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Classic of Mountains and Seas — Classic of the Western Mountains, Scroll Two. Part 3


Two hundred eighty li further west is Mount Zhang’e, which is barren of vegetation but rich in beautiful jade. There are many strange creatures here. A beast called the Zheng, resembling a red leopard with five tails and one horn, lives here. It makes a sound like striking stone. There is also a bird called Biwen, resembling a crane with one leg, red markings, a blue body, and a white beak. It calls its own name, and its appearance foretells a fire disaster in the region.

Three hundred li further west is Mount Yin, where the Zhuoyu River originates and flows south into the Fanzhu Marsh. The river is rich in patterned shells. A beast called the Tiangou, resembling a wildcat with a white head, lives here. Its cry sounds like a pomegranate bursting, and it wards off misfortune.

Two hundred li further west is Mount Futi, where the summit is rich in palm trees and the base is full of gold and jade. The god Jiangyi resides here. This mountain is known for its strange rains and for being the source of winds and clouds.

Two hundred twenty li west is Mount Sanwei, where three green birds reside. The mountain spans one hundred li in circumference. A beast called Chiao, resembling a cow with a white body and four horns, lives here. Its fur is as thick as a rain cape. Another bird lives here, with one head and three bodies, resembling a yuehu (a mythical bird) and called a Chi.

One hundred ninety li west is Mount Gui, where the summit is rich in jade but lacks stones. The god Qitong resides here, and his voice always sounds like bells and chimes. The base is filled with coiled snakes.

Three hundred fifty li further west is Mount Tian, which is abundant in gold, jade, and blue realgar. The Ying River originates here and flows southwest into the Tang Valley. A god lives here, resembling a yellow sack, red as cinnabar, with six legs, four wings, and no facial features. It is skilled in singing and dancing and is known as Emperor Jiang.

Two hundred ninety li west is Mount You, where the god Rushou resides. The summit is rich in short jade, the sunny side is abundant in jade called jinyu, and the shady side is full of blue realgar. This mountain overlooks the place where the sun sets, and its rounded aura is overseen by the god Hongguang.

Traveling one hundred li west along the river, one reaches Mount Yiwang, which is barren of vegetation but rich in gold and jade. A beast called Yan, resembling a wildcat with one eye and three tails, lives here. Its cry sounds like a hundred voices combined, and it wards off misfortune. Wearing its fur cures consumption. A bird called Qiyu, resembling a black crow with three heads and six tails, also lives here. It is known for its laughter. Wearing its feathers prevents dissatisfaction and wards off misfortune.

In total, from Mount Chongwu to Mount Yiwang, there are twenty-three mountains, spanning six thousand seven hundred forty-four li. The gods associated with these mountains all have the bodies of sheep and faces of humans. The sacrificial rituals for them involve the burial of auspicious jade, with millet used as the grain offering.

The fourth section of the Western Classic begins with Mount Yin, where the summit is rich in elm trees but lacks stones. The grass is abundant with reeds and ferns. The Yin River originates here, flowing west into the Luo River.

Fifty li north is Mount Lao, where the summit is rich in purple grass. The Ruoshui River originates here and flows west into the Luo River.

Fifty li further west is Mount Bafu, where the Er River originates and flows west into the Luo River. The river is abundant in purple stones and jade.

Seventy li north lies Mount Shen, where the summit is rich in oak and crabapple trees, and the base is full of oak and catalpa. The sunny side is abundant in gold and jade. The Qu River originates here, flowing into the Yangtze River, and eventually into the Yellow River.

Two hundred li north is Mount Niao, where the summit is rich in mulberry trees, and the base is filled with elm trees. The shady side is rich in iron, while the sunny side is abundant in jade. The Ru River originates here and flows east into the Yellow River.

One hundred two li further north is Mount Shangshen, which is barren of vegetation at the summit but rich in sharp stones at the base, along with hazel and thorny shrubs. The mountain is home to many white deer. Many Danghu birds, resembling pheasants, live here. They fly using their beards, and eating them sharpens vision. The Tang River originates here, flowing east into the Yellow River.

One hundred eighty li further north lies Mount Zhuci, where the Zhuci River originates and flows east into the Yellow River. The summit is abundant with trees but lacks grass, and birds and beasts do not dwell here. The mountain is also home to many snakes.

