《玄天上帝啟聖錄》Vol. 7

East of Kuaiji Mountain in Yuezhou lies the Yangming Grotto-Heaven (one of the Thirty-Six Daoist Grotto-Heavens), where the Qian royal family of the Wuyue Kingdom during the Five Dynasties period built the Longrui Palace. By the Chunhua era of the Song Dynasty, this temple had been abandoned for years, with its Zhenwu Hall in the most severe state of disrepair.

On the first night of the second lunar month in Chunhua 1 (990 CE), Empress Wenyi of Emperor Taizong of Song dreamed at Yuhua Palace. A young Daoist boy with disheveled hair and black robes appeared, saying: "I’m an acolyte from Yuezhou’s Longrui Palace. Our temple is so impoverished we lack decent robes, and with the halls collapsed, we’re left exposed to the elements. I beg Your Majesty’s compassion to aid us—we shall repay this kindness." With these words, he transformed into golden light and vanished. The next morning, the empress reported this to the emperor, who immediately dispatched envoys with ritual offerings to investigate.

Eunuch Yan Shoudao returned confirming that since its late Tang construction, Longrui Palace’s Zhenwu Hall had indeed collapsed, leaving the statues of Zhenwu the Perfected Warrior and his retinue weathered on the ground. Realizing this was Zhenwu’s divine manifestation seeking help, the emperor ordered renovations. The empress sold her dowry jewelry to fund ordination certificates (proof of Daoist status), purple robes (for senior priests), and silver, sending officials to supervise the project.

A year later, the new hall was completed with freshly painted statues. Suddenly, the empress developed severe stomach illness, vomiting all food for forty days. One day, as she lay unconscious with fading breath, her condition stabilized miraculously. Awakening, she said: "Zhenwu descended on clouds to thank me, saying Longrui Palace is restored. Though my lifespan isn’t complete, this illness has lingered." She then asked for a purification flask and bowl, from which poured Five-Direction Nectar (sacred water symbolizing cosmic essences). Drinking it, she felt enlightenment pouring over her like clarified butter, her chest cooling as pain vanished. Opening her eyes to find Zhenwu gone, her mouth retained divine fragrance, her body lightened, fully healed. The court added honorific titles to Zhenwu and held grand rituals in gratitude.

Another account involves Qingcheng Mountain’s Daluo Peak in Chengdu Prefecture’s Yizhou. Its Shangqing Yuhua Palace, ranked fourth among state-recognized blessed grotto-heavens (Daoist sacred sites), hosted annual Golden Register Grand Rites (imperial Daoist ceremonies) using jade talismans (inscribed ritual tablets) to worship heaven and earth.

This account documents a miraculous event that occurred in Chengdu during the Qingli era (1041-1048) of the Northern Song Dynasty. Every year on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month (Dragon Boat Festival), when Chengdu's medicinal herb market opened, wandering Daoist priests from across the land would gather at Yuhua Palace for the Seventh-Day Zhaijiao (purification ritual) commemorating the ascension of Zhenwu the Great Emperor (one of the Four Sacred Beings of the North Pole in Daoist tradition). Legend held that celestial beings often descended on this day to guide worthy mortals.

During one such ritual, a peculiar Daoist appeared with what seemed like a turtle's tail protruding from beneath his robes. The frightened crowd, suspecting a yaoguai (demon), avoided him. Later, witnesses saw this Daoist standing atop a high peak with Kou Keming, son of the local military inspector Kou Tong. When soldiers gave chase suspecting demonic mischief, the Daoist transformed into a beam of white light and vanished, while Kou Keming fell from the heights. Thereafter, the young man refused food and speech, as if transformed.

Seven years later, at dawn on the fifth day of the fifth month in 1043, the long-missing Kou Keming suddenly reappeared at Yuhua Palace alongside the same turtle-tailed Daoist. As attendees invited them to partake in the ritual meal, the Daoist mysteriously disappeared. During the ninth course, an enormous turtle materialized beneath Kou Keming's seat, carrying him skyward. Simultaneously, his father at Yuanliang Village received his son's farewell visit, announcing his appointment by Zhenwu the Great Emperor as "Judicial Officer of the Seven Northern Dippers' Lifespan Bureau."

Imperial investigators later discovered Kou Keming's pious daily practices: supporting itinerant Daoists, studying the Daode Jing (Classic of the Way and Virtue), nightly incense offerings to the North Star, chanting Zhenwu's sacred titles, strict fasting disciplines, and impeccable moral conduct. The Central Secretariat verified this as a genuine case of Zhenwu's divine manifestation rewarding virtuous cultivation. The narrative embodies the Daoist principle that "accumulated goodness leads to immortality," using Kou Keming's ascension through daily virtuous deeds to emphasize the importance of ethical discipline and meritorious conduct.

