《錄異記》

Master Guiguzi was a true immortal of antiquity, said to be surnamed Wang. Having cultivated the Dao since the era of the Yellow Emperor (Xuanyuan), he traversed the Shang and Zhou dynasties, once accompanying Laozi (Lord Lao) westward to the desert lands to teach sentient beings. By the late Zhou dynasty, he returned to the Central Plains and retired to Guigu Mountain by the Han River, accepting over a hundred disciples. Among them, only Zhang Yi and Su Qin showed no interest in the path of immortality, instead immersing themselves in the political strategizing of the School of Diplomacy.

At that time, the Zhou dynasty's governance had collapsed, and feudal lords waged endless wars, preying upon the weak. Amid this chaotic era of conflict, Zhang Yi and Su Qin traveled between states with their silver tongues, sometimes achieving success, sometimes facing failure. They pursued fame and profit through sophistry, completely abandoning their original aspiration of reclusive cultivation. Master Guiguzi wrote to them, saying: "Though you two have achieved illustrious fame, it is like spring blossoms that wither by autumn. Have you not seen the trees by the river? Carriages and horses break their branches, waves erode their roots—not because men bear them any grudge, but because their position invites misfortune. Now consider the pines and cypresses of Mount Song and Mount Tai: their crowns touch the azure clouds, their roots reach the Nine Springs. Above, black foxes and apes dwell; below, leopards and dragons lurk. For millennia, they have remained untouched by the axe—this too is due to their environment. Yet now you cling to the empty fame of officialdom, scorning the enduring cultivation of immortals like Qiaosong—how lamentable!"

Zhang Yi and Su Qin replied: "Master, your virtue is lofty—you feast on spirit mushrooms when hungry, drink jade nectar when thirsty, your De (Virtue) shining alongside the gods. We are grateful for your admonition against worldly ambition. Though dull-witted, we understand your parable of the riverside tree and the mountain tree. Yet we have resolved to assist kings in achieving hegemony and cannot withdraw now." At last, Master Guiguzi sighed: "Alas! These two will never relinquish fame for tranquility—they are doomed to vanish without a trace."

Another account records that during the Kaiyuan era of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, the emperor dreamed of a thousand immortal officials in feathered robes escorting a deity to his court.

This account recounts a miraculous tale from Emperor Xuanzong's reign of the Tang Dynasty. A divine being clad in red robes and wearing a golden crown descended from heaven in a chariot, proclaiming himself the Nine Heavens Inspector (a Daoist deity who patrols the mortal realm), and announced his intention to establish a temporary palace on the western side of Mount Lu. The deity informed the emperor that the site already had prepared foundations of wood and stone, requiring only human labor for construction. When Xuanzong dispatched envoys to investigate, they indeed discovered foundation remnants on the mountain's northwestern side. More miraculously, thousands of massive timbers appeared overnight at the construction site—legend says these were originally prepared by the Prince of Jiujiang for palace construction but had sunk in the Pengpu River of Jiangzhou, now miraculously transported by the divine being for this purpose.

The western corridor of the temple stood suspended over a deep ravine with raging torrents flowing perilously below, yet the structure remained perfectly stable. Throughout construction, all materials arranged themselves without human intervention—the beams and pillars bore water stains, and the foundations formed naturally without manual compaction. During the work, five-colored divine light constantly enveloped the temple, and the craftsmen never grew weary, completing the project within a single month. Upon completion, an envoy dreamed of the deity revealing that red clay, white lime, cinnabar, and green pigments could be endlessly sourced from north of the temple grounds.

Later, over five hundred spirit officials dressed in Daoist robes appeared at Jianchang Crossing, claiming they came to worship at the Inspector's Temple—their portraits survive to this day. When Emperor Xuanzong later dreamed of the deity's manifestation, he summoned Sima Chengzhen, a Daoist priest from Mount Tiantai, for interpretation. Sima explained: The Supreme Lord Lao (Laozi) had dispatched celestial immortals to oversee earthly mountain and river deities, preventing them from abusing their powers to harm mortals. Among them, the Five Sacred Mountains were governed by True Lords, with the Elder of Mount Qingcheng overseeing all five. The Nine Heavens Life Director of Mount Qian governed human lifespans, while the Nine Heavens Inspector of Mount Lu enforced celestial laws and supervised all deities. That year, temples honoring these deities were established across China's sacred mountains.

The account concludes with mention of a stele dedicated to Perfected Luo in the river before Yellow Crane Tower in Ezhou, recording how this immortal manifested in the region appearing as a forty-something man wearing twin topknots.

There was a laborer working in a common household who normally never spoke. One day during a large gathering in the city, he suddenly shouted at someone in the crowd, commanding them to leave immediately. The terrified person knelt and begged for mercy before turning to leap into the river below. The crowd was astonished. When the local governor inquired, the laborer explained he had just reprimanded a white dragon from the river that was secretly planning to destroy the city, hence driving it away. Skeptical of this claim, the governor demanded proof. The man then accompanied the governor to the city tower, cast a Fulu (talisman) into the river, and instantly the waters darkened as a white dragon hundreds of feet long appeared—visible to all. He then dismissed the creature. This man was none other than Luo Zhenren (a Daoist honorific for realized masters), now commonly known in Sichuan as the revered Luo Gongyuan, who frequently oversees matters of floods and droughts. The Luo Zhenren encountered in Ezhou was likely this same Luo Gongyuan.

Liu An, Prince of Huainan, was devoted to techniques of immortality, attracting adepts from across the land. One day, eight elderly men arrived. The gatekeeper, seeing their advanced age, said, "His Highness seeks immortal sages who transcend aging—you elders hardly qualify." After repeated refusals, the Eight Sages (Bagong) replied, "You dislike our age? Becoming young is no challenge." Adjusting their robes, they instantly transformed into children. The shocked gatekeeper rushed to announce them. The prince raced out barefoot to receive them, paying homage as their disciple. The Eight Sages introduced themselves as embodiments of virtues like "Civil Five Constants" and "Martial Seven Powers," each wielding supernatural abilities—commanding wind and rain, summoning thunder, moving mountains, subduing demons, and being impervious to fire or water.

At the time, Liu An's minister Wu Bei, fearing punishment for his mistakes, accused the prince of treason to Emperor Wu of Han. When the imperial investigator arrived, the Eight Sages reassured Liu An: "A subject falsely accusing his lord defies the Dao of Heaven" (implying the prince need not worry).

These accounts document several stories of Daoist immortals manifesting their divine presence:

Liu An, the Prince of Huainan, ascended to immortality along with nearly three hundred followers after consuming elixirs. Even the chickens and dogs that licked the medicine vessels joined the celestial ascent. The Eight Immortals (Bagong) and Liu An left behind hoofprints when their horses paused on mountain rocks. When the imperial minister reported this to Emperor Wu of Han, the ruler was filled with regret. After executing the informer Wu Bei, he extensively recruited fangshi (esoteric practitioners) seeking the elixir of immortality, yet found none. Later, the Queen Mother of the West (Xiwangmu) descended to bestow immortal scriptures and teach the method of shijie (corpse liberation, a form of physical ascension). Jade boxes and golden staffs reappeared from Mao Mausoleum, while the Baodu Daoist Scriptures manifested in mountain caves, demonstrating to Emperor Wu tangible evidence of immortality.

During the Longshuo era (661-663 CE), Daoist priest Li Yuanxing of Chengdu's Zhizhen Abbey dreamed of a divine being leading him to pay homage to the Central Yellow Elder Lord (Huanglaojun), a revered Daoist deity. The towering figure, wearing golden crown and radiant robes, instructed him to use timber from the bottom of Longevity Pond for temple construction. Days later, they indeed discovered abundant poplar wood at the pond's bottom—some logs reaching a hundred chi (about 30 meters)—sufficient to build the entire complex including the Huanglaojun Hall and the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) Shrine.

In the fourth year of Yongping (64 CE), the governor of Lizhou reported regular appearances of three to five yellow-and-purple robed immortals in Yangmo Cave, twenty li west of Shendu. When court-appointed Master Ningzhen Ren Keyan arrived with qingci (Daoist memorials) and imperial incense to conduct zhaijiao (purification rituals), the immortals manifested again. The emperor consequently renamed Jinggu County as Golden Immortal County. These marvels exemplify the Daoist belief in "the concrete reality of immortals" (shenxian shiyou), demonstrating how mortals may encounter perfected beings through elixir consumption, corpse liberation, or divine dreams—even achieving ascension.

Within the immortal county, the mountain known as Daochangshan was revered as Xuandu Mountain (a legendary sacred peak in Daoist lore), while Yangmo Cave was renamed Purple Mist Cave. The imperial court enfeoffed the mountain deity of Xuandu Mountain as the Jade Purity Duke and erected the Purple Mist Temple to commemorate this event. County Magistrate Li Yong was bestowed the crimson fish pouch (a Tang-dynasty credential badge for officials of the fifth rank and above) and formally appointed to an official post in Enzhou.

Along the towering cliffs by the great river stood a cavern reaching thousands of ren in height. Whenever boatmen on the river called out, a purple-robed immortal would often appear from the cave, gazing down at the riverbank for a long while before departing. Below the cave lay shallow shoals where passing vessels had to lighten their loads to continue their journey. A man named Liu Zaihong from Xuchuan once passed by these shoals, and when the boatmen told him of this phenomenon, he tested it by shouting—sure enough, the immortal emerged from the mountain. The summit was dotted with stone pillars, the tallest nearly a thousand chi high, the shorter ones several hundred chi, all white as congealed cream or piled snow, untouched by human footsteps. The great and small You Mountains of the Qianxia region were similarly mystical, often serving as abodes for immortals.

A certain Su, an imperial librarian, was fond of wine and often sang the tune "Gazing South of the River." He excelled at crafting polo mallets and moved among ordinary folk while secretly cultivating the Dao. Whenever short on funds, he would trade a mallet for wine. Later, he ascended to immortality in broad daylight within the prefectural city, likely during the Ren-Shen or Gui-You years. Zhang Wenhuang, the magistrate of Fenxi County in Jinzhou, personally attested to this event.

During his lifetime, Immortal Xu Jun once sought to erect a stele to commemorate the completion of a Daoist temple. Discovering an ancient tablet with faded inscriptions, he had the old text ground away to carve a new one. Afterward, he felt persistently unsettled. One day while strolling in the courtyard, he suddenly heard a voice from the sky: "Xu Jun, seek help swiftly from the Water Official (a Daoist deity governing waterways), or calamity will befall you!" Startled, he demanded an explanation, but no further response came. He then lit incense and prayed until, after some time, the voice spoke again: "The author of the inscription you erased has petitioned the Water Official, accusing you of erasing his legacy to glorify yourself." Xu Jun hastily retrieved the original text and re-carved it. That very night, he dreamed of a divine being coming to thank him.

The Records of the Extraordinary documents several miraculous accounts of Daoist practitioners:

Yang Jingzhao, a Daoist priest from Chengdu, recounted the story of a fellow Daoist named Ma Zhineng. This wandering ascetic arrived at Jade Beam Temple in the year 897 during a grand purification ritual (Zhaijiao). Defying劝阻, Ma climbed alone to the mountain summit where the Nine Immortals had attained the Dao. There he entered meditation and achieved feathered ascension—his corpse remained lifelike with supple limbs, his complexion unchanged in death.

Another practitioner, Sima Ningzheng, was a devoted scholar of Daoist texts who wandered extensively. Around 860, he collaborated with fellow priests Bai Wuyu and Zhang Jianbai at Cavern of Truth Temple (Dongzhen Guan) to transcribe sacred scriptures. Though appearing fifty years old at the time, he remained active between 901-904 near Western Mountain and Jade Shoot Mountain. Notorious for his unbridled temperament, Sima often brawled in marketplaces. Once, intoxicated at a Shengmi Ferry monastery in Hongzhou, he was beaten after causing disturbance. Upon awakening to accusations of disgracing Daoism, he roared: "To be humiliated by Buddhist monks—what meaning has life?" and dropped dead. Miraculously, his corpse showed no decay during midsummer heat, developing only stiff, bluish limbs. As officials prepared burial, he suddenly arose from the coffin and strolled to a tavern, astonishing all present. This occurred in 910, with rumors claiming he still roams Jiangxi.

Lastly, the records describe the hermit Zhu Taochui. According to Lingchi County annals, during the Wude era (618-626), this recluse dwelled anonymously in Bainümao Village, Shu County, weaving straw sandals in coarse hemp robes and plain hat, never haggling over prices. Later he relocated to White Horse Creek near Lianping Mountain, where a massive ice-colored boulder—large enough to seat ten—stood beside an ancient tree whose dense foliage formed a natural canopy.

This passage depicts the reclusive life of the hermit Zhu Tao Chui (a renowned Daoist recluse) and the high regard ancient sages held for such a lifestyle. Even in midsummer, this place remains as cool as autumn, where Zhu lives in serene seclusion. Those who admire ancient customs often visit, and Master Zhu (i.e., Zhu Tao Chui) occasionally sustains himself by crafting wooden wheels.

Two officials, Li Houde and Gao Shilian, attempted to recruit him—one sent envoys bearing ceremonial bows and banners (ancient symbols for summoning worthies), the other extended invitations by letter—yet Zhu only smiled without responding. Xue Ji, the Junior Guardian of the Crown Prince (a famed Tang dynasty painter and calligrapher), painted his portrait and inscribed a eulogy: "The master is content with his lot, dwelling far from worldly bustle. He never haggles when selling his wares and eats but one meal a day. His house is built of clay, his hat woven from leaves. His wheel-making skill rivals that of the ancient artisan Lun Bian (a legendary craftsman of the Spring and Autumn period), and he finds equal joy in the craft."

The text then references Confucius being mocked by the hermit Jie Ni and Ji Kang admonished by Sun Deng to illustrate a deeper truth: genuine recluses take no pride in worldly affairs but find delight in quiet solitude. Though dwelling in a humble thatched hut, their minds soar beyond the clouds, free from earthly troubles while upholding noble aspirations in times of clarity.

The hermit’s daily life unfolds vividly: a simple cottage clings to the mountainside, where cliffs let in the wind and precipices filter sunlight. In leisure, he savors spring’s beauty, refining his spirit in the valley. A wild vine serves as his staff, bamboo leaves as his headscarf. Unconcerned with fame or wealth, he treasures nature’s vistas. Often, he sings under the moon and sleeps soundly; only three narrow paths cross his courtyard, his zither strung with a single string. He wanders freely by the pond and roams the rocky crags—this carefreeness needs no external props, for joy arises from within.

