Empress Wu of Liang 梁武后

The Liang Empress Wu Xi was jealous and envious by nature. When Emperor Wu first ascended the throne he had no opportunity to grant titles, so she became enraged and threw herself in the palace court well. The crowd hurried to the well to rescue her, but the empress had already transformed into a ferocious dragon, smoke and flame rushing to the heavens. Nobody dared approach. The emperor lamented her loss for a long time, conferred the title Heavenly Dragon Prince and erected the ancestral temple atop the well.

From Liangjingji.

梁武后

梁武郗皇后性妬忌。武帝初立。未及冊命。因忿怒。忽投殿庭井中。衆趨井救之。后已化為毒龍。煙焰衝天。人莫敢近。帝悲歎久之。因冊為龍天王。便於井上立祠。

出兩京記

Li Fang 李昉, et al., Taiping guangji 太平廣記 (Extensive Gleanings from the Era of Great Harmony), 10 vols (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1961), ix, 418.3406:

劉甲

宋劉甲居江陵。元嘉中。女年十四。姿色端麗。未嘗讀佛經。忽能暗誦法華經。女所住屋。尋有奇光。女云。已得正覺。宜作二七日齋。家為置高座。設寶帳。女登座。講論詞玄。又設人之災祥。諸事皆驗。遠近敬禮。解衣投寶。不可勝數。衡陽王在鎮。躬率參佐觀之。經十二日。有道士史玄真曰。此怪邪也。振褐往焉。女卽已知。遣人守門。云。魔邪尋至。凡着道服。咸勿納之。真變服奄入。女初獪喝罵。真便直前。以水灑之。卽頓絕。良久乃甦。問以諸事。皆云不識。真曰。此龍魅也。自是復常。嫁為宣氏妻。

出諸宮舊事。

Wei Zheng 魏徵

In his youth, Wei Zheng, Duke of State of Zheng,[1] was devoted to the study of the Way, and did not believe in spirits or deities. He once travelled to Hengshan to inquire into the Way, and, on reaching the foot of the peak, suddenly encountered a snowstorm. Heaven and earth growing dim, he was unable to proceed. He suddenly caught sight of a priest, leaning on a green bamboo cane from which was suspended the Yellow Court Scripture,[2] who also arrived at the roadside. He asked Zheng: “Why are you travelling?” Zheng replied: “I came here to seek the Way, but was obstructed by snow.” The priest said: “My home is one or two li from here. You should stay over and talk.” Zheng agreed to this, so they set off together and reached a house, very bleak and wild outside, but carved and engraved within. He invited Zheng to an inner [2599] chamber, seating him opposite a stove fire, and, bringing good wine and fine food, they talked at leisure of the Way, poetry and logic. He was erudite and informed, and Zheng could not find fault with him.

When dawn approached, the priest reached the topic of spirits and deities. Zheng stated bluntly that they could not affect the righteous. The priest told him: “The one you wait upon is a Daoist immortal; how then to slander spirits and deities? As there are heaven and earth so are there supernatural beings. For as the Way is lofty, spirits and demons shall by all means be subdued by it. If one venerates the Way but has not yet attained such heights, then spirits, deities and monsters may indeed still affect him; how can one take this lightly?”[3] Zheng could not answer. When dawn broke, the priest again ordered wine to see Zheng off, and leaned once again on his book. On arriving at the Hengshan hermitage, Zheng set off, and, seeking the mountain road, he turned his head towards the lodging place. Instead he saw a large tomb, with a letter attached, which read: “Letter from the Immortal Assistant of Hengshan.” Zheng smashed it, and hurled it to the ground, but the letter transformed into a mouse and ran away. From then on Zheng believed somewhat more in spirits and deities. From Xiaoxianglu.

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From Xiaoxianglu.