This account documents two miraculous events associated with the Great Emperor Zhenwu (a revered Daoist deity also known as the Mysterious Heavenly Emperor) during the Northern Song Dynasty, occurring in Chengdu Prefecture and Yingzhou (modern-day Hejian, Hebei).

In Chengdu Prefecture, a dedicated shrine was established to venerate the Great Emperor Zhenwu. The imperial court ordered Daoist priests to conduct incense rituals and spiritual practices there, erecting a stele to commemorate the deity. Zhenwu was specially enfeoffed as the "Spiritually Manifest True Lord," and the shrine was bestowed with the name "Lingxian Shrine" (Shrine of Spiritual Manifestation). Upon investigation, it was discovered that the grandfather of Keming (a manifestation of Zhenwu) originally hailed from Qianhao Town in the Western Capital (modern-day Luoyang, Henan), prompting the court to order the construction of another shrine there.

The second incident occurred in Yingzhou. Minister of Justice Chen Chou submitted a memorial recounting an event from the fourth year of the Xingyuan era (during the previous dynasty): In the fifth month, seven brothers of the northern tribal envoy Yishou Xian arrived with trade documents, transporting over 50,000 strings of cash worth of felt, spices, and other goods for commerce. After selling their goods, they temporarily deposited the proceeds in the government treasury, intending to retrieve them when their next shipment arrived. However, fifteen years passed with no word from them. When Emperor Taizu of Song ascended the throne and conducted the Heaven-worship ceremony, Yingzhou happened to be short precisely 50,000 strings of cash for ceremonial expenses. At this critical moment, Yishou Xian and his brothers suddenly reappeared, voluntarily offering the funds for official use.

During interrogation by Zheng Du, the governor of Gaoyangguan, it was revealed these funds weren't actually their property. The truth traced back to the Xingyuan era when Emperor Taizu (then serving under Emperor Shizong as Yingzhou's military commander) encountered a white-robed Daoist—a manifestation of the Great White Venus Star (Taibai Jinxing). The Daoist advised Taizu to accumulate virtue and good deeds, prophesying his future greatness. When Taizu inquired how celestial beings might assist him, the Daoist revealed that the pacification of northern border rebellions had been secretly aided by the Great Emperor Zhenwu's protection. With these words, the Daoist transformed into white light and ascended to heaven. Taizu consequently established an altar in Yingzhou for a grand seven-day-and-night Zhaijiao (Daoist purification ritual). Beyond the standard paper money offerings to celestial deities, he burned an additional 50,000 strings of gold paper money. The celestial court deemed these funds improperly received and transferred them to the Yousheng Monastery under Zhenwu's jurisdiction. The Great Emperor then commanded the Seven Star Lords of the Northern Dipper to manage these funds—the seven brothers of Yishou Xian being their earthly incarnations. After the Song Dynasty's founding, Zhenwu petitioned the celestial court to return these improperly received ritual funds to the newly established dynasty.

This account recounts two miraculous manifestations of Zhenwu the Perfected Warrior (one of the Four Sacred Beasts of the North in Daoist tradition).

The first episode occurred in a border region. Certain merchants conducted trade under the pretext of supplying goods to a northern tribal temple, purchasing fifty thousand strings' worth of woolen felt and other commodities. A hundred li from the tribal boundary stood the Shouxian Temple, housing statues of the Four Sacred Beasts (Daoism's guardian deities). Beneath Zhenwu's throne stood seven attendant officials—each wearing crimson headbands, yellow robes, and black boots while holding azure fish-shaped ritual implements and white jade pendants at their waists, symbolizing the Five Directions with their corresponding colors and the Seven Primordial Stars (cosmological concepts of directional and astral correspondences in Daoism). These attendants assisted Zhenwu in recording human virtues and transgressions. Subsequent investigations revealed the trade's connection to Shouxian Temple, leading to confiscation of the funds for official rewards.

