《云阜山申仙翁传》

The Immortal Elder Shen of Yunfu Mountain had the surname Shen and the given name Taizhi, with Guangxiang as his courtesy name. His ancestral home was Luoyang, and his family genealogy says he descended from Shen Bo of the Zhou dynasty. The poem’s line, “How lofty the mountain, how divine its gift, giving birth to Fu and Shen,” refers to Shen Bo. Shen Bo was gentle, benevolent, upright, and fair. He helped bring peace to the state and stability to its four quarters. King Xuan of Zhou bestowed on him a carriage, horses, and a fief in the south; his descendants inherited the title for generations. In the Han dynasty, the Shen family produced the Elder Shen Xianzu, who lived to more than eighty. When Emperor Wu of Han heard of his reputation, he sent a comfortable carriage drawn by four horses to receive him and appointed him Grand Master of the Palace. Later, Shen descendants moved to Changsha, where many held government office, some even rising to the rank of chancellor. The number of family members who settled elsewhere was beyond counting.

One branch of the Immortal Elder Shen’s ancestors moved to Shaoling County in Shaozhou, in what is now Liutang Village, Renfeng Township, Shaoyang County, Baoqing Prefecture. They chose a place to settle there and built a grand residence. The Immortal Elder Shen’s parents cherished their kin and were kind, generous, filial, and goodhearted throughout their lives.

One night, his mother, Lady Yang, dreamed that a divine being descended from heaven, holding a stalk of purple fungus, a legendary auspicious mushroom. The being ground it into a pill and gave it to Lady Yang, telling her to swallow it with water. When she awoke, she felt both delighted and afraid. At daybreak, she told her family about the dream. Someone said that purple fungus was no ordinary thing, and that dreaming of it must be an auspicious sign. Lady Yang then became pregnant.

It was the third year of Chuigong under Empress Wu Zetian, the Dinghai year, on the fifth day of the eighth month, at the hour of the Dragon, when the Immortal Elder Shen was born. Divine light shone brilliantly, auspicious energy filled the four quarters, and people near and far cried out in wonder.

As he grew up, the Immortal Elder Shen showed exceptional insight. He was intelligent and eager to learn, thoroughly versed in the Six Classics, and skilled at writing. He strictly abstained from sexual desire and ate no meat or pungent foods. Although his family was not wealthy and he was often short of money, he always did what he could to help others. When people offended him, he did not hold it against them. He had read Daoist scriptures and learned the purification rituals and liturgies (Zhaijiao and Keyi), and was able to grasp their full meaning. After his father died, he followed the divine being’s instructions and buried him at Hongya Mountain. He fulfilled his filial duties with all his heart and left nothing undone.

Before long, Shen Xianweng gradually lost interest in worldly affairs. He preferred to live alone and grew distant from his friends and relatives. After his father died, he met a divine being who advised him on choosing a burial site. He buried his father at Hongya Mountain, selected a suitable grave, and fulfilled his filial duties without neglect.

Later, he became even less concerned with worldly matters. He favored solitude, kept his distance from friends and relatives, and turned his thoughts toward the Way of the immortals. One day, after quieting his mind and spirit and clearing away distracting thoughts, he set out to visit Zhuling Grotto-Heaven on South Mountain, a Daoist site of renown on Hengshan. As he made his way among the steep cliffs, he climbed Zhurong Peak and sat on a rock beneath the trees. He sighed, “What beautiful scenery. It is a pity that my blessings are too slight for me to remain here.”

Soon, an old man came to where he was resting. The man wore a yellow cap and plain Daoist robes. His beard and hair were entirely white, and his manner was unhurried and composed. Shen Xianweng rose and bowed to him. The old man asked, “Who are you, and why are you sitting here sighing?” Shen Xianweng replied, “I am from Shaoling. I have come for a time to visit this celebrated place. I love its quiet, but regret that my blessings are too slight for me to stay long. That is why I sigh.”

