許盛，兗人。從兄成，賈於閩，貨未居積。客言大聖靈著，將禱諸祠。盛未知大聖何神，與兄俱往。至則殿閣連蔓，窮極弘麗。入殿瞻仰，神猴首人身，蓋齊天大聖孫悟空云。諸客肅然起敬，無敢有惰容。盛素剛直，竊笑世俗之陋。眾焚奠叩祝，盛潛去之。既歸，兄責其慢。盛曰：「孫悟空乃丘翁之寓言，何遂誠信如此？如其有神，刀槊雷霆，余自受之！」逆旅主人聞呼大聖名，皆搖手失色，若恐大聖聞。盛見其狀，益譁辨之；聽者皆掩耳而走。
许盛，兖人。从兄成，贾于闽，货未居积。客言大圣灵着，将祷诸祠。盛未知大圣何神，与兄俱往。至则殿阁连蔓，穷极弘丽。入殿瞻仰，神猴首人身，盖齐天大圣孙悟空云。诸客肃然起敬，无敢有惰容。盛素刚直，窃笑世俗之陋。众焚奠叩祝，盛潜去之。既归，兄责其慢。盛曰：「孙悟空乃丘翁之寓言，何遂诚信如此？如其有神，刀槊雷霆，余自受之！」逆旅主人闻呼大圣名，皆摇手失色，若恐大圣闻。盛见其状，益哗辨之；听者皆掩耳而走。
Xu Sheng was a man of Yanzhou. He went with his elder brother Cheng to trade in Fujian. Before they had laid in their goods, some of the merchants said the Great Sage worked powerful wonders, and they were going to pray at his shrine. Sheng did not know what sort of god the Great Sage was, and went along with his brother. When they arrived, they found halls and pavilions stretching one after another, as vast and splendid as could be. They went into the main hall and looked up: the god had a monkey’s head on a man’s body. It was, so they said, Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. The merchants were all filled with awe, and none dared look the least bit careless. Sheng had always been blunt and upright, and he laughed to himself at the crude ways of common folk. While the others burned incense, poured offerings, kowtowed and prayed, he slipped away. When they got back, his brother scolded him for his disrespect. “Sun Wukong is a fable made up by old Qiu,” said Sheng. “How can you believe in him so devoutly? If he has any divine power, let him send swords and spears and thunderbolts — I’ll take them myself!” Hearing him shout the Great Sage’s name, the innkeeper and his people all waved their hands and went pale, as if afraid the Great Sage would hear. Seeing this, Sheng argued all the louder, and those listening covered their ears and ran.
至夜，盛果病，頭痛大作。或勸詣祠謝，盛不聽。未幾，頭小愈，股又痛，竟夜生巨疽，連足盡腫，寢食俱廢。兄代禱，迄無驗。或言：神譴須自祝。盛卒不信。月餘，瘡漸斂，而又一疽生，其痛倍苦。醫來，以刀割腐肉，血溢盈椀；恐人神其詞，故忍而不呻。又月餘，始就平復。而兄又大病。盛曰：「何如矣！敬神者亦復如是，足徵余之疾，非由悟空也。」兄聞其言，益恚，謂神遷怒，責弟不為代禱。盛曰：「兄弟猶手足。前日支體糜爛而不之禱；今豈以手足之病，而易吾守乎？」但為延醫剉藥，而不從其禱。藥下，兄暴斃。盛慘痛結於心腹，買棺殮兄已，投祠指神而數之曰：「兄病，謂汝遷怒，使我不能自白。倘爾有神，當令死者復生。余即北面稱弟子，不敢有異辭；不然，當以汝處三清之法，還處汝身，亦以破吾兄地下之惑。」
至夜，盛果病，头痛大作。或劝诣祠谢，盛不听。未几，头小愈，股又痛，竟夜生巨疽，连足尽肿，寝食俱废。兄代祷，迄无验。或言：神谴须自祝。盛卒不信。月余，疮渐敛，而又一疽生，其痛倍苦。医来，以刀割腐肉，血溢盈椀；恐人神其词，故忍而不呻。又月余，始就平复。而兄又大病。盛曰：「何如矣！敬神者亦复如是，足征余之疾，非由悟空也。」兄闻其言，益恚，谓神迁怒，责弟不为代祷。盛曰：「兄弟犹手足。前日支体糜烂而不之祷；今岂以手足之病，而易吾守乎？」但为延医剉药，而不从其祷。药下，兄暴毙。盛惨痛结于心腹，买棺殓兄已，投祠指神而数之曰：「兄病，谓汝迁怒，使我不能自白。倘尔有神，当令死者复生。余即北面称弟子，不敢有异辞；不然，当以汝处三清之法，还处汝身，亦以破吾兄地下之惑。」
That night Sheng did fall ill, with a violent headache. Someone urged him to go to the shrine and beg forgiveness, but he would not. Before long his head eased a little, but then his thigh began to hurt, and overnight a huge abscess grew there. His whole leg swelled down to the foot, and he could neither eat nor sleep. His brother prayed for him, with no result at all. Someone said, “When a god punishes you, you must pray to him yourself.” Sheng still did not believe it. After a month or so the sore slowly closed, but another abscess grew, twice as painful. The doctor came and cut away the rotten flesh with a knife, and blood overflowed a bowl. Afraid people would make a miracle of it, Sheng bore it without a groan. After another month or so he was well again at last. Then his brother fell gravely ill. “There, you see?” said Sheng. “Those who revere the god fare no better. That proves my illness had nothing to do with Wukong.” This made his brother angrier still. He said the god was venting his wrath on him, and blamed Sheng for not praying on his behalf. “Brothers are like hands and feet,” said Sheng. “When my own limbs were rotting the other day, I did not pray. Am I to give up my principles now for an illness of my hands and feet?” He only sent for a doctor and had medicine ground, and would not pray as his brother asked. The medicine went down, and his brother suddenly died. Grief and pain knotted Sheng’s heart. He bought a coffin and laid his brother in it. Then he went to the shrine, pointed at the god and listed his offences: “When my brother fell ill, they said you were venting your anger on him, and I had no way to clear myself. If you have any divine power, make the dead man live again. Then I will bow to you as your disciple and never say a word against you. If not, I will treat you the way you treated the Three Pure Ones, and so clear up my brother’s delusion down below as well.”