His routines include: plucking the zither beneath the bright moon, sipping wine in the gentle breeze; gazing at pines on distant ridges, listening to cranes cry amid the clouds. Landscapes soothe his soul, easing the solitude of zither and books. Birds in the valley sing with jewel-like plumage, their calls as melodious as songs. The zither’s strings, now slow, now quick, draw bees and swallows as frequent guests to his hut. As ice melts and streams flow once more, spring grasses sprout anew before his steps.

Finally, his resolve is clear: he avoids excessive contact with the world and spurns wealth and status. Seeing through life’s futilities, he finds true freedom and joy in this harmony with nature.

The revered Perfected Lord Zhu (an honorific title for Daoist adepts) originally lived in seclusion deep within Mount Peng, completely withdrawn from worldly affairs. When Magistrate Xue served as the county official of Pengshan, he heard of Zhu's noble character and developed deep admiration for him, composing a poetic essay titled "Ode to the Thatched Hut" in praise of his reclusive life.

Upon completing his term and returning to the capital, Magistrate Xue deliberately detoured to visit Perfected Lord Zhu, only to find the dwelling empty with mere traces of habitation remaining. Local villagers explained that this Perfected Lord Zhu moved unpredictably—sometimes appearing, sometimes vanishing; sometimes withdrawing, sometimes manifesting—precisely the characteristics of one who has attained the Dao. Xue inscribed words of praise upon the dwelling's wall before continuing his journey back to Chang'an.

In subsequent years, villagers occasionally glimpsed Perfected Lord Zhu's presence, yet none ever discovered his actual dwelling place. The massive rock beneath which he once meditated has since disappeared, leaving only the stone cave beneath it. In recent years, even this cave has gradually become sealed.

Later, a local official with particular interest in this matter had Magistrate Xue's "Ode to the Thatched Hut" engraved on a stone stele, erected beside the official road near the cave entrance. To this day, local people frequently visit to burn incense and offer prayers, which are said to be remarkably efficacious. Could such spiritual resonance exist were this not truly a perfected being who had attained the Dao?

The first volume of the Records of the Extraordinary documents various marvels. This work specializes in collecting supernatural phenomena and events that defy conventional explanation. As the opening section, it primarily records extraordinary sightings occurring in the human realm, including manifestations of immortals, hauntings by spirits, and other paranormal occurrences involving remarkable individuals. While these accounts may appear fantastical, they reflect ancient people's exploration and imagination of the unknown world, while also preserving valuable materials about contemporary folk beliefs and social customs.

This records the miraculous legend of Linjun, the ancient chieftain of the Ba people (considered their ancestral founder). The story begins at Mount Wuluo Zhongli, where a landslide revealed two caves—one red as cinnabar, the other black as lacquer. From the red cave emerged Wuxiang of the Ba clan, while four other clans—Hao, Fan, Bo, and Zheng—emerged from the black cave.

The five clans competed for leadership and agreed to a contest: whoever could lodge their sword into the cave wall would become chief. The other four clans failed, but Wuxiang's sword remained embedded in the stone. Next, they shaped boats from clay, declaring that whoever's vessel could float would rule—only Wuxiang's boat stayed afloat. Thus, he was chosen as Linjun.

Linjun led his people downstream along the Yi River (modern Qingjiang) in their clay boats until they reached Yanyang. The goddess of the Salt River tried to persuade him: "This land abounds in fish and salt, with vast territory—stay and live with me." But Linjun replied, "I must seek better lands for my people; I cannot linger." Each night, the goddess visited him, but by day she transformed into a flying insect, summoning swarms that darkened the sky for ten days, obscuring Linjun's path.

Devising a plan, Linjun gave the goddess a green silk ribbon, saying, "Tie this if you wish to stay with me; otherwise, we part ways." When she fastened it, Linjun stood upon a boulder, spotted the marked insect among the swarm, and shot it down with an arrow. The goddess perished, the insects dispersed, and daylight returned.

Continuing their journey, Linjun and his people arrived at Yicheng, where they saw winding stone banks and a spring resembling a cave. Linjun sighed, "Having just left a cave, must I enter another?" Before he finished speaking, the stone bank collapsed, forming steps over ten meters wide. Resting on a flat rock (five chi long and one zhang wide), Linjun tossed bamboo slips that stuck upright into the stone—an omen that convinced him to settle and build a city there.

The Ba people flourished in this land. After the Qin unification, it became Qianzhong Commandery, where the Ba paid annual tribute (called "cong," forty thousand coins). This legend explains the Ba people's tribal origins and migration, showcasing Linjun's wisdom and leadership.

The ancient people referred to the Cong people as "Dou."

Yuan Qi, a native of central Hunan during the Eastern Han dynasty, once suddenly collapsed drunk in his village and didn't wake for three days. When he vomited, those around him smelled alcohol, and he claimed to have been drinking with celestial deities. Later appointed as magistrate of Hanyang County, his predictions about harvests proved remarkably accurate. By day he handled worldly affairs, by night he adjudicated cases in the underworld. One day he suddenly ascended to heaven on clouds, his whereabouts unknown.

Master Qi Zhen (Li Yifan) resided at Xuanyuan Temple on Mount Beimang for several years until the late Xiantong era of Emperor Yizong of Tang. Each time he entered Luoyang through Huian Gate, he would change clothes and rest his horse. There was a scholar named Li, about fifty years old, who claimed kinship with Master Qi Zhen. This Li Sheng supported over a dozen students and had a wife and son, living in extreme poverty. From then on, Master Qi Zhen often stayed at Li's schoolhouse, and their friendship grew close.

One evening Li suddenly came to Mount Beimang to bid farewell. As they sat around the hearth at night, Qi Zhen asked his destination. Li replied, "I've come to take leave of this world, not for travel. I serve in the underworld as Yan Cao (an official overseeing banquets), responsible for tallying the city's daily water consumption. My term ends this month and cannot be extended—in three days I'll die, and in five my family will bury me at the mountain's foot. I lack a thousand coins for funeral expenses and seek your assistance." He warned, "When mortals use more than three to five sheng of water daily, it diminishes their blessings—be most cautious." Asked about his family's future, Li said his widow would remarry a widower named Wang, while his son would eventually become a monk—though his master from Jiangnan wouldn't arrive for two years, bearing the dharma name Xingcheng. Until then, the boy would stay at the temple.

When Qi Zhen suggested the boy join the Daoist order, Li refused: "He's destined for Buddhism—heaven's decree cannot be altered. All this was predetermined in the underworld." At dawn they parted, and heavy snow kept Qi Zhen from the city for five days. When the snow ceased, Li's widow came to the temple, reporting his death and burial, collecting the promised thousand coins and entrusting her son to the temple. Later, a Jiangnan monk indeed arrived bearing the dharma name Xingcheng, just as predicted.

Li Ye failed the imperial examinations and was traveling through the mountainous paths of Shanguo (modern-day Shaan County, Henan) when he encountered a violent storm with thunder and lightning. Seeking shelter, he took refuge in a remote mountain village where only a young caretaker remained. Li Ye tied his donkey under the eaves to escape the rain. Soon after, Li Sheng of the Left Army and the military officer Yang Zhen also arrived seeking lodging. As evening approached, the caretaker warned that his grandfather disliked hosting guests and asked them to leave. Li Ye explained that the road ahead was too long to travel in such weather. Shortly after, the old man returned but, contrary to expectations, warmly welcomed them and allowed them to stay the night.

The next day, the old man prepared a meal and urged them to linger. Touched, Li Ye asked why he was being so hospitable. The old man confessed, "My home is poor, and I am ashamed to host guests. But all three of you are destined to become military governors (Jiedushi, regional governors of the Tang Dynasty)—how could I dare neglect you?" Li Ye was astonished, pointing out that only Yang Zhen was a military officer. Yet the old man prophesied: "Yang Zhen will first become a military governor, followed by Li Sheng, while you, the scholar, will command five districts."

The prophecy later came true: Yang Zhen was promoted by the eunuch Qiu Shiliang to become the military governor of Jingzhou, Li Sheng was appointed to Binzhou, and Li Ye, after distinguishing himself in campaigns against the Dangxiang (an ancient ethnic group), successively governed five districts—Zhenwu, Bin, Jing, and others—exactly as foretold.

Another account tells of Jing Zhiguo, a Daoist practitioner who lived on Mount Douchuan (a famous mountain in Sichuan). He could dwell among tigers and leopards as if they were tame dogs, and crows would perch on his shoulders, playfully chirping.

Near the Daoist temple, a giant serpent often appeared. When the Daoist Zhiguo (a Daoist practitioner) scolded it, the serpent would slither away. Three or four tigers frequently roamed the temple courtyard, playfully wrestling under the moonlight and making quite a commotion. Annoyed, Zhiguo would chase them off with a white wooden staff, and the tigers would scatter. While weeding near the temple, Zhiguo once found a rabbit resting calmly in the grass. When he moved it elsewhere with his hand, the rabbit remained as docile as a tame cat or dog. These animals lived in remarkable harmony with the Daoist. Yet one day, all these extraordinary creatures suddenly vanished.

Wang Yuanwai, an official in Fengzhou (present-day Feng County, Shaanxi), had once served as an aide in the prime minister's office and was closest to his colleague Ren Sanlang. One day, Ren suddenly told Wang: "If you encounter minor setbacks, consider them blessings in disguise." Over a month later, Wang indeed fell out of the prime minister's favor and took over a hundred days of sick leave. Then Ren Sanlang came again with a warning: "Disaster approaches this place—the unexplained withering of trees along the official road is an omen. When the leaves fall, calamity will strike. You should seek medical treatment far from here." Though hesitant at first, Wang followed Ren's insistence to submit three resignation petitions. Surprisingly, not only was he permitted to leave, but the prime minister also bestowed generous gifts of silk and coin. Traveling north, Wang temporarily settled in Wushan County. Within weeks, Fengzhou erupted in military revolt—all his former colleagues perished, while he alone survived by leaving early. Later, when Wang sought to visit Ren again, the man had vanished without a trace.

Another officer named Huang Qi had long cultivated virtue (De) through secret good deeds. At Chaotian Ridge, he met an old man with snow-white hair and beard, yet possessing skin like jade and the countenance of a child. The elder prophesied: "In five years you'll face grave danger—I shall come to your aid. Remember to keep accumulating merit through good deeds and never abandon your practice." Later, when Huang Qi's boat capsized while crossing the Three Gorges, he miraculously survived after washing ashore, as if aided by unseen hands.

The man walked to the riverbank and looked closely—it was indeed the old man he had encountered earlier, but in the blink of an eye, the elder vanished again. From then on, he often appeared. Once, they met at a market in Shifang County, where the old man invited the man surnamed Qi to his dwelling. Exiting the northern city gate and passing through two or three miles of woodland, they arrived at his home, surrounded by winding streams and deep forests, a place of exquisite beauty. Staying overnight, the old man spoke of how the mountains and rivers of Shu were originally a blessed land, destined to become an imperial capital long ago. However, the dragon veins had been suppressed and the earth's Qi (vital energy) blocked by sages of past dynasties, delaying its fulfillment. He knew all these secrets of geomancy. He also said that replacing the "insect" radical in the character "Shu" (蜀) with the "metal" radical (金) aligned with the metallic western kingly Qi, prophesying that a wise ruler would emerge from the west to govern the realm. He instructed Qi to relay this message. At dawn, when seeing him off, Qi found himself seventy miles away in the Houcheng Mountains. Though Qi later spoke of this to others, he never found the means to deliver the celestial message, passing away a few months later.

The Kuizhou Daoist Wang Faxuan was born with an unusually large and long tongue, making his recitations of scriptures unclear—a source of deep regret. After vowing to chant the Daode Jing (Classic of the Way and Virtue), he dreamed of Taishang Laojun (the Supreme Venerable Sovereign, highest deity in Daoism) trimming his tongue. Upon waking, his speech was fluent, and he could recite all five thousand characters of the scripture perfectly. Later, he indeed attained spiritual efficacy.

The Daoist Xi Fazun of Jianji Temple on Mount Lu was deeply accomplished in Daoist practice. For years, he managed the temple alone without disciples. One night, he dreamed of Master Xuanzhong (a Daoist immortal) telling him, "Your toil without assistance is truly arduous. There are two children, though regrettably still too young." After sharing this with others, he later passed by the home of a Wang family during a descent from the mountain. A child just past infancy clung to his leg and refused to let go. After Fazun left, the child cried day and night until they reunited, when the child greeted him with joy. The parents agreed to send the child to become a Daoist acolyte at age three or five. Another child, surnamed Liu, once had five-colored light shimmering in his eyes. Alarmed, his parents used moxibustion on his eyelids, causing the light to vanish. At four or five, he was brought to the temple. Now grown, both children entered the Daoist path, fulfilling the prophetic dream.

Zheng Raoting, the current prefect of Lianzhou, once served as a judicial officer in Hunan. During his elder brother Zheng Yu’s tenure as an army supervisor, a son was born. At the child’s birth, seven cranes circled above the house (cranes symbolize immortal destiny in Daoism). On the seventh day, seven more cranes arrived, lingering until the hundredth day—a clear sign of the child’s extraordinary origins.

This passage records several extraordinary events. First is an account by Daoist priest Jiao Yinhuang from Siming Mountain (in present-day Ningbo, Zhejiang): On the twenty-seventh day of the tenth month in the Gengshen year (901 CE, during Emperor Zhaozong's Tianfu era), twenty-seven cranes arrived simultaneously. Though the weather was clear, the clouds took unusual shapes, and the cranes remained for an entire day before departing. Later, a local family gave birth to a son with exceptionally virtuous temperament and dignified appearance, whom they named "Crane."

Another story concerns the Tang dynasty statesman Li Deyu (Duke of Dunhuang). An elderly man arrived with five or six attendants carrying an enormous log, explaining this mulberry wood had been his family's treasure for three generations. Admiring Li's renowned collection of curiosities, he offered it as tribute, mentioning the wood concealed treasures requiring a specific Luoyang craftsman's skill to extract. Li located the deceased artisan's son, who carefully carved the log to reveal two naturally formed pipa soundboxes with white dove patterns—complete with feathers and claws. A slight miscalculation in carving left one dove wingless. The intact piece was presented to Li Deyu while the imperfect one remains in circulation. Water Ministry official Lu Yanrang later heard this account from Li's grandson.

The final tale involves a destitute Hu family from Hongzhou (modern Nanchang, Jiangxi). After their fifth son's birth, their fortunes improved remarkably. While transporting wheat to market, the youngest son discovered several million coins hidden in a collapsed riverbank, abandoning his cargo to transport the wealth home. Later, when his horse refused to advance while pawing at the city gate, recalling his riverside discovery, he ordered digging that uncovered five hundred taels of gold.