The old man said, “Sacred mountains and numinous sites are everywhere. Why travel far when there is one nearby? Where you live, north of Yunshan, at the summit of Yuhu, beside the lotus ponds, there is also a secluded place of surpassing beauty where you can cultivate body and mind. I fear only that you lack the resolve to devote yourself to the Dao.” Shen Xianweng said, “I would be grateful for your guidance.”

The old man replied, “I am a Perfected One of the Nine Heavens, an immortal who dwells in the celestial realms. Today I will teach you an essential method.” He took a scroll from his bag and said, “This is the teaching on the great accomplishment of the Golden Elixir’s Fire Dragon. It is the key to transcending the ordinary and entering sagehood. You must cultivate it in secret to attain the Dao. When you have completed your practice, we can meet again in the realm of Daluo, the highest heaven in Daoist teaching. Be sure to practice with care; never reveal this lightly or grow lax.”

Shen Xianweng bowed low and accepted the teaching with reverence, filled with admiration. In an instant, wind rose and clouds gathered, and the old man had flown into the air. Shen Xianweng bowed once more, then left along a mountain path on the southern slope and returned to his native place. From then on, his speech and responses, as well as his everyday conduct, were all different from before.

Six months later, the Immortal Elder Shen told his clanspeople, “I no longer wish to live in the world of dust. I plan to find a quiet place to cultivate my body and mind, and take leave of everyone for a time.” They agreed.

He built a hermitage on Lianhe Mountain, set up a dan’ao, a vessel used in alchemical practice, gathered medicinal materials, and cultivated in accordance with established methods. The dan’ao and the danchi, an alchemical pool and altar, are still there on Lianhe Mountain.

When the elixir was complete, he told everyone, “Though my elixir is ready, I have not yet accumulated enough good deeds, so I dare not take it lightly. I will carry it on my person and continue to serve the state, help the people, and accumulate good deeds. Only when I enter the Three Realms, the higher celestial realms spoken of in Daoism, and serve there, will I be able to do so with a clear conscience.”

From then on, the Immortal Elder felt his spirit grow clear and bright, and he could perceive matters of the unseen world. He could make the sky clear when he said it would, and bring rain when he said it would; his whereabouts appeared and vanished, and his transformations were unpredictable. Sitting still, he could see through the affairs of the world as plainly as if they lay in the palm of his hand. Who could fail to admire him?

On the sixteenth day of the eighth month in the wuyin year of the Kaiyuan era, the twenty-sixth year of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (738), the emperor spoke to his ministers after court: “Last night I dreamed that a spirit told me: ‘North of Yunshan in Hunan, in the Shaoling area, there is a Daoist named Shen, known as the White Cloud Hermit. After refining an elixir, he awakened to the Great Dao. If you respectfully invite him to serve as state preceptor, he will surely pray for the state, avert calamities, and bring blessings and longevity.’”

The ministers rejoiced and congratulated the emperor, saying, “This is just like Emperor Gaozong’s dream of Fu Yue; there is no difference.” The emperor then ordered the Hanlin Academy to draft an edict and sent an envoy with it to Shaoling to seek out the Daoist and read it aloud. When the envoy arrived, the governor sent officials to escort him to the hermitage on Lianhe Mountain at Yuhu, where they indeed found a Daoist named Shen, known as the White Cloud Hermit. By then, his Daoist virtue was profound. He gladly accepted the imperial command without resisting the emperor’s wishes, and immediately set out for Chang’an with the envoy who had delivered the edict.

When the day arrived, the Immortal Elder Shen was summoned to the palace, where he spoke with the emperor and could draw ten inferences from a single example. The emperor called him “Immortal Elder,” bestowed on him the title “Grand State Preceptor,” and issued an edict appointing him abbot of Yuanzhen Temple and placing him in charge of its affairs. He also gave him a golden bell weighing a thousand jin and a sword forged through a hundred refinements, so that he could burn incense, cultivate the Dao, and pray for the well-being of the state. He was permitted to enter and leave the imperial palace and placed in charge of Daoist affairs.

