Daoist Gong, whose name and origin remain unknown, once sought an audience with the Prince of Lu. When the eunuch refused him entry, the Daoist produced two hundred taels of gold and chuckled, "I am not absolutely set on seeing the Prince, but I heard the pavilion and landscaping in the rear courtyard are superb. If I could merely gaze upon them for a moment, my desire would be fulfilled."

The eunuch accepted the silver and led the Daoist into the rear courtyard. As they ascended to a tower to admire the view, the eunuch leaned against the window looking out, when suddenly the Daoist thrust him from behind. The eunuch felt himself dangling outside the tower, a thin vine wrapped around his waist. He looked down to see a chasm of ten thousand feet, bottomless. The vine began to creak ominously, and the eunuch cried out in terror.

The Prince of Lu, alerted by the commotion, rushed out to see the eunuch’s perilous situation and immediately ordered his men to spread straw mattresses below. Just as the mattresses were laid, the rope snapped. The eunuch plunged downward, but upon focusing his gaze, he realized the fall had ended a mere foot above the ground.

The Prince knew the Daoist had engineered the spectacle, using illusion to trick the eunuch, yet he was also intrigued. He dispatched men to find the Daoist, learning he was staying at the scholar Shang’s house. The Prince immediately extended an invitation to the Daoist to join him at the palace.

The Prince hosted a banquet for the Daoist, during which the latter remarked, "I am but a simple man from the wilderness, possessing no great skills. Since Your Highness has shown me such favor, I wish to perform a small trick and present a few beauties to celebrate your birthday." As he spoke, he reached into his sleeve and produced a beautiful woman, setting her on the ground and commanding her to dance a piece from the "Peach Banquet."

Soon after, the Daoist produced another woman, who announced herself as the Queen Mother of the West. In quick succession, celestial maidens such as Dong Shuangcheng and Xu Feiqiong leaped from his sleeve. Finally, the Weaver Girl appeared, presenting a heavenly robe that shone with brilliant golden light, bathing the room in radiance. The Prince laughed heartily and reached out to take the robe, but the Daoist interjected, "That is forbidden."

The Prince ignored him and took the heavenly robe, turning it over and admiring it repeatedly. It was indeed a work of supreme artistry, wondrous and beyond compare. The Daoist’s expression soured. "I took great pains to borrow this robe from the Weaver Girl. Now that Your Highness has handled it, it is tainted with worldly dust. How am I to return it?" As he spoke, he tossed the robe into a brazier and ignited it, tucking the burning object back into his sleeve. In an instant, it was reduced to a pile of ashes. Strangely, though the robe burned, the Daoist’s sleeve remained untouched.

The Prince was delighted and praised him, "Magnificent skill! Tell me, Daoist master, are these celestial maidens real? Might I keep one or two to grace my inner court?" The Daoist smiled, "As Your Highness pleases." The Prince rejoiced, reaching out with both hands to embrace a maiden with each. He peered closely, only to find they were nothing more than the courtesans from his own household.

From that day forward, the Prince regarded the Daoist with ever-increasing reverence, inviting him to reside at the palace. However, the Daoist demurred, "I have always been a solitary wanderer; the palace, to me, is no different from a cage. I prefer the freedom of the scholar Shang's humble home." The Prince nodded and inquired, "I hear immortals are fond of women, is that true?" The Daoist replied, "Perhaps, but I have certainly not reached the immortal realm. A man devoted to the Way empties himself of all desires; his heart is like dead wood. Beauty to me is merely a painted skeleton." The Prince remained skeptical and secretly dispatched a prostitute to the Daoist’s quarters to test him.

The Daoist sat with his eyes closed, seemingly oblivious. When the prostitute pushed him, he snored loudly. When she flicked his forehead with her nail, it felt hard as iron. When she pricked his skin with a silver needle, the flesh proved as rigid as stone; not only did the needle fail to penetrate, but several needles broke in the attempt.

The Daoist possessed arts of flight and evasion. While staying at the scholar's house, he would often be absent all night. Yet, no matter how securely the scholar locked the main door, he would find the Daoist cheerfully present upon waking the next morning.

Scholar Shang was a man given to sentiment and maintained a close, affectionate relationship with the courtesan Huige. Huige possessed exceptional talent, and the Prince of Lu, hearing of her fame, specifically invited her to the palace to attend him constantly. From that day on, the scholar never saw Huige again. One day, missing his beloved, the scholar asked the Daoist, "Daoist Master, you frequent the palace; have you seen a woman there named Huige?"

The Daoist replied, "I am familiar with all the women in the Prince of Lu’s residence, but there are so many beauties, I cannot recall who Huige is at this moment. What does she look like?" The scholar described her in detail. The Daoist then said, "Ah, I remember. I have indeed met Miss Huige."

The scholar asked, "Is there any way I might see her?" The Daoist chuckled, "That is simple enough, though it will require a small inconvenience from you: you must climb into my sleeve." As he spoke, he grasped the scholar’s collar and tucked him inside. The interior of the sleeve was vast and bright, equipped with tables, chairs, beds, pavilions, and towers. The Daoist arrived at the palace and was playing chess with the Prince when he spotted Huige from a distance. He waved his sleeve twice, and before Huige could react, she was instantly drawn inside.

