Ming Cult - History

History

In The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, the Ming Cult is also known as the "Moni Cult" (摩尼教) to jianghu pugilists but its name is often shortened to "Mo Jiao" (魔教), literal meaning "Demonic Cult". The cult originated in Persia and spread to China in the seventh century. The cult is secretive and conducts its activities far away from the eyes of other sects in the wulin (martial artists' community). Its founding principles also deviate largely from other sects. While others typically seek to achieve a dominant position in the wulin, the Ming Cult strongly adheres to its faith and laws, which revolve around the notion of "to deliver mankind from suffering and eliminate evil". This is aptly summed up in a mantra widely repeated by its members, which goes:

The blazing holy flame burns my withered body. Life is lamentable, but death is also painful. Do good and exterminate evil, only with the brightness we can. Joy or sorrow, they will all become dirt and dust eventually. Pity the people of my world, indeed they face many hardships! Pity the people of my world, indeed they face many hardships!

The cult is in fact a righteous sect and not an evil cult as it is perceived in the wulin.

The cult faces strong persecution from the government due to slanderous remarks made by its enemies in the imperial court. Apart from that, jianghu pugilists and other sects in the wulin who are unaware of the cult's real motives, due to its conservative nature, often speculate that it is inherently evil and start spreading rumours. The cult's image in society and in the wulin is adversely affected and marred, and it often struggles to survive in the face of powerful rivals who seek to destroy it.

During the Mongol-ruled Yuan Dynasty, the cult conducts a series of rebellions to overthrow the corrupt Yuan government and restore peace and order. However, its objective is not echoed by other sects and the common people, but rather, it faces antagonism from them. The six leading orthodox sects in the wulin (Shaolin, Wudang, Emei, Kunlun, Kongtong and Mount Hua) form an alliance to attack the cult at its headquarters on Bright Peak. The cult's newly elected leader Zhang Wuji resolves the conflict and opens the cult to the wulin for the first time. Thereafter, views and attitudes towards the cult start to change for the better, and the cult earns strong support in its mission to topple the Yuan government. Zhang Wuji eventually passes the leadership of the Ming Cult to Yang Xiao and retires from the jianghu.