《漢武帝外傳》

Part 5 of the Modern Interpretation of "The Outer Biography of Emperor Wu of Han":

After hearing the Queen Mother of the West (Xiwangmu) describe the ten immortal isles within the eight seas, Emperor Wu of Han realized Dongfang Shuo was no ordinary man and invited him to a private chamber for details about these paradises. Dongfang Shuo replied: "I am merely a student of immortality, not one who has attained the Dao. It was only because Your Majesty reveres Daoist teachings that I concealed my cultivation identity to serve at court. In my youth, I traveled to sacred sites with my master: we visited the Vermilion Mound (Zhuling), the Fusang Tree (legendary sunrise location), the Mirage Sea, and the Mound of Darkest Night, traversing seven immortal mountains and all ten celestial isles, ascending the Five Sacred Peaks. Yet these experiences pale before true ascended immortals who roam the nine heavens and perceive all directions."

Another account records: During an imperial tour, Emperor Wu noticed purple-blue Qi (vital energy) rising from the ground in Hejian Commandery. Court astrologers declared an extraordinary woman must dwell beneath. Indeed, they discovered a beautiful maiden in an empty hall with tightly clenched fists. When none could open her hands, the emperor succeeded effortlessly—earning her the nickname "Lady Fist" (later promoted as Lady Gouyi). Skilled in the arts of the Plain Maiden (ancient sexual cultivation techniques), she gave birth to Emperor Zhao after fourteen months' pregnancy. Recalling the legendary Emperor Yao's similar gestation period, Emperor Wu renamed her palace gate "Gate of Yao's Mother." Later at Ganquan Palace, Lady Gouyi prophesied: "By destiny I bore Your Majesty's heir. When this child reaches seven years..." Note: The text preserves Daoist terms like "Vermilion Mound," "Fusang Tree," and "Plain Maiden techniques"—the Fusang being the mythical sunrise tree, while the Plain Maiden (Sunü) is the goddess who transmitted sexual cultivation arts. These episodes reflect the interweaving of Han-era fangshi (esoteric specialist) culture with imperial court legends.

Interpretation of "The Outer Biography of Emperor Wu of Han" in Plain English:

On the Death of Li Shaoweng (Imperial Magician during Emperor Wu's Reign):

On his deathbed, Li Shaoweng said to Emperor Wu, "I will surely not survive this year. May Your Majesty take care." With these words, he passed away. During his burial, an extraordinary fragrance emanated from the coffin, spreading over ten miles. He was interred at Yunling. The emperor, deeply grieved and suspecting Li was no ordinary man, ordered the coffin opened for inspection—only to find it empty, containing nothing but his clothes and shoes. Emperor Wu then erected the Tongling Terrace at Ganquan Palace in his memory. Blue birds often gathered there until the reign of Emperor Xuan of Han, when they finally disappeared.

On the Warning of Jiqiu Jun (Daoist Master of Mount Tai):

When Emperor Wu journeyed to Mount Tai to perform the Fengshan sacrifices, he encountered a Daoist known as Jiqiu Jun at Shilü Mountain. Those who knew him claimed the master was over a hundred years old yet growing younger. On the day of the sacrifices, Jiqiu Jun appeared wearing a ceremonial cap and yellow robes, holding a zither, and warned the emperor: "Do not ascend the mountain lightly—you will injure your foot." Ignoring the advice, Emperor Wu proceeded, only to trip on a rock after a few miles, injuring his toe. He had no choice but to offer his prayers and return.

On Liu An, Prince of Huainan:

The Prince of Huainan was a patron of scholarship and the arts, collecting Daoist texts from across the land and gathering masters of esoteric arts. Legends spread among the people that he could summon wind and rain, wander with immortals, transform into a child or an old man, vanish at will, fly through the air, and sustain himself on Qi (vital energy) without eating. Emperor Wu sought to learn these arts, but the prince denied possessing them. Enraged, the emperor threatened execution, whereupon the prince and his retinue vanished without a trace. Common folk believed he had attained immortality. To quell unrest, Emperor Wu executed the prince's family, confiscated his occult texts, and though he acquired some alchemical manuals, they were incomplete. Most experiments failed. Thus, the emperor summoned practitioners from all regions, attracting thousands from Yan and Qi.

