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Xiaogan. Zhao Yingdao, a supervisor at the Wensi Academy in Xiaogan, suffered from scrofula (tuberculous lymphadenitis). He was nearly prostrated by exhaustion and wept as he bid farewell to his relatives and old friends, saying, "I am about to die. I can part with everything in my household, but what shall I do about my white-haired elderly parents who have no one to rely on?"
Before he could finish speaking, a Daoist priest suddenly knocked on the door and said to Zhao, "This illness is not difficult to cure." The priest took two sheets of paper, cut out a square hole in the center of each, approximately two chi (about 60-70 cm) in diameter, and handed them to Zhao, saying, "Wait until nightfall, burn one sheet, mix the ash with an incense milk decoction, and apply it to the affected area. Keep the other sheet for future generations." After speaking, the Daoist vanished. Only then did they realize that the two square holes formed the character "Lü" (吕). (*Records of Lü Zu's Spiritual Efficacy*)

Belief in Deities. In the fifth month of the fourth year of the Kangxi reign (1665), five men from north of the Yangtze River crossed southward by boat. The boatman worshipped Lord Guan (Guan Di), offering morning and evening bows. That night, Lord Guan appeared in a dream and said, "Tomorrow night, when these five men cross the river, you must absolutely not let them board. If they insist on crossing south, I will write three characters on your palm; wait until they disembark and show them the characters." The boatman followed this instruction and tightly clenched the three characters in his hand. That evening, indeed, five men sought passage. When the boatman opened his hand to look, the five men had instantly disappeared, leaving behind only their luggage and trunks, which contained records and registers related to southern plagues. Upon arriving in Dongwu, the boatman spread word of the three characters, which many people did not recognize as "HT, HT, HT." Those in the Wu region who believed in this often pasted the characters on their doors; those who did so that year were completely spared from plague. (*Complete Works of Lord Guan*)

Reciting Scriptures. A certain man recited the *Gao Wang Guanyin Jing* (High King Guanyin Sutra) with great sincerity. During a trip, he broke his leg and cried out in agony, begging Bodhisattva for rescue. In a dream, a monk instructed him in a prescription: use mung bean powder, stir-fried in a new iron pot until purple, mixed with well water into a thick paste, applied to the injury, covered with paper, and bound firmly with fir bark. Its efficacy was miraculous. (*Notes on Four Tones Bencao*)

Cherishing Written Characters. In the Liang Dynasty, a certain man hired monks monthly, providing three dou of rice and three qian of silver, instructing them to collect written characters daily and deliver them home in the evening for storage in bamboo baskets. He himself wore two bags on his lapels, picking up wet or dirty paper with written characters found in roadside ditches, corners, or garbage piles. He also prepared skin-paper packages; whenever he saw someone using written paper to wrap items, he would exchange his own package for theirs, collecting them all in the basket by nightfall. On his birthday, he would burn the accumulated written paper by the riverbank and scatter the ashes in the water to prevent them from being trampled. Even after the monk died, he continued cherishing written paper as before. Several years later, he succumbed to distension disease (abdominal swelling/ascites) and died. His soul met the monk on a bridge. The monk asked about his recent activities, and he replied that he was critically ill. The monk said, "There is a Daoist physician here who can cure this disease," and introduced him. The monk recounted the man's practice of cherishing written paper to the Daoist. The Daoist gave him three pills and told him to take them home. As he approached home, smelling the strong fragrance of the pills, he swallowed them. Suddenly hearing the wailing of his family, he revived, urgently requesting olive soup. After drinking it, he urinated profusely, filling a bucket, and gradually recovered, living another twenty years. This event was not merely heard but witnessed personally. I advise the world: those wishing to prolong life and eliminate disease should regard cherishing written paper as a spiritual elixir and secret recipe. (*Compilation of Two Cherishings*)

Releasing Life. Zhou Zhixue of Hangzhou had eight sons; six perished in childhood, and the remaining two were frail and frequently ill, raising concerns about their survival. Zhou, over fifty years old, was deeply distressed. While passing West Lake, he encountered an otherworldly figure with a youthful face and Daoist demeanor who said, "You seem to bear heavy worries?" Zhou explained his situation and requested a method to extend his children's lives. The figure said, "Although humans and animals differ, their vital principles are one. As parents, on your children's birthdays and their respective birth-month days, sincerely release life. Then, vital energy will resonate, fate will be shaped by yourself, and your children will naturally avoid premature death." Zhou thanked him and doubled his efforts in releasing life. Within a year, both sons became robust and free from illness. Zhou informed his peers, and the method proved effective in every trial. (*Compilation of Hundred Blessings from Releasing Life*)
(Note: Children's birthdays and birth-month days amount to no more than seven days a year. At these times, spending one or two hundred wen or fifty to sixty wen to buy fish, shrimp, snails, clams, etc., and reverently releasing them connects with the vitality of life through sincere intent. I dare to share this with parents in the world.)

Building Bridges. Qinglong Bridge in Pinghu is located where the Maoliao River meets, with rapid currents. Originally constructed of wood, it was repeatedly built and destroyed. In the Renchen year of the Qianlong reign (1772), Zhang Shi, wife of Lu Wanling, contributed funds to rebuild it in stone. Widowed and blind in her old age, her eyesight gradually improved after the bridge was built. She remained healthy and had a good appetite until the age of eighty-three. (*Collected Sayings from Zhe Shang*)

Saving from Drowning. Lu, a farmer from Changzhou, once suffered from wind-disease (likely leprosy or severe dermatological condition), losing all his hair and eyebrows. Multiple treatments failed, and he believed death was inevitable. He left his family, accompanied by a grandson, navigating rivers and lakes in a small boat, surviving by begging. One evening, while mooring at a tavern and seeking wine, he met an old man in white clothing who said, "I am skilled at treating this disease." He immediately pricked both of Lu's thighs, causing blood to flow like a stream, and ordered Lu to wash the area with river water. The bleeding stopped shortly after. He then gave Lu a red pill, saying, "Take this; when you sweat by midnight, enter the water for a bath." Asked for his surname, he replied, "Zhong." Asked for his residence, he said, "Huang Village." Lu took the medicine and, by midnight, indeed sweated. It was summer, and following the instructions, he bathed in the water. After bathing, he called to his grandson, "My disease is gone!" Overjoyed, he returned home the next day. Witnesses were astonished. Lu explained the circumstances and went to thank the man, but there was no trace of Mr. Zhong, only a Temple of Zhongli. Some say Lu once saved a woman who attempted suicide by drowning, and this was also due to hidden virtue. (*Tan Cui by Du Gong*)

Returning Gold. Wang Xisheng, a beggar from Xian County, had contracted feet, walking by supporting himself on his elbows and thighs. One day, he found two hundred ingots of lost gold on the road. He moved his bag, hid it in the grass, and sat waiting for the finder. Soon, Zhang Jifei, a merchant from Linren, arrived in a panic searching for it. Upon inquiry, the details matched, and Wang returned the gold entirely. Zhang offered him a share, but Wang refused. Zhang invited him home and proposed to support him for the rest of his life. Wang said, "My body is disabled, a punishment from Heaven. To sit and eat without working against Heaven's will would surely bring future blame." He resolutely left. Later, lying inside the Yue Di Temple, a drunkard suddenly pulled his legs, causing unbearable pain. After the drunkard left, Wang's legs had straightened, and he could walk again. He lived until the Yimao year of the Qianlong reign (1759) before passing away. (*Xiang Yang of the Current Dynasty*)