One day, this man went to the city again and encountered a merchant from the Western Regions. The merchant, knowing there was a precious pearl in his head, pretended to befriend him, got him drunk, and stole the pearl. Originally, he had a hemispherical fleshy protrusion on his forehead, but after losing the pearl, the protrusion caved in. When he returned home, his family and friends found it strange. From then on, he became listless, fell ill, and eventually passed away, and his family fortunes gradually declined.

Zhao Huang, the military governor of Xuancheng, also had a similar fleshy protrusion on his forehead, leading people to suspect there was a pearl in his head. Later, when the Huainan army captured the county, Zhao Huang was killed by the chaotic soldiers. One soldier found his head, split open the forehead, and took the pearl to sell to a Western Regions merchant. The merchant said the pearl had lost its efficacy after its owner's death and could only be sold to Buddhists to embed in the forehead of a Buddha statue.

Zhao Yannu was a native of Shijing, Hezhou, living near the Dayun Temple. His mother, after several months of pregnancy, gave birth to a tiger, which was thrown into the river. After another few months, she bore a giant turtle, which was also discarded. A few months later, she gave birth to a yaksha (a demon) over a foot long, which was again abandoned. Only during her fourth pregnancy did she finally give birth to Yannu. The child had all his facial features intact, but from the neck down, his body resembled a severed gourd. His shoulders connected directly to two hands, each only a few inches long, with no elbows or arms, and each palm had six fingers about an inch long. His lower body had two legs, also only an inch or two long, each with six toes. Unable to bear abandoning him again, his parents raised him, though he grew to only about two feet tall.

Zhao Yannu was an excellent swimmer and skilled at boating. Cunning and eloquent, he had a penchant for killing and made a living as a fisherman and butcher. He always won first place in boat races, exorcism rituals (驱傩), or bamboo branch song competitions. In the marketplace, he often acted as a middleman. Usually, he shaved his head and wore black clothes, earning him the nickname "Master Zhao" among the locals. In his later years, bald and dressed in white robes, he liked to kneel and jump around naked, which amused people. When traveling long distances on a donkey, he had his servant lay him horizontally across the saddle like luggage. He had two wives and a daughter and lived a prosperous life, though when he lost his temper, no one in the household could control him. Around the early Qiande era, when he was about sixty years old, his waist measured several feet in girth, though his facial appearance remained unchanged.

This text records several extraordinary events. During the reign of Fu Jian (ruler of Former Qin) when he first established his rule in Guanzhong, a mysterious giant appeared in Xinping Commandery. The giant prophesied to a local named Zhang Jing: "The Fu clan follows the Mandate of Heaven, peace will reign, and all exiles shall return to their homeland." When asked his name, the giant vanished without reply. Local officials reported this, but Fu Jian dismissed it as heresy and imprisoned Zhang Jing. Coincidentally, heavy rains followed, and official Kou Deng discovered a massive shoe measuring seven chi and three cun (approx. 2.4m) by the Yellow River, with toe imprints over one chi long (approx. 0.3m) sunk an inch deep in mud. Only then did Fu Jian exclaim, "Between Heaven and Earth, nothing is impossible," and released Zhang Jing.

On Dongshan Mountain in Jizhou stood a Daoist temple sixty li (approx. 30km) across the Lai River from the prefectural capital. During Tang Xiantong era (860-874 CE), Master Yang (honorific for Daoist priests) practiced here, renowned for his mastery of Fulu (talismans) and healing arts. Beside the temple were three miraculous wells—one producing salt, another tea, and the third fermented beans—providing whatever disciples needed, with waters that also cured illnesses. After Master Yang achieved ascension, the wells ceased their marvels.

In a deep pool south of Shaozhou lay three stone chests containing Daoist scriptures submerged during Kaiyuan era (713-741 CE) by Celestial Master Shen Yuanzhi, an expert in the "Three-Five Prohibition Spells" (Daoist exorcism techniques). His southern Daoist methods continue to be transmitted locally.

White Crane Mountain in Xiangyin County, Yuezhou—connecting Tanzhou and Lizhou—marks where Taoist Transcendent Lord Tao (Tao Hongjing) and his entire family achieved ascension during the Jin dynasty. The extant Taoist Transcendent Temple stands witness. Though not particularly steep, the mountain remained untouched by war and banditry for centuries, sheltering hundreds of peaceful households. Recluse Hu Tian dwelled here after his father served as Yanzhou governor. Devoted to Daoist cultivation, Hu mastered astronomy, calendrics, Neidan (internal alchemy), the Zhouyi (Book of Changes), divination, calligraphy, and poetry. During Tang Jingfu era (892-893 CE), he met blind diviner Ma Chuqian in Anzhou. Moved by Ma's filial piety amid poverty, Hu brought him to the mountain to teach divination secrets. After a year's training, he sent Ma forth to make his living.

During a severe drought in Ezhou (modern-day Wuchang, Hubei), Chancellor Du Hong encountered Daoist priest Li Tian and discussed rainmaking. Li Tian performed the Daoist ritual of "summoning and interrogation" (kaozhao), casting vermilion-drawn talismans (fulu) into the river. Immediately, torrential rains fell, ending the drought across the region. When local officials offered substantial rewards, Li Tian departed without even glancing at them. Later, though many nobles sought to recruit him for official positions, none could bend his will—he remains in mountain seclusion to this day.

Li Tian once admonished his disciple Du Chuqian: "I cultivate the Dao for self-refinement, not for display. I impart these teachings to you solely because I recognize your innate filial piety and reverent demeanor. Though I could teach you the alchemical arts (waidan) to turn stone into gold and secure lifelong wealth, such knowledge would only bring you calamity. I disregard even imperial decrees—how much less would I value these mundane pursuits? Never boast of your esoteric knowledge, lest you invite misfortune."

He further explained: "Human life depends on the Qi of the Five Phases (wuxing). Yin-Yang (yinyang) waxes and wanes, celestial bodies follow favorable or adverse courses, and destiny alternates between auspicious and ominous cycles. Yet accumulated virtue (de) brings blessings, while wickedness inevitably summons disaster. By observing a person's conduct, one can foresee what misfortunes they'll encounter. Without cultivating goodness, no amount of ritual supplication will help." Deeply influenced by this teaching, Du Chuqian—though capable of divining fortunes—never performed exorcisms or blessing rituals. He later attained high office in Shu (Sichuan), serving as Junior General-Commissioner and Acting Chief Minister during the Tang dynasty.

This account comes from Du Guangting's Tang dynasty work Records of the Extraordinary, recounting a tale of loyalty and righteousness. In the first month of 886 CE (the second year of Emperor Xizong's Guangqi era), when Hedong forces invaded the capital Chang'an, the emperor had already fled to Chencang. As the Hedong commander searched the city for officials, he discovered Niu Cong—an official from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices—along with his nephew and several others hiding in the Xinchang well cellar, alongside the ailing military officer Lu Qian. Lu Qian was left by the well due to his illness while Niu Cong's group was taken to Hedong.

The Hedong military governor, Prince of Jin (referring to Li Keyong), held Niu Cong in high esteem, treating him with the respect due a mentor. Niu Cong in turn counseled the prince with teachings on loyalty, filial piety, and the proper rites between ruler and subject. That June, when Emperor Xizong fled to Xingyuan and chancellor Xiao Gou and others installed Prince Xiang as regent, Niu Cong advised the Prince of Jin upon the arrival of Prince Xiang's envoy bearing an imperial decree: "The true emperor is currently in Chencang and may flee south to Liangzhou or Yangzhou. Prince Xiang's appointment as regent lacks popular support—it was orchestrated by Xiao Gou and others unwilling to follow the emperor south. With the legitimate sovereign in exile, Prince Xiang's commands cannot represent true imperial authority." Enraged, the Prince of Jin executed the envoy and burned the decree.

Niu Cong fell ill from anxiety over state affairs, prompting the Prince of Jin to repeatedly send physicians with medicine and even visit personally. Later, when Lu Qian recovered and journeyed from Chang'an to Hedong—begging along the way—to seek out Niu Cong, the prince praised his loyalty, granted him an official post, and declared to his subordinates: "For someone like Lu Qian who serves his master with such devotion, I would gladly give him the clothes off my back and share my own food—how could I possibly begrudge him rank and reward?"

During his travels, Duke Niu (referring to Niu Sengru) heard erroneous news that Prince Xiang had ascended the throne as emperor while Emperor Xizong of Tang had passed away. Overwhelmed with grief, he wailed uncontrollably, spat blood, and fainted, remaining unconscious for a long time before reviving. Upon awakening, he immediately drafted a posthumous memorial, earnestly extolling the loyalty and filial piety of Prince Jin (referring to Li Keyong). He lamented that his old age and illness prevented him from accompanying the emperor in protection, his words so poignant and impassioned that all who read them were deeply moved. Duke Niu wept ceaselessly and passed away shortly after completing the memorial. When Prince Jin learned of this, he was heartbroken. He executed the medical officer responsible for spreading the false news as punishment and dispatched riders to swiftly deliver Duke Niu’s memorial to Emperor Xizong’s temporary palace in Qizhou. Emperor Xizong issued an edict praising Duke Niu, posthumously honoring him as "Duke of Loyalty and Integrity," and appointed Lu Qian as the Vice Prefect of Huazhou.

When Emperor Xizong fled to Shu, he appointed Wang Zao, the Director of the Bureau of Honors, as the Magistrate of Wannian County and concurrently Vice Censor-in-Chief, sending him ahead to return to Chang’an. In the year Yisi (885), after Emperor Xizong returned to Chang’an, Wang Zao was promoted to Right Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary. On the 25th of the twelfth month, Wang Chongrong, the Military Governor of Puzhou, rebelled and stormed Chang’an. That very night, during the third watch, Emperor Xizong hastily fled to Baoji. Wang Zao, bedridden by illness at the time, was unable to accompany the emperor and instead escaped from Pingkang Ward to the foothills of the Southern Mountains. He then secluded himself for several months to recuperate.

The following summer, Prince Xiang Li Yun declared himself emperor in Chang’an and ordered the arrest of officials, enforcing harsh decrees. With Xiao Gou, Pei Che, and others in power, both the court and the populace feared them. Wang Zao, unsettled by the situation, rose from his sickbed. Prince Xiang issued an edict promoting him to Left Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary, but Wang Zao pleaded illness and declined to attend court to express gratitude. Prince Xiang dispatched imperial physicians to visit him and bestowed medicines, but Wang Zao refused them all. In the end, he wept bitterly and passed away. Upon hearing this, the entire court and commoners alike mourned his loss.

During Emperor Xizong’s flight to Shu, Huang Chao captured Chang’an, prompting officials from both the north and south to rush to Shu in support of the emperor. Not long after, Zhang Zhifang, the Commandant of the Capital Guards, along with Chancellor Liu Ye, Yu Cong, and other court officials secretly plotted to join Emperor Xizong. Their plan was discovered by the rebels, resulting in many deaths. Thereafter, communication between the inside and outside of the capital was severed, though the grain reserves within Chang’an remained plentiful. Craftsman Liu Wanyu, musician Deng Man’er, and Mi Sheng, the younger brother of the wrestler Zhai Xinghu, privately discussed: "The rebel forces are invincible, and the capital’s grain stores are abundant. Even if supplies from other regions are cut off, once the city’s food is exhausted, the rebels will collapse on their own within two years. We have received great favor from the state and wish to demonstrate our loyalty, but with no means of escape, we are forced to serve the rebels. Why not devise a plan to deplete the city’s grain reserves? Once external aid is cut off and the food runs out, the rebels will naturally perish." Liu Wanyu and the others presented this strategy to Huang Chao.

This passage records several stories from the Huang Chao Rebellion during the late Tang Dynasty:

A shrewd advisor who frequently attended Huang Chao suggested that since the imperial gardens and city walls of Chang'an were vast in scope, they should construct fortifications stretching from Wangxian Gate northward to Xuanwu Gate and Baihu Gate, building watchtowers and defensive works. Pleased with this proposal, Huang Chao immediately ordered the conscription of 200,000 laborers to build the walls, providing each worker with two liters of rice and forty copper coins daily. However, after over a year of construction, the project remained unfinished. Eventually even the imperial granaries were exhausted, forcing commoners to strip elm bark for food.

There was a master pipa player named Deng Man'er who, unwilling to perform for Huang Chao, feigned hand burns to avoid playing. Though Huang Chao repeatedly rewarded him with gold, silver, and silk, he persistently refused. Finally, he told his friends he would rather die than submit. After bidding farewell to his family, he appeared before Huang Chao. When commanded to play, he declared he wore official robes bestowed by the Tang emperor and would not perform for a new ruler—resulting in the execution of his entire household.

Another figure, the legendary archer Zhai Xinghudi, was highly favored by Huang Chao. Yet during the Battle of Wei Bridge, he deliberately missed with over a dozen shots. When Huang Chao demanded an explanation, he replied (the original text here is incomplete, likely expressing his refusal to serve the rebel forces). These stories illustrate how ordinary people maintained their moral integrity during turbulent times.

This passage records the touching deeds and miraculous experiences of several filial sons during the Tang Dynasty.

First is Yin Xuanzhi from Zizhou, who was well-versed in Confucian classics. After his father's death, he built a thatched hut by the grave to observe mourning, weeping bitterly six times daily. Miraculously, the roars of dragons in the streams and tigers in the mountains often echoed his cries, with spirits and deities joining his lamentations. Each night, two lamps would spontaneously illuminate the gravesite until dawn. When his mother later passed away, he observed another six years of mourning in a dilapidated earthen cave, developing chills that caused back and leg pain and hoarseness, yet he persisted in teaching and studying. He often said official honors meant nothing to him, and he ultimately never took imperial examinations, passing away in his eighties.

Another Zizhou native, Yang Taibo, began mourning beside his parents' graves at sixteen for three years. During this period, miraculous signs appeared: divine lamps illuminated the tombs, fierce tigers became tame, and auspicious white rabbits appeared. Even the Shu region's prime minister reported these wonders to the court, prompting an imperial commendation.

Ju Longhongdao lived below Zitong Mountain with hair over ten feet long in his eighties. While mourning his parents, two six-to-seven-inch purple ganoderma mushrooms grew on their graves, and taming wild beasts became routine. When Emperor Xizong fled to Shu during wartime, he personally visited Ju's home, sitting on a large courtyard stone. Later during the emperor's return journey, he visited again with generous gifts and exempted the family from taxes for three years.

