ENG

Agile and extraordinary, with strength untold, Delicate in form, light as a feather's hold. Pure beauty, untouched by mortal's trace, Proud as a frost-kissed maiden's grace. Before obtaining the Stone Essence, the Mother of Stones was originally a blue quartz in the shape of a woman. The blue quartz had the unique ability to absorb the essence of the moon. Through ages of absorption, she attained enlightenment earlier than other stone guais and was honored as the mountain deity. When the Buddha-head stone guai appeared, the other stone guais convened and decided to expel the guai from the mountain. They sought the help of the Mother of Stones. However, she refused, fearing the possibility of her blue quartz to be shattered in battle. Yet on the day of battle, seeing that the stone guais were on the verge of defeat, she could no longer bear to stand by and decided to join the fight. Noticing the Palestones launching their quartz like a barrage of arrows to sneak attack the Buddha-head guai, she imitated their action despite her deep attachment to her precious quartz. Despite their best efforts, they were still losing. When her blue quartz was shattered by a punch, the Mother of Stones fell to the ground in despair. Unexpectedly, a yellow-furred leading a group of yaoguais came to their aid. Seeing her grievance, the rat persuaded, "What is broken is destined not to return. If we let the guai escape, wouldn't it be an even greater loss?" Hearing this, the Mother of Stones regained her strength and rose up. Together, they subdued the Buddha-head stone guai. As compensation for her loss, the yellow-furred rat gifted her the Stone Essence. With the essence bestowed, the Mother of Stones gained great powers. Yet as her form grew less mobile, she crafted Poisestones from blue quartz, reflections of her former self, to watch over the mountain's happenings. Perhaps she did this to glimpse what she once was, what could never return.

CN

机敏更奇强,玲珑体轻量。 素艳非浊骨,傲如青女霜。 昔年,小须弥山上有个小和尚,相貌端然,骨骼秀拔。他曾是灵吉的幸童,因聪明乖觉,颇有佛缘,便被灵吉收入门下,作了最小的徒弟。 那时,黄风岭有座灵吉的留云下院,周围的缙绅们都爱去那处祈福。灵吉得知后,时时派小徒弟去院中置办香会,讲经说法。大家都说那庙灵验,来者甚众。 却说,斯哈哩国宰相之女,生得脸似堆花,体如琢玉。偏她生性孤高,不爱刺绣针织,只喜穿着劲装打猎习武,特别是她那身拳腿功夫,等闲武人难以匹敌。 这日,她听闻山中的庙场香会,十分好奇,急着要去与众人辩论佛法,正巧遇上灵吉的小徒弟。二人畅谈一番,很是投机,此后,凡有香会,她必定到场。 不久,灵吉察觉出徒弟的异样,他不动声色,带着小徒弟往灵山参加龙华会去也。小和尚只觉在灵山上呆了几天,下界却已过了数十年。待他回到山中,寻着线索找去宰相家,只见昔日的貌美女郎,已成了现任宰相府的老太太,家族枝繁叶茂,门庭煊赫,令小和尚五味杂陈。 其后,他在山中依照她年轻时的模样塑了许多石像,将它们点化成活物,代替她陪在身旁。只是这些石女始终冷冷清清,久而久之他才觉得自己可笑至极,又将她们的头脸悉数毁去了。