ENG
When faced with traps, one must pass the test,
When fortune smiles, do know when to rest.
If a man of great will must vent his zest,
Trade deeds for fame and rank with the best.
A young man from the Village of Shaded Heights served at the county yamen, running errands for the local government. The magistrate despised him and hindered his advances at every turn. One day, the magistrate learned of a yaoguai haunting the Village of Lanxi. He sent the young man to investigate alone and hoped he'd never return. Aware of the magistrate's ill intent, the young man accepted the task without hesitation; he chose not to beg for his life in this. As he entered the desolate, eerie village, he was overcome with regret. But as night fell and without knowledge of the mountain paths, he had no choice but to stay.
He found a less dilapidated house with intact eaves, barred all doors and windows, and lit a lamp to steel himself for a long night, planning to depart at first light. Fear gripped him at midnight, so he practiced his swordplay to calm his nerves. After a while, a deep voice arose from the darkness above the rafters: "I am a yaoguai of this ridge. I meant to kill you, but with your fine swordsmanship and the official blade, you must be a yamen runner, yes?"
The young man was startled but needed to voice his woes. He shared his ordeal with the yaoguai and drew sighs of empathy. The yaoguai said, "I, too, was once an imperial guard, but a treacherous court official cursed me into a beetle to scrape by in these hills. I long for death, but I still wish to pass on my sword skills to someone worthy. Now, if you're willing to learn my skills, I offer to teach you."
The young man dared not to refuse. As he agreed, a beetle, over three meters tall, descended from the shadows. Its neck bore a thick carapace like a general's helm. The beetle wielded twin blades with a steadfast and forceful style that suited the young man's disposition. Overjoyed, the young man practiced with the beetle by the fading lamplight till dawn. As they parted ways, the beetle said kindly, "The world these days is full of those lacking talent and virtue and ascending through flattery. Why tangle with them and sully yourself? Aim higher-a man should carve his own path." With a hearty laugh, the beetle left.
This encounter changed the young man. He resigned from his position at the yamen and enlisted in the border armies. His superb swordsmanship elevated him to the rank of general. Leading the troops against foreign foes, he won victory after victory and became a famed commander.
The text opens with a short proverb about tests, knowing when to stop, and trading deeds for fame and rank. That sets the tone: the story is about a risky test, a choice to aim higher, and how skill can lead to real advancement.
The main character is a young man from the Village of Shaded Heights who worked as a yamen runner at the county office. The local magistrate disliked him and actively blocked his progress. When the magistrate heard of a yaoguai haunting the Village of Lanxi, he sent the young man alone on the investigation, hoping the job would kill him. The young man knew the magistrate meant him harm but accepted the task without begging for mercy.
In Lanxi he found the village desolate and eerie and, with no knowledge of the mountain paths, had to stay overnight. He took shelter in a relatively intact house, barred doors and windows, and lit a lamp planning to leave at first light. At midnight fear gripped him, so he practiced his swordsmanship to steady himself. From the rafters a deep voice identified itself as a yaoguai and, surprised by the man’s skill and his official blade, talked to him instead of attacking.
The yaoguai revealed that he had once been an imperial guard who had been cursed by a treacherous court official and transformed into a giant beetle. He said he longed for death but wanted to pass on his sword skills to someone worthy. A beetle over three meters tall then descended, with a thick carapace on its neck like a general’s helm and wielding twin blades in a forceful style that matched the young man’s temperament. They trained together by lamp light until dawn, and the beetle gave him a parting admonition about avoiding flattery and carving his own path.
That encounter changed the young man’s life. He quit his job at the yamen, enlisted in the border armies, and used the sword skills he had learned to rise through the ranks. He became a general who won victory after victory and became a famed commander. The story links his test, the master’s teaching, and his decision to aim higher with the proverb at the start about trading deeds for fame and rank.