Earth Wolf Yaoguai Chiefs
Description
There was once a general’s son who served as a drill master in the barracks. Cruel and ruthless he was, and the soldiers trembled at his commands. Yet, out of respect for the general, they bore their resentment in silence.
The drill master, who had a passion for hunting, kept a Chinese Xigou, a slender hound. One day, he went hunting with several instructors but returned empty-handed, much to his shame. He blamed the innocent hound for their failure and had it beaten to death.
The soldiers, who had been ordered to kill the hound, were much troubled in spirit. They buried the hound in a field behind the barracks, where many lingzhi mushrooms grew, and gathered at night to chant sutras for the repose of its soul.
One night, the drill master heard a dog barking outside the barracks. He sent men to seek out the source of the noise, but the barking ceased each time they approached, only to resume once they had returned to sleep. After a few times, the drill master lost his temper and went to investigate himself. As he stood in the yard, he felt the sound came from beneath the ground and ordered his men to dig up the earth.
As the soil was cleared away, the hound leaped from the earth, appearing as it had in life but now adorned with thin tentacles, like the roots of some peculiar plant. The drill master, thrilled by this rare find, called to the hound. It recognized its master and bounded joyfully towards him. However, two hard, antler-like mushrooms had grown upon its head. As the hound leaped into the drill master’s arms, these mushrooms pierced his chest, and he died then and there.
The soldiers rushed to call the healers, shouting in panic and confusion. Amid the turmoil, no one thought to catch the hound. Later, no matter how they searched, they never found a trace of it.
Poetry
On moonless nights with winds that cry,
The time for debts and vengeance nigh,
In kind yaoguais, place your trust,
But wicked souls, you must defy.
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