ENG
Amidst joy, a gentle spirit gleams,
In anger, darkness sows its schemes.
Beneath the earth, a silent foe,
Flames within, slyly aglow.
Ancient texts speak of Flame Ore, bearing a resemblance to cinnabar ore but being non-toxic and more potent for pill refinement. Its sought-after properties for enhancing both yin and yang energies attracted many pill crafters. Yet, this rare substance of the mountain spirits remains elusive and priceless.
Then there was Cheng Ming, a man obsessed with oddities, scorned by his family for his poverty. Learning that Flame Ores were formed within Flamlings, he set out to profit from it. Selling all he had, he plunged into the mountains, fixated on capturing a Flamling.
Days turned to weeks with no news, save that his makeshift shelter mysteriously burned down. Raging at his misfortune, he saw a large red worm emerge from the ground before him-half-buried, half-exposed, with the innocent face of a child, much like a disciple of Guanyin's. Startled by Cheng Ming's fury, it wept. Cheng Ming shouted to scare and silence it, but it only angered the Flamling, who swiftly burrowed away.
It was only then that Cheng Ming realized it was a Flamling. He leaped about, hoping to lure it out again. Finally, the guai, annoyed perhaps, burrowed out and struck him with a fireball. The clothes and skin of Cheng Ming caught on fire, and he rolled on the ground in pain and despair.
He broke down in tears, realizing that he couldn't seize the Flame Ore by himself. Then, amused and curious, the Flamling drew near him. For this one time, Cheng Ming chose to be brutal and resolute; he smashed its head with a rock until it was completely shattered.
Cheng Ming continued this merciless act and harvested plenty of Flame Ores, but he kept his methods a secret. His growing sales of the ores eventually earned him fame as a renowned medicine gatherer far and wide.
Flame Ore is a rare mineral that looks like cinnabar but is non-toxic and even more powerful for making medicinal pills. Alchemists prize it because it can boost both yin and yang energies, so pill crafters hunt for it despite how scarce and expensive it is. The ore is tied to mountain spirits, which makes it hard to find and valuable.
Cheng Ming is a poor man who collects oddities and is looked down on by his family. When he learns that Flame Ores actually form inside creatures called Flamlings, he decides to get rich. He sells everything he owns and goes into the mountains determined to capture a Flamling and profit from the ore they contain.
Weeks pass with no word from him, and his temporary shelter is mysteriously burned down. After that, Cheng Ming sees a large red worm emerge from the ground. It’s half-buried and has an innocent, childlike face, described as similar to a disciple of Guanyin. The creature cries when it notices him.
Cheng Ming yells to frighten it, and the Flamling burrows away. Realizing what it is, he tries to lure it back out. The creature finally comes out and attacks with a fireball, setting Cheng Ming’s clothes and skin on fire. In agony he rolls on the ground and cries, accepting that he cannot take the Flame Ore by force alone.
Then the Flamling approaches curiously, and Cheng Ming decides to be brutal: he smashes its head with a rock until it is destroyed. He harvests many Flame Ores from the creature, keeps the method a secret, and sells the ores. As a result he becomes famous across the land as a successful medicine gatherer, but his wealth and reputation are built on killing the mountain spirit and hiding how he obtained the ore.