On Li Shaoweng:

Li Shaoweng, a native of Qi, claimed to be two hundred years old yet had the face of a youth. Skilled in various occult arts, Emperor Wu granted him the title General Wencheng and commissioned him to paint an image of the Great Unity (Taiyi) deity at Ganquan Palace for worship. Li insisted that only after sacrificing to Taiyi could one ascend to heaven and thence reach Penglai, the isle of immortals. After a year with no results, the emperor grew impatient. Though Li's other arts proved effective, the Taiyi rites yielded nothing for years. Emperor Wu, impulsive and suspicious, grew weary of Li's increasing arrogance, ultimately ordering his execution. A month after General Wencheng's death, an envoy from east of the pass reported seeing him astride a white deer at the Cao Canal, saying he was on his way to meet the emperor. When the coffin was reopened, only a single bamboo slip remained inside.

The Biography of Emperor Wu of Han records several miraculous events:

A man named Ji Zhi, returning from east of the Hangu Pass, encountered an imperial messenger at Cao Pavilion and entrusted him with a message for Emperor Wu: "Tell His Majesty that impatience with small matters will ruin great undertakings. In forty years, seek me at Mount Laocheng." When the messenger reported this, Emperor Wu ordered the tomb opened for inspection, only to find the coffin contained nothing but a bamboo tube. Suspecting disciples had stolen the corpse, his fruitless investigation left him filled with regret.

Later, while Emperor Wu was offering sacrifices to Taiyi (the supreme deity in Daoism) at Ganquan Palace, Dongjun presented a perfectly attired dwarf barely five inches tall. Court fangshi (Daoist magician) Dongfang Shuo recognized him as an envoy from the Queen Mother of the West (Xiwangmu, foremost Daoist goddess), explaining the dwarf had been banished to the mortal realm for stealing her peaches of immortality that bear fruit only once every three thousand years. The dwarf admonished Emperor Wu: "Seeking the Dao requires tranquility and wuwei (non-action), not impetuous striving," then vanished.

Another fangshi named Gongsun Qing claimed to have obtained records from the deceased Shen Gong about the Yellow Emperor achieving immortality through a sacred tripod. He asserted celestial signs during Emperor Wu's reign matched those when the Yellow Emperor ascended. Delighted, Emperor Wu summoned him for details. Gongsun Qing revealed Shen Gong had achieved "liberation from the corpse" (shijie, a Daoist method of immortality where the spirit abandons the physical body), further convincing Emperor Wu of immortality's attainability.

These stories reflect Emperor Wu's late-life obsession with longevity, his extensive searches for fangshi, and worship of deities. The text's references to "Taiyi" and "shijie" embody core Daoist concepts, showcasing early Daoist beliefs in divine immortality. The narrative illustrates how Daoist thought permeated Han dynasty imperial pursuits of transcendence.

The Biography of Emperor Wu of Han primarily recounts two significant narratives:

The first recounts the legendary ascension of the Yellow Emperor (Huangdi):

A man named Shen Gong informs Emperor Wu that the Yellow Emperor once performed sacrifices to celestial deities in Yong (modern-day Fengxiang, Shaanxi). After three months of purification rituals, he achieved immortality through "corpse liberation" (shijie), a Daoist method of transcendence where the physical body vanishes, leaving only clothing behind. The Yellow Emperor had cast a sacred tripod using copper from Mount Shou at Mount Jing. Upon the tripod's completion, a dragon descended with trailing whiskers to receive him. The Yellow Emperor ascended to heaven with over seventy ministers and consorts riding the dragon, while minor officials who clung to the dragon's whiskers fell. The common people could only weep over the dropped bow and dragon whiskers, later naming the Yellow Emperor's cenotaph "Dinghu" (Tripod Lake) and the bow "Wuhao."

Emperor Wu, moved by the tale, questions his minister Gongsun Qing: "If the Yellow Emperor achieved immortality, why does his tomb exist?" Gongsun Qing explains that the tomb was built by subjects mourning him, containing only his garments as a memorial—not his actual body.