Lastly is the story of Zhu Bo, magistrate of Jiazhou's Jiajiang County. While in office, he suddenly fell ill—his limbs paralyzed, body unbearably heavy, requiring multiple helpers to turn over. When medicine failed, severe eye pain and swelling brought constant agony. Days later came unquenchable thirst followed by manic delirium, though fortunately his paralysis prevented movement. These bizarre symptoms emerged consecutively within ten days, creating dire circumstances.

This passage records several extraordinary tales:

The first story tells of a gravely ill man who suddenly saw seven immortals (Daoist practitioners who attained perfection) appear before him. These celestial beings stood only five or six inches tall, with their clothing and features clearly visible. Five of them sat leaning together while two sat cross-legged at the sides. Just as he wondered why these immortals sat cross-legged, a voice from the air explained that immortals possess boundless capabilities. Thereafter, he often felt invisible hands massaging his limbs and back, and his condition gradually improved. Within three to five days he could resume official duties. After full recovery, he painted an image of the Big Dipper Immortals for veneration.

The second account describes Yin Gui, a Tang Dynasty official who suffered prolonged illness requiring assistance to move. One day, an old man with white hair and white robes appeared, touched his head, and suddenly Yin could rise and move independently—even carrying candles to inspect his residence. From then on, he recovered completely.

The third supernatural dream involves Yu Pu, another Tang official, who before taking imperial examinations dreamed of breaking a cassia branch in the Moon Palace (ancient metaphor for passing exams). But the branch withered. Later he failed the exams and married a wife with forehead scars nicknamed "Cassia Lady." He ultimately never passed—the dream proving an ominous portent.

In the Guangtian era's Wuyin year, Zong Kui, a former Central Order official of Qianyuan Prefecture, dreamed three times of a ten-thousand-catty steelyard. In the final dream, the balance beam was suspended from the roof beam of a building when suddenly both the beam and the scale snapped, filling him with profound unease. True to the omen, on the eighth day of the tenth month (Wushen day), Zong Kui passed away at sixty-one years of age.

During the first month of Guangming's Xinchou year (881 CE), as Emperor Xizong of Tang's imperial procession had just arrived at Pixian County in Zuomian, local garrison commander Ren was napping at his yamen when he suddenly dreamed of a patrolling officer reporting: "The Grand General comes to receive the Emperor. You must await him by the roadside." Ren hurried to the main road where he witnessed thousands of cavalry marching northward—their banners perfectly aligned, armor gleaming, the procession stretching over ten li. After considerable time, a thousand armored soldiers escorted a general astride a white horse, wearing golden armor with red tassels, surrounded by five-colored sun-and-moon banners. Ren stood bowing respectfully for two shichen (about four hours) until the entire retinue passed. When he inquired about the general's identity, the messenger identified him as "General Li behind Fading Temple." Awakening in cold sweat, Ren found every detail etched in memory. That same year, I (Du Guangting) received an imperial decree to preside over zhaijiao (Daoist purification rituals) at Mount Qingcheng and recorded this account upon hearing it.

(Note: "Xiuzhai" refers to conducting zhaijiao rituals; "Fading Temple" was a prominent Buddhist monastery in Chengdu, reflecting the period's Buddhist-Daoist syncretism.)

The fourth volume of Records of the Extraordinary recounts a tale concerning spirits and deities:

Scholar Cui, a provincial graduate traveling to the capital for the imperial examinations, was passing through an area about ten li beyond Tong Pass at dawn. The road was deserted except for himself, accompanied by a single servant and a donkey. Suddenly, they encountered a procession of over two hundred attendants bearing torches and chanting ceremonial calls, resembling the entourage of a high-ranking official. Cui concealed himself behind a locust tree to avoid the procession, resuming his journey after it passed.

Shortly thereafter, the retinue unexpectedly returned. As Cui took cover again, he noticed a lagging attendant transporting tea utensils. Upon inquiry, Cui learned this was the sacred procession of Mount Hua's deity (one of the Five Sacred Peaks) welcoming a Celestial Official (a Daoist honorific for high-ranking immortals) surnamed Cui. When the attendant discovered the scholar shared the official's surname, he arranged an introduction.

Before the temple gates at daybreak, the attendant first announced Cui's arrival, then escorted him inside. The Celestial Official showed evident pleasure at meeting a namesake and invited him to a banquet. During the feast, Cui stepped outside and unexpectedly encountered his deceased uncle, who had passed away fifteen years prior. The uncle now served as Guardian Deity of Fushui Bridge—a minor spirit overseeing bridges—living in poverty due to his humble position. He entreated his nephew to recommend him for promotion to South Mountain Ridge Deity, a more prestigious post.

The uncle explained that better appointments could alleviate his destitution and potentially lead to celestial advancement. Though Cui promised to intercede, he cautioned that his newfound acquaintance with the Celestial Official remained superficial, making success uncertain. After this exchange, Cui returned to the banquet, which concluded shortly thereafter.

This narrative exemplifies the Daoist conviction that "spirits and ghosts truly exist," portraying a divine bureaucracy mirroring human hierarchies of rank and wealth—even requiring mortal intermediaries. Through Cui's extraordinary encounter, the story reflects contemporary imaginings of the spirit world.

This passage recounts two remarkable tales:

The first story describes Cui Sheng's encounter with divine beings. Cui met a celestial official (Tianshi) and requested assistance in securing the position of Zuishen (one of the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions deities) for his cousin. The official explained that while Zuishen held a prestigious heavenly rank comparable to elite earthly offices, the Fushui Bridge deity was of lower status. Nevertheless, he promised to petition the Mountain God (Yueshen) on Cui's behalf. True to his word, the Mountain God approved the appointment, issuing an official decree. Zuishen arrived with a retinue of one to two hundred attendants to express gratitude. The deity foretold Cui's future ascension to celestial office, pledged protection for Cui's estate against the impending Wei River floods, and promised five hundred bolts of silk as reward. Later events proved true - Cui's estate alone was spared from the disaster, and he received the promised silk. The following year, Cui passed the imperial examinations as predicted.

The second anecdote concerns Duan Wenchang, a Tang dynasty official. In his youth, Duan was arrogant about his talents while living in poverty in Jiangling (modern Jingzhou, Hubei). Once while drunk, he walked barefoot through Jiangling's streets and washed his feet in a stream before a wealthy family's gate, declaring boldly: "When I become Military Governor of Jiangling, I shall purchase this mansion." Onlookers mocked him. Yet within a few years, he indeed became Governor of Jingnan and acquired that very residence. Another episode recounts his demotion to Lingchi County Lieutenant after falling out of favor while serving as postal inspector under the famous general Wei Gao. His hasty departure for the new post at nightfall left him in particularly wretched circumstances.

This passage records several extraordinary events:

The first story recounts Liu Yuxi's encounter with a fortune teller's prophecy. While serving in the Ministry of Rites, Liu was chatting with a diviner when an important guest suddenly arrived. After hiding, the fortune teller told Liu: "Your promotion must wait ten years—only when today's guest becomes chancellor can you return to the capital as a Ministry of Rites official." This indeed came to pass. Liu served over a decade in provincial posts until that guest (Zou Ping) became chancellor, whereupon Liu was recalled to the capital as a Ministry of Rites director.

The second miraculous event occurred during the summer of the Gengwu year in the Shu region. When the Min River suddenly flooded, threatening to breach the Guan Kou dam, villagers heard what sounded like tens of thousands shouting that night. Countless torches became visible, their flames undimmed by the raging storm. By dawn, the great embankment had miraculously shifted several hundred zhang (over a kilometer), diverting the flood into the Xinjin River. Stranger still, all the banners in Li Bing's temple (honoring the legendary flood-control engineer) were found soaked. While Xinjin, Jiazhou, and Meizhou suffered flood damage, the Jing River remained unaffected.

The third account involves Governor Zheng Junxiong of Suizhou. One night, he witnessed thousands of soldiers encamped with full military regalia along the eastern embankment. At daybreak, investigators found only three or five men who claimed to be troops of the River Deity (Jiang Du Shen). They explained that due to Sichuan's unrest in recent years, the deity had temporarily dwelled in the gorges, but now that peace had returned, he was moving back. Later, actual encampment traces were discovered along the shore.

Finally, a folk legend tells of a man in ancient attire appearing in Tang Village on Suizhou's eastern bank, identifying himself as Lord Zhongli (an ancient water deity). He claimed his original temple—located a thousand li downstream—had been destroyed by floods, and his statue had miraculously floated upstream. He demanded villagers build him a new shrine there.

By the riverside stood a village where locals discovered a wooden figure several feet tall in the water. They built a small shrine at the discovery site, calling it the "Tang Village Deity." To this day, whenever drought or floods occur, prayers offered here prove remarkably efficacious. Some say when first sighted, the wooden figure distinctly resembled a Daoist priest.

In Guangdu County stands the extraordinarily potent Temple of Pangu's Third Son. Should passersby show insufficient reverence at its gates, immediate retribution follows—either physical assault or sudden falls on the road. Thus, locals both fear and venerate it. A man named Yang Zhiguo, who had received the Orthodox Unity Covenant's Registers (a type of Daoist talismanic script known as Fulu), once stumbled home drunk on a moonless night. Passing the temple gates, he shouted: "I'm an Orthodox Unity disciple! Drunk and without moonlight companions—I beg the deity to light my way!" Suddenly, a torch flew from the temple gates, guiding him safely over twenty li of narrow bridges and treacherous paths until vanishing upon his homecoming. Villagers marveled at this wonder.

Outside the Temple of Mount Lu's Nine Heaven Messengers lies a stone resembling a glazed pottery jar, smooth and translucent. Visitors often witness its spiritual potency—those committing disrespectful acts within the temple frequently find themselves apprehended by spirit officials and chastised near this stone. A scholar's child lodging nearby repeatedly played upon and even urinated on the stone. Suddenly, a man named Liu Dun appeared at the county office to accuse the child. Investigation revealed only the stone desecration, with no trace of Liu Dun's residence. Daoist Master Mao, then residing temporarily at the temple, recalled an elegant official visitor named Liu Dun whose dwelling remained unknown. Connecting this to the child's misdeeds, suspicions arose that the stone itself was Liu Dun. Excavation uncovered massive stone roots extending three to four feet down. Awe-struck, locals built a screened pavilion to protect it.

Yongqing County in Fangzhou, located 120 li east of the prefectural capital, was a dilapidated mountain town during Emperor Muzong's reign. When Magistrate Sun's younger brother visited after his year-long appointment, he grew deeply concerned seeing the ruins. One day while inspecting the area...

Amidst a wilderness overgrown with thorns stood a dilapidated temple housing rows of clay statues. On the central altar sat a great deity flanked by three attendant figures resembling handmaidens. The temple bore no inscribed plaque, and locals knew not whom it honored. When questioned, local officials could only identify the enshrined figure as the "Eternal Purity Great King."

A county magistrate's younger brother, having lodged there for several days with unresolved doubts, composed an inquisitive poem upon the temple wall. Soon after, he drifted into slumber and encountered the deity in a dream. The spirit spoke: "My deeds have long been buried in obscurity. Though I wished to clarify my true identity, I feared being mistaken for a malevolent entity. Today, honored by your inquiry, I may finally unburden years of pent-up frustration. I hail from Piling (modern Changzhou, Jiangsu region), grandson of General Zhou Ziyin of Eastern Wu—his biography appears in the Records of Wu. He famously slew tigers in the Southern Mountains and beheaded flood dragons at Long Bridge, eradicating scourges for the people with luminous virtue."

"My name is Zhou Kuopu. Inheriting my ancestors' aspirations, I vowed to achieve meritorious deeds. When the Celestial Emperor appointed me guardian of four prefectures—Jinzhou, Shangzhou, Junzhou and Fangzhou—the region suffered rampant attacks by fierce beasts. Woodcutters dared not enter the mountains, and roads lay abandoned. Over years, I exterminated countless tigers, including a monstrous tiger-king that terrorized Xicheng Commandery. This beast, colossal and swift with snow-white fur and a mirror-like luminous disc on its forehead, had claimed innumerable victims before I finally destroyed it."

"The grateful populace erected over thirty temples honoring me from Xiangyang to south of Languan Pass. This shrine too serves as my resting place. Yet with time's passage, folk tradition mistakenly transformed it into a White Tiger Temple—utter absurdity. Your inquiry today permits me to rectify this injustice." Later, the magistrate's brother reported this account to the Xiangyang administration, who carved a wooden memorial tablet for the temple.

By the Dazhong era (852 CE), when Xiangzhou official Wang Shicheng found the tablet's inscription faded, he commissioned a stone stele instead. According to sacrificial tradition, those who avert great calamities and benefit the people deserve perpetual veneration. Zhou Kuopu, inheriting his forebears' martial prowess and appointed by the Celestial Emperor to protect four prefectures, saw incense burn brightly in numerous shrines—only to suffer the indignity of being misremembered as a White Tiger Temple.

During the chaotic aftermath of war in Hezhou's Bachuan County, government buildings were severely damaged, forcing officials to temporarily relocate to mountain strongholds for safety. At that time, a county magistrate named Cui was serving when a soldier was caught stealing timber from the stronghold. After being taken to the military camp, the soldier was executed by the garrison commander. This soldier had been a devout follower of the Bishan deity (the local mountain god), and after his death, the mountain spirit began haunting Magistrate Cui's household in retribution.

The mountain spirit would sometimes manifest physically, wandering about, while at other times it would hurl insults from the air, throw flaming candles, and destroy household objects. Stranger still, clothing stored securely in locked chests would often be found shredded, and money and garments frequently vanished without cause. The Cui family invited Daoist priests to perform rituals, but none could subdue this malicious entity. Later, when Magistrate Cui resigned from office and returned to his hometown, the spirit followed them for over a thousand li.

The Cui family maintained daily offerings in fearful devotion, nearly bankrupting themselves. One day, they suddenly heard the flapping wings of a large bird landing on their roof, followed by a voice from the sky announcing, "I have arrived." This self-proclaimed "Great King" spirit declared: "Previously, it was the unruly brothers from Yongxi who wrongfully harassed your household. Now I have driven them away. Your misfortunes have ended, and blessings shall soon come."

This Great King temporarily resided in a borrowed shrine of the Heavenly Marshal Tianpeng (a Daoist guardian deity), explaining that the celestial statue's design was exceptionally fine and that he wished to borrow it for replication, promising to return it within three to five days. True to his word, he later placed the Tianpeng statue intact high on the eaves. From then on, this spirit became a permanent resident of the Cui household, often conversing with the family and even organizing poetry recitals and musical performances. Interestingly, if anyone mispronounced a character, it would immediately correct them.

