After killing the local tyrant Zhen Guanxi， for fear of being jailed， Lu Zhishen fled to Mount Wutai where he stayed in a temple as a monk. After breaking the temple rules by drinking， he was sent by the abbot to the Monastery of Great Assistance to State， where he was put in charge of a vegetable garden. The property had been plagued by a band of local hooligans who frequently came to steal. None of the previous watchmen could stop the theft. Now， on hearing that a new watchman had been employed， the hooligans came again， only to be welcomed by a good beating： the two leaders were kicked into a manure pit and the rest dropped to their knees and kowtowed for mercy.

The next day they came again， but this time to apologize with wine and food. While they were enjoying the food， crows up in a tree cackled nonstop. A bad omen， to destroy the bird nest， when Lu Zhishen stopped them. He sized up the tree and said， "No need for the trouble." He stripped off his coat， bent down and grasped the trunk. Then he yanked the tree right out of the ground. The hooligans gasped in disbelief and went down on their knees and begged Lu to teach them martial arts.

鲁智深打死恶霸镇关西后，怕吃官司，逃往他低。他先来到五台山文殊院出家，因不守佛规，喝酒闹事，方丈又把他介绍到大相国寺看菜园子。菜园子附近住着二、三十个泼皮，他们常来菜园子偷菜，已换了几个看园子的人都管不了他们。这次听说有换了个新人，便来闹事，没想到被鲁智深把两个领头的踢到粪坑里，吓得他们跪地求饶。第二天，泼皮们买些酒菜向鲁智深赔礼。大家正吃得高兴，听到门外大树上的乌鸦叫个不停，泼皮们说这叫声不吉利，吵的人心烦，便欲搬梯子拆掉鸟巢。鲁智深上前把那棵树上下打量了一下说："不用了，带我把树拔掉。"说完，只见他脱掉外衣，用左手向下搂住树干，右手把住树的上半截，腰往上一挺，那棵树竟然连根拔起。众泼皮惊得个个目瞪口呆，忙跪在地上拜鲁智深为师。