The Dragon-king now recognized his assailant and sharply reproached him with his crimes, but the only reparation he got was a renewal of kicks and blows.  Then, partially lifting Lung Wang’s cloak and raising his shield, No-cha tore off from his body about forty scales.  Blood flowed copiously, and the Dragon-king, under stress of the pain, begged his foe to spare his life.  To this No-cha consented on condition that he relinquished his purpose of accusing him before Yue Huang.

“Now,” went on No-cha, “change yourself into a small serpent that I may take you back without fear of your escaping.”

Lung Wang took the form of a small blue dragon, and followed No-cha to his father’s house, upon entering which Lung Wang resumed his normal form, and accused No-cha of having belaboured him.  “I will go with all the Dragon-kings and lay an accusation before Yue Huang,” he said.  Thereupon he transformed himself into a gust of wind, and disappeared.

No-cha draws a Bow at a Venture

“Things are going from bad to worse,” sighed Li Ching, His son, however, consoled him:  “I beg you, my father, not to let the future trouble you.  I am the chosen one of the gods.  My master is T’ai-i Chen-jen, and he has assured me that he can easily protect us.”

No-cha now went out and ascended a tower which commanded a view of the entrance of the fort.  There he found a wonderful bow and three magic arrows.  No-cha did not know that this was the spiritual weapon belonging to the fort.  “My master informed me that I am destined to fight to establish the coming Chou dynasty; I ought therefore to perfect myself in the use of weapons.  This is a good opportunity.”  He accordingly seized the bow and shot an arrow toward the south-west.  A red trail indicated the path of the arrow, which hissed as it flew.  At that moment Pi Yuen, a servant of Shih-chi Niang-niang, happened to be at the foot of K’u-lou Shan (Skeleton Hill), in front of the cave of his mistress.  The arrow pierced his throat, and he fell dead, bathed in his blood.  Shih-chi Niang-niang came out of her cave, and examining the arrow found that it bore the inscription:  “Arrow which shakes the heavens.”  She thus knew that it must have come from Ch’en-t’ang Kuan, where the magic bow was kept.

Another Encounter

The goddess mounted her blue phoenix, flew over the fort, seized Li Ching, and carried him to her cave.  There she made him kneel before her, and reminded him how she had protected him that he might gain honour and glory on earth before he attained to immortality.  “It is thus that you show your gratitude—­by killing my servant!”

Li Ching swore that he was innocent; but the tell-tale arrow was there, and it could not but have come from the fortress.  Li Ching begged the goddess to set him at liberty, in order that he might find the culprit and bring him to her.  “If I cannot find him,” he added, “you may take my life.”