The spirit frequently encouraged virtuous conduct and taught qi cultivation techniques (Daoist meditation practices), claiming to travel between heaven and earth on immortal cranes. Once, when a flock of cranes appeared in the city, it remarked that only two were true celestial cranes while the rest were ordinary birds. It identified itself with the surname Zhang, mentioning family members including a wife called Brocade Lady, along with concubines and servants, and described its daily meals as no different from those of humans.

The Records of the Extraordinary documents two peculiar incidents. The first recounts a mysterious figure who could discern people's fortunes. This individual would converse freely with virtuous gentlemen, yet remain silent before violent ruffians. Once, three drunken monks and soldiers arrived, behaving crudely—whereupon the sealer of fates kept mute. Only after they left did he explain: "Those monks eat dog meat, indulge in liquor, and harbor cruel hearts—thus I would not speak with them." This person could accurately perceive everyone's good or evil deeds, their impending fortunes or misfortunes, predicting events with unerring precision. He even knew people's childhood nicknames and family birth orders, yet would deftly evade direct inquiries about himself. None could ascertain what manner of divine being he truly was.

The second incident occurred during the early Yongping era (911-913 CE). A monk named Huijin—whose lay surname was Wang—dwelt at Fugan Temple. One dawn, as he headed toward Zifu Monastery, a towering figure with indigo-blue skin chased him at the gate. The monk fled desperately, taking refuge in a commoner's home near Zhuzhu Bridge, yet the pursuer followed and seized him. When the monk pleaded for mercy, the figure demanded: "What is your surname?" Upon hearing "Wang," it declared: "The given name matches, but the surname differs," and released him. The terrified monk collapsed in the house, recovering only after prolonged stupor before returning to his temple. That very night, another man—who shared Huijin's given name but bore a different surname—met his death.

(Note: "Indigo" here denotes deep blue; "Zhuzhu Bridge" is an ancient bridge name; "Yongping" refers to the reign era of Former Shu during the Five Dynasties. These narratives reflect the Daoist belief in "retribution for good and evil"—the mysterious figure and blue-skinned entity likely being manifestations of Daoist deities overseeing human fortunes.)

The fifth volume of Records of the Extraordinary documents several marvelous accounts concerning dragons:

The Dragon King's palace lies near an island approximately five to six days' sailing east of Suzhou. This sea area spans over a hundred li, where the surrounding waters remain turbid while this particular spot stays crystal clear. Strangely, towering waves several zhang high emerge spontaneously here, deterring vessels from approaching. Only during high tide when the island submerges do the colossal waves vanish, permitting safe passage. At night, observers can witness a crimson glow stretching a hundred li across the water's surface, piercing the heavens. Boatmen whisper that this luminescence marks the Dragon King's underwater palace.

During the Tang dynasty, Liu Zihua served as magistrate of Chengdu County. At high noon one day, an entourage with ceremonial guards abruptly stormed into the county office, announcing the arrival of the Dragon King's daughter. Attended by her maidservants, the dragon maiden ascended the hall, proclaiming a predestined marital bond with Magistrate Liu from past lives. They promptly held a wedding banquet, and thereafter the dragon maiden visited frequently—an affair widely known throughout the region. When Liu Zihua later left office and vanished, folklore held that he had entered the dragon palace to become a water immortal.

Liu Junqing, Liu Zihua's grandson, served as military commissioner during the Qianfu era, garrisoned at Qingcheng. Renowned for his philanthropy, he often personally treated impoverished patients, earning deep public affection. His family treasured an heirloom pearl the size of a hen's egg that could project inverted yet razor-sharp reflections. When rebel general Han Zhu of Jinyuan stormed Qingcheng, Liu Junqing led thirty loyal soldiers against hundreds of enemies. After a fierce battle failed to break the siege, he fell in combat—a loss mourned by all who heard.

The county office of Dangyang in Jingzhou backs against mountains, housing within its courtyard the extraordinarily deep Liu Wenlong Well. Its bottom conceals a dragon's lair leading to unfathomable depths. Locals claim this well predicts weather patterns: sudden turbidity foretells clearing skies, while abnormal clarity heralds imminent rain.

The Record of Marvels documents several extraordinary events:

Concerning dragon wells: During the Guanghua era (Emperor Zhaozong of Tang), a Daoist priest claiming to be from Mount Shang descended into a well to retrieve a dragon's nest and medicinal herbs. Later, when an official named Huang Xun took office, he frequently tethered his horses by the well, allowing their filth to flow into it. Though warned against this, he made excuses. Over a year later, both Huang Xun and his horses went blind.

In Shu territory during the Gengwu year (exact date unclear), Wang Zonglang, prefect of Jinzhou, reported that the Green Mist Temple by the Xun River in Xunyang County had been shrouded in clouds for days, with celestial music playing day and night. Suddenly, the waters churned as a dragon procession emerged—over fifty creatures ranging from several zhang (1 zhang ≈ 3.3m) to over one zhang in length, colored yellow, black, red, white, and blue-green, with forms resembling oxen, horses, donkeys, and sheep. They filed into the Han River before returning near the temple, appearing and disappearing for three days before vanishing completely.

During the Guiyou year (date unspecified), a small blue-black dragon was discovered in Xipu's fields. After being hacked in two, its corpse emitted a foul odor and disappeared within ten days. The Dragon Well west of Maha Pond's main hall also demonstrated numinous power, commanding local reverence. At Chengdu's Shutai Lane, south of Zhuge Liang's former residence in the Ascending Mist Abbey, an ancient well housed six-to-seven-inch fish whose swimming invariably stirred the waters—tradition held a dragon dwelled within.

Regarding extraordinary tigers: Along the Jialing River near Yonggui, Jiameng, Jianmen, and Yichang in Jianzhou, a woman in her fifties called "Aunt Eighteen" would visit households without eating or drinking. She exhorted people toward good deeds and filial piety, warning that evildoers would be inspected by three to five cats. After speaking, she vanished abruptly, reappearing three to five times yearly. Locals recognized her as a tiger spirit and treated her with awe.

The Jiyang Zhi (a Daoist site), thirty li south of Fuzhou by the Qian River, housed ancient stelae with divine images and abundant treasures none dared steal. After the younger sister of Fuzhou vice-commander Lin Tingyong stole temple property, she lost her way and transformed into a tiger within days—still wearing her original silver bracelets and gold armlets on its forelegs.

The Records of the Extraordinary documents two remarkable tales:

The first recounts the strange transformation of a man into a tiger. A villager secretly consumed elixir ingredients from an alchemical furnace, which caused him to morph into a tiger while retaining his human consciousness. He would often speak to his fellow villagers from behind the trees, pleading to see his mother. Too frightened to approach, his mother refused, and so the man-tiger lingered outside the city walls for over a year before gradually disappearing.

The second tale describes a miraculous golden tortoise during Emperor Xuanzong’s reign of the Tang dynasty. A Daoist adept presented a tiny golden tortoise, only an inch in size, claiming it possessed spiritual power and required no feeding. Placing it by one’s pillow, he said, would ward off venomous snakes. The emperor kept it in a small case. Later, a favored eunuch was exiled to the south after his relative committed a crime, and Xuanzong secretly gifted him the tortoise, advising that it would protect him from the giant serpents of the region.

Upon reaching Xiangjun (modern-day Guangxi), the eunuch lodged at an inn only to find it completely deserted. That night, though the moon shone brightly, a sudden storm arose. He quickly placed the tortoise on the steps, whereupon it stretched its neck and exhaled a thin thread of breath, rising three or four feet before dispersing. The storm ceased at once. The next morning, the terrified inn staff returned, explaining that a traveler had accidentally killed a massive snake, prompting locals to flee miles away, fearing retaliation. Later, over a dozen rotting giant serpents were found on the roads, though no one knew how they had died. A year later, the eunuch returned to Chang’an, tearfully restoring the tortoise to the emperor, declaring it had not only saved his life but also permanently rid the southern lands of their serpent scourge.

On West Lake appeared a golden turtle one cun (about 3 cm) long, moving about on lotus leaves. Someone drew its image and reported it to the imperial court. A merchant anchored his boat in the Bian River and caught a large turtle, which he placed in the stove fire to roast but forgot to remove at night. The next day, he found its shell already charred. As he wiped off the ashes and placed it on the dining table to eat, the turtle suddenly stretched its neck, moved its limbs, and slowly crawled on the table as if alive. Astonished, the crowd released it back into the water, where it swam away.

At the western bank of Caishi Mountain in Xuanzhou, the West Liang Mountain (facing East Liang Mountain across the river) has local residents who make a living by catching turtles. They peel off the turtle shells alive for divination. After discarding the peeled shells and turtle meat back into the water, these turtles can still move. Some say the shells can regrow. Despite being harvested year after year, the supply never runs out. Turtle shells used for divination across the empire all come from here, though no one knows the reason behind this phenomenon.

In the third year of Emperor Gaozu's Wude era (620 CE) of the Tang dynasty, Lord Lao (Laozi) manifested at Yangjiao Mountain. Prince Qin (Li Shimin) sent Ji Shanxing to report this, but Ji worried that reaching the capital would be difficult to verify. Lord Lao told him: "On the day you arrive in the capital, someone will present a turtle-shaped stone as proof." Indeed, upon reaching the palace gates, Shaozhou presented a turtle-shaped stone with six characters carved on its underside: "The empire at peace, for ten thousand days."

At the end of the Wude era (626 CE), when Li Shimin quelled the Xuanwu Gate Incident, a white turtle was seen swimming on lotus leaves in the imperial garden pond. Upon capture, it transformed into a jade-white stone. After ascending the throne, he issued an edict stating: "The August Heaven has bestowed this treasure turtle as an auspicious sign." In Shu territory during the Dingmao year (possibly 847 CE), four small turtles two to three cun long emerged from a cave by the Huichang Temple wall, their shells bearing golden characters "King" and "Great Auspice."

On the birthday of Emperor Wang Jian of Former Shu (15th day of the 7th month, 919 CE), general Wang Yanhui discovered a white turtle at Luo Zhenren's temple in Pengkou Town and presented it. In Changsha County during the first year of the Jin dynasty's Taishi era (265 CE), a divine turtle four to five chi (about 1.5m) long, pure white in color, emerged from the water and crawled ashore before swimming away. The locality thus became known as "Turtle Pond," where over a hundred qing (about 667 hectares) of fertile land were later cultivated.

Regarding the giant soft-shelled turtle (Pelochelys cantorii): It resembles an ordinary turtle, but those with red undersides are the giant species, while white-bellied ones are common turtles. Folklore holds....

The Records of the Extraordinary documents several peculiar creatures:

Regarding giant softshell turtles (yuan): These turtles possess twelve special sections of flesh. When fishermen capture them, fearing injury, they must subdue them with sharp hooked tools. Even when hacked apart with long-handled axes, the severed pieces will jump and escape—unless boiled in a pot beforehand. Ordinary turtles and even large yuan will die overnight if bitten by mosquitoes. A fisherman by the Shu River once caught an exceptionally large turtle, over a foot longer than usual, with crimson edges on its shell. After boiling it all night, the creature still swam in the pot. Another full day of boiling dried the water, yet the turtle remained alive. The terrified family, suspecting it was dragon-spawn, released it back into the river, where it swam away.

Concerning strange serpents: In Jianli, there exists a three-chi-long snake with a rabbit's head and serpent's body, its neck white beneath. It coils down from mountains to ambush travelers, specifically targeting armpits to suck blood. Known as "slope-nose" (banbi), it hides in burrows with only its snout exposed, emitting ox-like bellows audible for miles. Farmers once burned one to death during winter field-clearing, finding it exceptionally fatty. During the Qianfu era, a colossal black serpent over thirty zhang tall appeared at Immortal Relay Station, followed by hundreds of snakes of varying sizes moving westbound from dawn until dusk. At the procession's end, a child clutching a red flag leaped past while standing on the tail. That same year, military governor Yang Shouliang of Shannan met defeat.

Off the southern coast stands a towering mountain where each summer an enormous serpent would circle the peak three or four times to drink seawater. Once, while drinking, an even larger sea serpent swallowed it whole—the sky darkened instantly, and the mountain serpent never reappeared.

Two other venomous snakes are noted: The "cockscomb snake" bears a rooster-like crest, measures over a chi long, and several cun thick—its bite is invariably fatal, found beneath Kuaiji Mountain. The "burst-body snake," one to two chi long and gray, launches from forests at human sounds like flying dead branches to strike passersby transversely, killing all victims.

The Yellow-throated Snake (a small yellow serpent) measures about one to two feet in length, with a golden hue, and typically hides in rock crevices. Before rain, it emits a sound resembling an ox's bellow. Its bite is fatal to humans, and this species has been sighted around the Siming Mountain region.

In Pi County, a villager once caught a small snake, roughly a foot long, near a ditch outside the southern city wall. The man gutted the snake, coiled its body onto a skewer, and hung it over the kitchen fire to dry. Days later, the family's young child suddenly developed severe swelling all over, with skin peeling as if scorched by fire, screaming in agony. The child abruptly spoke in the snake's voice: "Your family killed me for no reason, gutted me, and roasted me over flames—now let your child taste the same suffering!" Terrified, the family hastily removed the snake's remains from the fire, pulled out the skewer, cleansed it with water, and offered incense in prayer before returning the snake to where it was originally caught. After a long while, the snake slowly slithered away, and the child's condition gradually healed.

In the South Sea, there stands a mountain several thousand meters high. Once, when two mountains were about ten li apart, giant fish engaged in combat, their fins striking the mountainside with such force that half the mountain collapsed.

A man surnamed Hou from Pi County once caught a massive eel, as thick as a foot, by a hemp-retting pond. After cooking and eating it, his white hair turned black, his lost teeth regrew, and his body became remarkably agile and strong.

During the Tianfu era of the Tang Dynasty, while Feng Xingxi, the Imperial Attendant, was stationed in Yongnan Village, Xunyang County, Jinzhou, a local named Bai Junhuai caught a fish several feet long in the Lemo Pool of the Han River. The fish bore inscribed characters reading: "Three times I crossed the great sea, twice I swam the Han River, arriving at Lemo Pool—destined to belong to Bai Jun."

After passing the imperial examinations, scholar Cui Daoji traveled to the Jianghuai region. One day, drunk, he lay resting at an inn. When his servant fetched water from a well, a fish emerged clinging to the bucket. Delighted, the servant reported this to his master. Still intoxicated, Cui Daoji exclaimed, "Fish soup is the best cure for a hangover—quick, cook it!" Shortly after eating it, a celestial official in yellow robes descended from the sky, standing in the courtyard and repeatedly calling Cui Daoji's name. He proclaimed a heavenly decree: "Cui Daoji, a mere mortal, dared to slay a dragon's offspring. Originally fated to become a chancellor and live to seventy, all is now revoked!" With that, he vanished. That very night, Cui Daoji suddenly died—only thirty-five years old.

