Both Taoism and Buddhism offered services to deliver the souls of the dead, but in the Shang-Zhou period, neither the Taoist priests nor the baldheads had expanded into that line of business yet.
Buddhist deliverance originated during the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty, under Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, from whom Zi Shou had learned his bad habits. After the An Lushan Rebellion was quelled, years of warfare had left countless casualties, so Xuanzong built a temple at the site of every major battle. Since they were built during the Kaiyuan era, every temple erected on a battlefield was called "Kaiyuan Temple."
The state then hired monks to chant sutras and deliver the souls of the soldiers and civilians who had died, much like a memorial service. Buddhist deliverance had probably begun around that time. Later, when someone in an ordinary household died, the family followed the state's example and invited monks into their home to perform rites and chant sutras for the deceased, spreading the practice.
Taoist deliverance had originated earlier, but without official backing like Emperor Xuanzong's, it had not spread widely. Taoist deliverance was also called Refining and Deliverance. There was really nothing wrong with calling Buddhist deliverance a reskinned, renamed version of the Taoist practice. After all, some monks had even learned to draw talismans, so it was hardly surprising that mighty figures hailed as Peerless in Buddhism and Taoism would learn Refining and Deliverance and incorporate it into their own arts.
Refining and Deliverance could be traced back as far as Zhuangzi. Once, Zhuangzi had come across a skull and, presumably feeling lonely, said a great deal to it. The skull neither turned into a beautiful woman nor took a beating with a staff. Instead, it appeared in Zhuangzi's dream that night. After the two