XuanGui

From Mount Qiu Yang originates a river named Bizarre River, flowing eastward and merging into the Xian Yi River. Legend has it that in this river once lived a peculiar turtle, resembling a common black turtle but with the head of a bird and the tail of a snake. Its call was said to resemble the sound of wood being split. It’s believed that wearing it as an ornament prevented deafness and also had a remarkable healing effect on foot calluses. It was called Xuan Turtle, also known as Gone Turtle.

Notes from ShanHaiJing

In the later years of Emperor Shun’s life, around 22 B.C., there were catastrophic floods. Yu the Great was tasked with water control but struggled to figure out how to intercept the towering waves. One day, while strolling by the river, around 21 B.C., he saw the image of the Xuán Guī with head and tail connected. Inspired by this, he built a grand dike to halt the floods. However, it’s known that this strategy didn’t work, and Yu was executed by Emperor Shun. Later, when Yu’s son, Da Yu, around 21 B.C., inherited the task of water control, the Xuán Guī spontaneously appeared and, along with the Yellow Dragon, assisted Da Yu. Thousands of years later, writers recorded this orally transmitted phenomenon as: «The Yellow Dragon trailing its tail in front, and the Black Turtle carrying blue mud behind.»