On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival in the eighth month of the following year, the emperor asked the Immortal Elder, “Can one go to the moon?” The Immortal Elder replied, “Yes.” He and Celestial Master Ye Jing then accompanied the emperor as they rode on clouds to the foot of the Moon Palace. They saw a plaque inscribed, “Palace of Vast Cold and Clear Emptiness.” Passing through a great gate, they entered a jade-colored radiance. There they saw palaces floating in midair, with a piercing chill that dampened their collars and sleeves. The palace gates were guarded closely, so they waited outside. After a while, the Immortal Elder led them in. Emperor Ming saw a group of immortals and more than ten Su’e, maidens of the Moon Palace, dressed in white and riding white luan birds. Beneath a great cassia tree, they laughed and danced.

The music rang out, clear and pleasing to the ear. Emperor Ming was well versed in musical modes; as soon as he heard it, he grasped the melody and hurriedly wrote down the score. The notes are recorded today as “gong liu gong chi gong chi si shang shang chi shang chi gong liu wu liu gong liu wu liu chi liu gong chi shang chi shang si he si shang chi shang si shang.” A short while later, the Immortal Elder, Celestial Master Ye Jing, and the emperor rode the clouds back, borne along by a whirlwind. As if waking from a drunken sleep, they found themselves back in the palace.

The following evening, Emperor Ming wanted to go again. The Immortal Elder only smiled and declined, and the emperor did not take offense. In the third year of the Tianbao era, Emperor Ming’s consort Yang Guifei also earnestly asked the Immortal Elder to transmit secret registers to her. On the second day of the second month the next year, the emperor arranged a ceremonial fast, laying out paper mats and setting up a dummy seat to test the Immortal Elder. The Immortal Elder sat upright upon it, yet the mat did not tilt. The emperor exclaimed, “How wondrous! He truly is one of the immortals.”

At the time, the Immortal Elder had left the remaining offerings from the fast on a table. The emperor asked, “What does it mean to leave these offerings behind?”

The Immortal replied, “When I return, I will take this vegetarian meal with me.” The emperor arranged a grand Zhaijiao (purification ritual), spread out a mat made of paper, and set out a dummy seat to test him. The Immortal sat calmly upon it, but the paper mat did not move at all. The emperor exclaimed, “How astonishing! He truly is one of the immortals.”

At the time, the Immortal left the remaining vegetarian food on the table. The emperor asked, “Why leave this food here?” The Immortal replied, “I will take it back for my mother.” The emperor said, “The journey is so long. When could it possibly reach her?” The Immortal answered, “It will arrive tonight.” Still unconvinced, the emperor gave the food to the governor of Shaoling Commandery and had him carry it back. When the governor arrived, the food was still warm and fragrant. He immediately wrote a memorial to report this to the emperor. When the date was checked, it proved to be the very day the food had been bestowed. The emperor and his ministers were all convinced of the Immortal’s powers and held him in reverence.

The emperor was deeply attached to his favored consort. The Immortal repeatedly entered the inner court to explain the Way to him and offer admonitions: “You should curb your desire for women and guard against treacherous ministers who deceive the ruler and seize power. When petty men occupy high positions, worthy gentlemen are pushed out of the court.” But the emperor did not heed him or seriously restrain himself.

One night, the golden bell at Yuanzhen Temple in the capital rang by itself, though no one had struck it. The official in charge reported the matter to the throne. The emperor summoned the Immortal and said, “A divine being from the Western Marchmount has sent a warning: the state will fall into unrest, and calamity is about to arise. Though this is decreed by fate, the disaster can still be averted through ritual methods.” The following year, rebellion by the southern tribes did indeed break out. The Immortal had already sensed that the An Lushan Rebellion was gradually taking shape. He submitted a memorial asking leave to return to his home region and avert calamity for the state in accordance with Daoist methods. Eager to return home, he received the emperor’s permission. The emperor also gave him a ritual robe made by a woman of the Chen family in the palace. She was in charge of tea and refreshments and had served the Immortal for a long time, never shrinking from hard work.

