Summary

The Nine Cloud Dream opens with a description of Lotus Peak, one of the tallest peaks on Heng-shan mountain. A Taoist immortal named Lady Wei lived with fairies on one side of the peak, and a great Buddhist monk called Liu-kuan had a monastery on the other. Liu-kuan's most advanced disciple was a young monk named Hsing-chen. One day, Liu-kuan asked for a volunteer to go pay respects to the Dragon King in his stead, Hsing-chen offered to go. As Hsing-chen left, eight of Lady Wei's fairies arrived to make offerings to Liu-kuan, when they left, they decided to climb the mountain and enjoy a day away. At the palace of the Dragon King, Hsing-chen broke his vows by drinking wine. Drunk on his trek home, he encountered the eight fairies sitting on a bridge. Hsing-chen flirted with them. When Hsing-chen got back to...