During the late Qing dynasty, papermakers created religious groups, known as either "spirit-money associations" () or "Cai Lun associations" (). In 1839, the from the town of Yingjiang, was sued by in Macun and Zhongxing of the Jiajiang County, Sichuan. The conflict had began when the of Yingjiang claimed that their statue of Cai—which they carried throughout Jiajiang County annually—gave them ritual supremacy over the papermakers of Macun and Zhongxing, whom they demanded pay for and take part in their celebrations. The of Macun and Zhongxing denied the demand, citing their long history of worshipping Cai, which resulted in ever increasing conflict between the sides and eventually a law suit. The county magistrate reproached both parties for descending into conflict and said: "Did they not understand that all of them owed their livelihood to Lord Cai, who had taught them the art of papermaking? Were they not all disciples of Lord Cai, who wanted them to share the benefits of the trade?".