The Immortal said to Chen, “You have worked so diligently for me these past days, and I have nothing with which to repay you. I have a pill called Crimson Snow Elixir. I give it to you. When your life comes to its end, take this pill; then you may report the matter to the emperor and follow his arrangements.”

After your breathing stops, place your body in a coffin and cover it only halfway. Do not seal the entrance to the tomb. The grave may be built high, so that your soul can come and go freely, unharmed by the calamities of transmigration. After a hundred years, your body will still not have decayed. If you encounter the Yang energy of the living, you may return from death to life and come back into the human world as an earth-dwelling immortal—one who has attained the Dao and lives among people.

After receiving the elixir, Lady Chen thanked the immortal elder, saying, “If, when my life ends, I can escape the suffering of transmigration, how could I ever forget where this kindness came from?” Later, when Lady Chen was gravely ill, she told the emperor what had happened before. He granted all her requests. When she was buried, her coffin was taken to a place three li beyond the Forbidden City, and the tomb was inscribed “Palace of Lan Chang.”

On the second day of the second month in the seventh year of Tianbao, the emperor ordered two eunuchs, Que Ti and Li Zhonggui, among others, to be sent by the Secretariat-Chancellery to escort the immortal elder aboard an immortal vessel back to Shaoling. At that time, the Noble Consort also had a purple robe made, decorated it with gold and pearls, and presented it to him. The emperor personally wrote the name “Yi Tang Abbey” on a plaque and bestowed it on the immortal elder, so that he could return to the mountain and preside over the abbey’s incense rites, praying for the state and bringing blessings to the people.

The immortal elder returned to the commandery to pay his respects to the governor and carefully relay the emperor’s instructions. He then went back to his hometown of Liutang, where the ancestral foundation now stands at Zujiguan. The immortal elder said to the eunuchs, “The mountain gate is quiet, and I have little to offer you as hospitality. I will give you two pills of elixir. When you return to the capital and see your families, take them; they can free you from the calamities brought on by worldly hardship.”

The envoys accepted the elixir, bowed in thanks, and took their leave. They went to see the governor and asked him to issue travel documents. They crossed the river at the mouth of Shahe Pond, bought a boat, and passed through Lake Dongting, intending to return to the capital by the usual route. Just after setting out, when they reached the Great Yu Temple, the two of them said to each other, “The elixir the immortal elder gave us must be effective. Why wait until we get home to take it?” So they took water and swallowed the pills.

A short while later, they felt their bodies grow light and heat rise within them. They took off their clothes and bathed in the shallow water below the temple.

After a long while, he felt his body grow light and his heart grow warm. He took off his clothes and bathed in the shallow water below the temple. Afterward, he naturally felt as light as a feather, as though he could rise into the air. He said to his attendants, “Leave all the baggage with you. Hurry back to the capital and tell my family exactly what happened, so that everyone will know.”

The two envoys then disappeared into the mountain forests nearby. People sometimes saw them entering or leaving the woods, but never knew where they were. The local people built a temple to worship them; this is the deity now known as the Shao River Fisher Kings. Some say that after the two men took the elixir and bathed in the water, no fish could ever again be caught in the river. For this reason, they were called the Great Fisher Kings. They became friends with King Yu, and together the three were later revered as the “Three Divine Officials of the Fisher Kings,” deities honored in Daoism.

The Immortal Elder came to Yunlin, below Yuhu Mountain. A Daoist temple was built there, retaining the plaque from an earlier time. The Immortal Elder spread the Dao there and prayed for the welfare of the state, asking that its fortunes flourish and auspicious signs appear. The emperor ordered the province to provide money and grain for offerings to the immortals and their attendants.

