《玄天上帝啟聖錄》Vol. 2

During the reign of Empress Wu Zetian in the Tang Dynasty, Pei Tao, a Vice-Minister of the Chancellery (equivalent to a chancellor), submitted a memorial recounting: Some time ago, I was appointed as magistrate of Xijiao County. One night, I suddenly dreamed that the Supreme Venerable Sovereign (Taishang Laojun, the highest deity in Daoism) entered my chamber and warned that the Tang Dynasty would soon face calamity due to treacherous ministers disrupting governance. A celestial general from the north named Zhenwu (the Perfected Warrior, also known as Xuanwu the Great Emperor) was destined to descend to the mortal realm to resolve karmic debts from the Fourth Heavenly Cycle, and would be reborn into my family.

Later, my wife indeed gave birth to a son, whom we named Zhongfang. Recently, when the court suppressed the Western Fan rebellion and captured the rebel leader Zhao Hong along with two thousand bandits, and when the treacherous minister He Quanlong was exposed for conspiring with five hundred demonic youths to harm the people—these disasters were averted only because my son Zhongfang secretly intervened. He has now been enfeoffed as the Divine Response General, but having revealed celestial secrets, he can no longer remain in the mortal world.

One day, as my wife and I were speaking, Zhongfang suddenly opened his palms, revealing vermilion seal-script characters. Upon closer inspection, the left hand bore the character "Zhen" (真, "Perfected"), and the right "Wu" (武, "Warrior"). He then clenched his fists and never opened them again. After bathing and changing robes, he bid us farewell, explaining that henceforth, he would descend only on specific days each month to dispel calamities for virtuous people.

When I asked when we might meet again, he replied: "I return to the Northern Heavenly Palace. If you wish to see me, await me on these dates: the 7th day of the first month, the 8th and 9th of the third month, the 4th of the fourth month, the 5th of the fifth month, the 7th of the sixth month, the 7th of the seventh month, the 13th of the eighth month, the 9th of the ninth month, the 21st of the tenth month, the 7th of the eleventh month, and the 27th of the twelfth month." With these words, he sat cross-legged on the bed, grasped my hand, and vanished into the air.

Upon receiving the memorial, the court dispatched envoys with Daoist ceremonial regalia and incense to offer sacrifices at the Pei residence. But when they arrived, Zhongfang’s physical form had already disappeared, leaving only auspicious clouds swirling in the sky and the sound of celestial music. The emperor decreed that these dates be commemorated as the Perfected Warrior Great Emperor’s annual descents to the mortal realm.

This scripture recounts a Tang Dynasty tale about receiving divine response through devotion to Zhenwu the Great Emperor (a revered Daoist deity also known as Xuantian Shangdi).

In Langzhou (present-day Langzhong, Sichuan), there lived a scholar named Chen Yuyan who repeatedly failed the imperial examinations. At Qingcheng Mountain in Yizhou, he met the Daoist priest Jiao Zhiwei from Tiezhu Temple. The priest told him: "Though you possess great learning, your repeated failures stem from the underworld officials having no record of your scholarly merits. Nowadays, people revere Zhenwu the Great Emperor—if you worship him sincerely, blessings will surely follow." Chen worried whether it was too late to begin devotion, but the priest assured him that sincerity made any time the right time.

Upon returning home, Chen carefully painted a sacred image of Zhenwu on clean silk and enshrined it. On the fifth day of the fifth month (a significant Daoist festival called the "Heavenly Toxin Festival"), he followed the priest’s instructions, setting up an incense altar facing north outside his door and performing a hundred prostrations while burning spirit money. That night, he dreamed of himself wearing purple robes (the attire of high officials) with a golden belt, holding a register of all examination candidates—a clear omen of his impending success.

Later, Chen left for the capital to take the exams and vanished without a trace for ten years. When his wife, Lady Liu, reported his disappearance to the prefectural office, a messenger suddenly arrived with a leather case addressed to "Magistrate Chen of Panshen Alley in Langzhou, devotee of Zhenwu." Strangely, Panshen Alley had no such magistrate—only Chen Yuyan, the long-missing scholar. When the prefect Qian Yannian reviewed Lady Liu’s petition, he confirmed her husband was indeed this same Chen Yuyan.

Through Chen’s dream omen and his eventual rise to the rank of magistrate (a Tang official post), this story illustrates the miraculous power of Zhenwu’s divine response. The text mentions "auspicious days and hours," referring to specific religious festivals like the Heavenly Toxin Festival, when offerings to deities were believed to be especially potent.

