ENG
"Sunswept hills they guard and tread,
From glint of steel, their daily bread.
Far-flung from their native land,
At nights, for home, their souls shall stand."
Ever since the black bear guai returned from Guanyin and crowned himself king, he boasted of the arts he had learned. Tales of his newfound method of practice and power of revival allured many a guai of Black Wind mountain. Seeking the king's favor, these minions toiled with abandon.
Among them, a wolf guai worked with tireless zeal. He rose before dawn, patrolled the mountains, and continued well into the night. All of the treasures he found were first laid at the king's feet. His life was one of labor, and yet, without a moment to make friends. Despite his dedication, his presence barely stirred a whisper among the others, and his name was seldom uttered.
His brother, seeing such unacknowledged dedication, spent his savings for a seat in the king's lecture. The wolf guai sat there, heavy with regret for the silvere he had squandered, both on the journey here and the seat at the lecture, that could have been used to buy himself a shield or blade. "Had I a new blade", he mused, "glory could have been mine".
As he pondered this, golden-clad guardians scattered paper talismans before him. Commanded to consume them, they then chanted in meditation for hours until the king sought signs of enlightenment. The white-robed wolf guai stood first, claiming a fervor within and clarity of mind.
The diligent wolf guai thought to himself, "Sweating fervently in a crowd is no marvel... Achieving clarity after chanting is no miracle". Just as he was lost in thought, the cyan bull guai rose next, followed by others. The diligent wolf guai stayed seated, unsure, until the king gestured for them all to sit down.
Later, treasures were doled out; the bull guai received a golden pill, the white-robed wolf guai a title. But the diligent one kept his old shield and dull blade, patrolling the mountain still. Only from then on, he did it all under the white-robed one's whims, ever obedient.
A black bear guai returned from Guanyin and, calling himself king, told everyone about powerful methods he had learned there. He promised a way to practice and even a power of revival. Those claims drew many guai from Black Wind mountain to his court. They hoped to win his favor, so they worked hard and followed whatever he taught.
One of those followers was a wolf guai who was extremely diligent. He woke before dawn, patrolled the mountain all day, and kept working into the night. Any treasure he found he brought straight to the king. He lived only to serve and never had time to make friends; people barely noticed him and his name was rarely spoken.
Seeing that the wolf’s work went unrecognized, his brother spent his savings to buy the wolf a seat at the king’s lecture. The wolf sat through the lecture but regretted the money spent on the journey and the seat — money that could have bought a shield or blade. During the lecture, golden-clad guardians scattered paper talismans and told the attendants to eat them. Then everyone chanted and meditated for hours while the king looked for signs of enlightenment.
When the king asked for proof, a white-robed wolf guai stood and said he felt fervor and clarity. A cyan bull guai rose after him, and others followed. The diligent wolf guai thought that sweating in a crowd or feeling clearer after chanting wasn’t a real miracle, so he stayed seated and said nothing. The king then told them all to sit down again.
Afterward the king distributed rewards: the cyan bull guai received a golden pill, and the white-robed wolf guai was given a title. The diligent wolf received no new weapons or honors; he kept his old shield and dull blade and continued to patrol Black Wind mountain. From then on he did the same work but under the white-robed wolf’s commands, obedient and still unrecognized. The story shows that public displays and the king’s favor won rewards, while steady, quiet service went unrewarded.