At that time, the Immortal Elder established an altar on the surface of Jizi Pool on the Shao River, performed rites, and submitted a memorial to the heavenly court, praying to halt incursions from the southern frontier. Marks like the patterned mat used for prostrating before a memorial can still be seen on the pool’s surface. They remain unchanged whether the water rises or falls. Later, when Emperor Xuanzong of Tang fled the turmoil into Shu and the Crown Prince took the throne, the Tang dynasty was restored at Lingwu. This was regarded as the fulfillment of the Immortal Elder’s prayers at the altar to avert disaster.

From then on, the Immortal Elder drew talismans, recited incantations, and controlled the waters; he also treated people’s illnesses with medicine. At times he went to the palace in Chang’an to report on affairs, and at others he traveled to Luoyang to attend Zhaijiao purification rites. He would set out in the morning and return by evening, flying through the air and walking across the water. On the riverbank east of Shaoling City stood a small stone chamber where the Immortal Elder often concealed himself during his journeys. In an instant, he would be in Luoyang. The local people all knew of these wondrous events, and to this day they call the place “Luoyang Bay,” saying that traces of the story can still be found there.

On the thirteenth day of the eighth month in the fourteenth year of the Tianbao era (the yǐwèi year), people surnamed Yang and Er formed an association and gathered beside Yitang Temple.

Shen Xianweng agreed to the people’s request. Along the way, he met a divine being who gave him three or five peaches. The Immortal Elder showed the peaches to the community, and everyone marveled. He offered them to the eldest among them, but the elder declined. So the Immortal Elder divided the peaches, and they all ate together.

After a while, people seemed to hear the sound of buxu chants drifting down from the sky—the chanting and measured steps heard in Daoist rites or immortal music. Suddenly, auspicious clouds descended from the summit of Yuhufeng. Immortal music rang out, phoenixes and cranes danced in flight, and banners and ceremonial attendants appeared in a shifting array. Among the procession were two figures dressed in vermilion, surrounded by attendants adorned with pearls and kingfisher feathers. They seemed to descend near the Daoist temple. The Immortal Elder immediately took leave of the gathered people and went forward to welcome the immortals with a bow.

A long tablet, more than ten feet in length, appeared in the sky. Its red lettering, written in jade characters, read: “Shen Taizhi, Daoist of Shaozhou, has refined the elixir through nine cycles and completed three thousand meritorious deeds. Today, in broad daylight, he is to ascend as an immortal.” The people looked up and saw the colored clouds scatter, while crimson ceremonial banners and staffs filled their view.

Before departing, the Immortal Elder urged the Daoist assembly: “I am now leaving the mortal world and ascending to Qingdu, the celestial realm, where I will endure as long as Heaven and Earth. From now on, whenever ordinary people make a prayer, I will respond. If calamities or disasters arise, I will also assist them unseen. Take good care of yourselves. Yitang Temple should forever pray for the sage’s long life. On the fasting and sacrificial days of the Three Primordial Festivals, the Eight Seasonal Festivals, the Five Laba Festivals, and the Ten Days of Abstinence, you must conduct the jiao rites in accordance with ritual, praying for blessings upon the state and its people.” When he had finished speaking, he rose into the sky and departed. The Immortal Elder was sixty-nine years old at the time.

Today, on Yuhu Mountain, there is a stone pillar with a flat stone laid across it. Local people say that this was where the Immortal Elder mounted his horse. The Daoists there wrote a memorial reporting the event to the prefecture, and the prefect in turn submitted a memorial to the court. On the thirteenth day of the eighth month that year, as Emperor Ming was taking his seat in the hall, he saw from afar a celestial procession riding cranes through the sky. The immortals held banners and ceremonial staffs, with attendants arrayed on either side to guard them. The emperor and his court officials all looked up and watched.