Liu Shi was summoned to explain the circumstances, with officials gathering together and calling in her relatives as well. After burning incense, they opened the leather case and retrieved the documents inside, discovering they were written in Chen Yuyan’s own hand. The letter recounted how he had left home to take the imperial examinations in the capital but failed and suffered humiliation. Later, deceived by spirits, he mistakenly entered the Tianshou Cave on Boxi Mountain in the Western Capital. There, he encountered two blue-robed attendants bearing a golden register (Jinlu) from the Jade Emperor (the supreme deity in Daoism), who guided him to pay homage to the Great Emperor of the North Pole (the highest northern deity).

The Great Emperor of the North Pole appointed him as Vice Magistrate of the You Sheng Court under the True Warrior (Zhenwu), responsible for recording the good and evil deeds of mortals as well as their lifespans, and bestowed upon him a purple robe with a golden belt. Chen Yuyan took charge of the registers containing the names of all under heaven, and the True Warrior (Zhenwu, the Dark Warrior of the North and a key guardian deity in Daoism) told him: "Your mortal form has not yet been shed, and your cultivation is still incomplete." For the time being, he was assigned to serve under the Seven Northern Princes (Bei Yuan Qi Jun), overseeing the evaluation of celestial officials dispatched from various heavenly palaces, before returning to his post at the You Sheng Court. Thus, Chen Yuyan forgot to return home and failed to send word to his family.

Later, when the True Warrior inspected the mortal realm, he detected a surge of resentment rising from Langzhou and discovered it stemmed from Chen Yuyan’s wife and children, who resented not knowing whether he was alive or dead. Chen Yuyan pleaded with the True Warrior and was granted permission to personally write a letter home. The True Warrior dispatched a roaming deity on duty to disguise himself as a mortal and deliver the letter to the Langzhou authorities. In the letter, Chen urged his wife to remain chaste and manage the household well, instructing his children to devoutly offer incense to the True Warrior and never deceive the sacred. He wrote: "Though I wished to serve the nation, I repeatedly failed the examinations. Now that I hold office in the celestial court, I remain devoted to protecting the state and its people, and will secretly aid them. Fearing your longing, I write this letter myself to inform you."

Upon receiving the report from Langzhou, the imperial court concluded that although Chen Yuyan had no worldly achievements, he had attained office in the celestial realm while still harboring loyalty to the state, and had become an official under the True Warrior. Since the True Warrior was a deity revered by the imperial family, they ordered a seven-day ritual (Zhaijiao) to be held at the Yujin Garden, erecting an altar to thank the True Warrior. Additionally, they allocated three hundred strings of coins to support the virtuous deeds of Magistrate Chen’s wife and children, and established a "Shrine of Vice Magistrate Chen of the You Sheng Court" in a nearby temple, while also deliberating on the proper rituals and taboos for worship.

At that time, the Central Secretariat (Zhongshu Sheng), Chancellery (Menxia Sheng), and the Ministry of Rites of the Three Judicial Departments (San Si Libu) — key imperial institutions — jointly received an imperial decree ordering a comprehensive investigation into the documented miracles of Zhenwu the Great Emperor (a revered Daoist deity) in protecting the state and aiding the people. These accounts included both divine responses received by devotees who worshipped Zhenwu and spontaneously manifested supernatural events, totaling 104 verified cases.

The imperial palace is currently reconstructing the Hall of Zhenwu, featuring five grand gates, each with specific names: The central main gate is called "Xuan-du Da-di Gate" (symbolizing the supreme celestial realm). On the left side, the upper eastern gate is named "Fu-qing Xuan-zhen Gate," while the lower southern gate is titled "Yi-sheng Long-you Gate." On the right side, the upper western gate is designated "Yu-ci Jin-shou Gate," and the lower northern gate is named "Chang-sheng Guang-hua Gate."

Each gate serves distinct functions: The central gate records 31 cases of Zhenwu’s protection of the state and responses to gratitude; the eastern gate specializes in 13 military miracles aiding campaigns; the western gate oversees 16 rainmaking and weather-related manifestations; the southern gate documents 27 compassionate acts of healing and saving lives; and the northern gate compiles 17 emergency interventions averting floods and fires. Additionally, miraculous appearances of Zhenwu’s turtle-snake manifestations are systematically categorized under these five gates.

