A certain member of the White Lotus Society, from Shanxi, whose name is forgotten—perhaps a disciple of Xu Hongru—was adept at unorthodox arts, using these to bewitch the common folk. Many admired his spiritual prowess and flocked to become his disciples.

One day, this individual left home and placed a ceramic basin in the main hall, covering it with another basin. He instructed his disciples to guard it, warning them sternly, "Do not, under any circumstances, open the basins." After he departed, the disciples’ curiosity flared, and they secretly lifted the top basin. Inside the small one, they saw it filled with clear water, upon which floated a tiny skiff, intricately woven from thatch, complete with sail and oars. A gentle poke with a finger overturned the grass boat. The disciples were horrified, quickly setting it upright and replacing the outer basin.

Soon after, the master returned and angrily rebuked them, "Why did you disobey my explicit command?" The disciple denied it vehemently. The master retorted, "Just now, while sailing on the sea, my boat suddenly capsized. Do you still dare to lie?"

On another night, the master lit a massive candle in the main hall, ordering his disciples, "Guard this with your utmost attention; do not let any gust of wind extinguish the flame." He then left. By the second watch, the master had still not returned. The disciples, exhausted, succumbed to sleep. When they awoke, the candle was out. They hastily relit it. Shortly thereafter, the master returned and once more berated the disciple.

The disciple pleaded, "I did not sleep the entire night; how could the flame have gone out?" The master roared, "I just walked over ten li in pitch darkness; you still try to quibble?" The disciple was utterly terrified.

Such marvelous feats were countless.

Later, this individual’s beloved concubine engaged in a clandestine affair with a disciple. Upon sensing this, the master hid his anger and merely instructed the disciple to go feed the pigs. As soon as the disciple entered the sty, he was instantly transformed into a fat hog. The master summoned a butcher, slaughtered the pig, and profited from selling the meat. The disciple's father, receiving no news from his son for a long time, came to inquire. The master casually lied, "He hasn't been here in ages." The old father searched everywhere, finding nothing. A fellow disciple, secretly revealing the truth, enraged and saddened the father, who immediately reported the matter to the magistrate.

Upon hearing the news, the county magistrate, fearful of the master's formidable abilities, dared not arrest him alone. He reported to his superior, requesting a thousand soldiers to surround the residence and apprehend the culprit’s entire family, wife and children included, to escort them under guard to the capital.

En route, they passed through the Taihang Mountains. Suddenly, a giant burst forth from the peaks, as tall as a great tree, with eyes like bowls, a mouth like a blood-red cavern, and teeth over a foot long. The soldiers stood frozen in astonishment, refusing to advance. The master declared, "This is a demon; my wife can handle it." The soldiers heeded his advice, releasing his wife. She advanced, clutching a long spear, and engaged the giant in battle, but the giant roared in fury and sucked her whole into its belly in one gulp. The crowd grew even more terrified. The master then said, "Fear not, though my wife is dead, my son remains; let him step forward." They unbound the son, and after a fierce struggle, he too was overwhelmed and swallowed down.

The onlookers exchanged dismayed glances, unsure what to do. The master, weeping yet furious, declared, "The monster has killed both my wife and my son; how can I bear this? I must enter the fray myself." The others released him from his cage, presented him with weapons, and urged him to achieve glory. The giant rushed forward in a rage. After fighting fiercely for a long time, the giant seized the master in its palm, shook its neck once, swallowed him down in a single bite, and departed with composure.