The second narrative describes the immortal encounter of Lu Nüsheng:

A native of Changle, Lu Nüsheng practiced Daoist cultivation from childhood, consuming sesame (a Daoist longevity elixir) and spring water while abstaining from grains for over eighty years. Remarkably, she grew younger, her complexion radiant, and could traverse three hundred li daily, outpacing deer. At over three hundred years old, while gathering herbs on Mount Song, she met a goddess seated by a mountain stream. The goddess identified herself as a "Three Heavens Supreme Attendant" (a high-ranking celestial official) and recognized Lu Nüsheng's destined transcendence. She then transmitted the Chart of the True Forms of the Five Sacred Peaks (Wuyue Zhenxing Tu), a pivotal Daoist talismanic text, explaining its power to command the mountain deities of the Five Peaks and summon numinous beings.

[Additional Notes]

1. "Corpse liberation" (shijie) refers to a Daoist transcendence method where adepts leave behind clothing or objects as substitutes while their true form ascends.

2. The Chart of the True Forms of the Five Sacred Peaks is a crucial Daoist talisman, traditionally believed to summon mountain spirits and ward off calamities.

3. "Sesame" (huma), in Daoist practice, denotes sesame seeds, revered for their life-prolonging properties.

This passage recounts the transmission lineage of several Han dynasty Daoist practitioners and the miraculous powers of the Authentic Forms of the Five Sacred Peaks (Wuyue Zhenxing Tu):

The narrative begins with a female cultivator who attained immortality. After bidding farewell to her family, she entered Mount Hua (Huashan). Fifty years later, she was seen before the mountain temple looking even younger than before, riding a white deer accompanied by thirty jade maidens (immortal maidens), and sending greetings to her hometown acquaintances. The text mentions that the Five Peaks Diagram shares the same origin as the scriptures of the Queen Mother of the West (Xiwangmu), and its preservation owes much to Li Shaojun, Dong Zhongshu, and this female adept. The scripture-diagram was subsequently transmitted through multiple lineages: Dong Zhongshu passed it to Luan Ba, while the female adept transmitted it to Ji Zixun, then to Feng Junda, and finally to Zuo Ci (style name Yuanfang).

Feng Junda, a native of Longxi, devoted himself to cultivation from youth. For over fifty years he ingested coptis root (huanglian), then spent more than a century refining mercury (shuiyin) in the Wushu Mountains. When he returned home, his appearance resembled that of a thirty-year-old. Known as the "Green Ox Daoist" (qingniu daoshi) for his habitual riding of a blue ox, he became a renowned healer—his bamboo waist-container held medicines and acupuncture tools that saved countless lives. Upon learning that a certain Lady Lu possessed the Authentic Forms of the Five Sacred Peaks, he sought it persistently for years until finally obtaining it. After over two centuries among mortals, Feng Junda entered the Mysterious Mound Mountain (Xuanqiu Shan), bequeathing the sacred diagram to Zuo Ci before departure, who later transmitted it to Ge Xuan (style name Xiaoxian).

The text particularly emphasizes the diagram's extraordinary powers: each sacred mountain dispatches five divine guardians to protect its bearer, while deities of rivers and marshes send spirit-officials as escorts. Those intending harm against the diagram's keeper will suffer reversed misfortune, and conspirators face execution by the Five Peaks' divine forces. The chart also provides immunity against floods, fires, plagues, and even weapons. However, it demands sincere veneration exceeding that shown to rulers or parents. Before each use, the practitioner must burn incense in pure solitude to announce intentions to the Five Peaks' divine lords (shenjun), who record the cultivator's virtuous deeds and grant corresponding blessings.

(Note: The described cultivation methods—such as ingesting coptis root and refining mercury—reflect ancient Daoist practices. Modern readers should recognize these as historically dangerous procedures not to be replicated.)

This scripture passage contains two main sections:

The first part warns practitioners of the Dao to avoid wicked and impure conduct. It states that those who slander others and engage in improper behavior will bring disaster upon themselves, while lewd and depraved acts can bring calamity to entire households. Therefore, Daoist priests must be especially cautious. If a priest carries or holds this scripture while entering mountain forests, the mountain deities will emerge to respectfully welcome him, manifesting their forms and radiant light to offer protection and ward off evil influences. Even the sacred mountain spirits revere this scripture so profoundly that ghosts and deities bow before it - how much more should ordinary people dare show disrespect?

