The scholar Guo Sheng taught in the county town, instructing five or six young pupils, all of whom were attending class for the very first time.

South of the private schoolhouse was an outhouse, situated near the cattle pen and backed against the mountain cliff, where a tangle of weeds grew in profusion.

Whenever one particular page boy needed to use the facility, he would linger inside for an inordinate amount of time. Guo Sheng suspected him of slacking off, but the boy insisted, "I am not being lazy, Master; I am merely practicing the art of soaring through clouds and mist."

Guo Sheng grew suspicious. The next time the page boy went to the privy, he hid nearby to observe.

He watched as the boy’s body lifted into the air, hovering several feet above the ground, ascending and descending erratically. After a short while, the movement ceased.

Mr. Guo entered to investigate and saw a massive snake within a crack in the wall, its head raised, tongue flicking out, its head as wide as a washbasin. As the serpent inhaled, the page boy rose with it, floating mid-air.

Guo Sheng reported this incident to the villagers, and a crowd soon gathered to witness the spectacle.

They used torches to set fire to the wall. The wall cracked open, and the great serpent was burned alive, dropping to the ground. Its body was not exceedingly long, but it was remarkably thick—as wide as a water bucket.

It was surmised that this snake had been trapped within the wall for many, many years, unable to escape.

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