The second story concerns Scholar Shi Guangzu of the Guanwen Palace en route to assume office in Zhending Prefecture. Lodging overnight at Chanzhou's Yuantong Temple, he encountered a mysterious Daoist surnamed Guo from Wudang County (the birthplace of Zhenwu worship). For fifteen years, this recluse had spoken to no one, devoting himself solely to cultivating extraordinary vegetables for temple offerings. That night, the Daoist suddenly warned Shi against assuming office, prophesying his imminent demise. By dawn, the Daoist had vanished, his cultivated vegetables reverting to common varieties. Shi immediately petitioned to resign and returned to Zhaozhou, where he passed away peacefully after ritual bathing and changing clothes. More remarkably, before the prefect's memorial reached the emperor, Shi's spirit had already appeared before the throne, identifying himself as the Middle Primordial Perfected Being under Zhenwu's command, while the Guo Daoist was revealed as the Northern Polar Inspector (a celestial overseer) who had awaited him to facilitate his celestial ascension.

Both stories exemplify the Daoist concept of "liberation by simulated corpse" (shijie)—where adepts feign death to achieve immortality—demonstrating through officials' extraordinary encounters how Zhenwu and his retinue oversee human morality and guide practitioners toward transcendence.

This account recounts a karmic retribution story from the Tang Dynasty. In Chanzhou (modern Puyang, Henan), an official who was fated to die at twenty-seven instead faced sixty years of demotion due to misconduct, only reinstated in the jiazi year. Troubled by decades of imperial favor left unthanked and his son’s incompetence as heir, he resigned to retire.

Later, the court erected a Xianhua Shrine for him at Chanzhou’s Yuantong Temple, renaming it the "Imperially Bestowed Hidden Truth and Heaven-Honoring Abbey" (Chici Yinzhen Chengtian Guan) with a stele recording the events—including a noted construction cost of 20,000 strings of cash.

In Hengzhou (modern Hengyang, Hunan), Nanyue’s Songyang Abbey housed an exquisitely crafted Zhenwu Hall, funded by the Tang luminary Liu Zongyuan and renowned as the region’s finest. After its abbot Wu Yun (a famed Tang Daoist), the hall accrued over 20,000 strings from daily scripture recitations and public offerings. Former Deputy Transport Commissioner Qian Cao once petitioned to borrow this sum for grain purchases in Tanzhou and Lizhou. Five years later, upon Qian’s reinstatement, a Daoist suddenly sued for repayment, citing urgent repairs for the hall’s sinking foundation and tilting walls.

Qian refused, only to develop severe white lesions (a skin ailment) that forced his resignation. Half a year later, he dreamt of Wu Yun leading divine enforcers to demand repayment. Awakening to the karmic lesson, he sold assets to settle the debt. Remarkably, his condition improved the moment he resolved to repay, and within a month of full payment, he recovered completely. Intriguingly, when Qian later visited Songyang Abbey, Zhenwu Hall remained tilted—yet that very night, a thunderstorm struck, hinting the deities had acknowledged the repaid debt. Through Qian Cao’s ordeal, the tale underscores the inexorable law of karmic retribution: debts owed must be repaid.

This account documents a miraculous event that occurred in 1012 CE (the fifth year of the Dazhong Xiangfu era under Emperor Zhenzong of Song) at Minghua Temple in Poyang County, Raozhou. When the temple was nearly destroyed by fire, the small eastern hall dedicated to Zhenwu the Great Emperor (Xuantian Shangdi—the important Daoist deity who guards the north) remained completely unharmed.

Daoist priest Huang Zonggu unexpectedly returned after eight years of wandering, bringing official documents for silver redemption and recounting a strange encounter. He had met a mysterious Daoist on Ziyan Mountain who prophesied that Raozhou would suffer a fire disaster that October. Due to the virtue of the local people, Zhenwu the Great Emperor personally interceded with the Northern Emperor (Heidi, the Black Emperor of the Five Directional Deities in Daoism) and the Fire Virtue Star Lord (Huode Xingjun). The Daoist pointed out that the rear wall of Minghua Temple bore a painted map of Raozhou—if the temple could be preserved without harming the Daoists, the entire prefecture would be spared. The Fire Virtue Star Lord dared not disobey, and in the end, though most of Minghua Temple burned down, Zhenwu’s hall miraculously remained untouched.

The local authorities had originally planned to levy 4,000 strings of cash for reconstruction, but due to this divine manifestation, the imperial court issued a special decree: bestowing the Southern Peak’s Songyang Abbey with a golden plaque inscribed "Lingyan" (Divine Efficacy) and prohibiting officials from misappropriating temple funds. The 1,000-plus strings of silver and gold Huang Zonggu brought back were just enough for rebuilding. His master, Zhu Shiyuan, and other Daoists initially found it hard to believe until they saw the official documents with their own eyes, confirming this as a true manifestation of Zhenwu’s power.