The second section recounts the legendary story of the fangshi (Daoist adept) Li Shaojun:

Li Shaojun, styled Yunyi, was from Linzi in the state of Qi. In his youth, he was devoted to Daoist practices and traveled to Mount Tai to gather medicinal herbs, cultivating the arts of grain avoidance (bigu) and mountain seclusion. Before achieving mastery, he fell gravely ill in the mountains where he encountered the immortal An Qisheng passing by. Kneeling in supplication, Li begged for help. Seeing his sincere devotion to the Dao though near death, An Qisheng gave him a spoonful of "Divine Tower Powder" that cured him instantly. From then on, Li Shaojun became An Qisheng's attendant, serving him while learning the Dao. They journeyed together to sacred sites like Red Wall Mountain, Mount Luofu, Mount Taiheng, and the Jade Gate, visiting all Five Sacred Mountains and observing great rivers - a practice lasting several decades.

Later, An Qisheng told Li Shaojun: "I have been summoned to the Mystic Isle paradise and must depart now. You cannot accompany me yet, but I shall return to meet you here in six hundred years." He then transmitted secret alchemical formulas and oral instructions before being escorted away by hundreds of immortal envoys riding dragons and driving tigers. An Qisheng ascended to heaven in a feathered carriage.

Afterward, Li Shaojun returned to the human world, sometimes practicing seclusion and purification rituals, other times traveling as a merchant. He worked as a minor official and physician, changing his name frequently as he wandered, with none recognizing his mastery of Daoist arts. During Emperor Wu of Han's reign, hearing of the emperor's recruitment of fangshi but being too poor to prepare elixirs, he lamented to disciples: "I've grown old and will soon die. Farming and trading could never earn enough for alchemy. Since the emperor favors Daoist arts, perhaps I should seek his patronage to obtain what's needed. If the elixir succeeds, well and good; if not, so be it. I've already lived five hundred years in this world..."

This passage recounts the story of Daoist priest Li Shaojun during Emperor Wu of Han's reign:

Li Shaojun presented a proposal to Emperor Wu, declaring: "I can transform mercury into silver and cinnabar into gold. Consuming this alchemical gold enables daylight ascension to immortality, granting eternal life. Upon achieving transcendence, one dons crimson feathered wings, radiates circular halos, soars through heavens unimpeded, and traverses earth without obstruction. You may ride flying dragons across the eight directions or mount white cranes through the nine heavens. I've consumed the jujubes of the Dark Sea (large as melons) and the immortal plums of Mount Zhong (size of vases), and received oral instructions directly from the transcendent Master Anqi." Emperor Wu revered him profoundly, bestowing countless rewards.

Li Shaojun possessed rejuvenation abilities. During a banquet, he recognized a ninety-year-old man's childhood playmate, astonishing all present. He also identified bronze vessels in Emperor Wu's collection as artifacts from Duke Huan of Qi's era. Appearing about fifty years old, his glowing complexion resembled a fifteen-year-old youth. Hearing of his longevity techniques, nobles competed to offer lavish gifts.

Later, Li Shaojun secretly refined the elixir of immortality. Upon completion, rather than consuming it himself, he petitioned Emperor Wu for twelve Daoist scriptures including Wudi Liujia and Lingfei. Having received these texts in July 107 BCE, by September 105 BCE he submitted a memorial pleading illness: "Though Your Majesty seeks immortality, indulgence in luxury, unchecked executions, and emotional volatility have filled the land with vengeful spirits. This violates the essential requirements of alchemical purity and non-violence, making celestial attainment impossible."

(Note: The terms "mercury coagulation into silver" and "cinnabar transformation into gold" reference ancient alchemical processes; Wudi Liujia and Lingfei denote Daoist cultivation texts; "Dark Sea jujubes" and "Mount Zhong plums" represent legendary transcendent fruits)

This passage recounts the story of Emperor Wu of Han and the fangshi (Daoist adept) Li Shaojun, a figure immortalized in Daoist lore:

Li Shaojun informed Emperor Wu: "Aged and ill, I fear I cannot complete my cultivation. The secret formula for the Golden Elixir (Jindan) transmitted to me by my teacher Master Anqi (a legendary immortal) was truly efficacious, but it requires strict adherence to cultivation principles: one must gather cinnabar, frost, and other materials at specific seasonal nodes, then refine them through nine cyclical transformations (jiuzhuan) to ultimately produce the Golden Elixir. Upon ingestion, it immediately restores youth and enables ascension to heaven astride a dragon." However, he only gave Emperor Wu an abbreviated minor formula, pleading that his grave illness prevented him from transmitting the complete major formula.

