In the county of Yuling lived a man surnamed Qu. One day, in his study, the rain outside was ceaseless, the weather dim and oppressive. He observed a tiny object glowing faintly, moving back and forth inside and outside his book chest, wriggling and crawling. Where it passed, it left a streak of pitch-black residue on the floor, as if scorched by fire.

Gradually, the little thing crawled onto a scroll, and the scroll instantly blackened and charred.

The old gentleman thought it might be a dragon, so he carried the scroll to the doorway and stood there for a long time. Seeing the small creature curled up and still, the old man murmured, "Could it be that my reverence is insufficient?" He then took the scroll back inside, placed it carefully on the desk, straightened his robes and hat, bowed deeply and respectfully, and once more carried it out the door.

Just as he reached the eaves, he saw the little thing lift its head, stretch, leap off the scroll, and fly away with a faint, hissing sound, emitting a wisp of white light.

After flying a few paces away, it turned back to face him, having transformed—its head was now as large as a jar, and its body dozens of meters thick.

Then, with a slight upward flip, it roared like thunder and soared away into the vast sky.