Someone inquired of Zhenwu (also known as the Dark Heavenly Emperor): "Was there ever a temple here dedicated to a Zhenjun (an honorific title for realized Daoist immortals)?" Zhenwu confirmed there had been and remarked with emotion that this Zhenjun was originally a disciple of the Golden Tower's Supreme Clarity Lao Jun (one of the Three Pure Ones), destined to preside over the Senluo Hall (the main hall of the Daoist underworld), but had later been commanded to descend to the mortal realm. On the day Minghua Palace would be consumed by fire, only this Zhenjun's main hall would remain intact.

At that time, a Daoist practitioner named Huang Zonggu was traveling to spread the teachings, concerned that no one would be able to rebuild the temple. Zhenwu instructed him to collect alms along the Bian River region, raising funds in the Eastern Capital (modern Kaifeng) to return and reconstruct it. Zhenwu identified himself as an old friend from Poyang and promised to meet again after Minghua Palace was restored. When Zonggu left the mountain hermitage and looked back, the building had vanished as if emerging from mist and clouds.

Carrying 120 spirit lots of the Twelve Zhenjun of Western Mountain and bearing Zhenwu's portrait, Zonggu began selling divination lots. Charging four coins per lot, his accurate predictions earned him five to six hundred coins daily after expenses. Over six years, he exchanged coins for gold and silver, accumulating over 5,000 strings of cash temporarily stored at Wuyue Temple. Upon hearing of Minghua Palace's destruction by fire, he converted this sum into official banknotes at the capital's treasury, preparing to withdraw the funds in Raozhou's Poyang County.

Returning home, he found the entire temple complex indeed reduced to ashes—save for Zhenwu Hall. More astonishingly, the statue of Zhenwu inside bore the exact likeness of the Daoist he'd met years before at Ziyan Mountain. With assistance from Daoist Zhu Shiyuan and others, Zonggu retrieved the deposited funds and sold ordination certificates from the Board of Rites. Within five years, Minghua Palace stood rebuilt.

When Raozhou officials reported this miraculous event to the imperial court, an edict renamed the temple Ning'an Palace, granted Huang Zonggu the title "Master of Universal Auspices" with ceremonial purple robes (reserved for high-ranking Daoist priests), and added a plaque reading "Protector of the Nation" to the surviving Zhenwu Hall. This extraordinary account was preserved in the Shuiyun Huji (Water-Cloud Guardian Records) for posterity.

In Danzhou there lived a beggar woman named Yang Suzhen who had dealings with a minor official named Yuan Qing while in the capital. Noticing she had no relatives but possessed some jewelry and valuables, Yuan Qing deceived her into leaving her hometown. They boarded a boat to Lake Mengyang together. When they moored by the reeds at night, Yuan Qing—drunk—pushed Yang Suzhen into the deep waters, certain she would drown. He hastily summoned the boatmen, falsely claiming, "The lady grew thirsty from drinking, leaned over to fetch water, and accidentally fell in." He pretended to organize a search and shed crocodile tears before soon returning to the prefecture, saying he would hold a ritual for her salvation.

After arriving in Puzhou, Yuan Qing sold Yang Suzhen's jewelry and valuables for nearly a thousand strings of cash, bought a house, and lived there for half a year. One day, he suddenly saw a woman in plain clothes chanting scriptures and begging alms on the street. Terrified, thinking it was Yang Suzhen's ghost, he was struck speechless. But then Yang Suzhen cried out for the patrolling officers, who arrested Yuan Qing and brought him before the prefectural court. After Yuan Qing confessed, the officials asked Yang Suzhen how she had survived.

Yang Suzhen explained:

"My ancestors were officials, but after my parents died, I was left destitute and became a courtesan in Danzhou. Though I lived in disgrace, I always sought goodness, devoutly worshiping the Perfected Warrior (Zhenwu, an important Daoist deity) and reciting Daoist scriptures daily. Later, I obtained a copy of the Scripture of the Perfected Warrior’s Marvelous Power (Zhenwu Miaojing), transcribed in gold ink, from Tianqing Abbey. I kept it in a brocade pouch tied in my hair, never parting with it. That night, when Yuan Qing pushed me into the water, I felt my body floating like mist in the void, as if spirits shielded me from above. A luminous wheel spun around me, and I heard a voice say, 'Protect the precious scripture.' By dawn, the spirits dispersed, and I found myself lying soaked in the lakeshore grass—yet the golden scripture in my hair was completely dry. Kind villagers nearby took me in. When I came to, I realized I was in Mengzhou. Since then, I’ve sold my fine clothes for rough hemp robes, surviving by chanting scriptures and begging for alms. Passing through Puyang in Heyang, I never expected to encounter my murderer. Had I not carried the scripture in my hair that night, I would have sunk to the depths as a vengeful ghost."