Li Fang 李昉, et al., Taiping guangji 太平廣記 (Extensive Gleanings from the Era of Great Harmony), 10 vols (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1961), vii, 327.2597-98:

魏徵

鄭國公魏徵。少時好道學。不信鬼神。嘗訪道至恒山。將及山下。忽大風雪。天地昏暗。不能進。忽有道士。策青竹杖。懸黃庭經。亦至路次。謂徵曰。何之。徵曰。訪道來此。為風雪所阻。道士曰。去此一二里。予家也。可一宿會語乎。徵許之。遂同行。至一宅。外甚荒涼。內即雕刻。延徵于深 [2599] 閣。對爐火而坐。進以美酒嘉殽。從容論道。詞理博辨。徵不能屈。臨曙。道士言及鬼神之事。徵切言不能侵正直也。道士曰。子之所奉者仙道也。何全誣鬼神乎。有天地來有鬼神。夫道高則鬼神妖怪必伏之。若奉道自未高。則鬼神妖怪。反可致之也。何輕之哉。徵不答。及平旦。道士復命酒以送徵。仍附一簡。達恒山中隱士。徵既行。尋山路。回顧宿處。乃一大冢耳。探其簡。題云。寄上恒山神佐。徵惡之。投於地。其簡化一鼠而走。徵自此稍信鬼神。出瀟湘錄

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[1] Wei Zheng 魏徵 (580-643 CE, courtesy name Xuancheng 玄成, styled Duke of State of Zheng 鄭國公), a famous Tang politician and historian who served the Taizong Emperor (r. 626-649 CE), and is credited as lead editor of the Suishu 隋書. His biographies are found at Jiutangshu, 71.2545-63; Xintangshu 97.3867-82.

[2] The Yellow Court Scripture (Huangting Jing 黃庭經) an influential Daoist text including detailed discussions of divinities.

[3] With thanks to Ofer Waldman for improving my understanding of this exchange.

Fali the Priest 道人法力

Fali, a priest of the Guangzhou Xianming Temple, once went to the toilet around dawn, and saw a spirit in the doorway. In form it looked like a Kunlun (i.e., a dark-skinned person),[1] its eyes were both entirely yellow, and it was quite naked and unclothed. Fali, who had always possessed great strength, immediately tied it to a column in the hall. He lashed it with a crop until it fell silent, then locked it up with iron manacles and watched to see whether or not it could change shape and escape. When the sun faded to dusk, the spirit disappeared from sight.

From Shuyiji.

Li Fang 李昉, et al., Taiping guangji 太平廣記 (Extensive Gleanings from the Era of Great Harmony), 10 vols (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1961), vii, 327.2595:

道人法力

廣州顯明寺道人法力。向晨詣廁。于戶中遇一鬼。狀若崑崙。兩目盡黃。裸身無衣。法力素有膂力。便縛着堂柱。以杖鞭之。終無聲。乃以鐵鎖縛之。觀其能變去否。日已昏暗。失鬼所在。出述異記

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[1] Here, Kunlun 崑崙 seems likely to refer to Pulo Condore Island, or other southern regions, and dark-skinned people asssociated with these, rather than to the Karakorum mountains. Kunlunguo 崑崙國 may refer to Java, Sumatra, or the region. or as a general reference to islands in the southern seas, natives of which may be termed Kunlunzi 崑崙子 or Kunlunnu 崑崙奴, extended to people with dark skin.

Suo Wanxing 索萬興

Suo Wanxing, from Dunhuang, was seated at the eastern side of the government hall when a maid suddenly caught sight of a person, wearing a headwrap and leading a piebald horse, who came straight in at the gate. On his back he bore an item very like a black leather bag that might be used to cushion one’s back. Placing this below the step, he led his horse back out of the gate. The cushion then began to rotate and moved directly into the centre of the building. Reaching the foot of the divan it rose, coming to a halt before Xing’s knees. The leather then unrolled itself in all directions, and he seemed to be surrounded be eyes. These moved and winked in a most abominable fashion. After a long time, it slowly returned to its former shape, went back to rotating, and descended from the divan, sinking to the step and departing. Xing ordered the maid to follow it, but it vanished at the eastern end of the hall. Offended by this, he fell ill and died.

