A child spirit, the wandering soul of a shepherd boy who died and was buried in the Kanglang highlands, had long made his home here. Deified as a local god, this spirit – on hearing of the Five Lords’ plans to raise a temple – lodged an immediate protest, claiming the land as rightfully his. ‘A brass needle,’ he argued, ‘had been buried in evidence.’ To this, the Five Lords responded, ‘We chose this land long before, during our journey to this island, and did bury a brass coin in evidence.’ Both took their case to the reigning earth god, who could side with neither, as, ‘the brass needle was thread through the coin’s center hole.’

Arguments quickly degenerated into martial warfare, with the child spirit calling forth an army of waifs to battle the Five Lords in a spirit war. For months, the hills after nightfall thundered with the sounds of clashing swords and shifting battles. The 3rd Lord directed strategy against their sworn enemy, led by the mighty ‘Broom’ spirit. Both earned victories; both suffered defeats. The Buddha of Chishan, learning of the ongoing war, intervened – calling in Guanyin (the Divine Mother) and the Baosheng Emperor to mediate. The agreement that followed included:
        1. The Five Lords would erect a small temple for the child spirit;
        2. Those who worship at the large temple must also pay homage at the small;
        3. Good fortune would be shared by both to glorify of all Nankunshen.

Today, the scar that visibly mars the forehead of 3rd Lord Wufu’s temple statue indelibly symbolizes his bravery in battle at Kanglang. While artisans have tried on numerous occasions to cover the scar over, it stubbornly remained for all to see.