Within the sleeve, the scholar and Huige were reunited, overcome with joy and clinging to each other, losing all track of time. Afterward, the scholar declared, "This miraculous encounter deserves a written commemoration." He picked up a brush and inscribed a poem on the wall: "Deep as the sea is the Marquis's gate, long was my exile; who knew that Master Xiao I would meet again." Huige took the brush next and added: "The universe within this sleeve is truly vast, embracing all who are parted or yearn for home." Just as they finished writing, five men descended from the air, clad in octagonal caps and pale red robes. Without a word, they seized Huige’s arms and carried her away.

Shortly thereafter, the Daoist bid farewell and returned home. He released the scholar from his sleeve and laughed, "Look at the good you’ve done! Not content with your romantic pleasures, you go around scribbling nonsense onto my clothes!"

The scholar blushed deeply. "How could that be?" The Daoist rolled up his sleeve, revealing several lines of tiny script, the ink still wet—the scholar’s handiwork—and asked, "And what explanation do you have for this?" The scholar stammered, "Daoist Master, forgive me. I shall never dare to do it again." Ten days later, through the Daoist’s arrangement, the scholar managed to meet Huige twice more.

One day, Huige told the scholar, "My belly has been churning these past few days; I must be pregnant. If the Prince discovers this, the consequences will be dire. Please consult with the Daoist Master and ask him to help conceal it." The scholar agreed. That evening, when the Daoist returned home, the scholar knelt before him unmoving. The Daoist smiled, "I understand your heart. Do not worry. The child in Huige’s womb is the sole continuation of the Shang lineage, depending on him for posterity. For both feeling and propriety, I cannot stand idly by. However, this matter cannot be rushed; it must be handled gradually."

The scholar was relieved upon hearing this, musing, "Judging by the Daoist Master's words, the child in Huige’s belly seems to be a boy. But the word 'sole' puzzles me. Did my first wife not bear me a son? Why must the continuation of the line depend on Huige?"

Several months later, the Daoist entered from outside, pulling a newborn male infant from his sleeve, the umbilical cord still attached, and laughed, "I have brought back the flesh and blood of Scholar Shang. Quickly, get clothes; don’t let the little one get cold!" The scholar fetched swaddling clothes as instructed and dressed the child. The Daoist took off his Daoist robe with a sigh, "Blood from childbirth has stained my vestments; this is a grave taboo for a Daoist. This robe has been with me for twenty years and can no longer be used. I now pass it to you, Scholar. This robe can cure difficult labor and stillbirth. When needed, simply cut off a piece the size of a copper coin, burn it to ash, and swallow it mixed with water—it is effective a hundred times out of a hundred."

Years passed swiftly. The Daoist told the scholar, "I shall soon die; this is fate, not to be resisted. After I am gone, cut a piece from this robe and keep it safe; it will be of use someday. As for the rest of the robe, you may use it to save others." With these words, he bid farewell and left.

Leaving Scholar Shang's home, the Daoist proceeded to the Prince of Lu’s palace to say goodbye, stating, "I am dying; this is destiny, which cannot be forced." Before the words were even finished, his body stiffened, and his breathing ceased.

The Prince of Lu was deeply saddened and gave the Daoist a grand burial.

After the Daoist's death, the scholar followed his instructions. Whenever a woman in the county suffered difficult labor, he would present a piece of cloth, burn it, and have the ash swallowed with water. The patient would recover instantly; it worked every single time. Because the number of women in labor in the town was so great, the cloth pieces quickly ran out. Only the last piece remained, which the scholar had specifically reserved for himself for a time of great need.

Not long after, a beloved concubine of the Prince of Lu went into labor, suffering for three days. Hearing of the scholar's supposed healing skill, the Prince immediately summoned him to the palace. The scholar burned a piece of cloth and dissolved it in water for the consort to drink. After just one sip, the baby was delivered safely.

The Prince of Lu was ecstatic and bestowed upon the scholar vast quantities of gold, silver, silk, and satin. The scholar refused them, saying, "If Your Highness insists on rewarding me, please grant me Huige as a concubine." The Prince readily agreed. Soon, Huige was brought to the main hall. The Prince asked her, "How old are you now?" Huige replied, "I entered the residence eighteen years ago, and it has been fourteen years since then." The Prince nodded and said to the scholar, "She is too old. Shall I find you a younger one? Rest assured, the palace is full of beauties; you may choose whomever you like." The scholar shook his head, "I only want Huige." The Prince laughed, "Very well, as you wish."

Huige’s son was named Xiusheng—‘Xiu’ meaning sleeve.

Later, the scholar's first wife’s eldest son died young, leaving only Xiusheng to carry on the family line, thus fulfilling the Daoist’s prediction without any prior knowledge on the scholar’s part.

Even later, someone in Sichuan claimed to have seen the Daoist and reported this to the Prince of Lu. The Prince did not believe it, but he opened the Daoist’s coffin, only to find it empty. He concluded that the Daoist had indeed ascended to immortality.