Rat Captain Lesser Yaoguais
Location
One is encountered in the Sandgate Village area, among a large group of rat enemies in the courtyard.
Description
In the Kingdom of Zhuzi, a woman gave birth to a two-headed child, causing great horror throughout the cities.
People lamented the unfortunate fate of the woman and her child, predicting that the child would be difficult to raise. Contrary to their expectations, the child not only survived past infancy but also grew stronger and healthier than most others. The folks then again speculated that while the child might grow up, he would surely be a fool. However, as the child matured, he proved to be quite intelligent. His two heads gave him a unique perspective, allowing him to come up with ideas that others couldn’t.
Disappointed by their failed predictions, the folks declared the child to be an ill omen, foretelling future disasters. The constant rumors eventually drove the two-headed youth to leave his hometown.
Years later, a beetle with a stone-carved Buddha head attacked the border of the Kingdom of Sahālī. The king dispatched his army to defend the city, but they suffered repeated defeats. Morale plummeted, and as thoughts of retreat began to plague the soldiers’ hearts, a tall, two-headed man in the army stood out and volunteered to lead an elite squad in a raid against the yaoguai.
On the day of the battle, he arranged his elite soldiers in a line. When the yaoguai attacked, they threw coal dust on it and then sprayed strong liquor from their mouths to create pillars of fire that detonated the coal dust. Terrified by the fire, the yaoguai quickly withdrew into the desert.
Seeing that this tactic could temporarily repel the yaoguai, the King was greatly relieved and appointed the two-headed man as a captain. Learning that his children were also two-headed, the king decreed that the position of captain would be hereditary in his family, encouraging his children to join the army and strengthen the forces. One can only wonder what the folks from his hometown would say upon hearing such news.
Poetry
A visage strange with shoulders wide,
Two heads upon them side by side,
Before the royal grace be repaid,
My steadfast heart will never fade.
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