, the priest entered
the King's apartment. "This great Immortal has long devoted herself
to the attainment of perfection," he said. "Those she has healed
are innumerable. Give me the hand and eye." He took them and shortly
produced an ointment which, he told the King, was to be applied to his
left side. No sooner had it touched his skin than the pain on his left
side disappeared as if by magic; no sign of ulcers was to be seen on
that side, but his right side remained swollen and painful as before.

"Why is it," asked the King, "that this remedy, which is so efficacious
for the left side, should not be applied to the right?" "Because,"
replied the priest, "the left hand and eye of the saint cures only
the left side. If you wish to be completely cured, you must send
your officers to obtain the right eye and right hand also." The King
accordingly dispatched his envoys anew with a letter of thanks, and
begging as a further favour that the cure should be completed by the
healing also of his right side.

The King Cured

On the arrival of the envoys Shan Ts'ai met them in the mutilated form
of Miao Shan, and he bade them cut off his right hand, pluck out his
right eye, and put them on a plate. At the sight of the four bleeding
wounds Liu Ch'in could not refrain from calling out indignantly:
"This priest is a wicked man, thus to make a martyr of a woman in
order to obtain the succession!"

Having thus spoken, he left with his companion for the kingdom of
Hsing Lin. On their return the King was overwhelmed with joy. The
priest quickly prepared the ointment, and the King, without delay,
applied it to his right side. At once the ulcers disappeared like the
darkness of night before the rising sun. The whole Court congratulated
the King and eulogized the priest. The King conferred upon the latter
the title Priest of the Brilliant Eye. He fell on his face to return
thanks, and added: "I, a poor priest, have left the world, and have
only one wish, namely, that your Majesty should govern your subjects
with justice and sympathy and that all the officials of the realm
should prove themselves men of integrity. As for me, I am used to
roaming about. I have no desire for any royal estate. My happiness
exceeds all earthly joys."

Having thus spoken, the priest waved the sleeve of his cloak, a cloud
descended from Heaven, and seating himself upon it he disappeared
in the sky. From the cloud a note containing the following words was