Jin Shicheng, a native of Changshan County, whose conduct had always been questionable, suddenly took the tonsure and became a monk. He was erratic and mad, obsessed with consuming filth, frequently eating dog excrement and sheep dung, declaring himself the Buddha.

The ignorant villagers, swayed by his bizarre behavior, flocked to him as a master. Disciples gathered in droves, numbering in the thousands, each one blindly obedient to Jin Shicheng; even if he ordered them to eat excrement, they would not dare defy him.

When Jin Shicheng demanded a palace be built, his disciples donated money profusely, the expenses incurred being countless.

The County Magistrate, abhorring his grotesque conduct, had him seized and severely beaten with the bamboo cane, ordering him instead to construct a temple dedicated to the Sages.

The disciples rushed around crying out, "The Buddha is in peril!" They eagerly collected donations to rescue their master, and within a month, the Temple of the Sages was completed.

The speed at which the funds were gathered far outpaced the relentless pursuit of cruel officials.