Qinglong the Sage of the East

        Qinglong was a mythological beast from the ancient times. It was the dragon that brought rain upon the land. According to the legend, in the wars fought between Gods and Demons in the distant past, the Gods created Qinglong from the blood of the Primordial Dragon to help them in battles by controlling the weather. Since then Qinglong aided the Gods in battles by bringing rain on the battlefield. Gazing down on the land and dwelling within the clouds, Qinglong surveyed the battlefields and, by detecting heat from the fire of war, he found enemies and fended them off with rainstorms. People on the land eventually discovered its existence, worshipped it as a deity and burnt firewood as a ritual to honor its being. Qinglong, which was attracted to the warmth, granted people rain, allowing them to stay away from the war and blessing them with bountiful harvests. Farmers from among the forefathers began to consider Qinglong as an auspicious symbol and started a religion worshiping the creature.

        When the war between Gods and Demons was rekindled, the father of the first Hermit of Dainty Rivers fought alongside the Gods against their enemy. He lost in a battle led by the Gods and fled as he had no desire to fight anymore. He took refuge in the mountains that peaked high into the sky, hiding from the assassins sent by the magistrate of Gods. Everyday he witnessed the never-ending war and recalled the beliefs of his ancestors. He wished for the legendary rain which would put out the fire of war. In grief, the father of the hermit sang and recited the piece of prayer which used to be rendered together with the offerings given to Qinglong. To his surprise, a long figure concealing in the mist appeared. Then a baby dragon with a jewel in its claw fell from the clouds and landed on his head. It came to the him that Qinglong was stripped of its power by the Dragon King since it secretly offered help to humans, yet Qinglong could not refrain itself from descending from the clouds after hearing the prayer.

        The baby dragon lived with the family ever since. Together with Qinglong, the young hermit grew up and studied sorcery. The two shared the natural power of water elements. After the death of his parents, the Hermit of Dainty Rivers entered the war with Qinglong, striving to put an end to the war. Other ascetics called them “the Sage of the East”, one of the “Four Sages”.