Heibai Wuchang

They are subordinates of King Yan, the Supreme Judge of the Underworld in Chinese mythology, alongside the Ox-Headed and Horse-Faced Hell Guards.

In Fujian Province and among overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia, they are known as "First and Second Masters" (大二老爺; 大二老爷; Dà Èr Lǎoyé) or "First and Second Uncles" (大二爺伯; 大二爷伯; Dà Èr Yébó; Tua Di Ah Pek / Tua Li Ya Pek in Hokkien).

In Sichuan Province, they are referred to as the "Two Masters Wu" (吳二爺; 吴二爷; Wú Èr Yé).

[1] The White Guard is commonly portrayed as a fair complexioned man dressed in a white robe and wearing a tall hat bearing the Chinese words "Become Rich Upon Encountering Me" (一見發財 / 一見生財), "Become Lucky Upon Encountering Me" (一見大吉), or "You Have Come Too" (你也來了).

Some statues of them depict them with ferocious snarls on their faces and long red tongues sticking out their mouths to scare away evil spirits.

The merchant had a cunning servant, who knew that no man would want to marry his master's daughter because of her appearance.

The servant revealed his true colours later: He neglected his family, treated them with contempt, and spent his time indulging in sensual pleasures.

When she returned home, she met a man who wanted to collect a gambling debt owed by her husband.

The most common background story of the Heibai Wuchang says that Xie Bi'an and Fan Wujiu used to work as constables in a yamen.

When Xie Bi'an arrived, he was saddened to see that Fan Wujiu had drowned, so he committed suicide by hanging himself.

The differences lie in their previous careers: Some believed they were military officers (hence they were also called "Generals") while others said they were peasants who lived next to each other.

When he realised his mistake, he felt ashamed to return home to face his parents so he committed suicide.

After his death, the gods considered his good deeds and appointed him as the White Guard of Impermanence.