ordered you not to reply to anyone; why did you not hearken to
his words? From the Jade Palace of Abstraction I saw you speaking
together, and knew you had promised to burn the List of Promotions to
Immortals. So I ordered White Crane Youth to bring me the head. After
an hour and three-quarters Shen Kung-pao will be recompensed."

Tzu-ya said: "My elder brother, since you know all you can pardon
him. In the Taoist heart there is no place where mercy cannot be
exercised. Remember the many years during which he has faithfully
followed the Path."

Eventually the Ancient Immortal was persuaded, but in the meantime
Shen Kung-pao, finding that his head did not return, became very much
troubled in mind. In an hour and three-quarters the blood would stop
flowing and he would die. However, Tzu-ya having succeeded in his
intercession with the Ancient Immortal, the latter signed to White
Crane Youth, who was flying in space with the head in his beak, to
let it drop. He did so, but when it reached the neck it was facing
backward. Shen Kung-pao quickly put up his hand, took hold of an ear,
and turned his head the right way round. He was then able to open
his eyes, when he saw the Ancient Immortal of the South Pole. The
latter arraigned him in a loud voice saying: "You as-good-as-dead
charlatan, who by means of corrupt tricks try to deceive Tzu-ya and
make him burn the List of Immortals and help Chou Wang against Chou,
what do you mean by all this? You should be taken to the Jade Palace
of Abstraction to be punished!"

Shen Kung-pao, ashamed, could not reply; mounting his tiger, he made
off; but as he left he hurled back a threat that the Chou would yet
have their white bones piled mountains high at Hsi Ch'i. Subsequently
Tzu-ya, carefully preserving the precious List, after many adventures
succeeded in building the Feng Shen T'ai, and posted the List up on
it. Having accomplished his mission, he returned in time to resist
the capture of Hsi Ch'i by Chang Kuei-fang, whose troops were defeated
with great slaughter.

Ch'iung Hsiao's Magic Scissors

In another of the many conflicts between the two rival states Lao Tzu
entered the battle, whereupon Ch'iung Hsiao, a goddess who fought for
the house of Shang (Chou), hurled into the air her gold scaly-dragon
scissors. As these slowly descended, opening and closing in a most
ominous manner, Lao Tzu waved the sleeve of his jacket and they fell
into the sea and became absolutely mo