From Shuyiji. 

Li Fang 李昉, et al., Taiping guangji 太平廣記 (Extensive Gleanings from the Era of Great Harmony), 10 vols (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1961), vii, 325.2581:

索萬興

敦煌索萬興。晝坐廳事東間齋中。一奴子忽見一人著幘。牽一驄馬。直從門入。負一物。狀如烏皮隱囊。置砌下。便牽馬出門。囊自輪轉。徑入齋中。緣牀腳而上。止于興膝前。皮即四處卷開。見其中周匝是眼。動瞬甚可憎惡。良久。又還更舒合。仍輪轉下牀。落砌而去。興令奴子逐至廳事東頭滅。惡之。因得疾亡。出述異記

Ruan Zhan 阮瞻

Ruan Zhan had always maintained the no-spirit-theory, but there was a spirit which identified itself to him, and called upon him, staying over as his guest. After a brief chat, they talked about famous philosophies, and his guest turned out to be extremely talented. Finally, they turned to matters of spirits and deities. He became extremely bitter, so his guest at first submitted to him, but then went on, quite worked up: “Accounts of spirits and deities have been transmitted by sages and the virtuous from ancient times. How can the gentleman alone declare that they don’t exist?” He then transformed and took on an astonishing shape, then after a moment quite disappeared. Ruan was dumbfounded, his expression terrible to behold. Within the year he had fallen ill and died from the after-effects.

From Youminglu.

Li Fang 李昉, et al., Taiping guangji 太平廣記 (Extensive Gleanings from the Era of Great Harmony), 10 vols (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1961), vii, 319.2526:

阮瞻

阮瞻素秉無鬼論。有一鬼通姓名。作客詣之。寒溫。聊談〈談原作諸。據明鈔本改。〉名理。客甚有才情。末及鬼神事。反覆甚苦。客遂屈之。仍作色曰。鬼神古今聖賢所共傳。君何獨言無。即變為異形。須臾便滅。阮嘿然。意色大惡。年餘病死。出幽冥錄

Zhao Wei 趙未

Zhao Wei of the Jin, when he was eight sui in age, grew prodigiously in a single night, his body reaching eight chi (c. 2.4m), and whiskers covering his entire chin. Three days later he died.

Li Rong 李冗, Du yi zhi, 獨異志 (Outstanding Fantastic Stories), 上1.4 (Tale 25)

趙未

晉趙未，年八歲，一夕異長，身長八尺，髭鬚滿頷。三日而死。

Li Rong 李冗, Du yi zhi, 獨異志 (Outstanding Fantastic Stories) in Du yi zhi, Xuanshi Zhi 獨異志，宣室志 (Outstanding Fantastic Stories, Stories from the Chamber of Dissemination), edited by Zhang Yongqin 张永钦 and Hou Zhiming 侯志明 (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1983)

Jia Bizhi Swaps Heads In A Dream 賈弼之夢中換頭

One night, Jia Bizhi dreamt of a person, his face extremely brandy-nosed and hideous in appearance, who addressed Bizhi, saying: “Thinking of exchanging this; would that be alright?” Within the dream he made a slight show of agreement. On awaking, he approached a mirror and received a great fright, as he saw the person from his dream there. His retinue and family all fled on seeing him. He took up a brush in each hand and set down on paper all the strangeness affecting him, all in a logical order. [4] After he had explained it, his relatives came to believe too.