The Blackfish-like Fish resembles a blackfish but bears red markings, growing over a foot long and commonly found in Yuzhang. They often gather in muddy ponds, sometimes numbering in the hundreds, and are said to command ghosts to cause mischief.

This passage records various supernatural phenomena and tales of karmic retribution. Certain deceptive spirits tend to dwell near polluted ponds, making nearby fields untouchable—locals dare not cultivate them. Those who risk renting such land must conceal their true names; only by farming for three years and leaving promptly can they avoid calamity. Some malevolent spirits distort people's faces or twist their limbs, requiring ritual offerings and prayers to dispel their influence. When these entities walk on land at night, they leave muddy footprints and produce eerie "sou-sou" noises in their wake.

To counter such spirits, one can employ the "Breaking the Spring Demon" talismanic incantations of the Twenty-Five Great Generals under the Northern Emperor (a revered Daoist deity). The spell must be carved on stones and cast into the pond or inscribed on wooden boards nailed along the shore. However, the ritual only takes effect during storms with thunder and lightning, when the spirits are driven elsewhere. Only those deeply versed in this esoteric art can perform it successfully.

The text also describes a tiger-striped fish called the "pufferfish." Folklore warns that eating it undercooked can be fatal. In Raozhou, a wealthy man named Wu shared an affectionate marriage with his wife. Once, returning drunk, he accidentally kicked her chest while she helped remove his shoes, causing her death. Her family accused him of murder, leading to a legal battle that dragged on for over a year without resolution.

Fearing the family's disgrace if Wu were sentenced to death, his clansmen repeatedly fed him undercooked pufferfish, hoping to poison him. Strangely, after four or five servings, Wu not only survived but grew more vigorous. Later pardoned in a general amnesty, he returned home, raised a flourishing family, and lived to eighty—a natural death. Though the fish is lethally toxic when undercooked, he consumed it multiple times unharmed. This, perhaps, was the will of Heaven.

In the northern foothills of Dingling Mausoleum in Fuping County, Chang'an, there lies a place called Tongguan Township. Following the valley inward for about twenty li, one encounters two cave systems: the Eastern Nüxue Cave and Western Nüxue Cave. The Eastern Cave features sheer cliffs with its entrance suspended perilously high—utterly inaccessible to ordinary people—yet at night, the sound of reading often drifts from within. The Western Cave has more navigable paths, with a stone chamber near its entrance that can accommodate ten to twenty people.

This cave occasionally permits entry with torches. After advancing twenty li, one reaches five branching paths, each marked with signs said to lead to Penglai and other immortal realms—though recent rockfalls have blocked the entrance.

At the mountain's summit exists a natural "Heavenly Well," plunging vertically about two zhang deep with protruding horizontal stones along its walls. At its base runs a passage of similar height allowing human passage. Nearby lies a cliff niche (resembling a Buddhist shrine) accessible via stone steps, containing winding, spacious chambers housing tens of thousands of Daoist scriptures (Jing) arranged on cypress-wood plank beds. A stone figure sits hunched over a desk, so lifelike it seems animate. The well's bottom accumulates countless "petition slips" (Daoist prayer bamboo slips), now decayed.

During the Dashun era of the Tang dynasty, a Daoist practitioner surnamed Xu from Fuping retrieved the Scripture on Nourishing Life (Yang Sheng Jing) from the cave to copy before returning it. Twenty li further north lie three springs and a stone cavern in the valley capable of holding two to three hundred people. The valley contains three natural stone basins, each over one zhang wide with surfaces so smooth they appear manmade. These perpetually brim with spring water that overflows beyond the mountains. Elders say immortals often bathe here.

The mountain exhibits peculiar traits: any transgression immediately summons thunderstorms that destroy crops, prompting locals to avoid it cautiously—making its paths hard to find. Numerous traces of immortal activity remain. Before the Eastern Nüxue Cave dwells a pair of divine eagles guarding its entrance; offenders face fatal attacks. In ancient times, Daoists placed five stone statues here. Once, a farmer tilling the land...

This account describes the miraculous discovery of a cave and its geographical details. At Magu Cave (an alternative name for Yangping Zhi, the first of Daoism's twenty-four administrative centers) on Fanyang Mountain, named for its location north of the Fan River, records from the Benji Jing (Scripture of the Original Boundary) indicate this was where Celestial Master Zhang Daoling once traveled and where Lord Lao (Laozi) delivered teachings. Specifically situated fifteen li south of Xindu County in Chengdu Prefecture, beyond the river, the area is surrounded by mountains with one particularly prominent solitary peak.

On the fourth day of the fifth month in the second year of Emperor Zhaozong of Tang's Guanghua era (899 CE), when Li Cunxu (later Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang) was still Prince of Jin and not yet prominent, the mountain's earth suddenly collapsed, and the cave entrance opened by itself. Local officials Shi Kang, village clerk Yang Jing, and Daoist priest Zhang Shouzhen reported the incident to the authorities. After the cave opened, commoners visited daily to investigate. The government dispatched county clerk Yang Ze, painter Ren Cong, and Zhang Shouzhen to survey the cave and create a map for official records.

Carrying torches, they explored the interior: The first cave gate faced north, measuring two chi in height and three chi five cun in width. About five chi beyond was the second gate, square-shaped and one chi six cun high. Beyond lay a dark passage twelve chi long and six chi wide. To the east and southwest were two rock chambers each, while to the south was a passage with a circular entrance one chi six cun wide, leading to a space twelve chi long, ten chi wide, and four chi high. The southern side had three rock chambers, and two interconnected passages wound westward, their circular entrances seventeen chi wide, with interiors five chi wide and six chi high. The distance between cave gates was ten chi.

Inside stood a stone gatehouse five chi high and four chi wide, featuring carved bracket sets and tile-like structures. There were also stone carvings of the sun and moon, inscribed with the characters "日" (sun) and "月" (moon). Another stone chamber measured two chi five cun wide and one chi five cun high, similarly adorned with carved brackets and eaves tiles. A stone stove stood one chi high and one chi five cun wide, its opening five cun across. Three rock chambers each spanned seven chi. Further west, another circular gate one chi seven cun wide led southward through winding passages to yet another stone gatehouse six chi high and four chi wide.

The text describes several sacred Daoist sites and extraordinary caves. At Fanyang Mountain (an ancient renowned Daoist sacred site), there is a Magu Cave (named after the immortaless Magu), its entrance circular and about one chi six cun in diameter. When people approach with torches, black Qi (vital energy) emerges from the cave to extinguish the flames, preventing entry. This cave connects to the main body of Fanyang Mountain, about three li away. Local records note that Fanyang Mountain is an ancient relic, and the imperial court orders annual sacrifices there. The cave has existed since antiquity but often seals itself spontaneously. During the Yuanhe era of the Tang Dynasty, when Prince Wei Gao of Nankang governed the Shu region, the cave entrance suddenly opened. At the time, people interpreted this as an omen of abundant harvests and stable prices, which later proved true.

Near Kaizhou (modern-day Kaixian County, Chongqing), Sheng Mountain stands adjacent to the Qing River. Thirty li upstream along the river lies the Wenchang Well, containing hot springs. During the Linde era of the Tang Dynasty, thunderstorms caused the northern foothills to split open, naturally forming a cave entrance. At the mouth sits a naturally occurring stone bell weighing several thousand jin—bell-shaped yet silent when struck. The cave walls bear naturally formed figures resembling Vajra Warriors (Buddhist guardian deities, here referring to majestic protector images). A small path nearby, about six chi high, leads inward; after two or three zhang it widens, revealing a giant naturally formed stone turtle carrying a stele without inscriptions.

Beside the stele stands a massive stone screen, above which connects to a stone cauldron, while below lies a narrow passage accessible only sideways. After advancing one or two chi, the space suddenly opens into a level pathway. Along both sides, stalactites form wondrous shapes: some like dragon scales or phoenix cranes, others resembling cloud-capped mountains or forests, still others as pillars or leaping beasts—countless variations. About one li inward rises a Lotus Platform, thirty or forty zhang high, its tiered layers climbable, surrounded by stalactites resembling arms and fingers that appear especially mystical by candlelight. These natural wonders are considered by some to be remnants of Immortal Magu's ancient cultivation practices.

Here are descriptions of several miraculous caves and Daoist cultivation sites. First is the initial cave: the stones inside are crystalline yet brittle, snapping easily. Strangely, when taken outside and exposed to wind, they transform into ordinary white rocks. Thirty or forty paces from the cave entrance, the ground is carpeted with lotus flowers beside a sweet spring whose warm, milky waters are often used by visitors to brew tea.

Before the cave flows a rushing transverse stream, its roaring waters emerging from the cavern. Above it arches a remarkable bridge spanning two or three zhang in length and over one zhang in width—constructed neither of stone nor earth, an engineering marvel. Crossing it leads to a steep yellow earthen slope four or five zhang high, its treacherous, slippery path requiring multiple rest stops to ascend. At the summit stands a vast stone hall with smooth walls rising several zhang, covered in inscriptions left by mountain travelers.

In the hall's deepest corner lies a crevice four or five chi high and three to four chi wide, suspended over one zhang above ground—inaccessible to ordinary climbers. Legends tell of one who entered, only to emerge months later from Wu Mountain's caves, after which none dared attempt it.

Another site is the Fish-Dragon Cave seventy-odd li west of Longzhou, from which water currents eject stones of varying sizes. When cracked open, these stones reveal fish and dragon patterns. More mysteriously, visitors passing the cave mouth dare not speak—it's said any utterance summons thunderous winds audible only to the speaker, terrifying them into flight while others hear nothing.

Mount Doutuan in Changming County, Mianzhou, was where the Perfected One Doutou Ming cultivated the Dao. Its western side connects to a ridge passable by carriage, while the eastern face drops as sheer cliffs. Stone bamboo shoots between the western wall and eastern peak form natural railings across a hundred-zhang chasm too perilous for ordinary access. The summit holds an ancient Palace of the Heavenly Venerable (Tianzun) of unknown origin. Immortals once built a bamboo cable bridge here, long decayed. Locals believe whoever can restore it will grow hair on their soles.

During Emperor Yizong's Xiantong era (860-874), the Daoist Mao Yihuan dwelled below the mountain. From youth he practiced Daoist cultivation, constantly reciting the Daode Jing (Scripture of the Way and Virtue). Clad in rags, he'd chant scriptures in markets for wine, then climb the mountain drunk. Risking his life, he anchored ropes across the abyss using white pines as piers, laying planks to rebuild this bridge of celestial peril.

This passage from the Records of the Extraordinary documents several strange occurrences:

In the Renchen year of Xiantong (13th year of Emperor Yizong's Xiantong era, Tang Dynasty), a Daoist priest surnamed Mao conducted a Zhaijiao mountain ritual (a Daoist ceremony for worshiping mountains and rivers) at West Peak. Local villagers informed the county magistrate of a narrow path clinging to the cliffside—barely wide enough for one person, with no handholds. A man named Yihuan frequently traversed this route, disappearing for over ten days at a time. Suspecting he might dwell in a cave, the magistrate enlisted Guo, a wandering ascetic from Guangling, to investigate. Upon returning, Guo was initially speechless with fright, but later described finding a cave entrance at the path's end. Inside was a cavern large enough for a dozen people, extending hundreds of feet deep, containing locked wooden chests, knee-worn indentations on stone surfaces where someone had knelt in reverence, and scattered scriptures—yet no trace of Yihuan. The man's household consisted only of a wife and daughter, leading many to suspect he had attained the Dao (the Way). Villagers grew accustomed to seeing Yihuan calmly crossing perilous rope bridges holding an oil lamp. Though the mountains teemed with venomous snakes and tigers—forcing locals to avoid traveling alone—Yihuan fearlessly returned at night. His two ravens possessed uncanny prescience, cawing to announce visitors' approach.

Another incident occurred on the 13th day of the seventh month during a Renzi year, when torrential rains caused the Ghost City Cliff of Mount Qingcheng to collapse. Floodwaters surged toward the rear of the Zhangren Temple (a Daoist monastery), threatening to destroy the main hall at the 300-foot elevation. Suddenly, boulder-sized rocks formed a natural dam, diverting the deluge eastward and sparing the temple. Afterwards, the monastery never lacked for water—the landslide had exposed a perpetually flowing spring of sweet water.

Finally, the text describes East Pillar Mountain and West Pillar Mountain, located over sixty li north of Jinzhou and south of Qianyuan. Local legends tell of a mountain that migrated from the south, its northern face pierced by pillar-like megaliths that gave the peaks their names. Among the steep eastern peaks, the tallest is said to be where Immortal Pu achieved celestial ascension, with traces of this event still visible on nearby cliffs.

Along the streams and mountain creeks, six or seven stone slabs inscribed with seal script characters can be found, though most people cannot decipher these writings. Though these carvings are well concealed, determined seekers may still discover them.

Regarding the Flaming Yang Cave (Yanyang Dong), local folklore has long spoken of its location on Yang Mountain in Lingzhou, yet its precise whereabouts remained an unsolved mystery. On the night of the 16th day of the first lunar month in the third year of the Qiande era (Xinsi year, 965 CE), Ma Quanzhang—the Baoyi Army Commissioner overseeing salt wells, holding the title of Grand Guardian (Taibao)—had a remarkable dream. He envisioned a figure clad in purple official robes with a sash, wearing a tall hat and ancient attire resembling a Daoist priest. After bowing in greeting, this figure led him to a cliff face and declared: "This is the Flaming Yang Cave, sealed for many years. Should it be reopened and properly maintained, it will bring blessings to the nation." The Daoist also pointed to a newly formed footpath nearby, instructing that it should be closed off to prevent ordinary people from trampling the area. With these words, the figure vanished.

The following day, Ma Quanzhang followed the dream's guidance and indeed discovered a slightly sunken patch of ground. Probing with a staff, he found it bottomless. He then ordered his subordinate officer Hou Guang to organize excavation work. As they dug deeper, three stone gates were uncovered. The cave interior was filled with fine sand, completely free of insects or debris. The tunnel ran east to west, measuring 3.9 zhang (≈39 feet) in length and 5.3 chi (≈5.3 feet) in width.

