An Indian Monk

In the year 805, there was a multimillionaire named Bu Wang who lived in the East Market of Chang’an City. He was an educated and reasonable person. Many businessmen knew him. Wang had a 15-year-old daughter who was smart and pretty，but she had a strange disease.

There were two legume-like polyps growing from Wang’s daughter’s nose. Each of the polyps was about an inch long. The roots of them were very thin and fine. The girl ached in the heart and bones when the polyps were touched. As any father would be, Wang was very worried. He spent a million dollars but his daughter was still ill.

One day, an Indian monk came to Wang’s house to beg for food. He said to Wang, “I hear your daughter has a strange illness. Could I see her? I can cure her.” Wang was absolutely delighted when he heard what the monk had said. He took the monk to see his daughter at once.

The monk took some white powder and blew it into the girl’s nostrils. Soon the polyps dropped by themselves. Just a little yellow water came out of her nose. The girl did not feel any pain.

Wang was even more ecstatic. He wanted to give the monk a lot of silver ingots. However, the Indian monk refused, “I am a monk. I can’t receive money. The two polyps are the only things I want.” So the monk took the polyps, said goodbye to Wang, and left in a hurry.

After a while, a blindingly handsome young man who rode up on a white horse came. The young man looked very young, just in his early 20s. On the horse, his slender figure was obvious. Under his thick black hair, the young man’s features were sculptural. He had an oval face with rosy lips, pretty white teeth, and a noble nose. When he looked at you, you felt like you were the most important person in the world. There was a heroic spirit exuding from eyebrows. Girls in the streets were staring at him. Even many men in the street couldn’t help but glance at him.

He knocked on Wang’s door and asked, “Did a foreign monk come here just now?” So Wang let the young man in and told him what had happened. The man sighed “My weak horse can’t run fast. I am one step behind the monk!” Wang felt very strange and ask him what was going on. The young man said “Two Health demi-gods disappeared. Sources say they were hiding in your daughter ’s nostrils. I am a demi-god. I came here to take them home under the Gods’ orders. However, the monk has beaten me to it. I’m going to find him and get them back.” After hearing what the young man said, Wang saluted to him at once. When he looked up, the young man had disappeared.

A Indian Monk Chang'an China Strange Chinese Stories Tang dynasty