☯Sa Shoujian's Renown
At the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, there was a Taoist priest named Sa Shoujian. By a fortunate coincidence, he successively studied Taoism under Wang Wenqing, Zhang Jixian, and others. With his extraordinary Taoist skills, he became famous far and wide.
🏛️Expulsion from the City God Temple
In the early years of the Southern Song Dynasty, Sa Shoujian traveled far and wide to famous mountains and great rivers, and on the way, he did good deeds and accumulated virtues, treating diseases for people. Once, when Sa Shoujian arrived at a certain place, he stayed overnight in the City God Temple. Two days later, the local prefect sent someone to drive him out of the temple.
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It turned out that the previous night, the City God had appeared in a dream to the prefect and said, "Sa Shoujian is staying in my temple, making me restless day and night. Please help me drive him away." Therefore, the prefect sent people to expel Sa Shoujian.
📜The Incense Stick Retribution
Sa Shoujian did not argue and left immediately. After walking dozens of miles, he met someone carrying pigs and sheep to the City God Temple to fulfill a vow. Upon inquiry, he learned that the City God in that temple was extremely greedy and would only be effective if offered blood sacrifices; otherwise, disasters would run rampant in the area. Sa Shoujian then realized why the City God had him driven away—it was afraid that he would report its evil deeds to the Heavenly Court. After a little thought, Sa Shoujian took out an incense stick and handed it to the person who was fulfilling the vow, saying, "After you finish fulfilling your vow, please throw this incense stick into the incense burner." The person readily agreed to this small request. After fulfilling the vow at the City God Temple, he threw the incense stick into the burner. There was a clap of thunder, the fire in the burner flared up, and with the help of the wind, the fire quickly burned the City God Temple to ashes.
⚖️Wang E's Complaint and Punishment
The City God in that temple was named Wang E (Wang the Evil). After his temple was burned down, he became homeless and had no means of livelihood. Harboring great resentment towards Sa Shoujian, he went to the Heavenly Court to file a complaint with the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor believed that although Wang E was wrong to greedily accept blood sacrifices, Sa Shoujian was also at fault for privately burning down the City God Temple without reporting to the Heavenly Court. In the end, the Jade Emperor issued an edict: "I now bestow upon you (Wang E) a jade axe and allow you to secretly follow and monitor Sa Shoujian for three years. During these three years, if Sa Shoujian commits any offense against the Heavenly laws, you are permitted to execute him first and report later. However, you must not wrongfully take a human life; otherwise, you will be severely punished."
✨Wang E's Redemption
Three years passed in the blink of an eye. Sa Shoujian remained upright and pure-hearted all along, and Wang E could find no handle against him. But Wang E was still not convinced and decided to test Sa Shoujian once more. One day, Sa Shoujian arrived at a ferry crossing. The ferry boat was moored at the shore, but the boatman was nowhere to be found. So Sa Shoujian rowed the boat across the river by himself. When the boat reached the shore, Sa Shoujian took out the fare and placed it on the boat before disembarking. As soon as he set foot on the shore, a man appeared in front of him, blocking his way. This man wore a feathered cap, a red robe, and held a jade axe in his hand. Sa Shoujian shouted, "Who are you?" The man bowed and said, "I am Wang E, the City God." Then Wang E told Sa Shoujian about his secret surveillance of him for three years, saying that he was convinced by Sa Shoujian's character and was willing to follow Sa Shoujian from then on and become his disciple.
⚡Wang Shan's Divine Appointment
Wang E became Sa Shoujian's disciple, traveling around with him and doing good deeds to accumulate virtues. Many years passed like this, and Wang E always respected his teacher and valued Taoism, capturing demons and monsters, summoning thunder and rain, and being extremely diligent. Sa Shoujian changed his name from Wang E (Wang the Evil) to Wang Shan (Wang the Good). When the Jade Emperor learned of this, he highly praised Wang Shan, conferred upon him the title of Marshal of the Thunder Department, ranked him among the Thirty-Six Heavenly Generals, and appointed him as the Protecting Dharma Spirit Officer.