The Puzhou officials ruled that Yuan Qing was guilty of both murder for wealth and blasphemy against the divine, reporting the case to the imperial court. The Secretariat decreed: Yuan Qing could not be pardoned due to his official status and must be severely punished according to the law.

Yang Zhongyan, a Daoist devotee, exchanged his remaining possessions for silver and, after registering a name change at the Ritual Ministry (the ancient department overseeing sacrifices), went to Ciqing Palace to take the female Daoist priest Tang Jintong as his master and begin monastic practice. From then on, he vowed to raise donations to construct the Sanqing Hall (dedicated to the Three Pure Ones, the highest deities in Daoism), the Seven Luminaries Hall (dedicated to the Big Dipper stars), and the Zhenwu Treasure Pavilion (dedicated to the Perfected Warrior Emperor). Guided by the Tian Gong Ci Hua Revolving Wheel Dharma Treasury (a Daoist scripture collection), he printed five thousand scrolls of the Zhenwu Jing (Scripture of the Perfected Warrior) for widespread distribution, following the records in the Golden Texts (important Daoist scriptures). Later, Chancellor Xiang petitioned the imperial court, and the emperor issued a decree specially granting Yang Zhongyan purple ritual robes (high-ranking Daoist attire) and the honorific title "Master Ciqing," while renaming the temple "Guardian Sage Palace."

After retiring from his post as Langzhong (a mid-level official) in the Ministry of Transport and returning to Suzhou, Wang Gun became deeply aware of the karmic consequences of killing and resolved to transcribe Daoist scriptures. He recruited Chen Fang and thirteen others to copy scriptures reverently before the statue of Zhenwu each day, demanding flawless and meticulous calligraphy. Among them, Zhou Weiji transcribed twice as fast as the others, but suddenly his right hand became afflicted with wind paralysis, his tendons cramped, and he could no longer hold a brush. The thirteen others' transcriptions were all proofread, but Wang Gun packed the seventeen cases of scriptures copied by Zhou Weiji without inspection, intending to donate them to the Taiqing Yanfu Palace (an imperial Daoist temple). Since this temple was an Inner Ritual Site (exclusive to the imperial family), a petition was first submitted to the emperor, who dispatched palace attendants Ren Qi and others to escort the scriptures. When temporarily placed in the Zhenwu Hall, the moment the doors opened, black mist filled the air and a fierce gale arose. After the wind ceased and they attempted to organize the scripture cases, entire cases would inexplicably collapse, repeatedly refusing to stay in place. When Wang Gun examined them, he found they were all Zhou Weiji's copies. Suddenly, he heard someone beside him say, "These are all false scriptures—rushed, incomplete, and flawed due to greed for speed, their merit unfulfilled." Looking around, he saw only the clay statue of a divine general (a guardian deity) standing with its back turned. Realizing something was amiss, Wang Gun borrowed an authentic copy to compare and found many omissions. He then hired scholars to rewrite and replace the faulty sections. Once the corrected scriptures were properly enshrined, Zhou Weiji's afflicted right hand began to fester and ooze pus. While begging in the marketplace, he confessed that this suffering was retribution for his hasty transcription work for Langzhong Wang.

This account documents a miraculous event during the Yongxi era (984-987) of the Northern Song Dynasty in Yuezhou (present-day Shaoxing, Zhejiang). Yang Fang, the temple steward of the Great Yu Shrine in Yuezhou, was a lifelong devotee of Zhenwu the Great Emperor (also known as Xuantian Shangdi, a revered Daoist deity). He frequently burned incense to pray for the people's welfare, with every request receiving divine response.

When Chen Chou, the Vice Minister of Revenue, was transferred to serve as Yuezhou's prefect, he suddenly received an urgent imperial summons to return to the capital. Troubled by this development, Chen sought divination about his fortune and learned that Yang Fang was skilled at interpreting Zhenwu's spiritual lots. He went to Qianming Temple to draw a lot, obtaining the fourth lot of Huang Zhenjun. Yang interpreted: "This lot foretells bloodshed calamity within 120 days. You must absolutely avoid accepting military office in the northeast direction (the 'ghost gate' in feng shui)." Enraged, Chen imprisoned Yang, vowing to punish him for spreading superstitious rumors if no misfortune occurred within the predicted timeframe.

