ENG
In fairy mountains, fate decides my stay,
By nature's flow, I turn to stone each day.
Seeking truth with purpose, unaware of the length,
With steadfast heart, I carve my path, my strength.
Long ago, there was a Daoist who dedicated his life to capturing yaoguais. During one encounter with a frog guai, he traveled far and wide, seeking their traces. Along the way, he gained many opportunities and became a highly skilled Daoist. He also came to understand that all beings had their own ways of survival and were no longer obsessed over capturing yaoguais. Instead, he grew curious about their lives.
One day, as he passed by Mount Huaguo, he was captivated by the beautiful scenery and decided to release the tadpole that had accompanied him on his journey back into the mountain stream. Unexpectedly, as soon as he let the little frog guai go, several bolts of lightning struck down, revealing a group of armored celestial soldiers.
The Daoist thought he had caused some trouble and was about to apologize when the celestial soldiers attacked him without a word. He quickly drew his sword to defend himself but was gradually overwhelmed by their numbers. Just as he was about to be seriously injured, a large stone frog leaped from the riverbank. Unafraid of the flashing blades, and even the lightning summoned by the soldiers, the stone frog helped the Daoist fend off his opponents.
The Daoist approached the riverbank and realized that the little frog guai he had released had brought the stone frog to rescue him. He was deeply grateful. From that day on, the Daoist no longer aspired to become immortal. Instead, he frequently visited the frog guais, asking them for tadpoles to release into various beautiful mountains and rivers. People began to call him the Frog Immortal.
The text opens with a short poem that sets the tone: someone staying in fairy mountains, following the flow of nature, seeking truth with a steady heart. It frames a story about a Daoist who once devoted his life to hunting yaoguais, spirit or demon-like creatures in the world of the story.
That Daoist spent a long time tracking a frog yaoguai. Chasing that creature took him far and wide and gave him many chances to grow. Over time he became a very skilled Daoist, and through his travels he learned to respect that different beings have their own ways of surviving. He stopped obsessing over capturing yaoguais and grew curious about their lives instead.
One day he passed Mount Huaguo and was moved by the scenery. He decided to set free the tadpole that had been traveling with him by releasing it into a mountain stream. Right after he did, several bolts of lightning struck and a group of armored celestial soldiers appeared. The Daoist thought he had caused trouble and prepared to apologize, but the soldiers attacked him without saying anything.
He fought back with his sword but was outnumbered and was about to be badly hurt. At that moment a large stone frog leaped from the riverbank. The stone frog ignored the soldiers’ flashing blades and the lightning they summoned and helped the Daoist drive them off. The Daoist realized the little tadpole he had released had brought the stone frog to rescue him.
Grateful for that rescue, the Daoist changed his life. He stopped trying to become an immortal and instead often visited the frog yaoguais. He asked them for tadpoles so he could release them into other beautiful mountains and rivers. Because of his new role and his care for frogs, people began to call him the Frog Immortal.