That night, Emperor Wu dreamed of climbing Mount Song with Li Shaojun when a messenger arrived by decree of the Great Unity deity (Taiyi, the supreme Daoist divinity) to summon Shaojun. Awakening with a premonition of Shaojun's impending departure, the emperor found the adept critically ill the next day. During his personal visit, Emperor Wu ordered scribes to record Shaojun's esoteric methods, but the transcription remained incomplete when Shaojun passed away. During encoffining, the corpse suddenly vanished, leaving only empty garments resembling a cicada's molt (chantui)—a Daoist metaphor for an immortal's ascension. Over a hundred days later, witnesses reported seeing Shaojun riding a blue mule in Hedong. When Emperor Wu opened the coffin, only a single shoe remained.

Later accounts tell how Shaojun had previously given two prepared medicines and a formula to ailing court official Dong Zhong: requiring collection of specific herbs like Wuji grass and Houtu resin during the first ten days of the tenth lunar month, prepared by purified children in bronze tripods, with each dose comprising three pill-sized portions. These precious techniques were lost when the Bailiang Terrace burned the following year.

(Note: The "ninefold cycled Golden Elixir" represents the most treasured alchemical substance in Daoist practice, believed to confer immortality upon ingestion; "cicada molt" symbolizes the phenomenon of an immortal's celestial ascension leaving only an empty husk.)

This passage recounts the story of Zhong, an official during Emperor Wu of Han's reign, and the fangshi (esoteric practitioner) Li Shaojun, a legendary Daoist immortal.

Initially a Confucian scholar skeptical of Daoist arts, Zhong obtained Li Shaojun's medicinal formula but dismissed it. Only after Li departed and Zhong fell gravely ill did he reluctantly try the remedy. Half a dose restored him to full health, leaving his body as vigorous as a thirty-year-old's. Convinced at last of the existence of longevity techniques, he resigned his post to seek Daoist masters. Though never fully deciphering the formula, his hair turned black again, and he lived past eighty.

On his deathbed, Zhong instructed his son Daosheng: "I once doubted Li Shaojun's miraculous prescription—now my regret is boundless. Find someone who can interpret this formula. Taken long-term, it grants immortality." Daosheng obeyed, journeying across the realm until encountering Master Boze in Jiangxia. The master remarked, "This isn't the supreme elixir, yet it can extend life for centuries." Daosheng compounded and consumed the medicine as directed, living 370 years before vanishing into Jitou Mountain.

The text further notes six individuals—including Zhuo Yuancheng and Zhang Ziren—who ingested this formula. Some lived 300 years, others 500, maintaining youthful vitality until death: no stooped backs, no wrinkles, teeth intact, hair unwhitened, even sexual potency undiminished. The author marvels that such effects came from Li Shaojun's most ordinary prescription—how much more potent must his advanced formulas have been!

A final addendum reveals Li Shaojun, before departing, transmitted the "Six Jia Left-Right Numinous Flight Technique" (a Daoist cultivation method) to Dongguo Yan and the "Divine Elixir's Mystic Flight Formula" (an alchemical secret) to his townsman Ji Zixun. Both later achieved immortality.

The "Outer Biography of Emperor Wu of Han" recounts the stories of three Daoist practitioners:

Dong Guo Yan (courtesy name Gongyou) was a native of Shanyang who admired Daoist arts from youth. Hearing of the spiritual attainments of Li Shaojun (a renowned Han dynasty fangshi, or esoteric master), he sought an audience and willingly performed menial tasks like sweeping and serving. Recognizing his sincere devotion, Li Shaojun secretly transmitted to him twelve esoteric methods including the "Five Emperors and Six Jia Left-Right Numinous Flight Techniques" before departing, declaring these to be essential formulas for achieving immortality. After returning home, Dong Guo Yan ingested the "Numinous Flight Powder" elixir. At night his chamber would emit light, and he gained abilities to foresee life-and-death events and command spirit beings, tigers, and leopards. He lived four centuries in his village without showing signs of aging, until dozens of immortals riding tigers and leopards escorted him away. Before departing, he passed the divine elixir formulas to Yin Gui.

Yin Gui (courtesy name Gongdu), a Taiyuan native during the Jin dynasty, cultivated the Dao at Mount Taihe in Nanyang. Inheriting Li Shaojun's lineage, he first transmitted the Numinous Flight techniques to Ji Zixun (a fellow townsman of Li Shaojun). Ji Zixun later also received transmission of the "Divine Elixir Scripture."