One hundred eighty li north is Mount Hao, where the trees are rich in lacquer and palm trees, and the grasses are filled with medicinal herbs such as Chinese angelica. The area is rich in cold stones. The Duan River originates here, flowing east into the Yellow River.

Two hundred twenty li north lies Mount Yu, where the shady side is rich in iron, and the sunny side is abundant in copper. The mountain is home to many white wolves and white tigers, and birds such as white pheasants and white peacocks also reside here. The Sheng River originates here and flows east into the Yellow River.

Two hundred fifty li west is Mount Baiyu, where the summit is abundant with pine and cypress trees, and the base is rich in oak and sandalwood. The mountain is home to Niuza cattle and Qian sheep, while many owls live in the area. The Luo River originates from the sunny side and flows eastward into the Wei River, while the Jia River originates from the shady side and flows eastward into the Sheng River.

Three hundred li northwest is Mount Shenshou, barren of vegetation and covered in snow year-round. The Shen River originates here and flows underground, and the mountain is rich in white jade.

Fifty-five li further west is Mount Jinggu, where the Jing River originates, flowing southeast into the Wei River. The area is rich in white gold and white jade.

One hundred twenty li west is Mount Gang, rich in lacquer trees and jade. The Gang River originates here, flowing north into the Wei River. The area is home to divine spirits that have human faces and animal bodies, with one leg and one arm. Their voices sound like a bell.

Two hundred li west lies the base of Mount Gang. The Luo River originates here, flowing northward into the Yellow River. The river is home to a creature called Manman, which has the body of a rat and the head of a turtle. Its cry sounds like a barking dog.

Three hundred fifty li further west is Mount Yingdi, where the summit is abundant in lacquer trees, and the base is rich in gold and jade. All the birds and beasts here are white. The Yuan River originates here, flowing northward into the Marsh of Lingyang. The river is home to a fish called the Ranyi, which has the body of a fish, the head of a snake, and six legs. Its eyes resemble human ears, and eating it prevents blindness and wards off misfortune.

Three hundred li further west is Mount Zhongqu, where the sunny side is rich in jade, and the shady side is abundant with realgar, white jade, and gold. A beast called Jiao lives here, resembling a horse with a white body and black tail. It has one horn, tiger teeth, and claws, and its cry sounds like a drum. It hunts tigers and leopards and can ward off military attacks. A tree grows here called the Cup Tree, which resembles a crabapple tree with round leaves and red fruits as large as quinces. Eating the fruit gives great strength.

Two hundred sixty li west lies Mount Gui, where a beast called the Qiongqi lives. It resembles a cow with spiny fur and makes a sound like a growling dog. It preys on humans. The Meng River originates here, flowing southward into the Yang River. The river is rich in yellow shells, and it is also home to a fish called Ying, which has the body of a fish and the wings of a bird. Its cry sounds like that of a mandarin duck, and its appearance foretells great floods in the region.

Two hundred twenty li west is Mount Niaoshu Tongxue, where the summit is home to white tigers and abundant in white jade. The Wei River originates here and flows east into the Yellow River. The river is also home to the Sao fish, which resembles a dragonfish. Its movement foretells great military conflict in the region. The Lan River originates to the west, flowing west into the Han River, where it is rich in Rili fish. These fish have the appearance of overturned pots with bird heads and fish wings, and their cry sounds like the clanging of stones. They produce pearls and jade.

Three hundred sixty li southwest is Mount Yanqi, where the summit is rich in red trees with leaves resembling elm. Their fruits are as large as melons, with red skins and black veins. Eating the fruit cures consumption and wards off fire. The sunny side is abundant with turtles, while the shady side is rich in jade. The Tiao River originates here, flowing westward into the sea, where it is abundant with grindstones. A beast called the Shuhu lives here, resembling a horse with bird wings, a snake-like face, and a tail. It enjoys carrying people. A bird called Zihou also lives here, resembling an owl with a human face, a monkey’s body, and a dog’s tail. Its cry sounds like its own name, and its appearance foretells great drought in the region.

In total, from Mount Yin to Mount Yanqi, there are nineteen mountains spanning three thousand six hundred eighty li. The sacrificial rituals for these mountains involve offering a single white chicken, with rice as the grain offering and white rushes used as mats.

The entire Western Classic covers seventy-seven mountains, spanning a distance of seventeen thousand five hundred seventeen li.

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