执杖道士 Staff Daoist
仙山云水连天涯，天涯望尽不见家。
持杖远走入危巢，得享白雪与黄芽。
Fairy mountains, clouds and waters are connected to the horizon, and home is nowhere to be seen.
Holding a stick, I walk far into the dangerous nest and enjoy the white snow and yellow buds.
昔年，有个山村建在多虫的山岭之上。后因怪事频发，山民们纷纷搬走这里便成了个荒村。却说山下的村里有个青年，母死家贫，父亲是个赖汉，对他很少管顾，村民们也都瞧不起他，时常欺辱，他自觉在村中难以为生，索性躲去岭上的荒村居住。
那荒村被一伙虫妖所占，青年登上山岭，立时就被妖魔捉了去。他本没牵挂，存了求死的心，全无反抗之意。虫妖们见他这般，并不为难他，将他安顿在了一间破屋里。
是夜，有个中年道人，带着衣裳饭食而来，对青年道:“我听闻你无处可去，便为你带了些起居可用之物，你若不嫌弃，就拜我为师，留在此间罢，我还能教你些养气之法。”
那青年许久未被人关照，急急换了道袍，行了拜师之礼，从此便和虫妖们一起生活修炼。日则同行同坐，夜则同息同止。
这日，有个书生闯入青年的房中，道:“我刚从妖怪的洞府里跑出来他们把我封在虫茧中，不知是何打算。我正要逃离此地，见你是个活人，我们一起走罢。”
那青年摇头道:“我在这里过得很好，为何要走?那书生气愤道:“因为他们是妖怪，而你是个人。先不说他们日后是否会害你，且说你跟他们相处久了，也会变成个怪物。
“你说得对，”言罢，青年抄起身旁的长杖，将书生打翻在地，“可就算变成妖怪，我也心甘情愿。”那书生见青年执迷不悟，忍着伤痛翻出门外，独自一人逃命去了。
Long ago, a mountain village sat on a ridge teeming with insects. Strange things kept happening, so the villagers all moved out, leaving it a deserted village. In the village below lived a young man. His mother had died, and his father was a poor wastrel who paid him no mind. The villagers looked down on him and often abused him. He felt he couldn't endure such disdain, so he fled to live in the abandoned village. Little did he know that the village was claimed by a swarm of insect guais.
As soon as the young man reached the ridge, the yaoguais seized him. He didn't fight back, as a deep-rooted death wish, stemming from a life without attachments, had long infested his heart. Seeing his resignation, the insects didn't harm him. Instead, they provided him shelter in a dilapidated shack.
That night, a middle-aged Daoist brought him food and clothing. "I heard you have nowhere to go, so I brought you some things for daily use. If you don't mind, take me as your master and stay here. I can teach you practices for ascension." The youth hadn't been cared for in so long. He eagerly donned the Daoist robe and performed the rites to acknowledge his master. From then on, he lived and trained with the insect guais. They spent their days dining and walking together, and at night, they slept side by side.
One day, a scholar barged into the young man's room. "I've just escaped from the yaoguais' lair. They had trapped me in a cocoon sack, and I'm unsure of their intentions. I'm fleeing this place. You're human, you should come with me." The young man shook his head. "I'm content here. Why should I leave?" The scholar grew angry, "Because they're yaoguais and you're human! Even if they don't harm you, staying with them long enough will turn you into a yaoguai as well!"
"You're right," the young man said as he grabbed his staff and knocked the scholar to the ground. "But even if I turn into a yaoguai, I'll do so gladly." The scholar deemed that the young man was past saving. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he crawled out the door and fled alone.