Ji Zixun (courtesy name Liao) hailed from Linzi in the Qi state. In youth he served as a regional official and even held the position of Commandant of the Imperial Guards. Later awakening to the futility of officialdom for attaining longevity, he studied medicine and Daoist cultivation under Li Shaojun. Due to his exceptional focus, Li Shaojun gradually taught him longevity-preserving methods like "embryonic respiration" (neidan breathing techniques resembling fetal breathing) and "embryonic nourishment" (grain avoidance practices). After two centuries of cultivation, Ji Zixun's youthful appearance remained unchanged. He enjoyed quietude while studying the "Book of Changes" and composing insightful essays.

(Note: Terms like "Five Emperors and Six Jia" and "Numinous Flight Techniques" represent Daoist cultivation methods, while "embryonic respiration" and "embryonic nourishment" belong to neidan/internal alchemy practices.)

This passage recounts the miraculous feats of Immortal Master Zixun, a renowned Daoist adept.

Zixun once taught Emperor Wu of Han the "Great Art of Transformation." On one occasion, he noticed a neighbor holding their infant and asked to hold the child, only to accidentally drop and kill it. The family, who deeply revered him, dared not show grief and quietly buried the child, accepting it as fate. Several days later, Zixun returned carrying a child and presented it to them. Initially fearing it was a ghost, the family hesitated until Zixun assured them, "Take the child without fear—this is truly yours." When the infant recognized its mother and smiled joyfully, the mother finally accepted it. Later, when the family exhumed the grave, they discovered only a six-inch clay figurine buried there, while the returned child grew up healthy.

Zixun also possessed the ability to reverse aging. Elderly individuals who conversed with him throughout the night would find their white hair turned black the next morning. This rejuvenation lasted about two hundred days, though not everyone experienced the transformation—such was the profound mystery of his immortal arts.

When capital officials heard of his powers, they eagerly sought his audience but lacked connections. A scholar from the Imperial Academy living near Zixun was approached by these officials: "Why toil over books seeking office when bringing Zixun here could secure your advancement?" The scholar agreed and began serving Zixun daily—sweeping, running errands, and standing attendance for two hundred days. Zixun eventually confronted him: "You're no truth-seeker—why persist like this?" The scholar confessed the officials' scheme. Sighing, Zixun remarked, "Had you spoken plainly, would I have begrudged a visit to aid your career? Tell them I'll come on such-and-such date."

When the appointed day arrived with no movement, the anxious scholar's parents urged Zixun. He responded, "Fear I'd break my word and shame your son? I depart before the midday meal." (The subsequent text likely describes Zixun's miraculous journey to fulfill his promise.)

Notes:

1. The "Great Art of Transformation" represents advanced shape-shifting techniques in Daoist lore

2. "Midday meal" refers to the ancient dining period between 11 AM and 1 PM

3. Through episodes like the clay substitute and hair transformation, the story illustrates the Daoist cultivation ideal of "perfecting both form and spirit" (xingshen jumiao)

This passage recounts the extraordinary deeds of Ji Zixun, a remarkable figure during Emperor Wu of Han's reign:

At that time, a scholar's parents said: "Though Master Ji hasn't come at the appointed time, he will certainly arrive." Later when the scholar returned and calculated the timing, he discovered Zixun had managed to travel from a thousand li away to the capital in just half a day.

When the scholar went to see Zixun, the master asked: "Who wishes to see me?" The scholar replied: "Many people wish to meet you, but we dare not trouble you to move about. If we just knew your residence, they would come to you." Zixun responded: "No need for them to come. Since I could travel a thousand li here, must I really attend to each of them individually? Today you should notify everyone to decline other guests, as I will visit at noon."

After the scholar relayed this message, the dignitaries all cleaned and prepared their homes. At noon, Zixun simultaneously appeared in twenty-three different locations, with one Zixun present at each place. These manifestations wore identical clothing yet each spoke completely different words. The hosts all prepared feasts, and Zixun ate at every household. This event astonished people near and far.

Later when the dignitaries sought another audience, Zixun told the scholar: "They only wish to see me because they think I have double pupils or other extraordinary features. I've nothing special to say and won't go again." With that he left through the gate. The dignitaries chased after him but could only watch as he rode away slowly on a black donkey - though they pursued him for hours, he always remained exactly one li ahead until they finally gave up.

