Shigandang Yaoguai Kings
Description
Years ago, upon Yellow Wind Ridge, several cliff stones drank deeply of the essence of sky and earth, basking in the energy of sun and moon. In time, they awakened, transforming into sentient stone guais. Among them, two, through advanced cultivation, were bestowed with the title of mountain deities.
One day, for reasons unknown, several Buddha heads emerged from the ground on the ridge. These heads, complete with eyes, ears, mouths, noses, and even flexible muscless, were profoundly bizarre. Upon seeing any living creature, they would scream loudly; and if approached, they would swallow the creature whole.
One stone guai, finding these Buddha heads strange and dangerous, decided to eliminate them to protect the mountain’s inhabitants. It rammed into one of the Buddha heads, crushing it into a pulp. However, the flesh adhered to the stone guai’s body and soon grew into a new stone Buddha head.
From that moment on, the stone guai’s temperament completely changed. It began to roam the mountain, searching for other Buddha heads, crushing them, and allowing them to grow on its back. As the number of Buddha heads on its body increased, so did its size. It no longer took nourishment from the universe but instead fed on the mountain’s living creatures to cultivate. The other stone guais could not defeat it; a single punch from it would shatter them into pieces, destroying their souls.
When the yellow-furred rat and his followers left the Kingdom of Flowing Sands and passed through Yellow Wind Ridge, they encountered the mountain deities leading several stone guais to drive the infested stone guai away. The yellow-furred rat seemed to understand the nature of those Buddha heads well. A strong sense of righteousness led him and his followers into battle.
In a great victory, the yellow-furred rat not only destroyed the infested stone guai but also eradicated all the flesh Buddha heads in the mountain. He extracted the essence from the guai and divided it between the two brave mountain deities. He also gouged out the eyeballs from the Buddha heads and placed them in the valley as a seal.
The mountain’s inhabitants greatly admired the Yellow Wind Guai. Seeing that he could summon the wind, they named him the Yellow Wind Sage and revered him as their king, settling with him in Yellow Wind Ridge.
Poetry
In the sea of bitterness, harsh winds bring the tide,
Only those favored one can reach the other side.
The fragrance of rained soil spreads far and wide,
Yet dustless is the realm where the Buddhas reside.
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