There was a merchant named Xu in Jiaozhou. One day his boat was caught in a big storm at sea and he lost control of it. When the storm died down, he opened his eyes and found himself in a jungle valley. He wished he could encounter some people there, so he took a rope and some dried meat and began climbing the mountain.
The cliffs on both sides were dotted with caves like a beehive and there were human voices coming out the caves. He came up to one cave and looked inside. The sight was macabre: a yaksha (demon) with jagged teeth and a pair of shining eyes was ripping a deer apart and eating it raw. Xu was horrified and wanted to flee, but it was too late. The yaksha had already seen him and caught him.
Then another yaksha appeared and the two talked like beasts. They began to tear at Xu’s clothes as if they were going to eat him. Xu was scared. He offered them his dried meat. The yakshas seemed to like the food and searched his clothes for more. Xu shook his head. meaning he had none left. The yakshas were furious and grabbed him again. Xu pleaded: “Let me go. I have a pot on the boat and I can cook for you.” But the yakshas didn’t understand him. Xu had to use his hands to express himself. Slowly, the yakshas seemed to comprehend and followed him to the boat. Xu took the pot back to the cave and gathered some wood to cook the remaining part of the deer. The yakshas ate the cooked meat with gusto. At night, they blocked the entrance of the cave with a big stone to prevent Xu from escaping. Xu lay down, away from the two demons, fearing worse was to come.
The next morning, the two yakshas went out, leaving Xu locked in the cave. Presently, they returned with a deer. Xu skinned the deer and fetched water from a stream in the cave for cooking. When the meat was done, more yakshas came and the pot of meat was too small for them. Days later, a yaksha brought Xu a big cauldron. After that, all the yakshas brought their preys for Xu to cook. They also asked him to share their meals. As the days went by, the yakshas grew familiar with Xu and no longer locked him up when they went out hunting. They lived like one family. Xu also learned to speak their language. That pleased the yakshas. One she-yaksha was chosen as his wife but Xu was nervous until the she-yaksha opened her legs to invite him to have sex. The love-making kept the yaksha very happy. She would save some good meat for Xu to eat, just as a devoted wife would do.
One morning, the yakshas got up early and each put on a necklace made of pearls. They filed out as if they were expecting some important guests. Xu was told to prepare a big feast. He asked the she-yaksha what was going on. She said, “Today is our king’s birthday.” She pointed out to the other yakshas that Xu had no necklace. At once, each yaksha contributed five pearls. The she-yaksha contributed ten and threaded the pearls with a flax string, then placed the necklace on Xu. Xu counted fifty pearls in his necklace and figured each was worth at least a hundred taels of silver. When Xu finished cooking, the she-yaksha came and said, “Come quickly. The king is coming.”
They went into a big cave, which was several acres in size. In the middle was a big rock serving as the table, surrounded by stone seats. One big seat was draped with a leopard skin； the rest were covered with deerskins. About thirty yakshas were sitting there. Presently, the dust outside swirled and all the yakshas hurried to the cave entrance. A giant yaksha entered. He went straight to the big seat and surveyed the crowd with the stem eyes of a vulture. The yakshas stood on both sides of the table, their arms crossed. The big yaksha stared at each of them, then said, “Are those from Womei Mountain also here?” “Yes.” All of a sudden, he saw Xu. “Where did he come from?” The she-yaksha said Xu was her husband. All the yakshas then praised Xu for his good cooking. Some hurried to fetch the cooked meat and place it on the stone table. The big yaksha ate the meat using both hands and raved about its great taste. He said they should prepare such good meals more often. He surveyed Xu again and said, “How come his necklace is so short?” Because he is new here and we haven’t had time to make one for him.” The big yaksha took ten pearls from his own necklace and gave them to Xu. Each pearl was the size of a thumb. The she-yaksha added them to Xu’s necklace.
Xu crossed his arms and thanked the big yaksha in their language. After that, the big yaksha left in a whirlwind. Other yakshas divided the remaining meat and left.
Wu lived in the cave for more than four years. The she-yaksha bore him triplets, two baby boys and a baby girl. They had human faces and did not look at all like their mother. All the yakshas were fond of these children and often hugged and played with them.
One day they all went out hunting. Xu was alone in the cave when a she-yaksha from a different cave entered. She wanted to sleep with him. Xu refused. This made her angry. She pushed him to the ground. Just then, Xu’s wife returned. Angered by what she saw, she fought with the intruder and bit off her ear. Later, the intruder was led away by a male yaksha from her cave.
Afterwards Xu was never left alone, and his she-yaksha always stayed by his side.
Another three years passed. The three children had learned to walk and speak Xu’s language. Although they were still young, they could climb hills as easily as if walking on flat land. Xu and his children grew very attached to each other.
One morning, the she-yaksha went out with a boy and the girl, but did not return in the afternoon. The northern winds began to blow and Xu felt homesick. He took the other boy to the beach and found his boat was still there. He wanted to leave. Yet, the boy wanted to tell his mother. Xu prevented him, and they got on the boat and set sail. After a day and a night, they reached Jiaozhou. Xu went to his house, only to find his wife had remarried. So, Xu sold two pearls for an enormous price and lived a comfortable life with his son.