Later, the court appointed Chen as Pacification Commissioner and Military Commander of Yunzhou (modern Dongping, Shandong - precisely northeast), tasked with suppressing He Qing's rebellion at Hutou Mountain. Remembering how the lot's prediction matched both the "northeast ghost gate" and "military command" aspects, Chen explained the situation to the emperor. During the campaign, he was ambushed at night and fell into a deep ravine, where in a vision he saw a deity with flowing hair (Zhenwu's iconic image) rescuing both him and his horse. After quelling the rebellion, Chen voluntarily relinquished his Yunzhou position to return to the capital.

Yang Fang was released due to the lot's accurate prophecy and was appointed Assistant Instructor of Yuezhou while continuing as temple steward. This episode demonstrates Zhenwu the Great Emperor's divine power in warning devotees through spiritual lots and averting disasters, while illustrating how sincere Daoist practitioners receive protection through devoted worship.

This account records several miraculous stories related to Zhenwu the Great Emperor (a revered Daoist deity also known as Xuantian Shangdi).

The first story tells of Yang Fang who was rescued from peril by Zhenwu's divine manifestation. When the imperial court learned of this, they not only restored Yang's official position and privileges but also ordered the construction of a Zhenwu Temple in the suburbs of Yuezhou. Later, Chen Chou voluntarily used his salary to hold a Zhaijiao (Daoist purification ritual) at Qianming Temple to express gratitude for Zhenwu's sacred grace.

The second story is more dramatic. Retired official Wang Gun was reappointed as Director of the National Academy. Only after receiving an auspicious divination result from Zhenwu at his home altar did he set out to assume office. En route along the Bian River, he encountered a Daoist priest surnamed Pei from Huashan's Yuntai Temple. The priest refused generous payment but prophesied that if Wang accepted a "historian's position" (referring to scholarly posts like Academician of Tianzhang Pavilion) and conducted business toward the west (the direction associated with the celestial stems Geng and Xin in Daoist Five Phases theory), he would starve to death in the snow with his bones left unburied.

When unrest later broke out in the Western Regions, Wang was recommended as Censor-in-Chief and concurrent Academician of Tianzhang Pavilion. Blinded by ambition, he forgot the warning. During a diplomatic mission west, his inappropriate remarks at a banquet offended a tribal leader. On the return journey, his attendants deserted him, leaving Wang stranded alone in the snow caves of Yangshan. As he lay dying, Priest Pei reappeared, revealing himself as the incarnate form of Zhenwu whom Wang had worshipped daily - but the realization came too late. Wang perished exactly as foretold: frozen and starved, his corpse exposed in the wilderness. Only when the runaway attendants returned did the court investigate, discovering Wang had been unfit for the mission all along.

Through details like Zhenwu manifesting as a Daoist priest, these stories emphasize divine warnings to the devout and the consequences of ignoring celestial guidance. The "Geng-Xin direction" refers to the west (in Daoist Five Phases theory, Geng and Xin correspond to Metal, representing west), while "holding purification rituals" represents an essential Daoist method of communicating with deities through ceremonial practice.

The Records of the Sacred Manifestations of the Dark Heaven Sovereign recounts two stories where divine interventions by Zhenwu the Great Emperor (a revered Daoist deity, also known as the Dark Heaven Sovereign) transformed destinies.

The first story tells of Hu Qing from Xianping County in the Eastern Capital. Originally making a living by slaughtering chickens and geese to sell cooked meat, he once had his knife suddenly snap during butchering, splashing scalding water that injured him. Realizing the karmic consequences of killing, he resolved to change professions and seek his fortune in the capital. On the journey, heavy rain forced him to take shelter in an ancient temple dedicated to Zhenwu the Great Emperor. In the dead of night, he saw a divine figure (a manifestation of Zhenwu) with unbound hair, wielding a sword and clad in golden armor, who warned him: countless vengeful spirits were following him but dared not enter the temple due to Zhenwu’s divine might. The deity prophesied that Hu Qing still had thirty years of life left and urged him to mend his ways. Startled awake, Hu Qing found only a stone tablet inscribed "Shrine of Zhenwu, Protector of the Nation." Upon reaching the capital, recalling the prophecy of "thirty years of heavenly fortune," he enlisted in the military and trained in martial arts. Two years later, his exceptional skills earned him the top rank in the imperial military examinations, and he eventually rose to become Chief Inspector of Runzhou, devoting his life to venerating Zhenwu.

