The Fox Spirit of Bluestone Mountain

“When a handsome scholar meets a beautiful girl, things are liable to get out of hand. Not to mention when fox demons are involved.” — Lü Dongbin, Taoist immortal.

Jade Fox, a nine-tailed fox spirit who dwells in a cave on Bluestone Mountain, transforms herself into a beautiful woman and seduces Young Master Zhou, a handsome and talented scholar. When their secret liaison comes to light after Zhou falls ill and Jade Fox injudiciously devours a little boy, Zhou’s loyal servant decides that an intervention is necessary. Neither villagers nor local Taoist priests prove any match for Jade Fox and her fox spirit sisters, and so Taoist immortal Lü Dongbin descends to earth to confront her. But will he be able to subdue the coquettish yet powerful Jade Fox? Moving and humorous, this lively story is steeped in traditional Chinese culture and folklore.

Zou Tao (鄒弢) (1850–1931), the presumed author of The Fox Spirit of Bluestone Mountain, was a writer, educator, and newspaper editor. Born in Wuxi, Jiangxi Province, he moved to Suzhou at a young age and lived the latter part of his life in Shanghai. His works include novels, stories, and literary handbooks.

Translator Timothy Gouldthorp is an Australian currently residing in Taipei, Taiwan. He holds a Ph.D. from the School of Languages and Cultures at the University of Queensland. His broad range of interests includes literature from both Western and Chinese traditions.