ENG
Fly through the flowers and willows to shoot hidden arrows, flap your wings and ride the crooked wind.
It is difficult to achieve good deeds with small wisdom, and twos and threes block the way.
There was a dragonfly guai who loved archery. His mother saw his gift and used her connections for an opportunity to have him training under the Yaoguai King of the land.
To the King, the dragonfly guai seemed like a diligent and talented student. He drilled hard each day and served his master with great respect, always at his master's beck and call. At times, he'd be practicing outside, but at a single command from his teacher, he'd appear at once. The King had doubts, but considering the dragonfly's swift wings, the King dismissed his suspicions.
One day, the King taught him how to imbue his bolts with greater power. "Wait for the arrowhead to glow, then release." The guai swore he'd remember, but when tested that afternoon, he couldn't recall anything. The King assumed he just hadn't grasped the lesson and explained it once more. But the next day, he'd had forgotten it again.
This pattern continued. The Yaoguai King flew into a rage and set to punish the guai. The guai fell to his knees and pleaded. "Mercy, master! I have brothers. Each of us knows only a portion of the lessons. That's why I can't answer." At this, scores of identical dragonfly guais emerged, all kneeling and bowing non-stop. Offended yet tickled by this revelation, the King demoted them all to lowly patrol guards and taught them no more.
Alas, while petty schemes might seem perfect at first, earning praise and favor, they also sow the seeds of trouble. When the truth is revealed, one faces ridicule and brings ruin upon themselves.
The short opening lines set the mood: a dragonfly-like spirit who loves archery, flying through flowers and willows, shooting hidden arrows and riding crooked winds. His mother notices his talent and uses her connections to arrange for him to train under the Yaoguai King, the powerful teacher of that place.
At the King’s school, the dragonfly guai presents himself as a hard worker and a respectful student. He practices a lot, and whenever the King calls he appears immediately. Because his wings are very fast, the King suspects nothing and accepts the dragonfly as a promising pupil despite occasional doubts.
The King teaches him an advanced trick for making his arrows more powerful: wait until the arrowhead glows, then release. The dragonfly swears he’ll remember, but every time the King tests him he can’t recall the instruction. The pattern repeats over several days, and the King grows angrier and decides to punish the student for failing to learn.
Facing punishment, the dragonfly begs for mercy and explains that he has many brothers, and that each brother knows only part of the lessons. At that moment, scores of identical dragonfly guais step forward, all kneeling and bowing without stopping. The implication is that different brothers had been taking turns so the King thought one quick-winged pupil was always present, which is why no single individual could repeat the whole lesson.
The King feels both offended and amused by the deception. Instead of teaching them further, he demotes them all to low-level patrol guards and stops their instruction. The story’s point is clear: small, clever tricks can win praise briefly, but when such schemes are exposed they lead to shame and ruin.