The second story takes place in the eighth year of the Tiansheng era. Yang Zhonghe, a minor official in Xuzhou, was dispatched to Caizhou to adjudicate a legal case. He sentenced Zhu Xijie to thirteen strokes of the rod, but the presiding judge later discovered it was a wrongful conviction. Yang Zhonghe suffered retribution for his misjudgment—his wife suddenly went mad, claiming to be Zhu Xijie seeking vengeance. In desperation, Yang recalled his past devotion to Zhenwu and immediately lit incense in prayer. That night, he dreamed of the golden-armored deity (Zhenwu’s manifestation), who informed him: due to his sincere repentance, Zhenwu had pacified the vengeful spirit’s resentment, but he must resign from office to atone. Upon waking, Yang found his wife fully recovered and promptly resigned, retiring to a life of asceticism and Daoist practice.

This scripture records a karmic retribution tale:

Pei Junshou, a Daoist priest at the Tianqing Temple in Xuzhou (modern Xuchang, Henan), presided over a zhaijiao (purification ritual) for official Xu Yi, presenting green memorials (official Daoist petitions to heaven) to the Jade Emperor (Daoism's supreme deity). During the ceremony, Pei encountered the Great Emperor of the Northern Dipper (one of Daoism's Four Supplements) and the Perfect Warrior of Numinous Response (also known as the Dark Heavenly Emperor). The Perfect Warrior revealed that during Xu Yi's tenure in Caizhou, he had shielded Qian Ju and others in concealing over 200,000 strings of cash, and had falsely accused his own younger brother, coercing Yang Zhonghe to extract a false confession from witness Zhu Xijie through torture. Consequently, the celestial court decided to punish them.

Later, when Xu Yi completed his term and left office, Yang Zhonghe also resigned to repent at home. He enshrined an image of the Perfect Warrior, maintained prolonged fasting while chanting the deity's name, provided alms to Buddhist and Daoist monks as well as the poor, and even sold family property to assist those unable to afford funerals. Over twenty years, his household fortunes declined—his wife and children died successively, until finally even his youngest son was sold to Squire Li.

One day, an impoverished Daoist told Yang Zhonghe: "You were indeed a guilty official, but now sincerely repent and venerate the Perfect Warrior. I'll lend you this volume of divination slips to transmit to the world—it can help you make a living." With these words, the Daoist suddenly vanished. Opening it, Yang discovered the Twelve Perfect Lords of Western Mountain Divination Slips, which he then made into 120 bamboo slips placed before the Perfect Warrior's image. Within ten days, townsfolk seeking divinations found them extraordinarily efficacious, with every slip proving accurate.

Through Yang Zhonghe's experiences, this story illustrates the Daoist doctrine that "good and evil receive their due retribution": evildoers ultimately face punishment, yet sincere repentance and virtuous deeds can still bring deliverance. The narrative highlights important Song Dynasty Daoist practices—including Perfect Warrior worship, zhaijiao rituals, and divination customs—embodying these core teachings.

This passage recounts a marvelous tale: There was a man named Li Chengdao who served as a Registrar (an official in charge of household records) in Xuzhou. Originally the biological son of Yang Zhonghe, he had been sold at age seven or eight to his neighbor Li Fuzhi as an adopted son. Later, through his adoptive father's connections, he obtained an official post and only then learned that both his birth parents had already passed away.

One evening at dusk, while Li Chengdao was alone in his study, he saw an elderly man dressed in Daoist robes manifest in midair. The old man claimed to be his birth father, Yang Zhonghe, and explained that after death, due to his upright character, he had been appointed by the Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak (a major Daoist deity governing the underworld) as the Magistrate of Blessings and Fortunes in Maxi (an underworld post managing merits and rewards). Moreover, he had received a divine prophecy (a spiritual certification in Buddhist and Daoist traditions) from the Perfected Warrior Emperor (a major Daoist deity, also known as the Dark Emperor of Heaven), promising that once his duties were fulfilled, he would be promoted to a high-ranking divine position known as the "Seven Primes Commissioner."

Yang Zhonghe told his son that the portrait of the Perfected Warrior and divination sticks he had venerated in life had been confiscated by the authorities and were now gathering dust in the military treasury. He urged his son to retrieve these sacred objects and devote himself to their worship, assuring him that sincere devotion would bring blessings. After delivering this message, he vanished. Later, Li Chengdao indeed recovered the items and began daily offerings.

