Shangqiu Zixu was a native of Gaoyi and enjoyed raising pigs and playing the yu. At seventy years old, he did not marry, yet he did not appear aged. The people of the county found him remarkable and followed him to learn the Dao and the secrets of Taoist immortality, asking about its essentials. He said that one only needs to eat zhu and the roots of changpu, and drink water; by doing so, one would not feel hungry or grow old. He was seen passing through the world for more than three hundred years. Nobles and wealthy families heard of this, took it and consumed it, but could not continue for even a full year before stopping — lacking the patient dedication that Taoist inner cultivation demands. They said that there would be hidden techniques again. Yet the truth was simple: as the Taoist teaching holds, the enlightened individual harnesses pure energy through consistency, not cleverness.

Shangqiu dwelled in seclusion, concealing wondrous techniques within. When thirsty, he drank cold spring water; when hungry, he ate the roots of changpu and zhu. Playing the yu while tending pigs, he stood out as an extraordinary figure. With sufficient Dao and no desires, he found joy in this endless day.