The text also mentions Wang Zhen (courtesy name Shujian), a native of Shangdang who began cultivating the Dao at seventy. He read in an immortal scripture that during King Xuan of Zhou's reign, a woodcutter in the suburbs sang while chopping wood: "Wearing a golden scarf...".

(Note: "Double pupils" refers to having two irises in one eye, considered by ancients as a sage's mark; "eight-colored" eyebrows were also regarded as an extraordinary feature.)

This passage recounts the story of Xi Mengjie, a Daoist practitioner who studied longevity techniques under his master. It describes several key methods of Daoist cultivation:

The "Golden Kerchief" technique involves regulating breath to guide lung qi (vital energy) up to the Muddy Pellet Palace (the upper Dantian or energy center at the crown of the head), allowing the energy to circulate throughout the body until it radiates a luminous glow. "Drinking from the Mystic Spring" refers to the practice of swallowing saliva to preserve youthfulness. The "Heavenly Drum" method consists of tapping the teeth 36 times each morning to calm the shen (spirit), while at night visualizing crimson qi entering through the Heavenly Gate acupoint at the crown and transforming into illuminating flames within the brain.

Other practices mentioned include "embryonic respiration" (a form of breath suspension) and "embryonic nourishment" (swallowing sublingual fluids). Xi Mengjie's master had lived over two hundred years through these methods, maintaining a ruddy complexion and extraordinary vitality. Yet he considered these merely longevity techniques, inferior to the transcendent methods of refining the Golden Elixir (Jindan), prompting him to seek deeper knowledge of the "Elbow-Height Formulas" (a form of alchemical practice).

When Emperor Wu of Wei (Cao Cao) summoned him, the master appeared no older than thirty, initially arousing suspicion. Only after villagers testified to having known him since childhood did the emperor recognize his genuine attainment. After a decade of study, Xi Mengjie received transmission of the "Minor Elixir Steaming Method."

The narrative concludes with the master ascending Mount Nüji with three young female disciples to refine elixirs, never to return. While the master could reportedly travel three hundred li daily, Xi Mengjie mastered the ability to subsist for years on nothing but jujube pits and to sustain prolonged breath suspension. These accounts illustrate the practical dimensions of Daoist cultivation, blending physiological techniques with alchemical aspirations.

This passage records the extraordinary deeds of several Daoist practitioners from the Han dynasty:

Liu Jing (courtesy name Taixuan), a native of Nanyang, originally served as a court attendant during Emperor Wen of Han's reign before abandoning his official post to study the Dao under Master Zhang of Handan. By consuming the "Cinnabar Blossom Elixir" (Zhu Ying Wan), he lived to 130 while maintaining the appearance of a thirty-year-old. Later, he became a disciple of Ji Zixun, mastering esoteric arts like the "Five Emperors' Spirit Flight" (Wu Di Ling Fei) and "Twelve Practices of the Six Jia" (Liu Jia Shi Er Shi), gaining abilities to command spirits, summon winds and rains, and foresee fortunes. Though he performed heaven-offering rituals to prolong others' lives, the extension never exceeded ten years, after which death was inevitable. During Cao Cao's reign, he frequently visited his disciples' homes.

Huangfu Long studied under Liu Jing and received two secret formulas: the "Nine Sons Mica Elixir" (Yun Mu Jiu Zi Wan) recipe and the "Arts of Intercourse" (Jiao Jie Zhi Dao, sexual cultivation techniques). Following these methods, Huangfu Long retained black hair and intact teeth even at 300. Before Liu Jing disappeared into Mount Heng, he particularly warned Huangfu Long: the essence of longevity cultivation lay in swallowing morning saliva (called "Jade Spring" Yu Quan) and tapping teeth 21 times daily to strengthen the body and expel the "Three Worms" (San Chong, Daoist term for pathogenic factors). However, he emphasized that sexual cultivation was extremely perilous and should never be attempted without profound attainment.

The text also mentions practitioners like Meng Jie. Though Emperor Cao Cao eagerly recruited fangshi (esoteric specialists), genuine adepts refused to disclose core secrets to him. These accounts reflect typical Han-era cultivation methods—elixir ingestion, esoteric arts, and sexual hygiene—while revealing the delicate relationship between Daoist practitioners and political power.