Xu named his son Xu Biao. The youngster could lift a weight of one and half ton when he was only fourteen. He had a bold and bellicose temperament. That impressed a military chief in Jiaozhou, who made him a brigadier. Soon, an uprising occurred along the coast, and Xu Biao led his troops in crushing it. The victory earned him a promotion to the rank of general.
Meanwhile, another merchant ship was caught in a storm and blown to Womei Mountain. The merchant went ashore and found a boy staring at him. Guessing the man was Chinese, the boy asked where he was from. The merchant told him. The boy led him to a cave in a deep valley. The entrance to the cave was blocked by an overgrowth of prickly bush. The boy told him not to venture out. After some time, the boy returned with some venison for him to eat. “My father is also from Jiaozhou,” he said. Learning that his father was Xu, the merchant said, “Xu is my friend. His son is a general.” The boy didn’t understand what a general was. The merchant said a general was an official, but the boy didn’t know what an official was, either. “An official is one who travels by carriage and lives in a big mansion. An official rules over many people and his subjects dare not raise their eyes when he sits in the court.” The boy was filled with admiration. The merchant said, “Since your father is in Jiaozhou, why are you still here?” The boy told his family story. The merchant urged him to go with him. “I’d like to, but my mother is not a Chinese,” the boy said. “Besides, if other yakshas find this out, we are dead. That’s why I hesitate.” Before leaving the cave, he said, “When the northern wind blows, I will come and send you off. Please take a message to my father and brother.”
The merchant hid in the cave for nearly half a year. He often peeped through the bush at the yakshas moving about outside and he was scared. One day, the northern wind whistled. The boy came to help him escape. “Don’t forget to carry my message,” he repeated. The merchant promised. The boy put some meat in his boat and watched it fade out of sight on the sea.
When he returned to Jiaozhou, the merchant went straight to Xu Biao’s home and told of his adventure on Womei Mountain. Xu Biao was distressed by his tale and wanted to find his kinsfolk, but his father stopped him, saying there were many monsters out there. Xu Biao cried bitterly, and the old man could not stop him.
After submitting a report to the military chief in Jiaozhou, Xu Biao led two soldiers on a voyage. Their boat sailed against the winds and drifted at sea for two weeks. They could see nothing but hazy horizons. Suddenly a big wave overturned their boat, and Xu fell into the water. After floating with the tide for an eternity, he was pulled ashore by a monster. There were houses nearby. Xu Biao thought the monster looked like a yaksha, so he tried to talk in his language. The yaksha was amazed and asked many questions. Xu Biao explained where he wanted to go. The yaksha said, “Womei is my homeland but it is eight thousand miles from here. This place is close to the Vampire Kingdom.” The yaksha found him a small boat and pushed it from behind. The boat flew like an arrow. After one night’s journey, they arrived on the northern shore of Womei Mountain. A boy was standing on the beach looking far out to sea. Since this was the land of the yakshas, Xu Biao reckoned this boy could be his brother. He approached him and found the boy was none other than he. They held each other’s arms and wept. Hearing that his mother and sister were well, Xu Biao asked his brother to leave with him at once, but the boy refused and left. Xu Biao turned around and found the yaksha was gone, too.
Soon his mother and sister appeared. Tears fell as they saw Xu Biao. He told them the purpose of his visit. His mother said, “I’m afraid I’d be humiliated there.” “Don’t worry,” Xu Biao said. “Your son is a person of rank and wealth. Nobody will dare to say a bad word about us.” Finally, they all agreed to leave, but the wind was blowing in the wrong direction. Just as they began to despair, the wind changed. “God is helping us!” Xu Biao exclaimed. They boarded the boat and sailed south.
Three days later, they landed in Jiaozhou. Many people fled in horror when they saw the she-yaksha. Xu Biao took off his clothes to cover his mother and sister. At home, the she-yaksha scolded Xu bitterly for leaving without her consent. Xu apologized and asked for pardon. The servants were brought in to bow to the mistress of the house. They all shuddered with fear. Xu Biao persuaded his mother to learn Chinese, wear silk clothes and eat Chinese dishes. She was very interested and happy. The mother and daughter began to don Manchu attire. A few months later, the three could speak some Chinese and their skin turned fair and smooth.
The brother was named Xu Bao and his sister was named Ye’er. Both were physically strong. Xu Biao taught his brother to read. Xu Bao was a clever boy and could understand the classics without much explanation. But he did not want to become a scholar. So Xu Biao taught him archery and horsemanship. Later Xu Bao passed the provincial-level martial arts test and became a wujuren. He married the daughter of a general named Er.
Ye’er, because of her yaksha origin, could not find a husband. Later, Xu Biao married Ye’er to his subordinate, Yuan Shoubei, who had just lost his wife. Ye’er was very strong and could draw a large bow and hit a bird a hundred yards away. Whenever Yuan Shoubei was on an expedition, he would take her along. He later rose to the rank of a general, but much credit belonged to his wife.
Xu Bao also became a military officer at the age of thirty-four. His mother often accompanied him on military missions. Sometimes she went into battle herself, wearing armor and wielding a weapon. Her unusual appearance often sent enemies fleeing. Because of her courage, the emperor bestowed the title of baron on her. Xu Bao wrote a letter of thanks to the emperor and requested the title of lady for his mother. This was granted.
Folk historians say the tale of the she-yaksha is rarely heard these days. There is nothing strange about it anyway. There is, after all, a she-yaksha in every home.
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