Zhang Ningren(張寧人) said that the elderly man next door likes to smoke. He holds a bamboo pipe that is more than five feet long and has been using it for over thirty years.
One day, a Daoist priest walked by the door, saw the smoking pipe in the old man’s hand, and said to him, ‘This thing has absorbed human essence for a long time and has become a Smoke Dragon. It has a special effect in treating deficiency syndromes. In the future, if someone comes to ask for it, don’t easily give it to him.’
Sure enough, a pawnshop owner came, saying that his son had a deficiency disease. Learning that you have been using the bamboo smoking pipe for many years, he begged to buy it to treat the illness. The pawnshop owner offered seventy thousand yuan, and the old man allowed him to cut off about half a foot. After the businessman’s son took it, the pests and diseases in his body turned into purple water and were excreted.
Some time later, the old man met the Daoist priest at the door again and showed him the shortened smoking pipe. The Taoist said, ‘The Smoke Dragon has injured its tail, but it can still be saved. However, you must smoke with this pipe for another ten years to make the elixir again for treating illnesses.’ When the old man asked for specific methods, the Daoist smiled and did not answer, then left.
The bamboo smoking pipe is still there to this day. Zhang Ningren has seen it with his own eyes, and indeed, it is extremely glossy. Hair and beard can be clearly reflected. When hung on the wall at night, no poisonous insects dare to approach.
Translated from《煙龍》in 《子不語》:
張寧人言：其鄰老善食煙，手一竹管，長五尺許，已三十餘年矣。忽有道者過門，顧張所持煙管曰：「君此物得人精氣，久已成煙龍，療怯者有效，他日有索者，勿輕與。」一日，果有典商來，云其子患怯症，「知君有舊竹煙管，乞市以療」。乃以七十千價截半尺許去。其子服之，瘵蟲盡化紫水而下。他日，又遇前道者於門，出殘管示之，曰：「龍已傷尾，尚可活，須再食十年，乃可作還丹藥也。」求其法，但笑不言，逕去。其竹管至今猶存，張曾見之，果光澤，鬚髮畢照。夜懸壁間，一切毒蟲皆不敢近。