As the Hall of Zhenwu remains under construction, the compiled records have yet to be formally submitted. They will be presented during the consecration ceremony upon completion. Henceforth, on monthly festivals marking Zhenwu’s descent to the mortal realm, standard offerings must be made with the following taboos: Avoid using characters like "beg" (乞) or "thief" (贼) in written materials; summer offerings must exclude plums, while winter offerings forbid pomegranates; incense must not contain musk (unless in official households, where exceptions require special permission).

These regulations were codified in a memorial approved by the emperor. The current ceremonial protocol states: To honor the Upper Realm’s True Warrior Zhenwu Zhenjun for his worldly protection of the state, the court has constructed the Bao-ying Pavilion within the palace. It will house the 104 documented miracles, archived by significance and submitted to the Historiography Institute for compilation. All records are meticulously classified according to regionally reported categories.

This scripture records the detailed ritual regulations for the ancient Daoist sacrifice to Zhenwu Great Emperor, also known as Xuantian Shangdi. Its main contents are as follows.

Zhang Zigao, a ritual master at the Yuqing Zhaoying Palace on Mount Tai, submitted a fixed ritual procedure for sacrifices to the Zhenwu Perfected Lord. Zhenwu Great Emperor descends to the human world on specific dates each year, including the six Gengshen and six Jiazi days, the Three Primordial Festivals (Upper, Middle, and Lower Primordials), the Five La Days (the five important Daoist fast days), and the first day of each month.

For the sacrifice one must prepare a basin of well water drawn at dawn, in which willow branches have been soaked; one bright lamp or one pure candle; one cup each of jujube soup and clear tea; one of jianxiang, agarwood, frankincense, or sandalwood incense (but not incense containing musk, for fear of offending the deity); seasonal fruits and vegetarian offerings (in summer plums are prohibited, because this item is taboo in connection with the Perfected Lord’s removal of his crown and shoes; in winter pomegranates are not used, because before the Perfected Lord attained the Dao he killed the ghost king, and the pomegranate is associated with the separation of parents at Luofu Mountain); and a bundle of maoxiang incense.

Between the xu hour (7–9 p.m.) and the hai hour (9–11 p.m.), one should burn another stick of incense and prepare five hundred strings of paper money (cut from black paper into horse shapes; colored paper must not be used, lest taboo be violated), and write a prayer petition (ordinary people may not refer to themselves as “chen”). In addition, one should prepare five strings of paper money and one paper horse, and first burn them in the open air for the divine officials on duty.

It is especially emphasized that when burning paper money one must not use oiled paper to start the fire; otherwise the money will not be received by the Heavenly Court and the underworld, but will instead become “wax money” in the Yin administration of Mount Tai, the Eastern Peak, and be impounded. This ritual was officially examined and approved and was placed in Baoying Pavilion as a standard; princes and ministers at court who venerated Zhenwu Great Emperor all had to follow and implement it.

Later the text also records how Lü Dafang, Academician of the Longtu Pavilion, while on a mission to the Western Regions, encountered in a forest the peril of violent wind and rainstorm and raging waves that darkened the sky, alluding to an episode in which Zhenwu manifested his divine power and protected him.

This records a miraculous manifestation by Zhenwu Dadi (the Great Emperor of Perfect Warrior, a Daoist deity venerated as the Dark Warrior of the North). During the Song Dynasty, at the border region with the Western Fan (an ancient ethnic regime in the western territories), stood Qingluo Mountain within Song territory. This mountain frequently exhibited strange phenomena: sometimes emitting light, other times suddenly shrouded in mist with hail and rain. When locals from both sides went to gather firewood, they could hear divine voices speaking across the mountain.

A Song envoy named Lü Dafang was passing through the area during the Shangyuan Festival (an important Daoist holiday on the 15th of the first lunar month) while on a diplomatic mission to the Western Fan. The locals informed him this was precisely the day Zhenwu Dadi descended to earth. True enough, wind and rain blocked his path. After waiting for the storm to pass, Lü took incense to Qingluo Mountain to worship Zhenwu from afar. He prayed for a safe and successful mission, using divination blocks (an ancient fortune-telling tool) which yielded auspicious signs.

When Lü later met with King Li Chengye of the Western Fan—despite previous borderland disputes, particularly over 2,000 acres along the upper Fan River which the Western Fan had tried to seize from Song settlers—the negotiations proceeded with unexpected ease. More miraculously, during his return journey, Western Fan officials like Zhang Yanzu escorted Lü for fifteen li when suddenly five-colored flower petals rained from the sky. Those caught in vessels transformed into sweet dew tasting like fragrant cheese before dissolving into red light.

