Lei Zhenzi

Lei Zhenzi was still an infant when Ji Chang, on his way to Chaoge, found him on Mount Yan. Black cloud was rolling over, thunder crashed and rain came down in sheets, and the child was crying alone in the open country. Pitying him, Ji Chang took him as an adopted son; because he was the hundredth in order and had been born in a thunderstorm, he was named Lei Zhenzi.

Yunzhongzi, passing that way, saw that the child’s frame was out of the ordinary, asked Ji Chang for him, and carried him off to the Yuzhu Cave on Mount Zhongnan to raise. Mist wrapped the mountain and old pines stood before the cave; Lei Zhenzi lived there, learning to ride the wind and to use the staff under Yunzhongzi, and grew up.

Seven years later, when Ji Chang had been released from Youli and was on his way south, Yunzhongzi knew that he would meet pursuers in the dangerous country of Mount Yan and sent Lei Zhenzi down to help his adoptive father.

Before he went, Yunzhongzi told him to eat two red apricots from the tree by the rock beside the cave. He ate them both, and had barely swallowed when thunder rolled, the joints of his spine cracked, the crown of his skull split, wings of flesh grew from his shoulders, his face turned indigo and fangs came out of his mouth, so that he no longer looked like other men. Yunzhongzi then took out a Golden Staff he had long kept and gave it to him to carry.

Lei Zhenzi spread his wings and flew to Mount Yan, where the Shang pursuers had surrounded Ji Chang’s carriage amid shouting and the noise of horses and clouds of dust. He dropped out of the clouds, the beat of his wings raising a hard wind, and charged in with the Golden Staff; where it fell armour broke and the pursuers gave way in disorder, and he brought Ji Chang’s carriage out.

He escorted Ji Chang past several passes on the road, took his leave when they reached the borders of Western Qi, and returned to Mount Zhongnan to go on cultivating under Yunzhongzi, without entering the city.

When King Wu Ji Fa raised his army against King Zhou, Lei Zhenzi was sent down again and joined the Western Qi army, marching east with Jiang Shang and serving before the lines beside Nezha, Yang Jian, Jinzha, Muzha and the other Chan disciples.

When Wen Zhong set out the Ten Absolutes to block the Zhou army, Lei Zhenzi helped from the air, flying above the formations to scout them, drove enemy officers back with the Golden Staff more than once, and helped the Chan immortals break them.

When Tongtian Jiaozhu set out the Zhuxian and the Ten Thousand Immortals formations and the disciples of the three teachings gathered before them, Lei Zhenzi went with the army to watch and support, and saw the formations broken and the Jie disciples scattered.

The Shang army broke at Muye and Chaoge fell; Lei Zhenzi went into the city with the Zhou army and saw King Zhou burn himself and Shang come to an end.

With Shang destroyed, Jiang Shang enfeoffed the fallen gods from the roll at the investiture terrace, and Lei Zhenzi was not among them; when the fighting had quieted he returned with Yunzhongzi to the Yuzhu Cave on Mount Zhongnan and stayed no longer with the army.