Chinese Mythology Tales 2

Hello everyone! Starting today, I'll be sharing Chinese mythological stories with you.

I'll do my best to explain any terms that might be unfamiliar, so before reading the story, it would help to understand some background about these special terms. The title of this story is:The Man Who Grew an Ear Imp

Term Explanations:

官府 (Guānfǔ)​​ - The county government office in ancient China, combining court, police station, and tax center.

​生员 (Shēngyuán)​​ - A scholar who passed the county-level imperial exams (like a "Bachelor of Classics").

​导引之术 (Dǎoyǐn zhī shù)​​ - Daoist breathing/meditation exercises (similar to yoga or qigong).

​夜叉 (Yèchā)​​ - A demon from Buddhist lore, translated here as "ear imp" for creepiness.

​Story Content:

Tan Jinxuan, a bookish scholar obsessed with Daoist meditation, practiced daily through freezing winters and scorching summers. After months of cross-legged trances, he began hearing things.

​Whispers in the Dark​

During one session, a fly-like voice hissed in his ear: "Now... I emerge." His eyes snapped open—silence. But when he resumed meditating, the voice returned. Convinced this signaled spiritual enlightenment (or maybe a third ear), Tan decided to engage.

Next time the voice spoke, he whispered back: "Yes... emerge."

​The Horror​

A searing itch crawled through his ear canal. Out plopped a three-inch creature—wart-skinned, needle-toothed, with eyes like spoiled egg yolks. The thing scrambled across the floorboards, leaving snail-trail stains.

Tan froze. Had his soul birthed a homunculus?

​The Neighbor Ruins Everything​

A knock shattered the silence. "Borrow your rice cooker?" called the neighbor. The ear imp panicked, darting in circles like a cockroach under sudden light. With a pop, it vanished—taking Tan’s sanity with it.

For six months, the scholar babbled nonsense, convinced the imp now nested in his brain. Modern doctors would diagnose "psychotic break." Ancient scribes wrote: "The Dao bites back."