Upon returning to Qingluo Mountain to give thanks, Lü found out-of-season mountain flowers blooming extravagantly—even plucked branches blossomed anew in his hands. Reporting these wonders to the emperor, the court dispatched Daoist priests with golden dragon jade tablets (ritual implements used in Daoist ceremonies) to consecrate the site as "Zhenwu's Sacred Site of Divine Descent," constructing a temple there. To this day, locals recount legends of Zhenwu's apparition: "Clad in golden armor and black robes, thirty zhang tall, with tortoise-serpent attendants before him and black banners waving behind."

In the second year of the Zhihe era (1055 CE, under Emperor Renzong of Song), on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, the imperial court established a special ritual altar (a Daoist sacrificial ceremony) to pray for blessings. During this period, slaughtering livestock was prohibited, prisoners were granted leniency, and the rituals continued for forty-nine days. The emperor observed fasting in the inner palace, changed into plain garments, and participated in the ceremonies morning and evening.

On the third day of the eighth month, an unexpected mist arose in the front hall, and officials present witnessed a complete set of golden armor materializing within the mist, filling the entire hall. As the mist gradually dispersed, a divine foot was revealed, retreating toward the northwest and vanishing.

By the eighth day of the eighth month, when the rituals concluded, accounts of the divine manifestation of Zhenwu the Great Emperor (an important Daoist deity, also known as the Dark Emperor of Heaven) had spread widely. To express reverence, the court decided to convert the Xuanzhen Hall within the palace into a Zhenwu Hall. However, the Ministry of Rites found that the original hall was grand in scale and had been bestowed by a previous emperor, making its direct conversion ritually improper. Considering that the Taiqing Lingdu Temple in Bozhou was the sacred site where Laozi (the Daoist patriarch) descended, and since Laozi was Zhenwu’s master, it was ultimately decided to relocate the palace’s Zhenwu statue there.

On the first day of the tenth month, the withered junipers and cypresses in the Lingdu Temple suddenly sprouted fresh branches and leaves, flourishing as if in spring. Local officials sealed and presented the new leaves to the court. The emperor then ordered the statue to be temporarily enshrined in the Jingling Palace. Unexpectedly, ten days later, the emperor fell ill. That night, he dreamed of a yellow-clad warrior who identified himself as a guardian of the Lingdu Temple, sent by Zhenwu to remind him of the Mandate of Heaven. The next day, ministers including Pang Ji submitted memorials advising the strengthening of blessing rituals.

The court first summoned the Dongyue Daoist Wu Zhengyan to perform rites, but without effect. Then, the Nanyue Daoist Wang Bochu was summoned to petition for the protection of the Great Emperor of the Northern Dipper and Purple Tenuity. Finally, following the precedent set during the Huangyou era (1049–1054) of Emperor Renzong on the fifth day of the fifth month, the Ministry of Rites collaborated with the Three Departments (financial institutions) to draft a plan. Officials were dispatched to escort the Zhenwu statue to the Lingdu Temple for temporary enshrinement, while Bozhou was ordered to construct a new hall. The miraculous revival of the withered trees at the Lingdu Temple was later regarded as an auspicious sign of Zhenwu’s divine manifestation.

This account describes two miraculous events during Emperor Renzong's reign of the Song Dynasty involving manifestations of Zhenwu the Great Emperor (the Daoist deity of the Northern Dark Warrior).

The first occurred when Emperor Renzong was performing rituals at the Jingling Palace. Suddenly, the northern heavenly gate opened, revealing beams of red light, and a golden-armored divine general (Zhenwu the Great Emperor) appeared, dragging one leg as he slowly passed through the sky. A young attendant in blue robes then guided the emperor back to the palace. Later, it was learned that Princess Jingguo had just been born at that moment—Zhenwu had manifested to ensure her safe delivery. In gratitude, the emperor ordered the construction of a shrine dedicated to Zhenwu within the palace. Three days later, the same blue-robed attendant appeared in a dream, revealing that the princess was destined to live only twelve years (one cycle in the Chinese calendar). True to the prophecy, the princess passed away at thirteen. To commemorate this event, Emperor Renzong had the Yingzhen Pavilion built at the Jingling Palace, enshrining a statue of Zhenwu, and appointed officials to oversee the annual incense offerings.