Each of the three stone gates had distinct dimensions: the first stood 6 chi (≈6 feet) tall and 5.2 chi (≈5.2 feet) wide; the second measured 5.5 chi (≈5.5 feet) in height and 3.7 chi (≈3.7 feet) in width; the third was 4.7 chi (≈4.7 feet) high and 3.5 chi (≈3.5 feet) wide. The chamber beyond the third gate had a ceiling height of 6.1 chi (≈6.1 feet). The gates stood merely 3-4 chi apart, featuring carvings of such exquisite craftsmanship that they appeared beyond human capability.

South of the third gate lay a stone chamber—7.4 chi (≈7.4 feet) wide, 4.8 chi (≈4.8 feet) high, and 4.2 chi (≈4.2 feet) deep. Behind it was a smaller cavity originally blocked by a stone slab, with a narrow fissure alongside. Lantern light revealed unfathomable depths within. The northern chamber measured 4.2 chi deep, 7.3 chi wide, and 5 chi tall, containing a stone bed. The western alcove was 2 chi deep, 3.5 chi wide, and 3.1 chi high. In the northwest corner stood a square stone bed measuring 2.8 chi per side, alongside a stone stove 2.3 chi long with a 7-cun-wide (≈7 inches) opening, 8 cun deep, surrounded by a 3.5 chi perimeter. The entire cave system extended eastward from its entrance toward the salt well supervision site.

This records a historical site related to Celestial Master Zhang (Zhang Daoling, founder of Daoism). The description notes two locations spaced forty-one zhang and eight chi apart (approximately 139 meters), with the cave entrance facing due east.

Fei Shengzhen, a senior Daoist priest who once managed the Celestial Master Temple, recalled that the temple preserved the "Stele of the Celestial Master's Sacred Virtue" erected during the Yuanhe era (806-820 CE) of the Tang Dynasty by Governor Li Zhengqing. The inscription recorded that in the second year of the Jian'an era (197 CE) during the Eastern Han Dynasty, Celestial Master Zhang traveled from Pei (present-day Pei County, Jiangsu) to Shu (modern Sichuan). While observing celestial phenomena, he noticed unusual signs in the Qian position (northwest). Pointing to the terrain of Yang Mountain, he told his disciples: "Beneath this mountain there must certainly be a salt spring."

Modern field verification confirms this cave sits directly above a salt well, known in legend as the "Flaming Yang Cave." This name may relate to its underground brine resources (a crucial raw material for ancient salt production) or suggest particularly vigorous earth Qi (vital energy) in this location. Daoist tradition holds that such distinctive geographical features often correspond with sacred cultivation sites.

The seventh volume of Records of the Extraordinary documents several legends concerning mysterious waters:

Yiyang County in Hunan has retained its name since the Qin dynasty. According to Geographical Records, the Yi River once flowed south of the county, though its course can no longer be traced today. North of the county town runs the Zi River, originating from Wugang County in Shaoling and flowing northeast into Dongting Lake. When standing in the county and gazing eastward, one could occasionally see with startling clarity the city walls of Changsha three hundred li away, along with the movement of people and horses. These visions would gradually dissipate at sunrise or midday. A local ballad goes: "Changsha and Yiyang, gazing across the void." Similar phenomena appear throughout history: when Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han performed the Fengshan sacrifices at Mount Tai, it was said that Xu Fu—sent by the First Emperor of Qin to seek elixirs at sea—had glimpsed Han palaces; likewise, when Ban Chao journeyed to the Western Regions, he reportedly saw Han palace structures amidst the clouds. Such occurrences defy conventional explanation.

One hundred twenty li west of Xinkang County lies Zhangpu Creek's deep pool, reputedly home to a white dragon. During droughts, locals would throw pig and sheep dung into the pool to summon torrential rains—a method that remains effective to this day.

Regarding the Qiantang River tides: Wu Zixu, a minister of Wu, was executed for remonstrating with the king. Before death, he instructed his son to hang his head on the city gate to witness Yue's conquest of Wu, wrapping his corpse in catfish skin before casting it into the river. Thereafter, the Qiantang tides became ferocious, with waves reaching hundreds of feet, roaring like thunder twice daily. Some claimed to see Wu Zixu standing atop the tidal bore in a white horse-drawn chariot, leading to temple constructions in his honor. A temple to Wu Zixu also stands by the Fei River in Luzhou, where similar twice-daily tidal phenomena occur.

The waters of the Fei River suddenly surged and swelled, rising until they reached the temple gates, the water level increasing by a foot and spreading over a width of more than ten zhang. This phenomenon lasted about the time it takes to eat a meal before subsiding. Folklore claims this event resonated in synchrony with the tidal bore of the Qiantang River.

During the Jinglong era of Emperor Zhongzong of Tang, a strange phenomenon appeared on the official road four hundred li west of Luoyang: the entire ground became like a reflective water surface, clearly mirroring people, horses, and trees. Observers could even bend down to examine these reflections, which persisted for over a month before vanishing.

Below Zhaotan Mountain lies a cold spring called Zhaotan, whose depths remain unfathomable. A local proverb states, "Zhaotan's depths cannot be seen, while Orange Isle floats upon the waters." Once when a boat capsized here, a bronze cooking vessel sank to the bottom, only to be later retrieved from Dongting Lake with its inscriptions still legible—leading to speculation about subterranean connections between the two waters. In a niche along the Xiang River lies a natural stone bed bearing a stone coffin with intact lid, its surface gleaming like bronze mirror, its mysteries remaining unsolved.

Seventy li southwest of Mount Lu stands the Yongquan (Gushing Spring) Temple, where Ge Xuan—the immortal Taiyi Xiangong and renowned Three Kingdoms-period Daoist—once practiced alchemy. During his cultivation here, he summoned springs to gush from rock crevices, flowing over a hundred li to merge with Xunyang Lake and irrigate vast farmlands. The area originally suffered from leech infestations until Ge Xuan carved talismanic inscriptions (fulu) at the spring mouth and performed rituals, after which no leeches appeared wherever the waters flowed. Later generations transferred engraved copies of these talismans to Yongquan Temple—though only traces remain at the original site, their efficacy persists.

In Chishui, Hanchuan, several mountain springs converge into a large pool whose outflow, within two to three hundred paces, becomes powerful enough to operate water-powered trip-hammers before forming a stream.

At Jiushi Palace—forty li west of Fangzhou's city walls—flows the Medicinal Water Spring. This temple stands upon a massive rock with only a single earthen well about two chi in diameter, maintaining a constant depth of three to four cun that neither dries nor overflows. Ancient legends tell of twin cranes perching on a cypress by the well to drink its waters. Locals who drink from it find ailments cured, while swords tempered with it become extraordinarily sharp. The twin cypresses still stand by the well. Built between Northern Wei and Northern Zhou dynasties near nine immortal caverns, the palace lies five li north of Tangkou Village where luxurious hot spring baths once flourished. During the tenure of the Prince of Luling, his beloved daughter...

To the northwest of Qingcheng County, about three li from Mianzhu, stands the Laojun Temple. Above its eastern gate flows a spring called the Horse-Trampled Spring, whose sweet waters never cease throughout the seasons—cool in spring and summer, warm in autumn and winter. Legend holds that this was where the Supreme Venerable Sovereign (Taishang Laojun, the highest Daoist deity) and the Celestial Sovereign (Tianzhen Huangren, an immortal) once discoursed on the Dao, and the spring was created by the hoofprint of Laojun’s steed.

Some two li south of the Zongxuan Temple on Mount Qingcheng rises a sheer cliff, five hundred chi in height, directly facing the temple. At its summit lies the Altar of Dao Transmission, said to be where the Perfected Lord Ning (Ning Zhenjun) once imparted Daoist methods to the Yellow Emperor (Xuanyuan Huangdi). Below the cliff, in a stone niche at the base of a stream, an image of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (Tang Xuanzong) is enshrined. Miraculously, water spontaneously wells from the cliff face at two-hour intervals (according to the ancient timekeeping system), a phenomenon that persists to this day and is witnessed by pilgrims and travelers alike.

During Emperor Yao’s reign, five celestial treasures descended from heaven. Among them was the essence of Earth, which fell at the foot of Gucheng Mountain. This essence transformed into an old man on the Yiqiao Bridge, who bestowed a military treatise upon Zhang Liang (a strategist of the Han dynasty), declaring that mastery of its contents would make him a teacher to emperors. The old man—later revealed to be Lord Yellow Stone (Huang Shigong)—instructed Zhang Liang to seek him again at Gucheng Mountain. After aiding Liu Bang to victory, Zhang Liang indeed found a yellow stone there. In retirement at Shang Mountain, Zhang Liang studied the Dao with the "Four Elders of Shang Mountain" (four recluses). When he passed away, his family interred his ceremonial attire alongside the yellow stone. Diviners often observed a yellow qi (energy) several zhang high above the tomb, until the Red Eyebrows rebels (a late Western Han uprising) desecrated it. The body vanished, the stone disappeared, and the yellow qi ceased forever.

The essence of the Year Star (Jupiter) fell upon Jing Mountain, transforming into a sublime piece of jade—azure when viewed sideways, white when seen head-on. Discovered by Bian He and presented to the King of Chu, it later passed to Zhao before being acquired by Qin Shi Huang. After unifying the realm, he had it carved into the Imperial Seal, with Li Si (the Qin chancellor) inscribing it in small seal script, making it a dynastic heirloom. Some traditions identify this as the essence of the Great Horn Star (another name for Jupiter).

The essence of the Fire Star (Mars) plunged into the South Sea, becoming a luminous pearl over a chi in diameter, which occasionally rises to the water’s surface.

A radiant light appeared over the sea, illuminating hundreds of miles, with crimson clouds stretching across the sky. People now call that place the "Pearl Pool" or "Pearl Cliff," and such marvels occasionally reappear there to this day.

The essence (Jing) of Venus (Taibai Star) descended west of Guifeng Peak in the Zhongnan Mountains, hence the name "Mount Taibai." This essence transformed into white stones resembling fine jade, often shrouded in purple clouds. During the Tianbao era of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Xuanzong built the Xuanyuan Temple in Daningli, Chang'an (the former residence of Prince Linzi), intending to sculpt a statue of the Supreme Laozi (Xuanyuan Emperor). In a dream, a divine being instructed him: "In the northern valley of Mount Taibai lies jade suitable for carving—where the purple Qi gathers." The next day, envoys were sent into the valley, where local villagers reported that purple mist had lingered for nearly ten days. Beneath the mist, they unearthed the jade, which was carved into a statue of Laozi over two zhang tall, along with two statues of perfected beings (Zhenren), two attendant youths, and six-foot-tall statues of Li Linfu and Chen Xilie.

The essence (Jing) of Mercury (Chen Star) descended in Liugu Valley, Zhangye Commandery, transforming into a massive black boulder over one zhang wide and three chi tall. By the late Eastern Han Dynasty, faint patterns began to appear on the stone. During the Qinglong era of the Cao Wei Dynasty, it suddenly emitted a thunderous roar audible from a hundred li away, stood upright on its own, and developed white veins forming images of oxen, horses, and immortals, as well as jade rings, pendants, and inscribed symbols—omens later fulfilled by the Sima clan's founding of the Jin Dynasty (fulfilling the prophecy of the Metal phase in the Five Phases).

During the reign of Emperor Yao, when the celestial Dao (Tian Dao) reached the exhaustion of solar Qi and terrestrial Qi peaked in extreme Yin, coinciding with the convergence of a 960-year cosmic cycle, the Jia Shen year was destined for catastrophic floods. Thus, the Five Planets descended their essences, and the sun and moon displayed anomalies—all signs of cosmic upheaval.

In the summer of the Gengwu year (910 CE), the tenth year of the Tianfu era, a meteorite fell in front of Zhaoxian Temple at the foot of Yuewang Mountain in Hongzhou, producing a thunderous noise and radiating multicolored light spanning ten zhang. The glow and sound were witnessed across the borders of Yuanzhou, Jizhou, Jiangzhou, and Hongzhou. For over a month, five-colored mist lingered before the temple. The bluish-green meteorite measured seven to eight chi in length and over three chi in circumference, translucent like jade. Military Governor Liu Wei ordered it moved into Zhaoxian Temple, where purification rituals (Zhaijiao) were performed to give thanks and seek blessings. After seven days, the stone shrank to three chi; after further rituals, it diminished to just over one chi. Today, only a seven- or eight-inch fragment remains enshrined in the temple.

Fifty li south of Jiangzhou (modern Jiujiang) lies an inn called "Seven-Mile Lodge" on the southern bank of Snake River.

On a small hill there lay a bluish stone with a hard and fine-grained texture. Folklore claimed that precious pearls were hidden within it. Every Mid-Autumn Festival, a dozen or so pearls could be seen darting about like shooting stars, sometimes gathering, sometimes scattering. The stone often emitted light, and legend held that these priceless pearls were concealed inside. Occasionally, someone would catch sight of them and secretly mark the location, but upon returning, they could never be found again.

In Kuaiji (modern-day Shaoxing, Zhejiang), a jinshi (successful candidate in the imperial examinations) named Li Tiao once picked up a small bluish-black stone. Its surface was smooth, warm, and polished, so he used it as a paperweight. One day, a fly landed on it and refused to leave. Upon closer inspection, the fly had already turned to stone. When he tested it with other insects, they too petrified instantly, their shells becoming hard and heavy, indistinguishable from the stone itself.

In the mountain pavilion of Wuzhou’s Yongkang County (modern-day Yongkang, Zhejiang), there stood a withered pine tree. When it was chopped down, a section accidentally fell into the water and immediately turned to stone. When the parts that hadn’t yet petrified were submerged, they too transformed instantly. The petrified sections retained the exact appearance of pine branches and bark, only now they were solid stone. Some partially petrified broken branches were deliberately preserved as curiosities for display.

In the mountains of Mianzhou’s Changming County (modern-day Jiangyou, Sichuan), across an area of about twenty li, lay vast piles of broken porcelain incense burners. Each piece was roughly two inches wide—some intact, others shattered—in numbers beyond counting.

In the fields of Hongzhou’s Jianchang County (modern-day Yongxiu, Jiangxi), numerous naturally formed stone steles, stone figures, and stone tortoises lay scattered in great numbers. These carvings all appeared exquisitely crafted, yet bore no inscriptions. Most of the stone figures lay toppled, though a few stood upright. Nearby, there was also a stone well, deep but dry. When curious onlookers ventured inside with torches, they discovered side passages running horizontally, their destinations unknown, with stone figures lining both sides.