One day, the imperial court dispatched the palace attendant Yuan Liangbi to conduct the "Dragon Tablet Offering" (an important Daoist ritual for blessings) at the Xiantu Mountain in Wusheng Commandery. Passing through Xuzhou, the deputy prefect Luo Zongmeng noticed a red glow emanating from the southwest corner of the government office. Upon investigation, they discovered it was Li Chengdao’s portrait of the Perfected Warrior and the divination sticks radiating light. When Yuan Liangbi drew a lot to pray for the empress’s well-being, he unexpectedly received an auspicious sign from True Lord Zhong (one of the Twelve True Lords in Daoism), after which the red glow dissipated.

This story primarily illustrates the efficacy of sincere devotion to the Perfected Warrior Emperor and the principle of karmic retribution. Through Li Chengdao’s act of retrieving his father’s relics and his reverent worship, it demonstrates how deities protect those who are upright and filial.

The ten auspicious divination slips personally recorded and presented by Liang Bi perfectly matched those obtained by the Empress Dowager in her dream. Consequently, her illness gradually improved, and the imperial court ordered an investigation in Xuzhou to verify the matter. Later, Li Chengdao (who later reverted to his original surname Yang) was coerced by the local judicial officer Yu Bin, who used his authority to demand the statue of Zhenwu and related ritual objects. As soon as these items arrived at Yu Bin’s residence, the painted silk suddenly shattered into fragments, transforming into butterflies that scattered into the air. The original bamboo slip container had long been taken by the imperial court and was now stored beneath the Baoying Pavilion in the palace. Yang Chengdao, following an imperial decree, restored his original surname and was appointed as a secretary in the Court of Imperial Entertainments. His father, Yang Zhonghe, was posthumously honored as "Lord Wuben." However, Yang Chengdao passed away shortly after receiving his official position. To this day, the ancestral hall of the Yang family remains in Xuzhou, and it is said that prayers offered there are remarkably efficacious.

Sun Liangsi was a low-ranking military officer in Jingnan Prefecture who devoted his life to revering the Great Emperor Zhenwu, often experiencing divine manifestations. Witnessing the slaughter of living creatures in the marketplace, he regarded it as the suffering of samsara and could not bear it in his heart. Whenever he saw live animals being sold in the market, he would purchase them, keep them in cages or basins, and release them at dawn when fewer people were around. He maintained this practice for fifteen years, gradually comprehending the principles of heaven and awakening to his true nature. His actions often displayed supernatural qualities, and people respectfully called him "Master Sun." One day, he suddenly passed away without illness and was buried on the southern slope of Jingji Mountain. During the burial, miraculous phenomena appeared: flocks of birds carried mud to mound the grave, a clear spring bubbled up from the tomb site, forming a pond teeming with fish and turtles, and lingzhi mushrooms sprouted from the ground. As the coffin was lowered, multicolored auspicious clouds enveloped the scene. Local officials and commoners all came to pay respects, including the prefect Zhang Tinglao, who walked to the gravesite. Suddenly, a small hole appeared in the ground, from which a turtle and snake spiraled joyfully—a symbol of the Great Emperor Zhenwu, indicating that Master Sun had become a divine general under Zhenwu’s command after death. After these marvels faded, the local authorities reported the auspicious signs to the imperial court. Later, the court ordered the construction of a temple and the erection of a stele beside Master Sun’s tomb, posthumously honoring him as the "Temple of Lord Sun."

(Supplementary note: The Great Emperor Zhenwu is an important deity in Daoism, also known as the Dark Emperor of Heaven (Xuantian Shangdi), often depicted accompanied by a turtle and snake. The appearance of the "turtle and snake" in the text is regarded as a sign of Zhenwu’s divine reception. During the Song Dynasty, the practice of releasing captive animals to accumulate merit was prevalent among the populace, believed to generate virtue and transcend samsara.)

The seventh scroll of The Record of Divine Manifestations by the Celestial Emperor of Mysterious Heaven documents the miraculous deeds of the Daoist venerated deity Xuantian Shangdi (also known as Zhenwu Dadi), who manifests his sacred power to aid the world. This divine being appears in the position of the Black Tortoise of the North, presiding over the subjugation of demons and the protection of all living beings. This volume primarily recounts how he enlightens humanity through various miracles—such as incarnating as an ordinary person to test the sincerity of devotees or manifesting his divine presence to rescue people from calamities.

The text incorporates typical Daoist cultivation concepts: for instance, those who cultivate the Dao with genuine devotion receive the deity's unseen protection, while evildoers inevitably face celestial retribution. It also touches upon the protocols of Daoist zhaijiao (purification rituals), describing how devotees communicate with the divine through offerings of incense, scripture recitation, and ritual implements. For practitioners, these stories serve both as hymns of praise to the deity and as cautionary guidance on the spiritual path.