In the “Tso-K‘i” of the Hiao King it is said: “The Emperor is filial, the heavenly dragon bears the plans and the earthly tortoise issues a book.” The Ho-t‘u says: “Yellow gold after one thousand years produces a yellow dragon, azure gold after one thousand years, the azure dragon; red and white dragon is also thus. Black gold after one thousand years produces the black dragon.”
The Twan-ying-t‘u says: “The yellow dragon is the chief of the four dragons, the true beauty of the four regions. He can be large or small, obscure or manifest, short or long, alive or dead; the king cannot drain the pool and catch him. His intelligence and virtue are unfathomable; moreover he ensures the peaceful air, and sports in the pools.” Again, it says: “The yellow dragon does not go in company, and does not live in herds. He certainly waits for the wind and rain, and disports himself in the azure air. He wanders in the wilds beyond the heavens. He goes and comes, fulfilling the decree; at the proper seasons if there is perfection he comes forth, if not he remains (unseen).”
The Shi Ki says: “The bright moon pearl is concealed in the oyster, the dragon is there.”
Books of the after Wei dynasty say, “Persia has three pools.” They narrate that a dragon lives in the largest, his wife in the second, and his child in the third. If travellers sacrifice, they can pass; if they do not sacrifice they encounter many storms of wind and rain.
Lü-lan asserts that Confucius said, “The dragon feeds in the pure (water) and disports in the clear (water).”
Sun-k‘ing-tsz says: “The accumulated waters form the streams, the Kiao-Lung is brought forth.” Han-Féi-shwoh-nan says: “Now as the dragon is a reptile he can be brought under control and ridden.[325] But below his throat are tremendous scales, projecting a foot. If a man should come in contact with them he would be killed.”
Kwan-tsz says: “The dragon’s skin has five colours, and he moves like a spirit; he wishes to be small and he becomes like a silkworm; great, and he fills all below heaven; he desires to rise, and he reaches the ether; he desires to sink, and he enters the deep fountains. The times of his changing are not fixed, his rising and descending are undetermined; he is called a god (or spirit).”
Hwai-nan-tsz says: “The dragon ascends and the brilliant clouds follow.” Again, he says: “This Kiao-Lung is hidden in the streams, and his eggs are opened at the mound. The male cries above and the female cries below, and he changes; his form and essence are of the most exalted (kind). Man cannot see the dragon when he flies aloft. He ascends, and wind and rain escort him.”
The Tihing P‘ien says: “Wings beautiful grow for the flying dragon; hair soft like that of a calf on the ying dragon; scales only for the Kiao-Lung. Only in pools is found the Sien-Lung.” Chang-hang said: “How the Ts‘ang-Lung meets the summer and aspires to the clouds, and shakes his scales, accomplishing the season. He passes the winter in the muddy water, and, concealed, he escapes harm.” Pan-ku, answering Pin-hi, said: “The Ying-Lung hides in the lakes and pools. Fish and turtle contemn him, and he does not observe it. He can exert his skill and intelligence, and suddenly the clear sky appears. For this reason the Ying-Lung, now crouching in the mud, now flying in the heavens, appears to be divine.”
Lun-hang says, “When the dragon is small, all the fish are small; this is divine.”