地莲精 Golden Lotus Guai
云上尽瑞祥，未知世沧桑。
子孙飘零尽，本为择膏粱。
Auspicious clouds above, unaware of worldly strife,
Descendants scattered far, seeking out a better life.
古籍载，凡菩萨佛祖显圣之时，地涌金莲，璀璨生辉。
随着岁月流转，金莲们渐生不满。他见灵山的老鼠，偷饮灯油而称王；南海的鲤鱼，窃摘莲花而作祖；甚至连毒蝎蜇伤如来，亦得了老魔的权势。反观自己，勤勉效力，却一无所得。
他们细细盘算，决定把登堂入室的重担交给后代，便将种子抛洒凡间：希望它们在下界修炼成妖，得道升天。
可金莲们未尝料及，凡间的修炼之路，异常坎坷。诸多机智勇敢的生灵亦有得道的想法，竞争残酷而激烈。投生下界的金莲们也想过许多办法：化作女子，欲骗凡人元阳，却道士所识，斩于剑下；化为老者，欲以智取，骗食书生，反被看破嘲讽；诸如这般，不胜枚举。
历经波折，下界的金莲们渐渐发觉，本相反而更有胜算。他们重回庙宇间，以佛祖菩萨庇佑的瑞兆，诱人采摘，再将人吞食。
咦，若要以急功近利之心，参悟世道，世道何其纷杂？因果相连，缘分奇妙，每行一步，皆有定数。
Ancient texts state that whenever Bodhisattvas or Buddhas manifested their divine presence, golden lotuses bloomed from the earth, radiating brilliance.
As time passed, these golden lotuses grew increasingly discontent. They saw the rat of Mount Lingshan, who became a king by stealing lamp oil; the carp of the Southern Sea, who became a great lord by stealing Guanyin's lotus flowers; and even the scorpion that stung the Buddha, gaining the power and became a powerful yaoguai. In contrast, despite their diligent service, the golden lotuses received nothing.
After careful consideration, they decided to entrust the burden of greatness to their descendants. They scattered their seeds across the mortal realm, hoping they would become yaoguais of power and eventually earn a title in the upper realm.
However, the golden lotuses did not anticipate the path to greatness to be that arduous in the mortal world. With many intelligent and brave mortal beings also seeking enlightenment, the competition was fierce and brutal. The golden lotuses then tried various methods: transforming into women to deceive men and steal their vital essence, only to be recognized and slain by Daoists; transforming into old men to use their wits to deceive and devour scholars, only to be seen through and mocked. Such attempts were numerous and often futile.
Trials and tribulations made the golden lotuses gradually realized that their original form, the auspicious flowers indicating the Buddhas's presence, had a better chance of success. Hence, they went to the temples, using the auspiciousness to lure people into picking them, only to devour them afterward.
Alas, if one seeks to perceive the world solely in pursuit of quick success, how complex the world becomes! Cause and effect are intertwined, and fate is mysterious. Every step taken is predestined.