One day, a memorial from the prefect of Shaozhou arrived in the capital. The chancellors Chen Xilie and Li Linfu presented it to the emperor.

After reviewing the memorial, the emperor judged that it agreed with what he had seen from afar upon ascending the throne: immortals appearing in the sky. He therefore ordered the ceremonial retinue and guards to line up on either side. The emperor watched together with court officials and the people.

One day, a memorial from the governor of Shaozhou arrived. The chancellors Chen Xilie and Li Linfu presented it to the emperor. After reading it, he judged that the appearance of immortal signs around Shen Taizhi matched what he had seen earlier. He therefore issued an edict ordering the governor of Shaozhou to make offerings at each of the four seasonal festivals and never neglect them. Since the White Crane Temple, a Daoist temple dedicated to immortals, stood more than a hundred li from the prefectural city, it was inconvenient for the governor to travel there for the offerings. He submitted another memorial, after which the emperor ordered him to build a Kaiyuan Temple near the city and to paint and sculpt images of the immortals north of the Shao River, so that people could venerate them and make offerings more conveniently.

A later edict exempted all members of the Shen family within the five mourning degrees—the traditional range of relatives classified by their closeness to the deceased—from taxes and levies.

On the day the immortal elder ascended to heaven, people in Qiyang County, Yongzhou, saw an immortal riding a white crane fly down from the sky and drop a celestial robe into the temple. They took the robe into their care and enshrined it properly. The temple was then renamed the White Crane Temple, and the people reported the event to the court. An inquiry found no other recorded manifestations of immortals connected with the Shen family; the only account was that of Shen Taizhi of Shaozhou ascending to heaven by riding a crane in broad daylight. Whenever the White Crane Temple holds a major Daoist assembly, people carry the celestial robe to the ritual grounds and perform the liturgy there. This event has been passed down from generation to generation and has not faded from memory.

The immortal elixirs left behind by the immortal elder are beyond the reach of ordinary people, who lack the affinity with immortals needed to obtain them; they should not presume to seek them. The magnificent scenery of Yunshan, however, still preserves the places where the immortal elder cultivated the Dao and lived. Its caverns are deep and its cliffs steep and sheer, making them difficult to enter. Traces of the immortal remain on the sheer summit cliffs; climb up by clinging to the branches, and they can be seen. The mountain’s sacred firs grow thickly and have done so for many years. Prayers at the numinous rock and sacred spring often receive a response.

Today, incense burns abundantly at the mountain gate. Officials, commoners, and scholars all come to pray for relief from locust plagues and protection from drought, hoping that blessings will nourish all things and benefit the people. Prayers and responses follow one another. White clouds veil the rock face year after year, while lasting good fortune protects the fate of the state. All under heaven share in the celebration, and people everywhere rejoice. I have respectfully set down this account of the immortal elder’s life so that it may be widely circulated. Surely this is a worthwhile thing to do.

During the Yuanhe era of Emperor Xianzong of Tang, Xue Zhao served as an arresting officer in the imperial palace. While out handling lawsuits brought by common people, he accepted bribes in violation of the law and was impeached. Tang law was strict: even an arresting officer who broke the law faced punishment. Afraid of being disgraced, Xue Zhao secretly fled the palace.

As evening drew on, he lost his way. While wandering about, he suddenly encountered an old man. Xue Zhao bowed to him and earnestly asked him to show the way. The old man asked, “What is your surname, and how did you come to be here?” Xue Zhao replied, “My name is Xue Zhao. I was not an honest official and have been impeached. Afraid of being punished, I fled here, but lost my way.” Xue Zhao then asked the old man’s surname. The old man answered, “I am the Elder of Tian Mountain, an old man who lives in the mountains. I have dwelt here for a long time and know people’s good and ill fortune. Since you have asked me to show you the way, I will speak frankly and help you escape trouble. Not far ahead there is a dense grove and tall, slender bamboo. Stay there for a while. When you see Lan Chang Palace, hide inside, and you will escape disaster.”