Li Rong 李冗, Du yi zhi, 獨異志 (Outstanding Fantastic Stories), 上1.3-4 (Tale 23)

賈弼之夢中換頭

賈弼之夜夢一人，面貌極齄醜，謂弼之曰：「思以易之，可乎？」夢中微有所諾。及覺，臨鏡大驚，一如夢中見者。左右家人見之，皆奔走。其所異者，兩手各執一筆，書之於紙，俱有理例。[4] 徐說之，親戚然後乃信。

Li Rong 李冗, Du yi zhi, 獨異志 (Outstanding Fantastic Stories) in Du yi zhi, Xuanshi Zhi 獨異志，宣室志 (Outstanding Fantastic Stories, Stories from the Chamber of Dissemination), edited by Zhang Yongqin 张永钦 and Hou Zhiming 侯志明 (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1983)

The Way Kills A Spider Demon 法誅蛛怪

In a household belonging to Jianning fu there was a married second daughter, who returned to the household for the new spring, and went to stroll with her younger sister in the flower garden to the side of the house. As they entered the garden gate there was a spider, deep red in colour, which descended onto her arm and could not be flicked away. The girl thought it a demon, and though desperate could not get rid of it. Returning, she fell ill and died. At the beginning of spring the following year, her younger sister walked again in that place to remember the dead and the past, and had not even finished speaking when the same thing descended onto her arm. The girl rushed back, also feeling the illness starting to develop, and told her mother: “Elder sister saw this last year and then died; now I have seen it again and fear that I will not be spared. This is a demon; I have heard that Huang Jinzhuang performs the Way with great efficacy. We should hurry and send people to ask for a talisman and curing water.” Her mother did as she said. Gentleman Huang sent out a talisman with instructions to burn it in the stove. Soon after, thick clouds arose on all sides, thunder and rain descending all at once, the neighbours saw a mountainside appear in the air before the gate, and saw a scarlet woman struck as if by a lightning spirit, over and over again. Before long, there was a single great thunderclap, and they saw the woman fall out of the sky and into the valley. Soon after the rain stopped, and, going to look, they saw the corpse of a woman laid out there. The demonic effects then ceased.

Anon., Huhai xinwen yijian xuzhi, 後1.164 (Tale 285):

法誅蛛怪

建寧府人家有二女適人，因春首歸家，（「家」，明抄本作「寧」。）與其妹同遊屋側花園。方入園門，有一蜘蛛，真紅色，墮其臂，拂之不去。女以為怪，意殊不釋，歸感疾而死。次年春初，其妹再遊其地，因感舊事，言未竟，此物復墮其臂。其女急回，亦感病，語其母曰：「姊去年見此而死，今我又復見之，恐不可免。此是一怪，聞黃金莊行法甚靈，可急遣人問討符水。」母如其言。黃公為遣將發符，令以符於竈中燒化。須臾，陰雲四起，雷雨交作，鄰人但見門前之山旁空中，見有一真紅婦人為雷神所擊，往來數四。須臾，霹靂一聲，見此婦人自空中跌下坑谷。須臾雨霽，往視，見一婦人橫尸在焉。其怪方絕。

Yuan Haowen 元好問, Chang Zhenguo 常振國 (ed), Xu Yijian zhi 續夷堅志 (Continued Records of the Listener), and Anon., Jin Xin 金心 (ed.), Huhai xinwen yijian xuzhi 湖海新聞夷堅續志 (Continuation of Records of the Listener with New Items from the Lakes and Seas) (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1986).

