戌狗 Xu Dog
不练神功不坐禅，手执蒲扇养金丹。
赤心只记参同契，人间愁闷人间烦。
No divine arts, no meditation's trance,
With a palm fan, he nurtures his pill's dance.
A sincere heart, the medicine he seeks,
Bored by human woes and worldly techniques.
清虚巷东头的小道观里，住着个道士。他自称得了海上仙方，是个妙手回春的道医。
道士的丹药，生病的人吃了，不见大好，没病的人吃了，只如寻常，不曾出过什么差错。
若有人来问，他便道:“世上哪有什么起死回生灵丹妙药，只有体内的精、气、神调和舒畅，才是真的身体康泰。”
大家都认为这道士不甚厉害，所以门庭冷落，求医者极少。
却说城中的陈老太爷，富比王候，如今花甲之年，染了重疾，显出下世的光景来。
他的儿子寻至观中，请道士去给老太爷治病。
道士养着条黄狗，不论何事，都将其带在身侧，此次去陈府治病，也是如此。
道士为老太爷特制了许多丹药，府中人虽觉得道士不过胡来应付，却也不敢多言，只敢在旁瞧个热闹。
岂料，老太爷自服了那些药丸，渐渐竟能进些饮食，气也顺畅了，似有痊愈之兆。
偏巧，道士某次炼丹，炉子却炸了开来，连带着他一起送了命。
府中下人来收拾道士暂住的房屋，不住慨叹天命弄人，却见道士的黄狗正穿着他的衣服从屋内走了出来。
他摇着一把破蒲扇，道:“我原盘算，在凡间学些凡人手段。不想你们这世道，有大才，反是烧身之难哟!”
语毕，他将扇一拍，就不见了。
At the eastern end of Qingxu Alley stood a modest Daoist temple, home to a solitary Daoist. This Daoist professed to have discovered the ancient formula for an immortality pill from the sea, earning him a reputation as a miraculous healer.
The Daoist's pills, when taken by the sick, showed no significant improvement, and when taken by the healthy, had no noticeable effect. If anyone inquired about their efficacy, he would calmly explain, "There is no such thing as a wondrous cure-all pill that can bring the dead back to life. True health arises from the harmony and smooth flow of one's essence, vigor, and spirit." Consequently, people began to doubt the Daoist's skills, leading to his temple being sparsely visited and few seeking his medical assistance.
In the city, there was an old man named Mr. Chen, whose wealth rivaled that of nobility. Now in his sixties, he had fallen gravely ill, showing signs of being near the end of his life. His son sought out the Daoist and invited him to treat his ailing father.
The Daoist had a yellow dog that he kept by his side at all times. This time, he brought it along to the Chen residence. The Daoist prepared many special pills for Mr. Chen. Although the household servants thought he was merely going through the motions, they dared not say much and watched from the sidelines.
Unexpectedly, after taking the pills, Mr. Chen gradually began to eat and drink a little, and his breathing became smoother, showing signs of recovery. Yet, just when everything was getting better, in one of the Daoist's pill-making sessions, his furnace exploded, killing him in the process.
The household servants came to clean up the Daoist temporary quarters, lamenting the whims of fate. To their astonishment, they saw the Daoist's yellow dog, dressed in his clothes, walking out of the room. The dog was fanning itself with a tattered palm-leaf fan and said, "I had planned to learn some mortal skills in the human world. Who would have thought that in this world, great talent brings such peril!"
With that, the dog snapped the fan, and disappeared.