Regarding the auspicious stone of Changsong: When Li Xiyu served as Governor of Liangzhou, a naturally formed stone bearing 110 characters was discovered in the Qin Changsong region. The text roughly spoke of "the High Emperor arising from the sea," mentioning phrases such as "Li Jiu Wang, the Eight Thousand-Year Peaceful Son of Heaven, Li Shimin," "the Thousand-Year Crown Prince Zhi’s writings," as well as "Yanshan’s Master Shang Wang’e," "Commander Weng Tong of the Ancient Great King," and auspicious lines like "Five Kings, Seven Kings, Ten Phoenix-Talented Scholars," and "Martial and Civil Virtues, the Grand Sage of Zhenguan." It concluded with phrases like "All under heaven, loyalty and filial piety lead to good governance." The court dispatched Liu Cheng, a senior official from the Ministry of Rites, to verify the matter posthaste, and it was confirmed to be true.

At the former site of Jingyun Temple in Xinbei City (near modern-day Nanjing, Jiangsu), there once stood a massive boulder, larger than a pillar base.

This passage records several strange tales about mystical stones. In the mountain pavilion of Jinyuan County, Shu Prefecture, there are two large stones, each about two feet in diameter, protruding seven or eight inches above the ground. Anyone who sits on them suddenly feels a burning sensation in their chest, which then leads to severe illness or even death. Local elders say that if these stones are burned with fire, Mount Qutang will roar, and the river water will boil.

Another account describes a stone five or six feet long and three feet high in the riverbank near Zhenjing Army, which produces a bell-like sound when struck. Military Commissioner Liu Shijian once transported a bluish round stone that emitted tones like chimes when tapped. When the riverbank in Wu Prefecture collapsed, a stone drum was revealed—though striking it produced no sound. Later, following Zhang Hua’s suggestion, a fish-shaped carving was made from Sichuanese tung wood to strike it, and the sound indeed carried for miles.

Shi Hu, ruler of the Later Zhao dynasty, once attempted to build a bridge at Lingchang Ford. During construction, workers encountered a bizarre phenomenon: no matter their size, stones thrown into the water would drift away with the current. Despite expending over five million man-days of labor, the bridge remained unfinished. When a jade disc was offered to the river during a ritual, it soon floated back to shore. Shortly after, an earthquake struck, collapsing the riverside towers and killing more than a hundred people.

The final tale recounts an extraordinary encounter by monks from Tiantai Mountain. During the Qianfu era, several monks discovered a cave in Linhai County. At first, the path was narrow and muddy, but after traveling over ten li, they unexpectedly came upon a bustling marketplace indistinguishable from the human world. The monks who insisted on eating ordinary food later turned to stone, while those who practiced breath-swallowing techniques (a Daoist Qi (vital energy) cultivation method) survived and emerged to find themselves at the shores of Muping. This story subtly conveys the Daoist principle of "avoiding grains and consuming Qi," suggesting that consuming mundane food obstructs practitioners from entering or leaving spiritual realms.

The eighth volume of the Records of the Extraordinary documents several remarkable tombs associated with ancient legends. Chenzhou (modern Huaiyang, Henan) was the homeland of the mythical sovereign Taihao Fuxi. Within its eastern gate stood a temple dedicated to Fuxi and Nüwa. In the temple's southeastern corner stood an Eight Trigrams (Bagua) altar, while its southwestern corner housed an ancient tree root cavity known as the "Ocean Eye." Objects dropped into this cavity produced no sound of landing, and during droughts, throwing gold or silver vessels into it was believed to summon rain. This site also served as an imperial sacrificial ground. Adjacent to the cavity stood a Dragon Hall, and outside the city lay Fuxi's tomb, cast with molten iron and locally called the "Old Couple's Tomb." It was said that touching it would invite misfortune. Historical records note that Chenzhou repeatedly repelled bandit attacks, a phenomenon attributed to the protective power of Fuxi's tomb.

In Shangyong, Fangzhou (modern Zhushan, Hubei), another Fuxi-Nüwa temple marked the legendary site where the deities molded humans from clay. A small island in the Yellow River bore ancient trees that miraculously escaped flooding—believed to mark Nüwa's tomb. During the Dali era (766–779) of the Tang dynasty, this tomb mysteriously vanished after days of storms, thunder, and lightning.

Pingyu County, Caizhou (modern Pingyu, Henan) housed the "Immortal Maiden's Tomb," purportedly built by Dong Zhongshu as a cenotaph for his mother. Legend holds that Dong Yong (Zhongshu's father) originally dwelled at Mount Xuan, and Zhongshu later constructed this tomb out of maternal longing. When the late-Tang warlord Qin Zongquan, hearing rumors of hidden celestial scriptures and divine talismans (Fulu) within the tomb, sent troops to excavate it, sixty consecutive days of torrential rain ensued, triggering a catastrophic famine in Huaixi.

The tomb of Wu Rui in Changsha stood eighty-one meters high with a perimeter of 1,800 meters. During the Three Kingdoms period, a visitor meeting Wu Gang (Wu Rui's seventh-generation descendant) exclaimed in astonishment: "In the third year of Huangchu (222 CE), I witnessed the looting of Wu Rui's tomb in Changsha—the corpse appeared lifelike, and you resemble him uncannily." He further revealed that the tomb had yielded numerous jade artifacts. This account vividly portrays the scale of the Han-dynasty Changsha King's burial, the hereditary resemblance of his descendants, and the remarkable preservation of the corpse.

Here are several accounts of strange occurrences related to ancient tombs:

Sun Jian's temple housed certain artifacts. The tombs of the Han Dynasty's Changsha Ding King and his mother Lady Tang each stood thirteen zhang (about 40 meters) high, with a circumference of three li (about 1.5 km), spaced three zhang apart.

In Xuancheng Dangtu County's southeastern Heng Mountain, eight massive ancient tombs stood at its base. During Emperor Xizong's Qianfu era (874-879 CE), grave robbers opened one tomb, lowering a man with seventy connected silk ropes, only to be driven away by swarms of black wasps. Legend identifies this as the tomb of Tao Guangzhou, though the exact identity and era remain unknown.

Before the Hongzhou (modern Nanchang) government office grew a soapberry tree so large it required multiple people to embrace its trunk, where no birds dared perch. For centuries, locals believed touching it invited immediate retribution, making officials avoid conducting business in the main hall. When Governor Li Xian insisted on felling it, thousands of crows created an uproar. Suspecting something beneath, Li ordered excavation, uncovering a grand tomb with a stele identifying it as the burial of Guo Pu (the Jin Dynasty's renowned occultist), which prophesied: "After five hundred years, a grave robber named Li Xian will come." Calculations showed exactly five centuries had passed from the Eastern Jin to Emperor Wenzong's Tang era.

Later, when Zhong Chuan governed Hongzhou, soldiers dismantled tomb bricks for city walls. Zhong dreamed of a long-necked man in ancient attire resembling Confucius' disciple Zilu protesting the act. Investigation revealed the tomb of Master Ziyu thirty-one paces southeast of the city, which was promptly restored with a protective pavilion.

These accounts reflect ancient reverence for tombs, prevalent fengshui beliefs, and karmic retribution concepts. The prophetic inscription in Guo Pu's tomb and Master Ziyu's dream protest bear distinct zhiguai (records of the strange) literary characteristics.

The Records of the Extraordinary documents several strange tales related to ancient tombs:

The first account concerns the tomb of Tantai Mieming (courtesy name Ziyu, a disciple of Confucius). This man from Wucheng, though physically unattractive, was known for his integrity and prudence. Logically, he should have no connection to Yuzhang Commandery, yet his tomb mysteriously appears there.

The second record describes the massive tomb of General Xu Jing located seven or eight li west of Yanqiu Gate in Chengdu. Local farmers discovered that any livestock or people who trespassed upon this grave would suffer misfortune. Later, when the imperial court established a military camp in the area, most surrounding tombs were destroyed—yet Xu Jing's remained untouched, as no one dared disturb it. Xu Jing had risen to the position of Grand Minister of Works in the Former Shu regime.

The third narrative recounts events near Nanbao Temple in Baocun Village, south of Shangyu County, Yuezhou: A traveler resting beneath a tree on Hengling Ridge encountered an old man who pointed to a roadside grave and declared, "If this were a man's tomb, it would be unremarkable. But as it belongs to a woman who bore children, her descendants will surely rise to the Three Excellencies." Investigation revealed this to be the tomb of Zheng Zhu's mother from the Tang dynasty. Zheng Zhu was actually the illegitimate child of a temple attendant and villager named Shi Sheng, later adopted by an itinerant monk surnamed Zheng. After mastering medicine and esoteric arts, and receiving guidance from a Daoist adept, he eventually became Military Commissioner of Fengxiang—though he was later executed for crimes.

The text adds that during the late Xiantong era of Tang, when Fengxiang officials interrogated tomb robbers, the thieves confessed to plundering ancient graves across the region north of Xianyang and east of Qishan for thirty years, providing detailed accounts of their looted treasures.

Descending over thirty feet along the passageway of an ancient tomb, tomb raiders encountered a stone door. As they pried it open with tools, arrows suddenly shot out continuously from within, over a hundred in total before ceasing. After forcing the door open, the first intruder was immediately struck down by whirling blades. Inside, they found over a dozen wooden mechanical figures brandishing swords that spun rapidly like wind, making approach impossible. The thieves managed to jam the mechanisms with wooden poles, halting the rotating blades. Only after removing all the swords could they enter the burial chamber.

The chamber was neatly arranged with drapes and cushions, illuminated by a bright lacquered lamp. Wooden figurines of concubines hovered over ten feet above the ground, while a leather-wrapped coffin hung suspended by iron chains in the center. When struck with wood, the coffin triggered a sudden downpour of sand, flooding the chamber in moments. By the time the sand settled, it had accumulated over two feet deep, rendering further entry impossible. The identity of the tomb’s occupant remains unknown.

In another ancient tomb on the Xianyang Plain, raiders discovered two peculiar mirrors. The front reflected normally, but when viewed from the back, the image appeared upside-down, with the figure’s clothing and hat perfectly intact.

Seven miles northeast of Anzhou stood a tomb over seventy feet tall, covering hundreds of paces, its occupant unidentified. Excavators found its chamber cast in raw iron, extending over ten feet deep without reaching the bottom.

A grand tomb over twenty miles east of the city took days to breach. Inside lay hundreds of gold hairpins, each weighing a hundred jin, alongside stone pedestals, ancient-style belts, and other treasures. When a thief took one belt, water suddenly surged forth, flooding the chamber and sealing the tunnel. The robbers presented a pair of stone lions to Governor Wu Sikong, who that night dreamed of a man in ancient attire, accompanied by attendants, introducing himself as Southern Barbarian Duke Wu. He pleaded for his fellow clansman, the governor, to repair his violated tomb, prophesying the thieves would die maddened. True to the vision, over thirty raiders succumbed to madness and death. This occurred in the third year of Emperor Zhaozong’s Qianning era (896 CE), during the tenure of Li Shitai, Governor of Shu Prefecture, as Military Advisor and Minister of Works.

This passage records several strange tales related to ancient tombs:

West of Gong Shitai's residence near the northern gate of Jinpuli in Chengdu stood the Temple of Li Bing. To the north, the terrain gradually rose into a hill extending southwestward to connect with the temple. When excavating five or six feet below the northern hall, workers discovered a massive brick tomb of remarkable solidity. Outside the brickwork, they unearthed dozens of gold coins. Each coin weighed seventeen to eighteen zhu (an ancient weight unit), measuring about 1.7-1.8 inches in diameter. These coin-shaped objects had no central hole, featuring raised decorative borders about 0.2 inches wide, with twenty-one foreign characters inscribed on both sides. The edges were thin as knife blades. The supervisor took two coins to report to the Minister over the Masses (a high official position), who sent them to me at Yunxi Residence on Mount Qingcheng for examination. Reportedly, over one dan (about 100 liters) of such coins were found, but the Minister ordered the tomb resealed without further excavation. Though the tomb owner remains unknown, judging from the terrain, it should be located a hundred paces south of the Stone Bamboo Shoots landmark, which apparently served as the tomb's marker. Thereafter, the site became notoriously haunted, deterring trespassers. Later, the Shu ruler converted it into a dragon deity shrine, building a small eastern chamber as the Dragon Hall. Lord Li's (possibly Li Bing) refusal to disturb tombs or covet gold exemplified ancient sages' noble virtue.

Another account: In the Yihai year of Yongping (specific year uncertain), people from Kaifeng excavated the tomb of Prince Cao Gao (Tang dynasty royalty), removing stone figures, sheep, and horses among other burial objects. When opening the coffin—which appeared intact—it instantly turned to ashes, leaving no remains except some gold artifacts. Before the coffin stood a three-foot-wide silver basin filled with clear water, containing a three-foot-tall jade child figurine. Remarkably, after over two hundred years, the water level hadn't decreased, confirming geomancers' saying: "Jade in tombs keeps vegetation lush; excess gold parches plants."

Lastly, Fengcheng County of Hongzhou (present-day Fengcheng, Jiangxi), originally south of the Gan River, was where official Lei Huan discovered legendary swords during the Jin dynasty. After the Huang Chao Rebellion, frequent conflicts left the county vulnerable to raids from Fuzhou. Commissioner Tang Bao relocated the county seat northward to Chigang by the river, building defensive walls along steep cliffs. During construction, numerous ancient tombs were disturbed, causing the densely populated market area to become haunted by towering, fearsome vengeful ghosts.

[Note: The text incorporates Daoist geomancy concepts—the "jade moistens, gold withers" theory reflects unique Daoist burial feng shui beliefs, while the "vengeful ghost" phenomenon warns against disturbing ancestral rest.]

This account documents a peculiar case of supernatural disturbances. During the Tang Dynasty in a certain county, whenever Magistrate Tang (the local official) was in office, the people lived in peace. But each time Magistrate Tang traveled to the prefectural seat or temporarily left his post, ghosts and demons would run rampant without restraint. Upon his return, order would immediately be restored.

Later, when Magistrate Tang was transferred and replaced by Magistrate Zha, the same pattern emerged—the spirits showed fearful obedience during his tenure, mirroring the situation under Magistrate Tang. Yet the moment Magistrate Zha left temporarily, the hauntings would recommence. After several years, the county eventually fell into complete ruin.

When people later returned to the abandoned site, they discovered the government office halls were particularly uninhabitable. Once, when over a thousand refugee households from a neighboring prefecture temporarily sheltered there, nearly all perished. Every night, spectral manifestations would appear causing havoc. Some suspected these were restless corpses (fushi gui)—spirits of improperly buried or wronged dead from ancient graves—though their exact historical origins remained unverifiable.

(Note: The term "government office" refers to ancient administrative buildings, while "restless corpse ghosts" denote haunting spirits of those who died unjustly or received improper burials—a common category of supernatural beings in Daoist texts.)