Xue Zhao thanked him, saying, “If I can escape punishment, I will never forget your kindness and will repay your great De.” The old man said, “You were not an honest official. Why expect others to repay your kindness?” Xue Zhao took his leave and continued on. Sure enough, among the bamboo he found a small pavilion called Lan Chang Palace. The sun was about to set. Both glad and frightened, Xue Zhao stayed in the pavilion.

It was nearly the second watch of the night. In the bright moonlight, a beautiful woman suddenly came walking slowly toward him. Xue Zhao was startled and, suspecting she was a ghost, asked, “Are you a ghost or a living person? What brings you here?” The woman replied, “I am no ghost. I am Lady Chen, a palace attendant in Emperor Xuanzong of Tang’s palace, responsible for the tea and hot water.”

At that time, a Daoist surnamed Shen from Shaoling in Hunan served at court. Emperor Ming of Tang called him “Immortal Elder” and issued an edict summoning him into the palace precincts to expound the subtle truths of the Dao. The palace consorts who brought him tea and water attended to him with great care.

The Immortal Elder said to the consorts, “You have served me tirelessly for so long, and I have no way to repay you.” He took out a pill called Crimson Snow Elixir and instructed one of the women, “Do not take it until the end of your life. A hundred years from now, if you encounter someone living, you will regain your human form and may in time become an earthbound immortal, one who lives among people and has cultivated the Dao.”

The woman later asked the man, “What is your surname, and why have you come here?” He replied, “My surname is Xue, and my name is Zhao. I was a palace constable. Because I enforced the law unfairly, I feared I would be convicted and executed, so I fled here. By chance I met an old man who called himself the Elder of Tian Mountain and showed me this place as a refuge.”

Chen clapped her hands and laughed. “The Elder of Tian Mountain is the Immortal Elder Shen. He knew long ago that I would live here for a hundred years. Today, what he promised back then has come to pass. How could this be coincidence?” Only then did Xue Zhao suddenly remember that, when he was still a student, he had read an account of this in a Tang dynasty biography. He understood that their meeting was no accident. The two spoke of it at length, filled with wonder.

Chen then disclosed her feelings to Xue Zhao, and the two became intimate. Chen said, “You can come with me. There is a tomb not far from here. Its entrance stands wide open, and there is plenty of room inside. The vermilion coffin is still there, and its lid is not fully closed. The body lying inside is mine.”

Chen asked Xue Zhao to lift the coffin lid. As she had said, inside lay a woman with a fair complexion, her body still warm, as if she had only just risen. Her clothes had rotted away, leaving only the gold and jade ornaments in her hair. As dawn approached, Chen told Xue Zhao to take the ornaments to market and sell them for clothes, then dress her properly. Before long, the two went together to live in seclusion in the mountains of Baling, and in time became earth-walking immortals, immortals who walk the earth and dwell in seclusion.

As for her later ascent to Heaven in broad daylight, it is clear that she had long since built a deep foundation in the immortal Dao. The vermilion banners and canopy that came to welcome her must have signaled that her destined connection with the immortals had reached fulfillment. Her extraordinary experiences began with a dream that touched Emperor Ming of Tang, after which she was summoned to court. Her fame reached the Most High, a Daoist title for the supreme deity, and she received an edict from the celestial realm. She had once ridden in a phoenix-drawn carriage and with dragons; later she was able to ride a luan and mount a crane, leaving the mortal world behind completely and journeying reverently to the Mysterious Capital, the immortal realm of Daoist legend.

He grasped the key to the transformations of Heaven and Earth and, commanded to direct the thunder’s decrees, soon received an imperial edict. His fame spread far and wide among the Most High, the honored deities of Daoism, and he continued to receive the will of the celestial realm. He once rode a phoenix-drawn carriage and dragons, then rode a luan bird and a crane, leaving the mortal world behind to travel reverently to Xuandu, the Daoist realm of immortals.