The second event dates back to the reign of Emperor Taizong. Officials such as Fu Bi submitted memorials recounting that after Emperor Taizong had constructed the Beiji Sisheng Temple (a temple dedicated to the four divine generals under the Northern Pole Purple Subtlety Emperor), he dreamed one night that one of the generals (Zhenwu) came to express gratitude. Zhenwu explained that the other three generals, accompanied by ghostly troops and celestial tigers and dragons, feared disturbing the emperor, so he alone had come to bid farewell. Upon waking, Emperor Taizong recorded the dream and personally inspected the Sisheng Temple the next day. He later ordered the construction of an additional shrine within the imperial palace.

These two incidents reflect the Song imperial family's deep veneration for Zhenwu the Great Emperor, whom they believed manifested to protect the royal house. Thus, they established shrines in gratitude for his divine virtue (De). The description of Zhenwu "dragging one leg" is a defining characteristic of his iconography—Daoist tradition holds that during his spiritual cultivation, he relinquished one leg as a sign of his unwavering resolve.

This account describes the miraculous manifestations of Zhenwu the Great Emperor (Xuantian Shangdi, the revered Daoist deity of the Northern Heaven) assisting in battle. General Di Qing's family had enshrined Zhenwu in their sacred hall named "Xuanzhen Hall" for over fifty years. Zhenwu the Great Emperor once descended in human form to help Di Qing suppress rebellions: first aiding him in defeating the million-strong armies of Western Xia's Li Jiqian and Zhao Yuanhao, then assisting in quelling the 100,000 mountain bandits led by Southern barbarian Nong Zhigao. The divine mask Di Qing wore in battle bore striking resemblance to Zhenwu's countenance, and all victories were attributed to the deity's possession.

Upon learning of this, the imperial court granted Di Qing special permission to enter the palace with twenty-eight soldiers wearing bronze-yellow masks, their hair loose and feet bare—precisely matching Zhenwu's manifestations: red headbands across foreheads, armored bodies draped in black robes, holding yamen sabers. Chancellor Han Qi noticed one radiant horseman with a green turtle and red snake (Zhenwu's sacred emblems) swimming before his steed, vanishing moments later. When the emperor inquired about Di Qing's position, he was found standing exactly ten places to the right of the luminous figure, confirming this as an auspicious sign of Zhenwu's manifestation.

On the fifth day of the fifth month during the Zhihe era (1055 CE), the court erected an altar for a grand ritual summoning Zhenwu. That day, a two-foot-four-inch red snake appeared in the Di family shrine, coiling at the hall entrance. When presented on a ceremonial plate, it vanished like lightning amid thunderclaps and dark mist.

Another record describes marvels at Bianjing's Four Saints Temple (dedicated to the guardian deities Tianpeng, Tianyou, Heisha, and Zhenwu). Originally converted from Emperor Taizu's altar, during rituals turtles and snakes emerged beneath murals to nest in ground cavities. Emperor Taizong specially placed jade plates at these openings, thereafter serving as portals for the creatures' auspicious appearances. On the twenty-seventh of the third month during the Kangding era (1040 CE), another divine response occurred (text fragmentary). These accounts emphasize Zhenwu's martial divinity protecting the nation, with turtle-snake manifestations serving as sacred symbols.

This account records several miraculous manifestations of Xuantian Shangdi (also known as Zhenwu Dadi, the Perfect Warrior Emperor).

The first episode describes auspicious signs when Zhenwu descended at the Four Saints Temple: a turtle and snake appeared to welcome the sacred presence, remaining for about two hours. Coincidentally, frontier defenses had just reported a victory where general Di Qing successfully quelled the rebellion of Western Xia's Zhao Yuanhao. The turtle and snake seemed to listen for the victory report, only returning to their cave after the emperor finished reading the memorial. In recognition, the emperor specially increased temple offerings and conferred upon the turtle and snake the title "Vanguard of the Sacred Image."

Next is recounted a miraculous event during the Tianxi era when Western Xia envoy He Sui came bearing tribute: during a standoff between Song and Xia armies, a mysterious apothecary suddenly appeared selling "wind medicine for injured sinews and broken bones." The thirty thousand soldiers who took it all collapsed with limp limbs. Simultaneously, a Daoist priest sold medicine allowing men and horses to go without hunger for three days, helping the Song army survive a provisions crisis. The Western Xia people consequently spread rumors that the Song had received protection from Zhenwu Zhenjun of the Northern Pole.

