Lushleaf Lesser Yaoguais
Location
In the wilderness near the Valley of Blooms shrine in the secret Purple Cloud Mountain area.
Description
Once, a wealthy scion, seeking the path of the immortals, abandoned his family fortune and retreated to the mountains for solitary practice. Accustomed to being served, he struggled alone and often faltered in basic chores. One day, while washing clothes, his basin drifted away. He sat by the river and wailed aloud. Suddenly, from the rustling trees, a young and beautiful woman glided down to him.
She landed before him, inquired about his plight, and consoled him, saying, “Your devotion has moved a spirit of these cypresses such as me. You have my aid.” She would prepare his meals, launder his clothes, and always leave as silently as she came. Yet, the boy’s heart harbored other thoughts. He said to her, “Since you care for me so, why not join me in practice as Daoist partners and harmonize yin with yang?”
Enraged by his audacity, the woman sharply rebuked him. “Our practices take on different paths, and mine has been kept for a millennium. Why would I risk this practice because of you?” She left swiftly, but after many tearful pleas by the river, the boy was forgiven. However, within half a year, he broached her with the proposal again, persisting in his deluded fantasy.
The woman, after pondering, said, “How can you speak of the practice of yin and yang with me before you see my true form? Follow me, and you shall see.”
She led him deep into the woods and revealed a massive, gnarled cypress tree. She glided onto its canopy and disappeared. The cypress let out a mighty roar and rose from the ground. With a flick of power, it summoned the surrounding shrubs. Together, they encircled the boy, intending to teach him a lesson. Overcome with fear, he fled back to his home and abandoned his pursuit of Dao.
Poetry
Amidst the lush leaves’ embrace,
Free from the dust of life’s race.
Branches side by side they stand,
Their pursuit as firm as land.
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