The Celestial Master Executes A Serpent 天師誅蛇

In Dongyang County, in Wuzhou, there was a Guo Langzhong, whose family depended on and lived among the mountains. The crags and rocks were steep and dangerous, the trees and forests deep and thick, and there were often great serpents that became demons that people were unable to deal with. Guo had a daughter, sixteen sui in age and of great beauty, who suddenly vanished and could not be found. Her parents suspected she had been deluded by a ghost, and thought about her endlessly, morning and night, sending people to offer incense and a letter to Longhushan, to call on and request help from the Guanmiao Celestial Master. The master intended to set off the next day, and that night dreamed that the school’s founder spoke to him: “You should not go; I will sort this out myself.” Suddenly, one day, there was a person of religion who arrived at the Guo household, and calling on him asked: “What matter disturbs your family?” Guo replied with the matter of his missing daughter. The person of religion said: “I have the power of the Way; you should send people after me to seek her.” They then sent people following after him, and on reaching the hills behind the house [163] he ordered the people to close their eyes, listen for his cry, and then open their eyes. When the cry came, they opened their eyes to see flames erupt from the hillside, with a great serpent burning among them, and the girl standing before it. On questioning, it emerged that the serpent had become a bewitching spirit. The demon then died. The religious then gave the girl an amulet to wear, and she regained her former peace.

Anon., Huhai xinwen yijian xuzhi, 後1.162-63 (Tale 282):

天師誅蛇

婺州東陽縣有郭郎中，家依山而居，山石險峻，樹林深密，常有大蛇為妖，人所不能治。郭有一女年十六歲，容貌甚麗，忽尋不見。父母疑為祟所惑，朝夕思慕不已，遣人齎香信詣龍虎山，迎請觀妙天師救治。師欲翌日起（「起」，明刻本、明抄本作「啟」。）行，是夜（「夜」作「以」，據明刻本、明抄本改。）夢祖師云：「汝毋往，吾將自治之。」忽一日，有〔道〕（據明刻本、明抄本補。）人到郭家，謁問之曰：「爾家中有何憂事？」郭以失女事對。道人曰：「我有道法，爾當遣人隨我尋之。」遂遣人隨去，至屋後 [163] 山中，令其人閉目，謂聞喝聲即開。及喝一聲，開目見山中火發，焚一大蛇於中，女立于前。詢之，乃此蛇為魅。其怪遂絕。道人乃給符與女服，獲安如故。

Yuan Haowen 元好問, Chang Zhenguo 常振國 (ed), Xu Yijian zhi 續夷堅志 (Continued Records of the Listener), and Anon., Jin Xin 金心 (ed.), Huhai xinwen yijian xuzhi 湖海新聞夷堅續志 (Continuation of Records of the Listener with New Items from the Lakes and Seas) (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1986).

A Well Contains A White Dragon 井有白龍

When Su Dongpo (1037-1101) arrived to the east of Hainan City, he came across a pair of wells, sited very close to one another, and having savoured their differences, named them the Paired Wells, their water flowing from the stones of a cliff. Dongpo drank their waters and was surprised by [266] them, saying: “I seek a white dragon but have not yet seen it; now I know that it dwells in these waters!” His travelling companion was surprised by this question, and asked about its motivation, saying: “The white dragon will emerge from among us; please wait a moment.” Presently they saw a tail like a silver serpent sprout from his back, and the water clouding as mist and vapour rolled across its surface; raising his head like the finest chopsticks [?], he swam away. Later, the prefectural commander Zhang Zixiu had a convent built atop the well, calling it Remembering Those Afar, with a pavilion named Water Drawn From Afar.

Anon., Huhai xinwen yijian xuzhi, 後2.265-66 (Tale 482):

井有白龍

蘇東坡至海南城東，見有雙井，相去咫尺，而味兩般，號雙井，水源出巖石中。東坡酌水異 [266] 之，曰：「吾尋白龍不見，今知居此水中乎！」同遊者怪問其故，曰：「白龍當為我出，請徐待之。」俄見其脊尾如生銀蛇，忽水渾有雲氣浮水面，舉首如插工筯，乃泳而去。後有郡守張子修為造庵井上，號思遠，亭名泂酌。

Yuan Haowen 元好問, Chang Zhenguo 常振國 (ed), Xu Yijian zhi 續夷堅志 (Continued Records of the Listener), and Anon., Jin Xin 金心 (ed.), Huhai xinwen yijian xuzhi 湖海新聞夷堅續志 (Continuation of Records of the Listener with New Items from the Lakes and Seas) (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1986).