After consulting Zhenwu's hagiography, Western Xia authorities learned this deity was an incarnation of the Great Clarity Golden Tower Perfected Being, serving as Northern Pole celestial general protecting the Song dynasty. They dispatched envoys requesting Zhenwu's sacred image and worship rituals. After deliberation, the Song court ordered the Imperial Painting Academy to create a standing portrait of Zhenwu (deliberately omitting the turtle and snake) modeled after the imperial ancestral temple style, accompanied by ritual instructions. Unaware of this subtlety, the Western Xia king believed he received the complete sacred image and began devout worship, sending tribute missions every three years, restoring border peace.

Finally, the account mentions Academician Qian of the Duaming Palace witnessing Zhenwu's auspicious manifestations while serving in Shaanzhou. These events were all regarded as clear evidence of Zhenwu Dadi's earthly manifestations protecting the nation and its people.

This account in the Xuantian Shangdi Qisheng Lu (Record of the Revelation of Sageliness by the Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heaven) tells the story of the rise and decline of Tianqing Abbey, a Daoist temple in Shanzhou during the Northern Song period. At the time, Tianqing Abbey had over a thousand Daoist priests, and its kitchens supplied meals for nearly fifteen hundred people each day. Incense offerings were thriving, and the abbey was maintained mainly by income from oracle lots at the Zhenwu Sacred Pavilion and by incense donations in its halls.

This Zhenwu Pavilion had an extraordinary origin. When Emperor Taizu Zhao Kuangyin attacked Tong Pass during the Kaibao era (968–976), the Great Emperor Zhenwu (Zhenwu Dadi) once manifested spiritually to protect the imperial person—legend has it that he revealed an astronomical portent that helped the Song army cross the Yellow River—and the emperor therefore had the pavilion specially built to repay this grace. Later, however, incense offerings gradually dwindled, the kitchens and storehouses fell into disuse, and even the Zhenwu Pavilion was left untended.

The abbot, the Daoist Liu Yinzhen, explained that during Emperor Taizong’s reign the old Taizu regulations were still followed, and on the Great Emperor Zhenwu’s birthday an additional 120 strings of cash were allocated to hold ritual assemblies (fahui). But by Emperor Zhenzong’s time, because the military situation in the northwest was urgent, this funding ceased. As a result, the priests left one after another to wander as itinerant Daoists, no one came any longer to draw lots or seek divination, and the temple’s finances became even more difficult.

The turning point came one day when a turtle and a snake suddenly appeared coiling beneath the Zhenwu Pavilion—the turtle and snake being divine beasts of the Great Emperor Zhenwu’s manifestation. Knowledgeable people said this was an auspicious sign. Just as the priests were preparing to memorialize the court and request that funding be restored, they suddenly received an imperial edict ordering local officials to verify the current condition of Tianqing Abbey. It turned out that a Zhenren (Perfected Being) wearing a golden crown and purple robe—implicitly a manifestation of the Great Emperor Zhenwu—had appeared to the emperor in a dream, saying that the priests of Tianqing Abbey were living in hardship and hoping the court would remember the old Taizu regulations and grant relief.

In the end the emperor decreed that funding be restored according to the standards of Taizu’s time, that the former priests be summoned back to the abbey to cultivate, and that a grand ritual assembly lasting three days and three nights be held to thank the true spirit. This miracle story displays the faith in the Great Emperor Zhenwu as protector of the state and benefactor of the people, and it also reflects the dependence of Song dynasty temple economies on court patronage.

In Yizhou there lived a painter named Sun Hengfu, renowned for his masterful ink-wash depictions of Zhenwu the Perfected Warrior (Xuantian Shangdi, the Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heaven venerated in Daoism). One day, five wandering Daoist priests suddenly arrived, claiming to reside at Huashan's Yuntai Temple and requesting a portrait of Zhenwu based on a sample they brought.

Sun was puzzled: "My family has been famous for generations in painting Zhenwu—why use another model?" The priests replied, "Though your paintings are excellent, you've never seen the true form." They left money for silk and arranged to collect the painting on the seventh day of the next month. When the day came, the five priests arrived empty-handed, asking only for brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone, then instructed Sun to turn away. Suddenly, radiant light filled the room as the five revealed their celestial forms amid clouds:

Most striking was a figure bathed in crimson light—disheveled hair, bare feet, clad in golden armor and black robes, wielding a long whip astride a white horse with a blue mane, his countenance both majestic and handsome. This was Zhenwu's true form during his celestial patrols. The other four included: Tian Gang and Di Sha (Daoist guardian generals), one holding a banner and sword with rugged features; an immortal attendant in green robes and jade belt; and a red-robed judge clasping a scroll. After this divine manifestation, the five vanished instantly.

