continued to live only on flowers.

Vanquishes the Wind-spirit

At this time terrible calamities began to lay waste the land. Ten
suns appeared in the sky, the heat of which burnt up all the crops;
dreadful storms uprooted trees and overturned houses; floods overspread
the country. Near the Tung-t'ing Lake a serpent, a thousand feet long,
devoured human beings, and wild boars of enormous size did great
damage in the eastern part of the kingdom. Yao ordered Shen I to go
and slay the devils and monsters who were causing all this mischief,
placing three hundred men at his service for that purpose.

Shen I took up his post on Mount Ch'ing Ch'iu to study the cause of the
devastating storms, and found that these tempests were released by Fei
Lien, the Spirit of the Wind, who blew them out of a sack. As we shall
see when considering the thunder myths, the ensuing conflict ended
in Fei Lien suing for mercy and swearing friendship to his victor,
whereupon the storms ceased.

Dispels the Nine False Suns

After this first victory Shen I led his troops to the banks of the
Hsi Ho, West River, at Lin Shan. Here he discovered that on three
neighbouring peaks nine extraordinary birds were blowing out fire and
thus forming nine new suns in the sky. Shen I shot nine arrows in
succession, pierced the birds, and immediately the nine false suns
resolved themselves into red clouds and melted away. Shen I and his
soldiers found the nine arrows stuck in nine red stones at the top
of the mountain.

Marries the Sister of the Water-spirit

Shen I then led his soldiers to Kao-liang, where the river had risen
and formed an immense torrent. He shot an arrow into the water,
which thereupon withdrew to its source. In the flood he saw a man
clothed in white, riding a white horse and accompanied by a dozen
attendants. He quickly discharged an arrow, striking him in the left
eye, and the horseman at once took to flight. He was accompanied
by a young woman named Heng O [22], the younger sister of Ho Po,
the Spirit of the Waters. Shen I shot an arrow into her hair. She
turned and thanked him for sparing her life, adding: "I will agree
to be your wife." After these events had been duly reported to the
Emperor Yao, the wedding took place.

Slays Various Dangerous Creatures

Three months later Yao ordered Shen I to go and kill the great
Tung-t'ing serpent. An arrow in the left eye laid him out stark and
dead. The wild boars also were all