On the night of the Zhongyuan Festival, also known as the Festival of the Dead, the Ullambana and the Living Sacrifice take place.

Paper money is burned, offerings are made to the departed souls, and river lanterns are set afloat to send thoughts to the deceased.

On July 12th, in the 13th Year of Hongye of the Great Wei, Jing'an Colonel Jiang Ren issued a military order to prepare for battle. Just two days later, he gathered thirteen martial artists from various counties.

By July 15th, the day of the Zhongyuan Festival, Jing'an Colonel did not wait for reinforcements from the provincial government and led an army of three thousand to advance on Jing'an City.