Sun managed to paint only one portrait from memory, in which the image of Zhenwu spontaneously emitted a golden halo, his face shifting mysteriously. Not daring to keep it, Sun presented the painting to the prefectural office. The then-prefect Su Yijian documented the event and dispatched envoys with Sun to present the painting to the imperial court. Recognizing it as an auspicious sign, the court enshrined the artwork as a national treasure in the palace and exceptionally granted Sun an official post.

Another record mentions that in Zhenhai Army of Qingzhou, Jingdong Circuit, though temples had long existed, they lacked enshrined images of Zhenwu the Perfected Warrior...

After returning from his sea voyage, Zhang Cao, the military governor of Qingzhou, summoned the Daoist temple administrators to discuss an important matter. He explained that the Northern Dipper Star Lord (a revered Daoist deity who governs human destiny) oversees matters of lifespan, wealth, and status in the mortal realm. As one of the Four Saints of the North, the Perfected Warrior Emperor (Zhenwu Dadi) serves under the Northern Dipper's command and descends monthly to inspect human affairs, rewarding virtue and punishing vice. While people's prayers to the Perfected Warrior never go unanswered, no temple had yet been built in his honor among the populace.

Zhang Cao vowed to lead fundraising efforts for constructing two new halls within Tianqing Temple—one for the Northern Dipper and another for the Perfected Warrior. He personally donated five hundred strings of coins first, inspiring both officials and commoners to contribute. Construction began swiftly, but Qingzhou lacked skilled sculptors. Zhang Cao burned incense and prayed for divine assistance in finding craftsmen. Within ten days, two artisans from Wu territory arrived, completing all the deity statues in just over a month.

During the unveiling ceremony, attendees noticed the Perfected Warrior statue hadn't yet undergone the "eye-opening" ritual (a Daoist consecration ceremony to imbue statues with spiritual power). As the craftsmen prepared to paint the pupils, the deity's countenance suddenly transformed into a majestic visage with golden light radiating from its eyes. The artisans then vanished in the divine glow—revealing they were celestial beings sent by the Perfected Warrior himself. Zhang Cao led officials and citizens in performing grand Zhaijiao rituals (Daoist sacrificial ceremonies) to express gratitude, establishing enduring temple traditions.

When an eye disease epidemic later struck Qingzhou, Zhang Cao instructed Daoist priest Tang Jian to perform healing rituals in the temple. Using talisman-charged water (Fulu), all afflicted citizens were cured. The imperial court, upon hearing of this miracle, dispatched envoys with incense for ceremonial offerings, naming the hall "Jia Ying Dian" (Hall of Auspicious Response) and erecting a commemorative stele.

Another account tells of four brothers from the Tang family in Xuanzhou: Tang Zhong, Tang Yu, Tang Xian, and Tang Yuan. While living together, Tang Xian—though unemployed—devoutly maintained their ancestral Perfected Warrior statue, even pawning his wife's dowry to purchase ritual incense. His brothers criticized him for being unproductive and wasting family resources, constantly rebuking him with claims that "divine ways are useless."

This account tells of the miraculous encounter between Tang Xian and a golden statue of Zhenwu the Perfected Warrior (a revered Daoist deity). When selling off family assets, Tang Xian deliberately preserved his ancestral shrine dedicated to Zhenwu to continue his devotions. Later, he encountered a destitute man carrying a cloth sack who offered to pawn an exquisitely crafted gilded Zhenwu statue (the classic iconography showing the deity trampling a turtle and snake). Tang Xian redeemed it for three strings of coins.

Strangely, the poor man only took two strings and seven hundred coins before vanishing, never returning for the remaining sum. Tang Xian enshrined the statue in his family altar and discovered that what appeared to be a bronze image grew increasingly radiant when polished, eventually revealing itself to be pure gold weighing over fifty taels. His two brothers, coveting the treasure, falsely accused him of concealing family assets, bringing the matter before local authorities. Forced to surrender the golden statue, the investigation revealed no evidence of the purported poor man or witnesses, instead exposing the brothers' false accusation.

Even more wondrous, after Tang Xian and his wife bid farewell to the statue overnight before delivering it to the prefectural treasury the next day, the Zhenwu image spontaneously emitted auspicious light within the government vaults. When the imperial court learned of this, they enshrined it in the inner palace as a national treasure, issuing a special edict to compensate Tang Xian from local tax revenues. The story demonstrates Zhenwu's divine manifestation protecting sincere devotees, while subtly conveying the moral lesson that "deception and greed ultimately bring retribution."

