Fairy and Demon Gods

Chapter 452 Benevolent and Auspicious Beasts, Divine Riders Zouwu and Zouyu!
With the white pheasant pearl and jade before them, the remaining strange beasts could no longer contain themselves. They were all eager to pay homage to the Kunpeng and tell him their purpose.

However, these individuals were quite well-mannered; seeing that there were already beasts present, they all temporarily retreated and waited for the next wave.

Kunpeng, with his keen eyes and ears, sensed this subtlety. He remained calm, but inwardly he held these individuals in higher regard.

He glanced at it briefly and understood what was going on.

This is a huge profit!
The beast that stepped forward was strong and agile, and even looked somewhat...beautiful?
It was very sincere, bending its hooves and kneeling before Kunpeng, saying respectfully, "Zouwu of the Northern Wilderness pays respects to Ancestor Kunpeng!"

Kunpeng nodded, remaining silent and waiting for him to continue.

Zouwu, unaware of Kunpeng's intentions, felt somewhat uneasy and unconsciously lowered his expectations.

He composed himself and continued, "This little beast was born in the Northern Wilderness and unconsciously felt a certain closeness to the Ancestor. I am quite strong and powerful, good at running, and incredibly fast. I am willing to be your mount and serve you at your beck and call!"

Kunpeng observed its form, listened to its self-introduction, and combined this with the memories of its past life in its mind, and now it fully understood its origin!
The Classic of Mountains and Seas, Northern Classic of the Seas Within: "In the country of Linshi, there is a rare beast, as large as a tiger, with all five colors, and a tail longer than its body, named Zouwu. Riding it, one can travel a thousand miles a day."

This means that in the Lin Kingdom there is a rare wild beast, which is like a tiger, with colorful stripes on its body and a tail longer than its body. It is like a white-haired tiger with black stripes, and it can run very fast. Riding it can cover a thousand miles a day.

Kunpeng also knows that Zouwu, also known as Zouyu, is an ancient beast of benevolence and loyalty. It does not eat any beast that has died of its own accord (it does not eat live birds and beasts), representing the spirit of compassion in traditional morality. It is a very rare and auspicious beast.

The Zouwu is explicitly recorded in classics such as the *Classic of Mountains and Seas* and the *Mao Shi Gu Xun Zhuan* as a benevolent beast that does not harm living beings. Its characteristic of "not eating beasts that have not died of their own accord" has become a concrete symbol of the Confucian idea of ​​"benevolent governance." The *Zhongxing Zhengxiang Shuo* even praises it as an auspicious beast that "responds when a ruler has the utmost virtue of trust."

As a benevolent beast in ancient Chinese mythology, its core meaning is concentrated in benevolence, auspiciousness, and noble virtues. It symbolizes virtues such as loyalty, wisdom, and courage, and carries the cultural connotation of good fortune.

It symbolizes multiple virtues. Loyalty and protection: It is seen as the master's protector, never abandoning him and defending against external enemies.

Wisdom and Foresight: Legend has it that they can sense the energy of heaven and earth and foresee the future, symbolizing extraordinary wisdom.

Courageous and resolute: Facing challenges without fear, demonstrating the courage to confront difficulties head-on.

Ancient books and legends often describe him as someone who would fight to the death to protect his master, who was loyal and unwavering, brave and fearless, and possessed extraordinary wisdom.

Since ancient times, the Zouyu has been praised by scholars and literati throughout history for its outwardly fierce yet inwardly majestic character.

Moreover, it was a royal beast during the Shang and Zhou dynasties. The Zouwu's noble status symbolized the legitimacy of power, and its pure white coat with black stripes and colorful tail feathers were endowed with connotations of 'beauty' and 'sacredness'. During the Ming Dynasty, its appearance was repeatedly recorded by the official authorities as an auspicious sign of a prosperous era.

Kunpeng also knew that the so-called "traveling a thousand miles a day" was the limit imagined by the ancients.

For example, the 800-li express courier service was already the limit for transmitting extremely urgent military and national affairs, so you can imagine how valuable the Zouwu's "traveling a thousand li a day" was!

Moreover, its ability to "travel a thousand miles a day" and its symbolism of breaking through space and time have real interpretations and meanings, and are said to be the origin of the phrase "like a tiger with wings"!

On a whim, Kunpeng said with great interest, "Get up and fly through the air for a while, let me see just how fast you can go?"

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Thank you to [Crazy Genius] for the 6 recommendation votes on the 10th!
感谢【书友20220507202014415】8号和14号的各4推荐票，9-10号、12-13号、15-16号的各3推荐票支持~