ENG
Radiant hues of crimson bright,
Majestic with its towering might.
Seeking a place of cool repose,
Releasing fire, a neat trick shows.
Here we must speak once more of the frog-seeking Daoist. Being carried back to the Temple of Yellow Flowers, the Daoist was treated for his injuries. Without asking him a word, everyone assumed he had come to join them, as a disciple, so they took extra care of him.
While at the temple, the Daoist observed the others practicing. Through self-studying, he managed to learn a few techniques, such as "Meteor-smash" and "Stallion-spring". Hundred-Eyed Daoist Master, hearing the Daoist's tales of his travels, recognized his quick wit and boldness and decided to take him as a disciple. Overwhelmed by the honor, the Daoist immediately knelt and acknowledged his master. That night, however, he quietly packed his belongings and left the temple, resuming his quest to find the world's rarest frogs.
The next day, when the Master was informed of his departure, he laughed and said, "He has small ambitions and is unrestrained by conventions. One of a kind indeed."
The Daoist continued his journey and arrived at the Flaming Mountains. At the foot of Cooling Slope, he encountered a large, fiery-red frog. They were about to engage in battle when a purple-skinned lion-dog emerged from a cave behind the slope.
This purple-skinned beast was extremely aggressive. Seeing the two of them lingering near its cave, it charged straight at them. The Daoist was initially intimidated by its presence, but the large frog kicked the beast away, saving his life.
Angered by the frog's interference, the purple-skinned beast turned to attack it. The frog opened its mouth, and with a gulp, spewed a stream of fire, forcing the beast to retreat several steps.
Seizing the chance, the Daoist used all the techniques he had recently learned, "Meteor-smash" and "Stallion-spring", against the beast. Seeing them join forces, the beast fled back into the cave.
The Daoist pursued it into the cave, only to find the interior remarkably cool, a stark contrast to the scorching heat of Flaming Mountains.
Before long, the frog also hopped into the cave and hid in a shady corner. The Daoist realized that although the frog could breathe fire, its nature made it fear the mountain's heat, and the cave was the cool place it sought to rest.
Even this yaoguai had a desire to live. With this surprising understanding, the Daoist felt a surge of compassion and abandoned any thoughts of killing it. He sheathed his sword and left the cave.
A wandering Daoist who was looking for rare frogs was badly injured and carried to the Temple of Yellow Flowers, where the monks treated him. They assumed, without asking, that he had come to join them as a disciple and took care of him. While he stayed, he watched the temple practitioners and taught himself a few combat moves, specifically "Meteor-smash" and "Stallion-spring."
The Hundred-Eyed Daoist Master heard the Daoist’s travel stories, liked his quickness and boldness, and formally accepted him as a disciple. The Daoist knelt in gratitude, but that same night he quietly packed his things and left the temple to continue his frog-searching quest. When the Master learned he had gone, he laughed and said the Daoist had small ambitions and did not follow usual rules — “one of a kind,” the Master remarked.
Continuing his journey, the Daoist reached the Flaming Mountains and came to a place called Cooling Slope. There he met a large, fiery-red frog, and they were about to fight when a purple-skinned lion-dog creature charged out of a cave behind the slope. The beast was aggressive and attacked because the two were near its cave.
The big frog intervened by kicking the beast away, saving the Daoist, and then frightened it further by spewing a stream of fire from its mouth. The Daoist used the techniques he had learned, Meteor-smash and Stallion-spring, to fight alongside the frog. Their combined force drove the purple-skinned beast to flee back into its cave.
The Daoist chased the beast into the cave and discovered that, despite the Flaming Mountains’ heat outside, the cave interior was surprisingly cool. The frog also hopped into the cave and hid in a shady corner. The Daoist realized that, although the frog could breathe fire, it actually preferred cool places to rest and was afraid of the mountain’s heat.
Understanding that even this monster wanted to live, the Daoist felt compassion. He put his sword away and left the cave without killing the frog. He resumed his search for rare frogs, now with a clearer respect for their nature and for living creatures that act out of self-preservation.