He governed the transformations of creation and the thunder, and his prayers for rain often brought a response. Whenever the people suffered calamity, he was sure to aid them. He left traces of his immortality on the Three Mountains, long ago making clear that the Dao is different from what the world ordinarily calls a way. After refining the elixir through nine cycles, he knew that the true name, too, is not an ordinary worldly name. Perhaps his cultivation had accumulated three thousand merits, allowing him to soar like the great Peng bird, rising ninety thousand li. His brilliance was like the sun and moon, his authority like frost. His blessings gradually spread throughout the vast expanse of Heaven and Earth, and his protection of the people was profound. Benevolent and generous, he benefited all without seeking personal gain. In wondrous union with the Dao, he remained still and serene, unmoved by external things.

The wondrous principles of the Dao cannot be known through the ears and eyes, yet through cultivation they can be ordered and brought to peace. The more deeply one investigates them, the more solid they seem; the higher one looks up, the more lofty they appear. The transformations of the divine are beyond measure: they seem to be right before us, then suddenly behind us. The Dao’s nurturing power, too, cannot be gauged. Its merit surpasses both Heaven and the human world, and its Virtue has shone clearly from ancient times to the present.

His numinous authority manifested broadly above, and his divine radiance was pure and bright. The former Song dynasty repeatedly conferred titles on him, granting him fine honors; the great Yuan dynasty also revered him, issuing edicts time and again to add to his glory. The radiance of the Dao endures—how could it be measured only by the height of mountains and the reach of rivers? The immortal’s example has been transmitted for ages and truly endures as long as Heaven and Earth. A close examination of the related accounts reveals matters too vast to record in full and details too subtle to recount one by one. Further inquiry into the Perfected One’s wondrous powers shows that he could even restore souls and enable mortals to become immortals. The praise due him is beyond words, and his merits cannot be fully enumerated.

An edict of investiture from Emperor Gaozong of the Song declared: “We confer upon the White Cloud Immortal of the Renhui Temple on Yunfu Mountain, Hengyang County, Hengzhou, the title of White Cloud Immortal. In ancient times, the people of Chu made offerings to Yunzhong Jun, the Lord of Clouds, and placed his spirit tablet in the Hall of Longevity. The songs of Chu also describe Yunzhong Jun riding a dragon-drawn carriage and wearing imperial robes. Today, on the hills of Hengyang, there is a spirit who summons clouds and sends down timely rain, dispelling drought and pestilence. His deeds are recorded in the state’s archives. The people call him one of the arrayed immortals and, grateful for his kindness, reverently worship him in the temple. Ah, could this be the illustrious and wondrous spirit of whom the ancients spoke, the one who rode the wind and journeyed far away?”

Because the Venerable Immortal Shen had achieved extraordinary merit, the court bestowed upon him an honorary title. Today, on Yunfu Mountain in Hengyang, the Venerable Immortal Shen can raise clouds and bring timely rain, dispelling drought and epidemic disease. These deeds are recorded in the official state registers. He is honored among the ranks of the immortals, and the local people, mindful of his beneficence, respectfully offer sacrifices to him in his temple.

Alas, could the Venerable Immortal Shen be the very immortal of ancient accounts, famed for his divine powers and said to have ridden the wind into the distance? The court hereby recognizes his extraordinary merit and bestows upon him an honored immortal title, making his benevolent responses more widely known and thereby benefiting the people. He is specially titled “Perfected One of Wondrous Stillness.”

Let this be carried out as ordered. Upon receipt of this document, it shall be implemented accordingly.

The twenty-sixth day of the first month of the twenty-seventh year of the Shaoxing era (1157).

The Biography of the Venerable Immortal Shen of Yunfu Mountain ends.