come' or 'Fortune at a Glance.' His most striking and terrifying feature is his long, red tongue, which hangs from his mouth down to his chest—a mark of the manner of his death and his role as a harvester of souls. Despite his frightening appearance, Xie Bi'an is often referred to as the 'Seven Lord' and is known for a strange, almost benevolent smile. To those who lived lives of virtue, his appearance is not a harbinger of doom, but a sign of transition into a peaceful reward. He carries a mourning staff and a fan, which he uses to guide spirits gently toward the gates of the underworld.
In sharp contrast stands the Black Guard, Fan Wujiu, also known as the 'Eight Lord.' He is short in stature and stout of frame, with a complexion as dark as obsidian. He wears robes of deep black and a hat that bears the inscription 'Peace to the World' or 'At a Glance, Dispel Evil.' His face is often frozen in a fierce, uncompromising grimace, and his eyes are wide and piercing, capable of seeing through any lie or deception. Fan Wujiu is the disciplinarian of the pair; he carries the heavy iron chains and the wooden tablet used to bind the wicked and the defiant. While the White Guard represents the 'Yang' of death—the inevitable but potentially peaceful end—the Black Guard represents the 'Yin'—the stern, punishing justice that awaits those who have caused harm in their lives.
The origin of their bond is a story of profound loyalty and tragedy that dates back to their mortal lives. Xie Bi'an and Fan Wujiu were once human, serving together as law enforcement officers in the local prefecture. They were the closest of friends, bound by a brotherhood that surpassed blood. One day, while they were traveling together, they reached the banks of a river under the Qiantang Bridge. Dark clouds gathered, and the scent of rain filled the air. Seeing the coming storm, Xie Bi'an told Fan Wujiu to wait under the bridge while he returned home to fetch umbrellas so they could continue their journey safely. Fan Wujiu agreed, promising that he would not move from that spot until his friend returned.
As soon as Xie Bi'an departed, the heavens opened. A torrential downpour turned the river into a raging beast. The water rose rapidly, swirling around the pillars of the bridge. Fan Wujiu, ever the man of his word, refused to leave the spot where he had promised to wait. He believed that if he moved, Xie Bi'an would not be able to find him, and their word would be broken. As the floodwaters rose above his head, he clung to the bridge's support until he was eventually drowned. When Xie Bi'an finally returned, struggling through the storm with the umbrellas, he found the river swollen and his friend gone. When the waters receded and he found Fan’s lifeless body still at the post, Xie Bi'an was consumed by an unbearable grief and guilt. In his sorrow, he took his own life by hanging himself from a nearby tree. Their unwavering loyalty and the sincerity of their friendship moved the Jade Emperor and King Yanluo, the ruler of the underworld. Recognizing their integrity, the gods appointed them as the official guards of the afterlife, granting them the power to traverse the realms of the living and the dead.