This passage recounts two karmic tales about devotion to Zhenwu the Great Emperor (a revered Daoist deity also known as Xuantian Shangdi).

The first story concerns Tang Xian. After receiving five hundred strings of cash, he not only repaid his debts in full but also donated funds to construct the Taiji Temple (a Daoist monastery) in Xuanzhou. Due to these virtuous deeds, his family flourished. In contrast, his former housemates—Tang Zhong and two others—who lived in poverty without practicing good deeds, ultimately saw their households decline, with descendants scattered and lost.

The second story focuses on Lu Liang of Xizhou and his wife. Lu Liang was addicted to alcohol and killing, particularly fond of consuming living creatures like eels and loaches. His wife, Zhu Shi, repeatedly admonished him to no avail. Secretly, she sold her dowry to commission Daoist priest Qian Yingfang to paint a sacred image of Zhenwu for veneration. Following Daoist liturgy (Keyi), she offered incense and sacrifices monthly on the deity’s birthday. The priest specifically instructed five precepts: first, maintain sincerity; second, avoid drunken impropriety; third, abstain from defiling foods like turtles, eels, garlic, and leeks; fourth, respect the elderly and show compassion to the poor; and fifth, keep speech pure. Zhu Shi strictly observed these rules, while Lu Liang merely pretended—avoiding eels at home but secretly eating them outside.

For fifteen years, Zhu Shi persevered in her devotions despite her husband’s hindrance, whereas Lu Liang eventually faced retribution: first, his business collapsed; then he contracted a strange illness, bedridden with festering sores that sprouted rotting flesh resembling three-inch-long eels. He died in a burst of pus and blood, leaving the family so destitute their children couldn’t even marry. Though impoverished, Zhu Shi continued her offerings to Zhenwu. One day, she noticed an uncanny glow beneath a floor tile—digging it up, she found a gold brick, the tangible reward for her years of pious practice.

The text emphasizes that the "descent ritual" refers to specific Daoist purification ceremonies (Zhaijiao) where deities descend to receive offerings. The "manifestation of the gold brick" illustrates the Daoist principle that "accumulating virtue brings overflowing blessings." Through the stark contrast between this couple, the religious significance of upholding precepts and cultivating goodness is vividly revealed.

Madam Zhu and her son were moving a heavy stone together when they discovered, after wiping away the moss, that it was actually purple-gold (a superior grade of gold) gleaming with dazzling brilliance. Astonished yet unwilling to keep such a treasure for herself, she wrapped it in silk floss and delivered it to the prefectural office, reporting to Prefect Jiang Tingjian: "As a widow living in poverty, I truly don’t know where this gold came from." Recognizing this as divine reward for her devout worship of the Perfected Warrior (Zhenwu, a Daoist deity), Jiang weighed it at fourteen catties.

Madam Zhu insisted on not keeping the gold, so the authorities, following regulations for found valuables, moved to confiscate half. But when goldsmiths began hammering and chiseling the metal, countless red snakes and jade-green turtles suddenly appeared encircling the anvil, with one large serpent coiling persistently on the gold slab. Even after lifting the gold, serpentine patterns remained faintly visible on its surface. The prefecture declared this a divine sign and returned the entire treasure to Madam Zhu. Prefect Jiang and Vice-Prefect Tian Kui jointly memorialized the throne, sending the gold slab in a sealed casket to the imperial court.

Imperial investigators determined: Lu Liang of Xizhou, Madam Zhu’s late husband, had suffered karmic retribution through illness for heavy killing in his lifetime, while her virtuous conduct had moved the Perfected Warrior to manifest this golden blessing. The court recognized it as sacred metal specifically for casting a Zhenwu statue, dispatching envoys to deliver it to the Jade Immortal Temple (Yuxian Guan) on Wudang Mountain. Additionally, the court granted annual ordination certificates (duodie, Daoist credentials) to ensure perpetual temple offerings, rewarding Madam Zhu with certificates plus 200 bolts of silk and strings of cash.

Using half these resources, Madam Zhu printed and distributed "Zhenwu’s Admonitions Against Killing" illustrations, repaying imperial grace while transferring merit to her deceased husband. Reopening her silk shop restored the family fortunes, with children marrying suitably. At eighty-nine, having bathed and changed robes, she peacefully departed this life while chanting the Perfected Warrior’s sacred name.