骨嶙峋 Skeletal Snake
黄土黄土，尘泥销骨。
枉死秀士，其心何苦。
乘风岚兮，施于中谷。
覆载灵蕴，化生异物。
A noble fate's vengeful breath,
Binds the bones of snakes in death.
A soul mistreated, here to stay,
Resentful will, blown astray.
翠屏村有个青年，父母早亡，贫苦无依，乡邻都欺负他。
这日，村中猎户在山里发现个怪洞，不知深浅，时时传出怪响，非常骇人。乡勇们不敢擅入，便把青搡了进去。因那洞中无光，青年看不明道路，脚下踩空，从个断崖跌落，发出几声惨叫。众人听见那叫喊，以为洞里果真藏着厉害的妖魔，竟撇下青年，全都逃走了。
青年坐在崖底哀哀地大哭，忽而听见些骨头折断之声，窸窸窣窣，接连不停地响起。青年吓得赶紧闭嘴，却听黑暗里传来一道足音，不断向自“你别过来!我无父无母，命苦肉酸己靠近。青年心下惊惧，大喝道:吃我无益。”不想，他一语道完，那足音真就停下了。
久之，青年对峙着黑暗，饿得头晕眼花，绝望道:“没人会来搭救我你快吃掉我吧，让我死得痛快些。”待他说完，足音果真又响了起来，慢慢靠向青年。青年自认必死无疑，万念俱灰，不想却是团布料抚到他的脸上。他伸手去拉，发现是支衣袖，便赶紧拽住。那衣袖拉着青年站起，带着他在黑暗中摸索前行，良久，终于找到了洞口。
待天光照见眼前，青年才发现自己竟是被一条骷髅蛇怪引着，立时张皇无措。那怪见状，脖子倏然伸长，长颈横扫，将他抛出洞外。后来，青年被路过的商队救起，跟着他们离开了村庄，生活也越来越好。
俗语谓:“祸分福之所倚，福分祸之所存。”虽然不能尽信，但世事发展到极点总会带来变化，变化就会带来机遇，走过最低谷，就是通达的道路。
In the Village of Shaded Heights, there lived a young man, orphaned and impoverished, constantly mistreated by his fellow villagers.
One day, hunters from the village discovered a strange cave in the mountains, emitting eerie sounds that sent shivers down their spines. Too afraid to enter themselves, villagers pushed the young man in to investigate. Lost in the darkness, he stumbled and fell from a cliff, crying out in agony. Believing the cave harbored a fearsome guai, the villagers abandoned him and fled in terror.
Sitting at the bottom, the young man wept bitterly. Amidst his tears, he heard the sound of bones snapping and the rustling of movement. Startled, he fell silent, only to hear footsteps approaching. Filled with fear, he yelled, "Stay away! I am an orphan and burdened with misery. My flesh is lean-feasting on me won't do you any good." Surprisingly, as soon as he spoke, the footsteps stopped.
Time passed, and within the darkness, hunger gnawed at the man's senses. Despairingly, he pleaded, "There's no one coming for me... Devour me quickly, so I may have a merciful death." Then, the footsteps resumed, inching closer. Terrified, he assumed his end was imminent. Yet, to his astonishment, he felt a piece of cloth gently brushed against his face. Reaching out, he realized it was a sleeve, which he grasped firmly. The sleeve guided him to stand and led him through the darkness until they found the cave's entrance.
As the daylight bathed them, the young man finally saw what had been guiding him-a skeletal serpent guai! Seeing the young man startled, the guai suddenly extended its neck and swept him out of the cave. Afterwards, the young man was saved by passing merchants and departed from the village with them. From then on, his life gradually improved and prospered.
As the saying goes: "Misfortune may be the harbinger of fortune, and fortune may conceal misfortune." While not an absolute truth, when events reach their peak, change becomes inevitable. From change, opportunities arise, and the lowest valleys often reveal the clearest paths.
