The Yu Xisheng 余希圣

Yu Xisheng (1280–1339) was a native of Nangu (South Valley) at Mount Huagai during the Yuan Dynasty. His courtesy name was Xiuyun, and his literary name (hao) was Feifeizi.

As recorded in Feifeizi’s Record of Hidden Treasures (Feifeizi Youbao Zhi): At the age of fifteen, Yu Xisheng left home to study the Quanzhen School of Taoism at Zhaofu Taoist Temple on Mount Nanhua in Yihuang County. After achieving mastery in Taoism, he traveled across famous mountains and rivers—first to the regions of Qilu (ancient name for present-day Shandong Province) and Yanzhao (ancient name for present-day Hebei and northern Henan provinces) in Shandong, then to renowned places including Mount Zhongnan, Mount Taibai, Mount Wudang, Mount Hengyue (Mount Heng in Hunan Province), and Mount Tiantai.

He possessed Taoist magical arts and was capable of praying for rain and snow, with his prayers often proving effective. He passed away in October of the fifth year of the Hou Zhi Yuan era (1339) of the Yuan Dynasty, at the age of sixty.